2. Chapter 2 (1/1)

slight time jump, y'all will deal with it. enjoy!

disclaimer: still not mine.

it wasn't until over an hour later that bertrand finally worked up the courage to knock on vlad's door."i don't want any, renfield." he frowned; it wouldn't be time for renfield to serve up the slop he euphemistically called dinner for at least another hour."it's me. can i come in?" there was a long pause."i suppose you'd better." well, that didn't bode well.

he opened the door and stepped inside, thinking better of closing it behind him."you didn't come back. i... came to say i understand, and if you need me to leave..."vlad cut him off. "i shouldn't have kissed you, i'm sor... wait, what? you want to leave?""i don't want to, no, but if you want me to-""why would i want you to leave? and... what do you mean, you understand? understand what?"

bertrand paused for a moment, considering his words carefully. vlad's gaze dropped to his shoes, but not before they'd taken in the open door."you can close that, you know. i'm not going to jump you.""i didn't want you to think..." he gave up trying to explain and closed the door before turning back to the sofa where vlad sat. "i understand that your little joke backfired, and now things are awkward. so if you'd rather i didn't continue as your tutor...""a joke? bertrand, i wasn't joking. i just... i didn't think you'd lie to me like that."

there was a moment of silence as they both realised that the conversation they were having made no sense, and another as they both reached the next logical conclusion."what did your father say to you?"vlad's expression darkened. "that you were toying with my emotions, that you were just chasing power. and i – i mean, you're not, are you?"bertrand raised an eye

ow. "hardly. if i was, i'd have said yes to your father. i turned down my boss in favour of my student; those are not the actions of a rational, power-hungry vampire."

they shared a grimace at the thought of the count, and then vlad stood. "i'm going to slay him.""so... that's why you didn't come back?" vlad's face fell at the question and for a moment, bertrand thought he was going to say he really had changed his mind."that's why. i was embarrassed, i'd put myself on the line and... well... yeah, i'm gonna slay him."

he was half way to the door when bertrand's hand on his arm stopped him again."last time you went to talk to your father, it didn't work out very well for me."the chosen one stopped in his tracks, worried."what happened?" had his father threatened bertrand in the hour he'd spent sulking in his room?"you left."

bertrand looked slightly embarrassed, but vlad could see the bittersweet sincerity in his eyes."didn't go too well for me either.""oh?""i only got one kiss."

bertrand's lips quirked up slightly."i can fix that."