Like Mentor, Like Assistant

"You are impossible," Mr. Crepsley sighed as he set the bottle down. "Look who's talking," I scoffed. "You're just as impossible as I am," Darren and finally begin to understand each other….sort of…. MIGHT add more. Father/Son moments, POSSIBLE DarrenXLarten, any suggestions/idea welcome!

"Darren, you must drink human blood in order to live. You simply cannot live on animal blood alone,"

Mr. Crepsley was lecturing me…again. I tried to block it out, but it wasn't working very well. He held the bottle out towards me, waiting me to take it.

"But I don't want to drink human blood," I protested as I pushed the bottle away. "Is there something wrong with having a sliver of humanity left in you? How could you expect me to forget about everything and just become a monster?"

"You are impossible," He sighed and set the bottle down.

"Look who's talking," I scoffed. "You're just as impossible as I am,"

The vampire made a face. "I am not!"

"You so are," I argued.

"Prove it!" He snarled.

"You won't get off my case about drinking blood no matter what I say! Why can't you just forget about it already!"

"I would forget about it if you would just drink the damn blood! Besides, you are my assistant and MY responsibility now!"

"Uh-huh," I said, rolling my eyes. I glared at him. "If I'm such a burden to you, you'd leave me alone about the blood and let me die!"

"Because!"

"Because isn't an answer," I told him. "Give me one good reason why I should give up what's left of my sanity and drink the blood of what I still partially am,"

"Because your life is important,"

"To who?" I snapped. "My family thinks I'm dead, my best friend hates my gut, I SHOULD be dead," I stood up. "I'd save everyone a lot of grief if I was,"

HE stepped closer to me and hissed, "Your life is more important than you know, boy!"

"Yeah, right," I mumbled as I slumped back down into the chair. "Total count of people who think I should be alive: 1. Whoop-dee-do."

"Darren," He put his hand on my shoulder and knelt down so we were at the same eye level. "Have you ever considered there is a reason that I am so persistent in making you drink?"

I stayed silent. I didn't know what the right answer was.

"Has it ever crossed your mind once that…" He looked down and trailed off.

"That what?" I asked, curious about the rest of his answer.

Not looking up, he repeated himself. "…that I care about you,"

That surprised me. Did he really just say that he cares about me? I've hated him since the day he made me a half-vampire, so I have never once thought that he would care if I lived or died. "What?"

"It may not seem like it, Darren, but I really do care about you,"

"But, why?" I asked. "I stole your spider, caused a LOT of trouble, and you still want me alive?"

"I care, Darren, more than you think. And I could not bear to watch you slowly die," He took a deep breath. "So, for the sake of us both, please, just drink the blood,"

I said nothing else after that. However, I rose and took the bottle of blood that was on the table, drinking it all. He came over to me. I looked up at him.

"There," I sighed, setting the empty bottle back on the table. "Happy now?"

The vampire smiled. "Very,"

"So, if you cared about me this much, why does it seem like you hate me?"

"I…" He scratched the scar that ran down the left side of his face. "….am not very good with communicating my feelings, sometimes,"

"Maybe…if you want….I could, uh, help you with that?"

"And maybe I could help you to be less difficult," Mr. Crepsley smirked.

"You'd better watch it, old bat," I warned.

"And help you control your temper,"

"I do NOT have a temper,"

He glanced over at me with a dubious look.

"I'll just shut up now,"

"Finally," He sighed.

Vampires.