BLOOD. LUST. FAMILY. CHAPTER 12
Jun. 4th, 2021 08:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
learashiPairing: Sakumoto
Genre: Vampire AU, fantasy, drama, mpreg
Rating: NC-17
Warning: Contains violence, gore, blood.
Summary: Jun tells Sho about his encounter with King Matsumoto, and Shun pays an official visit.
Previously: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11
“Good evening, Pet. I brought you some breakfast.” Sho pulled back the bedroom curtains and climbed back into bed with Jun. He had set a tray on the bedside table containing his mate’s breakfast. His own had been eaten two hours earlier, while Jun was still sleeping. Aiba had carefully prepared a selection of small dishes, each one high in iron and other vitamins and given Sho instructions to not try and force Jun to eat everything.
Jun said nothing, but rolled over so that his back was to Sho and the waning moon visible through the window.
A leaden feeling settled in Sho’s chest, as the icy tendrils of Jun’s depression crept into his mind. He laid down behind Jun and pressed himself against his back, tangling their legs together and resting his hand lightly on Jun’s belly. “What's wrong, my love?”
“I heard you and Shun talking about me last night.” Jun looked down at the circular scar on his wrist, and angrily picked at it with his nails. “I should have resisted more, and fought harder for my freedom. Because of my weakness our youngling is in danger.”
Sho thought that his heart would break at the sadness and self-loathing in Jun’s voice. He sat up and reached to grab Jun’s hands, to prevent him from causing himself any further damage. “Jun, you fought against Yokoyama with every fibre of your being, even after being deprived of blood for such an extended period of time. You prevented him from sexually assaulting you with sheer willpower alone. Anyone else would have perished; your determination, willpower, and sheer stubbornness kept you alive.”
“I almost drained you to keep myself alive,” Jun struggled to hold back his tears. “My father is right; I am weak and selfish.”
Immediately Sho knew the reason behind Jun’s emotional state, and he mentally cursed King Matsumoto to the depths of hell. “Pet, what exactly happened yesterday? I promise that I won't lose my temper and do anything stupid.”
Jun turned to Sho and buried his face in his chest, so that his words were slightly muffled. “He accused me of cheating on you. With Aiba.”
“Aiba? Was that some kind of sick joke of his?”
“I actually laughed when he said it. He had a photograph of Aiba and I hugging when we presented him with the keys to his house. The accusation was so ludicrous, I couldn’t help myself, but he was serious. My father has always had a low opinion of me, but for him to believe me capable of betraying my bond-mate showed me that he thinks I am the lowest of the low.”
Sho’s eyes turned into inky black pools of anger and his fangs lengthened, as he struggled to remain calm. An outburst against King Matsumoto right at that moment would only cause Jun further distress. Fortunately Jun’s face was still pressed against Sho’s chest and he was unable to see his momentary loss of control.
With a great amount of effort, Sho modulated his voice and quietly asked, “Did he harm you?”
Jun hesitated; his mind was spinning as he internally debated how much to tell Sho. Fearing Sho’s reaction, he tried to keep some details back, but this close to his mate it was impossible to tell him anything less than the full truth.
“He paralysed and dulled my senses. I was unable to connect to your mind or emotions and he…” Jun’s voice faltered. “I'm sorry. I don't know why this is so hard.”
Sho stroked Jun’s back and kissed the top of his head. “Take your time, Pet. Aiba prepared a delicious breakfast for you. Perhaps you should eat something first.”
Jun shook his head and wriggled back slightly so that he could see Sho’s face. “I couldn't eat a thing. My stomach is in knots. Yesterday didn't tell you the full truth, and it's eating me up inside. Please don't be angry with me.”
“My love, why would I be angry?”
“Because as your submissive mate, I have no right to keep anything from you.” Jun’s eyes glowed with a feeble lilac light as his breathing quickened. Black spots floated in front of his eyes, blurring Sho’s features.
Sho punctured his wrist and pressed it to Jun’s mouth, but Jun was too agitated to feed at first. So he pulled Jun up so that they were face to face and sucked blood from his wrist and pressed his mouth to Jun’s lips, using his tongue to force some of the life-giving fluid into his mouth. Jun swallowed, but refused to take more than two small mouthfuls.
