Break & Kidnap [Kaspar]

[Adley Reed]

A D L E Y
The Hive was buzzing – literally. But Adley had run out of photos to process. He’d run out of idea of things to shoot, and he had no clients needing things done. There were no appointments. There were no weapons to work on or improve. Indigo was busy doing Indigo things and Adley found himself out on the streets twiddling his thumbs. The black jumper he wore was barely thick enough to keep out the cold, but the vampire didn’t feel the cold and it didn’t cross his mind to put on an extra layer. There was one kindly old lady who approached him and asked if he was okay – he supposed that gaunt, Necromancer look was enough to gain him sympathy. He considered going along with the story, telling her he had some rare form of incurable cancer but, it was at that point he realised what street he was on, and where it eventually led. And who lived on the road that said street led toward. He easily excused himself from the elderly patron’s concern and trotted down the road that took him to Kaspar’s front door.

The invite inside had already been issued; no magical barrier kept Adley from getting in. The front door was locked but there was a window around the side that was easily jimmied and slid open. The Necromancer was as graceful as a shadow as he slid inside, closing the window against the chilled wind as he did so. Quiet as the night he stealthily made his way through, meandering around the house until he found the room with the bed that held the head of blonde hair. Kaspar. In with Grey. Of course. Adley crouched down beside the bed and shoved lightly at his friend’s shoulder.

“Kas. Kasper. Wake up. I’m bored,” he said, his tone hushed to begin with. “Kas,” he said again, this time a little louder – though still, he hoped, not loud enough to wake up the partner.


K A S P A R
It was early when the household had turned in, outside of their normal schedule for certain but they had all been busy and decided to spend some time in with the family. Sig and Will had gone first, leaving Grey and Kas to entertain themselves in whatever ways they wished. It had lead to them curled up in bed, falling asleep in a tangle of limbs. No doubt it was to be a short nap, in fact they'd probably been dozing for just under two hours when he felt a cold hand shaking his shoulder. The man beside him stirred slightly when he sat up, narrowing his eyes in the dark upon the visage of the necromancer. "Fick..." He hissed, swinging his legs over the bed and pushing at the man as he stood to usher the man from the room before Grey woke to find Adley in the bedroom. "Aus!" Kaspar

Kaspar's move to stand had the sheet sliding away from his frame, leaving him naked and angry as he pushed Adley back into the hallway. The dogs had luckily fallen asleep on the floor of Will's room, Stoker ever the guard dog would probably have a field day chasing Adley around and no doubt get himself injured for the effort. "What are you doing, Arschloch?"


A D L E Y
The temptation to slap Kaspar's naked *** was near impossible to resist, but resist Adley did. Just. The laughter that bubbled -- not whispered but almost robust -- could not be resisted, however. Even when out in the hallway, he leaned idly against the wall and shrugged his shoulders, as if nothing were amiss and they were both just hanging out in a house they shared. Adley had no qualms making any space his own. "I'm bored. Found myself on this road by coincidence. Thought I'd swing by. Such a grandpa for a professed rockstar! Asleep already, Kas. I'm shocked," he said. Or had they all just not gotten out of bed yet? "Come do something with me. Anything. Don't care what..." It wasn't issued as a question, or a request, regardless of how the sentence was structured.


K A S P A R
His arms folded across his chest, eyes maintaining their narrowed position as he closely watched the man with an expression that seemed to be querying whether he were mad. "You know Grey would probably kill you for you sneaking in, and what is the important is that he could achieve this. Do you want to be more dead, Arschloch?" He snapped, seeming to notice the man's eyes and glance down at himself, giving a vaguely disapproving tsk. "Ja, I am old and boring I know. He tired me out, we were having a nap. I was supposed to get some more work done, I agreed not to go into the studio tonight but were going to get through some of the profiles sent... Wait, why are you HERE? Why are you not playing with Indigo?"


A D L E Y
"Uhuh, you keep thinking he could kill me. He could try," he said with a gleaming grin, barely phased. He zoned out part way through the explanation; he wasn't really in the mood to hear about Kaspar playing house. The past was the past and Adley was over it, but he compartmentalised like a champion. "It's not my fault he's a jealous cad. Just means he's got something to worry about, ja?" he said, mocking Kaspar's accent. "Indigo is busy. Another art thing I didn't feel like going to. I came to bother you instead. C'mon, man. It's been too long. Let's go out. Let's go do something," he repeated. Did he really have to keep trying to convince Kas? "Come with, or I'll go in there and jump in bed and curl up beside Grey," he said, grin broader, waggling his eyebrows.


K A S P A R
He made a sound, somewhere between a groan and a choked laugh, the corners of his lips quirking in amusement at the attempted mocking and easily summoned threats. "How long have you been hoping to get in to bed with my boyfriend, hm? Honestly I do not think he will approve, and I am the one who would have to suffer for it." Hel let a sigh slip passed his lips, one that screamed of resignation and the following statement only confirmed that he had in fact decided it easier to just go along with the man. "Fine, if it will stop you waking the whole house then I will come. Let me get dressed and leave a note, as perfect as my *** is I do not want to be arrested for baring it in public." True to his word he slipped back into the bedroom, picking his head out to pin him with a stare that he hoped conveyed not to move an inch until he returned.

Inside the bedroom he quickly found a pair of pants to tug on, slim fit black jeans worn to a dark grey with holes in the knees. Next came an oversized black and white striped sweater, the sleeves so long they managed to cover almost to his knuckles upon which he pressed a few more rings. The last items to go on were a pair of chunky boots, a floppy black beanie and one of his favourite leather jackets. The note was succinct, explaining he'd popped out with Adley and could easily be gotten hold of on his phone were he needed and instructions for Grey to breathe deep before tearing it up.

He took one last, longing look at the slumbering frame on the bed, he'd managing to curl himself further around the blankets, hand resting where Kaspar's chest had been only moments before. On the other side of the door Adley waited, and Kaspar moved to join him. "Ok, I am dressed. Where am I going?"


A D L E Y
Kaspar knew Adley. How long had he been hoping to jump into bed with Grey? Well, he hadn't been hoping for it but he never would have said no to it. Still wouldn't, if the opportunity arose. He wished that he could saunter into that bedroom after Kaspar and just smooth it all out, convince Grey it wasn't so bad. But too much had changed. Didn't matter. Adley was confident in the hold he still had on his old friend; they didn't have to have physical contact to remain intimate, and clearly the other man's jealousy only boosted Adley's ego. He waited where he stood, glancing left and right, taking in the hallway and the house around him. Such a white picket place. Not really Adley's style. But if it made Kaspar happy, then it was perfect. As soon as Kaspar was out in the hallway again, Adley refrained from making any comments about that heavy ball chained to Kaspar's ankle. It wasn't worth it. Instead, he shrugged. "I don't know, man. We'll walk and crash whatever place we stumble across. There's this... hookah place I never did try yet. Might be better than a bar. I should be able to smoke still, right?" he said, glancing over his shoulder with a wink as he made a beeline from the front door -- the escape.


