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Vanitas laid there on the rough cement, heavy breathing and small grunts of pain with each inhale the only thing able to be heard. It was cold, puffs of air visible as mist with each breath he took. He turned his head to the side, blue eyes landing on the form of the man he’d just barely managed to save.
The doctor smiled to himself, watching the way the man’s chest slowly rose and fell with each precious breath he was able to take.
“Any longer and he would’ve been far too gone to save. I’m glad.” Vanitas managed through pained breaths.
He moved to sit up, only to grunt and immediately fall back down onto the ground. A gloved hand reached for his side where the pain pulsed, spreading through his body with each move. When he pulled the hand back, he noticed the glove was now stained with blood— his blood.
When did I get hit?
He didn’t take the time to think about it much more than that and instead turned to stare up at the cloudless sky. It was starless too— empty. Void of so much as a small flicker of light.
Vanitas didn’t know why he felt comforted by that fact.
“Noé.” He hummed. No response.
He turned his head slowly toward his vampire counterpart. He narrowed his eyes, vision blurring the more he tried to make out the sight beside him.
“Noé?” He asked, a shaky hand reaching out for the blob of red and white.
Red.
“Noé!” Vanitas yelled, hand just barely able to reach a foot away from Noé’s sleeve that was no doubt drenched in blood. “Oh, come on you big-“ Vanitas grit his teeth, his movement sending a sharp sting of pain up his side.
Vanitas collapsed back, head knocking against the cement. It hurt, but he ignored it. He brought his other hand up, forearm resting over his eyes as he began to breathe heavier.
“He can’t be.” Vanitas mumbled in denial. He quickly rubbed his eyes with his arm. “Noé, I know you can hear me. We don’t have time for your childish jests.”
Still no response. Vanitas let his arm fall back to his side as the other continued to try and reach out for the blob of white on the ground beside him. He couldn’t reach. Noé was too far away.
Vanitas’ hand began to tremble, nails clawing at the ground. He grit his teeth and forced himself onto his side, whining in pain but decidedly ignoring it.
Surely Noé was fine, right? He was just taking this little prank of his too far, right? Right?
Vanitas’ vision cleared, and he hated what he saw. Noé was laying there, body still and eyes opened. His pupils were dilated and the bright purple that Vanitas was oh so familiar with had turned dull. The vampires eyes were glazed over in a sheen of tears that hadn’t had the chance to fall. His mouth was open, seemingly curved around a word— a name — that didn’t get the chance to leave him before his final breath had.
Vanitas saw the way his usually pristine white coat was stained red, drenched in Noé’s own blood.
“No.” He whispered, weakly scrambling towards Noé’s body.
His own body lost its strength after moving no more than two inches and he fell front first onto the cold cement. He gulped, his hand still unable to reach the vampire that he’d spent so much time with.
“No!” He screamed, vision blurred once again, now for a very different reason than before. His face warmed with the tears that forced their way from his eyes, unrelenting in their escape. “You dumb vampire! You can’t leave me.”
Vanitas slammed his fist into the ground, unaware of the pain signals that were sent up his arm. “You were supposed to kill me.” He whispered. “It wasn’t supposed to- it wasn’t supposed to end like this.” He choked.
His voice was strained as he held back sobs. The few that managed to claw their way out of his throat sounded strangled, much like a dying animal.
I might as well be.
Vanitas found the strength to roll back onto his back, the moon obnoxiously bright as it stared down at him.
Now, as he laid there letting out choked curses at the blue moon that shone down on them, suddenly the empty sky and large blue moon was much lonelier than he’d ever remembered it being.