Kristopherson slept through the next day after changing back to his usual shape. He was surprised to see that it had been an entire day since transforming, but even more so by how much his sweatpants had stretched. They almost fell down when he tried to get up. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. simply allowed him to stay and continued to monitor him. He felt terrible when he finally did wake up again. His head hurt and he felt nauseous. His body was still a bit sore, so he wouldn't be doing any rigorous activity soon. Thankfully, the Phantomhives were there to give him a lift home. The bluenette had stopped by as well when his husband called him and informed him that Kristopherson was staying longer. The Miles felt a little bad for making both men wait on him, but they assured him that it was no trouble.
They saw to it that he made it back to his flat safely, but right after getting there, the man simply wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep a little longer. He felt sick. Kristopherson new the book said this was normal, but he still wasn't too pleased with it. Reaching for his phone, Kristopherson was about to set an alarm for him to get up to, only to discover that he had voicemail.
"Fuck…" he grumbled, reading the name. It was that incubus from the Gehenna general store, Logan. He wasn't upset that he was contacted, but rather that he needed to call back quickly, and he still didn't trust his voice. It was scratchy and gruff, like he was ill, or had worn it out. Clearing his throat, he tried saying "hello" out loud to himself until he thought it sounded good enough to try and converse with. Then, he dialed the incubus' number.
"Hello?" asked a voice on the other end of the line. It was Logan's, causing the other man to sigh a bit in relief that the number worked.
"Hey, it's Kristopherson. You tried to call me earlier?" answered the blonde, getting straight to the point. Running his eye, he grunted as he laid back down on his side.
"Oh! Yeah, I did. I just wanted to see how you were feeling after the moon." Logan replied. His answer made the faux-blonde smile a bit. "I was afraid I wrote the number down wrong or something when you didn't call back. Did something happen?"
"I'm fine. I was out cold all of yesterday, though." The Miles informed. "That was not fun. I'm still a bit sore…"
"You do sound kinda sick." Observed the other over the line. "Do you need help with anything? I can stop by, if you do."
"You don't have to do that. I can manage, I think." Kristopherson said, pausing to think for a moment. Scrunching his face a bit. "Shit… I didn't feed my cat yesterday… The plants need water, too…"
"My offer still stands." Informed the incubus. "Though I am surprised you have a cat."
"It's not like I'm gonna start chasing him, or anything." Answered Kristopherson. "Will probably send him to live with my parents when I start doing moons at home, though. Anyway, having some extra hands would be nice. I don't really want to do anything for like, the next year or so?"
"I can't be your maid, but I can offer you a hand every so often."
"Ordinarily, one would think that inviting strange men into your home is a bad idea." Noted Kristopherson, sighing a bit.
"Is that a thing in the human world?"
"Is it not in yours?"
"No." Answered Logan. "There's not a lot of concern over that, here. I feel like this explains a lot, though. It always feels weird to go outside the fence. Everything works so differently!"
"Really? Like what?" questioned the wolfman with genuine interest. This question was all it took to make a phonecall that was supposed to last only a few minutes last over an hour. It was a very insightful conversation on both sides, as Kristopherson was genuinely curious about how things are in Gehenna, and Logan was very interested in how the world works beyond it. As educational as it was, their discussion also cheered Kristopherson up quite a bit. Distraction was his friend between the soreness of his body and the cat yowling for food in the other room.
Eventually, Kristopherson did agree to allow the other man into his home, after having learned that this behaviour was simply how things are done in Gehenna. When someone needs help, other members of the community will help them, even if it's small. After having said all of this, shortly after hanging up the phone, the man fell asleep again, much to the dismay of his pet, only to be woken up by a knock at the door.
Jerking awake, he immediately cringed. The sudden movement caused his muscles to complain, and the idea of getting up to answer the door wasn't at all appealing. Still, he forced himself, grunting and shuffling through the apartment while trying not to trip over the cat. Picking up the animal, he pressed his eye to the peephole in the door, seeing a man who looked familiar, but different. Raising a brow, he unlocked the door and opened it, holding the cat steady so it couldn't escape outside.
"Logan?" he asked, slightly put-off by how different the incubus looked. Currently, his guest was disguised as a human in order to get through the city, changing his skin colour to match what a human would most likely have, and ridding himself of his horns and his tail.
"Hello." Greeted the other, rubbing the back of his neck with a somewhat bashful smile. "I know I look weird, but I couldn't get through town, otherwise!"
"It's fine. Come on in." Kristopherson said, moving out of the way to the other could enter his apartment. Closing the door again, he turned around to see the incubus gawking at his living space. The large rooms, modern furniture, and white paint was really new. Then, Logan's eyes were set on the large window that overlooked the street outside, smiling.
"This place is incredible!" the man said. "Do all humans live like this?"
