deercountry | ( the dog days are over )

Injuries don't expire, Katherine. That doesn't expire.

( he looks up at her and that pulls at his back. he winces and even groans before he settles back down, shaking his head. )

Nothing about this place is safe.

Except here on my boobs.

[ remember your place, stefan.

she brushes her fingers through his hair before gliding her hand down to his upper back, digging her fingers in lightly. he's definitely not going home any time soon. ]

And it's expired. I'm older, wiser, and what I say goes.

You can say that but I'm not going to be agreeing.

( so there. he's always going to worry about her going out to any store on her own. )

I'm tired of this place, Katherine. It's going to take forever to heal as a human.

Did you want some blood?

[ she's been hesitant in offering it to him. she doesn't like using vampire blood as a fix for everything. sometimes, the body was stronger when it healed by itself. she also doesn't wish to risk stefan in case there are any side effects they're not in the know of.

but it's the only thing she knows she can do that will make him feel better. her vileblood status hadn't seemed to do all too much. ]

( he does but he doesn't. he's not sure he should try that with his human physiology because what if it messes him up since he'd been a vampire once before?

but he also desperately wants to feel better. he doesn't want to be in this hospital anymore. )

We could try a little and see what happens.

Okay.

[ katherine sighs quietly. she doesn't particularly want stefan to move, but he's going to need to sit up for this one if he doesn't want to choke. ]

You're going to need to sit up. I'm going to need to sit up.

Okay.

( sitting up is not easy, not with the condition of his back but he does it in the hopes that her blood might help him. he swallows a few times and leans heavily on one of his arms when he's finally in a sitting position. )

This good?

[ when katherine pulls herself up to rest against the very unfun headboard, she loops her arm around his middle to pull him back against her. she's old and strong; she can take on the weight of his muscle. ]

Good now.

[ she keeps her arm around him as she draws her other one to her mouth. with her fangs protruding, she pierces the skin of her wrist. she holds it out for stefan. ]

( stefan doesn't stop her from pulling and positioning him even if leaning against her hurts the burns on his back. he has to take several quick breaths to get through the pain but it does fade as he hears her take a bite out of her wrist.

he swallows when her bloody wrist appears in front of him. he wants to hope this works, that it helps heal him a bit.

so, he leans forward and takes her wrist gingerly in his hand before he starts to drink her blood. )

Take it easy, Stefan.

[ this isn't them having sex and deciding to drink from one another. she wants his shirt to remain as pristine as possible so they can hightail out of here when this works. because there's no case of "if" it works. it'll work. her blood is strong and stefan's strong, even if he's currently at his weakest right now.

katherine's fangs remain on display, her eyes dark pools of black. she does her best to ignore the thumping of his heart. she can be in control even when she feels out of it, even when she's out of her mind with worry. her hunger for him is for him to be better, not to tear him apart. ]

( stefan takes her advice and doesn't try and drink too much, too fast. he taste of blood is familiar to him but it still hits differently when he's a human. he takes just a little bit and then eases back, waiting. )

You can see my back, Katherine. I can't.

( he doesn't feel a change right now but maybe it'll take some time to work. maybe he just has to wait. )

Is it working?

[ she inhales a little loudly through her nose as she tries to lean back. given that everything's now at full capacity, she'd hope that her blood would be working immediately and he'd feel it. but she does as he asks... or tries to. it's a little hard to peer at his back when he's leaning against her. ]

You're going to have to lean forward so I can see.

Right, fine. Hang on.

( he's tired, katherine, stop making him move. but, he does sit up, leaning forward so she can get a look at his back. )

What it's look like?

[ with one hand resting against his shoulder, she gently tugs his shirt up from his lower back. his skin's still mottled and looking a little worse for wear, but she thinks she can see it lessen in intensity. ]

How does it feel? It looks less… ugly. Sorry.

[ there's no other way to concisely describe it! ]

Less ugly.

( he can't help it, he laughs. but, he does feel some lessening of the pain. it's a throb but no longer an intense, throbbing roar which is good. )

I think it's working. Maybe I could try some more?

( since it's not having an adverse effect on him that they can see. )

Hm.

[ that's a reluctant hum. while he may be human and while she trusts him implicitly, katherine hasn't forgotten that this is stefan salvatore. he has a difficult time with blood on good days. she's not quite sure what the effect will be when he's human and devouring too much of it. ]

Just a little more. You don't want to overdo it.

[ she lifts her wrist up to him, an invitation for him to take it. ]

I don't think the bloodlust is still...a thing while I'm like this.

( but it's good to exercise caution. so, he does, leaning forward and licking at her wrist before he sucks a little more blood into his mouth. he waits for a moment and then stops, nodding. )

Any less ugly?

[ she sighs quietly. it's... nice to be fed on and to feed someone. it's definitely not news to her, all things considered about their rather kinky relationship, but it's still a bit of a revelation to know she doesn't mind it with him being all mortalised.

she withdraws her wrist and leans back to peel his shirt up. it's still an ugly mess of skin, but she can see it smoothening out. ]

A little better. I think you're going to need to be patient and let my blood work its way through whatever's left of that venom.

( he could definitely be patient but does he want to be? no. he wants this blood to fix him so he can go home. he sighs and then leans back against her. )

Is it enough for you to let me leave this place?

( does he sound hopeful? well, that's because he is. )

[ this time when katherine hums, it's long and loud and thoughtful. she'd like to go home, too. she'd prefer he recuperate at home. it's safer and more comfortable there, and she's begun to trust herself in taking care of him.

gently encouraging him to sit back against her, she wraps her arms around his middle. ]

How are you feeling? And don't think about lying—I'll be able to tell.

I don't feel...great but I don't feel as bad as I did either.

( which is an improvement. he doesn't know if that's from her or from the blood ministers but still. he sighs and closes his eyes. )

But I think I'm good to go home. I can sit in bed there. And if I'm healing, I can just take more blood later. Tomorrow or something.

[ she doesn't answer him immediately. katherine wants him to stay here and get better, to heal up and rest up until he's bouncing off the walls and appearing as energetic as he's typically not. but she wants to go home, and she knows he'd rest up better there. ]

If you're in any pain, you're to tell me immediately.

[ she narrows her eyes and regards the top of his fluffy hair sharply. she holds her hand up, pinky thrust out. ]

Promise?

( oh, the vaunted pinky swear. he nods and reaches to twist his pinky around hers. )

I promise.

( and he would definitely try and keep to that promise. )

I will stay in bed when we get home and rest. I promise that too.

Good.

[ she shakes his pinky a little harder than intended. letting it go, she wraps her arms around him once more and kisses the back of his head. lingering there, she lets out a small breath. she knows he's eager to leave, but katherine just wants to stay still for one moment.

against his hair, she murmurs, ] You're not going to the bakery ever again.

Not going alone or not going ever?

( he wonders if this was worse for her than when his father had shot him but he's not going to ask. they don't need to dredge up those memories.

he sighs and rests his hands on top of her arms, rubbing them gently. )

I'm all right.

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