AU: I'm Back [Vampire AU, Kodi]

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

Gryphon was still angry. He couldn't help it, he wasn't sure if anyone would be able to, given the circumstances. He understood why Xun had told him to leave and all but... that didn't stop it from getting to him.

He found his way back to that worn down house after a few hours of being gone, returning with as many of his belongings as he thought was necessary - including a bag with food and survival necessities among other things, as well as a silver dagger, a handgun with ammo and his trench coat. Yes, he had a fucking trench coat.

The ex-hunter let himself in an restrained from slamming the door behind him. "Kodi?" He called out. His lover wouldn't have left or anything, it was too light out. Besides, he knew he was around here, nearby, somewhere... he could sense it.

[Deleted]

While Gryph had gone off and gone back to his place, Kodi had been pacing around, trying to wrap his brain around all that had happened. He felt... Happy, of course. Happy he could remember his past life, ecstatic that Gryph was in his life again, and still reveling in the events of the previous night...

At the same time, he felt guilty, and worried, and angry. Although, the anger seemed to be coming from a body outside himself, and he wondered what Gryphon was doing to get riled up like he was. Should Kodi go find him? Was it worth it? He wouldn't die going out in the sun, not unless he stayed in it for a good length of time, but it would still be painful. He decided against it unless he felt his lover was in real danger.

He was still busily pacing back and forth around the building when he sensed Gryph drawing near. Kodi knew he had arrived before he heard the door, and his name, and ran to the hidden entrance to greet the boy. "Hey," he breathed, enveloping Gryphon in an embrace. It felt like he'd been gone forever. "Are you okay? Did something happen? I felt you get angry and..." Kodi's voice trailed off and he swallowed, pulling away as he realized the pulse he felt against Gryph's neck was starting to be even more tempting than it was earlier. He would have to feed again... Sooner than he had anticipated.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

The winged man heard quickened footsteps and looked for the source, locking his eyes onto Kodi as soon as he came into sight. He smiled and wrapped his arms around him, feeling a comfort now that Kodi was in his presence again, "Hi." He sighed as the questions were thrown at him. Did he... he wouldn't lie to Kodiak, he couldn't do that. But he probably wouldn't go into detail. "Yeah, um, I ran into someone. And they..." he scanned over his arms with his eyes, "...asked."

The urge was eminated onto Gryphon as well and he tried to avoid thinking about it, pulling away as well. He hadn't had the chance to eat yet - if Kodi tried to take any more of his blood, he would feel too drained to do much and he'd need to recover for longer, which he didn't have time for, given Xun's warning. It wasn't like they could go anywhere that instant, but... better safe than sorry.

[Deleted]

Even if Gryph did lie to Kodi, he probably would be able to tell. Not only because of the imprinting, but because... Well, he knew his lover quite well. He sighed, tracing his hands down the man's sleeves, as Gryph spoke. "It was another hunter, wasn't it?" he assumed. "... What did they say? What did you say?" Even if Gryph wasn't physically damaged, Kodi didn't want him to be upset either.

He also realized... Part of his hunger was from Gryphon himself. "You haven't eaten?" he demanded, scowling as he led Gryph back to the bedroom. "Eat. Now." Kodi slumped down on the mattress and tugged the older boy down with him, eyeing his backpack. "What all did you bring anyway?" he asked. Kodi had a vague curiosity about how regular food might taste to him now. Would it still taste good? Or would it taste like nothing? He wasn't going to steal Gryph's food, though.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

So Kodi wanted to know what happened. That was understandable. Gryph still wasn't going to over complicate matters, though. He didn't want to start thinking about it too much. He nodded a couple times before speaking, "I tried to sneak in but my roommate was right there." He frowned and sighed, breaths deepening as he thought about Xun and their confrontation, "He worked out what'd happened and told me I was an idiot for getting imprinted." Gryph looked at Kodi for a second, before looking down, "I said some stuff and he told me I couldn't live there anymore or, or be a hunter anymore." He considered it for a moment. "I guess it's not the worst thing in the world, but... he was soon robotic about it. It was in his nature but..." But it didn't stop it from hurting.

