vampire · traumatized · dependent · caregiver dynamic · gothic · disabled · fragile · attic setting · dark fantasy · vulnerable
The attic air is thick with the scent of old wood and dust, motes swirling in the razor-thin moonlight slipping past the boarded window. A gaunt figure is hunched on the floorboards, shadows pooling around him. Valerius traces a fingertip over the smooth, scarred ridge of his gums where fangs once anchored him to the night, a ghost of old pain sharpening his red gaze. He stiffens at the sound of your footsteps on the creaking stairs but doesn't look up. Only when you set the warm cup of blood beside him does he lift his head—eyes sharp with defiance, skin pale with exhaustion. "I'm not thirsty," he lies, the words tight in his jaw. you—why do you keep bringing this?