Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Now Aphmau has really done it. Her umbrella is just out of reach from her hands but she can't reach it without leaving the protection of her shadow.

Aphmau had to think fast. With the sunrise coming up her shadow was slowly drifting away from her. She blinked away any tears. ‘Those won't help you now’ she told herself trying to stay strong.

What's a little pain compared to dying she tried to tell herself but the feeling of her body melting every time she hit the sunlight was too much. She tried for what must have been the sixth time to move but just couldn't. It's as if her body wouldn't let her.

She could only stay huddled in her shrinking shadow as she stared at her umbrella just out of distance from her.
Should've listened to Zane she told herself. But, it was too late for regrets.

She lifted up her arm one last time as she closed her eyes and held her breath preparing to lose her arm.
Yet before she could move she felt a new looking shadow over her.

Aphmau slowly winked her eyes open as she slowly stared up towards piercing red eyes staring right back down at her.

Chapter Text

𝓦𝓱𝔂 𝓭𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓼𝓽 𝓸𝓷 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓬𝓻𝓲𝓯𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵 𝓵𝓪𝓶𝓫?
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*.・゜゜・༶

"Zane don't you think you're over reacting?" Aphmau said in an almost exasperated voice.

Zane shook his head in response seeming to quickly disagree with the statement.

"Aphmau. Going outside especially during the day is a safety risk I'm not affording no matter how much you ask me about it." Zane answered in that stern voice that could only make Aphmau huff out a sigh.

"Zane I understand you're worried about me. But I've been stuck here I mean- what? 100 years?" Aphmau argued.
"I can't help but feel cramped you can't blame me for that." Aphmau said as she stopped to sit down at the dining table as she looked down towards the hands in her lap upset.

It hasn't been the first time she and Zane had gotten in a fight about this but at this point Aphmau was displaying a fit about it.

Zane sighed.
"Listen... Aphmau, you know why it's dangerous. You're not like the rest of us. If the towns people we're to discover someone like you it could put our image in jeopardy." Zane said softly. Aphmau didn't respond.
She knew Zane's intentions, the O'kasis kingdom thrived off the vampire names intimidation.

In order to have the life they claimed they needed to be able to collapse fear into the townspeople around them. To be a vampire is to be as threatening as needed. But, Aphmau was simply.. not. As much as her friends could love her for who she is that doesn't change she didn't fit the criteria for the business structure.

"Aphmau.." Zane whispered reaching out to hold her hand. Aphmau gently swiped it away.

"It's okay Zane, I know." She said before giving a small smile looking upwards towards him.
"I shouldn't have bothered you about it again anyways." She said being swallowing.

Zane shaked his head. It was hard to be mad at his friend. He did feel bad internally but he was trying to take the mature route with everything and not let his feelings cloud his judgement.

"Aphmau I have to be out for a few hours to do a few things. I'll be back soon and bring back dinner." Zane said as he tucked his coat over his head.

Aphmau nodded.
"See you soon Zane." Aphmau waved him off as the door was slammed dramatically making her chuckle.

Aphmau twiddled her fingers around finding herself just bored once again.
So she did what she normally did. Starting with laps around the mansion as she spoke to herself aimlessly imagining full conversations she'd want to have with her friends that will probably never happen.

Then, she began to look through her piles of books only to put them back down knowing she already knew what happened in all of them. So she would put them back down before doing another lap and then coming back for them.

And when she found herself completely bored she fell flat onto her bed while staring at her bedroom ceiling. She narrowed her eyes as she started to thrash around in her sheets irritated.

Her huffing lasted for what seemed a few minutes before her eyes filled with small tears; not enough too fall down.
Thriving for independence made her hold grudges overtime. Yet she couldn't find herself to truly take it out on anyone. The casually small argument was one thing but to truly scream and hurl is what Aphmau desired deep down after years of thrashing in her own head.

A howl.

A howl caught Aphmau off guard from her own thoughts.
"Huh?" She said out loud to herself.

The sorrowed howling of a wolf near her continued far into the woods. She remembered Zane complaining about the towns people concerns about wolf sitings but she didn't think they'd be this close.

