Obviously, the band was simply thrilled to hear that they now have the chance of not only a proper management to push their musical careers, but also someone who can show them a few new tricks and sources for their vampire sides.

And so The Fangs now happen to have a contract with Crimson Records. They already had a few recordings and Bishop assured them that with proper advertisement, they could make it a lot higher in the food chain.

For that reason, their new manager told them to have a bit of an image change. Nothing much, to say it in Bishop's words, "only appealing to a wider audience". A wider audience is thus the fancy term for "more mainstream", at least in Josh's opinion. That means fancier outfits and hairstyles for some of them (Aidan actually didn't have to change much at all, something Josh is very glad for), new instruments, and different lyrics. Bishop thinks people will find other words more appealing… And that again means that Josh is by no means involved into the creation processes of new songs anymore.

In fact, he isn't involved with the band much anymore. Of course Aidan is still a central part in Josh's life, but… well, he is…

Drifting away, maybe?

The werewolf doesn't want to exaggerate here, he really doesn't. He gets it that promotion is important and that means shaking a lot of hands and playing a lot of songs in front of small and big audiences alike. Josh gets that, he does. It's an industry, for God's sake.

But…

If it were only that, really. Josh even had long-distance relationships, well, two to be exact. It worked for as long as it lasted. He can deal with that, he really can. Josh perfected the skill to cherish small moments, live off them.

It's just that he doesn't get much to live off these days. Bishop stood true to his promises – and shows the four vampires new tricks of how to deal with their vampirism, which, to Josh, bears close resemblance to taking the kids to the candy store, give them a hundred dollars, and tell them not to spend it all at once. The werewolf doesn't know what Aidan and the others do exactly to get blood now, he just knows that it changes Aidan in ways that he didn't think were possible – and in all those ways he doesn't like.

"Josh-y, Josh-y-o," the vampire's voice rings out as he opens the door.

For the record, that is what Josh's talking about.

The werewolf turns around as Aidan stumbles inside, giggling to himself as he throws his jacket on the rack – and it actually keeps hanging. The vampire makes the victory-pose.

"I thought you and the guys had a gig tonight," Josh grimaces, trying not to sound annoyed. He doesn't want to be that type of person. Just that he doesn't want Aidan to be… that kind of person.

"We did, but, ugh… we finished early," Aidan shrugs.

"… I actually asked because you are pretty late," Josh corrects him.

"Oh, yeah, that… ugh, well, Bishop took us out after that… I really missed you, though," Aidan exhales, now standing right in front of Josh to lean in for a kiss, but the werewolf gently (but firmly) pushes him back by the chest, offering a feeble smile, "You are drunk."

"Not just that," Aidan grins.

"What now?" Josh frowns.

"Well, I told you, with the vampire stuff. Bishop took us to the dens tonight," Aidan sighs happily. "It's really a great idea. The people willing to offer blood come there and we can just get it, you know? And it's by no means as messy as it is… the way I used to do it."

"And who organizes that?" Josh asks. Aidan shrugs, "Bishop, seemingly."

"And who pays for the people to come?" Josh goes on to question.

"They… come on their own?" Aidan frowns.

"Do they hand out flyers or what?" Josh snorts. "Because I don't think people just ask around, looking for some vampire to make them high."

"It's probably more like… hearing it through the grapevine or so," Aidan exhales.

"So you don't ask?" the werewolf goes on.

"Don't be a spoilsport, Josh," Aidan grumbles.

"I'm not. I'm just… concerned that this may appear to be something great, though it bears dangers," Josh tells him, trying to keep his voice soothing and kind. He really doesn't want to be that person. He doesn't want to be the spoilsport. He wants Aidan happy, but he also wants him safe. Is that really asked too much?

"I want to know you safe. So naturally, I ask myself if those people aren't… I don't know, drug addicts or so," Josh goes on.

"It's fine. Bishop organizes it. I bet he has an eye on such things," Aidan argues. "Don't worry."

Just that I do, you idiot!

"I still think that this is no good idea, Aidan. You are seemingly taking a lot more blood than you used to," Josh grimaces.

"Yeah, but it's far better. I mean… they got this whole business going. It's so easy, Josh, I never thought it could be so easy," Aidan smiles.

