#bloodbones

"It might make her feel... misplaced. She might want to know who her real parents are."

Terry turns back to the dishes. "Her real parents didn't want her. Or they couldn't take care of her. Anyway, what does it matter? She has us now."

"Children don't think like that," Henry says with a sigh, "She'll want to know why her parents didn't want her, and who they were, and why we have her now."

"You're too worried about this. Look, let me talk to her about it, okay? It'll all be fine. My parents made me think I was adopted for three years just to teach me that it doesn't really matter."

Henry is silent for a long time. "That's horrible. You never told me that."

"Well it wasn't really important. And it wasn't that bad. They wanted me to know that the thing that makes parents parents is that they take care of you, not that they made you. Just another life lesson."

"I don't think their method was necessary."

"Probably. But you know my parents, always the eccentrics."

"...Indeed."

"Anyway, I'll talk to her about it. It'll all be fine, don't worry."

Terry is silent. He just watches Henry, eyelids half-closed, as the vampire looks between him and the dead woman, seemingly distressed.

"...I didn't know you were there. I didn't... um..."

"You're embarrassed."

Henry looks up at him, eyes larger than Terry has ever seen them. "No. Maybe a- I don't know. Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I never intended for you to see that. It's a somewhat private matter." Henry's feet shuffle a bit.

Terry levitates down from his perch in the air, landing lightly a few feet away from Henry, his robes billowing out as he touches ground.

"Covens feed together all the time. It's not private for them."

"I'm not in a coven. I've never... fed in front of someone before. I didn't want you to see me and..."

"Judge you?" Terry smiles a bit. "What did you think I'd think of you?"

Henry watches his face carefully, his mouth opening to answer but not producing a sound. He finally looks down and says, "I thought that you would... that you might find me displeasing. That me feeding might be uncomfortable for you."

"You thought I would be disgusted?" Terry takes a step forward. "No, Henry, I'm not disgusted."

"You're... you're not?"

"No. It's like what I do. Just a bit more... primal."

Henry is silent as Terry takes another step forward and looks behind the vampire, considering the woman lying on the ground. He sees the teethmarks in her neck, sees where Henry's lips pulled on her skin. He wonders what it would be like, to have those lips touch his neck, sucking, relishing.

He looks back at Henry, and the vampire has a strange look in his eyes. Something a bit confused, a bit fearful.

Terry leans forward and presses his lips to Henry's, cupping his stubbled face in one hand and brushing Henry's fingers with the other. The vampire's lips are perfect. A little wet, cracked, still warm. His breath ghosts Terry's cheek, his fingers wrap around Terry's, large and caloused.

Terry lets his tongue flick out, lapping up the bit of blood left on Henry's mouth, feeling the metalic taste mix with the taste of Henry,  riding out the rush it gives him. 

He pulls back, eyes fluttering open, and takes in Henry's relaxed, dazed expression. He smiles a bit.

Henry's eyes flick over Terry's face, trying to read it. "Why did you do that?"

It's such a silly question, Terry almost laughs out loud. Instead a small chuckle escapes him in a puff of air, which has Henry staring at him in confusion. "I think the better question is, why didn't I do that earlier?"

Henry continues to stare at him in confusion, and the butterflies in Terry's stomach start to get a little panicked as he considers the notion that Henry might not feel the same way.

"Is this because you watched me feed?"

Terry considers it. "Sort of. It was... intimate. It just made me want to kiss you." Henry stares at him, brow knit.

"...Is that bad?" Terry asks.

"No. I just don't understand it completely."

Terry chuckles again, that breathy laugh that makes Henry's eyes dance. "I don't either."

Henry's thumb caresses Terry's hand, and he stares at the sorcerer with a look that makes Terry want to kiss him again.

"But... it was alright?" he asks.

Henry nods. "Yes."

"You wouldn't be against doing it again, maybe?"

Terry's breath leaves him as Henry smiles at that, actually smiles. And it does something to his eyes, brings a kindness and warmth to them that Terry wants to hold onto for the rest of his life.

"No. I most certainly wouldn't be against it."

"Are you sure? They're a long way away by now. I could help you catch up a bit."

"No."

"I could slow them down for you. Or heal your injuries, I'm really good at that kind of stuff."

"No."

"Look, you're never going to catch up to them at this rate, and even if you do you won't stand a chance. That's a coven leader, you know."

"I know."

"...If I may ask, why are you after him?"

"You may not."

The sorcerer was starting to look a little miffed as he floated along beside the vampire, which wasn't so bad considering how people usually reacted to Henry's brash attitude.

"I just want to help. You look like you're in rough shape."

Henry let his voice settle into that deep growl that always scared humans and said, "I know your kind. You like making deals, like tricking people into doing things. I'm not taking any favors from you."

Terry laughed, high and light, a tinkling, bell-like sound. "I'm not interested in getting anything from you. Believe me, I know most sorcerers and witches like making deals, but I don't think you could get me anything I can't get myself."

"You never know."

"Honestly, I just want to help. I have a bit of a reputation among the sorcerer community, actually. I like helping random people with their problems. Well, random supernaturals. With humans, I usually just suck their life force out."

Henry glanced up at him. "Isn't that..."

"Frowned upon? Kind of illegal among sorcerers? Yes. But my parents have been doing it for ages, so I don't see why I can't get away with it."

Henry grunted.

"So, do you want my help or not?" Terry asked, looking down on the limping vampire with large, expectant eyes. They were brown. 

As Henry looked up at him, the moonlight contouring his face into a painting of shadow and light, he thought he was beautiful. And beautiful things were rarely trustworthy. But, seemingly without his volition, his head nodded, and his mouth formed words.

"Fine. But just heal me, no more."

Terry smiled, and dammit, that was beautiful too. "Alright then. Take your shirt off."