The brisk knock on the door barely caused the two figures on the bed to stir, "Ethan darling have you seen Spud? He's not in his room and I need him to run an errand for me." Disregarding how much her nephew hated when she barged into his room Dixie opened the door and walked in, freezing at the heavy smell of stale blood in the room she was calling out to her husband before even noticing her nephew was tangled in bed with another man. Mouth thinning she easily recognized the second figure, there was no hiding that bright gleam of blond hair even in the room's dim light. It was only the unpleasant smell of old blood that prevented her from leaping to several horrifying assumptions.
"What is it honey?" Barging into his nephew's room Serg hurried to his wife's side, following her disgruntled gaze to the sight of Ethan and Spud curled together in bed. Raising an eyebrow he tried to stifle his grin, he'd been hoping those two would get together. What he couldn't understand is why his wife was just staring at them. Gripping her elbow he tried to ease her from the room, "perhaps we should give them privacy darling."
Shaking Serg's hand off Dixie turned a glare on her husband, irritated even further by the slight smile on his face. "I can smell blood on the air Serg. A lot of blood."
Groaning Ethan threw a pillow in the direction of the intruding couple, uncaring of which one he hit. His head was still pounding from the blood loss and the strain of establishing a new bond and all he wanted to do was bury his head under the blankets and hold onto Spud for just a little while longer. "Can we talk about this later," keeping his voice pitched low he rubbed lazy circles on Spud's back as the smaller man stirred.
"No, we cannot talk about this later," pulling away from Serg's hold Dixie crossed her arms and glared at her nephew. "Why is stale blood all I can smell in here? What happened?"
Irritated by his Aunt's demanding tone Ethan remained stubbornly silent, the stalemate only broken by Spud's sleepy voice. "Ethan? Is something wrong?" Yawning Spud blearily tried to focus on the other man's face, not quite sure what had woken him but with Ethan's hand warm and heavy on his back he was on the verge of falling back to sleep.
"That's what I'd like to know and I'd also like to know why my Chief of Staff is sleeping with my nephew," yelping at the sound of his boss's voice Spud untangled himself from Ethan, sitting up and staring in horror at Dixie's angry expression he only half heard Ethan's grumbles behind him.
"Mrs. Carter, I'm so sorry, I … I," scrambling out of bed Spud swayed as last night's blood loss made itself known in a wave of hot dizziness, it was only Ethan's strong grip on his arm that kept him on his feet. Thankfully it didn't appear he had enough blood available to blush at being found half naked in bed with his equally half naked best friend by his rather conservative boss.
"I was shot last night," interrupting bluntly Ethan brushed over the spot where the bullet had entered, keeping a steadying hand on Spud even as his Aunt gasped in horror.
"Why didn't you call us? Are you okay now?" It was only Serg's calming questions and tight grip that kept Dixie from rushing forward.
Giving the other man an appreciative nod Ethan held up a pacifying hand, trying his best to ally his Aunt's worry, "I took care of the situation, none of the witnesses will remember a thing. And thanks to Spud I'm fine, he found me and gave me what I needed."
"I see," frowning Dixie's gaze zeroed in on the slight evidence of a bite on Spud's neck, "well thank you Spud for helping my nephew." Turning back to Ethan although a little taken aback at the almost aggressively protective way he was hovering she was careful to keep her voice firm. "You'll wipe his memory of all this of course Ethan and I'd appreciate from now on if you would try not to sleep with my employees."
Spud's shocked gasp was lost in Ethan's immediate growl of protest, "I can't do that Aunt D," holding firmly onto his temper as the bond flared in protective fury he reminded himself his Aunt wasn't trying to be unkind, after all he couldn't deny drinking from Spud and then bedding him certainly fit his usual M.O. "A Vessel Bond formed between us last night."
"Alright just hang on one bloody minute," interjecting into the sudden silence Spud forged on despite the pinch of dread at the guilty glance Ethan shot him and the gobsmacked look on Dixie's face. "What bond? And you can wipe memories?" Valiantly he tried to keep any sign of hurt out of his voice that Dixie would order something like that done to him.
Stepping forward and catching Spud's attention before his red-faced nephew could answer Serg smiled supportively, "I think this conversation should be held between just the two of you." Pulling his still shocked wife along with him he carefully kept his satisfaction under control, it was about damn time Ethan took the risk of forming another bond. And despite what his wife would say he knew Ethan couldn't have chosen better.
As soon as they were alone Spud whirled around and poked Ethan in the chest, glaring up in his once again brown eyes, "okay Ethan, I think I've been pretty understanding so far. I didn't flee when you told me you drink blood and can heal from a gunshot wound. I … I let you just," gesturing to his neck his voice got increasingly high and wild until Ethan let out a soft murmur of comfort and pulled him into a rough hug. Sagging as a warm hand skimmed down his back he closed his eyes and just breathed in the warm scent of Ethan's skin, almost relieved at the distracting burn of arousal he felt like laughing and crying at the same time.
