Bad Blood

- Chapter Two -

Fight and Flight

::

"Sakura. Run."

She felt her stomach drop at his words, the disappearance of the comforting weight of his hand on her wrist sending her into a further panic as he focused entirely on the bloody man in front of them.

"Run back to the apartment as fast as you can." Hidan whispered back at her, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "Lock the door and stay inside. Wait for me there and don't open the door for anyone."

Sakura took a hesitant step backwards, her eyes on Hidan's back and the sounds of her every move piercing through the silence of the park. Hands shaking and her breath caught in her chest, she just barely heard his last command before Hidan suddenly darted forward, moving impossibly fast as he charged at the other man.

"Go!"

And she ran.

Sakura was barely aware of her surroundings as she raced through the trees towards the distant glow of the streetlamp of the park path, her phone and hat clenched tightly in her fists as she breathed heavily. When her feet hit the edge of the path, she stumbled slightly, falling to her knees for the shortest moment before she was scrambling to her feet, eyes wide and the sound of animalistic snarls coming from somewhere behind her. She didn't slow down even when she reached the end of the park, heeding Hidan's words and sprinting all the way back to their apartment.

It was late and the night was eerily silent, the streets empty of both pedestrians and cars, but Sakura barely noticed as her mind was so set on making it home and worrying about Hidan. But she didn't have enough time to properly think - to wonder just what was going on.

When she finally arrived at the apartment complex, she quickly dug her key out of her pocket and raced to their door, fumbling for only a moment to get the key in the lock and her heart pounding in her ears as she glanced around. The moment she was inside, she slammed the door shut behind her and turned the deadbolt, not wasting anymore time before she sprinted to the bedroom. Practically diving under the bed, she quickly searched for the wooden baseball bat she had discarded under there months ago before scrambling back out.

Adrenaline pumping and her legs sore, she ran through the apartment, taking extra precautions by checking to make sure windows were locked and drawing curtains closed as paranoia began to set in with the panic. Once she was sure the apartment was secure, she checked the front door once more before plopping down behind the couch, back against it as she faced the front door, the bat held tightly in her hand and her phone next to her leg.

And she waited.

::

The moment the scent of blood hit Hidan's delicate senses, he knew something was wrong.

Like, really fucking wrong.

His first instinct was to find Sakura, a million thoughts flooding through his mind as he squinted through the darkness, his heightened eye-sight able to pick out her form amongst the trees.

In the direction of the source of the blood.

He cursed under his breath, an unfamiliar feeling of worry beginning to rest heavily in his chest as he crept silently, but quickly, in her direction. The one relief he felt was in the fact that the blood he was smelling definitely wasn't Sakura's, but his panic was steadily growing as he could detect another scent in the air - unfamiliar and familiar all at the same time.

When Hidan finally grew closer to the source of the blood, his suspicions were confirmed at the sight of another vampire (a feral vampire) standing much too close to Sakura, blood covering his face and a mangled corpse behind him. Neither Sakura nor the other vampire had noticed him and Hidan's flustered mind quickly tried to come up with a plan, his body tense and the icy grip of fear for Sakura's - small, fragile, mortal Sakura - safety muddling his thoughts.

His attention was drawn back to the foe vampire as he moved suddenly, taking a step towards the frightened - she was shaking - Sakura.

Hidan could easily read his intentions and something in him snapped, his body darting forward as he was filled with unbridled rage.

Like hell he was going to let this fucker hurt her.

Faster than a blink, Hidan was standing in front of Sakura, his stance defensive and protective as all questions of just what a feral was doing here were replaced with a guttural instinct to put himself between the other vampire and his girlfriend. He bared his fangs at the opposing vampire, who simply replied with a crazed smile, an odd look passing through his red eyes. Hidan was aware of the sudden feeling of Sakura's hand resting on his arm, her smaller hands warm against his cold skin, and he was able to see her move slightly out of his peripherals.

Adjusting his stance only slightly, he carefully took her wrist and moved her back, turning his head towards her as he kept his gaze pinned on the feral. In the silence of the park, he could hear the sound of her heart racing and the scent of her fear filled him with an even stronger feeling of anger.