Not wishing to force Jun, Sho pulled his mate back into his arms and held him until his breathing calmed. It was obvious that the incident with King Matsumoto had stirred up bad childhood memories of his parents’ relationship for Jun. “Jun, we are equal partners; I don’t own you. If you want to tell me then please do, but if you don’t then I will understand.”
“I owe you honesty.” After taking the blood, Jun felt a little stronger, and able to continue. “I was afraid that once I told you, you would rush to attack my father, and the consequences of that frighten me.”
“I promise that I will take no physical action against him.” Sho was able to answer so, because while Jun slept he had been reassured by Nino that King Matsumoto would never harass or touch Jun ever again. Nino’s ways were subtle but effective. But as a loyal friend to Jun, Nino had refused to tell Sho anything further, leaving it up to Jun to speak for himself.
“You do understand that I am not concerned about my father, but for you?” Jun asked urgently. “An attack on a King brings the death penalty to those who dare.”
Sho smoothed Jun’s hair, which had come untied and hung in tangled ropes around his face. “I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. You have nothing to fear. I only ask that you keep to what you said yesterday and never see him again.”
“Never,” Jun replied with a shudder. “He threatened the safety of our youngling and I will never forgive him.”
Sho’s fist reflexively clenched in Jun’s hair, but fortunately he caused Jun no harm. This conversation was probably the greatest ever test of his willpower. “How did he do that?”
Jun buried his face in Sho’s chest again, seeking to be as close as possible. “He wrapped his hand around my throat. I struggled to breathe. When I pleaded for our youngling he relented, but when I laughed at the suggestion of me having an affair with Aiba he slapped me in the face hard enough to split my lip. It was not the first time he has ever laid his hands on me, but it will definitely be the last.”
Once again, Sho managed to coax Jun to pull back slightly so that he could see his face clearly. He stroked the ball of his thumb lightly over Jun’s lips to reassure himself that no trace of damage remained. “After what you just told me, do you still think that you lack courage?”
Jun shook his head and closed his eyes, as if he was too exhausted to reply. After a few moments, Sho realized that Jun was asleep and he silently slid from the bed.
****
Sho managed to control himself until he was downstairs and well out of earshot of the bedroom. There was a small storage room next to the laundry where they had stacked the pieces of furniture which the previous owners had left behind because they were no longer wanted. Aiba had contacted a charity about donating the items, but they were wary about making a collection at a house where vampires resided.
This was no longer going to be a problem.
At last Sho was able to unleash his pent up rage at Matsumoto’s unjust treatment of Jun. The first chair splintered against the wall, breaking into matchstick sized pieces which scattered across the floor. This was followed by every single piece of an old set of dishes which shattered underneath Sho’s heels as he stamped them underfoot. His anger was so great that he didn’t even feel the sting of pieces of porcelain digging into his feet through the thin soles of his slippers. His chest heaved and sweat poured down his face as he proceeded to methodically destroy the entire contents of the room, before sinking down onto his haunches in the debris and burying his face in his hands.
A slight rustle alerted Sho to the fact that someone was standing in the doorway. He looked up and saw Aiba and Shun-sensei observing him with equally shocked expressions. He wiped the tears from his face and attempted a joke. “I guess we don’t have to worry about where to donate the furniture now.”
Rather than being frightened by Sho’s outburst, Aiba was looking at Sho sympathy. “I’ll go and grab a dustpan and some bin bags and ring the charity.”
“Ask them for their bank details, and tell them that I will send them a cash donation instead,” Sho said huskily as he ran his fingers through his sweaty hair.
Aiba nodded and dashed off.
“It looks like it’s a good thing that I have my bag with me,” Shun said calmly. “Let’s go to the bathroom so I can get those shards out of your feet.”
Puzzled for a moment as to what Shun was talking about, Sho looked down and saw that he was squatting in a pool of blood. Guilt flooded through him at the sight of the wasted precious substance.
Shun seemed able to read his thoughts. “It looks like more than it actually is. You will still have enough for Jun-sama.”
Sho found that he was shaking badly as Shun assisted him to walk the short distance to the downstairs bathroom.
After making Sho sit on the edge of the bathtub, Shun found a glass in the bathroom cabinet and filled it with cold water. He wrapped both of Sho’s hands around it so that it wouldn’t fall to the floor; the last thing they needed was more broken glass. “Drink. It would be better if it was blood, but for now it will do.”
