anexistingexistence

A living, breathing existential crisis

They / It // This originally was just a fandom blog, but now you have to deal with my bullshit. // Assume me to be dead if I don't post for a day, thanks.

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I Am Eating This Fic For Dinner And It's Very Delicious ( )

I am eating this fic for dinner and it's very delicious ( ˘▽˘)っ♨

Ok just one more punk progeny won't hurt~

Chapter 5: the agreement

Ftm trans Bright eyes

Tank uses they/she pronouns. Primarily 'they' but for the purpose of this fic they are occasionally referred to as the "cool step mum"

TW: smoking

Out of all the people Bright had met since turning, Tanker was the one he trusted and genuinely liked the most.

Which did suprise Sam but In retrospect, it did make a lot of sense.

They had so much in common, so much so that Tanker sometimes would refer to Bright as a "mini them".

Tank did see Bright as kinda like a step son and Bright saw Tank as like the cool step mum to Sam's grouchy step dad.

And it was because of this, the two had made a habit of hanging out whenever Bright was.....feeling bad.

It started out as them just going places together, karaoke, party's, exploring old abandoned malls, just like when it was just Bright and Fred, but eventually they started sparring and working out together.

Bright wanted to compensate for being turned by new blood and Tank wanted to let off some steam so they became gym buddies.

Then, once they were done, they would go to a clear part of the woods and sparr.

A little while ago Tank beat the crap out of him and asked "do you enjoy being a vampire?"

Obviously Bright said "no" and in response, Tank grabbed him by the hair and said

"Then stop trying to fight like one".

It was only then did Bright understand that he'd never be a strong vampire if he played by their rules, he was turned by new blood, he knew that, but maybe he could be strong

If he fought like a wolf.

Bright had learnt from Tank that vampires, wolfs and elementals all have different fighting styles but vampires specifically see their fighting style as gospel so its easy to spot there weaknesses.

So Tank agreed to train him and now he has the strength of a vampire, but the skill of a wolf.

But unfortunately that wouldn't prevent a wolf like Tanker from beating him.

Tank may have admitted that Bright is the only vampire they'd ever let beat them, but that was because they had sympathy for him not because he necessarily COULD beat Tank.

"Ow ow! OW! OK OK TIME OUT!"

"Alright, Alright, get up"

Tank let out a few chuckles as they helped him up from the hard, dry forest floor.

"OK, OK you've done good today, you wanna take a break?"

Trying to hide his breathlessness, Bright replied.

"Yeah....that sounds good"

They both sat on the floor, Tanker pulled out a canteen and gave it to Bright.

"Thanks"

He glugged down the water, it had a mild iron taste to it.

As he did, Tanker pulled out a cigarette and a lighter.

Bright noticed this and rolled his eyes.

"I still don't understand why you always do this, you don't smoke! What's the point? You're wasting a perfectly good cigarette!"

Tank just shrugged at this, they always had this same conversation basically every time they saw each other.

"I quit a while ago, but I still like the ritual of it, besides this helps me not smoke, but I know you think that that makes no sense"

"Yeah, cos it doesn't, anyway just give it to me once your done holding it"

"I thought YOU were quitting? And that you took up that push-pop looking, flavoured shit"

"Vapes, and yeah, but I propose the point of, it's not like vampires can die of lung cancer"

Now it was Tank's turn to eye roll

"Just cos somthing won't kill ya doesn't mean it isn't bad for ya"

Hearing this, Bright's mind went to what happened yesterday night.....he felt the scars brush across the fabric of his clothing.

"Y-yeah"

Tanker noticed his sudden change of tone

"OK, what's wrong, you know as well as I do that we only hang out like this if one of us has got a problem we can only share with each other, so have at it, whenever your ready"

Bright sighed and it sounded painful

"K but, I'll be needing that"

He gestured to the rolled up, tobacco filled paper that they held in their two fingers.

"Fine then"

Bright took a drag from it, then felt the confidence to tell Tank about what he did the other night wash into him.

As he explained, he pulled back his sleeve and slowly removed his glove, so as to not rub on the scars that William's healing could not fade.

Tank looked at him with a sympathetic disappointment, though they weren't disappointed in him, they were disappointed with themself for not being there to stop him.

However those thoughts were quickly pushed away by Bright as he reassured Tank that it wasn't somthing they could have stopped him from doing at the time.

He then explained what happened with William and how he had prevented him from burning himself to the bone.

"William? Why would William do something like that? I mean I'm grateful that he did obviously, and you should be too, but why him specifically?"

"Oh! I totally forgot to tell you! Sorry, I probably should have started with that"

"Tell me what?"

"Well...."

Bright took another drag then went on to explain what had been transpiring the last couple of days.

After he'd finished, Tank exasperated heavily as they took it all in.

"So he wants you as his progeny?"

Bright nodded almost sheepishly.

".....do you WANT to be his progeny?"

"......yeah....I think I do"

"Then why didn't you take up the offer right away?"