'Awh poor puppy, it must of been out there for awhile now.' Aphmau thought empathetically.
Maybe it was Aphmau's slow loneliness creeping in on her but... A pet didn't seem that bad right now. Although she knew that Zane would be incredibly mad at her.

'I wonder how I'm gonna be able to get away with that with Zane. ' She thought with a chuckle at the end.
'Maybe I can get Garroth help me. His dog Celestia loves other dogs! I think.. ' Aphmau was already pretty settled on the idea.

And even if the wolf decided that it didn't want to stay with Aphmau that was fine, she still wanted to help the animal. So Aphmau nodded to herself.

The sun was still coming up so it was still dark outside. With Aphmau's speed she was sure she would be able to run over and check the wolf out and help it before the sun came up.
Aphmau was excited. She always wanted to sneak out but guilt and fear always hacked at her. Internally she was happy to have been given an excuse to leave the premises.

After all she wasn't going far. Just enough to help a creature before the sunrise and then she would come back before Zane even knew she was gone. Maybe, if it goes well she can even show Zane she's responsible enough to not damage the vampire names image while still being safe.

It was settled. Aphmau looked out her bedroom window. The third floor of the premise but that was okay. Aphmau's tiny wings don't do much but at least it could give her a slow fall to not hurt herself.
So Aphmau grabbed an umbrella before she left just in case she needed it and opened her window.

Aphmau took one deep breath as she looked outside. Feeling the cool wind of the late air onto her skin.

She anchored herself up onto the window shield and held herself steady. Closing her eyes as she felt a queasy feeling come to her that she held back down her throat.

She flapped her time wings fast as she took a leap.

As fast as she leapt she drifted down onto the dirt floor and felt the softness onto her heels. She opened one eye open before looking around in astonishment. The woods were right in front her making her gulp before heading forward with both excitement and a quiet uneasiness.

The howling of the woods continued.

Chapter Text

𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓲𝓼 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*.・゜゜・༶

Aphmau glided through the woods on her feet looking around the woods in the most swift way she could. But, looking around grew swifty tiring as well.

The sun was coming up sooner then Aphmau had wanted, nor thought originally.

Her ears couldn't pick up on the sound of the animal anymore either. Which was shaking her up even more now that she didn't have the closure of helping it. Maybe it would be the better decision at this point to just turn around, even if that meant if Zane spotted her sneaking in she'd have no excuse.

Just as Aphmau was about to make a decision she heard a sound of the howl again. This time less pained but it have Aphmau the spark again to go looking again.

She held out her umbrella and brought it out over her head. Just in case if she got distracted and the sun came back up.

Through the woods she went hearing more and more sounds of the wolf. Not paying attention to her surroundings as she was heading forward she tripped over a root.

"Ah!" Aphmau said in a quick gasp before catching herself with her arms as the umbrella fell out of them. "Ow, dammit Irene." Aphmau said angerily to herself as she propped herself onto her arms a bit to take a breathe and recover.

A small whimper could be heard in front of her making Aphmau snap her head forward.

There laid the wolf.

Aphmau's eyes glazed over the animal's figure. A giant black wolf with a sleek coat who was currently growling at her.

"Hey.. Down wolf. I'm not gonna hurt you.." Aphmau said slowly as she got up to her knees trying to check out what happened to the animal.

She kept a hand in front of her safely as she shuffled herself to the side of the wolf to see what happened. Aphmau let out a soft gasp as she saw what caused the incident.

A humongous bear trap laid across the wolf's back paws.

'How did this happen?' Aphmau thought to herself as she inspected it with her eyes. Her few guesses were than it might of happened where somehow the black wolf was running and not paying close attention since even if the trap was covered it was to big for a dilligent wolf not to notice.

Aphmau lended her hands forward before being startled by a growl. "Eep!" She said quickly before looking over.

"It's okay wolf, I'll get you out of this. Please don't be scared." Aphmau said softly as she leant the back of her palm against the struggling wolfs fur and pet it slowly.

The wolfs jagged growls continued but it stopped being directed at her at least. A determined feeling overcame Aphmau as she redirected her attention back to the leg.