"No, not really." Answered the faux-blonde, setting the cat down. "My family is a little wealthier than most, so we can afford places like this. Feel free to make yourself at home. You can change back to normal, if you want. Nobody else is here to see it."
"Are you sure?" questioned the other. "I know I look a little weird in this part of town…"
"Like I don't? I'm a werewolf. I have no room to judge." Stated Kristopherson as he walked into the kitchen to locate a can of catfood, closely followed by both the incubus and cat. Grabbing the can and opening it, Kristopherson fed his pet while the animal tried its absolute best to get in his way. "Knock yourself out. I've seen plenty of transformations before."
I thought your first moon was only a few days ago?"
"It was, but I've been friends with a pair of demons who are magnets for trouble, and have seen them transform a few times. It's really kind of hard to be surprised by this supernatural stuff anymore."
"I guess that's true…" said Logan, returning to his usual blue pigmentation and regaining his horns. He fumbled with the back of his pants for a moment in order to make sure his tail fit. Kristpherson smiled at him, easing his slight bit of bashfulness before ruining it again.
"You're better this way." The faux-blonde stated, leaning against the counter. "It's unique."
"Y'think so?" questioned Logan, scratching the back of his head a bit while watching the other walk back into the living room. Kristopherson then crashed on the couch, grunting at all of this moving around.
"Yeah. I see about a thousand people a day walking through London, watching TV, or surfing the internet, and not one of them looks like you. In a good way. I think it's cool."
"If you say so. You're a lot better with fashion and stuff, so I'll take your word for it." Smiled Logan, observing the other man for a moment. Even disheveled and unshaven, Kristopherson didn't seem out of place in these surroundings, as visually extravagant they seemed to the incubus. "Oh! So, what do you need help with? You said you needed to water your plants?"
"Oh yeah… I'm sorry, I've been so out of it, that I forgot what you were here for!" Kristopherson said, sitting up a bit. "Yeah, the plants, and I needed to move some fabric into the sewing room. It really doesn't feel like enough for you to come over for…"
"It's no problem! So, what do you water the plants with?"
"I just grab a glass from the cupboard in get some water from the sink, usually. Nothing fancy. Sorry to disappoint."
"Pfft, I wasn't really expecting anything. That's what we do at home. The Environmental Department's gardeners are the ones that use the watering cans."
"How many departments do you even have in Gehenna?" asked the Miles while Logan started opening cupboards in the kitchen until he found the one that held cups. He then proceeded to grab a cheap, plastic one as not to waste a nicer one made of glass.
"Uh… Let's see… The Environmental Department, The Town Welfare Department, The Fire Department, The Police Department…" he trailed off while filling the cup under the faucet. "Does the post office count? Maybe… Oh! Then there's the Maintenance Department… Y'know, good stuff like that."
"Ah-ha… I was just curious. I remember the Welfare Department and the Police, but I didn't know about the others." Said the wolfman. "'cept for the Fire Department… That seems kind of obvious, now."
"Well, a lot of these departments deal with a lot of things, so really, there's a lot more to them." Informed Logan, pouring water in the pot of a tall plant located near the front door. "That can make it confusing. Every house is actually given a list of the numbers for each little section. So, if you need a plumber, you don't have to wait for the Maintenance department to connect you with their division, and you can just go straight there."
"What's the number you call for the police?"
"666." Answered Logan with a smile, grinning at the other's laughter.
"Guess 999 was already taken, huh."
"That would be weird. Then we'd get human cops trying to get into the village and being confused when armed guards block them." The incubus pointed out while dumping some water over a potted plant on the kitchen counter.
"That can never go over well."
"Are there any more plants that need water?" asked Logan, changing the subject while placing a hand on the back of the sofa to address the other better. "I got all of the ones in this room, the kitchen, and by the front door."
"Huh? Oh, yeah… There's one in my room, and also in the sewing room." Answered Kristopherson. Furrowing his brow, he raised an arm to gesture, propping it up a bit with the other. "My room is that way, and the other is through there. That's also where I need to move those bundles of fabric."
"I'll get to that in a minute." The other man said. "Back in a sec."
Kristopherson turned his head to watch the other make his way down the hall with a slight spring in his step and a swish of his tail. Sighing, the faux-blonde leaned back and rested the back of his head on the couch. "This is weird…" He said, wondering if it were possible for a person to be so nice.
Maybe it was indeed just a cultural barrier that would take getting used to, but Kristopherson was almost hesitant to believe that. Things in his world didn't work that way, after all. Part of him did feel guilty about making such a snap judgement, but caution had never done anyone harm. The more he thought about it, the more he felt a little uneasy. He didn't know Logan that well, and yet he allowed the man into his house? Kristopherson wondered if the moon and recovering from it was messing with his judgement.