“I don’t know what came over me,” Sho said quietly.
Shun knelt at Sho’s feet and picked up a pair of tweezers. “You’ve been under an enormous amount of stress for the past few months. I apologise for not noticing before now. I have been so focused on Jun’s wellbeing that I forgot that you have been under just as much strain, if not more. Even when you were drugged and badly beaten, and your only thoughts were for your mate’s welfare, and since then you have supported him through his anaemia.”
“As the dominant mate I should have more control over myself. I should be stronger.” Sho winced as Shun removed a large piece of porcelain from his instep.
“I bet that Jun says exactly the same things, and when he does you tell him not to be so hard on himself. Nobody is invincible, not even you,” Shun said kindly as he dabbed some antiseptic on the healing punctures.
“Thank you, Shun, and thank you for being a good friend to Jun, and for making me see sense.” Sho felt drained after his outburst, but also at ease.
“Please go and sit down and drink a glass of blood before you come upstairs. I can’t have you passing out in front of Jun.” After washing his hands, Shun picked up his bag. “And now I shall visit my other patient. I fear that he will be much less grateful afterwards.”
****
“I’m fine,” Jun said stubbornly, before Shun could open his mouth. Woken out of a restless sleep by Shun’s arrival, Jun had hastily climbed out of bed and wrapped his robe over his sleep wear. The floor had tilted alarmingly but he’d made it to the armchair in the corner and was now sitting there wearing a frown. “You can leave any time you like.”
The doctor hadn’t even had time to put his bag down and as he turned around to place it on the dresser he hid a smile. “Before my eviction, can you at least humour me and allow me to take some blood samples?”
“If you must.” Jun held out his arm, but then dropped it hastily when he saw how much his hand was trembling.
Shun noticed it immediately but his face showed nothing of his concern as he drew two vials of blood from Jun’s vein.
Jun’s hands were ice cold and his pulse raced as hard as if he was running for his life. His heart fluttered as he struggled to regulate his breathing, determined to convince the physician that all was well.
Shun however, saw the untouched tray of food sitting next to the bed and raised a questioning eyebrow in Jun’s direction.
Jun was saved from answering by Sho’s return. He carried a tray with three glasses and a jug of synthetic blood which he placed on the dresser next to Shun’s bag. He filled the glasses and handed one to Shun with a smile, before walking over to Jun with a glass in each hand.
Anticipating Jun’s refusal, Sho spoke first. “I thought it would be nice for us to share a drink with Shun.”
Jun looked back and forth between the pair of them with suspicion as he reluctantly accepted the offered glass from Sho. “Since when are you two on a first name basis?”
“We bonded earlier over some broken crockery,” Shun said with a gentle smile.
“I cut my foot, and Shun helped me out,” Sho added.
Jun laughed and took a sip of blood. “That's precisely why Aiba and I have banned you from the kitchen.”
Encouraged by the sight of Jun drinking, Sho offered him one of the plates of food which contained small cubes of lightly seared beef, which Jun accepted. As he nibbled on the beef, Jun made sure that Shun could see every bite.
As he took Jun’s pulse, and checked his heart with his stethoscope, Shun already knew that the best place for his reluctant patient was in his hospital, where he could monitor him more closely. He also knew that he was in for a battle to convince Jun that it was in his best interests.
“So, do I pass?” Jun asked, craning his neck to try and see the numbers on his blood pressure reading.
“I'm afraid not,” Shun said softly. He sat on the edge of the bed opposite Jun, so they were on the same level. “My recommendation is for you to be hospitalized until your condition improves.”
“No!”
Sho knelt in front of Jun and took his hands, rubbing them gently to warm them and to still their trembling. “Pet, why are you so against this? I'm sure that Shun only wants what's best for you and our youngling.”
Jun shivered and looked at Sho beseechingly. “If I go to hospital it will prove to my father and the Vampire Council that I am unfit to be breeding, and incapable of caring for our vampling. They will take me away from you, and then take our youngling away from me as soon as I give birth.”
“My love, do you really think that I would allow that?” Sho felt a stab of pain in his heart at the anguish in Jun’s voice.
