AU: Xertz [Vampire AU, Kodi]

[Deleted]

Kodi groaned as Gryph dove into a flurry of kisses, returning them with equal passion as he tore at the boy's clothes, uncaring if he ripped them in the process of trying to get them off. Everything was about Gryphon - all Kodi's senses, his needs, his life was focused on him, on finishing this unexpected event that Kodi refused to regret no matter what might come after. His parents, the other hunter, everyone else was shoved to the back of his mind as he lost himself in the night, in a blaze of lust and blood and desire beyond belief....

----

It was still dark out by the time Kodi stirred, which he was relieved by. He hadn't been sleeping - he didn't need to anymore - but he had automatically curled himself around his precious human after their passionate, exhausting session was complete, leveling his breathing with Gryphon's own. He thought the boy was probably asleep - Kodi wouldn't blame him. He didn't tire easily himself, but even he felt fatigued, and knew he'd have to find a meal sooner than he had originally planned.

Kodi traced his fingers over Gryph's bare arm, now riddled with tiny punctures that he had inflicted in his lustful craze. He hadn't paid attention to where he was latching on; he was sure there were similar marks elsewhere on his lover's soft, beautiful form, which sent both guilt and pleasure through Kodi's torn mind. Guilt because he didn't want to hurt Gryph, but pleasure knowing that the hunter was his, in body and mind, and there were few forces that could change that.

He nudged his face into the crook of Gryph's neck, brushing his lips over the original wound that had started this whole thing. "Gryphon~" he murmured, wrapping his arms around the older boy. "Wake up, love." He felt pain radiating on his own body where the worst bites were, like a ghostly echo that wasn't quite tangible. It was strange.... But Kodi liked it. It made him feel more... Human. "I need to take care of you," he mumbled, wondering what was around that he could use to clean the boy up.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

As expected, Gryphon was floating around aimlessly in his own little dream world. He smiled in his sleep, as his subconscious relayed memories he had stored in his mind of the past. The hunter was oblivious of his lover's touches, though he definitely hadn't been earlier. It wasn't represented to Gryph in his dream state, but he remembered the fierce passion between him and Kodi... he would feel the faint pain when he awoke, but as of right now, he was blissfully unaware.

A voice began to wake him from his slumber. For a moment, a stupidly naive moment, Gryphon thought his mind was playing tricks on him, that he didn't hear Kodi's voice saying his name, it was all some stupid illusion. It had happened enough times in the past, especially the first few after Kodi didn't come back before... he lost a lot of sleep, and began seeing hallucinations as a result of his stress and torment inflicted insomnia. It was... torturous, among other things. One of the most common interupttions of his sleep had been cause by hearing Kodi's voice, so... there was an understandably clear deja vu about the whole situation, which made him trust it less.

But you couldn't feel a hallucination's breath against your neck, their arms enveloping your body... right? His eyes peeled open as he took a slightly deeper breath, recovering from his sleeping state. Gryphon mumbled something incoherently that questioned whether it not it was actually Kodi. He grumbled in fatigue and looked at his vampire, who said something about taking care of him. Usually, he would've protested, announced that he was fine and could cope perfectly alright. But he was fucking tired and, for once, didn't mind the idea if a helping hand.

But instead of helping, Gryphon gently skimmed his fingers over Kodi's features, caressing the side of his vampire's face and taking in the crimson colour that his eyes eminated. He still had some waking up to do, even if he felt the drowsy, but fully aware state of the boy next to him. He had to do something... but at the same he didn't have the energy to move an inch.

[Deleted]

Kodi chuckled upon hearing Gryph's mumbling, bringing his face in to nuzzle their noses together like a dork. "Good morning to you too," he murmured, swearing he felt his heart jump with adoration as he studied the older boy's face. He wondered if Gryph could feel it, or it if was from Gryph himself.... But God, Kodi could lay like this forever.

His eyelids fluttered, feeling the light traces against his skin - Gryphon's hands felt warm, incredibly warm against his pale, cold face, and Kodi rubbed his cheek against his lover's palms as he opened his eyes again and simply gazed. He cupped one of Gryph's hands in his own and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss against it. "Mmm... You feeling alright?" he asked, although he could tell from their... Whatever this bond was called that those bites definitely needed some tending to. He hoped - he thought he had heard this from somewhere - that Gryphon might gain some of his own enhanced abilities from Kodi, such as a prolonged life and faster healing. Kodi supposed they would have to wait and see.