Gryphon looked around half-innocently at Kodi's question/annoyed realization, and then his feet were trailing behind the vampire's, one foot in front if the other, back to the bedroom. He fell down onto the mattress and shrugged off his bag, setting it in front of him. "Alright, alright," he said, and began rummaging through the contents. After a few unsuccessful moments (and one too many close shaves with the knife, that had managed to unsheath itself), Gryphon began picking odd bits out. "Lots of stuff." He replied, unhelpfully. Among the moved objects were the knife and the gun, which he laid carefully aside so he didn't break them. The gun was unloaded, as of this moment, and Gryph had found the sheath straight after finding the knife, and had slid it back in.

The hungry man eventually dug out an apple and shined it a little on his sleeve - he was a sucker for shiny things.

[Deleted]

Kodi tried to relate to Gryph's predicament, but... Well, he couldn't really. Still, he felt the hurt, and the upset, which was enough to make Kodi's heart squeeze for him. "It wasn't like... You had a choice to be imprinted," he mumbled, feeling guilty. ".... That was my fault..." Not that he'd done it on purpose either, but still. "I'm sorry, Gryph," he said quietly, resting his forehead against the taller boy's shoulder. "... I guess that means you're stuck with me, huh?" he added, trying to lighten up the atmosphere a little. "You... You don't have a reason to be a hunter anymore anyway," he reasoned, hoping he was helping instead of hurting.

He watched as Gryph unzipped his bag and began pulling things out, not noticing the weapons at first. Kodi's head tilted curiously, seeing the apple and some other random bits that the ex-hunter had brought along with him. "Mmmm..." He was all attentive until the telltale sign of a weapon he'd come to fear suddenly flickered as it hit the dim light, and Kodi immediately hissed and retreated, clawing his way to the opposite corner of the room like a trapped animal. And suddenly, he was feral again, eyes glowing red and body crouched like a cat, ready to flee at the next sign of danger. In his right mind, he knew Gryph would never hurt him. But the demons inside were still very much a part of him, and Kodi couldn't control all of his instincts.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

Kodi's guilt twisted inside Gryph and he frowned, he didn't want Kodi to think it was his fault. And he... was 'liked' the right term? He like being imprinted, for the lack of a better word. It wasn't some terrible curse, like it had been insinuated to be. "It's alright." It wasn't, really, he... knew Kodi could tell that. But he was saying that being imprinted was fine, not being tirned away and kicked out by his friend.

"I don't know how I'll survive," he teased, not wanting to stay upset. And he agreed... his reason for becoming a hunter was staring him right in the face, standing in the flesh. Now that he'd returned, his determination... slackened at little.

It was kind of quiet, but seemed alright, as Gryphon rummaged and scanned. What made him jolt to a halt was Kodi's reacting to the weapons at he revealed. He stopped and looked between them, before placing them as far away as possible. Gryph held his arms up in defense and looked over at Kodi with pleading eyes, feeling the fear that coursed through him, through Kodi. "Kodi, Kodi..." Gryphon stopped all extra movements, speaking slowly and carefully. "Kodi, it's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you." He reassured, going forward to catch Kodi's sides in his hands. If that was even a bad idea.

[Deleted]

Kodi liked being imprinted too. There was no doubt. He'd been a ravenous, scared, feral creature less than a day previously; now, he felt the most human he had since he'd turned. It still wasn't easy, and he was still fighting the demons that fought to come back to the surface, but they were... A lot easier to manage with Gryph's blood in his system and his presence. "I love you, love," he mumbled, bumping his forehead against Gryphon's. "We'll... We'll be okay."

He smiled slightly at Gryph's attempt at humor, and gave his shoulder a playful (and fangless) bite. "I'm sure you'll managed," he teased back. Kodi... Knew why there were hunters. Hell, he still despised himself, and what he was forced to do to survive. But... He... He didn't want to die, especially now.