"Alright, so where's the fabric and where does it go?" asked the incubus, walking back into the room. Turning his attention back to Logan, the faux-blonde explained.
"It goes in the sewing room—the door right next to the bedroom." Kristopherson said. "There should be some others just like them in there. Just set them down next to that. You can't miss it."
"On it." Replied his help for the day, giving a thumbs up and a smile before walking over to the bundles of fabric and beginning to haul them into the other room. While he was doing that, the owner of the flat took to laying down on his side. Kristopherson really wasn't sure on how to handle this.
After closing his eyes for what felt like seconds, Kristopherson was alerted by the sound of the incubus' voice again. Opening an eye, Kristopherson looked up as Logan stood over the couch, looking down at him.
"Anything else?" the man asked, prompting the faux-blonde to reluctantly sit up again.
"I suppose asking you to rub my shoulders would be weird, huh?" he jokingly asked, earning a chuckle.
"It would. I don't know you well enough for that. Sorry, mate."
"I wasn't serious." Said Kristpoherson, joining him in his laughter with a grin. "I'm sure I'll think of something as soon as you leave, though."
"Take your time thinking, I'm in no hurry."
"I should at least offer you some tea. It would be no trouble."
"Are you sure?" questioned the incubus. "You should really rest."
"No, no, it's fine. Do you want some?" Kristopherson raised an eyebrow as his inquiry was met with some hesitance. Then Logan finally said it.
"I don't know how to answer that politely." The man blurted out. "If I say 'yes', is it pushy? If I say 'no', though, you might insist and the conversation will go nowhere!"
A loud snort escaped the Miles, followed by laughter. He tried to cover his mouth, but his smile was still visible, and it only stifled the noise a little. Looking up at the incubus, Kristopherson could see a purplish blush start to form on the man's cheeks. Logan was embarrassed. It occurred to him now that what he had just said may be stranger than simply answering the question.
"S-sorry, did I say something wrong?" bashfully questioned the incubus, causing the wolfman to shake his head.
"No, not at all!" Kristopherson finally managed to say while calming his cackling down to a small chuckle here and there. His grin remained however. "I just didn't see it coming. You're really honest. I would have never thought to tell the other person about that feeling, though. I feel you."
"You… feel me?" asked Logan, arching an eyebrow in confusion.
"I mean 'I understand'." The other explained. "Don't worry about it. You're a funny guy, Logan. Just answer honestly. Do you want tea or not?"
His odd purple blush darkening, the incubus lowered his head a bit. "I would…"
"Then I'll make some tea." Stated the wolfman, grunting a bit as he stood up. "Just sit down and make yourself comfortable in the meantime."
"A-alright…" answered Logan, watching the other walk away. He then eyed the sofa carefully before shyly sitting down, making sure to sit a considerable distance away from Kristopherson's implied seat. "Was it really that funny, though?"
"It was." Answered Kristopherson from the kitchen. The other man could hear cupboards opening and dishes moving around. "I've never heard anyone say something so honest before. Usually, people just pick one or the other."
"Uh, well… I've always figured that it's best to just say how you feel up front." Logan said. "Even if it's a little embarrassing, it usually makes things go a lot faster."
"That's a good way to go about things. So you're not only honest, but you've got guts, too, huh?"
"If you want to look at it that way…"
"I'm actually surprised you can drink tea, by the way." Kristopherson thought aloud. "I had always thought that incubi and succubi were like demons, and didn't really need food."
"Having a dry throat still doesn't feel too nice." Logan stated, crossing one leg over the other. "We can eat food, and it does give us some energy, but up to a certain point, it's not enough to survive on unless you're eating constantly. It's just not possible!"
"Good to know. I was worried for a minute. Like, 'did I just pressure someone who can't eat to drink tea'? Now that would have been awkward."
"I would have just told you if that was the way it is." Answered Kristopherson, watching as he walked through the living room and down the hallway. He then returned moments later with his cell phone.
"I need to set an alarm." Kristopherson informed, answering Logan's curiosity before he could ask. Sitting down on his own side of the couch, he set the device down and turned to face the other. "So, you can eat food and shapeshift… what else can you do?"
"I dunno. I can't really think of anything special. I'm sure there's stuff, but it's kinda normal, to me, so…"
"I get it." Nodded the faux-blonde. "It's like, something that's weird to me might be normal to you, so you just don't really think about it. It's just part of you."
"Exactly." Logan stated, snapping his fingers and flicking his tail. "I guess that's sorta universal."
"It is. There's a few things like that that are." The faux-blonde said while carefully eyeing his cat as it walked up to them. The feline looked up at Logan before looking down at his tail as it flicked from side to side. He then looked up at the other again, paying attention to him as he spoke.
