Chapter Text
Arthur can barely sleep.
When Shilo failed to return for the night, Arthur spent the morning pacing around the small apartment. Flashes of the prince burning in the sun replaced with his sister’s face haunted him along with other visions of much worse situations Arthur tried his best to not dwell on.
In their first few days together, Arthur was already on the verge of developing gray hairs from Emizel’s antics alone. Emizel was always impulsive, rebellious, doing only what he wanted to do with a burst of flame. Coming from the same womb, Shilo had his fair share of rebellion, though it took the form of tree rot crawling its way up the trunk until the wood split in half. Shilo was much more reclusive about his plans.
During his nervous pacing, Arthur had attempted to contact everyone he knew who he trusted with Shilo. Emizel left him with a beep which wasn’t that much surprising; the kid was a deep sleeper and Arthur doubted a low quality ringtone could awake him. Arthur’s thumb had momentarily hovered over Deacon’s number before he continued scrolling through his contacts. Unfortunately, Grefgore barely uses his phone to the point where they hadn't bothered exchanging numbers.
“Where is he,” Arthur repeated under his breath for the 13th time this morning. He turned his head to the black out curtains, questioning if he should risk burning alive just to look for Shilo.
A soft meow sounded from the floor, snapping Arthur out of his inner turmoil. Void sat on the floor, looking up at her owner with wide eyes. She had been awake the whole time, sitting on the couch and watching Arthur pace intently. Void was an exceptionally intelligent cat, both logically and emotionally; she must have been kept awake by Arthur's anxiety.
Arthur felt a twinge of guilt in his undead heart and he sighed, pinching his nose. He knelt down and allowed Void to jump into his arms, who immediately headbutted his chin and purred.
“Sorry for keeping you up,” Arthur mumbled as he scratched Void’s chin. As he did so he felt his anxiety slip away just a little, “I’m worried,”
Void meowed in understanding.
“Shilo is smart, he is much more sociable than me and Emizel and can talk his way out of most situations no matter how dire. But the world is cruel and us vampires don't react kindly to kindred who can’t throw a punch. It was only a matter of time before Shilo realized that he can’t use his voice as his primary weapon,”
Void trilled for attention and when Arthur turned his gaze back down, she turned her head to the closet across from the bed. Arthur blinked at his makeshift bed before sighing and walking towards the closet.
“You’re right,”
Arthur pulled open the doors and allowed Void to hop gracefully onto the closet rod, watching her flip and drop to hang by her tail, “I suppose there is no point in worrying when I can’t do anything at the moment. We’ll look tomorrow night,”
Arthur glanced at the apartment door before grabbing and flipping upside down to hook his legs over the closet rod.
“Sleep well,”
Shilo woke up with silk sheets embracing him in a way a bathtub lined with pillows could never. After months of staying with Arthur — though he deeply appreciated the older vampire for his generosity, Shilo had to admit his back was getting rather sore.
A soft headache and something else he couldn’t name knocked at the back of Shilo’s skull, not too bothersome but perhaps more rest could cure it? The soft mattress was calling him back to his slumber and Shilo could hardly resist the temptation.
Until Shilo suddenly remembered about the last time he woke up on silk.
Crap.
Shilo’s eyes snapped open and he shot up to sit, head whipping around to examine surroundings. Purple blankets, canopy bed with the curtains tied back except for the one at the end of the bed, and paintings lining the walls with a smolder that Shilo could never forget.
Crap crap crap crap crap.
Looking down, Shilo noticed he was wearing the exact same emerald green robe as last time and all his blood washed to his feet. Just as he was about to throw the blankets off of him and run for the hills, an all too familiar jazz played from hidden speakers, filling the room with a siren’s call. The hair on the back of Shilo's neck stood on their ends and he gripped the bed cover underneath tighter as the curtain at the foot of the bed fluttered and a pale hand with stiletto nails pulled it aside with a sickenly slow pace. Every part of Shilo yelled at him to run.