Still, his worry for Sakura weighed heavily on him and, after a quick glance in her direction, he crouched, whispering back her name before telling her to run home.

The feral vampire was watching the scene with wide, excited eyes, pupils narrowed down to slits and his bloodied hands twitching in anticipation.

Hidan moved first.

He darted forward and had his hand's on the feral before the other could react, giving Sakura enough time to race back towards the park path. She was out of sight in mere moments, much to his relief, and he allowed himself to focus on the vampire he'd caught in a choke-hold, unable to detect the scent of any other vampires nearby. The feral snarled, reaching up to dig clawed fingers into Hidan's arm as he struggled violently and tried to free himself. Hidan growled back and tightened his grip, jerking backwards when the other vampire swiped upwards at his face, his claws catching his cheek and drawing blood.

"I know who you are!" The feral hissed out, reaching over his shoulder to claw at Hidan. "The traitor."

Gritting his teeth and adjusting his grip when the other vampire tried to sink his teeth into his arm, Hidan ignored his words and tried to force the feral to his knees.

"Why are you here?!" He growled back, magenta eyes narrowed and suspicious. There shouldn't be any feral vampires out and about - there shouldn't be any ferals at all. "Who brought you here?!"

Choking for a moment at the pressure of Hidan's arm wrapped around his neck, the other vampire managed to wheeze out a laugh, his grin widening when Hidan flinched as he dug his claws deeper into his shoulder.

"You look just like he described. I hope you enjoyed your brief peace!" Another wheezing cackle before he grunted, finally dropping to his knees as Hidan forced his weight on him. "The war isn't over - you have no idea what's coming, traitor."

Growling under his breath, Hidan continued to ignore the feral's taunting until his control suddenly snapped, a vicious snarl ripping through him at the vampire's next words.

"I'd keep an eye on that cute snack of yours. The land will be swarming with more of us before you've even realized the battle has begun and pretty, tasty humans like her will be the first to go."

Before the feral vampire could process what was happening, Hidan had changed his grip on him, his hand on his throat as he slammed him into the ground and bared his fangs, magenta eyes wide in rage at the threat he'd dared direct towards Sakura. A brief flash of fear passed through the other vampire's red eyes but, before he could respond, Hidan had plunged a hand into his chest, his inhuman strength breaking through ribs and blood soaking the sleeve of his jacket. The feral had a split-second to realize what was happening before Hidan's hand found his heart, fingers curling around the barely-beating organ as he ripped it out of his chest.

There was a spray of blood - nasty, decayed blood that smelled vile and had undoubtedly ruined Hidan's clothes - but the feral let out a final wheeze before he fully died, red eyes bulging out slightly before he finally stilled. Panting, Hidan glared down at the corpse, tossing the rotting heart aside before reaching up to grip the talisman around his neck, his nerves starting to calm slightly as his mind worked for answers.

The feral had been a hell of a lot weaker than him, meaning he wasn't that old of a vampire - probably pretty freshly turned - but his words had certainly put Hidan on edge. Gritting his teeth, his wounds already beginning to heal, he quickly turned back the way he'd come and sprinted out of the park as worry for Sakura returned once more.

He had a feeling that things were going to get very bad, very quickly.

::

Sakura wasn't sure how long she sat there, the anxiety of what she'd seen in the park making seconds feel like minutes, minutes like hours. She might have fallen asleep, had her jittery nerves not outweighed how tired she was. So, determined and worried, she watched the door and waited, clutching the bat close. It was silent in the apartment and Sakura inwardly debated turning the lights on several times, but she wasn't sure if it would be more of a hindrance than a help.

Eventually, she was able to hear the soft sound of a click and the door suddenly swung open, making Sakura jump in surprise and shriek as the lights were flicked on before she realized the blood-covered figure standing in the doorway was Hidan, his house key in hand.

His gaze instantly fell on her and a look of relief passed over his face but, as he took a step forward towards her and was probably ready to embrace her, he glanced down at his blood-soaked arm and changed his mind. Instead, he turned back to the open door, glancing out into the night before looking back at her. Sakura scrambled to her feet, heart racing but relieved as well, and was about to ask him what the hell was going on when Hidan motioned for her to stay put.

