Lost and Found (Edward and Richard's First Meeting)

It had to be here. It had to be.

A straggled, almost skeletal looking man strode up and down the halls frantically, an agitated, wild look in his eyes. His hands flexed at his sides, unable to keep still, restless in panic as his skin turned even paler than its usual vampiric, grey hue.

His expression was constantly animated. Through anxiety, to fear, to anger. The vampire let out a snarl and lashed out, driving his foot into the wall.

"For fuck's sake!"

A hand fisted in his hair, eyes flashing.

He had to get it back. There was nowhere else it could be. Since he had arrived he had kept out of the way, stayed in his room... there was only the corridors he could have left it.

It had been with him since he was thirteen. For five-hundred-and-seventeen years he had had it. He couldn't have lost it now. Not now.

The last week, one of the main and ongoing moons he had been in was pissed off and upset. Yes, he has mellowed out and and come to terms to the situation. But that still did not stop his feelings. Worst, he was unsure on if they were aimed at Ignicio or himself.

But he tried to keep the events locked up away at the back of his mind. Not dwell on that day, or even the good ones. Instead, he just wanted to return a few books he had been reading over the last couple of days and to take out a few new ones. Then return, peacefully, back to his room.

What he did not want was to see some guy throwing a hissy fit. Right in the middle of the hall.

He did not recognise the blond vampire, so he assumed him to be new. Very new, judging by his dirty and scruffy appearance. That, or he did not know how to bathe and dress himself. But that did not mean he could go kicking holes into the wall, he really did not want to start cleaning up after him.

"Stop it." Maybe his voice was a bit too sharp - but he couldn't care less. "You're going to make a mess, and I will quite happily have you kicked out if you do."

Could he even do that?

... Although, killing the man sounds more satisfying - and stress relieving. Their was only so many pots and delicate objects he could break before it lost its appeal.

The blond smelt the scent before he turned round, his nose wrinkling in disgust. That sickly-sweet pungent stench that would cling to his nostrils for weeks. Ugh. Vampire.

He could really do without this.

"Why don't you go bleed someone dry, like the leech you are?" he snapped, whirling around.

He stalled, taking a shocked step backwards.

"...You..."

His eyes grew wider, almost maddened as he took a few steps forwards, seizing the boy by the sleeves roughly as he peered into his face, constantly moving blue eyes flickering over the young features."

"Richard?"

He felt his own blood boil at the accusation. Leech? Bleed someone dry? The thoughts alone made his skin crawl. And he had not not done so since the 1920's - slightly drunk and thirsty for blood. Mind not clear enough to to find the blood sickly sweet, or to register the person dying in from of him.

But he bit back the snarl, knuckles white. It was rich coming from another vampire.

It took everything not to back away as the taller male stalked closer, looming over him. Not as tall as some of the other people here, but still taller then himself. He could curse his family for all having late growth spurts, and being turned just before he hit it.

He bent his head and body awkwardly as he felt the man's hot breath on his face. He would of punched him if the hands were not on his sleeves. But his pride stopped him from trying to struggle free.

He could see each line and blemish clearly of the other male. But also how full his lips are, and how shocking his eyes are - a vivid blue. They took in the features of his own face. It made his uncomfortable, and he turned his head a little more to the side.

He blinked as he heard his own name.

... How?

He quickly assumed some stalker, or the other male had some psychic ability. Who knew? What he knew was that he wanted the other man off, the books returned to the library, and maybe the taller male holding the bloodied nose and the wall dent free.

"Yes?" His voice was not pleasant. A hiss through his teeth, not bothering with hiding his annoyance or forced politeness. "What do you want? And get off me."

It was. It was him.

His grip tightened on his brother's shoulders, with a desperate tenderness that was almost rough. His hands were shaking, the knuckles white.

"You're my brother." he breathed. Then his chest began to shake and he let out a howl of laughter, creasing up as it forced its way out of his bony chest. "You... you're my brother."

