Like, I know I don't give you guys the time and fics you deserve for how much you support me, but I do appreciate y'all and I love that I wasn't the only person to see the sheer fucking chemistry Vlad and Ingrid had.

-YD-

He felt like his brain was swimming, having to shake himself repeatedly to stay awake just on the walk to the Branagh house. Vlad hoped nobody could see him doing his best impression of a zombie all the way down the hill.

"Vlad?"

Not remembering making it to the front door, Vlad woke to Mrs Branagh looming over him, a sore dent in his face in the shape of the doorbell. He yawned, rubbing his cheek as Mr Branagh appeared next to his wife.

"Tired? Go to bed earlier, that's my advice. Bye love."

He kissed his wife goodbye and headed past Vlad, who blinked blearily, trying in vain to remember the weird dream that lingered at the edge of his mind. It was hard to sort through when he was so damned tired. Surely it wasn't normal? He'd slept badly before and never felt so heavy headed. Plus his father had been oddly gleeful about Vlad's tiredness...

"Vlad? Hey! Vlad!"

Robin snapped his fingers in front of Vlad's face, jerking him out of his haze.

"Hey Robin."

"Are you ok Vlad?"

"Mm. Fine. Just... tired."

Robin eyed him warily, but was soon distracted by his mother handing him toast, offering Vlad some too. He turned it down, not sure he was even awake enough to chew and not choke on it. Every part of him felt fatigued, like all the energy had been siphoned out of him. What was going on?

Ingrid hadn't mentioned a spell of intense exhaustion. Was it a full vampire thing? A male thing? He was clueless, and absolutely not about to ask his father for help.

Speaking of Ingrid... yep, she was still avoiding him. As he expected, but still it stung a little. Robin dragged his half-asleep self to first class, and Vlad managed to put on his Woodwork apron without disaster. He needed to stay awake for Woodwork anyway. The teacher actively wanted to murder him, after all. Stay... awake...

Vlad jerked upright, very confused by what he saw. Everyone in the classroom, still there, but with capes and fangs and blood dripping down their faces. The wooden spoon on the board was now a coffin, and Vlad looked down to see his skin had paled further, as though all the sun exposure had been leeched from it.

"Oak is the traditional choice when building a coffin, isn't that right Vlad?"

He blinked, realised that Mr Van Helsing also had a cape on. He really hoped that it was a dream.

"Vlad!"

Jerking upright again, Vlad glanced around, shaking with the confused adrenaline in his system - was there a fight or not? His eyes landed on Mr Van Helsing, phantom image of fangs and cape and coffins running through his mind.

"Vampire!"

It came out of his mouth before Vlad realised what he was saying, everyone looking at him funny and a few laughing. Robin hissed something in his ear, grabbed their stuff and dragged Vlad out of the classroom with a comment about taking him to the nurse aimed at the teacher. They detoured to the nearest bathroom, Vlad splashing cold water on his clammy face to try and shake the lingering exhaustion, at odds with the rapid beat of his heart thudding in his chest.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know. Weird dream. Can't stay awake."

Rubbing his eyes until he saw coloured spots, Vlad stared into the mirror, unsettled by the way his reflection winked at him. It could be a hallucination, but it was unlikely - sometimes they did that. It was how he'd realised what Ingrid was, indirectly.

What did his reflection know about what was going on?

"A bit of insomnia bringing down a vampire?"

"Ha ha. It's not like that. Everyone was a vampire! Even Mr Van Helsing!"

"Was I?"

Vlad rolled his eyes. Typical Robin.

"Yes."

He replied with exasperation, wiping his face dry with paper towels and scrubbing a hand through his hair, grimacing where it was damp with cold sweat. Pale and sickly looking, Vlad probably could have gotten sent home by the nurse if he wanted, but was a little concerned he'd keel over and fall asleep on the way home.

"You need to keep me awake."

"It's double maths next, you got no chance."

"Robin, I'm serious! I'm worried."

"About a little vampire dream? Vamp up Vlad, you'll be drinking the blood of innocent victims in a couple of years."

He sighed.

"Thanks Robin. Always make me feel better."

Despite the heavy sarcasm, Robin continued as though it were a genuine compliment.

"It's what I'm here for. Come on, let's get you a sugary drink from the dining hall first."

Well, that was something. Vlad went, the dinner lady taking one look at his pallid appearance before shoving a coke that didn't taste like it was filtered through a tombstone into his hand. He sat to drink while Robin chewed his way through a chocolate bar, feeling a little more revitalised by the time he stood up when the bell rang.

At least, he thought he did. Vlad barely remembered bracing so he wouldn't crack his skull before he landed on the corridor floor.

"Vlad! Vlad!"

Opening his eyes, Vlad was immediately very confused. He was outside? In a strange, oddly lit forest. Robin was stood nearby, dressed like the wise old man from some video game they'd played once. Was he dreaming? Vampires couldn't teleport, after all. And Vlad definitely remembered being at school.

Robin wasn't the only one dressed oddly. He recognised the feel of the leather he wore - sunproofed, for vampires who had to skip through a second or two of UV rays. Speaking of UV...

"Ah!"

He yanked his hand back from a beam of sunlight, skin burning in a way it shouldn't for another couple of years. The blisters faded, skin smooth again in seconds but the fact it had happened at all was baffling. What the blood and garlic was going on?

"They are coming."

"Who?"

Vlad scrambled to his feet, aware his senses were sharper than ever. As were his teeth, strangely. Vlad ran his tongue over definite fangs, wondered if he was having some vivid hallucination of future vampirehood. If he was, he wanted it to end.

"Who's coming?"

Robin simply nodded quietly to the woods, where Vlad could hear rustling sounds, quick steps, the thrum of life - whoever was after him, they weren't vampires.

"Run!"

He ran before he even realised it, legs carrying him off in the opposite direction of the noises. Vlad tried to turn back, see who or what followed him but it cost him, thick rooted tree tripping him up. His hands went out to break his fall, something stabbing him in the palm and-

Vlad bolted up from the floor, looking down to see school uniform, over-buffed tiles and the glare of flourescent lights...

and his hand was bleeding.

-YD-

As you can probably guess I've borrowed some of Insomnia but its not gonna be the exact same!