The laptop bag had all of Jack's essentials: keys to an apartment he wasn't currently using, a taser he'd successfully used, creamsicle body spray, phone, wallet, and, of course, his laptop. Even if he'd forgotten to charge the laptop, his life was mostly together.

He made his way down the stairs and paused at the landing. He gnawed at a particularly bad hangnail as he edged along the wall. He had to remind himself that no one really died at the foot of the stairs. He couldn't let Augie keep him from living his life.

He bit down hard and ripped off the hangnail with his teeth and winced at the extra pain. Pulling his thumb away, he watched as blood steadily gathered along his cuticle. He still didn't get the appeal, but maybe he could get some sort of answer.

As he rounded the corner and entered the store, he glanced at Kieran, buried in a book behind the register. Looking back at his thumb, he licked his lips. He could shove it back in his mouth, clean it up, and ask what the deal was with blood and vampires, or he could tempt fate.

Silently, he made his way to Kieran then thrust his hand between them. "Do you want this?"

Kieran slowly looked up, wary and tense. "Is this a test?"

Candace's words rang out. That stupid Devil was about vices and addiction. Was a small taste really enough to get Kieran hooked past the point of no return? He should take himself and his bleeding thumb somewhere else and find a bandaid. He wanted to believe Candace's opinion that the card wasn't about Kieran, but he didn't want to admit to her witchy status.

"No? I don't think so. Just tell me what it tastes like." Blood was beginning to seep beneath his nail. He'd done quite the number on his thumb and only then realized just how gross the whole situation was. But was it gross to a vampire? It had to be like kissing extra whip cream off someone's cheek, and he now had a new desire firmly planted in the back of his mind.

Kieran held eye contact as he gently took Jack's hand in his.

Lips wrapped around Jack's thumb, and he looked away as he tried not to focus on Kieran's tongue and light sucking. He'd just made things weird. Their relationship was already fragile and unsteady, and he had to go and be a weirdo. He swallowed and breathed in sharply when something hard lightly slid across his skin at a downward angle.

Kieran pulled away and kissed Jack's knuckles. "It tastes like blood."

"Oh, fuck you!" Jack deflated under Kieran's lopsided grin. "Fine. Blood tastes like blood. Why's it got you guys so eager to get a piece of me?" He examined his thumb for any extra scratches, and everything was as it should be: ragged, chewed, and raw from picking at it.

And slightly damp. He wiped it along his pants and gripped his bag strap with both hands. His moment of truth had been dashed, and he was stupid for thinking anything awful was going to happen. He was thankful, if a little disappointed, and he hoped it didn't show.

"It has a sweet undertone. Nothing overpowering, but it's," Kieran shook his head in thought, "more flavorful than normal blood. It's more filling, but it can be addictive. I suppose it would be similar to our kiss this morning?"

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"Top shelf blood. Do people like me charge? If they know? Like, make a living off selling blood bags or something?" Jack couldn't imagine it. Sitting around with his neck or arm out, some stranger's teeth deep in his veins, sucking away his life for a few bucks.

"It's not unheard of," Kieran said after a few moments of silence.

"I'm not gonna go out and sell my blood," Jack quickly said in distaste. "Wait. Am I being a cock tease? Sorry. Um… If I ever start bleeding, you can have it? Except a bloody nose. That's too weird. What's that look for?"

Kieran's chin rested on his knuckles as he leaned slightly to the side. One side of his mouth sat higher than the other. "Please forgive me, but there is a part of me that hopes you're clumsy with knives."

"Sorry to disappoint, but I can chop vegetables without hurting myself."

"A pity."

"This, uh…" Jack lifted his hand and splayed his fingers, letting Kieran see just how bad his cuticles were. He kept his eyes on the book that rested by Kieran's elbow. "This happens enough, though."

"You shouldn't feel obligated to use it as a reward or payment."

Jack frowned and raised his eyes to meet Kieran's. He scoffed when Kieran gave in and looked away. "Did… Did you rehearse that?"

Kieran shrugged and picked up his book. "I've been known to be highly motivated with the proper reward. And sometimes with the belief I would be rewarded." He glanced back up at Jack. "My current perceived reward is your presence, not your blood."

Jack shifted his weight from one leg to the other, ideas popping up. Kieran was lucky he was too anxious to be shitty enough to abuse the new knowledge, but it could be used for Kieran's benefit. "So what can I dangle in front of you to completely kick Augie to the curb?"

"That I would not have to be alone to do it," Kieran mullishly muttered.

"Okay. I can do that." The idea of being present for that awkward conversation didn't thrill Jack, but it was a sacrifice he'd be willing to make.

Kieran glanced up then back to his book. "And that anything that would come to light would be free from judgment," he added, voice still quiet.

"Well, that's not ominous," Jack said under his breath.

"I aim to please." Kieran's smile wobbled before he let it drop.

Jack grimaced at what promised to be a double entendre. "Right, I'm gonna go take a break from filing cabinets and be at the library. I'll be back after five? Ish? It depends on how long Benoit kidnaps me."

"I'm sure she'd be more than thrilled for you to refer to her as Colette."

"She's too fancy for a first name."

"Suit yourself. I can pick you up when you've been released. We can grab dinner on the way back," Kieran offered.

"I'll be fine." Jack shook his head and turned to leave. He nearly tripped to avoid running into Lindsey's shadow and took a few steps back. "H-hi."

She shifted into something more opaque and grinned, bouncing in excitement. "I found us a movie! New Year's Day, just before noon. Does that work? Or will you be too hung over?"

"Uh, I can plan for a movie." No one had invited him to anything yet, and his holiday plans usually bounced between Tara's family and Sam's family. He'd heard whispers of a larger gathering between the two, and he was going to try to lose the invitation or conveniently do worse and zone out. Having an excuse to avoid New Year's Eve was a godsend. "What is it?"

"Mei in May. It's a romantic comedy with lesbians. It looks so cute." Lindsey twirled her hair as she stared up at Jack with wide eyes. She batted them for extra measure.

"And they don't die in the end?" Kieran said with a disbelieving scoff. "My, how times have changed."

"Well, it is an independent film," Lindsey mumbled in admission.

image [https://i.imgur.com/eZY0YUq.png]