"Though the pressure's hard to take, it's the only way I can escape. It seems a heavy choice to make, but now I am under."
~Florence + The Machine, 'Never Let Me Go'

~~~

*Fighter's POV*

"Okay, are you ready?"

Tutor nods his head excitedly, tightening his arms around my neck. I adjust his position on my back, making sure he's comfortable and secure.

"Do you remember the safe word?"

The prince rolls his eyes. "This isn't the kind of situation where a safe word is typically required."

"We're using one anyway, or else we're not doing this," I firmly declare.

"Fine," Tutor sighs. "Butternut."

"Good," I nod my head, getting into stance. "Ready?"

"Yes!" He squeals, tightening his hold on me in anticipation. I chuckle before breaking into a sprint. Among the air whooshing around us, a hear Tutor yelp in surprise when I pick up speed.

The dark of night causes our surroundings to turn into a blur as we pass them by. I would have loved to take Tutor for a run during the day, when he could appreciate all the vibrant colors zooming around him, but that's not possible right now. The only time we're safe to meet is at night, usually in the cabin. We're able to be out in the garden tonight, mainly due to the fact that I'm quick enough to not be noticed by anyone that may be peering out a window.

I dash through the large garden, smiling at all the gasps and giggles the prince on my back releases. When I had promised Tutor that I would showcase my supernatural abilities, I didn't expect his reactions to be this adorable.

I slow to a stop, not wanting to run for too long and accidentally make him feel sick. This type of speed is an adjustment, even for vampire children. It takes us a while to get used to our own speed, so I can only imagine how difficult it would be for a human.

"How was that?" I ask, not even breaking a sweat after sprinting around the garden.

Tutor's smile is wide, hair messy from the wind. "That was incredible!" He cheers before remembering he needs to stay quiet. "Can we go again??"

"Maybe tomorrow," I chuckle. "I don't want you to get dizzy."

"I won't get dizzy," Tutor pouts.

I roll my eyes. "We'll see about that."

As soon as I set him back on his feet, he stumbles backwards with a yelp. I'm behind him in less than a second to catch him, and I smirk down at him.

"What was that about you not getting dizzy?" I tease, holding him up.

"Shut it," Tutor grumbles, yet still leans on me for support. He holds his arms out, and I smile at him.

"Jump," I command, and he hops into my arms, wrapping his legs around my waist. His arms wind around my neck as I hold under his thighs.

"So, we've covered super strength and speed," Tutor ticks as I carry him back to the cabin. "What's next?"

"What else do you wanna know?"

"Hold on," he suddenly says, looking at me with wide eyes. "You work in the sun all day." I nod my head. "How is that possible?"

"You're only wondering that now?" I chuckle, turning my head to the side. "See this earring? It's charmed to protect me. I can't get hurt by the sun."

"Woah," Tutor examines the earring with awe. "Did Saifah make it for you? Or maybe Xan?"

"Xan made my first charm when I was a kid, in the form of a necklace. Saifah made this one, so it wouldn't get in the way of work."

"A necklace," he repeats. "Do you still have it?"

I nod my head as I carry him into the cabin, shutting the door behind us and setting him on the bed. "I do. I doubt the spell on it still works. It would need to be refreshed by a warlock."

Tutor hums, leaning back on the bed. His eyes slowly rake my body, starting at my feet and leisurely trailing up. By the time he meets my gaze again, he's smirking while biting his lower lip.

"Don't be naughty," I scold, although I'm mentally saying 'yes, please be naughty'.

Standing up, Tutor walks over to me, placing his hands on my shoulders and turning me around. His hands trail down to the hem of my shirt, lifting the fabric up and pulling the shirt over my head before tossing it onto the floor. I hear him shuffling around behind me until I see his own shirt falling on the ground next to mine.

A shiver passes through me when his lips press against my bare back. His hands circle around to my chest, and he runs his palms over my pecks and stomach. A moan escapes me when he nips at my ear at the same time that he brushes over my nipple.

"Why are you making those pretty noises?" Tutor whispers in my ear, making me blush.

"Tor," I nearly whimper. His teasing touches are so light that it makes my skin feel extra sensitive, and more responsive than usual.