“Or I, or Nino, or your brother? Do you think so little of us?” Shun said, sounding uncharacteristically fierce. Over the past few months he had grown to like Sho and Jun immensely. It was easy to see why Nino was so protective of them. “We would never allow such an outrage. And they would never succeed anyway; you will make a wonderful birth parent to your youngling.”
“Do you think so?” Jun looked at the pair of them with huge eyes which glowed faintly lilac.
Sho raised his hand and cupped Jun’s face stroking his thumb across his cheekbone. “Shun is right, Pet. You already love our youngling so very much, and nobody could do more to ensure that they are healthy and growing well.”
Shun began to pack up his equipment, and reluctantly offered a compromise, even though he knew by the lilac shade of Jun’s eyes, that he was not doing well at all. He pulled a thin folder out of his bag and extracted a sheet of paper. “Jun, how about we make a deal? I have a friend in the pathology department and will personally take these blood samples to her and ask her to expedite the results. It should take two days maximum. Once I have the results we can make a decision as to whether you should be hospitalised. But in the meantime I need you to promise to stay in bed and to try and eat and drink as much of the enriched synthetic blood as you can, and record it on this form for me.”
It was difficult for Jun to shake off his fears, but he looked into Sho’s eyes and drew strength from the love he saw there. He stood up and walked over to Shun and collected the printed page. “I'll do my best.”
“That's all that anyone can ask.” Shun offered Jun a reassuring smile.
“And a good good start would be you going back to bed right now and eating the breakfast I brought you,” Sho added.
“If it means that I won't have to go to hospital, I will happily eat anything and everything, even if you cooked it personally,” Jun said with his first smile of the day.
Shun laughed and headed to the door as Sho pouted. “I'll be back tomorrow to check on you Jun, and I might even stop by the bakery on the way and bring some treats if Sho tells me that you have been following my instructions.”
“Let me walk you out.” Sho gave Jun a kiss on the cheek and followed Shun out into the corridor.
As Jun made his way back towards the bed, he paused as he felt a strange tightening across his stomach. A moment later, a sharp pain gripped him. Jun called out desperately. “Help!”
Shun and Sho raced back to the bedroom just in time to see Jun crumple to the floor, clutching his belly.
Genre: Vampire AU, fantasy, drama, mpreg
Rating: NC-17
Warning: Contains violence, gore, blood.
Summary: Jun tells Sho about his encounter with King Matsumoto, and Shun pays an official visit.
Previously: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11
“Good evening, Pet. I brought you some breakfast.” Sho pulled back the bedroom curtains and climbed back into bed with Jun. He had set a tray on the bedside table containing his mate’s breakfast. His own had been eaten two hours earlier, while Jun was still sleeping. Aiba had carefully prepared a selection of small dishes, each one high in iron and other vitamins and given Sho instructions to not try and force Jun to eat everything.
Jun said nothing, but rolled over so that his back was to Sho and the waning moon visible through the window.
A leaden feeling settled in Sho’s chest, as the icy tendrils of Jun’s depression crept into his mind. He laid down behind Jun and pressed himself against his back, tangling their legs together and resting his hand lightly on Jun’s belly. “What's wrong, my love?”
“I heard you and Shun talking about me last night.” Jun looked down at the circular scar on his wrist, and angrily picked at it with his nails. “I should have resisted more, and fought harder for my freedom. Because of my weakness our youngling is in danger.”
Sho thought that his heart would break at the sadness and self-loathing in Jun’s voice. He sat up and reached to grab Jun’s hands, to prevent him from causing himself any further damage. “Jun, you fought against Yokoyama with every fibre of your being, even after being deprived of blood for such an extended period of time. You prevented him from sexually assaulting you with sheer willpower alone. Anyone else would have perished; your determination, willpower, and sheer stubbornness kept you alive.”
“I almost drained you to keep myself alive,” Jun struggled to hold back his tears. “My father is right; I am weak and selfish.”
Immediately Sho knew the reason behind Jun’s emotional state, and he mentally cursed King Matsumoto to the depths of hell. “Pet, what exactly happened yesterday? I promise that I won't lose my temper and do anything stupid.”
Jun turned to Sho and buried his face in his chest, so that his words were slightly muffled. “He accused me of cheating on you. With Aiba.”
