#swapvampireverse

But when the hunter doubted Ink, Ink began to doubt himself. He's trying to figure out the difference between these two attractions, which he didn't realize was there due to his nature, whereas for Error they were on opposite sides of the galaxy. So, as an experiment, after one of his victories, the vampire refrained from biting, instead trying to focus on the caresses themselves. Making the hunter feel good not for the sake of improving the taste, but for the sake of pleasure itself. Ink wanted to find out what these actions meant for others, understand these feelings and experience them, but not in the way he usually did, and then decide for himself if it's just part of his hunger and a side effect of Error's magic, or if he also feels affection for his mortal in the traditional sense.

Speaking of Error, he didn't expect such a turn of events, slightly confused, but not in a bad way. He was already flattered by how hard the vampire was trying for him — trying to understand him — despite the fundamental, biological difference in their worldviews. Because it's not just some misunderstanding. With how closely instincts and a sense of other people’s power level are interwoven into the perception of magical creatures, it creates a much bigger and more "real" gap between their points of view than between a pair of mortals with simple differences of opinions. But that's why Ink choosing to do this meant so much.

And Error belatedly realized that he wanted more. He wanted this thing between them — whatever it actually was — to not be limited to a game of tag just for the sake of a bite at the end, but for it to be something independent of that. Usually, when he lost, the hunter just let Ink do whatever the vampire wanted with him, focusing on suppressing his pride and not resisting (which is already not an easy task in his case), but this time he felt the urge to go against his own rules and respond. To break free from his opponent's grip and return each of the gentle touches gifted to him, not to seize control, but to share his feelings even without magic.

That day, the roles of winner and loser were erased, exploring each other's bodies together and on equal terms. Taking the initiative and at the same time surrendering to — not the opponent anymore — but their partner, not fighting for the place on top, but sharing it. It was also the day of their first kiss. Error knew it was risky, but still chose to lean forward and push their teeth together.

Unfortunately, he was right to think that this was a dangerous idea. A vampire's fangs only touch something during hunting or while performing their unique magic, so any contact with them immediately triggers instincts. That's why kissing as a form of affection isn’t accepted among vampires — which, by the way, explains why Ink never tried to do it, even when he had no problems with any other caresses. He technically knows the meaning of the gesture — his castle is full of mortals, so of course he's seen kissing before — but the key word here is technically. Even if this information is stored somewhere in his skull, he doesn’t have the same immediate associations with it, where the significance of this act would be obvious. Plus, again, he wasn't interested in romance at all before Error, so his awareness of anything even tangentially related to the topic is deeply in the red.

So it all ended in another disaster, and once again, Nightmare had to become the encyclopedia of mortals and explain why the hunter did this and what he meant by it. While Error himself decided that Ink ran away from the kiss because he rejected his feelings, even though the vampire was the one who started it all in the first place. Long story short, it was one big misunderstanding, during which they both got way too close to a panic attack for comfort, until Night bumped the two idiots into each other so that they could actually properly explain themselves and agree on new boundaries. Something they should have done a long time ago, but again, they're idiots.

Either way, eventually this hitch is resolved, and their system changes again. To be clearer about their desires, they no longer mix magic exchange and dating — although both bring them pleasure, of course. And yes, this is the first time the word "dating" has actually been used. Bites and some affectionate touches are all nice and good, but you can't build a real relationship on just that, and even Ink understands this. So they set aside time to just... be in each other's company and do something together. Plus, it means that now not every meeting has to start with a battle. Even so, there aren't many kisses between them, and interestingly, Error initiates most of them because it's too easy for Ink to get carried away and lose track of what they were doing if he's the one who's kissing.

But if it's a dinner date, so to speak, then there are fewer restrictions, including deep kisses. As Ink calls it — it's a terrifying weapon. Although actually, in this AU, he has something to even the scales. Have you ever seen the tongues of bats? Google it. But even with slightly more equal conditions, he still had no experience, so the first time Error introduced him to the concept of making out, the vampire was so overwhelmed by the sensations that he almost lost control and didn't hit the brakes until his mortal could barely move from exhaustion. Afterwards, Ink immediately panicked, but when the hunter regained consciousness, it turned out that it wasn't the loss of magic that was at fault. Fainting from too much pleasure was something new to Error. And although it was a little scary to see Ink in full power again, so demanding and greedy, the hunter knew that in this case he had only himself to blame. In a way, he was greedy himself.

So they had to take a break after that and try to be even more careful in the future, looking for other ways to please each other. Fortunately, there are a lot of options. But that you'll have to imagine yourself, as it's not a topic I'm comfortable writing about, aside from alluding to it in the vaguest terms possible. I just want to emphasize that while I like vampires in general and bites in particular, it's important to me that they don't replace the characters' more traditional feelings for each other. Otherwise, we get a situation where the romance is essentially empty, held together with superficial tropes and little else, and my opinion on that should be obvious to anyone who is familiar with any of my works.

Of course it has an effect on emotions — in this case direct and undeniable — but that's why I want to separate these two ideas after I've mixed them together. Because otherwise it will turn into an act based solely on carnal desires and the manipulation that Error was so worried about, whereas I want to build a genuine relationship, just in my favorite setting. It's difficult for them because they're afraid of falling into this exact trap, but it creates an interesting conflict, and I hope (I say as if I’m not the one writing the bloody thing) they'll eventually find their own way to be together.

And then Nightmare will finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief. He has to answer the obvious questions way too often.

