15. Chapter 15 Epilogue (1/1)
the final chapter! fear not, there will almost certainly be a sequel so look out for that; in the meantime, i hope you'll enjoy this final part.
disclaimer: i own nothing, not young dracula, not the house i am typing this from, nothing. just as long as that's clear.
one month later
bertrand didn't usually dream. when he did, his sleeping musings were never pleasant. so it was a surprise, even to his slumbering mind, to feel warm hands running over his body – an idea that once would have been abhorrent to him, but now had him smiling in his sleep as artist's fingers traced the muscles of his arms where they crossed over his chest."robin," bertrand murmured, as the warmth grew and spread to encompass the whole of his left side, as if the boy were lying next to him – his eyes flew open and he shifted slightly to find that he hadn't been dreaming at all. robin lay next to him, outside of his shroud, looking pathetically cold and completely unrepentant."wondered how long it would take you to wake up."
bertrand struggled out of his shroud and wrapped it around robin, who'd sat up, while he rummaged through his possessions until he found a thick woollen blanket he'd sometimes draped over his shroud for show while sleeping rough among peasants. he held out his hand for his shroud and robin held it out to him, no doubt waiting to be given the blanket in return, but bertrand forgot himself for a moment, just looking. the boy was only wearing tracksuit bottoms, and bertrand was eyeing the pale, flawless skin with undisguised longing, he knew. robin didn't seem perturbed in the slightest, just sat there smirking until a slight shiver
ought bertrand back to awareness. he draped the blanket over his boyfriend and lay down beside him, surprised when robin, upon lying back himself, threw the cover across him and snuggled closer.
"i'm cold, you'll get cold." robin didn't seem to mind, nuzzling his head against bertrand's shoulder before looking up into his eyes, suddenly anxious."is this okay?" bertrand knew that it probably shouldn't be okay, that the boy had not only entered the training room, which was out of bounds to everyone without his permission, but also his personal space, and all while he was sleeping… but the usual rules didn't seem to apply to robin, somehow. he simply rolled to face him and slipped an arm around his waist."yeah."
robin didn't know what had possessed him to sneak down here and try to snuggle with bertrand – who'd never seemed the type to handle snuggly invasions well – but he was glad he had. bertrand, it seemed, slept just as topless as robin himself did, no doubt safe in the knowledge that nobody would dare approach him while he was unconscious. bertrand had made no secret of his distaste for their sleeping at night, but since he had no choice he had simply had to get on with things with a threat that if anyone disturbed his unnatural diurnal sleep pattern he would tear them limb from limb. you would have to be a complete idiot to risk that.
robin, of course, knew he was a complete idiot. it seemed he was also fortunate enough to be the exception to the rule. bertrand's arm around his waist was freezing, but not unpleasant, and he knew from experience that if he held bertrand's hand for long enough, the vampire's skin warmed to match his own. he reached out to stroke the hint of stubble on the vampire's face."why are you here, robin?" bertrand looked apprehensive; robin frowned."i missed you.""you saw me a few hours ago.""hours, b." he kissed his cheek gently. "too long."
"you're not – you don't expect – i'm not-" robin really had woken him up, bertrand was never this distracted when he was properly awake. it took him a while to work out what the vampire was trying to ask."no! no, that's not what i – i just thought maybe we could sleep. together. but not sleep together, you know what i mean… um, right?" bertrand smiled – he ought to do it more often, robin thought, it really transformed his face – and kissed him, clearly relieved."i understand."
somehow, that discussion didn't stop them waking up the next morning with their legs tangled together, clutching each other tightly, robin's head resting against bertrand's shoulder. it was a good way to wake up, in robin's opinion. he would have to do it more often.