“Aiba? Was that some kind of sick joke of his?”
“I actually laughed when he said it. He had a photograph of Aiba and I hugging when we presented him with the keys to his house. The accusation was so ludicrous, I couldn’t help myself, but he was serious. My father has always had a low opinion of me, but for him to believe me capable of betraying my bond-mate showed me that he thinks I am the lowest of the low.”
Sho’s eyes turned into inky black pools of anger and his fangs lengthened, as he struggled to remain calm. An outburst against King Matsumoto right at that moment would only cause Jun further distress. Fortunately Jun’s face was still pressed against Sho’s chest and he was unable to see his momentary loss of control.
With a great amount of effort, Sho modulated his voice and quietly asked, “Did he harm you?”
Jun hesitated; his mind was spinning as he internally debated how much to tell Sho. Fearing Sho’s reaction, he tried to keep some details back, but this close to his mate it was impossible to tell him anything less than the full truth.
“He paralysed and dulled my senses. I was unable to connect to your mind or emotions and he…” Jun’s voice faltered. “I'm sorry. I don't know why this is so hard.”
Sho stroked Jun’s back and kissed the top of his head. “Take your time, Pet. Aiba prepared a delicious breakfast for you. Perhaps you should eat something first.”
Jun shook his head and wriggled back slightly so that he could see Sho’s face. “I couldn't eat a thing. My stomach is in knots. Yesterday didn't tell you the full truth, and it's eating me up inside. Please don't be angry with me.”
“My love, why would I be angry?”
“Because as your submissive mate, I have no right to keep anything from you.” Jun’s eyes glowed with a feeble lilac light as his breathing quickened. Black spots floated in front of his eyes, blurring Sho’s features.
Sho punctured his wrist and pressed it to Jun’s mouth, but Jun was too agitated to feed at first. So he pulled Jun up so that they were face to face and sucked blood from his wrist and pressed his mouth to Jun’s lips, using his tongue to force some of the life-giving fluid into his mouth. Jun swallowed, but refused to take more than two small mouthfuls.
Not wishing to force Jun, Sho pulled his mate back into his arms and held him until his breathing calmed. It was obvious that the incident with King Matsumoto had stirred up bad childhood memories of his parents’ relationship for Jun. “Jun, we are equal partners; I don’t own you. If you want to tell me then please do, but if you don’t then I will understand.”
“I owe you honesty.” After taking the blood, Jun felt a little stronger, and able to continue. “I was afraid that once I told you, you would rush to attack my father, and the consequences of that frighten me.”
“I promise that I will take no physical action against him.” Sho was able to answer so, because while Jun slept he had been reassured by Nino that King Matsumoto would never harass or touch Jun ever again. Nino’s ways were subtle but effective. But as a loyal friend to Jun, Nino had refused to tell Sho anything further, leaving it up to Jun to speak for himself.
“You do understand that I am not concerned about my father, but for you?” Jun asked urgently. “An attack on a King brings the death penalty to those who dare.”
Sho smoothed Jun’s hair, which had come untied and hung in tangled ropes around his face. “I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. You have nothing to fear. I only ask that you keep to what you said yesterday and never see him again.”
“Never,” Jun replied with a shudder. “He threatened the safety of our youngling and I will never forgive him.”
Sho’s fist reflexively clenched in Jun’s hair, but fortunately he caused Jun no harm. This conversation was probably the greatest ever test of his willpower. “How did he do that?”
Jun buried his face in Sho’s chest again, seeking to be as close as possible. “He wrapped his hand around my throat. I struggled to breathe. When I pleaded for our youngling he relented, but when I laughed at the suggestion of me having an affair with Aiba he slapped me in the face hard enough to split my lip. It was not the first time he has ever laid his hands on me, but it will definitely be the last.”
Once again, Sho managed to coax Jun to pull back slightly so that he could see his face clearly. He stroked the ball of his thumb lightly over Jun’s lips to reassure himself that no trace of damage remained. “After what you just told me, do you still think that you lack courage?”
Jun shook his head and closed his eyes, as if he was too exhausted to reply. After a few moments, Sho realized that Jun was asleep and he silently slid from the bed.