"Stay here. I gotta go make sure we're safe-"

"Hidan, what the fu-?!"

"I'll be back soon." He interrupted, still looking uncharacteristically serious as he hurried back out the door, "Please, Sak. Just trust me and stay inside."

And he was gone, locking the door behind him and leaving her standing there, staring after him with a confused, incredulous expression.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura tightened her grip on the bat and started pacing, inwardly fuming at her boyfriend's actions.

"When he gets back, he's got a lot of explaining to do." She growled under her breath, quickly retrieving her phone in case he called before he returned.

Unbeknownst to Sakura, Hidan was sprinting through the neighborhood, checking alleys and streets for any sign of another feral. The air smelled clear but he wanted to be certain that Sakura would be safe. Already, he was making plans on what he should do next, the other vampire's warning still rolling around in his mind and the implications of his words - of the fact that he'd been here. Hidan hadn't seen a feral in decades and the fact that one had popped up without warning, roaming free and hunting in a park suggested that shit was going down.

While Hidan was racing around in the night, Sakura had eventually settled down, sitting stiffly on the couch as she stared down at her phone, inwardly debating sending him a text.

He finally returned almost an hour later.

Close to drifting off, she jumped in surprise once more when the door was, once again, flung open before being slammed closed by Hidan, hurriedly locked once more as he quickly checked out the rest of the apartment. Sakura watched him for a few moments before he finally approached, stopping in front of her and dropping a hand on her shoulder as he looked her over.

"Are you okay?"

She took this moment to look Hidan over as well, frowning at his blood-soaked jacket sleeve (he'd fortunately kept that arm at his side) and eyeing bloody spots on his face and arms with worry.

"A-are you okay?"

He blinked in surprise before sending her a small smile, reaching up to his cheek to wipe away a bloody streak and reveal smooth, unharmed skin. "Fuckin' dandy."

Sakura looked a little relieved and Hidan, apparently satisfied, straightened and turned away, reaching into his pocket.

"I gotta make a call real quick-"

"What-"

"Just relax, Sak. Everything's fine-"

"Like hell it is!" Eyes narrowing, she jumped to her feet, reaching for Hidan's arm and shooting him a glare when he dodged out of the way. "What the hell is going on, Hidan?"

He sent her an apologetic look, rubbing the back of his head before grimacing as he realized it was the bloody hand, and continuing to back away from her, heading towards their bedroom.

"I'll explain everything in a bit-"

"Hidan!"

"I just gotta make this fuckin'-"

Quickly slipping into the bedroom, Hidan closed the door and she heard the soft click of the lock turning, anger starting to bubble up in her gut. Growling under her breath, she banged on the door a few times, uncaring of whether she woke the neighbors.

"Get out here! Unless you're calling the police, you have no-"

"Give me, like, fifteen minutes, Sakura!" Came Hidan's muffled reply, interrupting her mid-sentence.

"Hell no. What the fuck is going on?! Who could you possibly need to call?"

"I'll tell you everything after this, I fucking swear."

Making a sound of frustration, Sakura gave the door a final kick before leaning against the wall and dropping to the floor.

"Fine! Fifteen minutes!"

She ignored his muffled reply of thanks and groaned, rubbing her forehead as she waited. Sakura tried to listen in on his conversation, barely able to make out an unfamiliar name and a request for them - whoever they were - to come over as soon as possible. His voice was hushed in parts and she eventually gave up on eavesdropping, glaring at the wall as she mentally sorted out her questions.

The call took about twenty minutes.

When the sound of muffled conversation finally stopped, Sakura was more than annoyed. She'd gone back to the couch to grab her phone and then paced around the apartment for a few minutes before grabbing a glass of water and heading back to the short hall outside their bedroom. Leaning against the wall, she glared at the door and waited, shifting slightly when the room went silent.

"Sak?" Came Hidan's voice, sounding tired but more at ease than before. "You still out there?"

"Yes. Are you going to start explaining now?"

He was silent for a moment and Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"I'm gonna... get cleaned up real quick."

"Excuse me? You said fifteen minutes!"

