The sound of a cannon in the distance forced him to blink open his eyes. Alexandre had been sitting on James' bed with his arms softly wrapped around the man's shoulder as he leaned against him for the past thirty or so minutes.

"What was that sound?"

"A warning shot," James mumbled quietly, his voice slightly muffled by Alexandre's skin as his lips brushed against it. 

"Warning shot?" 

"Wallace." 

Alexandre jerked his head up, jumping to his feet in a blur before rounding on him. 

"What!" 

James looked up at him with sad, calm eyes, and shrugged.

"I am tired of running. I have lost the one thing I had brought into this bloody world to save."

What? Where is the demonic Blood Captain who had taken me hostage months ago? This man before me is tired and broken, nothing like the incredible monster that he had been...

"James..."

James' hand reached out, fingers curling slowly in a silent request for him to move closer. Alexandre could not disobey the simple request, nor did he wish to. He stepped into his arms, sighing when James pulled him into his lap and nuzzled against his neck. 

"I will not say that I am sorry about all of the human deaths I have caused."

"I know..." Alexandre whispered quietly as he wrapped his own arms gently around his neck.

"You need to go."

His eyes widened a fraction at that.

Go?

"Yes. Wallace will kill you as soon as I am dead."

"He..." 

"Do not tell me he will not. I know you are not lacking a mind, like so many others."

You're right. I know Wallace will kill me once he gets you. He made that clear many times, even if he hadn't spoken the exact words. All I was to him was a body for his bed and bait for the man in my arms.

"I do not wish to leave."

"You... want to die? Do you detest so much what I have changed you into?"

Do I? Yes, I hate what I am. I have to feed from people I grew up being taught to respect and treat with kindness. 

"I will die along with you," Alexandre said calmly. 

He knew that James was about to respond again, but the sudden sound of boots thumping onto the planks above their heads immediately drew their attention upwards.

"They are here."

"Desden."

What a nice sounding voice...

"Desden, wake up!"

The scared whisper finally brought him out of his slumber... right as a creaking sound filled the room, telling him that the door was being opened. 

Desden looked up, still half-asleep until he noticed Wallace stride in.

"Well well well. I give you one simple rule for keeping the vampire and here I see you have already broken it."

Ari squeaked and jumped out of Desden's lap, a strong chill quickly taking over with the sudden loss of his body heat.

"I-I did not unlock the chains, Captain!" 

Wallace smirked and looked down at Desden, ignoring Ari as he began to pant quietly from stress. 

"He tells the truth. They were not tight enough to hold me." 

"I see... and why is it that now that you are free, you choose to remain on my vessel when you know that it will surely lead to your death."

He was fishing out a pistol even as he spoke. Which was no surprise, considering that the man got paid per head, and he'd bet that his own, and his father's, were at the top of the list for the highest payment. 

He should have said something in response, but instead, Desden pushed himself to his feet and walked calmly over to Ari.

Sure, giving his back to Wallace was not the best of ideas, but he knew that if he wished to shoot him, he could at any time. He might have fed from Ari the previous night, but that wasn't nearly enough to bring him back up to his former strength after being shot twice. So, instead of paying the man behind him any mind, he instead wrapped his left arm around Ari's slim waist and pulled him snug against his body. Desden's right hand rose to lift his jaw ever-so-slightly, giving him the perfect angle as he leaned down and pressed his weather-worn lips to his soft ones.

"Awww, how sweet. First your father falls in love with my whore, and now you, his pathetic son, have fallen for my look-out boy."

Ari leaned back when he heard those words, a look of shock and confusion clear in the dim light of his room.

"Y-you..."

Desden's lips curved into a knowing smile. He may be the look-out, which is generally a job given to a man who was thought to be able to do nothing else but stand and stare, but a look-out was the most important job of them all. Wallace thought Ari was one of the weakest of his crew. Well, he was dead wrong.

"Desden..."

The sound of a gun being cocked rang out in the quiet bedroom, but he ignored it.

"I don't remember if I had told you before, young Ari."

Ari's breathing hitched, eyes going wide. 

"I love you." 

The sound of a cannon thundered throughout the cabin, along with a gunshot. Desden felt a sharp pain slash through the side of his head, making him immediately drop to the floor. It wasn't a fatal hit, but the sound of Wallace's boots running off let him know that he had just gotten away with his life... for now.

"Desden!"

Ari dropped to his knees, the sound of his shout reverberating painfully into his head, worsening the headache the bullet brush-wound and cannon fire had begun.

"Shh, I am okay, love."

"Don't give me that shit."

Such a foul mouth from such a sweet boy.

"I am no longer a boy, Desden."

It is becoming hard to forget that. You have definitely grown up into a very handsome man.

 Desden forced himself to slowly sit up, wincing slightly at the brush of pain in his scalp.

"You need to leave."

His eyes rose to meet Ari's worried ones. He couldn't help but smile at the fact that the lad was worried for him, but that was not something he ever wanted him to be bothered with.

"No."

"B-but Wallace will kill you!"

"I am aware."

"Then why? Why won't you leave?"

Was it so hard to see?

Desden leaned forward, pressing their lips together once more with a quiet but deep chuckle.

"Ari, you are what I want most in this world, and if I cannot have you, then for what reason should I leave?"

 The young man stammered, face heating up, much to Desden's pleasure. He knew he wished for his safety, but he cared not about such a thing. Desden wanted to share his life with the human before him. He would live out his life as he was, and he would be there until the end to love and cherish him.

"Leave with me, Ari."

The lad blinked, standing and taking a step back from sheer surprise.

"I-I, y-your father would..."

"He would leave you be. My father is no changed man, but he has fallen deeply in love with your former captain, and I am sure Alexandre will have quite a strong say in what my father does from here on."

The sound of the shouts above their heads grew in volume and Desden heard his father's infamous Blood Captain title being thrown here and there. Not being able to wait any longer, he stood and retrieved a sword from Ari's bedside and tossed him the other there.

"I will protect my father, his lover, and you. No one else has any meaning to me. Please stay here until it is safe, Ari."

"No! I know how to fight, too!"

"I do not want you getting into a fight with my father. He likely thinks that I am dead, which will lead him to murder anyone who comes close."

"Then I will fight with you..."

He could not believe the words he had just heard.

"You will be hurt!"

Ari's back straightened and he rolled his eyes at him.

"I can take care of myself, Desden."

Yes, because a young lookout can handle himself in an intense sword fight. I would not like to see the outcome of that thought.

"Stay."

"No."

"Ari!" 

"Desden!" 

They were both panting with anger and frustration, neither giving way.

"....fine! But you must stay by me! Do you understand?"

Ari grumbled but nodded, knowing that he could easily be knocked out if he didn't agree to something reasonable quickly.

"Let us go."

Desden sighed and nodded, but leaned in one last time for a hungry kiss before they turned and ran for the door.

Time to end this horror story... and Wallace's life!