Jack nibbled at his cuticles before reaching over to tug on Kieran's arm, pulling him closer. After a brief moment of awkward adjustment, he managed to get Kieran between his legs and lying back against his chest.

"If you keep indulging me, you'll never be rid of me," Kieran said as he took Jack's hand and kissed it.

"Unless I walk out the door." Jack cringed and squeezed Kieran's hand in an effort to reassure him. "Sorry."

"I suppose it's best to be reminded. With any luck, I'll learn my lesson," Kieran said wryly. "It only took a few centuries."

Jack could relate—he was prone to making the same mistakes over and over. He was also capable of making brand new ones. Before he could come up with anything remotely reassuring for either of them, Kieran continued.

"I thought I'd finally learned my lesson before I met you. A nice little treat that happened to cross my path. But then I had to work for it, so I took it as a sign that it wasn't meant to be." Kieran lazily traced his fingers over Jack's leg. "And then you surprised me."

"Uh, yeah. I kinda come with conflicting signage. Believe me, it's just as bad being me and dealing with it." Jack was thankful there was no direct mention of how he'd hidden behind a counter before getting his shit together for five minutes. He was such an embarrassing mess.

Kieran shrugged. "I find it endearing." He reached up and caressed Jack's cheek. "Perhaps too endearing. I fell in love, and I had to rely on that stupid ghost to let me in more times than I'd like to admit."

Jack leaned into the touch as he smiled. "You lock yourself out more when you're in love?"

"I was distracted." Kieran's complaint lost some of its defensiveness with his drowsy slurring. "Planning how to keep you around and not chase you off took a considerable amount of thought."

Jack wished he could be as eloquent when drunk. "You were kinda pushy, but it got me off my ass." He was grateful and resentful, and the feelings drew out a confused smile.

"My eagerness," Kieran murmured. "I just want people to like me and not leave."

"I like you," Jack replied. Then he remembered their breakup and clenched his eyes shut. "I, uh, kinda left, but that was because of other shit out of your control, so it doesn't really count?"

Kieran took Jack's hand in his and ran his lips along the knuckles as he hummed in agreement. "You did start speaking to me again rather quickly."

"A couple months is quick?" It had been agonizingly long for Jack.

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"For me?"

"Right."

They fell into silence, and Jack lightly ran his fingers through Kieran's hair as he watched the TV. Men and women in furred leotards danced across a stage, singing about what Jack always thought was supposed to be a Maine Coone.

"How long are you planning to stay?" Kieran asked quietly, resigned.

With a thick swallow, Jack rested his arms across Kieran's chest in a light hug. "Until you kick me out? I li— love you. I like it here. Even with the ghosts hanging around."

"There's only the one," Kieran replied as he patted Jack's arm reassuringly.

"And a half, apparently?" Jack said under his breath. He tapped Kieran's chest. "Tommy?"

Kieran groaned in annoyance. "Oh, Thomas. Ever the nuisance. In the morning, my sweet. I'll deal with that utter annoyance in the morning," he promised.

"I'll take annoying over…" Jack broke off with a huff. Again, he reminded himself, he needed to reevaluate his life and how he had a sliding scale for vampires and kidnappers. It was bad enough that he apparently had a vampire habit, he really didn't want to add regular kidnappings into the mix. "I'll take it over the bullshit I'm used to."

Kieran softly hummed as he listlessly nodded.

"But, uh, he should be easy to deal with? I hope?" Jack looked down for reassurance, but Kieran's eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow and deep. He lightly rubbed Kieran's chest and kissed his head.

Kieran's lips were parted just enough to show a peek of his teeth. From where Jack sat, he could see two slim bits of translucent white framing Kieran's central incisors. He swallowed and quickly looked away.

He could barely recall the first time Farragut's pointy fangs had pressed into his wrist. There hadn't been any numbness. Just desperate pin pricks. It had been nothing like when Kieran had thought to help himself. He scratched at his neck as he tried to remember the differences.

Mixed in with the fuzziness, Kieran had been full of wonderful promises and affection. When Jack freaked out, he gave up and let go of his control, covering his ass in both the best and worst way.

With Farragut, there had been an overwhelming sense of if he moved, then it would hurt more. It would be worse. Always a threat. Always afraid. Numbness was a reward he rarely earned.

Jack looked down again and tried to angle his head to get a better look. The tips of Kieran's fangs were almost in line with the rest of his teeth. Thin, fragile, and not at all threatening. And certainly not fully extended. With a lurch in his stomach, the image of much longer fangs filled his mind. Long, vicious, and capable of tearing skin if he flinched away.

He risked a look at his right arm, pulling up the sleeve to reveal a pair of slim, dragging scars across his wrist. He was pretty sure it hurt like hell when it happened. He could remember a hand clamping down on his wrist as a reminder to stay put while Farragut chitchatted away with someone while at a club.

If he'd had his wits about him, he would have been able to run away and get lost in the crowd.

Jack dropped his arm with a heavy sigh. There was no point in dwelling on a past he could barely remember. It didn't stop him from pulling out his phone and making a note.

He looked down at Kieran before holding his phone out at arm's length and taking a selfie. His finger hovered over the delete button. He breathed in deeply and reminded himself of Farragut's headless corpse. He backed out and went about setting the picture as the background. Now he only needed something for his lock screen.

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