He yawned and pulled Gryphon close for several moments, just enjoying his heat and his presence and the intimacy between their physical bodies along with the new mental connection as well. Kodi finally forced himself to pull away, but not without a couple sweet pecks on Gryph's lips before he sat up and sat on the edge of the mattress. "Come on, there's gotta be a working bathroom in here somewhere," he told Gryph, standing before he leaned down to offer his arms to Gryph if he wanted help getting up. "You... Humans are so fragile," he added a little sadly, trying not to stare too long at the numerous wounds he had inflicted. He had to be more careful next time...

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

A smirk settled upon Gryphon's lips, feeling that same leap in his own chest when his eyes had opened wide enough to see Kodi's face, and take in the detail, and know that this wasn't some foul trick. He couldn't've been happier - and he never wanted to leave Kodi again. If time allowed it, he could just lie there for days upon end, thinking of nothing but each other and only caring about Kodi.

The other boy seemed... so cold to the touch. You could say he was frozen, really... Gryph's first instinct was to warm him up, but it was pointless. He knew how vampires were.

Gryphon just kept looking directly into Kodi's eyes; it was... grounding. And something he wished he could do forever. He craved every touch, treasured every second.

Now that he was waking up, Gryph identified the painful spots over his arms, and could feel more of them all over his person. But he didn't want Kodi to worry, "Yeah, just... tired."

It'd been too long since this had last happened. Since it was possible for this to happen. Gryph reiterated and snuggled against Kodi, wrapping his body around him. It was... so comfortable, so right. Why did it have to end? He smiled at the pecks, and then frowned slightly as Kodi sat up, but he understood why and knew he was bring pretty childlish, almost selfish, so he left it to happen.

Gryph sat up and yawned, stretching hid arms and contorting his face. "...alright, then." He replied, He used the other boy's outstretched arms to get up, pulling him close again when he was off the ground. Gryphon's hands went the sides of Kodi's pale face, giving himself another moment to... yeah.

Us humans? "Like glass." He muttered quietly. It was possible for the boy's thoughts to turn very poetic, but they didn't. Well, he didn't let them, he was too busy concentrating on his lover. Gryphon looked Kodi in the eye for one final moment, before letting his eyes wander and try to locate anything that possibly ran water. "D'you know... how long you've been living here?" Gryph was curious.

[Deleted]

Kodi sensed that Gryphon was lying, or at least keeping hidden, how he felt. "You're not just tired, you're lacking blood and have numerous puncture wounds," he mumbled, heaving a sigh. "... Probably starving too..." He'd forgotten that the boy needed to eat real food, and suffered when going a few hours without. Kodi didn't know the last time he'd ate, but he'd certainly missed dinner, and now it was the next day. He needed it especially now, after Kodi had drained him a bit. "... And I don't have any food..."

... He supposed he would have to let Gryph go for a bit to get what he needed. But... Fuck, Kodi was nervous now, now that they had this bond. Would other vampires be able to tell, and seek him out? Was he going to be in even more danger? Certainly his parents wouldn't approve...

Well, first things first. Cleaning up. But Kodi allowed the moment of quiet after they stood up, keeping a firm arm around Gryphon's waist in case he got light-headed and needed support. He'd forgotten that the boy was a couple inches taller than him; Kodi had to look up to meet his eyes. ".... Love you..." he murmured, overwhelmed with emotion.

He hadn't meant to offend his lover with the fragility comment, but... It felt true. Kodi had to be careful. He glanced down at the question, frowning, and slowly shook his head. "The days... And nights... Have all sort of blurred together," he mumbled. "I don't even know how long I've been like... This." Kodi knew it wasn't a long time, but that was about it. Early morning light was starting to stream through the foggy windows as Kodi led Gryph around the abandoned place. He didn't really have a lot of curiosity before, so he hadn't done all that much exploring - so, he didn't realize there was an only mildly run-down bathroom upstairs. He tried flicking on the lights, and they glowed dully, giving Gryph just enough light to see (because of course, Kodi didn't need it himself). "Now, let's see what we've got..." the vampire mumbled, beginning to study the wounds.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

The hunter looked over the bites imprinted in his arms as Kodi pointed them out, sighing a little. Maybe there more to it than just fatigue. And... he needed food. He seriously wasn't that hungry, but knowing how his body was, after being awake for an hour, he'd be starving. "It's alright... I can survive for a while at least." Gryph said, thinking for a moment about... food. His apartment was... somewhere. He wasn't sure how nearby, he hadn't really been paying attention to his surroundings on his way to... here. It could be five minutes or five hours. So he could survive for now... but that was now.

