ᴅᴀʏʟɪɢʜᴛ || ʀᴀɴᴘᴏᴇ

• 19 •

"When I'm human, do you want to get married?" Edgar asked, just two hours before the meet up with Nikolai and Fyodor. He was dressing himself, while Ranpo laid in bed. Ranpo made a weird sound from the back of his throat.

"I don't see why we couldn't get engaged as a vampire and human couple?" The room fell silent, aside from Karl's munching on his kibble. Edgar sighed as he buttoned up his shirt and Ranpo slipped out of bed to approach him. His bare, tanned skin warm to the touch as he wrapped his arms around Edgar's neck. Edgar glared at the door behind his partner and Ranpo laughed lowly. "Still can't look at your boyfriend without a top on?"

"It doesn't feel real." Edgar shifted his eyes towards the other, and Ranpo pulled him into a soft kiss - just a peck on the lips. "Besides, how can we exchange vows when I'm immortal? Until death do us part doesn't really make sense for an immortal being."

"You're so dramatic." Ranpo rolled his eyes.

"I'm dramatic?"

"Yes."

"So you don't overreact?"

"Not at all, you're basically a theatre kid compared to my stoic nature."

"Sure." Edgar pecked Ranpo's lips before ruffling his hair. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"It didn't work I presume?" Bram sighed, eyes heavy with disinterest as Ranpo walked in. His eyes widened slightly when Nikolai appeared behind him.

"My lord!" Nikolai fell to his knees dramatically, and Ranpo grabbed his braid and pulled him upright.

"That's disrespectful, Nikolai. You're not a vampire."

"Oh, my bad." Nikolai scratched the nape of his neck, "sorry about the whole DOA situation, wasn't my idea."

"Of course it wasn't." Bram mumbled, "what do you want?"

"We need to get that sword out of you."

"Impossible, only a vampire with humanity can do that."

"Not even with this?" Nikolai confidently pulled out the half page. Everyone fell silent as the paper crumbled wetly to the floor. The clown gaped, his knees buckling under him as he knelt down around the paper. "But... I kept it dry?"

"I got it wet on purpose." Aya stated, stepping out from behind the door. "I stole it when you weren't looking and dunked it in water."

"But why?" Nikolai asked, his eyes beginning to well up with tears. "This was our only chance."

"I don't want you to hurt Bram."

"Innocent people will die Aya." Ranpo tried to reason, but Aya stomped her feet childishly.

"I don't care! The world has been nothing but nasty to me and Bram, I'm protecting the only family I have left!" She yelled, and stormed out. Nikolai was still trying to piece the paper back together in a feeble attempt. Ranpo rubbed the other's back awkwardly, attempting to console him. He wasn't very good at feelings, something made terribly apparent by his and Edgar's relationship.

"What do we do Ranpo? We can't do this!"

"It's quite simple," Ranpo shrugged, and Nikolai urged him to continue. "We kidnap Bram and tell one of the four vampires we are friends with to tug on the sword, at least one of them will have some humanity."

"The only vampire with some humanity is Edgar, and he may be dead by the time we arrive." Bram muttered, "Fyodor took venom straight from the Leader of Vampires, it's incredibly potent and he will have unmatched strength and ferocity for at least a week. Edgar will only be able to fight back for so long."