Chapter 3: Tiny Terror Warms up Quickly Doesn't He?

Larten woke up a little bit before the sun went down completely. Expecting to be alone he looked down and realized that the boy was still with him, curled up on his chest, but he wasn't sleeping. He smiled gently, noting the slightly nervous look in the boys' eyes, taking it as him being afraid of the dark. The child looked up, his eyes growing wider.

"Sthorry Misther." He barked automatically, fear in his voice. Larten cocked an eyebrow, wondering what pushed the boy to apologize until a smell hit his nose. It smelled like ammonia. He looked down and shifted the boy, touching the front of his shirt. It was drenched. Groaning he let his head fall back, his eyes closed. "I'm sthorry! Sthorry!" Evra barked over and over again, panicking.

"Ssh, it is ok, stop apologizing." He groaned, patting the boys back. He didn't know the boy was a bed wetter. Of course, it didn't help that he was trapped in a coffin all night either. Sitting up, Larten pushed the lid off and carefully climbed out of the coffin, holding the boy in his arms. "Let us go get cleaned up." Larten grumbled, the smell strong because of the boys lack of nutrition.

Still holding the boy he fled from his van and looked around, carefully shutting the door behind him. The Sun was setting, only about an hour or two left until it went down completely.

"Bout time you woke up." Hans laughed, stretching, finishing up his chores for the day, getting food ready for dinner. He stopped, noting the front of the vampires clothes were soaked and cocked an eyebrow. "Kid spill water on you?"

"If by water you mean he urine, then yes. Where is Mr. Tall?" Hans didn't answer right away, instead him and a few other people who were around him broke out in a pall of laughter. Larten felt his eye twitch. Squirming in his arm the snake boy turned and squealed at them.

"No! I said I was sthorry!" He screamed, his forehead crinkled. They all laughed harder which made the little snake boy even more frantic. "No! Stop!" He was squealing at the top of his lungs now. Larten started laughing, unable to hold it in. The kid was just too damn cute.

"Enough Hans, don't pick on the boy." Mr. Tall appeared behind the freak, a straight look on his face. Laughing, snorting a bit Hans nodded, heading for his tent so he could continue giggling about it.

"There you are," Larten shot, glowering at the tall man. "what took you so long? If I recall the nearest town is not that far away." He accused.

"I needed to go to a specialist. After all dewormer medication for snakes is poisonous to humans, and the medication for humans is poisonous for snakes. Seeing how he's both, I didn't want to risk it." he stopped, an awful grin sweeping across his face. "I see he peed on you. Marking your territory little one?" Mr. Tall teased. Evra glowered at him, an embarrassed look on his face, his scales changing a bit in color around the cheek area. Mr. Tall cackled and shook his head. "Go get cleaned up, both of you, when you come back I'll give little Evra his medicine and we'll have dinner." Turning he headed off, whistling merrily. Larten sighed and shook his head. He hated babysitting, but he couldn't leave the little reptile boy covered in his own urine. That would just be disgusting.

"Come on little one, let us go get cleaned up." Turning, Larten headed for a nearby stream. He would use a tub in camp but he didn't want to deal with the ridicule of being covered in pee from the others. Plus, he wanted to just relax. Finding a nice little spring he smiled. Placing Evra on the ground he began to strip. The snake boy held onto his pant leg as his shirt and cloak came off.

Evra didn't understand why the vampire was getting naked and looked at him questioningly, hoping that this man wasn't like his master at the other circus. Grabbing the loops around his pants Larten pushed them down to his ankles before slipping out of them. Evra's eyes dropped as the pants did. He stopped, looking at the boy questioningly, then picked him up again, carrying his clothes under his other arm. "Do not go out too deep." Larten replied. Although the spring was circular and not that big, it dropped down suddenly after a certain way out.

Climbing into the spring, Larten sat down and sighed, the heat from the spring warming his bones. He carefully submerged the snake boy, making sure it wasn't too hot for him. Smiling, once settled, Evra stood next to the red head, the water up to his hips. Smiling he splashed a bit before looking at the older man.

Larten had his eyes closed, a look of enjoyment on his face as he rested his head back against a rock. Evra stared at him, wondering why he was smiling so much. Carefully he crawled over the man.

Feeling a pair of hands on his shoulders, Larten's eyes snapped open, his eyes connecting with a large pair of Golden snake eyes. He gasped and sat up quickly. The boy was hovering over him, looking confused. Coughing lightly Larten picked the boy up and put him off to the side. "You should be careful around me," he replied. "I can be deadly when startled."

"Are you a tiger?" Evra questioned, looking at him intently. Larten stopped, looking at him shocked for a second before laughing.

"No, I am not a tiger, Evra. What would make you think that?" He smiled.

"Well, you have orange hair, and a stripe on your face." Evra pointed at the scar on his cheek. Larten blinked, itching the scar lightly. It was a fairly intelligent explanation. Growing up around freaks, it would have been possible for Larten to pass off as a tiger freak...but his scar wasn't black.

