It was the hardest thing Blaine had ever done. He hated himself for putting Kurt through so much pain. But if he ever hoped to keep the mortal safe, then it was for the best. At least, that's how Blaine tried to console himself. It didn't help that his actions had shredded his unbeating heart to pieces, or that all he wanted to do was race after Kurt, hold him and beg his forgiveness. He leaned his forehead against the door, his shoulders trembling as he gave into the overwhelming sadness that threatened to crush him beneath its weight. His eyes welled with blood, and scarlet tears rained down onto his cheeks. Never would he be able to erase the hurt and betrayal wrenching Kurt's beautiful face. Unable to remain in his apartment alone, he tugged open the door and hurried out into the night.

Swallowed by the blanket of darkness, Blaine didn't stop moving until he reached Damien's condo. Although he had lied to Kurt about his feelings for his sire, Blaine's instincts had kicked in and drew him toward the other vampire regardless. He knocked on his door, his face a macabre mask of the evidence of his emotional turmoil.

Damien opened the door. He'd been able to smell Blaine coming a mile away. The mortal he'd picked up was sprawled comfortably on the couch with a glass of wine, content to wait until he was wanted. At the sight of Blaine, Damien felt anger flashing through him. The scent of Kurt was all over him, and he looked miserable. Damien reached out and ushered his childe in without a word, folding him in close. "What did he do?" He tried his best to keep the words understanding though he thrummed with anger. If Kurt had done anything to harm his childe, he would find the mortal and rip his throat out.

"He... Kurt, didn't do anything," Blaine faltered, shaking his head insistently. Replaying the events for Damien was just as painful as when they'd occurred. "I didn't expect to see him tonight. But he came to my apartment, and he said he wanted to work things out so we could be together." His eyes, caked with dried blood, streamed fresh crimson as he glanced up at his sire. "I lied and I hurt him. It was the only way to keep him safe. I love him, but I can't be with him." Was he trying to convince himself? Blaine didn't know anymore. He'd never known true happiness before Kurt, and now it could never be. How could he subject Kurt to a life with him, when every vampire in existence would be a threat to him?

Damien felt the force of his childe's sadness, aching with it himself as he held Blaine close. It didn't matter that the mortal on the couch looked utterly mystified or that his shirt was getting soaked with bloody tears. All he wanted was to take that pain away. "I'm so sorry... but you did the right thing. You did." Damien leaned back so that he could search Blaine's face. He began carefully wiping the tears away. "It isn't safe for him coming around here, and... it never ends well with them. Speaking of which, we... we need to check on your brother later. After you've eaten." He nodded toward the pretty redheaded boy sitting on the couch. "Take a little. You need it. Then we'll go and see Mike. It's going to be alright. No matter what happens, we always have each other. You have a family. You won't be alone in this, Blaine. I swear."

Blaine trusted Damien, but it felt like the end of the world and he doubted things would ever be alright again. He vaguely took in the mortal draped over his sire's couch. Blaine determined the boy was more than likely a fang-banger Damien had picked up. The redhead perked up at the sight of another vampire, and the excitement to feed two rolled off the mortal in waves. Blaine honestly couldn't have cared less. But... he was starving. He still hadn't recovered fully from last night, and his heartbreaking encounter with Kurt had left him with a terrible ache. "Okay," he finally agreed. It was the best he could manage. Uncaring that he looked like a macabre mess covered in bloody tears, Blaine stalked over to the eager fang-banger. He lunged forward, grabbing a handful of the boy's thick hair, tugging and exposing his throat. A flash of fangs, and he was slicing into hot flesh and devouring the delicious blood which flowed into his mouth.

Damien considered joining in but decided to refrain. He'd gotten a bite before he came back, and given Blaine's rather ruthless demeanor at the moment, he didn't want to risk truly harming the boy. Things were awkward enough for their kind. The mortal was writhing anyway, gasping and arching and doing everything he could to entice Blaine. Damien almost told him to knock it off, but it didn't matter. His childe didn't care, and the mortal would figure that out when he got thrown out on his ass in a few minutes. He was there as food, and if he was disappointed not to get more out of it, that was really his issue. Gently Damien reached out and ran his fingers through the curling hair at the base of Blaine's neck. "That's enough, beautiful. Let's clean you up and go see your brother."