"It's okay tiger, I know it's a lot to take in," nuzzling Spud's temple Ethan waited for his breathing to calm before reluctantly pulling away to meet bright gleam of utter confusion in the other man's eyes. "Why don't you go get showered and dressed. We'll go out for lunch and I'll explain everything." It took everything he had not to give into the bonds clamouring to drag Spud back to bed but he had the sinking feeling he would lose something precious if he didn't allow him some space to adjust to the changes.
Searching Ethan's face intently Spud nodded reluctantly, as much as he wanted to demand answers he wasn't sure if he was ready, "okay Sir." Stepping back his eyes widened at the strange surge of uneasiness, almost pain swept over him the second he was no longer touching Ethan. Swallowing he moved back another step, somehow not surprised to find Ethan watching him with a sympathetic look on his face it took everything in him to keep moving. Whatever was going on he instinctively knew it had something to do with the mysterious bond Ethan had mentioned.
The morning sun was warm on his skin and the aroma of fresh cut grass provided a fragrant note of normalcy to what he was sure was going to be a difficult conversation. Looking up as Ethan dropped a warm donut in his lap and settled besides him on the secluded bench Spud smiled a little uncertainly, "this doesn't seem like your usual choice for breakfast Sir."
Gesturing to the wide-open spaces around them, the only people in sight engrossed in their own activities Ethan took a bite of his own donut, "plenty of privacy, something I think would be in short supply at a nice restaurant. Now …" turning so he could keep the other man's face in view it made the bond ache to see those blue eyes look at him in wariness, "what do you want to know first?"
Biting his lip Spud nervously picked at his donut, dropping his eyes from Ethan's steady gaze, there were so many questions he wanted answers to it was hard to know where to start. "What are you?" Blurting out his first question he winced at how rude it had come out.
"Immortal, undead, vampire," shrugging Ethan slouched wearily, nudging his knee against Spud's. "I've heard it all and I can't say I like any of them. The facts are I need to drink blood to live, I can heal from almost anything, I'm stronger and faster than normal humans. It's not yet known how long we live but after a certain point we don't age anymore." Holding his hand up he smirked at the storm of questions he could see waiting to burst out of Spud, "we as in most of my family, Aunt D and her children, my dad, grandmother, various cousins. There are other clans out there of course, not related to the Carters."
Struggling to grasp the concept his best friend was some kind of mythical creature Spud glanced unconsciously up at the sun, flushing when Ethan caught the look and teasingly flicked a balled up napkin at him. Flipping the other man the bird he tossed his mangled donut in the garbage, knowing in that moment of teasing that somehow everything would be okay between them.
"Almost all the myths you can think of are untrue. The sun won't burn me to a crisp, I love garlic and most importantly …" voice darkening Ethan let his mind flick back to the conversation he should have had with his first bonded, "… there is no way I can make you what I am."
Breath catching at the flash of red swirling in Ethan's brown eyes Spud swallowed his fear and reached out to squeeze the bigger man's arm reassuringly, the uneasiness he'd been fighting for the last few hours evaporating the second they were touching, "all I want to be is your friend Ethan." The sweet smile he got in return was a powerful reminder of why he'd fallen in love with Ethan Carter.
"Best friend," correcting easily Ethan shook off the painful memory, pleasure curling through his veins at the at way Spud was looking at him as if he was the most important person in the world. At least this time he felt safe in the knowledge Spud would never betray him, reassuring him that letting the bond stand had been the right decision.
Ducking his head Spud hid his delight at the clear affection in Ethan's voice, "I think I always knew there was something different about you, it's what first drew me to you."
"Not my devastating good looks," winking Ethan smirked and bumped Spud's shoulder when the smaller man huffed, flushing a rather fetching shade of red.
"You're such a wanker," relaxing at the familiar teasing Spud felt the tightly wound ball of tension in his gut fully ease. Smiling as the warm breeze tugged several of Ethan's dark curls lose he felt comfortable enough to change the subject back to the mornings events, "so tell me then Mr. Carter what did you mean when you said a bond formed between us and why was your Aunt upset by it? Oh and," the teasing lilt in his voice dropped, "would you really have wiped my memory? Can you even wipe memories?"
Breath catching at the expected question and yet still unsure of what to say Ethan stood abruptly, catching Spud by the arm he dragged him off the bench, for once not hiding his strength, "let's take a walk." Shoving his hands in his pockets he slowed his steps after a few minutes when it was clear Spud was having trouble keeping up with him, glancing down briefly at the other man's patient expression. "There are two kinds of bonds we experience in our lifetimes, the first is a Vessel Bond and the second is the Mating Bond. The second is rare and very much sought after, some wait centuries to find their mate, the one person in the world that is their perfect match," he forced his voice low and matter of fact to prevent the desire to find his own mate from leaking into his tone, "once you're lucky enough to find your mate the bond grants several benefits to the human half, including 'immortality'."