K A S P A R
It was strange in a way to see Adley in his home, for that's what this house had become over the short time his little family had occupied it. They'd painted and redecorated, dedicated rooms to hobbies and made the bedrooms places they wanted to be. The vibe of the place was for the most part welcoming, it was clean without being coming off as too sterile, like you were still welcome to sink into the plush soft leather lounges and listen to the records that lined the wall in one of the living areas. It was large, there was no denying that, but with their furniture and the family installed it no longer felt as overwhelming as when Grey had first brought him here. "Hookah bah? In Bullwood?" He perked up, he'd popped in there to pick up something and had been surprised at the environment, in fact just a few days prior he'd been telling Grey about how he wanted to drag him there for a night out. "I'm in. Well, you know what i've told you before Adley... " He trailed off to let the suspense build, brows raising. "As long as you don't swallow." With that he shoved by the man, taking the lead so that he could open and subsequently lock the door behind them with a symbolic turn of the key.


A D L E Y
Adley scoffed. The chill air greeted them and Adley greeted it in return, sucking in a welcome breath, opening his lungs to the crispness. "Swallowing would be such a pleasure, though," he said. He even affected a believable frown. He waited for Kaspar to lock up before heading back to the street, a veritable spring in his step. No longer bored, he was a happy man. He nudged at Kaspar with his elbow, grin still stretching his full lips. "Y'know, something like eggnog. That'd be... mmm, so sweet to swallow. The texture. I miss that texture. Warmed eggnog on a cold, cold night," he said. He had no idea where he was going with this, so he just laughed. "Yeah, the place in Bullwood. It looks neat," he said.


K A S P A R
He managed to have a very disaffected looking on his face for the most part as they walked, Adley clearly quite chipped beside him, jostling and joking. Was he joking? Not completely, Kaspar decided, about being able to swallow and ingest things no, about the particular substance he was alluding to? Yes. Kaspar knew full well that Adley had stepped into a new realm with him, what had started as his teasing and getting under the man's skin, irritating him and the pair having little spats ended up in a night of exploration. A new world, unlocked by him and boy, he thought, should Adley consider himself lucky. "I mean I could take it or leave it, but if it is offered then I of course will show my gratitude by swallowing what I get." He managed to keep a straight face for a count of five before his mouth twisted into a look of smug amusement.


A D L E Y
Adley's smile was infectious. Wandering along beside the radiant Kaspar, he barely got any concerned looks from those they passed once they got within the city limits. These discussions were always welcome, whether entirely serious or not. After a few rounds of hookah and a laugh or ten, maybe Adley could make his offers and expect Kaspar's gratitude. Either that, or Adley could do some swallowing that wouldn't cause him to hurl his guts all over the pavement. Maybe both. All suggestions to be made near the end of the night rather than the beginning of it. "So what's new? Anything? Nothing? Got any new music?" he asked. Adley could do serious, too. When he wanted to.


K A S P A R
Hel made a non-committal sound, shoulders hitching in a shrug that really didn't lend much more of a clue to his mood. "New? Mmm, I am not sure what I have told you." He admitted, trying for a moment to recollect some of their text discussions. There had not been too many, especially since he had given his phone up for most of the trip so he was not tempted to do work or accept calls. Grey fielded them for the most part, keeping an eye on things to appease him so he could try and relax. "Well, we were away. It was... Interesting. It was good." His thumbs had taken up one of his idle habits, pushing at the rings he wore on his ring fingers to twist them in rough circles. "Music, well the album is ready. It was my birthday... The party is in a few days. You got the invitation, mm?"


A D L E Y
"Of course. I didn't think I needed to send an RSVP. You know I'll be there," he said with a wink. Birthdays. Adley still had to decide on a present. And how did it work now, anyway? Would he and Indigo go in on a present together, or would they do it separately? Adley would probably need an adult mind to help out. If left to his own devices, Kaspar would probably get something childish and/or maturely immature. Eggnog, for sure, had now been added to the mental list. "Oh! Did you get that text I sent about Indigo?" he said, slapping Kaspar's upper arm with the back of his hand. Maybe a little too hard. "******* wings, man. I still can't get over it. Way cooler than stealing memories with blood," he said, shaking his head in almost envious awe.


K A S P A R
Kas nodded, he'd figured that Adley didn't need much persuading when it came to a party or any event that he was going to be involved in for that matter. The slap to his arm had him flinching back a step, ramming his shoulder gently into Ads as they kept walking. "Ah, yes... I DID get that. ******* wings. I mean, that is quite odd, cool though I suppose. Ah, yes, how is that going?" The wind had picked up and Kas shrugged his jacket tighter around him, arms folding across his midsection reflexively though the weather didn't really impact him.


A D L E Y
Adley frowned thoughtfully and shrugged. It was cool to be able to delve into people's memories. When he was not feeding from Indigo he took to the sewers, and it was... well. "It's kind of... grounding? Those poor fucks that live in the sewers. Man. I treat them like rats, right? Like they're just there for me to hunt and pounce and ... rip apart if the mood strikes. But they had normal lives. They... some of them had children? They were children. They had jobs. Some were scum, sure, but so many were just... plucked out of their lives and given absolutely no direction and ended up just... sewer rats," he said, and heaved a sigh. Compartmentalising. He'd been doing a lot of it.


K A S P A R
Kaspar went silent for a matter of moments, of course he had listened to Adley and heard but he was struggling to muster an appropriate emotion. Relief it wasn't him? Vague disgust? No, it was largely disinterest and hope they didn't screw things up for him. "Yes, poor things." There was distraction in his town, the man lifting his hand to gesture idly towards the subway station they'd reached. "Come on. I'm surprised you came all the way out here, we are not exactly central now." He laughed, grabbing the hem of Adley's shirt and tugging it lightly, urging him down the stairs. A few stations later they ended up in Bullwood, and out the front of the hookah bar, Kas glancing up at the name on the building. "Shall we?"


A D L E Y
Adley stared at Kaspar. The response was... well, lackluster. Distracted -- the subject changed as soon as Kaspar had a chance too, latching on to that subway entrance like it was a lifeline. Adley forced that same old smile back on his face and refused to think that things had changed so much that the two men could not open up like they used to. It wasn't an ordinary thing, for Adley to admit to his mixed emotions. It was something he'd have liked to talk about -- and yet, he supposed, he could and had done so with Indigo. A door shut inside the Necromancer, somewhere. The conversation with Kaspar was, thenceforth, kept lighthearted and frivolous. "We shall!" he declared when they had reached their destination; the doors were opened onto a vibrant and rich scene, the strong colours contrasted with the smoke permeating the air. "I have no idea how these places work. Do we just ah... take a booth somewhere?"


K A S P A R
Kaspar laughed gently at the man's uncertainty, not unkindly as he took the lead and approached the center of the main room. As soon as he'd spotted a particularly enticing corner booth was empty a staff member appeared, holding up his hand to ask how many. Kaspar gestured to himself and Adley, pointing to the booth to which the pair were promptly lead. He shimmied his way in among the cushions behind the low table, lounging comfortable and picking up the menu with the list of flavoured tobaccos they could choose from. "I like the apple, and you?" He wiggled it enticingly, beckoning Adley to join him.