"I wonder what other things are. Maybe stuff like what I did earlier? Not being able to answer something because you don't wanna come across as ru-u-UOW!" yelped the incubus with a jolt. He yanked his tail from the grasp of the cat and held it tightly, trying to soothe the stinging sensation.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Apologised Kristopherson, standing up. "I was trying to keep an eye on him, but I got distracted!"
"I-it's okay… Ow…"
"We should take care of that. Come on, let's go get it cleaned up." Suggested the wolfman, holding out a hand to the other and helping him to his feet.
Logan shuffled a bit, trying not to step on the now somewhat frightened feline on the floor. The pair stepped into Kristopherson's bathroom, where the man rummaged through the medicine cabinet for a first aid kit and turned on the water.
"You should clean it up the best you can." Kristopherson said. "Cat scratches can be nasty. I'd help you, but according to my demon friends, touching another person's tail isn't appropriate."
"It isn't…" smiled the other, but his expression soon faded as he put his tail under the faucet where it was scratched.
"Can you get infected cuts? If so, then we should spray some of this stuff on it."
"That's probably a good idea." Answered Logan, turning the water off before being handed a towel to dry the appendage off with. Once that was done, the Miles held up the small spray bottle.
"Hold it out for a second." He instructed. "This is gonna sting, so grit your teeth or do whatever you need to do to prepare for that."
"Surely it's not that bad…"
"You can chance it if you want." Warned the wolfman. "Ready? Three… two… one…"
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" blurted out the incubus, clutching his tail again after the wound was covered with a spritz of disinfecting spray. Sucking in air through his teeth, he waited for the stinging to subside before continuing. "Aaahh… You weren't kidding…"
"I'm sorry for laughing, but it's fun to hear you swear." Grinned Kristopherson, setting the bottle on the counter. Sticking his hand back in kit, he pulled out an adhesive bandage and handed it over to his guest. "Here. Patch it up with this."
"If you were just gonna give me that, why spray me with that stuff?" questioned Logan, taking it regardless.
"Cats scratches can get infected easily. It was to kill the bacteria."
"Kill the bacteria, not me…" The incubus muttered, wrapping the bandage around his tail. Once he was satisfied with how it held, he let go of it and let if hang freely while the other man continued to chuckle at him.
"I'm sorry my cat thought your tail was a toy." He apologized as the alarm went off in the other room. "Maybe some tea will make you feel better?"
Agreeing to the offer, Logan made his way back to the living room, being careful to avoid having his tail in the reach of the cat, while his host disappeared into the kitchen momentarily. When he returned, they continued talking. They talked about life, they talked about their homes and the people they knew, and they talked about nothing at all. The two were laughing and having a good time to the point where both of them had forgotten the original purpose of this meeting.
Only on a few occasions was Logan able to do something here and there for the faux-blonde, as Kristopherson only thought of things that needed to be done when the conversation brought them up. Most of the time, they just sat about, socializing until the day was done. Kristopherson did feel well enough, however, to show the incubus how he groomed his goatee. The man was desperate to shave, anyway, as he felt unclean around his guest in an odd way. Once he was done, the other man clapped at the design, amazed by how simple Kristopherson had made it seem. He then was offered a design, himself, and the pair spent some time designing a pattern for Logan, and then some more time trimming it in. The trimming itself took less time, since the pattern was less complicated than Kristopherson's, but Logan was extremely pleased with it. He couldn't stop smiling and felt the need to show it off.
He would get his chance, however, as they walked into the living room and noticed that it had gotten dark outside. Neither of them expected the day to slip by like this, but assumed that this is merely what happens when having fun. At this point, however, it was mutually decided that Logan should go home.
"My family'll be getting worried." Logan said as the other escorted him to the door. "It'll be fine, though, especially when I show them this cool goatee."
"That's good." Answered the wolfman with a laugh. "Feel free to come over whenever. I had a good time."
"Me too. Do you mean for cleaning, or…?"
"Just to hang out. Unless you need an excuse to hang out, then I'm sure I could think of some trivial task for you to do."
Smiling, the incubus looked down at his shoes and then back up. "I'd like that. You're a cool guy, Kristopherson."
"'Kris' is fine." Grinned the faux-blonde. "Will you be okay getting back? I can drive you, if you want."
"Nah, it's fine. I kept you from resting enough." Logan said, his skin changing colour and his horns and tail disappearing. "At least we had fun."
"It's no trouble, but if you insist…" Kristopherson trailed off, opening the door. "Get outta my house." He jested, causing the other to roll his eyes. "Thanks for the help, though."
"No problem. I'll be happy to help whenever you need me." The incubus said, stepping outside. He turned to wave briefly. "See ya."
"Laters." Answered the wolfman, waving back politely before the other walked away. He then closed the door again and locked it, turning back to face the inside of his home. It seemed empty, now. He would have to have company over again soon.