With all of her might Aphmau pressed down onto the springs as hard as she could.

"HARNGG" Aphmau grunted.

And with a final push in her arm muscles the bear trap came undone letting Aphmau take a sharp breath.

As Aphmau was catching herself the wolf slowly staggered up. It leaned behind itself and started to sniff at its leg.

Aphmau opened her eyes slightly through pants and smiled. "See I told you, you could trust me!" She said happily.

The wolf simply stared at her in response but it nudged at her knee which Aphmau took as a sign of appreciation she could only smile at. She reached out to pet the animal before she had to quickly retreat her hand.

"OW!" She screamed out loud startling the wolf at the burning sensation that just came to her. It felt like for that split second she just got set on fire making Aphmau extremely unsettled.

Aphmau looked up at the sky. Before she knew it the sun really had come up to soon. She got way to ahead of herself. Of course she did Aphmau thought. Before she could panic to much though the wolf quickly knocked her over with its head into the shadow of tree.

"Wait! My umbrella is still over there." Aphmau yelled out. But the wolf still only stared at her for a few minutes before speeding off. Or as quick as if could with only three legs.

Aphmau shaked. She was stuck all alone now.

Now Aphmau has really done it. Her umbrella is just out of reach from her hands but she can't reach it without leaving the protection of her shadow.

Aphmau had to think fast. With the sunrise coming up her shadow was slowly drifting away from her. She blinked away any tears. ‘Those won't help you now’ she told herself trying to stay strong.

What's a little pain compared to dying she tried to tell herself but the feeling of her body melting every time she hit the sunlight was too much. She tried for what must have been the sixth time to move but just couldn't. It's as if her body wouldn't let her.

She could only stay huddled in her shrinking shadow as she stared at her umbrella just out of distance from her.

Should've listened to Zane she told herself. But, it was too late for regrets.

She lifted up her arm one last time as she closed her eyes and held her breath preparing to lose her arm.

Yet before she could move she felt a new looking shadow over her.

Aphmau slowly winked her eyes open as she slowly stared up towards piercing red eyes staring right back down at her.

A tall giant of a werewolf with pitch black hair.

The woman only stared at her for a moment for her eyes went to black. She wrapped some sort of fabric around her face before turning to pick up the umbrella.

She looked back at her with an emotionless expression that Aphmau couldn't decipher. Still and unwavering and she handing it back to Aphmau finally who could only remain speechless at the sight.

"You come back with me now. Mate." The voice demanded.

Chapter Text

𝓔𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝓮, 𝓻𝓲𝓹 𝓶𝓮 𝓪𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*.・゜゜・༶

Aphmau looked around at the cave she was in. It was definetly weird from the living situation she was used to but, it wasn't heinous.

The cave was lived in. There was sheep bedding all around the floor and the cave had a nice scent to it and the entrance was blocked off by some kind of door to which at least meant she didn't have to worry about some sort of animal coming inside, or sunlight.

Although it still wasn't much of a situation that Aphmau was hoping to find herself in. The werewolf would leave but, it was clear to her at some point it wasn't very far .

The few times Aphmau attempted to leave she would only be able to take a few steps out before the butch would huddle her back inside the home.
It wasn't really forceful pushing but, it was still definetly pushy in its own.

Aphmau was sat sitting in the dim cave before they heard rustling. The creak if the door alerted her senses. She leaned further against the cave walls their knees bundeling up further towards her chest as the werewolf crept back into the cave. Closeing the door behind and locking out the sunlight that had been pocking through.

Aphmau held her breath as she watched the wolf stumble around for bit. The beast placed a dead animal carcus on the floor which took up the vampire's noise. Her noise wrinkled at the putent smell, she couldn't tell what the animal it was meant to be anymore. The beast had already skinned most of the skin off and taken a bite out of it to.

She shimmied away slightly from the wolf, trying to keep her guard up as much as possible.

The creature looked back at Aphmau making her jump to which it only growled slightly as she looked back to what it was doing. Aphmau looked over seeing the werewolf starting a small fire with some rocks and sticks. As the flames came up it hummed in a positive response.