****
Sho managed to control himself until he was downstairs and well out of earshot of the bedroom. There was a small storage room next to the laundry where they had stacked the pieces of furniture which the previous owners had left behind because they were no longer wanted. Aiba had contacted a charity about donating the items, but they were wary about making a collection at a house where vampires resided.
This was no longer going to be a problem.
At last Sho was able to unleash his pent up rage at Matsumoto’s unjust treatment of Jun. The first chair splintered against the wall, breaking into matchstick sized pieces which scattered across the floor. This was followed by every single piece of an old set of dishes which shattered underneath Sho’s heels as he stamped them underfoot. His anger was so great that he didn’t even feel the sting of pieces of porcelain digging into his feet through the thin soles of his slippers. His chest heaved and sweat poured down his face as he proceeded to methodically destroy the entire contents of the room, before sinking down onto his haunches in the debris and burying his face in his hands.
A slight rustle alerted Sho to the fact that someone was standing in the doorway. He looked up and saw Aiba and Shun-sensei observing him with equally shocked expressions. He wiped the tears from his face and attempted a joke. “I guess we don’t have to worry about where to donate the furniture now.”
Rather than being frightened by Sho’s outburst, Aiba was looking at Sho sympathy. “I’ll go and grab a dustpan and some bin bags and ring the charity.”
“Ask them for their bank details, and tell them that I will send them a cash donation instead,” Sho said huskily as he ran his fingers through his sweaty hair.
Aiba nodded and dashed off.
“It looks like it’s a good thing that I have my bag with me,” Shun said calmly. “Let’s go to the bathroom so I can get those shards out of your feet.”
Puzzled for a moment as to what Shun was talking about, Sho looked down and saw that he was squatting in a pool of blood. Guilt flooded through him at the sight of the wasted precious substance.
Shun seemed able to read his thoughts. “It looks like more than it actually is. You will still have enough for Jun-sama.”
Sho found that he was shaking badly as Shun assisted him to walk the short distance to the downstairs bathroom.
After making Sho sit on the edge of the bathtub, Shun found a glass in the bathroom cabinet and filled it with cold water. He wrapped both of Sho’s hands around it so that it wouldn’t fall to the floor; the last thing they needed was more broken glass. “Drink. It would be better if it was blood, but for now it will do.”
“I don’t know what came over me,” Sho said quietly.
Shun knelt at Sho’s feet and picked up a pair of tweezers. “You’ve been under an enormous amount of stress for the past few months. I apologise for not noticing before now. I have been so focused on Jun’s wellbeing that I forgot that you have been under just as much strain, if not more. Even when you were drugged and badly beaten, and your only thoughts were for your mate’s welfare, and since then you have supported him through his anaemia.”
“As the dominant mate I should have more control over myself. I should be stronger.” Sho winced as Shun removed a large piece of porcelain from his instep.
“I bet that Jun says exactly the same things, and when he does you tell him not to be so hard on himself. Nobody is invincible, not even you,” Shun said kindly as he dabbed some antiseptic on the healing punctures.
“Thank you, Shun, and thank you for being a good friend to Jun, and for making me see sense.” Sho felt drained after his outburst, but also at ease.
“Please go and sit down and drink a glass of blood before you come upstairs. I can’t have you passing out in front of Jun.” After washing his hands, Shun picked up his bag. “And now I shall visit my other patient. I fear that he will be much less grateful afterwards.”
****
“I’m fine,” Jun said stubbornly, before Shun could open his mouth. Woken out of a restless sleep by Shun’s arrival, Jun had hastily climbed out of bed and wrapped his robe over his sleep wear. The floor had tilted alarmingly but he’d made it to the armchair in the corner and was now sitting there wearing a frown. “You can leave any time you like.”
The doctor hadn’t even had time to put his bag down and as he turned around to place it on the dresser he hid a smile. “Before my eviction, can you at least humour me and allow me to take some blood samples?”
“If you must.” Jun held out his arm, but then dropped it hastily when he saw how much his hand was trembling.
Shun noticed it immediately but his face showed nothing of his concern as he drew two vials of blood from Jun’s vein.
Jun’s hands were ice cold and his pulse raced as hard as if he was running for his life. His heart fluttered as he struggled to regulate his breathing, determined to convince the physician that all was well.
Shun however, saw the untouched tray of food sitting next to the bed and raised a questioning eyebrow in Jun’s direction.