Gryphon obviously didn't feel the urgency that Kodi did to get cleaner. He was alright - he toppled a little as he got to his feet, but he was supported. "Love you too." He replied, looking deeply into Kodi's crimson eyes. Gryph knew that it would take a lot for that to change. He gave Kodi a short kiss, pulling away and wishing he could do so for longer, but he knew that the vampire would just stop him... or he'd never get clean.

He nodded half-understandingly, obviously not from prior knowledge, but... "4 months." He informed his vampire; Gryphon... remembered the exact date. "4 months, 1 week, 5 days." He said, and then he corrected himself with a slight shake of his head, "6 days." It might've seemed creepy... he couldn't help it. It'd taken a lot of his willpower to not completely flop into a depressive slump, like he had the last time he'd... 'lost' someone. He'd gotten downright dark for a time, but he found a way to keep himself from becoming as seriously incapacitated as he had before.

Gryphon blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the slightly lighter surroundings. The punctures... stung a bit, ached a little. They probably hurt more than he would let himself admit. He looked away a little; it wasn't necessary, but he didn't want to stop Kodi from helping him. He- "I'm fine." He couldn't help it. He... he didn't really realize that this imprinting had gone on. Even after everything he'd felt... he just thought it was to do with having your blood drained. And maybe... after having some of it, Kodi didn't want to have anymore again. Maybe... after doing it once, he could hold himself back from doing it again. Gryph knew about as much about vampires as the next hunter - enough to keep them safe. Imprinting... he hadn't even heard of it. Knew nothing of it. He wasn't sure if Kodi realized his naivety on the subject... he'd probably work it out at some point.

[Deleted]

Kodi stared at Gryph as he told him how long it had been. Four months... That sounded about right. How many people had he killed in that time? How many lives had he ruined with his hunger? And... How many more would be in the future? ".... You counted..." he breathed, slumped and saddened thinking about the hell Gryphon must have gone through. "And you... You became a hunter?" he asked quietly, looking up. "F... For me?" How ironic was that? ".... My parents will want to kill you..." he added, feeling sick. He had to keep Gryphon safe. No matter what. Kodi took the boy's hands in his own and squeezed, relishing the warmth of his skin.

"You're not fine," Kodi retorted, brow furrowing a bit. He had Gryph sit on the counter as he fumbled with the shirt he'd picked up before they left the room, turning on the faucet and getting the cloth damp. He didn't care about soiling the shirt; Gryph was far more important. Once it was wet, Kodi began gently dabbing it over the puncture-ridden areas, cleaning his lover of the dried blood and hopefully cooling the inflamed skin. Kodi wasn't worried about infection or anything, but they still hurt. He kept his eyes focused on the task at hand, occasionally brushing his cool fingers against the boy's chest or stomach as he worked.

He finished the arms and started working along Gryph's side, which wasn't as bad but still had a few marks. As Kodi worked, he sensed a sort of... Confusion, or lack of understanding coming from the guy he'd imprinted on. He realized... They hadn't even spoken about it, and he didn't know how much Gryph knew, if anything. "Hey... Gryphon?" he murmured, finishing with the wet cloth and tossing it to the other side of the counter. ".... Did anyone tell you about... Imprinting?" he asked, watching his lover's face carefully. "Because... I don't know if you know, but we... When I..." He fell quiet, unsure how much he should say.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

Gryphon sighed a little and nodded slowly, it still amazed him... 4 months. His vision flicked up for a second, and then hit the floor, "...yeah." He wasn't sure whether or not to think that that was a bad thing now, seeing as Kodi was a vampire, and Gryph was supposed to... to kill vampires. He could never lay a threatening hand on Kodiak, not even on a bad day of the week. "I... I thought you were dead. And I thought it was..." he trailed off. In a way, it was a kind of revenge... he'd thought a vampire had murdered his lover, and he was stuck with what to do. He thought... maybe if he fought back, he would feel like he was fighting for something that was worth fighting for. He would have some kind of closure. He'd known it wouldn't bring Kodi back, but... technically, it had. That was some twisted logic.

His parents... wait - "Those vampires, the elder ones from before... they t-turned you?" Gryphon tripped over the word, trying to avoid thinking again about that night. But, they... those vampires, they... Gryph felt a rage begin to bubble in his chest. He knew he had no chance up against two... experienced vampires, but he couldn't suppress the want to get his real revenge.