"This," He pointed at the scar. "This is a scar. I got a boo boo, and it healed up like this. I am not a tiger." He explained, a smile on his face. Blinking a couple times, the boys face stern, still, he said nothing. Larten returned his staring, wondering what was wrong with the boy. Looking down Evra crawled over onto his lap again and sat on his leg. He smiled and leaned against Larten, his cheek against his chest, happy. Larten was a bit awkward for a second, before finally wrapping an arm around the boy, rubbing his shoulder.

"I love you Misther Crepsley." The boy admitted, smiling. Larten stared down at the boy with wide eyes, wondering what was with the confession.

"W-why?" He questioned, his voice breaking a bit. "We barely know each other." Smiling, Evra looked up at him, his cheek still rested against his chest.

"Because your nice, and you don't hurt me, or make me feel bad." He replied before closing his eyes, looking down, splashing in the water a bit. Larten choked a bit, his heart throbbing. The poor boy had been through so much, and imagining it only made Larten mad. Sighing Larten kissed the top of his head, running his fingers through his short hair.

"I love you to, Evra."

CDF

Getting back to the camp, Larten put Evra on the ground, a pair of back up pants on. Although it was a bit chilly out. Larten let Evra wear his cloak for a towel -seeing how that was the only thing that didn't need to be washed. "Hibernius," Larten called out, looking at the Cirque master, holding his clothes in his hands. "Where is the line? I wish to hang these out to dry." Larten held them up, but the tall, dark man wasn't looking at them. He was looking beyond Larten, a smile on his face.

"Running around." Mr. Tall replied, snickering. Looking back, Larten caught the flapping of his red cloak as Evra ran in circles hissing.

"I'm a bat! Fear me!" he ran up to Truska who was gathering laundry from the camp members and held up both of his hands, his fingers curled up like claws. "Rawr!" he hissed. She laughed as he turned and ran off again. Mr. Tall laughed, shaking his head.

"Cute huh?" Larten snorted, fighting a grin.

"The bugger sure does warm up quickly, does he not?" Running up to everyone, Evra did the same thing, until he approached Gertha. The moment she approached she turned on him and growled.

"Back off or I'll chew through your skull!" Evra stopped, looking at her. Grabbing the bottom of the cloak he pulled it up and across his face like a Vampire from an old Dracula flick and hissed, backing away from her a couple steps. Reeling around he started running again. Larten grinned, trying to fight back laughter. He turned and went to open his mouth to address Mr. Tall again when the snake boy ran up, his hands in the air as claws up again.

"Rawr!" he roared at Larten. Reeling around, Larten gasped dramatically, his hands clutching his heart. He went stiff and fell backwards, hitting the ground hard. Evra dropped his hands slowly, looking at him. He walked over and looked down at him. "Misther Crepsley?" He whimpered. Larten didn't move, struggling to keep his face straight. "Misther Crepsley?" Evra poked him. He still didn't move. Carefully the boy crawled over him and sat on his chest. He looked into his face concerned. Grabbing the cloak he flapped it, whining a bit. "Misther Crepsley wake up!" He bounced a bit. Larten fought to keep his face straight. Pouting Evra leaned forward. Suddenly, the vampires eyes snapped open. Grabbing the boys sides Larten shouted.

"Boo!" Screaming Evra fell backwards. Sitting up as the boy fell Larten began tickling him, causing the squeal to turn into hysterical laughter, mid-scream. Laughing lightly, Larten tickled the boy -carefully so as not to cut him with his nails, or break anything on him- until the boy was laughing so hard he was crying. Stopping, Larten pulled the boy up, fixing his hair. Laughing Evra smiled at him and stood up, running away from him, laughing loudly, his arms outstretched like an airplane.

"Awfully playful, huh?" Mr. Tall shot, grinning at Larten as he hung up the wet clothes -which he had somehow nabbed from the vampire while he was rolling around on the ground.

"Children usually are." Larten agreed, watching as the snake boy ran laps around the fire, stopping once in a while to ask what Hans was eating, before trying some himself.

"I was talking about you." Mr. Tall informed him, watching the boy as well. Looking at him surprised for a second, Larten sighed and smiled, shaking his head.

"I feel it is an obligation of mine. Over one night, he has become attached to me."

"You're not afraid if he will fit in fine here? You usually are when I bring people back." Mr. Tall questioned, not moving his head, his eyes rolling over to look at Larten. Shaking his head, Larten smiled.

"Nah, I mean, after all," Larten looked up at his friend and laughed lightly as Evra ran back, crawling into his lap with a plate of food. Picking up a sausage he picked it up, holding it up for Larten to bite it, but the vampire ignored it and wrapped his arms around the boy, resting his chin on the top of his head, grinning like a fool. "The little terror warms up quickly, does he not?" He smiled, taking a bite of the sausage finally after his lips being poked by it a couple times.

"I guess he does." Mr. Tall smiled. Turning he left the two alone, concern for both of their relationship with each other. They may seem like a father and son like pair now...but Mr. Tall saw something else. Something much more...devious.