"Because I....I don't want him to regret it....I don't want him to regret ME. I like him, he's nice to me Tanker and I just....you know I've been passed around by father figures before and William has regretted every progeny he's ever had so....I don't know"

Tank understood, they probably understood better than anyone Bright knew.

"Yeah, so what are you gonna do?"

"I have no idea, I was kinda hoping you'd give me an answer?"

Bright elongated the last words of his sentence and heightened the tone of his voice, implying that what he really ment was

"pleeeessse tell me what to dooo"

Which Tank found amusing.

But would not entertain.

"Nah, sorry kid, you have to make this choice on your own, but I gotta say, what your doing now is good, your taking your time to think about it, your weighing out pros and cons and I'm proud of you for that"

Bright looked almost bashful, but he'd never allow even Tank to see that, so he turned away from them.

Tank responded to this by smiling and turning their head towards him, but he would not face them.

Then an idea struck them, the smile grew wider.

"Hey, you want me to do....the thing"

Bright's head turned just as quickly as expected.

"Y-yeah"

"Cool"

At that Bright turned away again as Tank got up and proceeded to remove layers of their clothing.

A little closer to when they had first met, Bright had confided in Tank that the closest thing he had ever gotten to therapy was an emotional support dog.

He was a bull Terrier named Spike and two months before Bright's turning, he died.

That was the first and only time Fred ever saw Bright cry.

At the time when Bright had told Tank that, they proceeded to shift into their wolf form

And Bright responded by crying for the first time since his turning.

The two huddled together for hours before falling asleep in the woods. Sam eventually found them and berated them both for being out so long but from then on, Tank would be there whenever he needed it.

It was safe to say Bright was a dog person.

Once Tank had shifted, they nudged him so he knew he could turn around.

Bright smiled as he began to stroke them. They got closer and eventually Tank found themself laying down in his crossed legs.

They were significantly larger than him but they managed and eventually

He let it all out.

Tank didn't mind that their fur was wet and smelled like salt from the tears, because they would have killed for somone to have done the same for them when they were a kid like Bright.

The closest thing Tank had to that was....him and while they may joke about Bright being like a mini them, the last think Tank wants is for him to go through what they had to to be where they are today.

This way....Tank could give him the thing they didn't have back then.

Somone they could trust and confide in.

Eventually, after the tears subsided, Bright pushed Tanker out of his lap and got up.

The cigarette he had previously held in his fingers was now burned out and on the dry forest floor, Bright stomped it out and started walking.

Tank, still in wolf form, followed along, grabbing their clothes with their muzzle along the way.

This was how I was, they would have their moment and then Bright would need some time alone, and Tank understood that, so as they walked back to the solaire mansion, Tank kept their distance.

Somthing not even his best friend could understand.

Eventually they made it back.

Bright gave one last look at Tanker before walking up the obnoxiously large hill that led to the solaire Manor.

Tank had to retreat back into the woods in order to go home to her Sam.

So he gave a limp, but filled with gratitude, wave of his hand before Tank trotted into the darkness.

As he staggered up the hill he thought about his decision for the 10000 time.

He knew what his decision was going to be.

Maybe be always knew.

He quickened his pace in order to gain momentum and eventually burst through the doors of the Manor.

Not stopping, he did what he referred to as 'zoomed' up the flights and flights of stairs

To William's office.

Once again, just as he had before

He burst in.

Slightly out of breath.

William looked more startled than before, maybe it was the storm brewing up outside or the fact that he looked like he was just on the phone.

"I'll do it....I'll be your progeny"

Before William could respond, Bright brought his finger in front of him.

"On one condition"

William smiled as he got up from his desk.

"Oh?~ and what might that be?~"

"Can you promise?"

"Promise what exactly?~"

"That you won't regret it?"

William stopped in his tracks as the smile faded from his face.

"You've regretted every progeny you've ever had, and I'm sick of being passed around from person to person, each making promises that they don't intend on keeping, so I'll be your progeny

If you can promise me that you won't regret it.

That you won't regret ME.

Can you do that?"

William thought for a moment, which to Bright, was not a good sign.

He did have a point, thought William.

He HAD regretted every progeny he had ever taken in.

However he regretted alexis because he had embarrassed himself by being a bad judge of character at the time.

He only regretted Vincent because seeing him like his own child was not only a liability but it also compelled him to bend over backwards trying to shelter him from the world that could hurt him.

There was no denying that William sees in Bright what he sees in relation to Vincent.

However he knew he couldn't shelter Bright the way he had Vincent.

Bright has already seen the parts of the world that William would have otherwise kept away from him, most likely even before his turning.

He can't protect him, but he can provide him with everything he needs when he gets hurt.

The smile returned to his face.

"Yes, I can promise you that"

Bright wasn't sure if he believed him.

And he knew damn well he didn't deserve what he was offering to him.

But.

"OK then, shake on it"

William continued in his stride across the room towards Bright.

When he was face to face with him, he shook his outstretched hand.