"There's a lot of fuckin' blood, alright? I'm just gonna take a fast shower."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Sakura sighed and pressed her back against the wall. "Fine. Just hurry up, okay?"

A pause.

"...You wanna join me?"

"Hidan."

His laugh was almost immediate, but Sakura wasn't very amused.

"Kidding, kidding. I'll be out in a bit."

She listened to the sound of movement on the other side of the door, frowning as she crossed her arms and started pacing once more before pausing when the sound of muffled, running water met her ears. Sighing, Sakura grabbed her phone and browsed through her emails as she waited, inwardly wondering exactly how Hidan had managed to get covered in so much blood.

She felt a little queasy at the thought.

Eventually, the sound of water stopped and she could hear movement again, listening to Hidan undoubtedly dry off and change into a fresh set of clothes. Glancing down at her own sweat-stained attire, Sakura grimaced and made a mental note to change clothes as well, as soon as possible. When the door finally opened, Sakura was standing in the middle of the hall, arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently as she frowned up at Hidan, his hair still damp and dripping water onto the carpet.

"So, uh..."

Her hand shot out and she grabbed his wrist, tugging him into the living room and pushing him down onto the couch, hands on her hips as she stood in front of him and frowned.

"Start talking."

"Okay, so, uh-" He paused, rubbing the back of his neck as he searched for the right words, "Y'know how- Fuck, uhm..."

Waiting patiently, Sakura quirked an eyebrow before moving to sit next to him, sitting cross-legged as she faced Hidan. He let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair and flinging water droplets at the movement before turning to face Sakura as well, a hesitant look crossing his face before his expression turned determined.

"Alright, Sak. I'm gonna shoot straight with ya. There's something I should have fuckin' told you years ago..."

She frowned, reaching out to rest her hand on his arm as, inwardly, she wondered just what this had to do with the murderer in the park. Still, she sent him a small, supportive smile, fighting down her irritation and scooting closer to him.

"I'm listening."

Another nervous sigh. Fingers twitching for a moment, Hidan reached for her hand and laced their fingers together, regarding her silently for a moment before biting his lip.

"I'm a vampire."

She was silent for a few seconds, eyes widening slightly and her lips parting as she stared at him. He watched her nervously, waiting for her response and hoping she didn't flip out. Finally, she blinked and-

And reached up to rub her forehead, groaning in irritation as she shot Hidan an annoyed look.

"Seriously, Hidan - I'm freaked out enough after that shit in the park. Can you take this seriously for two seconds and-"

"I am being serious, Sakura!" He interjected, looking a little frantic. "Serious as the fucking plague. Which fucking sucked, y'know-"

"Hidan-"

"I mean it! Here, watch, I'll just-" Hidan stands up, looking around the room before darting towards the kitchen. Sakura let out a surprised yelp when he moved, much faster than any person should be able to. He returned in seconds with a steak knife in his hand, quickly drawing the blade over his palm and slicing through the skin. She scrambled to her feet in panic, grabbing his hand and trying to snatch the knife away.

"What are you doing?! Are you-?!"

"Just watch." He insisted, showing his bleeding palm to her. And, as Sakura stared, she could see the skin quickly begin to knit itself back together and, incredulous, she reached out to wipe away the blood, staring in confusion at his healed, perfectly smooth hand. Grabbing his wrist and pulling his hand closer, Sakura frowned as she inspected his unblemished skin before finally stepping back and dropping back down onto the couch, sending Hidan an unbelieving look.

"What the- How the hell did that..."

"I told you, Sak." He moved, sitting back down beside her as he watched her hesitantly, half expecting her to recoil away from him. "I'm a vampire."

Sakura frowned to herself, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Still, she reached out for the tissue box on the coffee table in front of them, grabbing a handful before snatching his hand back and starting to wipe the blood away.

"That's not possible. I don't- You can't be-" Her gaze snapped up at him, lips pulled down in a frown, and Hidan actually flinched, rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand. Pointing at him, she tapped a finger to his chest.

"Sunlight! We've been to the beach and you didn't even get burned."