Which.... Was why he responded so violently to the deadly weapons. His instincts to avoid such things were too powerful, and he felt trapped, cornered in this little room with nowhere to escape. Kodi cowered, features taut, body tense, until his functioning brain started working again. Gryphon. This was Gryphon. He'd just brought that stuff for protection against... Others. "P.... Please put them away," he pleaded, flinching a little at the touch. "Put them... Over there." He motioned to the corner opposite him, as far away as possible. He was shivering, panting a little, fangs extended from the pure adrenaline rush of it all.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

Gryphon smiled, he hoped that was true - that they would be okay. He wanted to believe that sentiment more than anything, but... the world was a cruel place, and he just... had a feeling. Which was strange for Gryph, who was usually so optimistic. He didn't even fully understand why he felt that way himself. "Love you too."

Gryph looked back and took in Kodi's shaken request, and then kissed his head, "Okay." He turned and scooped up the knife and the gun and thought for a second. If they stayed in the same room, it was possible for Kodi to still react badly to them. He had his bag, but he would need to get in there and he might have to take them out again. So... he looked back at Kodi, saddened by what he'd done to him. Because this was Gryphon's fault. "One second." He left the room, went into the one next door and placed them carefully in near left corner. He turned around and returned, walking in slowly, so as to not startle Kodi if he was still in his... frightened form. His own emotions were high, determining Kodi's as well was proving to be difficult. "They're away." But not gone, just out of sight, out of mind.

[Deleted]

Kodi trembled again as Gryphon kissed him, then retreated back again as the ex-hunter grabbed his things. ".... I got cut by one of those things once," he whispered, pointing towards the knife. "It burned like it was on fire, and the wound took ages to heal." Actually, it still wasn't gone completely - Kodi pulled his sleeve up to reveal the long, thin gash on his bicep. It was no wonder, he thought, how the animal in him had reacted so harshly. He never wanted to feel that again.

He watched as Gryph decided against what Kodi had suggested, still pressing himself against the wall as the boy took the weapons and left the room. He warily went back to sit on his bed, glancing up sharply when Gryphon returned. "... Thank you..." he mumbled, feeling embarrassed now that he was in more control of himself. "I'm still not all here, see?" He smiled sadly and tapped his head. "I just can't control myself sometimes..." Kodi flopped over onto his side, pointing a finger at Gryph. "Now eat. Or I'll force feed you." He gave a smug little smirk and watched his lover, nuzzling his face down into the pillow.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

It was curious... why did silver hurt vampires so much? Gryph had just been told to use it against them... why he was supposed to was a mystery to him. He studied the wound with a mild anger brewing in his chest; he hated the idea of Kodi being in pain, even if that time had long passed.

"You're doin' better than a lot've people would be." He said. Kodi was being very strong, in Gryphon's opinion. He always had been strong, with everything that had happened to him, and how much he hid what he felt. Gryph was proud of him, in a way.

The winged man chuckled, eyes falling onto the apple from earlier, which he had dropped onto the bed as soon as Kodi began reacting to the items which were now in the othher room. "I'm eatin'!" He swiped up the fruit and bit into it grinning stupidly. "See?" Gryph said, mouth still full of food. He began to contemplate his earlier conversation with Xun... he needed to bring it up at some point. Now was a good a time as any, right? "...y'know," he spoke between bites, "We're gonna have t'get outta here soon." How soon? As soon as possible.

[Deleted]

Kodi didn't know why the damned stuff hurt so much either. He used to like silver, back when he was human. Now it was one of his few fears. "I don't know about that," he mumbled. "I completely forgot who I was for a minute." Even with the imprint, he'd warped back into that hissing, snarling creature... Fuck, he hated it!

Still, he gave a small smile as Gryph did what he asked, though... It faltered when he realized he could probably even make Gryphon do things that he didn't want to with this imprint. He made a silent promise that he would never try to do that. "Good," was all he said, giving a short nod. Kodi sat up a little, curious about the apple. Without warning, he leaned in and snagged a bite, chewing for a moment before frowning. It tasted like nothing... Sigh. Whatever, he swallowed it anyway. And then he listened to what Gryph was saying, and his frown deepened. "Yeah... I know," he agreed slowly. He wasn't particularly attached to this place, but it was where he'd been staying for as long as he could recall, and it had... Stuff. "I... I can't go anywhere until it gets dark, though. And we need to scope out a good hiding place." Kodi expected there would be hunters after them, after all that had happened. They definitely needed to leave.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

Gryph frowned, "Yeah, a minute. Some people will never remember who they were." He replied, "Don't put yourself down." Kodi wasn't giving himself enough credit. Of course it was gonna be difficult - it wasn't gonna go smoothly in any sense of the word - but as long as they didn't... screw up too badly, or whatever, it would be fine.