Really, all those years he spent creeping on the ground, always hungry, always torn - what a waste, right?

If only he had learned about that sooner, then he could have spared himself a lot of runs from police and feelings of regret and guilt.

"And that is the problem," Josh says, looking him right in the eye.

"What?" the vampire furrows his eyebrows.

"It shouldn't be easy," the werewolf tells him.

"Why not?" Aidan argues. Really, why shouldn't it be easy? If it's easy, it's easy not to hurt people, not to be a monster. This is not making any sense.

"If everything was easy in life – then we wouldn't have anything worth fighting for anymore," Josh then says.

"That was… lyrical," Aidan snorts.

"That was the truth," Josh argues.

Why don't you take me seriously? Why don't you ever listen to me? Because you used to. There once was not one opinion, but two. You look at me, but you don't see. You prick your ear, but you don't hear. My voice, you forced it out of your head. Do you even know what I just said?

"Why can't you just be happy for me? Hmmmm?" Aidan exhales, leaning a little closer. "Coz I'd be happy for you, too, if you found such a good solution to all of your problems."

"It's just that I fear that it's not such a good solution, Aidan," Josh tells him sternly, but still in a gentle voice.

"But you know what's even better about this?" Aidan grins.

"No?" Josh grimaces. Aidan pulls him into a sloppy kiss, then, and breathes, "I get pretty excited."

However, Josh pulls away from him another time.

"C'mon," the vampire sighs. He didn't want to argue tonight. He felt like walking on clouds until he came here. And now he feels like he just crashed to the ground.

Josh always seems so annoyed, but he encouraged him to do it, didn't he?

"No," Josh shakes his head, his voice holding no judgment, though.

"But I want you so bad," Aidan bites his lower lip. He wants and needs, but Josh keeps pulling away from him. And after the blood, Aidan just wants to be with him so bad, in bed, everywhere. He wants everything, to the point of crazy.

It's just that the werewolf, ever since Aidan started to work with Bishop, is drawing away from him. And that when Aidan needs him, needs him so badly.

He wants him, wants him now, why can't he just have him? He can have everything else and…

"You keep that feeling in mind," Josh winks at him.

"Huh?" the vampire frowns.

"Some things have to be hard to get, or else I'll be just as much as easy prey as the new blood deposits," Josh tells him.

"Josh, no, you are different," Aidan assures him quickly.

"Exactly, I'm different. And that is why I will go home now. And you will sleep off your… hangover, whatever," Josh shrugs. "I cleaned up your apartment a bit. If Bishop lives up to what he said – he'll have this home-story thing going on soon. So I said to myself it'd be better not to have it look like crap."

"You cleaned up my apartment the whole day?" Aidan looks at him, now starting to feel really, really bad. Sobering up at an instant gives him headaches.

"No, that took me about an hour, which still means that you are the King of Trash – you know how fast I usually get a place clean. So anyway, I'm glad you're… safe," Josh tells him, gathering his jacket. "I will see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Do you hate me now?" Aidan exhales, looking like a puppy lost in the rain. Josh gives him a quick kiss, "I'm not mad at you. I am just concerned, okay?"

"Then stay," Aidan begs him.

"I gotta go, and you know why," Josh smiles at him with a pang of sadness in his voice. "So goodnight."

"Night," Aidan mutters. Josh claps him on the shoulder one last time before he is out the door.

And only once he is walking down the stairs does he realize that his cheeks are wet.

I don't need you brave. I just want to keep you safe. Why don't you get it? That I just commit? To you, to this, to our life. To me it seems that, for this, only I still strive.

Aidan looks at the closed door for a moment, then the tidy apartment. He runs a hand over his face before just plopping down on the bed. The vampire closes his eyes, taking in the familiar scent, the scent Josh left on it. He is reminded of last Friday, when they just slept in and just held each other close, stealing time.

He inhales another time, and suddenly, the white sheets morph into silken tents. In the den. Blood. Women and men alike, mewling, moaning, craving more. Music buzzing. Henry giggling as he has fun under his own little tent. Bishop's smile as he watches on.

The vampire shudders, burying his head in the pillow.

Maybe easy is not as easy after all.