𝐀 𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬

chapter 7 (edited)

"That paladin is truly irritating, stabbing me while my back was turned... Who does that?! Cowards..." The female vampire grumbled while still being carried by Vanitas, flailing with each complaint.

"You're just as annoying, more so, even." The boy replied as he adjusted his hold on her, trying to keep the girl still so she wouldn't accidentally hit him.

"Right, because you're so great." Y/n rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Still, she had to bite back a smile at her accomplishment, being carried was far better than walking.

"Vanitas, maybe I should hold her," Noé suggested, holding his arms out towards them. He was aware that another fight could break out any minute with those two and he couldn't risk someone dying over petty conflicts.

"No!" The blue-eyed boy yelled, startling the two vampires along with himself.

Why had he said that? It wasn't like him to blurt such things, in fact, he would normally welcome anyone willing to take over for him during stuff like this so he could focus on bigger, more important issues. Thinking back to how her wound had occurred, Vanitas was weighed down by a sickening, suffocating feeling. Guilt, maybe? Or perhaps a sense of accountability?

"I mean, sure, take her." Vanitas practically forced the girl into Noé's arms, shaking his head as if to push away the nagging thoughts.

"Ah! Careful, she's injured!" The dark-skinned male warned. His arms tentatively wrapped themselves around her.

"Not really." Y/n confessed and shrugged nonchalantly, "I've already healed myself."

"What?! Then why didn't you say anything sooner?!" Vanitas asked.

"What can I say? I like causing you trouble."

"I know that much already!" The boy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Um, you guys, we should really try to keep quiet." The Crimson Moon vampire said as he tried to maintain the peace.

"Vanitas is the only one shouting."

"Because you keep annoying me!" He defended.

"Noé, help me out here."

The vampire turned to his friend, frowning, "leave her alone, Vanitas. You're not helping the situation."

While Vanitas gaped at his friend at the 'utter betrayal', Y/n smiled victoriously. The human boy huffed angrily in return, which reminded Y/n of Noelle's tantrums, before he walked on ahead of them.

"Humans are such tiresome creatures." She complained despite knowing she could leave at any moment. She could do what she set out to do and return to her hotel room without having to see either boy again, yet she remained. It vexed her. What was it about this specific troublemaking man that had her so enraptured?

Noé took her intense staring as a sign of aggression and attempted to shine a more positive light on the doctor to ease her apprehension, "Vanitas isn't a bad person, you know that, don't you? He's trying to reverse the curses placed by the original Blue Moon vampire."

"Oh, you mean the curses placed on your kind because they either chased my clan out or hunted them down? Sorry if I don't jump for joy, I can't say I'm thrilled."

Oof. He inwardly scolded his choice of words, reminding himself that he had to be far more tactful if he wanted the group's relationship to improve, "Right... But at least Noelle is safe!" That had to significantly calm her.

"For now. Which is why I need the grimoire. Humans and vampires are alike, both horrible beings who only help when it benefits them. Vanitas will be fine without the book, he's resourceful, witty and, I suppose, charismatic. He's human." She paused, calming herself before continuing, "ah, look at me rambling on. Sorry about that, Noé. Not like you could understand anyway, don't worry about it. Actually, forget I said anything at all."