With a hum, his hands slip down to the front of my pants. He quickly undos the button before slowly sliding the zipper down, and discarding my pants completely. His hand finds my growing erection, where he palms me until I'm leaking against the fabric of my underwear.

Moans continue to escape me as he teasingly rubs me, his lips pulls into a smile against my back. Tutor circles around in front of me, eyes heavy lidded with lust as he backs me up until my legs hit the bed. Pressing against my chest, Tutor forces me to sit down before he straddles my lap.

"There is something else I'm curious about," Tutor says, leaning in close enough so that our lips brush every time he speaks. "Old stories about vampires claim that your kind is immortal. Is that true?"

"You really want to talk about that now?" I ask incredulously, still extremely hard beneath his ass. When Tutor nods and lightly kisses my lips, I sigh in defeat knowing I'll never stand a chance against him or his soft kisses.

"It's not as simple as the stories say," I begin, keeping my hands on his hips. "Vampires are... complex. First of all, the rumors that we cannot procreate are untrue. Obviously, since my father has been a vampire for centuries."

The mention of my father makes me pause, and Tutor must have picked up on it because he places a tender kiss on my forehead that makes me relax.

"When we are born, we are known as fledglings," I continue on. "Fledglings aren't as strong or as fast as full grown vampires. We still burn in the sun and crave blood, but we also age and are vulnerable to death. Vampires do not age or die, and therefore are the ones considered immortal."

"You said 'we'," Tutor point out. "Does that mean you're still a fledgeling?"

A grim expression falls across my face. "Five centuries ago, a vampire forced my father to transition into a fledgling. Vampires can be both born and created. Humans, when bitten with venom, will turn into a fledgling. When my father turned, he refused to join that vampire's clan. Instead, he began his own clan, which has quickly grown to be one of the largest clans in the world. My father set forth a rule that fledglings must complete the ritual to become vampires upon their 25th birthday."

"When I was twelve," I pause to take a shaky breath, and Tutor soothingly pets my hair. "I witnessed someone completing the ritual. It was... beyond horrifying. So I fled. I couldn't stand the thought of being around those who have committed such a heinous act, let alone stick around and be forced to commit it myself."

"And that's when you came here," Tutor concludes, and I nod my head. "Can I ask what the ritual is?"

I swallow thickly. "I'll spare you the gruesome details of what I witnessed. In short, a fledgling as to drain a human of blood, and then eat their heart. Upon completing this, the fledgling becomes an immortal vampire."

Tutor's face pales, but he attempts to keep his expression neutral as he continues to comb his fingers through my hair. "And you... had to see that?"

I nod my head once, stomach churning with the horrific memory. The sounds of the human screaming. The blood dripping from the fledgling's mouth as he devoured her heart. I had immediately gotten sick back then, and I have that similar feeling simmering in my stomach now.

"I'm sorry I keep making you talk about it, but I'm a bit confused on something," Tutor says with furrowed brows. "What's so special about a human heart? Why would that make you immortal?"

Looking up at Tutor's beautiful face, the sick feeling in my stomach rises, and I force myself to push it down before answering him.

"To become an immortal vampire, you have to make a grand sacrifice."

Tutor stares at me expectantly, waiting for the answer that I dread more than anything. The real reason why I've been so afraid to let myself fall in love with him. The reason why I tried to push him away for years, to keep him safe.

"You have to eat the heart of the one you love the most."

~~~

WOOOAAAHHHH bet you weren't expecting that, huh?

This chapter went from fun, to semi-steamy, to dark really fast lol

Now we know why Fighter had been so cold to Tutor for so many years! He doesn't want to complete the ritual, but he knows it may be forced on him one day, so he tried to stay away from Tutor to protect him from possibly getting hurt

Thoughts??

See you next time!
-Gumbie

P.S. - I made a "Victorious" reference in this chapter. Can you find it??