The Beau & the Beast

42- Ruins

~ Clocksworth ~

"He needs blood."

I glanced at Gaston, who in turn was studying Belmont. I saw the staggering steps and I heard the heavy breathing.  The gunshot wounds were healed but the silver still tormented his body."Do you see any willing victims nearby?"  I hissed back with a meaningful gesture towards the deserted, grassy plains that we had walked for hours.

We had to leave the car on the country road and start our walk towards the old castle ruin without blood and rest.

"No."  He mumbled quietly and took a few steps away from me.

"Since when do you care about him by the way?" I cast a menacing eye at the short-haired vampire.  I saw the insecurity in his eyes, the fear of a prey that was trapped in front of its hunter.

"I just care."  He mumbled even more quietly and shrugged before taking a few quick steps and speeding up so that he ended up far ahead of the rest of us.

I glanced back and met Roch's gaze.  He said nothing but took a step forward and put a supportive arm around Bel's waist. "Come on, we'll be there soon."

Stone, moss and clay. I sighed heavily to myself as I looked up at the ruins of the old abandoned castle.  For Bel, it could not be more stereotypical than this, taken from an old Dracula movie.  But for me, there was history in the place, this was home.

"You should turn it into our next headquarters."  Belmont panted amused and I laughed dryly at the comment.

"Thought you missed the big city life in New York."

He sighed heavily, "I do, but this suits you better in some way."

I turned around and raised my eyebrow, "Did you just suggest I'm too old?"

"Not too old."  He laughed, "just old."  He continued with a statement tone, shrugged and gave me an adorable smile.

"Watch your tongue."  I warned with a look that revealed what I planned to do with him when we were alone.  But he just rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Don't promise too much, you're always so busy these days."

I quickly grabbed his arm and with a slight jerk I made him stop. "You know I'm doing this for us, so we can have a future without having to be chased and .."

"I know."  He interrupted and lightly caressed my lips with his thumb. It was barely noticeable but still made my whole body react.  "We will live for hundreds of years, Tick-Tock, I have time to wait."

But something in his voice made me realise that he did not believe in his own words.  It struck me that he did not think we would survive this.

"When Lumiere is with us, everything will be easier."

I saw his worried face, the sadness in his eyes and the doubt. He let his hand slide down to my throat, I saw how he hesitated. "Theodor ..." I studied his lips while I waited for him to continue, "Just prepare for the worst. Okay?"

I frowned and looked up at him, "And what could that be Bel?"

He thought about, I knew it because he always got a little wrinkle between his eyebrows when he was thinking about serious subjects. "Maybe it is our Lumiere," he began, "Your Lumiere."  He corrected himself.  "But, what if he changed. Who the hell knows what they've done to him all these years."

I bit my lip, in my mind I saw pictures of Lu chained and tortured, starving, or worse, fed with bad blood.
"You are right."  I whispered softly, "He might be different."