Hidan let out a sigh that sounded a little more relieved than she would have expected - inwardly he was ecstatic; this was going a lot better than he ever expected. Reaching past the collar of his shirt and under the fabric, he pulled out that odd necklace he always wore, flashing the charm - a simple metal circle with an upside-down triangle in the center - at her.

"See this?"

"Your... lucky charm?"

He sent her a grin, chuckling to himself before dropping the talisman and letting it rest against his chest.

"It's bewitched. It let's me be out in the day, soaking up those UV rays without fucking me up." She frowned, eyes narrowing at the necklace, and he continued. "Take it off when I'm under the sun and, poof, I'm a hunky pile of ash."

Letting out a groan, Sakura leaned back and rubbed her face, searching for some sort fact to disprove what he was saying as she tossed the bloody tissues onto the coffee table.

"This has to be a joke. I've never seen you drink blood before."

Hidan shifted, digging into his pocket for a moment before pulling out the bottle of what she recognized as his iron supplements. She quirked an eyebrow at him, expression confused.

"These are blood tablets." He explained, popping the cap and shaking a few of the pills into his hand. "They're like tofu for vamps. Though a lot fuckin' stronger in comparison."

"You're not a vegetarian." Sakura blurted out, as if it was a proper counterpoint. Hidan just laughed, dropping the tablets back into the bottle and screwing the cap back on before tossing it onto the coffee table as well, reaching for her and pulling the bewildered Sakura into his lap.

When he opened his mouth to laugh, however, her eyes zeroed in on those odd, slightly elongated canines of his and, suddenly, it all seemed to click.

"Oh my god." She said, back pressed against his chest and his hands playing with her fingers. "You're serious."

Hidan nuzzled the back of her head, incredibly relieved that she wasn't screaming and freaking out. "I'm always serious, Sak."

She shot him a deadpanned look at that and he laughed again, wrapping his arms around her.

"That's why you're always so damn cold."

"Mm-hmm."

Glancing back at him, Sakura's mind reeled, bringing up all the odd quirks and habits of Hidan's that she'd noticed over the past three years.

"So you're not actually anemic, are you?. And I thought the teeth were genetic or something. And- And! You never tan. You're still as pale as when we first met."

"Hey! Don't fuckin-"

She twisted around in his hold and rose to her knees, grabbing his face and pulling up his lip to check those teeth of his once more before making eye-contact and frowning to herself.

"Are the eyes a vampire thing too? I always thought the whole violet thing was weird..."

Hidan sent her a pout, crossing his arms over his chest before she laughed, giving his nose a quick peck when it did that cute wrinkle.

"You're taking this pretty damn well, Sak. If I'd known you'd be this chill about it, I'd have told you when we first moved in together."

Leaning against him, Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder, groaning into his shirt.

"Oh, believe me, I'll probably flip the fuck out in the morning. I'm still pretty much in shock from the..."

She shuddered, but was aware of Hidan stiffening slightly at her words, his arms quickly wrapping around her and holding her close for a few moments until she pulled back.

"Holy shit, that's why you hate garlic."

He made a face and she frowned, head tilting slightly when he let out a weak laugh.

"That's, like, fuckin' bullshit the media started somewhere. My senses are just super fucking sensitive and garlic destroys my nose."

Sakura blinked, holding her finger up in realization. "Your allergies."

"Bingo."

Grunting, Sakura leaned against him again, curling up against his chest and frowning to herself before glancing up at him again, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Is that why you like it when I bite your neck when we're making out? Hell, when I kiss your neck."

He sent her a grin, scooting down the couch so that he could lay down, snickering under his breath while she continued to watch him. "Nah, that's just a general turn on for me."

She sent his shoulder a soft punch, smiling back down at him before a thought occurred to her. Reaching for his left hand, she grabbed his wrist and pulled it up to her face, running her thumb over the faint scars marking the middle of his forearm. They were the only scars Hidan possessed and the reveal of his healing abilities certainly had her reconsidering the origin of the marks.

"You told me a dog bit you. But that isn't true, is it?"

Hidan was quiet for a moment, his other hand raising to touch the scars as well before he draped the arm over the small of her back, sighing to himself as she watched him.

"No." He paused. "A total fucking dickwad bit me."