The vampire awed at the flames, the lack of air in a cave would turn the fire out soon so she could only assume the beast didn't intend to keep it going for very long. Aphmau was fine with that, she didn't need to stay warm anyways, she could barely even feel the heat of the flames.

Aphmau gulped as she looked up at the beast looming on top of her.
"Uhm, so what's your name?" Aphmau asked. The vampire assumed that the werewolf didn't plan on hurting her. However, that didn't change the dogs intimidating presense. Knowing it's name could help with her nerves.

"Aaron." She huffed out. Her voice had the same gruffiness to it that Aphmau had rembered last time. But, at the same time it had a soft edge.

She nodded in response.
"I'm Aphmau." She said with a smile forming on her face as the vampire pointed at herself.

Aaron nodded back seeming pleased. Her tail wagging behind her idly.
Aaron ushered towards the carcus again then back to Aphmau.

'Must not be a creature of many words.' The bloodsucker thought to herself.

"Uhm, for me?" She asked pointing at herself to which the werewolf nodded. Aphmau cringed at the thought of eating that and put her hands outwards in a way to express discomfort.
"Thank you for the uhm, offer." She muttered tryng to stay polite. "But, I don't drink animal blood, sorry that you went out your way to get that for me." She said avoiding eye contact with the other.

She could here the beast grumble in front of her. "Spoiled thing." The butch spat.

Aphmau stayed looking away uncomfortable as her pointed ears could here the wolf shuffeling around. Only before the figure harshely grabbed her shoulders forcing Aphmau to look ahead.
The muscular figure move a hand to Aphmau's neck maintaing her to sit and slightly chocking her.

Aphmau gasped out in surprise as she watched the were bite deep into her other arm. The fangs elongated stabbed underneath the flesh releasing a strong smell into the air overcoming the other smells and into the vampire's sesnitive nose.

The bloodsucker teared up as her senses were overwhemled before a big arm was shoved into her mouth. Aphmau tasted the iron come into her mouth as the werewolf growled at her to drink.

The blood fell over her chest as she was forced to take large gulps at once. It dripped down over her lips until hitting her neck and dropping down to the middle of her chest. Once the werewolf had pulled away Aphmau had a stained face of blood.

Her senses felt dilated and dazy. The vampire felt bloated as her eyelids dropped and a sweet sensation took over her.

Before she passed out she could make out Aaron looming over her.

Chapter Text

𝓦𝓱𝔂 𝓭𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓼𝓽 𝓸𝓷 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓬𝓻𝓲𝓯𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵 𝓵𝓪𝓶𝓫?
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*.・゜゜・༶

Aphmau woke up slowly. Her eyes felt droopy as she opened them.

Yet in a way she also felt refreshed. Her body felt light around her as she got up. Her knees quacked a bit in the process but she sat her body up. She rubbed her eyes as she finally took the time to take in her surroundings. Still in the cave where she was left.

She looked over to the entrance of the cave and 'yelped.'

"Nana?" Aphmau said as she looked at the fox who was staring back at her.

The nine tailed fox giggled mischievously at the other. Her one tailed daughter Aiko stood behind her mother not being able to communicate as well as her mother.

"Finally your first time not listening to Zane I see?" Nana said although the lips on her snout remained unmoving.

Aphmau blushed flustered before making a simple nod. "It didn't go so well." She admitted.

"Oh well, such thing happen. Nothing to dwell on." Nana said casually as walked in front of the other, her tails swaying.

"The nasty mutt who was with you finally left so now I'm here to retrieve you." The mother said gesturing for Aphmau to follow her. Aiko remaining behind her mom made a squeak like noise.

"Y-yes of course." Aphmau stuttered as she patted down the hem of her skirt standing up hastily.
"You worried Zane incredulously. Even Garroth." Nana stated.

The vampire just sighed. "They seriously think their my dads I swear." Aphmau muttered as she followed the foxes out the cave.

"It won't be a crisis. I'll talk to Zane about it for you. Honestly, I'm quite surprised you didn't decide to do what you wanted sooner Aphmau."
Aphmau nodded at that. "I just don't like worrying them." She said with a sigh.

