7. Chapter 7 (1/1)
this one's shorter than a lot of the others, i think, but it comes to a natural stop, so... enjoy! or don't. whatever.
disclaimer: don't own, never will.
later, they curled into one another and fell asleep, not wanting to let go for even a second after their enforced separation. when they woke in the evening, robin slipped downstairs to tell his parents there was a kickboxing competition on at garside – bertrand had supplied him with the name – and that he was going to get an overnight train back to go to it.
he'd assumed he really would be getting the train, but when he made it to the end of the road he found bertrand waiting for him."thought you might prefer to fly." he grinned at his boyfriend, hardly daring to believe that."you can do that? with me, i mean?" bertrand simply held out his arms for robin to step into, and almost before robin could register the warmth of bertrand's cape around him, they were coming to a halt in the courtyard of garside grange.
"that's the coolest thing ever!" bertrand allowed himself a soft smile."go to the training room and wait for me there. alright? i need to talk to vlad." robin frowned, but bertrand's eyes were determined and he knew there was no sense arguing. he made his way down to bertrand's domain and settled in to wait.
vlad was in the throne room, waiting for him, as he'd expected."you
ought him back, i assume?" bertrand nodded curtly."he wanted to come. it's his choice." vlad sighed, looking more tired than bertrand had seen him in a while."fine. but bertrand, if anything happens to him, you will regret it.""if anything happens to robin, i'll fetch you a stake myself." the chosen one frowned at him."you really do care about him, don't you? this isn't just another power play.""no. it's not. but how kind of you to let me know what you think of me.""don't be like that, bertrand. i just… with sethius and everything. i can't afford to underestimate you again." bertrand frowned at the back-handed compliment."it's not a power play. no training tonight." vlad nodded."tell him i'm sorry, too."
when he reached the training room, he found robin pacing worriedly."what's wrong?" had the boy finally come to his senses and realised the danger he was in?"did he say i could stay?" he nodded, surprised again by the relieved grin on robin's face. he sat against the wall and waited for the
eather to join him."he also warned me that if anything happens to you, i won't like the consequences." the boy's face darkened and bertrand ran a hand down his cheek, marvelling at the warmth of his pale skin. "he really does care about you, you know." robin shrugged."yeah, we're mates. he's not my mother."
bertrand frowned slightly, but it was a peaceful expression."what would she say if she knew about this?""mum?" robin had to think about it. "depends, are we talking with or without the vampire bit? 'cos if she knew you were a vampire she'd definitely pass out.""without that, then." robin shrugged."dunno, she'd probably take a while to get her head round it but i don't think she'd mind. ian and paul wouldn't even be surprised, they've been making jokes for years. and i reckon you and chloe would get along, you're both clever.""i'm a little older than you, even just based on appearance." robin rolled his eyes, leant in and kissed him.
when he pulled away, bertrand knew he was grinning, and robin's lips quirked up into a reflection of the expression."not when you smile like that." he couldn't exactly check a mirror; he would have to take robin's word for it. he forced his face back into its normal, neutral expression with great difficulty."like what?" robin blinked at him, then licked his lips."you're sneaky. good thing you're pretty enough to get away with it." then he played right into bertrand's hands, kissing that smile right back onto his face.
eventually, bertrand demanded that robin show him what progress his own independent training had produced, and robin dutifully demonstrated what he'd been doing in the park. bertrand was impressed; he'd really been paying attention. a couple of his stances were slightly off but all in all he'd done a good job of keeping himself in shape. if only vlad was so diligent.
robin could tell bertrand was impressed; and so he should be. robin had worked really hard. the older vampire got up and stood behind him, reaching to reposition his hands as necessary, watching him run through the whole sequence again. then he stepped backwards, and robin was surprised by the sudden sensation of loss."think you're ready for some more sparring practice?" he nodded, assuming a defensive stance, and bertrand shook his head."no, you try attacking me." robin raised an eye
ow; he'd been warned not to do that enough times. "i'm ready, i won't hurt you." so robin charged at him… and found himself on the floor. bertrand reached out a hand to help him up."go on, what did i do wrong?" bertrand smiled indulgently and showed him a better way to attack."there. now try it again."
he didn't stand a chance of winning against bertrand in a fight, of course, but as they switched back to working on his defence a few minutes later he found he was managing to hold his own against the vampire. he was so pleased with his own progress that when bertrand turned to the corner containing his possessions, he forgot everything he'd been told and crept up behind him, just to see if he could catch bertrand off-guard. leaping onto bertrand's back was the last thing he was aware of before the searing pain in his arm and the trickle of blood running down his pale skin.
he looked up to see bertrand staring in horror, pressed flat against the opposite wall, eyes jet black.