Jun was saved from answering by Sho’s return. He carried a tray with three glasses and a jug of synthetic blood which he placed on the dresser next to Shun’s bag. He filled the glasses and handed one to Shun with a smile, before walking over to Jun with a glass in each hand.
Anticipating Jun’s refusal, Sho spoke first. “I thought it would be nice for us to share a drink with Shun.”
Jun looked back and forth between the pair of them with suspicion as he reluctantly accepted the offered glass from Sho. “Since when are you two on a first name basis?”
“We bonded earlier over some broken crockery,” Shun said with a gentle smile.
“I cut my foot, and Shun helped me out,” Sho added.
Jun laughed and took a sip of blood. “That's precisely why Aiba and I have banned you from the kitchen.”
Encouraged by the sight of Jun drinking, Sho offered him one of the plates of food which contained small cubes of lightly seared beef, which Jun accepted. As he nibbled on the beef, Jun made sure that Shun could see every bite.
As he took Jun’s pulse, and checked his heart with his stethoscope, Shun already knew that the best place for his reluctant patient was in his hospital, where he could monitor him more closely. He also knew that he was in for a battle to convince Jun that it was in his best interests.
“So, do I pass?” Jun asked, craning his neck to try and see the numbers on his blood pressure reading.
“I'm afraid not,” Shun said softly. He sat on the edge of the bed opposite Jun, so they were on the same level. “My recommendation is for you to be hospitalized until your condition improves.”
“No!”
Sho knelt in front of Jun and took his hands, rubbing them gently to warm them and to still their trembling. “Pet, why are you so against this? I'm sure that Shun only wants what's best for you and our youngling.”
Jun shivered and looked at Sho beseechingly. “If I go to hospital it will prove to my father and the Vampire Council that I am unfit to be breeding, and incapable of caring for our vampling. They will take me away from you, and then take our youngling away from me as soon as I give birth.”
“My love, do you really think that I would allow that?” Sho felt a stab of pain in his heart at the anguish in Jun’s voice.
“Or I, or Nino, or your brother? Do you think so little of us?” Shun said, sounding uncharacteristically fierce. Over the past few months he had grown to like Sho and Jun immensely. It was easy to see why Nino was so protective of them. “We would never allow such an outrage. And they would never succeed anyway; you will make a wonderful birth parent to your youngling.”
“Do you think so?” Jun looked at the pair of them with huge eyes which glowed faintly lilac.
Sho raised his hand and cupped Jun’s face stroking his thumb across his cheekbone. “Shun is right, Pet. You already love our youngling so very much, and nobody could do more to ensure that they are healthy and growing well.”
Shun began to pack up his equipment, and reluctantly offered a compromise, even though he knew by the lilac shade of Jun’s eyes, that he was not doing well at all. He pulled a thin folder out of his bag and extracted a sheet of paper. “Jun, how about we make a deal? I have a friend in the pathology department and will personally take these blood samples to her and ask her to expedite the results. It should take two days maximum. Once I have the results we can make a decision as to whether you should be hospitalised. But in the meantime I need you to promise to stay in bed and to try and eat and drink as much of the enriched synthetic blood as you can, and record it on this form for me.”
It was difficult for Jun to shake off his fears, but he looked into Sho’s eyes and drew strength from the love he saw there. He stood up and walked over to Shun and collected the printed page. “I'll do my best.”
“That's all that anyone can ask.” Shun offered Jun a reassuring smile.
“And a good good start would be you going back to bed right now and eating the breakfast I brought you,” Sho added.
“If it means that I won't have to go to hospital, I will happily eat anything and everything, even if you cooked it personally,” Jun said with his first smile of the day.
Shun laughed and headed to the door as Sho pouted. “I'll be back tomorrow to check on you Jun, and I might even stop by the bakery on the way and bring some treats if Sho tells me that you have been following my instructions.”
“Let me walk you out.” Sho gave Jun a kiss on the cheek and followed Shun out into the corridor.
As Jun made his way back towards the bed, he paused as he felt a strange tightening across his stomach. A moment later, a sharp pain gripped him. Jun called out desperately. “Help!”
Shun and Sho raced back to the bedroom just in time to see Jun crumple to the floor, clutching his belly.