A D L E Y
It would have been customary for the two to sit opposite each other, but Adley was very keen on settling in beside Kaspar. There was no hesitation as he shimmied right in there, comfortable and close so that they could both peer at the menu. "No Eggnog flavour? What a drag," he said with a completely serious sigh. "I like the look of the Chocolate Mint..." he said. "Do we share or get one each?" he asked. Adley had seen these things in movies. He remembered several pipes traveling from one hookah. "We can try them both?"


K A S P A R
Again there was one of those shrugs that made no comment either way, his head tipping back so he could tug off his beanie and muss his blonde hair. "Mmm, alas, no eggnog. I think it would smell quite odd, do you not? We can get both, we can order two smaller hookah's opposed to sharing the one large." He pointed at the other occupied booths, mostly partially obscured by gauzy drapes of fabric. "Then we can try each other's hose, ja, since you seem so keen on it." He make a task, tongue clicking against the roof of his mouth, "Do not I think I have not noticed, Adley. Not satisfied?"


A D L E Y
"Sure," he said, waving over the waiter-like person to order the two different hookahs. "Noticed what? Satisfied?" he asked. He really did have no idea what Kaspar was talking about. "I'm satisfied. This place is great," he said, gesturing to the booths that Kaspar had previously nodded toward. The music was calming. Even though he was sure that none of the smoke could get him high -- could it get anyone high? -- it was a mind over matter thing.


K A S P A R
He burst out laughing, the first show of genuine mirth he'd allowed all night, his infectious grinning lifting his cheeks and brightening his features in a manner that was youthful. "Oh wow, Adley. I am talking of your... No, nevermind this is fine. This place is good, yes, I like it. It is comfortable, warm and it smells fascinating." The rich smell of the smoke, flavours that crossed over one another to mask and create an overwhelming fragrance that was hard to decipher. It would make his head spin if he were a human who required oxygen, the heady smoke and the act of taking in deep breaths it could make you feel giddy, or remarkably calm. It was why many enjoyed it, not only for the tastes.


A D L E Y
Yes, Adley thought this location might become a popular one for him. It was an activity, like drinking beer, but it was something that he could participate in rather than just sitting there like a dead fish. "Wow? No no, fill me in," he said. They had the rest of the night, didn't they? He doubted that topics of conversation would be short, but he was curious. He took a deep breath, sucking in the scents. It was a heady mix -- no doubt more so than the human clientele.


K A S P A R
"Your insisting on making innuendo and clear interest in what certain things taste like." Kas stretched out, smiling distantly as he watched the lights and the patterns they made on the fabric above him, his fingertips reaching up to brush down the length of some of it. "I was making a joke about you not getting it enough, it seems to be a common theme of topic however. Must it always come back to sex? Why not tell me what else you and Indigo have been up to instead?"


A D L E Y
Adley laughed. It was the kind of laugh that took effort to stop. "You are hilarious. But that's not new. I was kidding. Joking. You do remember how to joke?" he asked, nudging at Kaspar with his knee. "I get it plenty enough. Indigo and I? We've been working. Hive is going well. I'm not photographing crime scenes anymore -- I manage the studio for her. We go to events, we hang out. We ah... y'know, sprout wings," he said, laughing.


K A S P A R
His scoff said he clearly didn't buy it, at least not entirely, but he let it slide. "Oh yes, the wings. Why do I not get wings or something exciting? I mean, I am clearly the most angelic of us all. Just look at me..." He shot a grin Adley's way, more devilish in nature than it was angelic. "I suppose I have true benefits also, like the fact that I appear human."


A D L E Y
"Wings are pretty ******* cool. I wouldn't mind some. We could be a pair, she and I," he said whimsically. He doubted it would happen. Kaspar would be more likely to get them. They shared a path. They shared other attributes of that path. Why not wings, too? "But to be serious, though. I brought up a serious subject on the way here which you didn't seem too interested in exploring. I figured you were just in the mood for hilarity? We're not really into the deep and meaningfuls anymore. Which is fine? Doesn't mean we can't have fun..." he said. It was almost, almost suggestive.


K A S P A R
He almost remarked on the unlikelihood of them sharing such a thing, it seemed many of these additional abilities or influences were somehow specifically related to the person’s personality, life choices or that unique energy that made them what they were. While Adley and Indigo for the most part were fairly compatible that didn’t mean they were entirely alike. They shared many ideals, some that had lead to disagreements with Kaspar as he tended towards being far more practical in nature and honest to a fault on certain matters whereas they tried hard to maintain some of the whimsical ways of youth and to hold on to what hope they could in this messed up world. He didn’t begrudge them that, were he anyone else he probably would’ve wished he could do the same. It was clear though that when Adley was alone, or when he had time to talk honestly and earnestly he shared many darker doubts. “Always with the serious. Adley, of course we can be serious. The issue is that I… Well, it is not that I did not necessarily want to speak on it but I did not know what to say. I have some sympathy, I suppose, but not… The other one.” He paused a moment to consider. “Empathy. Am I using that in the right way? Whatever. I do not have that for the situation, empathy. I can lament on how awful it must be blah blah but it would be meaningless and I do not like to lie.” His hand balled into a fist, leaning over to punch the man’s arm in a playful, jostling manner. “And that tone will get you in trouble, fun or no.”


A D L E Y
There were reasons why Adley liked Kaspar’s company. Although he had many similarities to Indigo, their core personality traits were different. From one, he got boundless optimism which, if he was honest, he preferred. Optimism was his default, it was the only way to live. If he were to always err on the side of pessimism or logic he had a feeling he would sink, right down into the earth. He’d barely be able to move. But Kaspar was good for him, it was good to have that other voice, that voice of reason. He threw himself back into the cushions and shook his head. He stared at the ceiling, which was an artwork, really. It was all sharp patterns and bright colours, with gold inlay. It was a beautiful thing to look at, especially with a vampire’s eyes -- dust and all. And this was as comfortable a place as any to chat. “I wasn’t asking for your empathy for them, Kas. But hoped you’d have it for me. But then I don’t really know why I need it,” he said with a shrug. And it was the truth. He’d mentioned his feelings to Kas not because he wanted to start some charitable cause for the lost souls in the sewers, but instead for some other reason he couldn’t put his finger on. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not even sure what I’m talking about,” he said.


K A S P A R
“I don’t buy it, arschloch. You have something on your mind… Other than my ***.” He spoke in a rather matter of fact tone, no interest in pussy footing around now that he was awake and out in the world once more. Their hookah’s arrived at the table before he could nudge at the man beside him, the hot coals set in place and the silver tongs left within easy reach to shift them as required. Kaspar wasted no time in adjusting his position, sitting up so that he could reach for the pipe and test for smoke. The sound of the water bubbling was soothing, the first tendrils of apple flavoured smoke difficult to summon but with the next suck of breath he got the full force of it. Delicious. Sitting here with Adley it made him think of a day in the Hive, of Indie cutting up apple slices and feeding them to him with juice slicked fingers. She’d let them play against his lips, smiling in that inviting way before offering a piece over to Jameson who was, as he often was in that brief time they shared, draped against him. Kas let the smoke roll free of his lips, watching it dissipate amongst the clouds of it in the room, lost amongst it like so many memories he didn’t bother to hold onto tight enough. When he spoke again there was a quiet tension to his voice, rather than holding any specific emotion it seemed carefully lacking. “Adley. Do you have those photos? The ones you took from the first night we met? I would like to see them. I want… I’d just like it.” There were things he knew now, at least one side of things, that had made him want to reflect on that month or two of Hive life. Things he wasn’t sure he could tell Adley, things he shouldn’t. “Any others, also.”


