145. Daze (1/1)

au in which bertrand lives, obviously. bertrand/malik slash. reviews much appreciated!

disclaimer: 's not mine.

malik had been in a daze, an angry daze, when he slammed into the solid form of bertrand."ingrid said you might still be down here, she said i should find you." he stared blankly at the older vampire, wondering why on earth ingrid would be so cruel as to hasten this conversation. "...malik? are you alright?" he lashed out at a wall without warning, and bertrand carefully took him by the arms and began to guide him upstairs, to bertrand's room. he was talking, saying something soothing or scolding; malik wasn't sure. all he could feel was anger and confusion and... loss. there was more of that to come, he knew.

"right," bertrand began, pouring each of them a glass of soy blood as soon as malik was settled in a chair, "what's happened?""i- well, ingrid and i, she caught me- tried to get my mother out of the blood mirror." there was a long pause."i suppose i don't need to ask why," bertrand commented at last, and malik sank his glass of blood before slamming it down on the table between them."i wasn't trying to take power! i just-""she's your mother, and you were close." bertrand didn't seem the faintest bit surprised, as if it was what he had been planning to say all along, and malik slumped, suddenly exhausted by it all."i walked through artificial sunlight for her." bertrand reached out carefully to trace the reddened areas still barely visible on his face, and malik flinched. "don't. don't, when you won't want- i would have burned, just to see her again."

bertrand was frowning now, shifting closer."you could have told me.""you're vlad's, i didn't want you to choose." he sighed. "i knew who you'd choose, and i needed you. but it doesn't matter now. she lied to me. i'm no use to you now, i'm just... i'm not a dracula."

another few seconds passed, ominous and silent, and malik kept his eyes tightly shut so that he wouldn't have to watch bertrand stop loving him. and then there were arms around him, lips pressed to his temple, a hand stroking gently through his hair. malik opened his eyes and warily turned to look into bertrand's."i never wanted a dracula," bertrand told him with a faint, sad smile, "i want you.""i... i don't have a good family, or... any family... or anyone, really-""you've got me. for as long as you want me. i've been alone all these years, malik, i'm a half-fang. if you ever thought you had to be a dracula to deserve me... i don't know what you were thinking."

overwhelmed, malik buried his face against bertrand's neck, feeling those strong, protective arms tighten around him, holding him safe and close."can i stay with you tonight?" he felt bertrand press one more kiss to the top of his head."of course."