origin story Tainted Blood {ShuyaHideaki x Neptune}

[Neptune]

Aelius stirred, reluctant to be pulled from his slumbering state. But as Linus shook him gently, the young man found himself slowly waking up, like swimming up to the surface of a deep lake. Finally, his eyes snapped open and he took a deep breath. For a moment, he stared blankly at Linus before the memories of what had happened flooded his mind. He sat up suddenly, looking out across the lake only to see that the island was no longer there. His eyebrows creasing, he turned to look at Linus before he then stopped, blinking. Linus’ eyes were no longer a hazel colour. Instead, they were now an enchanting blue colour that seemed to command Aelius to continue looking into their depths. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. There was something wrong about his mouth. He ran his tongue over his teeth, trying figure out what it was that was wrong. His canine teeth felt sharper than usual, but otherwise everything seemed fine.

“Linus? What happened? I… I thought we were dead.” Aelius asked, pulling his eyes away from Linus as he looked around. Something definitely seemed off. Despite it being the middle of the night, Aelius noticed that he could see almost as well as he could during the day. Everything was sharper, and he could see more detail. As he fell silent, he swore he could hear distant rustling of wildlife in the forest. Sounds he would have never heard before, as if his hearing had been increased. He was even able to hear the thumping of Linus’ heart and that usually only happened when he was cuddled up close to the other man with his head on Linus’ chest. A wealth of unfamiliar smells filled his nose, both pleasant and unpleasant. Smells he had never smelt before, and knew he couldn’t smell earlier. 

Once again he turned to look at Linus, “Something has happened to us. I can hear so well, and smell things I’ve never smelt before. It’s night time, Linus, and I can see perfectly well. And your eyes… they’re blue now. What did that witch do to us?” He asked, an edge of panic at the unknown entering his voice. As he gazed at his lover, his eyes moved down to his neck and he felt a sudden itching in his canine teeth as he was filled with the overwhelming desire to sink his fangs into the flesh of Linus’ flesh. To his shock, those sharp canine seemed to grow larger and sharper on not only the top jaw, but the lower one as well. He ran his tongue over them, opening his mouth as he did so to get a feel of the now several inch long fangs. His lips parted, showing Linus what had happened before he closed his mouth and asked, “What… the hell… did she do to us?”

[Kalvoras Vertal Banned]

"I have no clue... It must've been that witch..."

Linus could feel even more so now than before the chilly breeze on his skin. His head was already buzzing with a slight headache, most likely from all the noises that had come flooding into his head. He focuses his eyes on Aelius, noticing the boy's gaze on his neck. Again, his gaze returns to Aelius' and his canines slowly elongate into a long, unnatural curve. His eyes gleam softly under the pale moonlight, or what it would be to people with normal vision. Everything was far too bright for it to be night, but the chilly twilight breeze says otherwise.

Linus rips his gaze from Aelius' neck and he can feel his fangs shrinking in size back into his gums. The questions Aelius had asked and the facts that he pointed out were the ones swimming through his mind at this very instant. At the mention of his eyes, Linus glanced over at Aelius. His eyes? No longer hazel, but blue? He cautiously moved over to the edge of the water, taking his time before sneaking a peek at his eyes. Indeed, they were a strikingly cold blue now, no longer the calm and gentle hazel that he had once donned. He reached up curiously and moved closer to the surface of the strangely still water, his eyes still shimmering the reflected light of the moon.

He looked up at Aelius to notice the change of Aelius’ orbs as well. They had gone from a calm, sky blue to an electrifying yellow, one that strangely suited his pink hair and its crimson tips. It was strange, like he couldn’t pull himself away from his lover’s gaze. Not that he wanted to anyway. He was just glad that they were alive and that he didn’t have to be apart from his love.

Linus stood and slowly walked towards Aelius, his gaze fixed firmly on him and his mind swimming with thoughts. He stands over Aelius for a second before kneeling down and hugging his partner tightly. He wouldn’t be able to stand it if he had lost Aelius, no way in any Heaven or Hell. His fingers gripped tightly at Aelius’s skin as his body began to shake with the sudden overwhelming emotion.

“Aelius… I don’t care about any of that at the moment… I just care that you’re still here…”

A small sob escapes Linus’ lips as a tear rolls down his cheek and drips onto Aelius’ shoulder.

[Neptune]

Aelius watched in silence as his lover moved over to the lake, seeing the change in his eyes that had come about on this strange night. The younger male almost felt a little detached from it all. His head was spinning slightly, and everything felt surreal as if it wasn’t happening. He could have claimed it was a dream but there was a sharpness to everything that dispelled that illusion. It certainly was not a dream. He had never had a dream like this before in his life. He reached down, pinching his thigh hard. He winced a little at the sharp pain. Certainly not a dream, otherwise he would have woken up by now. He always did when he pinched himself in his dream. Just what had that witch done to them? Eyes different. Senses more sensitive and the change to their teeth. What had she hoped to accomplish? Their suffering? Had she made them into some kind of demon? Their family was sure to reject them if they were to ever find out. Not that it mattered too much to Aelius. The only one he was even remotely close to was his mother and he didn’t get to see her that often. 