Sakura sent him a confused look but he simply pulled her closer, burying his face in her shoulder as she continued to speak, connecting more dots to this whole vampire reveal.

"No wonder you did so well in those history classes. I thought you were just a huge nerd."

He muffled his snicker in her shirt, rolling over onto his side and moving her with him. "Man, it was so much fun to see you get so frustrated when I got higher scores on tests. But, damn, I can't tell you how many times I had to keep my mouth shut when professors starting spewing shit that ain't true. Like, I've been there, done that and you're totally fuckin' wrong, Teach."

She suddenly pulled back, looking up at him with a serious and slightly nervous expression.

"Wait, so... Uh..."

Hidan quirked an eyebrow at her, crossing an arm behind his head as he waited.

"How..." Sakura bit her lip hesitantly before continuing, her hand gripping the front of his shirt.

"How old are you..?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging, resting a hand on her waist. "I don't fuckin' remember how old I was when I was turned, to be honest. I told you I was twenty-three when we met, right? That's probably close enough."

"No, no, I mean..." She glanced away, looking a little embarrassed until she glanced back to him. "How long have you been twe-"

He quickly interrupted her, sending the pinkette a deadpan look as he groaned.

"Don't pull that Twilight bullshit with me, Sak."

She blushed but sent him a glare, huffing under her breath before attempting to cross her arms. "Just tell me. How long have you been a vampire?"

Hidan paused, his expression turning serious before he glanced away.

"A while."

She punched his shoulder, a little harder than necessary.

"Kidding, kidding!" Snickering to himself, he feigned rubbing his shoulder and sent her a wink before he frowned to himself, thinking silently. "Shit, I dunno. Since, like, the Feudal Era? I don't remember much from those super early-on years - I'm pretty sure I took a decade-long nap at some point."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, catching the way he licked his lips - a quirk of his that meant he was lying - but didn't press for details. Sighing, she leaned against him, finally allowing herself to think back to what she'd seen in the park. After a few silent moments of him holding her, his hand rubbing her back soothingly, she finally spoke again.

"Hidan?"

"Mm, yeah, Sak?"

They both sounded tired and, inwardly, Sakura was sure they'd both end up drifting off to sleep if they laid there for much longer. Better to ask her questions now when she was still awake.

"That man in the park, the one covered in blood..." He was silent, stiffening slightly, but she continued, pulling back a bit to look up at his face. "He was a vampire too, wasn't he?"

Hidan slowly nodded, his grip on her tightening slightly. "Yeah. A super shitty type of vampire."

Sakura frowned in confusion but pressed on, hesitating for only a moment. "After I ran, what happened? You fought him, didn't you? Did you... kill him?"

"Technically he was practically already a walking corpse but, er, yeah, I killed him..."

He was a little surprised by the look of relief that passed through her eyes before she buried her face in his chest again, squirming closer.

"He won't be showing up again - good. God, I'd never been so scared. There was so much blood..."

Hidan shifted slightly before holding her close, running his fingers through her pink hair.

"There's something else I gotta tell you, Sakura." She looked up at him, expression curious, if a little unsure, and he continued, his expression turning serious once more. "It isn't safe here. Shit is gonna get bad - I don't know when, but I have a feeling its gonna be fuckin' sooner rather than later."

Eyebrows furrowing, she sent him a worried look and her grip on his shirt tightened. "Are we... Is there somewhere that is safe?"

Hidan sent her a reassuring smile and nodded, playing with her hair absentmindedly.

"I called a buddy of mine for some help. He should be here in the morning and we'll-"

He was interrupted, however, but a sudden knock on the door and, after exchanging hesitant glances, the pair simultaneously sat up and peered over the top of the couch.

::

notes: 2017 is the year thirrin returns to fanfiction apparently hello

been a while, but! i finally got to work on this chapter and here we are. i started working on this chapter months ago but? when i went looking for the word doc today i couldn't find it anywhere so i had to start from scratch.

the whole vampire reveal conversation has literally been in my head for years and was one of the first driving inspirations to this fic and im so glad i finally got to write it (here's hoping i didn't forget any bits from when i first came up with the convo forever ago...)

hope you enjoyed! please leave a review if you did!