After a moment's pause where he was forced to battle a sudden storm of jealously at the idea of Ethan finding a mate Spud turned his attention to the first part of the explanation, "and the first bond?" He briefly wondered if based on Mrs. Carter's reaction he even wanted to know.
"It's less permanent, I can break it if you want," pausing by a small nook overlooking the lake Ethan leaned against the wooden railing and watched Spud's body language carefully, "it would however hurt you, it's surprisingly strong for only being established last night." Distracted for a moment by the way the sun caught in Spud's hair, highlighting every ridiculously lovely shade he cleared his throat, making sure there was no way his next words could be misinterpreted. "It absolutely will not stop you from aging or grant you any sort of immortality."
"Do you want to break it?" The bitter pain in Ethan's voice made him positive there was a story behind the warning and equally sure now was not the time to ask about it. Hopping up on the railing Spud smiled indulgently as Ethan's hand flashed out and gripped his knee, "I won't fall Sir."
"I'm pretty sure that's what everyone says right before they fall and break their neck," disregarding Spud's amused huff Ethan kept one hand firmly on his knee and the other on the railing. Crowding into the smaller man's personal space he grinned as his heartbeat increased sharply, choosing to answer Spud's question honestly, "I want to keep the bond tiger but I know a lot more about this than you do. There is a book written on the subject I want you to read before you make up your mind." Allowing a flash of red to show when Spud would have protested he forced himself to add a warning, "you should know no matter what you decide you won't be allowed to tell anyone about us. No one who puts the family at risk survives for very long." He was perversely proud when Spud didn't flinch at the threat.
"I promise to never breathe a word of anything I learn," swearing solemnly Spud met Ethan's intimidating gaze with complete assurance, nothing in the world could ever make him turn against Ethan and he let it show. Smiling slightly at Ethan's low rumble of approval he tucked the issue of their bond to the back of his mind until after he read the book and readjusted his position the railing, wincing as his wrist twinged in pain. Opening his mouth to ask another question he was caught off guard when Ethan grabbed his arm, a disconcerted expression pulling his mouth into a frown.
"You're hurt," for the first time remembering how harshly he'd grabbed Spud's arm last night Ethan didn't need the guilty way the smaller man's gaze dropped to know he was right. Holding on firmly when Spud tried to pull away he carefully rolled up his sleeve, biting back a curse at the mottled black bruising in the disturbing pattern of his fingers. "Oh Spud," remorsefully raising the injured wrist he delicately brushed his lips over worse of the bruising, repeating the action at Spud's shaky inhale. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay Sir," heat gathered and rapidly spread through his veins when Ethan's mouth lingered on his skin. The slight scrap of fangs surprised a whimper out of him and Spud flushed dully under the bigger man's self-satisfied smile.
A heavyset man, talking obnoxiously on his cellphone passed by their nook and with one glare shattered the electric moment with a loudly muttered 'fags'. Tightly curling his fingers into Ethan's shirt it was all Spud could do to hang on when the other man's eyes flashed red with rage and he tried to go after the offending asshole. "He's not worth it Sir," Ethan growled but relented, the red slowly fading from his eyes. Loosening his grip he smoothed out the wrinkles he'd created, gently petting the firm muscles under the soft fabric.
"He deserves to get his ass kicked," blowing out a deep breath Ethan let the other man's touch sooth his temper, this wasn't the first and he doubted it would be the last time he'd encountered such narrow-minded opinions. Fixing his attention back on what was important his mouth quirked in a lopsided smile, "well before we were so rudely interrupted did you have any more questions for me?" Tucking a wayward strand of blond hair behind Spud's ear it made the bond sing at how easily the smaller man leaned into his touch.
"Can you really erase memories?" As something inside him relaxed and soaked up every little extra touch Ethan offered, Spud found the courage to go back to a subject that had bothered him since Dixie had first mentioned it.
"Yes I can, it's how I keep the secret of what I am. Once I pick someone to feed from I wipe their memory of the entire thing." Ignoring the squirm of guilt at how if not for the bond he already would have wiped Spud's memory of last night he tugged the smaller man off of the railing and tucked him close. "So yes," he met Spud's eyes unflinchingly, answering the unvoiced question, "if I had to I would have wiped your memory as well, no matter how much it pained me." Cherishing the way even though Spud had tensed he hadn't tried to pull away in the slightest he led the way up the hill towards a small café on the edge of the park, it hadn't escaped his notice how the other man hadn't eaten his breakfast.
Dropping his gaze from Ethan's regretful expression Spud tried to work out how he felt about the other man's ability to wipe memories. On one hand he understood the need, it would probably be impossible to keep such a secret without some kind of ability to make people forget but he also couldn't quite shake his dismay at the thought Ethan would be capable of doing that to him. If there was one thing in this new reality where his best friend was a vampire that he was sure of was he'd never willingly betray Ethan Carter for any reason.