Gryph shivered at his icicle fingers and the cold water, but he stayed silent after his protest was fought against. It wasn't worth wasting the energy on, just doing a back and forth with Kodi which would inevitably end in his vampire helping him anyway.

"Yeah?" The hunter listened as Kodiak spoke that foreign word, eyebrows creasing in confusion and tilting his head, "Im-printin'?" He echoed back, accentuating the syllables like a child trying to sound out a difficult word. "What...?" he queried, guessing that Kodi could probably work out what he was trying to say without him completing his sentence. It was completely blank to him.

[Deleted]

An upwelling of guilt his Kodi's system, hearing Gryphon speak. "Oh, Gryph..." he breathed, cupping his palms under the boy's jaw before planting a soft, sweet kiss on his lips. "I'm so... So sorry... I wish I could have told you, or seen you, but after what happened I... I didn't know who I was or what I was doing, and I was... So hungry..." He'd let that hunger drive him for the last four months. It was the only thing he could think about; when he was full, he just stalked around looking for new places to prey on people until he got hungry again, until the hunters had found him and started chasing him. Now one was here with him and the other was... Probably dead. "... I'm so glad you found me..." he murmured. Who knew how much longer he would have gone on, like an animated corpse?

Kodi swallowed and nodded, averting his gaze. "Yeah... River and Carleigh," he mumbled. "They're... They're decent, for... Our kind... I guess. They... Treated me like their child." His eyes hardened a little. "Now, though, knowing what they did, what they took from me..." He was angry. But even so, he knew he couldn't be angry for long. They had... Given him this life, he supposed. And they really did seem to care, in their own twisted way.

He could tell right away that Gryph didn't know what he was talking about. Shit... Now he had to explain something he didn't really know a lot about himself. "Yeah... Like..." He tried to think of what to say. "When I said... You're mine... I really meant it," he mumbled. "When I bit you... I dunno how it works, but... I made this sort of bond that... Labels you as mine." As he said it, he felt almost... Bad, like Gryph was an object for him to own. "So... I'll want to drink from you, and you'll... Feel the desire for me to do it." Kodi swallowed. "Also... It's sort of an emotional bond too, as far as I'm aware. I can... Feel what you're feeling. And I'll know where you are at all times... And we won't be able to be apart for too far for too long." He looked up nervously, afraid of how Gryph would react. He hadn't done a great job at explaining it, he knew; he just hoped it was good enough.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

It was never Kodi's fault, what happened. It was just... unlucky. And Gryphon wished it hadn't happened, but he couldn't change it now. He was happier already, actually being around his love again... it felt so surreal, to have Kodi there. It wasn't a bad thing, but... he'd spent what felt like an eternity believing he would never see Kodi active ever again. Ever. But what he explained, Gryph knew a little about, "I... I know. Newborn instincts, they're the most savage." Especially as they hardly ever know what they're doing and end up being extremely ferocious as they try to understand their new form. Usually the easiest to find. The younger they were, the easier it was to catch them... he pushed his hunting knowledge to the back of his mind; thinking about... that, around Kodi... it was wrong.

Gryphon kissed Kodi's forehead, "So am I." If Gryph hadn't found him, someone else might have, a different group of hunters who had no emotional attachment to the boy, who would've shown no mercy... if he had found out that some hunters had killed him... he didn't know what he would've done. Gone rogue? Probably not. He would've most likely retracted into his shell, like he always did when the world was too much to cope with... but he didn't need to think about that. He had Kodi, and Kodi had him. They didn't have to be parted again.

River. Carleigh. Decent? No. But... Kodi showed some kind of... care for them. Of course, he also showed a fair amount of anger amongst other things, but... Gryphon wouldn't forget their names. "They may've taken you from me once, but I won't let it happen again." He said. What else could he say? He had no idea.

Gryphon continued to listen with curious eyes. In his mind, they had always been each other's, in a way. Kodi was his and he was Kodi's. But this seemed like something more... official. It also sounded like something his vampire chose to do, even though he obviously wasn't an expert on the topic.

So... this 'imprinting' had practically combined them. His furrowed brow gradually relaxed as he took in the new information about their... situation. Gryphon tried to think of something good to say, a good way to react, but all he could ccome up with was, "Oh.", which he said as he still considered all these... things that were now going on. Could... could Gryph do them too? He hadn't really been paying enough attention to himself to notice any changes. He would probably be more on the lookout now.