Blaine broke away, his mouth drenched in blood. He blinked up at Damien uncomprehendingly for a moment, making a token growl of complaint being denied more. Then, the blood-lust cleared and he nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay..." Almost as an afterthought, he murmured to the redhead whose throat he'd been feasting on, "Thank you..." Moving away, Blaine felt stronger but no less emotionally shattered. Leaving Damien to deal with his guest, he made his way into the bathroom, showered and then borrowed some of his sire's clothes to wear. When he returned he found the mortal gone, and Damien waiting for him. "Is everything alright with Mike?" he wondered, concentrating on someone else's problems other than his own. "You sounded worried."

"He met someone, some fang banger who got under his skin," Damien groused, obviously annoyed, "and the idiot went and got himself killed. Which should have been the end of it, but apparently a demon took a liking to him. Now he's possessed, making a mess of things. Apparently the demon already slaughtered the kid's family. He has no idea it's even going on." The whole thing was a ridiculous mess, and he hated the danger it put Mike in. "Mike doesn't want me to exorcise him because then the boy dies too. Nevermind that he's dead already." Damien gave a shake of his head and reached for Blaine's hand. "You don't have to come, but I don't want you alone, and I need to make sure he's alright, see if he's come to his senses about this."

"Wait? What?" It was almost too much to properly take in. Blaine had to literally pause and allow himself a moment to process the information. "Is Mike in any danger?" That's what he wanted to know first and foremost. How could they hope to deal with a possessed mortal? Blaine had never encountered one before, although he had heard stories. As he accepted Damien's offered hand, his own problems suddenly seemed trivial in comparison to what Mike was going through. If the boy could be saved, then maybe there was hope for one of them to be happy. As they headed out and made their way toward the Asian vampire's apartment, Blaine didn't think it was fair that both he and Mike should be utterly miserable.

"I don't know," Damien answered honestly as he threaded his fingers together with Blaine's. He relished the gentle contact and wondered how long Blaine would still need it as the pain of losing Kurt wore off. "I hope not. So far the demon seems like he's... interested. Having fun. But there's no way to know how long that will last." It scared him to think of what could happen to Mike if the demon tired of playing with his new toy and wanted to do more damage. "I hope we can fix things before it comes to that." Damien lifted his hand and knocked sharply at the door. "It's me," he called. With everything going on, he suspected Mike would be nervous to open the door for just anyone.

Blaine wondered how they could ever hope to 'fix things' as Damien had succinctly put it. Did his sire know how to exorcise a demon? It occurred to him at that moment that Damien's past was shrouded in mystery. Despite their closeness, the older vampire had shared very little about the days before they had met. So, as far as Blaine could surmise, Damien had handled thousands of these kind of unique situations before. Although, somehow he doubted it. Whatever happened, Blaine hoped that Mike at least might find happiness. //Kurt...// He ached at the thought of the beautiful mortal, and if it hadn't been for Damien grasping his hand, he had no idea what he would have done.

Just then the door opened, and Mike--wearing a robe--peered at his guests. "Damien? Blaine? I didn't expect you both tonight," he said, clearly surprised.

"I was worried about you," Damien explained earnestly. "After yesterday..." He trailed off, catching sight of Gill moving up behind the vampire. At least the boy had the sense to look uncertain and hang back. He too was under-dressed, clad in nothing but his boxers. Damien considered his options and decided to be civil for the moment since Mike wasn't in any immediate danger from what he could see. "Blaine's had a rough night, and it seemed like a good time to check in. If we aren't interrupting?"

Behind Mike, Gill swallowed hard. The vampire's sire made him edgy. The man looked young and somewhat unkempt and non-traditional but still managed to convey the kind of authority that Gill associated with past teachers and principals. It made him nervous, and he wished he had a good excuse to leave altogether.

Mike appreciated Damien's concern, but his sire's timing left much to be desired. "Everything's fine, thanks," he murmured, aware of Gill's presence behind him. The last thing he wanted was for it to come out that his lover was possessed before he ever had a chance to tell him. He focused on Blaine and Damien comment about his 'brother's' rough night. "What about you?" he directed his query towards Blaine. "You look like you've been through hell."