“Wakey wakey.. Eggs and bakey,”
Apart from the same red bathrobe, Edward looked different than when Shilo and his friends had left him at the end of the Cullen Games; he honestly looked like a normal guy, cheekbones slightly less defined and still exceptionally handsome but the smolder that haunts Shilo every night was replaced with a simple yet evil smirk. Somehow, the smirk was even more unnerving than the perpetual smolder.
An unexplainable rage bubbled inside Shilo when he was reminded that his spell was casted on a clone. The scene replayed in his head of Edward’s face sagging and his features sharpening into a monstrous snarl. Oh if only he actually ruined Edward’s perfect face.
“.. You kept the scar,”
Edward’s smirk balanced into a grin, “It makes me look cool as shit,” he sat onto the edge of the bed, bouncing Shilo a little while still maintaining eye contact with the other vampire, “don’t you agree.. Prince?”
Shilo’s gaze flicked over the now white gash that stretched from Edward’s temple and over his eye to just touching his upper lip. He had to admit that the scar was awesome, like something he’d see a well experienced knight wear and immediately gain infinite respect for. Edward hasn't done a single thing to earn the scar.
The air was tense as Edward’s stare bore into Shilo’s eye, waiting expectantly for his answer.
Shilo pulled the covers slightly higher up his lap and looked down, “I.. I guess so,”
A chuckle, “I know so,”
The bed began thumping and Shilo’s head snapped up to find Edward crawling towards him in the exact same way that he had before. Again, Shilo shuffled backwards to press his back against the headboard, discomfort building up in his stomach.
This time, instead of sitting next to him, Edward settled to stay on all fours right in front of Shilo who now had his knees drawn tight to his chest.
“Why are you back? We thought you were gone,” Shilo held back the words ‘for good’ from slipping off his tongue.
“Edward is never gone, baby brah,” Edward rested his face on his palms, laying down and kicking his feet leisurely, “I was simply.. Hibernating. Like a bear. The alpha bear,”
Shilo looked around briefly for an escape. Unfortunately, there was no route he could map that would work; he's seen how fast Edward can go.
“... Bears don't have alphas,” Shilo managed to stammer out. He knows because of the nature documentaries and books that Arthur would get for him. Shilo’s unbeating heart clenched for a moment.
Another chuckle, then a pause.
“Yes they do,”
Before Shilo could respond, Edward started again, voice taking on a darker tone.
“Y’know prince.. You and your little amigos made a mockery of me in front of live television. And you and Arthur especially should know how angry that makes Big Daddy Edward,”
“And Big Daddy Edward doesn't forgive easily.. Because he gives people what they ask for. And 7 months ago the people were asking for me, for my face, for my love and appreciation-”
“But their love for you was fake!” Shilo barked, now leaning forward. He clenched the covers into a fist, trying to stifle his trembling. Edward’s grin faltered and his eyebrows raised before furrowing, his stare almost forcing Shilo to shut up.
7 months ago, Shilo would have had to treat the primogen with the utmost respect but honestly he didn't care anymore. He didn't want to stay in the same room as Edward. He wanted out.
“I-I saw what you did to gain power hundreds of years ago when I was with the midnight circle. I know you were a meager vampire, getting bullied by everyone else. Then you saw the opportunity to change your appearance for the approval and respect of others — which is why you always made that face. But that wasn't enough for you; so you bloodbonded everyone in the family by putting your blood in the drinks,”
“And the pulse of the city? I know that was you, too. Everything you’ve ever done as a primogen regarding the people was for self-gain and even you know that none of the love and respect the people have for you is authentic,”
The silence was both rewarding and horrifying; Edward’s expression unreadable as he stared into Shilo’s soul. Ignoring the slightly stronger pounding in his head, Shilo stared back and straightened his spine, regaining his composure and power as a prince.
Though his confidence quickly evaporated when Edward began to smile again, even wider than before. Edward dropped his head onto the cover and began trembling, laughing softly into the mattress. Shilo’s brows furrowed, confusion and fear returning to his face.
“Brotato,” Edward began softly, smile evident in his voice “Brontosaurus, Bronana, Brotein shake Bro bro bro your broat,”
Edward lifted his head and replaced it in his palm, tilting to the left and thoroughly amused, "I'm a Toreador, baby bird brah. That's what we do,”
Shilo froze and he downturned his gaze to his feet. A part of him really thought it would have worked- or at least shake Edward up a little.