Gryphon remembered how Xun spoke about imprinting, saying it was some.kind of controlling technique. He said... that once you were imprinted, the vampire could manipulate your emotions. The ex-hunter had no idea if that was true, but even if it was, he trusted that Kodi wouldn't toy with him like that. He couldn't. He wouldn't... but was it toying with him to give Gryph the desire to let Kodi take his blood? He couldn't control it, at least the winged man didn't think he could, so maybe it had nothing to do with it. He tried not to delve into it too much.

He raised an eyebrow at the vampire as he took a bite of the fruit, "Get your own." He joked, before actually computing what he'd said. Gryphon was his own. Besides, vampires didn't need nutritious food to survive, just... blood. He avoided thinking about blood for much longer, otherwise... he had a bad feeling it would reflect into Kodi's thoughts and then where would they be? He needed more food first.

Gryph wasn't sure who Xun had told about his... predicament, if he'd actually mentioned it. If he had, they were in more trouble than if he hadn't. They would have to wait anyway, like Kodi said - sunlight was not a good idea. They had to be patient. Or something. Gryph just nodded and bit into his apple a few more times, trying to conjure an idea, but a big resounding nothing came back. Hmm.

[Deleted]

Kodi looked down, fidgeting with his hands. "I was completely gone until you found me again," he said quietly. Well, not completely - he'd still had enough pity and guilt to make his kills as quick and painless as possible - but still. "... I'm just afraid that I'll become that again if... If..." He didn't even want to think about anything happening to his lover. It was too hard.

He tried not to dwell on his potential to control Gryph too much. The desire for blood... There wasn't much he could do about that. And... He hoped, at least, that that part of the relationship could be pleasurable for both of them. Kodi knew they had both enjoyed it last night, at least...

Kodi just stuck his tongue out at Gryph's exclamation, teasingly taking a 'bite' from his boyfriend. "I'm not hungry yet," he assured him. "I... I think I might need to feed again by tonight, though..." he added more quietly. "Last night... Really drained me." Kodi shot a nervous look at Gryphon. "And... I don't want to drink from you again so soon." Even if they both wanted it, he would try to resist...

He licked his lips absent-mindedly and stood, thinking he better go ahead and gather what he wanted to take with him. "You can sleep some more, if you want to," he suggested. "I know you didn't get a lot last night. I'll wake you up when it gets to be dusk." Gryph would need to get used to the night life anyway, if he stuck around with Kodi...

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

Found. More like near-murdered. Gryphon would never have forgiven himself if he'd let that happen. He'd been scared to die before, he knew that... being the person to make that fear a reality would kill him too. "I'd say you don't know how glad I am that I found you, but... y'know." He was half joking, and smiled gently, but he felt heavy. Kodi was getting scared, "I'll never leave you. You know that," Or at least, he should by this point. How many times had Gryphon told him that? Even if it was more to do with life and death and not any actual choice, to the extent of his power, Gryph wouldn't part ways with Kodi.

And blood... he wanted Kodi to be safe. And alive - to whatever limit that was as a vampire. If that meant having to self-sacrifice, then so be it. By this point, Gryph would do anything to keep them from parting again. Anything. The pain of him being ripped from his life once was enough.

Gryphon grinned widely, and then nodded slowly. "Alright, but if you have to..." If you have to, what kind of stupid bullshit was that. It was more along the lines of 'if you can't take it anymore, neither can I.'

His eyes tracked Kodi as he began to walk around. Gryphon wondered for a moment... was he tired? He was pretty emotionally drained, and no, he hadn't slept much... it was as good an idea as any. "Okay." He simply replied. He worried for a second about a plan of some sorts, to get them outta there before anyone tried to find them or whatever, but Gryph decided it could wait He pushed off any remnants of his belongings from the mattress and tugged off his trench coat, laying it over himself like a blanket. For simplifity's sake. "'Night, love." He mumbled, snuggling into himself.