Love Bites Oneshots

Just a Taste

written by: yourhonorstatus: non-canon

WARNINGS: swearing, blood, violence, and lots of death talkHumans have no idea what vampires are capable of until they're dead.

That's the reason Schlatt is allowed to be in this position at all.

Dream's trapped behind silver bars, on the floor of the filthy cage they reserved for him. Huffing, puffing, suffering. Blood cakes his wounds and stains his face as he rakes his dirty nails down his face, begging his mind for a solution. Eyes meet the ceiling as if someone above has mercy for him, though he's never believed in anything like that before.

Suddenly, the doors slam open, as a tall figure drags in a smaller, struggling one. It takes him a moment to blink the blur from his eyes but there's no mistaking who they are.

"George!" He rasps, standing with what little strength he can muster.

"You wanted to see him, didn't you? Well, here he is." The mayor says, throwing the human down in front of the cell. Neither knows who Schlatt is talking about, as they were both dying to see each other. George stands up quickly, brushing off the dust from his clothing with a wince from the fall.

"Dream!" George says. I'm going to get us out of here, he wants to say, but refrains after seeing the looming shadow of the Mayor cast over him. "Dream, I'm so sorry, I never meant-"

Schlatt grabs George's forearms, holding him in place, shocking him into silence. "This is the only reason you're trying to be human. This human is what's forcing you to reject vampirism! Your gift is special, Dream. You can't let humans hold you back from the role you were meant to play."

"Don't listen to him! I accept you in your vampire form! You've never had to be anything else." George cries.

Dream expects to feel conflicted, but he doesn't. His decision is clear in his mind, pleasantly surprised by the weakness of Schlatt's manipulation.

"George is right, Schlatt. You can't get me to turn to blood harvest just because you told me to."

The mayor sighs, seemingly disappointed. Dream's skin tingles and stings as he writhes with anticipation and anxiety.

"I think I have a solution." Schlatt says. The words are far too innocent, the simple spoken words of someone who has an idea to solve a problem. His tone is chipper, a dark contrast to the look in his red eyes.

A deep, grave dread makes Dream feel sick.

George thinks he might throw up.

"I'm not going to kill him." Schlatt says, suddenly.

The idea is petrifying. Somehow hearing him say it is scarier than if he had just implied something of such lengths. Neither of them believe him, making George feel dread poke and jab inside his chest. Dream shakes the bars of the cage, feeling the burn on his hands.

"You better fucking not!" Dream screams. "Let him go! This is between you and me!"

"I'm not going to kill him," Schlatt repeats, brushing off Dream's demands. "I know what he really needs."

Schlatt whips the human around, pushing him back against the wall beside the cell harshly, knocking the wind out of him. George finds himself unable to get a breath in as he looks up, trying to push the mayor away.

"A taste of what it's like." Schlatt murmurs.

No.

No, no, God no please, anything but that.