A D L E Y
“Mm, you have a great *** but it’s not the only thing I think about,” he said with a wink, watching as the hookahs arrived and were set up, fascinated. As soon as the server was gone, Adley lurched back up again, watching Kaspar and following his lead. He inhaled the smoke and held it in his lungs, before exhaling. Then inhaling again. The mint was refreshing, soothing, the chocolate off-setting the sharpness. He hummed, low and satisfied, glad for the interruption. He didn’t have to try to explain what had been on his mind, when he couldn’t even figure it out himself -- all he knew was that life wasn’t all sunshine and roses, even if he wanted to think it was, even if he pretended. But there was no point making a big deal out of something that didn’t need a deal made of it. And then the subject was changed, and Adley was thankful for that, too. Slowly, he nodded, eyes narrowed as he recalled the very photos Kaspar talked about. “The ones from the club?” he asked. It had started at the club, hadn’t it? “I’ve got them stashed away somewhere. Feeling nostalgic, Kas?”


K A S P A R
“Mm, not quite. I just would like to have them, to look.” He wasn’t feeling exactly nostalgic, but he did have the past on his mind. Recent past, all things considered, but what had been months felt like years. Many things had changed for him since that night, including the state of his relationships which had shifted dramatically. In those months he’d gotten a better handle on how his life was going to be now that immortality loomed ahead of him, and decided to hell with expectations, he was going to pursue his dreams regardless. His businesses were going well, pre-sale for his album had been amazing and now that it was on the shelves was selling and being well received by fans. He had a loving wife, a beautiful one year old son and a second partner who reminded him to take time to enjoy life, to be happy with the success he reserved rather than always focusing on his work and the next move. “It was not that long ago, Adley, but it feels like it was a lifetime. Sometimes I wonder if it was real, but then your mean mug comes to wake me up in the middle of the night and I am like “ok, arschloch is here it is real”.” His tone was wistful, distant for a handful of moments before that comfortable sarcasm returned. “I needed that break from reality, to live for that short time in this world where I could have it all. I needed it to realise that I could not. It helped me to focus, and be grateful. A bit. I don’t know, man, things were so… Intense.” He picked at a small hole in his jeans over the knee, one he knew with time would just get bigger, but he couldn’t help but tease the fabric to further fraying. “How’s your hookah, hooker?” The attempt to keep things light was accompanied by his sideway smile, that smirking smugness that spoke of his quiet confidence that no matter what, he knew Adley was just enjoying his presence. Teasing was all part of it, the ritual that was friendship for the two men.


A D L E Y
And that is what those close to Adley eventually discovered -- if you had his loyalty, it stuck. To an extent, of course. Xylia, for example, had been one of Adley’s closest friends, but she had chosen the company of a band of ruthless killers over him. Adley himself wasn’t squeaky clean, but the fact that said ruthless killers had slaughtered Adley and afterwards Xylia continued to defend them, choose them? That was a dealbreaker. Kaspar, however, had only followed his heart (and Adley still thought it was the wrong decision). Adley was happy in his life; he was delirious with Indigo. There were things that he wanted that he could never have -- things that Kaspar now had, and was focused on. Maybe there was still some envy there, some stubborn belief that Kaspar would eventually come to his senses. They had eternity, right? But the point was, it didn’t matter. Adley would push nothing. He would tease, he would follow through if said teasing was reciprocated, but he wouldn’t push. They were friends. Good friends. And he could only grin his gleaming grin at Kaspar. “You’ll never be rid of me. That other half of yours is just going to have to get used to me,” he said. “Though, looking at you from the outside, Kas -- you do have it all, don’t you? You have a wife and a partner, you have a family and you have your music. You’ve got a home, you’ve got friends who won’t abandon you. What more do you actually want? What are you missing out on?” he asked, curious. The question about the hookah was ignored, for now -- answered with only a nod and a shrug. It was good. The conversation was better.


K A S P A R
It was a fair question, one Adley wasn’t wrong for asking. He’d asked himself it a million times over when he was trying to decide what the **** he was going to do, what he wanted to do. It was more than just the surface wants, the kind that made you lick your lips or want it right now, the kind of wants he was considering were long term. Of course, that pulse racing, lip biting kind of want did have a big place in his life no matter what happened. He was a ******* rockstar, amongst other things. “You are right, I do have so much. Still I had to be forced to stop and look at it, appreciate it. Grey is good for that, he makes me stop and look around me. Sig too, she keeps me grounded, reminds what it is to be with people who aren’t afraid to call you on your ********.” He considered again the question at hand, mulling it over in his mind and could only come up with one answer, whether he was sure he meant it was another matter. “The world. I want the world, Adley. I’ll settle for being respected, for being appreciated and leaving behind a legacy. One day I might try to fade into obscurity, let myself go out in glory rather than get boring.” His shrug said he hadn’t really thought it through entirely, but that shrug was a lie. Kaspar was terminally on time, remarkably organised and clinically in control of most aspects of his life. He liked to know what was happening all around him, and couldn’t stand the idea of being ignorant. This was someone who planned, whose actions were often thought out ten steps ahead, prepared for multiple different outcomes so he had a reaction to it. Surprises were not often welcome, but when they came he could deal with it because he’d already thought through an impressive list of possibilities. He was someone who believed he really could do almost anything if he set his mind to it, so world domination even in his very specific sector of the music industry was entirely achievable. Did he really want it? That was something he’d have to decide. “More children.” The words came a handful of seconds later than his initial declaration, said with such sincerity that it was hardly an afterthought.


A D L E Y
Adley’s gaze narrowed, darkened infinitesimally. He wanted to reach over and slap Kaspar -- that he should think that only Grey and Sig could bring him back down to Earth and teach him to appreciate ****. Yes, Adley and Indigo often had their heads in the clouds and would often encourage Kaspar to join them, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be grounded, too. He was sure that he’d had this conversation with Kaspar before, but why not remind him? “You were the one to tell me that we can’t have children. They come out as monsters. You already have the one, and now you want to be greedy?” Adley asked. There was a hint of teasing, but there was a firm seriousness, too. “I hope you recall the reason why I have my head in the clouds so much, Kas. I like to be free and have fun because there’s so much I want that I can’t, and the distraction is a relief. YOU have it, though. You have a kid, you have family. You have a dog and the white-picket lifestyle. You have what other people can’t, so when you feel like you want more, when you feel like you want everything, you should think about that. Think about the ones you left behind to attain what you have, because it might just be the only ******* thing they want, too. I know you’ve always been a selfish asshole -- I know, I can be one too -- but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a tiny bit sensitive,” he said. He stopped, sighed, and shook his head. “You know I love you, man. I’m happy for you, I’m not going to do anything to ruin it. You do what you need to do to be happy, but be mindful that what you have is worth a whole ******* lot already.”