"So..." the hunter was trying his best to compute all of this. He looked down and saw the scars on his arms and body, before looking at him, "...can you feel these?" He hoped not.

[Deleted]

Kodi couldn't and wouldn't blame Gryph for still thinking like the hunter he was. He had become one for the vampire himself, and Kodi knew that he wouldn't hurt him. If he was going to, he would have done it by now - and all they had done was kiss and make love and take comfort in each other's presence. "I'm glad you didn't see me when... I was like that," he murmured quietly. He'd ripped and torn and killed in ragged, unclean ways, desperate to satiate his hunger. It wasn't something he liked to think about.

Talking about this made him wonder... What Gryph thought of his hunting partner. Was he sad? He surely knew that the other man was dead, or... If nothing else, turned. He knew his parents well enough to know they didn't like just killing, so... It was certainly possible. Kodi didn't know if he should bring it up, though, so he just stayed quiet.

"I know you hate them," he murmured, speaking of his parents. "Part of me does too. But... I mean, they could have just killed me, so at least..." He trailed off. "I'm just worried for your safety," he finished, lifting his crimson eyes to meet his lover's. "They're not going to like this." 'This' as in Kodi being involved with a lowly human.

At least Gryph seemed to be responding to the new information alright. Kodi was afraid he might freak out at this new... Blood connection, or whatever it was called, but he seemed to accept it. Well, he wasn't really saying anything, but he didn't look disgusted either. "I know it's... A lot," he mumbled. "I don't know all that much either, but..." He slipped his hands into Gryph's and propped his head against the boy's chest. "I'm glad it's with you." They would figure it all out together.

His eyes saddened at the question, and he pulled away slightly, tracing his fingers against one of the wounds. "... Yeah, a bit," Kodi admitted. He hesitated, then elongated his fangs and suddenly pierced them into his own arm, searching for signs of a reaction from the older boy. ".... Did you feel that?" The holes in his arm quickly began to seal, and within moments the skin was smooth again.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

Oh yeah, so he had something to thank his 'parents' for, thanks for not brutally murdering Kodi and instead turning him into a blood-thirsty creature - helped him out a lot. Oh, the sarcasm.

And he couldn't just turn a blind eye to the whole situation. Gryphon wasn't one to say 'what they don't know can't hurt them', because knowing his luck, they'd find out about it very rapidly after that. "Hmm." Was all he could say. He didn't want to tell Kodi that he was perfectly safe, or that he'd be absolutely fine, because he wasn't stupid and couldn't predict the future. Anything could happen.

The only thing that was freaking Gryph out about the whole 'imprinting' situation was how little he knew. The mystery scared him, that was it, really. Neither of them was in immediate danger, and it meant the could look after each other better... right? He rested his head against the boy on his chest, only just realizing something... glad it was with him? "...you didn't do it in purpose?"

Gryphon winced sharply as a strong, stabbing pain ran through his own arm without a clear source, face strained and contorted in pain for a moment. Then it stung dully. Then it ached a little. And then it was fine. "Nnnn... there were other ways you could've checked that..." he mumbled, looking in some half-awe at the boy's arm. He still found it weird, how quickly vampires could heal. Gryphon may or may not have also been jealous about it.

[Deleted]

The future was certainly a terrifying prospect. Kodi didn't want to think about what could happen; that either or both of them could be dead by the next evening, depending on who was after them. "I think... We'll have to move," he said slowly. He was fairly certain his parents knew where he was staying, and although Carleigh's maternal instincts were strong, he could hide from her if he wanted... At least, he hoped. "It's not safe staying in one spot..." He suddenly realized, though, that of course Gryph was living somewhere else. Kodi just didn't know where. "Um... Unless you have a place... But that might not be safe either." It hurt him to think it, but if his hunter friend had turned, he might hunt Gryph down, and he surely knew where his home was.

He shook his head and focused back on Gryph as he asked about the imprinting; Kodi's cheeks would have flushed if they could. ".... No..." he admitted quietly. "I don't even know how it happens. I don't know how much control any vampire has over it, but... I think it happens more often with someone that you're close to." And Gryph was as close as one got to Kodi. ".... Your blood was the best I've ever tasted," he added in a murmur. It must be related to the imprinting, he thought.