In one of the conversations, something suddenly made him burst out laughing — loudly, openly and honestly, without the barest hint of sarcasm or mockery behind it, for the first time since Ink had known him. It was the first time Error had lowered his emotional wall and let his guard down, allowing himself to completely succumb to this rush of delight. And it hit a part of Ink that hadn’t given him trouble in years, if not decades. He had to run away and lock himself in his room, just to avoid pouncing on Error right then and there.

This was the moment when Ink realized that he was very much screwed.

As time went on, and Error slowly got used to Ink's company, just as slowly growing happier, it became harder and harder for Ink to restrain his desire around him. This is what he wanted from the very beginning, but he understands that if he lets himself loose now, he will break the fragile trust that he has managed to build. So he starts to avoid Error a little and often turns to Dream for help, drowning everything out with his positivity, even if they both know that this isn’t the mix of emotions that he wants. And of course, such a drastic shift in behavior didn’t go unnoticed by Error, who walks in on him and Dream and eventually becomes jealous — although without realizing why, or even that this is in fact jealousy — because at this stage he doesn't yet understand his feelings for Ink and doesn't admit them even to himself.

This happens in the period of time when Error begins to stay in the castle, but they’re still fighting. It becomes something of a tradition to come to the forest every few days and challenge Ink to battle. Although they’re not exactly equal in power — it’s more of a "might versus skill" type of deal. Ink is really powerful, but he never has the goal to harm and doesn't take fights seriously, so he’s worse in battles in the usual sense of the word, but compensates for it with magical abilities and physical strength and speed.

Error, on the other hand, has many years of training and experience in real combat, since he has devoted a good chunk of his life to it, and unlike Ink, he is very much focused on the victory, and will do anything, no matter how dishonorable, if it helps him win. Despite the fact that he's a mortal, he compensates for it with honed battle skills and an impressive arsenal of weapons. His favorite one — traps made of magic strings. His gloves have special hooks-dash-claws, which, first, can help him catch himself on and hold onto even almost vertical and/or smooth surfaces, and second, he can hook strings with them and change their location and tension that way, setting up the nets even in the haste of battle. Of course, he needs to be careful not to get stuck on something (cats will confirm that a stuck claw is unpleasant), but he has his skills and his own unique fighting style for this. Oh, and he can also knit right with his hands.

In practice, it means that the outcome depends on the location, mood and luck, but for the most part they have a permanent draw — with a rare swing of advantage in one direction or another. The first time Error obviously lost, he got help in the castle and met Dream, but when he ends up at Ink’s mercy again, the hunter finds himself tied up, while the artist shamelessly paints him. Error thinks that this is a way to humiliate and mock him, and at first trashes in outrage, but then resigns, naively thinking that at least it’s better than being bitten. But then Ink begins to do this after each win, and Error slowly comes to a dreadful realization that to buy Ink off with magic would have been much, much easier…

Later, Error doesn't know what to think about Ink's "gallery", because he can't help but admit that the idiot is good at art (life is long, there's not much else to do), and he's narcissistic enough to admire portraits of himself, but the sheer number of paintings drives him insane, because it reminds him how many times he lost. As for Ink, he just wants to capture what he likes, but understands that with his pride and attitude, the hunter would never pose for him voluntarily. To make it a prize in the case of his victory was the only way to get what he wanted on "legal" grounds.

This is also embarrassing for Error because his clothes are very closed. Haphephobia plus the hazard of work — to not be bitten, it's better to keep the bones covered in at least a couple of protective layers. Error made and modified his outfit himself — the usual medieval outfits are often too loose and baggy for comfort in battle, plus the work of a mercenary is not the most reliable, so he didn't always have the money.

But when Ink made it a habit to draw him — he first disarmed him, and then partially undressed him to capture those contrasting bones he liked so much. Also, in this story it's Ink who constantly teases Error about having too much clothes (this is a Swap!AU, so… hehe), even if it's not always noticeable, as he prefers tight form-fitting fabric — as long as it doesn't interfere with movement, of course. Anyway, the point here is that for Error to be a model for another piece was doubly humiliating, because it meant being undressed without his permission. Ink didn't strip him naked — mostly stopping at the outer jacket — and he definitely didn't grope him, just stealing some looks — but nothing like this has ever happened to the hunter during any of his jobs before.

But as it becomes part of their routine and sets in as new normal, Error unwittingly begins to get used to it, no longer feeling the need to wrap up like a cabbage next to Ink. Besides, in all this time, Ink didn't make any real attempts to bite him, even if he liked to joke about it a little, and instead he was set on trying to help the hunter with his haphephobia. Here, it's not strong enough to knock Error out with a single touch — otherwise he wouldn't be able to be in his profession — and it’s not so much the fear of contact, as the fear of being injured. He avoids being close to others to avoid the potential pain, because you never know who you can trust, and whether you will be stabbed in the back. Again, the hazard of work, because the ethics of bounty hunters leave a lot to be desired, but all sorts of intrigues are had in abundance.

But the tipping point comes when Ink begins to avoid him and often hides with Dream. Error doesn't understand what he did wrong, his trust in Ink had just begun to solidify, and for the vampire to change his tune all of a sudden, when Error finally wasn’t against his company, was very strange and disorienting. Unconsciously, Error tries to find a way to get Ink's attention, but he still doesn't accept his feelings enough to just go and ask what the hell is going on. So when the first few attempts to reconnect fail, he decides to play dirty — which is nothing new for him — and shows up at the castle in a much more light and open outfit than usual (nothing obscene, and in the style of the overall setting, but by his standards it's a lot).

Needless to say, it doesn't help Ink’s attraction at all.