[Kaspar]

K A S P A R
“Actually,” He lifted a finger, reaching over to boop Adley on the nose with it. “I have two dogs, Arschloch. Would be three if you would give me the ditzy blonde.” Of course he’d listened to every word Adley had said, once again fighting the urge to cringe as the man misunderstood his intention. “Please listen to me when I say that I know I am selfish, that I can be vain and self-centred. It was born of necessity, as they say, it is because of my past and how I was raised that I had to become this to make it in that world, to get what I wanted. I got out to get back in, but Adley… You are just as vain, just as self-important seeing as you think I was speaking about you. Just because I praise others does not mean I think less of other people I like. It is different.We are different, our relationship is different and relevant in it’s own way. I am not comparing you, stop comparing yourself. That is not the point.” He sighed, leaning closer to the man, his eyes rolling up in his head before he nudged a kiss against that too proud jaw, it had been jutting at him in vague annoyance and he simply couldn’t have that. “I know you love me, I know there are things you want that you can’t have and i’m not helping that by being one of them. I wish you could have these things you want, but that does not stop me wanting too. I DO appreciate what I have, because I worked ******* hard to get it. I know I have more than many others could ever dream of, but we all have different wants, different needs. One person’s tragedy is another’s greatest triumph. How can you compare? Our lives are connected but different, our choices lead us to different places and the choices of others that managed to **** our **** up.” He was referring in part to their turnings, how they became vampires but more than that how they lived before it and what impacted on their individual negative and positive abilities.

“We are all at the end of a day selfish. The world is selfish, every single person is. You have heard my philosophies on it before, that even charity is selfish because most people do it for gratification, because it makes THEM feel good. It is not just about helping and doing “right thing”. A better world is a noble dream, only noble if you don’t explore the fact that these people determined to help others, to make the world a happier, safer and better place are ultimately doing it to ensure a brighter future for themselves and their loved ones. It is self-gratification at it’s finest, it is trying to preserve a world where you have had an impact that creates legacy and lays foundation for your future generations to bask in the glory of your achievements. It is wanking. It is literally wanking, standing there bathing in your selfish self love for the betterment of all mankind…” He stopped, his words fading. Each of them had been delivered with a hard earned confidence, the man enigmatic but feeling no need to raise his voice beyond that cool drawl he often dripped his sarcastic and satyrical speeches in. If German’s knew one thing it was how to spin a grim outlook on life into amusement, into dark humour and determined diatribes such as the one that left Kaspar grinning at his own words.

“Actually, that makes me want to write. The wankery of the world is inspiring. I like that word. Wankery. Speaking of… Been doing a lot of wanking without me?” Crude, always good after your friend gets irritated with you, to ask if he spanked it while thinking about him. Perfect. “Whispering my name, turning your head to bite the pillow and wishing it was me. I get it… No, but seriously. I know, Adley, you are not too far away to reach for if I need a reminder that things could be shitter, or that I could have my cake, and eat you too any time I like. I’ve told you, even I recognise that it would be incredibly selfish if I did, so I walked away and let you two be happy with people who were devoted and not going to be ******* off regularly or eventually just disappearing altogether like ******* Jameson did. ******* Jameson.” He sneered the name, a surge of anger at the man rising, at what he represented now. A conversation with Grey had lead him questioning everything, and bitterly reminded of his own demons that needed talking through, that needed exorcism. “**** him. Oh, and **** Luca. **** that woman who fucked you and accidentally turned you into the dead sexy beast you are. Literal and the other word, I can’t think of it right now. I am exhausting my very good, and only slightly limited, English on you so be grateful. You know who else can get fucked? Charitable bastards. I’m going to smoke now… You can talk.” True to his word he shut up, picking up that pipe and puffing.


A D L E Y
Adley shook his head. Why had Kaspar thought that Adley had misunderstood? He hadn’t thought that Kaspar was talking about him. In fact, it was the complete opposite. Adley knew that Kaspar was not talking about Adley. He’d been talking about Grey and Sigrid. They were the ones who kept Kaspar grounded, and yet Adley was saying that they shouldn’t be the only ones.

“No, I just meant that though they’re your anchors, you shouldn’t look just at what you have to keep you grounded but… never mind,” he said, sighing. He failed to make himself understood. It was a common occurrence, and he wondered whether he should just try to stop explaining himself. Let Kaspar be Kaspar and ask for no spare thoughts. Kaspar was living in a castle made by his own hands, he was living the good life with not just one dog, but two -- and he still wanted the third. The one thing that Indigo and Adley had left of Jameson. He chose to believe that Kaspar was just kidding. Could he really want to just take everything and give nothing? Surely not. He had a lot to say on the matter, and more -- more about charities and the world at large, a tangent that was eventually brought back around, the man singing his own praises. Adley just rolled his eyes.

“Uhuh, it makes you feel nice and big in your britches to imagine people crave for your company when they can’t have it,” he said, shoving at Kaspar’s shoulder in what would be construed as playful but which signified a lot more. He assumed that Kaspar’s anger at Jameson had to do with the way he left -- without a word. But what happened to the concern? To the notion that Jameson was killed in some awful way?

“For what it’s worth, though, no. I can’t remember the last time I had a good wank, haven’t needed to. None of what I said had anything to do with YOU being something I couldn’t have. All crudeness aside, I broke into your house and convinced you to come out for your company, not because I was going to try to get into your pants. For the first nine years of my life I lived in a communal family. We children had several parents and all parents were parents to all, not just one. I grew up taking it for granted, thinking one day I’d have a tribe of my own. Five kids. I wanted five kids, all with my eyes. I wanted to go back home, to Nigeria, to rediscover my roots. I want a house full of people. I love Indigo and the home she’s given me but it’s just the two of us. In that huge ******* bed? And if she’s not home it’s just cold, and empty. And lonely,” he said. If Adley were unhappy about how things had turned out, it was because he’d never seen a problem with all of them living in one place. Kaspar with Grey and Sigrid, with his son and with the dogs. With Indigo and Adley. All of them, in one big happy household. But it wasn’t possible.

“We’ve got eternity, though, yeah? It’ll be fine. We’ll lure in some devoted people. We’ll expand,” he said with a gleaming Adley grin, attention turning to the hookah and the calming, smooth smoke it would provide.


K A S P A R
There was a sense of brooding about him, there was no doubt to be had that he was retreating into his own mind, thinking about more uncomfortable topics that were present in his thoughts. He smiled around the smoke that trailed from his lips, the expression tight and far from genuine, returning that firm knock of shoulders from Adley. Being friends with someone like him was tiring, just as Kaspar was stuck in his ways and would choose the right path or him and his loved ones, Adley would do the same. The man seemed to think that the right thing for him was a full household, to be surrounded by affection. He understood that, of course he did, but he had tried to decrease the amount of people who felt like his responsibility. As always there was a struggle to be understood, fundamentally they knew what the other was saying, knew the intention but there was still a disconnect. Always with the disconnect. “Adley… I know. I got it, but I do not think there is anything wrong with me having people to rely on. I do not misunderstand, I just don’t agree entirely. I know I am lucky, ok? I know that I have a lot. As I say, it is not about comparison. How can you begin to compare? People are different, even when they have so many of the same flaws and merits, they are different. I can not judge what I have based on what you have, we are not the same person.” The topic was heavy and it wasn’t helping his mood, if anything it cemented his frustration and the fact that he couldn’t share what he had heard with Adley. He wouldn’t listen, wouldn’t be able to get beyond himself to hear it for what it was and not put his own meaning on it.