The laughter stopped as quickly as it had came, his body straightening up again, hand smoothing up the side of the boy's neck.

"Brother."

He pushed his lips forcefully to the younger man's, hand tugging his hair to tilt his head back, winding the soft blond locks around his hand.

His brother?

No this man was wrong. Deluded with the idea that he was the taller males brother. His own were dead. Mere skeletons crushed under the earth, or perfectly preserved in tombs.

The short laugh rattled him a little, making him shuffle back. This man was crazy. Completely insane.

He flinched at the hand of his neck. Did this man not know the word of personal boundaries?

The joints in his body froze. He was stunned still for a few moments, registering the lips pressed against his and hand threaded through his hair. He felt trapped, claustrophobic.

Books clattered on the floor as he finally began to struggle. Hands scrapping at the arms, head turning to the side to break the kiss.

"I'm not-" He struggled a little more, pushing the other vampire away, fist swinging into the side of the other man's head. "I'm not your brother!"

He was panting a little, from the struggle and out of fear, unsure on whether to bolt to his room or scream and hit the man in front of him. Either why his feet were stuck to the floor.

He clutched the patch where he had been struck, his surprised expression turning his eerily blue eyes wide, the gauntness of his cheeks more apparent as his mouth gaped open in shock.

"You would strike your own brother, Richard?"

His hand went back to clutching the boy's sleeve desperately, leaning in to whisper in his ear.

"You are my brother, after all. Look at us. We have the same colour hair, the same eyes. The same lips. I know you probably thought I was dead. But I'm not Richard. I knew I'd find you."

He struggled against the hands n his sleeves, forgetting his own enhanced strength. Instead, he fought more like a frightened child. Confused and terrified by the vampire in front of him.

But his fear turned into anger, and he brought his knee up as the felt hot air in his ear. A firm line between his brow, and only hatred for the gaunt and crazed vampire.

"I'm not your brother!"

Mere coincidence. There were many who looked the same. And he just happened to have his eyes, hair and face. Blonde and blue were not uncommon, neither was a male having full lips.

"And you're not mine. You have found the wrong person."

He did not want this brought up. He was trying to stop out what happened a week ago down deep in his mind, let alone what had happened over three-hundred years ago.

His body froze as Richard's knee hit his stomach, a small pained groan forcing its way from between his grey lips as he creased up.

He pulled back, a hurt expression flickering over his features at the sincerity of Richard's struggling, releasing his sleeve from his grasp.

"I hunted the world over for you, Dick." he murmured.

His face almost looked... childlike again. Not just hurt, but also confused. He couldn't think what he could have done to make his brother denounce him so, why Richard saw him as dead. Was he angry that he had never come for him?

Why would his own brother dismiss him?

"And this is the greeting I get?"

He gave a wry smile, and, lifting his hand, pried a ring fro his baby finger, twisting it to allow it to slip from the flesh it held tightly in a metal grasp. Pressing it into Richard's hand, he grit his teeth and strode away with a deep sigh.

Richard would see eventually. One day.

Richard had no sympathy for the other man, no matter how dejected his voice was or how hurt he looked.

He waited until he could not hear the others footsteps before he leaned against the wall. He let out a slow breath in relief, body releasing the tension from his anger and fear.

Opening his palm, he studied the ring the other male gave him. Small, detailed and delicate. A woman's ring. Very familiar, like his sisters-

No, could not be. How would this... whoever he was, get his hands on it? It must just be a similar ring. Maybe he found it in a history book or something? A replica?

He had half the mind to chuck it out of the window. Forget the scene that just took place here, and the man that came with it.

Feeling the ridges of the detail and stone - still warm from being around the other man's finger - he decided against it.

Ring in his pocket and sleeve a slightly damp after he pressed it against his face, he collected his books and turned in the opposite direction that the other male went. Back to his room, where there will be less chance of bumping into that crazed, but sad, vampire.