Blaine shuffled his feet, staring down at them and regretting his sorrow. "Yeah," he murmured, not wanting to take away from Mike's problem. Everything seemed to be alright with the Asian vampire. There were no signs of anything untoward having happened, and Blaine wondered if Damien's worries might be unnecessary. One of them should have the right to be happy, even if Mike's mortal lover had demonic baggage. Again, Kurt filled his mind, and the aching void in his undead heart widened. //Those eyes...// It physically pained him to remember the hurt he had willingly caused, even if his intentions had been noble. Blaine broke away from Damien, apologies spilling from his mouth. "I'm sorry. I can't do this, not now. Please, I need some time to think... alone."

Damien knew the hurt registered on his face before he could hide it, but he nodded. "Of course. Whatever you need." Blaine had made the break with Kurt, and he really couldn't ask for more. Only time would ease the memory into what it should be - an interesting encounter long since past. He couldn't resist brushing his fingers quickly along his childe's cheek, but the contact was fleeting, and Damien stepped aside to let Blaine escape from the situation a second later. "Just... come to me if you need me."

Wondering what had happened to the other vampire, Gill found himself filled with sympathy. Blaine looked absolutely miserable. As soon as he was gone, Gill couldn't help asking, "Is he okay?"

Damien's gaze jerked away from the now-closed door to the blond, and he fought the urge to snap that it wasn't any of his business. Instead he nodded slowly. "He will be. He needs time." His gaze moved over to Mike, and he studied his child carefully. The other vampire looked somewhat put out but not really troubled. //Not yet.// "What about you?"

"I told you, I'm okay," Mike stressed, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. "We're both fine," he added, reaching behind him for Gill's hand. The Asian vampire gave it an encouraging squeeze, while flashing Damien his warmest smile. There was no need for his sire to worry. After all, the demon was in check, and he and Gill were very happy together. "I'm more concerned about Blaine. What happened to him? I've never seen him like that before." It was true. Blaine had always been amiable and giving; becoming a vampire had not changed that. So naturally, it deeply concerned him to see his friend in such a state.

"The boy he was with, the mortal... Blaine ended things. It isn't safe for him hanging around with everything that's been happening lately, and Blaine didn't want to see him hurt." As much as Damien wanted to order Gill away and press Mike for more information, he could feel Mike's tension as it was. His childe was too attached to think clearly for now. //It might get worse anytime. He's in danger.// Then again, maybe the demon would play nice, knowing he was being watched. Either way it wouldn't do any good wondering when Mike was obviously so unwilling to discuss the situation. "You should both be careful too." Damien moved toward the door only to hesitate for a moment. "We don't know the whole truth about the attacks. I don't want you to get hurt."

With the cryptic words hanging in the air, Gill frowned and shifted instinctively closer to Mike. He rested his chin on the vampire's shoulder and slid an arm around his waist. "Is he always like that? So... intense?"

Watching Damien's departing back with a frown, Mike nodded even as he found comfort in the warmth of Gill's body. "Not always," he murmured, closing the door. "And that's what worries me." The Asian vampire closed his eyes, settling his hand on the arm wrapped snugly around his waist. "Blaine has always been his favorite; Damien's never made any secret about that. If Blaine's hurting, he's hurting." His gaze flickered, and he turned his head and pressed a soft kiss to Gill's warm cheek. "I'm lucky to have you. Sometimes I don't know how I got along without you here with me."

Gill nodded slowly. "I hope Blaine's okay." He didn't want Mike's family to have problems. He wanted his lover to be happy and content and comfortable. Gill let out a sigh as he held the other man close. A smile stole across his lips. He couldn't help it. Being with Mike made him feel more at peace than ever before. "D'you think... should we try to find somebody to talk to about... y'know, about me?" There was only silence in reply, and Gill swallowed hard. "We both know I shouldn't be alive right now. What if it's just... just temporary or... something's... I dunno, something's really wrong?"

It was a subject Mike dearly wanted to avoid. How could he lie to Gill and tell him everything would be okay? Informing your lover that the reason he was alive was all thanks to a demon didn't rank highly on Mike's to-do list. "Nothing's wrong," he tried to sound reassuring. "You're alive, healthy, beautiful... and here with me." The Asian vampire turned in the mortal's arms, facing him and cupping his handsome face in his hands. "If there's anything to be concerned about, how about letting me do the worrying? You can still get frown lines, I can't." His tone was light and playful, perhaps more for his benefit than for Gill's. If the demon remained in check, then there was no need to divulge its presence... right?