“Eternity?” He grunted the word, considering it. “Maybe. You know that sounds like a cult, right? Lure them in. The cult of the Hive.” He mused, attempting a sideways grin. “Sounds like fun, get people to worship your butt.” It certainly wasn’t quite what he wanted, not in his private life. “I’m not sure i’m great company. It is what everyone accuses me of, I am in my head. Tonight it would not be wrong. I am.” Kaspar took another deep draw of the flavoured smoke, letting it settle in his lungs, expelling it slowly to give his mouth something to do other than talking. He reminded himself once more that he couldn’t tell Adley, couldn’t explore the past. It didn’t matter, the man hadn’t questioned him further even when words of frustration had left him, even when said two names which should have meant something to Adley. Then again, perhaps he had forgotten what Kaspar had told him about his turning? He’d never told him about much of his life before that, only small snippets. Really, how much did they know about each other on a grander school for all their talking? He supposed if Adley was really curious he could look up a lot of it online, find articles or forum chatter about the rocker; little of substance. Nothing in there about the man that got the better of him, or the one who got the better of Grey. Two men, both who should be distant memories.

“Adley. Tell me something interesting, would you? A fact, fun or fascinating. I don’t mind.”


A D L E Y
Even before he’d finished with his pipe, Adley was shaking his head.

“Goddamnit, Kas. No. It’s got nothing to do with comparison. Didn’t I say that?” Maybe he hadn’t. “I know people are different, man. No two people are exactly the same and that’s whatever, that doesn’t mean they can’t have the same things. It’s got nothing to do with difference and everything to do with circumstance. IF I’m comparing, Kas, if it’s coming across to you like that, why the **** wouldn’t I? You got lucky, you had a wife and child before you were turned and landed on a Path that gets **** more easily than others. You don’t kill everything you touch and you don’t look like you’re dying from a terminal disease. And you don’t get it. You say you do, but you’re not getting it. I don’t want a ******* cult, I don’t want anyone worshipping me. I want a family. A family. I thought I made it pretty clear. Look, doesn’t even matter,” he said, pushing himself to sit up straighter.

“We’ll drop it. We’ll drop the topic because we seem to never get anywhere,” he said. He knew that Kaspar was trying to lighten the mood, but it hadn’t worked. Normally Adley was open to those kind of quips but right now it felt like a slurry of thorns, Kaspar not listening to what it was that Adley wanted nor what had him down, instead belittling it, making fun of it. There was nothing Kaspar could do about it, though. There was no way he could help. And maybe that’s why he kept trying to get around the subject.

Kaspar had requested something fun and interesting but fun and interesting were not at the forefront of Adley’s mind. He grumbled, mumbled under his breath something about Kaspar being a dick, before he turned his sharp gaze back to the musician.

“Why the **** are you so angry at Jameson, anyway? You were the one concerned that he was dead or kidnapped or something. You suddenly think he just ran off without a care? Why the change in heart?” he asked. It was a change of topic. It was turning **** back around on Kaspar, rather than trying to make Kaspar understand Adley’s deepest and most painful desires. Adley didn’t like to think about Jameson, nor on Abelle. He didn’t like to remember the people who’d just fucked off, nor dwell on the hurt they could inflict if he opened himself up to it. The past was the past and Adley would prefer to keep it the **** where it belonged.


K A S P A R
“Adley… I know. I was just teasing. There is nothing I can do about this, you do not think I would if I could? You of all people should understand how frustrating it is to care, more than that how hard it is. I try my best, and the fact that I care, that I try should be enough. You just… How can I be sorry for what I am? I did not choose this either, you act like it is all glorious. Ja, it is maybe easier for me to pretend. I am grateful for what I have, do not ever try to tell me I’m not. You do not want me to pity you, and yet not apologising for your condition makes me a terrible person. You are right, we cannot win with this, why do we not focus on better things?” He shrugged, head bowing in a manner that had blonde locks slipping to touch his cheeks, hand pushing them back with vague annoyance, the slightest shake to his fingers.

Of course, better things weren’t coming his way. His posture stiffened at Adley’s outburst, the pointed questioning. Kaspar bit down on words, tensed jaw quivering slightly with the effort of keeping his tongue pressed to the roof of his mouth. He had to think before he spoke on the topic, to pick his words. “It wasn’t what he has done to me. I was not concerned he was kidnapped, I had assumed he was likely one of two things… Dead, or simply gone. He was done and had moved on. If that is that case, then that is ok, it happens. At least I told you, at least I still wanted to be your friend. It isn’t what is bothering me. Believe me, while it was fun I can live without Jameson Dade. There is more to life than Mr.Sketchy.” He gave a dismissive scoff as if he were shelving the topic, a weak lie; agitation evident in every line of him down to his fingers which plucked anxiously at the frayed edges of a hole in his jeans. The nickname was the first thing he’d given him, before he’d learned his name, just the immediate impression. Scrawny, sketchy and no good for him. At the time that was exactly what he had needed; someone who looked at him like he was the sun, who was happy to follow behind him and wanted to draw him into adventures, just to be in his presence. A little bit of rockstar worship went a long way, but he knew it could never last. He’d been simultaneously surprised how long it had lasted, and yet, had thought it might continue longer.

Now? He acknowledged that it had all been for a reason, had all lead him to a different place. It had been a transition, a part and phase of his life. It was over now, for him, but not for Adley. Not entirely, at least.


A D L E Y
It wasn’t often that he could say it, but Adley was happy to get the topic off of himself. He knew he was the one who’d kept it there, but he started to realise that he’d kept at it for too long. What he’d wanted to be a fun evening had turned heavy all of a sudden, and heavy wasn’t Adley’s forte -- regardless of how much he needed to get some of this **** off his chest.

The shake in Kaspar’s digits did not go unnoticed, the agitation clear not only in his voice but in his actions. A body spoke volumes, and often contradicted what the voice proclaimed. Adley reached out for the hand, holding it still with a reassuring squeeze. He and Kaspar often argued. They butted heads because in some ways they were too similar. Their egos wanted only to best each other while their minds and hearts wanted other things. Adley listened. He still remembered the criticisms thrust his way. And they were wrong.

“What is it, Kas? There’s more to life than Mr Sketchy and it doesn’t bother you if he’s moved on to greener pastures, so what’s wrong? What do you know that I don’t?” he asked. It had to have something to do with Jameson. The hookah was forgotten as Adley focused all his attention on his friend.