The outside now was dark again. Late in the night. Aphmau could only assume she was asleep for the day then. Which for her wasn't a big deal, this is when she was meant to be awake anyways.

"Do you think the werewolf will realize we left?" Aphmau asked.

"Only when she returns. I manipulated our area a bit, she shouldn't be able to tell we left." Nana explained.

The vampire nodded. She thought back of the previous night embarrassed. Even more so that she knew in a deep down part of her gut she enjoyed the feeling of it all. She was considering telling Nana about it but Aph knew how the kitsune got about these things. She would probably coo to much till the whole town heard about it, even Nana's dislike for dogs wouldn't stop her romantic investments.

Plus, it probably wouldn't be the best idea to say anything while Aiko was around.
So she kept her mouth shut instead. Although even while doing that it seemed like the fox had a hunch still something happened but by her aura couldn't tell what .

As they walked Aphmau thought she saw something in the corner of her eye going the opposite way but, she shook the feeling off of her since it was just a second.

As they reached further a blond muscular knight ran over to her.
"Aphmau!" The gruff voice yelled out.

His arms wrapped around the other hard and squeezed making Aphmau choke out a bit as he strained her body already wrapped by a corset.
"Garroth." Aphmau whined.

He got the hint letting go but moved his hands over to Aphmau's shoulders.
"Where were you? We were so worried?" Garroth said in a worried tone although his nerves seemed to rest seeing the woman in front of him now.

"I was only gone for a day." Aphmau said slightly peeved.

"Yes but, we didn't know where you went and no one knew where you were around the town." Garroth rebutted.

She sighed it was hard for her stay mad at her friend. Knowing he meant well.

Garroth let go of her.

"Y'know I don't agree with Zane about being so aggressive about keeping you inside all the time but, you still can't just l-leave without saying anything." Garroth pinched his forehead.
"I thought you would at least have trusted me enough to tell me you we're going to leave. I'm your knight and I don't even like to go into that forest, so many thing could've happened in there." Garroth explained exasperated. Looking closer at his eyes you could see the bags underneath.

Aphmau remained awkwardly quiet.
"You're right. I should've, I'm sorry." She stated to the point looking at him.

Garroth just shook his head. "What happens in the past stays there. Just please be more careful." Garroth begged.

She nodded simply. Whether or not the people around her mean well she didn't like the feeling coming over her of being coddled.

They left going over to the manor. Zane came out in a rush as they walked up.

"Aphmau!" His voice yelled out before rushing over to Aphmau in a similar way to his brother.
"Where we're you young lady?" He yelled.

Aph rolled her eyes. "I'm a grown woman, you make it seem like I'm a baby sometimes."

"I do not!" He rebutted but, still examined her frame anyways.
"You're all dirty."

"I'll be fine Zane, it's just clothes." She said.

"It's not just clothes you could've been seriously hur-" He started.
"I think our Aphmau might do well going out the house more." Nana interrupted now in human form suddenly. Her daughter also.

"I- what?" He stumbled.

"Aphmau has been inside most her life. I know she's the weakest of the Ro'meaves but, that doesn't mean she has to be stuffed inside all the time." Nana said charmingly making Zane stumble back a bit.

"Well I-"

"Oh Zane. Come on, she a full fletching now, there's no need to be so over-protective anymore don't you think?" She said her taller frame leaning closer into his as she brought her long nailed hands to her chest.

Yes but- Fine." Zane said in exasperated defeat as his face was in a flustered blush.

Nana and Aphmau both gleamed before he continued.

"But, she needs a bodyguard. Not. Garroth" Zane said stern.

Garroth stood surprised. "Why not me, huh?" Garroth said awkwardly pointing to himself.

"Because Garroth." Zane said putting extra pronunciation of the name.
"You're not just 'her' guard. You're the towns guard. You can't exactly follow her around all night."

Garroth deflated a bit but, rubbed the back of his head in acceptance.

"I'm okay with a guard but who if not Garroth." Aphmau asked with a tilt of her head.
"Katelynn will do fine." Zane hummed out as he began to turn around to go back into the manor.

Aphmau nodded. She could accept that.