"You tryin' to tell me you're gonna kick me out of I stop bein' pretty?" Gill teased in return. He couldn't help worrying, but obviously Mike didn't share his concern. Not wanting to spoil the moment, Gill leaned in to kiss his lover instead. "Guess I'll just have to make sure you stay interested. And, hell, maybe I'm not - alive, I mean. Maybe... I dunno, maybe I'll last longer." He knew he was already past his expiration date, so to speak, so it didn't seem crazy to think that whatever he'd been through might mean a few extra years somehow. //Or maybe less.// That was the thought that troubled him, the idea that he might fall apart at any moment and lose the thing he wanted most in the world.

"Stop worrying," Mike insisted, playfully mussing Gill's hair. "You're not going anywhere, and nothing's going to happen to take you away from me again." Then, more somberly, he added, "I won't let it." Embracing his lover, the Asian vampire cradled the back of Gill's head, tilting it back and covering his mouth with his own in an achingly tender kiss. His tongued dipped between succulent lips, questing all over until he was groaning from the sweetness of it all. "Now," he drew back, gazing into Gill's lovely eyes, "we need to do something about you eating." Mike shepherded the mortal toward the kitchen, switching on a light. "As much as I love drinking you, I'm not going to have you passing out because I took too much blood."

"I have a few thoughts about what I'd like to eat... but I'm guessing you mean food," Gill answered with a rueful sigh. He began pulling things out of the pantry and was soon making a pan of macaroni and cheese. "My cooking ability kinda never advanced beyond a ten year old level. That's the good stuff anyway, right?" As he stirred the pot, Gill's gaze kept drifting back over to his lover leaning back against the counter and looking gorgeous. "Do you ever miss food? Y'know, regular food? I think that would be one of the weirdest things. Like, I can do without sun and whatever, but... I think I'd miss food."

"Strangely, no," Mike replied, dark eyes relishing Gill's every move. "I mean, you'd think so. But your first instinct is blood, even if you don't know it yet. There's nothing like it." His tone took on an almost reverent air as he explained, "Rich, sweet and decadent. You'd think it would taste bitter and coppery, wouldn't you? I guess that changes when you're a vampire." When Mike smiled, his fangs emerged and he quickly covered his mouth bashfully. "Sorry," he apologized, "being this near you and talking about blood has this effect on me."

"You don't have to be embarrassed," Gill protested. He reached out and grabbed Mike's wrist, dragging it down from his mouth and moving into the vampire's space while the water worked toward a boil on the stove. "I want you to be hungry for me. I want you to need me as much as I need you... and after I eat, you can too if you want." He knew from experience that as long as he ate and drank and rested, he could donate more nights than not without feeling too worn down. It would catch up with him eventually, but in the meanwhile, Gill needed to share the intimacy with Mike as often as he could. "So don't hide, okay?"

"Alright, I won't," Mike agreed, feeling more at ease. His fangs were determined not to retract, and Gill's assurance made him less self-conscious over his uncontrollable vampire instincts. "But I don't want you to hide when you need me. Promise me you won't?" He drew his lover into a tender kiss, taking care not to puncture Gill's mouth. Boiling water drew his attention, and the Asian vampire drew back so that the other man could finish preparing his meal. "We'll have to do something about getting you some vitamins. That should help..." Mike trailed off, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, I can't help worrying about you."

"I'm glad. I'm glad you worry." Gill couldn't help smiling as he began to work on the food. "Vitamins are probably a good idea, yeah. And maybe I'll learn to cook something that's not, like, specially formulated for broke college students." He knew it would be important to improve his nutrition if Mike was going to feel from him regularly - and he very much wanted that. Even with Mike not eating, he found that he loved the domesticity of sitting down at the kitchen table and eating with the other man, chatting and playing footsie. Whatever he might have expected after their impromptu move in, it hadn't been for everything to be so sweet and normal. Gill hadn't thought he'd ever find that with anyone. He couldn't help but smile and reach for Mike's hand as he ate. Maybe the vampire was right: everything would be just fine. Why worry?