K A S P A R
Hel’s hand rested in Adley’s grasp for a few heartbeats, carefully withdrawing it, resting it atop his knee. “Oh, it bothered me a bit at the time, of course. Though i’ll admit my attention was already divided. I don’t know how things would be now if he had stayed.” Would he be worse off for it? Probably, he knew that he’d done the right thing for himself in the end. “Adley… This is not about any of us, and yet it is. Jameson, was he ever rough with you? I mean, you two… Did you ever sleep together? I know there was that night when we all went to bed together, but I rather monopolised you, since you had specifically asked of me to…” He smiled slightly, head shaking at the memory. “Teach you, I believe was how you asked it. There were other times after, but I don’t remember whether you two did. It was not too long after that he started fading out of our lives, and Grey became a permanent in mine.” Kas slumped back into the pillows, hands scrubbing at his face and up to lock at the back of his head amongst blonde locks. His rings glittered in the tinted lighting of the place, adorning his fingers along with tattoos upon his hands, clinking softly in the silence between them. “Did he ever give you any idea that he could be violent to a lover?” Hel’s voice was low, tense with the implication.


A D L E Y
Adley stared at the hand that had been taken away from him, until Kaspar spoke. Although Kaspar started talking about something serious, Adley couldn’t help the smile. The memory was a good one. Sex with men had never been off the table for Adley but he’d never actually taken the leap. Now, he could see he was pretty firmly open to all and sundry, to anyone who wanted him. Male, female, or other. The smile faltered, though, and he shook his head. “Only times I slept with Jay was when you were in the room, too,” he said, thinking back. Before Kaspar, before Indigo, even, Jameson and Adley’s relationship had an entirely different purpose. His eyes glazed as he remembered, and shrugged. “I mean, when we were bite-buddies it wasn’t all gentle roses. Things could get rough but it wasn’t as if I didn’t enjoy it. He seems like the type who’d like it rough, though, thinking back…” he said. He was lost to his memories for a good five seconds before he focused again on Kaspar. “Why do you ask?”

K A S P A R
“That is what I had thought.” He couldn’t recall a time when Jay and Adley’s relationship had crossed firmly outside of that feeding, that biting thing they shared. There were brief moments but only shared between all of them, never taking it to the same extent he had with Adley. When he thought back on it he was the only who’d truly had them all, though the others had sampled he’d given and taken with abandon. It had appeal, of course it did, getting to be the centre of all that affection but he had made his choice and he was happy with it. Now his memories were tainted, with a dark knowledge he wasn’t sure he could share. “Ja, like, he could be firm but it was never bad. We never hurt each other. I know what it is to get violent, and I do not… I do not know what to think. I should not let others experiences touch on mine, but I hate to think that I was blind, that I knew there was a darkness in him but I thought it was more likes a carelessness. Like he did not give a **** about the risks, it is what I liked. I needed someone who looked at me like I was the sun and followed me happily, it worked. For a while. He got a taste of the rockstar life, I had someone that wanted to please me… I just do not know.” Hel felt a strain in his voice, accent thickening and swallowed to clear it, trying not to see haunted hazel eyes watching him as he digested the words fed to him. He’d wanted to be sick, just to expel them and eject from him his mind like he’d swallowed too many bitter pills at once.


A D L E Y
Adley frowned at Kaspar, at the way he would not look up, at the words that came rushing from his lips. It was an answer but it wasn’t an answer at the same time. Where had this come from? What had caused Kaspar to suddenly questions Jameson’s motives, or his darkness? “Hurt… well. I did quite often bite him forcefully. And take what I wanted, forcefully. If I hurt him he never complained about it. He might have even liked it. He was an addict of epic proportions, Kas. Remember the story about the Ferris Wheel? He really didn’t give a **** about the risks. I think he actually craved them,” he said. “But… where is this coming from? Why this sudden concern? You think he went and tried **** with the wrong people, got too rough, and that’s why he’s gone? You think if we’d seen it and stopped it he’d still be here?” he asked. There were more questions he could ask, but he would leave it at that. He wouldn’t push Kaspar, but let him open up on his own.


K A S P A R
“I remember,” He assured Adley, after all, hadn’t they ended up in a party in the slums the first night they met? Hadn’t Jameson been trying to score and Kaspar, not wanting him to go down that particularly depressive rabbit hole, had found something considerably safer. Never safe, not entirely, but they had been vampires and they could take it. Of course, he hadn’t yet figured out what Jamie was at that point, but he made his choice and Kaspar let him. “I don’t think any of that, not really. I am not sure what happened. He could have just left, and he also could be dead. He could be anything… Right now he is lucky he is not here.” Kas looked at Adley, really looked at him for a moment as he contemplated whether it was fair to tell him, fair to put this on him too. He couldn’t tell him all of it, that was Grey’s to tell and he sure as **** wouldn’t be spilling to Adley, Kas knew that much. “He hurt someone, Adley. He used, and abused.”


A D L E Y
Someone, Kaspar said, but Adley wasn’t stupid. Who’d they both know who also knew Jameson? In Adley’s case, who kept saying that Jameson was stolen from him? But how did that make sense? If Grey had been in an abusive relationship with Jameson, why would he have been so angry about the way he had disappeared, so accusative? Adley was very much the kind of person who’d prefer to hear all sides of a story before confirming, one way or another, what someone was guilty of. If it was Grey, however, regardless of what Adley thought of the guy, it was clear that Kaspar trusted him. And cared about him. And to dismiss Jameson’s wrongdoings would be to dismiss Kaspar’s feelings. And Adley would not do that. Besides, he didn’t know the full story. Maybe it shouldn’t be dismissed at all. “If that is who is, if that is what he’s done, then maybe it’s a good thing he’s gone. If he comes back, then he can be held accountable. The person he hurt -- they’re okay now?” he asked, brow arched, concerned and inquisitive.


K A S P A R
There was a sharp shake of the head, a curt denial. “I don’t know. I mean, yeah, I did not know what to think but I believe him. He was hollowed out by it, you got his anger, his hurt and fears but you did not see how it left him. You did not see why I… He had given everything. I will never understand how he found room for me and all that comes with loving me. Relationships like that, you know you should leave but you stay until they take everything. In my case, you turn your back but get killed for the effort.” He cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably against the pillows. “Sorry. We wanted fun, and here I am… Fick.” He laughed, a choked sound, catching in his throat. He’d watched Grey struggle, he’d supported him through pain, and sickness and to shake the claws of addiction. Kaspar thought that they had overcome the worst of it, he knew the road would be long but he wasn’t counting on having to contend with this. Of course he could see something in Grey had been broken when he decided to stay the first night they’d ended up alone, he just didn’t want to acknowledge what part his ex-lover had to play beyond having left him.


A D L E Y
Adley hadn’t even asked the question but Kaspar answered it. Whether he meant to or not didn’t matter. He was talking about Grey. How could he not be? Or was he talking about Jameson? No, that didn’t make sense. “Grey. Is that who you’re talking about? It’s Grey’s anger, hurt and fears…?” he asked. He wanted to be on the same page. Adley laughed, though the sound was hollow, and shook his head. “I think I started it. The death of fun,” he said with a only subtly gleaming wink. “But it’s okay. This is **** we need to get off our chest, for whatever reason. We’ve got plenty of time for fun,” he said. And with this heaviness on their chests, how could they probably have had fun anyway? “I don’t know Grey very well but I trust you. And I have your back,” he said. What more could he say? He’d never suffered any abusive relationships. He couldn’t offer much advice, couldn’t feel what Kaspar felt. All he could do was offer his support.


