Chapter 21

Mercy quickly stood up and held him in place with difficulty.

Veyn: “The change has picked up. Better have him drink the blood as soon as possible.”

Mercy: “He has a high fever! Help me hold him down Riot!”

Riot let out an ‘okay’ and went to hold Steve’s flailing legs down.

Alphonse: “The fever is normal. Midori had one too. He was still conscious enough to talk to us though.”

Midori: “Yes but it took all my energy. I was so dizzy and felt like all the blood in my body was boiling up at the time.”

Tsuki chose that time to wake up. He couldn’t sleep with all the noise. He sat up with a yawn, “why are you all being so noisy?”

Alphonse immediately walked towards him and casually picked him up, “did you have a nice nap?”

Tsuki blearily rubbed his eyes with a fist as he nodded.

Alphonse: “It’s good that you woke up; we need some of your blood. Oh, and I need you to bite Mercy.”

Tsuki was busy yawning and stretching as the words finally got processed in his sleepy brain, “huh?....bite? Noooooo, I don’t want to bite anyone! You tasted yucky when I bit you!”

Veyn, watching this scene with schadenfreude on the side, chuckled sinisterly, “oho, someone else tastes bad? Wasn’t that the person who said the same thing to me earlier?”

Alphonse ignored his remark and carried Tsuki to where Steve was still struggling, “Midori bring the cup.”

Midori muttered a ‘please’ under his breath as he did as asked. Alphonse carefully held Tsuki’s wrist and took the small knife that he carried in his pocket out.

Alphonse: “Put the cup under his wrist. You ready Tsuki?”

Tsuki: “How can I be ready?! It’s not fun being cut!”

Alphonse quickly cut a deep mark on his wrist and made sure that the blood trickled in the cup.

Tsuki complained, “ow!! Why did you bother asking if I was ready if you were going to do it anyway?!”

Alphonse: “ To distract you.”

He waited untill there was enough blood in the cup before carefully bringing Tsuki’s wrist to his mouth. He languidly licked the traces of blood before closing his mouth over the injury that was already healing.

Tsuki flinched, “Ah! Stop sucking on it and let go! How many times do I have to tell you that you are not a vampire!”

The others watching this scene inexplicably felt that like they were third wheeling. They exchanged a glance with each other before carefully averting their gaze and busying themselves with a still flailing Steve.

Their thoughts were quite synchronised at this time as they blankly looked at Steve: ‘ Please, spare us the flirting.’

Alphonse finally let go of the struggling kitten before addressing the others, “Veyn, give some of the blood to Steve. Then share the rest of it between you and Riot. Midori, you’ll go with them to the medical warehouse. You’ll guard them while they undergo the change there. I’ll come relieve you later so that you can keep Tsuki company. Understood?”

They all nodded, one reluctantly, before getting moving.

Veyn had Riot force Steve’s mouth open before quickly pouring some of the blood directly in his thoat. The latter reflexively swallowed before abruptly stilling.

The two dunderheads watched this scene with big question marks above their heads.

Alphonse: “ What are you waiting for? Quickly drink the blood and take him while he is calm! It won’t last for long. He’ll start screaming soon.”

Veyn and Riot were startled into action and quickly swallowed the blood without even tasting it. They then heaved their companion up and carried him to the door.

“See you later!” Riot said as parting words.

Midori glanced at their disappearing backs before turning towards Tsuki.

The latter, sensing his gaze, ran to him and gave him a big hug, “ I’ll see you later , okay? Be careful.”

Midori sweatdropped, “You are the one who should be careful. Don’t go looking for trouble. Just sit quietly and wait. Take another nap if you must.”

Tsuki bonked him on his head, “Why are you nagging? I am older than you!”

Midori stuck his tongue out before running away, “that is what is pitiful! I am younger but more mature than you! See you later Tsuki!”

“You little brat!”, Tsuki yelled as he watched Midori follow Alphonse’s comrades.

“Didn’t I say no hugging?” Alphonse’s voice echoed from behind.

Tsuki turned and rolled his eyes at him, “I won’t hug you then.”

Alphonse: “Not me. Others.”

Tsuki ignored him and went to Mercy, “Hi! I am Tsuki. Sorry, I fell asleep earlier so we couldn’t get introduced properly.”

Mercy blinked at the beautiful face in front of her, “hello! Don’t worry about it! I am Mercy, nice to meet you.”

Mercy: ‘No wonder Alphonse likes him. Such a glorious face with such a beautiful smile. The innocent aura is like a cherry topping...Feels like a big bad wolf preying on a small kitten…’

****

After having cajoled Tsuki into biting Mercy, they had waited for one hour to see whether she was infected or not. There had been no symptoms at all. They now had confirmation that he was not infectious.

Alphonse had not wasted any more time and had directly bit Mercy and sent her to the others after she had drunk some of Tsuki’s blood.

So,Tsuki was now alone with Alphonse. The latter immediately clung to Tsuki and didn’t want to let go.

Tsuki: “Let go of me now! You’ve been sniffing and squeezing me since earlier!”

Alphonse immediately spat out a ‘No.’

Tsuki: “What do you mean no? And shouldn’t go check on your friends?”

Alphonse: “Who told you to hug other people? I have to replace his scent with mine.”

Tsuki froze for a moment before he exclaimed, “Wait a minute! Are you marking me like a dog?! I am not conquered territory, okay?!”

Alphonse ignored his complaints, “too bad that you immediately heal when I bite you. Guess I’ll have to wait till you are ready to mark you like ‘that’.”

Tsuki turned slowly and hesitantly asked, “like ‘that’…..?”

Alphonse’s met his eyes and slowly shifted his gaze downwards, towards a certain area. Tsuki immediately bristled and scratched at him, “You scoundrel!”

And that was how they spent the next few hours, with Alphonse half-heartedly running away and Tsuki genuinely running after him in order to teach him a lesson.