"How are you feeling?" Kieran asked as he stroked Jack's hair.

Jack looked down and stared at the pile of blankets sitting beside him. How was he feeling? Fine, considering his life and how messed up it was. At least he was free to roam and go on dates with idiots without being threatened. Free to leave his crap spread across Kieran's couch and floor. He didn't even feel too bad about Kieran seeing the disaster the couch had become in just a few hours of restlessness.

"Okay enough, I guess." He met Kieran's eyes again as he watched Kieran sit down next to him. He turned and leaned his side against the back of the couch. "So are you gonna tell me all about how sleepy I'm getting?"

"Nothing of the sort," Kieran replied with a small laugh. "I can, however, encourage you to relax even more if you'd like."

Relaxing would be nice. He didn't like being so high strung all the time. "I like relaxing. And cuddling."

"As do I. I enjoy feeling the presence of another beside me. I find it helps." Kieran lightly traced a finger up and down Jack's arm.

Jack could think of several things that would be more manageable with a warm body sitting next to him. And with how many years Kieran had stacked up behind him, he couldn't even begin to imagine what sort of demons Kieran was trying to keep at bay. The feel of Kieran's finger slowly running up and down his bare arm reminded Jack that he forgot to throw on a sweatshirt. It was a soft touch with no judgment, no hesitation. It was like his experience with Sam's cat: friendly and little pointy.

"Yeah. Even stupid cats make me feel better," he said as he smiled to himself. His eyes tracked along Kieran's arm to his shoulders and chest. Kieran looked more comfortable than a cat. He could curl up right next to Kieran, and they could both take comfort in each other's company. They were dating. He was pretty sure that was what normal couples did. He was allowed to cuddle with his boyfriend. He scooted closer and sighed happily as an arm wrapped around his shoulders.

He did it. He made a move of some sort and wasn't called clingy or stupid.

"You may do this whenever you like," Kieran whispered into Jack's hair.

"I don't wanna come off as clingy." There was a memory sitting just on the edge, but Jack was too comfortable to grab his phone and make a note. "Remind me later that I'm not a clingy drama queen."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Believe me, my sweet, I'm the clingy one."

He had yet to see solid proof of Keiran's clinginess. "Didn't fight for me when we broke up. Like, nothing. That hurt." A trace of panic and regret went through him and swiftly disappeared.

"I felt as though you needed your space. You seemed adamant."

"Still coulda made an excuse to buy me a goodbye lunch. Instead of a break up fuck," Jack said as he looked up to meet Kieran's eyes. There was enough of a look of doubt there that he wondered if he got it wrong. It was his understanding that parting gestures were normal, but as he thought more about it, a clean break was probably the way to go.

He frowned as he wondered how and why people would go at it one more time if they weren't any good together. "Fucking someone you can't stand anymore… God, that is so fucking sick."

Kieran laughed and kissed the shell of Jack's ear. "Then, perhaps, my erring on the side of caution was for the best? I would not wish to taint a favorite location with bad memories."

Jack nodded and shied away when Kieran's kisses began edging toward his neck. Thankfully, Kieran easily backed off. No licking, no repeat of the time Kieran tried to get a quick taste.

He didn't feel the normal tightness associated with going over a past mistake, and he liked the lack of feeling. A lack of feeling that he wasn't familiar with.

Fingers were in his hair, gently massaging his scalp, and he slowly breathed out as he pressed against Kieran. He did his best not to fight against the foggy feeling at the edges of his mind. It was like drifting in and out of a really good dream, and he wanted to keep it that way. "This is nice. Is this you just lightly doing it?"

"No, you're fully under, my sweet. Since the moment you made eye contact in the hall."

He hadn't noticed, but it wasn't as startling a revelation this time around. Since he'd been hoping for it, he could give into the cloying comfort that surrounded him. He doubted that Kieran would fuck him over while he was under. If people like himself made money off their blood, then did vampires make money off getting people high? "You guys could so sell this."

"Perhaps," Kieran agreed. "But few are willing to put in the effort to properly bring a thrall in and out of influence. Antiques and such are easier. I need only be a hoarder and wait long enough."

Jack lifted his head to look at Kieran's face. For once, the thought of Kieran's prolonged existence didn't cause a frantic dip behind his sternum. He could appreciate how Kieran found a way to survive and thrive through the ages. Almost everything appreciated in value given the right amount of time, and Kieran had the time to sit on random crap for a hundred years. "That's smart. You're so smart. I love that."

There was a lot to Kieran for Jack to love. His looks might have initially warmed Jack up to seeing past his creepy vibe, but there was something to be said about his brand of thoughtfulness and persistence. The way he would back off and let Jack choose how fast their relationship went was a nice little push.

"I think I love you."

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