"This is a lot, Kieran," Jack said quietly.

Kieran nodded, his shoulders drooping. "I would understand if—"

"No." Jack held up a hand as he cut Kieran off. "We're gonna be adults and work through this. I'm selfish enough to want this right now, so I'm not leaving because your asshole ex has boundary issues. Mine did, too, and you went above and beyond in dealing with him, and I threw you to the curb. I'm just… Yeah. We'll work through it. Somehow."

Kieran looked from Jack to the door with a doubtful grimace. "I see."

"Yeah, I don't see, either," Jack admitted. He made his way to the couch and grabbed the doorstop that sat on top of the coffee table. He did his best to ignore Kieran's gaze as he went back to the door and wedged the doorstop beneath. "If I find out you guys can turn into bats or fog or some shit, then I might have to break up with you."

He looked at Kieran with an expectant frown. To his relief, Kieran shook his head.

"Growing fangs is the only true change that I'm aware of," Kieran said. "Everything else is…internal," he added with a disgusted look as he waved his hand over his torso.

A flash of fangs much too thin for a traditional vampire flitted through Jack's mind, and he quickly looked to the floor. "I don't wanna think about that."

Kieran nodded and slowly approached Jack. He waited for Jack to look up at him before gently pulling him into a hug. "Is there anything I can do for you right now?"

Jack shook his head and wrapped his arms around Kieran's waist. "I'll get over it."

"I don't want you to simply get over it, my sweet. I want you to thrive."

"Like you? I'm seeing cracks in this whole thing you got going." He pulled back to give Kieran a hard stare. "You know that, right?"

"I do feel as though I'm thriving when I'm with you." Kieran brushed a knuckle across Jack's cheek.

The fragile smile Kieran gave Jack was the perfect reflection of his own feelings: barely holding it together and hoping no one would call him out for it. "Yeah, I'm one hell of a comparison."

"Jack…"

"Kieran." He pulled away completely and crossed his arms. His lungs froze at the feel of skin on skin. He swallowed and kept his eyes on Kieran's chest, taking in the shiny black buttons on dark blue fabric. "I freak out when I go grocery shopping if someone's in the aisle I need to be in," he said, focusing all his thoughts on his last trip to the store. "And don't take that as an excuse to do my shopping for me. I saw the box of upscale mac'n'cheese in the cupboard. I'm fine with that, 'cuz it was funny. Sam already goes food bank on my ass once in a while. I don't need it from you, too."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Very well. I'll keep it to teasing."

Jack nodded and turned away, stiffly walking to the couch and dropping down. "Thank you. I'm gonna get drunk and watch TV. Feel free to join me, but you're not stopping me."

Kieran tilted his head in acknowledgement. "I'll get you a bottle of wine."

"I've got my own," Jack said, his own being a case of wine coolers that were on sale and had weird flavors listed.

"I'll be joining you, so I'd rather pick the drink."

"Okay. Um. Thanks." Jack tucked his feet beneath him as he curled up, arranging the blankets around himself. He stared at the sight of his bare arm, scars on full display. He swallowed and pulled one of the blankets over his shoulders, wrapping it tightly around himself as he finally hid his arms away.

He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling as he listened to Kieran moving around in the kitchen. A cabinet opening and closing, the clink of glasses, and the soft pop of a cork being pulled free. Sounds that were both reassuring and discouraging.

Kieran sat on the couch and set the wine bottle and glasses on the coffee table. He glanced at Jack before pouring a generous amount in Jack's glass.

"Thanks," Jack murmured. Kieran was enabling him, and the only thing keeping him from immediately knocking back the wine like a shot was the state of his arms. He calmed his breathing and reached out for the glass, hyper aware of Kieran's presence beside him.

There was no change in breathing or movement. He glanced over to find Kieran silently flipping through the streaming options. He was thankful for the lack of attention, but it only cemented the fact that Kieran knew exactly what was going through Jack's head. Even if Kieran had seen worse, the scars were on Jack's arms and soul. He wondered if he'd ever get over it. He took a big gulp of wine and gestured to the TV.

"You got The Vampire Happening on there?" The withering stare he got in return raised his spirits. He now had the perfect idea for gag gifts, and he hoped they'd be together long enough for him to get a couple. A small dip in his stomach had him wanting to make it work.

"You cannot be serious." Kieran looked like he wanted to pout and argue as he slouched back against the couch.

"I wanna laugh at stupid vampires, and Pia Degermark is hot." A look of confusion crossed Kieran's face, and Jack rolled his eyes. "Just because I can appreciate that someone looks nice, doesn't mean I wanna fuck 'em."

Kieran nodded and turned his attention back to the screen. "I would think you're too traumatized to watch vampire movies."

Jack frowned and watched the screen as Kieran entered the movie title into the search field. "You'd think. Sometimes, yeah. But some of them don't really trigger anything. I can remember watching this a few times in the last ten years, so I think I'm good."

"Nothing with blood?"

"I mean… Yeah? No? Depends. It can't be realistic. Hammer's okay. There was a vampire movie without a vampire that had me freaked out, but that was implied shit going on in it. Lopped off limbs spurting blood everywhere doesn't bug me too much. Campy gore is fine. It's when it's…" He trailed off as his thoughts jumbled together. He'd seen someone's eye gouged out, but he couldn't recall if it had been in a movie or for real. "No, the movie wasn't right," he muttered to himself.

"My sweet?" Kieran lightly touched Jack's shoulder, interrupting Jack's thoughts.

"Sorry. I…" Jack shook his head, but it did nothing to rid him of the image. "Fuck, I know what an eye looks like. I mean. Getting pulled out. Fucked up. I'm not writing this down. I don't… No. Movie. Now. Just no."

Kieran squeezed Jack's shoulder and set about his assigned task. "Of course, sweet thing."

Jack sighed and leaned into Kieran, letting his memories float around and shift. He closed his eyes and breathed through the lingering feeling of nausea.

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