Welp.... At least that had worked. Kodi gave an embarrassed grin as Gryph spoke, rubbing absent-mindedly against the area where the bite had been. "... Sorry," he replied, lifting up Gryph's arm to press his lips against the area where he'd felt the pain. "I won't do it again." It was incentive to keep himself from getting hurt, at least. Speaking of getting hurt, at that moment, a strong, intoxicating scent hit Kodi's senses, and he realized the wound on Gryph's neck was seeping a little. In a daze, he leaned forward and ran his tongue over the spilled blood, hoping to reseal the scar in the process. It was too soon to drink from Gryph again, he knew; he could wait.

"Mmm... It's gonna be daylight outside now," he mumbled, stepping out of the bathroom to peer down the hall at one of the clouded windows. It was already bright enough that Kodi was squinting a little. "... I'm gonna need to stay here until it gets dark again," he sighed. He turned to Gryph, biting his lip. "What... Do you want to do?"

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

"...it's safe for me." He glanced at Kodi, "But not for you." He lived next to and near to other hunters. If any vampire came after them, they'd have backup, simply. So... oh, Junpei. Gryph'd completely forgotten about him. He wondered if he'd possibly gotten away... but he didn't believe that that would be the case. Fuck... guilt suddenly piled pretty heavily onto Gryphon's conscience, he could've done so much more...

The hunter listened to Kodi speaking. For the first time, he noticed that the usual accent that hung on his lover's voice had evaporated. Maybe it had something to do with becoming a vampire? It was just interesting. He smiled, "Good t'know." He took it as a compliment, even though it felt a bit weird.

Gryph looked at the curious spot on his arm, as Kodi confirmed that it wouldn't happen again. "It's okay." He said in reply, "At least we know now." Better knowing now over finding out later.

The winged man's eyes tracked Kodi as he came up to his neck, wondering what he was doing. He shivered at the feeling of his tongue over his neck, and he felt an urge to let Kodi... take more blood. Almost instinctively, he pulled his neck straight for a second, before relaxing it again as casually as he could. If he would gonna let Kodiak feed on him, he needed the energy and the blood, neither of which he had, at least in a decent quality or quantity.

Gryph noticed the sunlight, and Kodi's reaction to it, and thought for a moment. He could go to his apartment... but the possibility of seeing other hunters was high. And they mostly knew what he and Jun had been doing that night, they would ask... they'd see the bites. Ask him how he survived... crap, but he didn't have much of a choice. All of his food, money, clothes, anything aand everything that was a necessity was in there... he was gonna have to. Maybe if he timed it right, or just ignored everyone... hmm. "I guess... I gotta go home." He could at least stock up on some things and not have to return for a while. If the othher hunters found out that he had... been imprinted on. Most of them were more experienced than him, and they'd never mentioned it. Maybe... it was some sort of taboo to speak of it.

He looked at Kodi, "I don't know how close it is, but I can try t'be quick about it." He was fairly agile after all. And if what Kodi had said before was correct, he probably wouldn't want to be away from the vampire for long anyway.

[Deleted]

Of course, Kodi realized when Gryph spoke. Hunters would live together. They were all constantly in danger, he supposed; better to have your allies close. "I just don't want you to get hurt..." he said quietly. Kodi was afraid as soon as the boy was out of his sight, something would attack him. It was irrational, but he couldn't help it.

At least, Kodi realized, he could tell when and how often he would be able to drink from the man he'd imprinted on so he wouldn't risk draining him too much. He felt Gryph's neck go taut as he tasted the little morsel, and knew that the urge for Gryph to let Kodi take his blood was as strong as Kodi's desire to do it. ".... Does it feel good?" he murmured against the boy's skin, planting a kiss over the area.

His slight daze at seeing the red liquid was quickly broken as Gryph announced what he should do. Kodi's body tightened and he unconsciously wrapped his hands around the winged boy's wrists, anxiety clear in his features. "I... I guess you do..." he mumbled, staring at the floor. He desperately wished he could follow along after. ".... If you end up in any danger, I'll know, and I'll come right away no matter what," he added, lifting his gaze to meet his lover's. No sunlight would stop him from protecting Gryphon.

He nodded slowly, letting his grip fall from Gryph's wrists. He was a hunter. He would be fine. "I'll just... Stay here for now," he murmured. "Don't worry about getting lost, I'm... Pretty sure you'll be able to find me." Kodi held back a sigh as he stood on his tiptoes and pressed his lips to his lover's, breathing in his scent for a long moment before pulling away. "Be careful," he said quietly. "Don't take any unnecessary risks."