K A S P A R
“We should leave it. I should not have brought it up.” Kas cleared his throat, adding, “But thank you.” The smile he offered was brief but genuine, picking up the pipe, adjusting the coals and taking a deep draw before setting it aside. The smoke flowed at a steady rhythm from his lips, rolling into the air, looking thick as pulled cotton. “He is gone, we just deal with what is left behind. Right? We move on.” It sounded like an echo of a sentiment, lacking the conviction it required to be whole and complete. Hel wasn’t sure quite to salvage the evening, his normal tactic would be shut them both up with something more interesting, but he’d taken that off the table as an option and he wasn’t going to cross that line again.


A D L E Y
Adley stared at Kaspar, long and hard, before following suit and returning his attention to the hookah just as Kaspar did. Still, even then he kept his eyes on his friend who seemed to be going through more than Adley was. Adley’s issues were ongoing and always lingering, a morose baseline to his usual optimistic self. Which seemed to be the self that they both needed right now. “Damned straight. But we don’t deal with what’s left behind, we pick it up and brush it off and make it shiny and bright again,” he said with one of his trademark grins, broad and gleaming and all white-toothed. “We mix it with what’s fresh and new and introduce it to good times and revelry,” he said. Kaspar wanted to drop it and Adley would do as he requested, but he’d said enough. He’d said more than he meant to and Adley had got the hints. Unlike Kaspar, Adley found it easy to quit thinking about Jameson and let it go. It wasn’t Jameson he’d be looking at differently, because Jameson wasn’t there. Instead, it would be Grey. “Want to swap, give this one a try?” he said, holding up his own hookah and offering it to Kaspar.


K A S P A R
The blonde rolled his shoulders back, puffing out a breath. “Shiny? You cannot shine ****… But new I can handle. He and I cleared the skeletons out of the closet, now we just have to find a way to bury them. Since we are talking in ridiculous metaphors.” There was a sharp smile and playful wink to accompany it, an endeavour to show Adley he was trying. When the pipe was offered his nose wrinkled in vague disapproval, head shaking. “Nein, arschloch, I do not think I can handle anything chocolate flavoured... Even with mint.” He wiggled his own pipe at Adley invitingly, brows raised. “Apfel?”


A D L E Y
“Mm, because it will only remind you of the chocolate you’ve denied yourself, mint and all,” he said, echoing that wink and throwing it back at Kaspar. Now they were back to the ego-fuelled teasing. It was what Adley knew best. He took the pipe offered to him and didn’t take his eyes from Kaspar as he took a long inhale, holding the flavoured smoke in his chest before he released it again. There were other things he wished to taste, of course, but the moment had passed. **** had got too heavy and it seemed wrong now, somehow, to cosy on up to Kaspar and request a nibble. He’d crawl into bed with Indigo later and make a feast of it instead. “See, the apple is nice. But I prefer the chocolate…” he said, holding the pipe for Kaspar to take back.


K A S P A R
His eyes rolled hard, but he was smiling, that devilish lopsided smile of sly amusement. “I feel like I have been a bad influence on you, Adley. I would feel bad, but…” He leaned forwards to take the pipe back, holding it between his teeth, lips curling around it. As he drew back he took a draw, reaching up to take hold of it, easier to summon the smoke. “Mmm, I prefer this. Fresher, chocolate can be too rich, too heavy…” The phone in his pocket started to vibrate, shortly followed by a melodic ringtone that made him flinch. “Uh oh.” It was the ringtone he’d chosen for Grey, and it meant the man had woken in his absence. “I think we may have to get me home…” A voicemail wasn’t left, but as he pulled the screen from his pocket there was a text querying where he’d disappeared to. Grey probably figured he’d gone to the studio, it wouldn’t be the first time Hel had taken off to give in to a burst of inspiration, though now with their home studio it was a less frequent occurrence. “I might call a ride. You want to come back?”


A D L E Y
There was an ‘uh-oh’ and Adley wanted to laugh. There were so many teasing quips on the tip of his tongue about being attached to a ball and chain. Kaspar was the male of the relationship, Grey the woman, constantly wondering where her husband had got to. There were harsher quips, too, ones that fizzled as soon as they were born. In the end, Adley said nothing. Kaspar had repeated time and again how happy he was and Adley had reached the point of acceptance and understanding. There’d be no more teasing. He pulled his own phone from his pocket and swiped at the screen, checking a couple of messages of his own as he considered the invitation. He pushed himself to his feet and held out a hand to help Kaspar up. “I don’t know man. I’ll come back if I’m welcome,” he said.


K A S P A R
Hel considered the hand presented to him for a moment, eventually reaching up and taking it as if he had made some kind of decision that been circling in his mind, evading him. Kas drew himself to his feet, gripping Adley’s shoulder as if to help steady himself, ducking his head with a smile that was still somewhat tight, mind already elsewhere. In reality there was no need to have placed his hand there, but he did it anyway, giving the man’s trapezius a fond squeeze. “Whatever you want. Sig, Will and the dogs will be asleep, Grey will probably make a remark about me bringing home another stray and give you a look but that is likely the worst.” His laughter was vibrant, a devilish edge letting Adley know he wasn’t making promises on that last part. Moonlight was burning and Kas was eager to make his way back to the house, to see Grey’s face when he found just what had made him leave his bed. He surged forwards collecting Adley up with a shoulder driven against his own, hooking an arm around the man at the last moment to drag him towards the exit. “You are SO fucked, Arschloch.” Kaspar was positively preening, head ducking to grin in that woefully devastating manner of his. “I can’t wait to see this.”


A D L E Y
Adley laughed. It was a boisterous thing, as if the laugh had a life of its own. It tugged at his Adam’s Apple, which bobbed merrily in his throat. “So on the one hand, the worst will be that I get called a stray and get a look. But I’m fucked? How am I fucked?” he asked. He was honestly more inclined to walk Kaspar home and leave him on his doorstep. The same, he supposed, could be achieved if a ride was called -- Kaspar could be dropped first, Adley second. Or vice versa.

And yet, maybe it was better that they get the unpleasantness over with. Maybe they could be like adopted cats -- the first few times they meet they hiss and slash at each other, but when they realise there’s no getting rid of the other, they settle down. They tolerate each other. In some cases, they become good friends. It just took time. He shrugged.

“I’m game if you are. I may have broken into your house and encouraged you out of bed. But at least I wasn’t encouraging INTO bed. And you said yes, without leaving a note,” he said. In his estimation, he assumed the both of them would get into trouble, and not just the one. And Adley was confident in his own ability to keep **** light and fluffy. He’d be the cat with its tail high, wanting only to play. Either way, he was easily tugged out toward the exit, and would climb into whatever car the musician hailed -- he’d argue he wasn’t given a choice, even when the choice had been there all along.