4. Waking (1/2)

important chapter! hope you enjoy it.

disclaimer: still not mine

"bertrand," vlad murmured, still sound asleep, "bertrand..."

he hadn't bothered to take the necklace off when he got into his coffin today, he'd just let it rest on his chest, folded his arms across himself, and dropped into a fitful sleep. these days he didn't even close the coffin lid, knowing that at some point he'd jolt upright and preferring not to concuss himself if at all possible.

of course, none of that mattered at the moment, because in his mind he was straddling bertrand on the training room floor, stake held high above his head as his tutor goaded him. he moved back, disgusted with himself, and saw the look of disappointment on the older vampire's face as he realised how unworthy his chosen one really was and got to his feet. then the room around them rippled, bertrand's hair flattening as if someone had attacked him with invisible straighteners, and he was moving towards him for a hug. vlad tried to warn him, he tried so hard to throw the stake away, but as usual he could do nothing but stare in horror as bertrand turned to dust and drifted to the floor."bertrand..." he gazed

okenly down at the dust and a longing stronger even than the bloodlust rose inside him. "i want you back," he admitted quietly through his sobs, "i need you back, bertrand.""vlad." the voice seemed closer now, more real, and the chosen one hated it for taunting him even as he clung to the sound of his name on bertrand's tongue. "vlad! what-?"

vlad woke with a start as he felt a heavy weight against him. at some point in the night, he must have rolled over, because now he was lying on his side, and something substantially bigger than a bone necklace was draped around his neck. it wasn't until the something moved that he realised this was probably cause for alarm and he should open his eyes sooner rather than later. when he did, he thought for a moment that he was still dreaming.

his tutor was lying next to him – half on top of him, in fact, in the cramped coffin – and removing his arm from where it seemed to have been around vlad's neck, as if bertrand was still clinging to him in that last, fatal hug. wait, that fatal hug, so how-?

the older vampire was scrambling to get out of the coffin, but his coordination seemed a little off and vlad dragged him back down before he could hurt himself. he was solid; he could be touched, moved. not a dream, then? or was this some fresh torture? bertrand seemed as bewildered as he was."vlad... what's going on?"

it wasn't until a few minutes later, when they'd both assured themselves that the world around them was solid and that bertrand really was bertrand and vlad was really vlad – it was surprisingly hard to think of a question only one person knew the answer to, but they'd both managed it in the end – and shuffled into a slightly less awkward position by sitting at opposite ends of the coffin. bertrand had done his best to get out again, but vlad had grabbed him by his greatcoat as he continued to wobble."just stay still and tell me how you

ing a vampire back from the dead."