“Anyways, I give the people what they want,” Edward continued, clearly not shaken up, “And the way you and your buddies crashed my oh so fantastical show.. It almost seems like you wanted me to fight back. Get.. revenge…”
“I mean… I’m sure Emizel would want that-”
A long finger pressed against Shilo’s lips, “- Hush, little prince. We are talking about us, not your weasel,”
“You and I. Me and you. Moi and oui- thats ‘you’ in french, not pee. I’m sure you will reconsider that offer on building up Edwardtopia,”
Shilo couldn't help but grimace at the idea that now sounded 10x worse than it did before. He turned his head away from Edward’s finger which dropped back onto the bed with a thump and Shilo had to resist wiping his mouth.
“Doesn’t the world hate you though?” The primogen’s face twitched, “They all saw us beating you up and embarrassing you…”
Edward sighed as if he was stating the obvious, “The world moves on quickly, lil’ brah. I’m relaunching with a new face, new me. This time, with a prince of vampires on my side,”
The implications were clear.
Shilo looked away in discomfort, gears turning rapidly in his head as he tried to think of the best outcome of his situation and how to even get there. Edward is possibly one of the strongest vampires he’s ever met besides his own mother; according to Emizel’s story about his personal fight against the primogen with Theo, Edward’s strength and skill is no joke. It’s no wonder he was chosen to be a primogen. If only his mother knew.
“Uhm.. Well- That is very nice to know. It sounds like a solid plan.. Very wonderful,” frankly Shilo didn't even know where he’s going with this, “But uh.. Why did you change your face? You looked. Perfectly fine before,”
The primogen’s eyes almost seemed to sparkle, “After the games I went back to my mansion and on my way out I tripped and fell on the step,”
“The damage was beyond repair. Said the twins”
Shilo blinked. He wasn't all that surprised to hear that the Weylin twins were still working with Edward, “ah, I’m uh.. So-,”
“They told me that if they had to fix it again I would have to eat through a hole in my chest and see through my nose,”
Silence for a moment.
“I’m.. Sorry to hear that,” Shilo finally got to respond, “It must have been a difficult choice,”
“No, not really. I don't want to drink through my abs,”
“Ok,”
Edward sat back up and straightened his back, stretching his spine and arms for a moment before looking back down at the prince.
“That position was hard to maintain,”
Shilo nodded stiffly before flinging the cover over Edward’s head and scrambling off the bed.
“Well thank you for the offer, Edward, but-”
As soon as Shilo stood, vertigo overwhelmed his senses and he fell to his knees with a groan, throwing his hands to the floor to catch himself. His vision swam in circles as the thrum in his head expedited into a throbbing pain. Weakness overcame him in a nauseous wave.
Looking at the ground, Shilo now noticed the red blotch in his sleeve.
He also realized just how hungry he was.
Shit.
A figure loomed over him for the second night in a row and out of nowhere, a glass of blood was being presented to him. The blood in the glass was literally sparkling, unusual but made the drink look so much tastier.
In a bout of hunger, the beast nearly grabbed the glass and emptied it right there but Shilo stilled himself and pulled back his hand quickly, dropping his head to the ground and grabbing at his hair to desperately ground himself.
No no no no no, not again.
“What's wrong prince? Aren't you hungry?” Edward’s voice slithered into his head and curled around his brain, his voice was the only thing he heard over the internal growling of the beast, “You look like you’re lacking of some blood right now,”
Shilo shook his head violently and pressed his hands against his ears to block out the noise as the beast chanted in his mind.
Drink. Feast. Feast. Feast. Drink. Eat. Devour. Consume.
A sharply manicured finger effortlessly tilted his head up off the ground and the smell was so enticing. Shilo’s eyes flew open to meet the cold gaze of Edward’s from behind the glass of sparkling red.
“Drink,” Edward commanded.
Either it was the beast, Edward’s discipline, or both, Shilo’s hands dropped from his ears and he leaned forward, allowing the blood to be tipped into his open mouth.