His attention was drawn out of his thoughts when Linus stood from his contemplation of his reflection before coming over to Aelius. The moment Aelius felt arms wrap around him, his own arms wrapped around Linus automatically. Not only to help relieve his own anxiety, but he had an instinctual urge to try and calm his lover down. It distressed him to see Linus is such emotional pain. So much so, that he didn’t even notice the fingers gripping into his skin. Aelius tightened his hold, pressing his lips against Linus’ shoulder as the man began to shake. At Linus’ words, Aelius felt a wealth of sadness and his heart fluttered from how sweet his lover was. He pressed his lips harder against Linus’ soft skin, kissing it gently as the other man began to sob against his shoulder. Aelius could sympathise with how Linus felt. In those last moments before they lost consciousness, Aelius had thought that they were going to die. His last thoughts had centred around Linus, and how he wished he had kissed the man one last time. 

One of his hands came up to thread through Linus’ dark hair, relishing the feeling of the soft strands against his skin, “I know, my love. I don’t think I could have stood to lose you either.” He said, his voice soft. His vision blurred and he could feel a stinging in his eyes as they threatened to spill over with tears. Just the thought of losing Linus made his heart clench painfully, and made it hard to breath. The witch had called them filthy degenerates. Yet Aelius knew that what he felt for Linus was pure, untainted love. Linus was the only one that understood him, the only one who truly cared for him. He didn’t understand how it was so bad. He kissed Linus’ shoulder again before he pulled back. He pushed Linus back a little so that he could gaze into his lovers enchanting eyes. He actually felt like the blue suited Linus more than the hazel. They made him more beautiful, and yet there was an air of danger that surrounded him that made him irresistible. 

Aelius reached up with a hand, cupping Linus’ cheek and saying, “For as long as I can help it, my love, I’m not going anywhere. I’m not letting anyone take me away from you. Anyone.” The last part was said in a firm tone, wanting to push the point home. He then leaned forwards, pressing his lips against Linus’. As usual, he felt a spark upon his lips that made him moan softly into the kiss as he pushed his lips harder against his lovers as he deepened their kiss. He just needed to touch and feel Linus, to truly reassure himself that his lover was fine.

[Kalvoras Vertal Banned]

Linus continues sobbing softly into Aelius' shoulder until he feels a tight grip on him and pushing him away so that Aelius can look into his lover's eyes. He reaches up and wipes the tears off of his cheeks before leaning his head into Aelius' soft palm. The words of the younger male calms him down slightly as he stares into the electric yellow orbs belonging to Aelius. He was at a loss for words and can only give a quick series of nods before wrapping his arms around Aelius and closing his eyes as he feels the younger male's lips pressing against his. Aelius always made him feel better, made him feel calmer, and it was a feeling that only Aelius could give him. He just wantsAelius in this moment, and he is surprisingly relieved that he was able to have the only thing that he ever needed at the moment.

Linus pulls out of the kiss after a few moments, laying his forehead on Aelius' shoulder and giving a relieved sigh. Aelius is his, and he isn't going to let anyone or anything take him away from him. He opens his lips and talks, but it only comes out as a careless whisper on the wind. He hugs Aelius tightly, simply enjoying the feeling of his mate against him before kissing his cheek and repeating the words that he had whispered just a few seconds ago.

"Aelius... I love you."

[Neptune]

Aelius took a breath as his lover pulled away from the kiss, before his eyes closed for a moment as he felt Linus’ forehead pressing against his shoulder. Unconsciously, he nuzzled his face into his lovers dark hair. He heard a soft whisper, but he remained quiet as he knew his lover wanted to say something. He clung onto Linus before tilting his head a little as he felt his lovers lips pressing against his cheek before he spoke again. He smiled a little, “As do I, my love.” He whispered back. He pulled back and raised a hand to touch Linus’ cheek as he carefully looked over the features of the man he loved dearly. They had changed, that was for sure. But to him, Linus looked even more attractive than he did before. There was just something compelling about him that drew Aelius in, making him lust after the other man. With effort, he pulled his eyes away from Linus and the feelings dampened somewhat. He didn’t feel safe here, not so close to where the witch had… done whatever it was to them.

“We should g-” Aelius started to say, but stiffened when he heard rustling from the bushes. He turned his head towards the noise, but it was only a rat that scampered out from the protective cover of the foliage. He narrowed his golden eyes before he tilted his head. He could hear each movement the rat made, and each draw of its breath. He could even hear its tiny heart beating rapidly in its small rib cage, “Can you hear that?” Aelius whispered to Linus, still staring at the rat. How was it possible that their hearing had become so sensitive? Why had the witch done this? He would have thought that she would have cursed them. But this didn’t seem like a curse, unless there was more to this than met the eye, and that thought made his stomach unsettled as he continued to hold onto his love.