Dried Roses [Bart Simpson's Dracula; Thad (Williamson)]

[schizoauthoress_library]

Title: Dried Roses
Author: D.L.SchizoAuthoress
Rating: PG
Spoilers: based on "Treehouse of Horror IV", the "Bart Simpson's Dracula" segment (Season 5)
Warnings: canonical AU, vampires, blood, mentions of AIDS
Prompt/Fill: none
Word Count: 486
Summary: The price of immortality is a life for a life. (Be saved, and save at least one other person yourself.)

Note: No "language of flowers" meaning for this title, but I couldn't resist the imagery.

Dried Roses

The blood is bitter with disease, but Thad expected that. He drinks deeply, as much as he can without weakening his already weak victim too much, before releasing the man's neck. This is the price of immortality, a life for a life, as Thad promised the vampire who saved him.

Eric presses one thin, pale hand to the already healing wound. His eyes shine with tears.

"I forgive you," Thad says. "We were stupid, but that doesn't deserve a death sentence."

Already exhausted, Eric nods. "Thank you."

"Drink first, then keep the promise," Thad replies, offering his own bloody wrist. The virus won't survive Eric's transformation -- never does.

Transforming infected gay men before the HIV inside them develops into full-blown AIDS is only a stopgap measure, like many others. They can't save everyone. Thad's sire knew this -- knows it -- even as he dedicated himself to doing his best to save as many as he can.

Death has been a part of Thad's life since he was eighteen years old and got the news that Eric had (unknowingly) infected him. Death is a part of all their lives now, a familiar presence and implacable enemy.

And for Thad now? Death remains to be resisted, but as a temptation as well. It would be so easy to tell these men that he will save them, turn them into vampires like himself, and simply drain them dry. If they rose again, it would be as mindless ghouls under his command. Thad could amass power, and do whatever he wished...

Eric struggles with the second mouthful, and Thad gently removes his wrist from Eric's mouth. "Slowly," he says soothingly, "There is no rush. We'll do this as often as we have to, until you feel the blood hunger."

Eric breathes through his nose, and Thad watches his throat work as Eric lets a little of the blood trickle down his throat at a time. He nods, and licks his lips, then asks, "What happens then?"

"The first time you feed that hunger, your transformation will be complete. You will be a vampire, like me. You'll be immortal, ageless and deathless. And no longer sick."

The tears fall this time. Eric weeps, and Thad understands. The idea of not being sick anymore is so foreign, when one has been living with the virus. Thad wraps Eric up into a hug, not bothering with any attempt at words of comfort, and lets him cry.

Thad will always face the temptation to use his vampiric powers for his own gain. But Thad looks to his old community, and sees all the suffering and hurt, and he knows he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he did that. He must do his best to save as many as he can, or give a peaceful death to those who ask for it.

He can do no less. He made a promise, after all.

*-*-*-*-*

Comments

[daggerpen]

Man this is touching. There's just so much about this that's good - the inversion of the usual idea of the price of immortality, Thad saving the man who'd infected him, the whole idea of vampirism (so often a thinly veiled metaphor for queerness) saving HIV infected queer men, Thad struggling with the temptation to use his powers for gain and still choosing not to, this line - "The tears fall this time. Eric weeps, and Thad understands. The idea of not being sick anymore is so foreign, when one has been living with the virus". Just - gah. Really good work.

[schizoauthoress_library]

Thank you very much. I like the idea of someone using what most consider a "curse" for good, and I couldn't resist it for this AU. :)