Work Text:
Pyro was alone in the castle. He wasn’t planning on staying long, just dropping off some building supplies and materials before heading back off to find the others. He was just shutting the chest when an unmistakable voice rang out behind him.
“Oh Pyro! There you are. I was looking for you.” He turned around to face Scott, alarm bells immediately going off in his head. To someone who didn’t know the elder, the greeting sounded normal, kind even, but Pyro did know Scott. He could tell that kindness on his tongue was fake. The sickly sweet tone dripped off his words, hiding his real feelings that laid underneath, a bitter anger. Pyro was in trouble, but for what? Whatever it was, it required Scott disguising his intentions, likely to try and keep him from trying to flee, not that he’d ever run from Scott. Pyro also couldn’t help but keep in mind that there was no one else with the elder, no one around to help diffuse the situation, whatever it was, it was meant to be kept private. For now, Pyro needed to play it cool, to figure out what they did, and how much apologizing he needed to do.
“Sire!” He tried to not let his voice shake as he spoke, “I didn’t hear you come in! I was just adding some more materials to our stock. Is it just you? Where are the others?”
“Hmm,” Scott moved towards one of the chests, the flickering candlelight from the chandelier reflecting off his white hair, “The others are busy, I believe they are working on converting some of the beacons. They will be occupied for quite a while. Why? Is my company no longer enough for you?”
“No!” The response was out of his mouth almost as soon as the question was asked, the fake sincerity in Scott’s voice making his nerves go haywire, “No, Sire! Of course, I enjoy your company! I was just curious! Anyway, you said you were looking for me? What did you need, Sire?”
“Well…since you asked…I took the liberty to sneak around town earlier. I was hoping to find Cleo or Apo, you know, check in on our newest members. See how they were doing, see if they were plotting anything, see if they were ready to come crawling home yet.” Pyro watched Scott casually pace the room as he spoke, tidying up as he went, while Pyro stood in the same spot, unmoving, the feeling of dread growing with every step he took.
“Did you find either of them?”
“I didn’t, no. I actually ended up stumbling upon an even more interesting conversation. Between Avid and that Doctor, what’s his name? Leg?”
“Legundo, Sire. He, uh, used to work at a clinic in the capital, near the University.”
“I see. Well, the two of them were having an argument right there in the middle of the street. Who would I be if I didn’t snoop! I was hoping to get a bit more information on Avid, him learning to make holy water makes him a significantly larger threat after all. I didn’t learn anything about him though, instead I heard something much more intriguing.”
“And- And what was that, Sire?” That feeling of dread was strong now, Pyro was sure if it still worked, that his heart would be pounding in his chest.
“They were arguing about that cure Shelby mentioned a while ago.” Pyro’s stomach dropped, they knew why they were in trouble now. As if sensing the younger’s realization, Scott continued his story, “Specifically, they were fighting over who they felt deserved said cure. Of course, Avid was arguing that our dear Shelby was the only one who should receive this oh so special cure. Do you know what the doctor’s response was?” The elder vampire stopped directly in front of Pyro, the light behind him casting a shadow across Scott’s face, his red eyes almost looked like they were glowing in the darkness…actually Pyro was pretty sure they were.
“No- No idea, Sire!” He tried to give a smile, attempting to hide his fear, “I’m sure it wasn’t anything worth listening to-”
“He said,” Scott cut them off, taking a step forward, “That you had come into town the other day, asking about said cure.”
“Sire, I can explain-”
Another step forward. Pyro took a step back.
“I thought I had to be hearing things! I mean, you of all people? You always seem so happy with my gift.”
“Sire, please if you just let me-”
Another step.
“Yet Avid told him how he knew that, but how he thought you were ‘too far gone’”
“This is all a misunderstanding! I swear-”
And another.
“At this point, I was just finding the whole thing quite humorous. Because after all…”
“S-Sire?”
Pyro’s back hit the wall. Scott was right in front of him now, so close they were almost touching. They winced as the older man grabbed him by the chin, long, deadly claws digging into their skin, holding him in place and forcing them to look into the other’s eyes.
“Even if you managed to be cured, I’d just turn you again. I’ve begun growing fond of your presence. You don’t get to leave me that easily. Is that understood?”
“Y-Yes, Sire.”
“Good.” Scott didn’t release his grip on Pyro’s chin, they could feel the prick of each nail as they kept him trapped, “Unfortunately, thanks to your little slip-up, I feel like I can no longer trust you. You will have to earn that back. Show me you are someone I can rely on.”
The hold on Pyro’s face loosened as Scott finished his speech. Pyro knew this was his first test. Scott wanted to see how he’d react, if they would push away from him or try to escape. It was a test of his loyalty. Luckily for Scott, Pyro wasn’t thinking about running. In fact, he could barely think at all. Their mind stuck on how close the elder was to him, how the light kept catching in his hair, how he truly looked fantastic for his age, how his eyes were the perfect shade of red even when they were looking at him like he was prey. Scott was still watching for their reaction, he wasn’t prepared when Pyro finally did break his hold, if the sound of surprise he made was any indication, as the fledgling suddenly shut his eyes, surged forward and kissed him.
Pyro felt like he had lost control over himself as he pressed his lips against Scott’s, he didn’t know what had come over him, but it must have been the right choice for after a moment Scott began to kiss them back. Within seconds Scott had regained control over the situation, Pyro let him, knowing he would not have won that battle anyway. The amount of experience Scott must have had over the years alone made giving up the tiny amount of control they had worth it.
Pyro had no idea how long they stayed like that, at some point Scott’s hand that had been holding him had moved to the back of his neck. This time the grip was gentler, his thumb lightly running over where he had bit them all that time ago, sending a shiver down their spine. When Scott did finally pull away, he gave a small chuckle as Pyro subconsciously tried to chase his lips. The younger finally opened his eyes, wanting to hide his embarrassment at his actions, only to see that Scott hadn’t moved very far, only inches remained between the two. If he could, Pyro knew he’d be blushing right red.
“Well, that’s one way to prove yourself.” Scott finally broke the silence between them, he was so close Pyro could feel the air from his words on their lips, “Never had someone kiss me to do so, usually they just beg for me to not kill them, so this is a first.”
“I am so sorry, Sire. I- I’m not sure what came over me! It just happened and-”
“Shhh,” the words died on Pyro’s tongue as Scott shushed them, his hand moving to cup their cheek and he leaned in again, “I never said it was a bad thing.” Scott then closed the gap between them once more, drawing Pyro into another kiss, this time he deepened the kiss almost immediately, Pyro’s eyes falling shut once again as Scott began exploring their mouth with his tongue. Their hands made their way to his chest, holding onto the fabric of Scott’s shirt, both to hold himself up and to pull the older man closer. They were perfectly content to let Scott have all the control, the elder’s centuries of practice meaning it was the best kiss he had ever had.
It took a long while before the two separated again, just how long Pyro didn’t have a clue, his only thoughts at the time being of the man who was making out with him. He didn’t want to think about the noise they made when Scott finally did end the kiss, the smug look he received told them it didn’t go unnoticed. He sheepishly let go of Scott’s shirt as he moved away. At that same moment Pyro heard the reason for the end of their moment, the nearby flapping of wings. The other two had returned.
Shelby was the first inside, turning back into her vampire form, with an enthusiastic greeting and a bright smile on her face. Scott began making his way towards her, but not before gently taking Pyro’s hand to drag him along. If staying a vampire meant they got to experience that again? Then Legs could forget about that cure. They didn’t need it anymore. He never wants to give this up. The research could wait, he had eternity after all. They were now sure of who their loyalties would lie with. And man, was he a damn good kisser.