#phantomhero

Phantom let himself into Mare’s house, multiple files under his arm as he glanced at the couch where Mad was curled in one of Mare’s old hoodies. “Just the man I was looking for!”

“Hey, Phan,” Mad hummed, thumbing through his notebook without looking up. “Mare’s in the music room if you need him.”

“I was actually looking for you, Maddy,” Phantom replied, sitting on the opposite end of the couch to Mad. “Found some articles you might be interested in.” He smiled when Mad finally looked up, his old book scent turning sweeter as his curiosity spiked.

“What kind of articles?”

“They’re doing some research into treatments to help infertile omegas,” Phantom began, holding his hands up as Mad’s stare hardened. “Their current results have helped mates to produce children without harm to the omega.”

“What’s your point?” Mad asked, setting his book aside to focus on Phantom.

“There’s a chance you can still give Mare pups,” Phantom replied, eyes shining as his whiskey scent sharpened. “Sure, the treatments are still in development, but there’s an opportunity for you and Mare to have a family. A proper family.”

“Why would I want that? Mare doesn’t care if I don’t give him pups.”

“You still want to give him children, though,” Phantom pressed, setting the files onto the coffee table. “You want that because you know he only said he didn’t care to make you feel better.”

“You can bite me,” Mad spat, lip curling in the semblance of a snarl as he tucked his legs further under the hoodie. “Mare doesn’t lie about that. He loves me.”

“While it’s a good offer, I don’t much like the taste of coffee and old books,” Phantom joked, getting off the couch and making his way to the door before pausing. “Besides, Mare wouldn’t like that.”

“I wouldn’t like what?” Mare asked, stepping into the room while rolling his sleeves above his elbows, the scent of rosin and polished wood growing stronger as he moved to stand near Mad.

“Your mate told me to bite him,” Phantom stated, smirking as Mad’s cheeks flushed from the implication. “Told him you wouldn’t like it.”

“You provoked him,” Mare pointed out, hand snaking around to hold Mad possessively. “What did you say?” There was a hint of ash in his scent, smoky but woodsy, a sign of anger.

“There’s new research to help infertile omegas have pups,” Phantom sighed, gesturing to the files on the table. “I thought Madsy might be interested. Guess he isn’t, because he told me to bite him.”

“What else did you tell him?”

“I told him you probably lied about not caring that he’s infertile.”

“Get out,” Mare growled, flashing his teeth as he hopped over the back of the couch to cradle Mad in his arms. “I would never lie to hm, which makes you a jerk. Get out, I’ll call you later about… all of this.”

Phantom’s lip curled in the hint of a snarl, hands clenching by his side before taking a deep breath, ducking his head and strolling out, closing the door with a soft click behind him.

--

“He was wrong… right?” Mad asked quietly after Phantom left, keeping his face tucked into Mare’s neck, nose pressed to his scent gland. “About how you feel?”

“He was wrong, darling-heart,” Mare rumbled, holding Mad tighter. “While there was a time I wanted pups, I met you, and the only thing that matters now is your happiness. I don’t care about a stereotypical family with children and an obedient omega, I just want you beside me, tucked into my side for the rest of our lives.”

“I love you, Mare,” Mad whispered, pulling his face out of Mare’s neck to press their lips together, melting into the kiss when Mare tilted his head to deepen it, gently pushing Mad back to lay down on the couch. “I only want you for the rest of forever.”

“You have me,” Mare purred, moving to kiss along Mad’s neck and grazing his teeth against his claim mark. “You have me forever and beyond, drowning myself in your scent and your taste and your touch.” As Mad arched his back in a moan, Mare took the opportunity to hook his fingers into the waistband of his boxers, sliding them down his hips while latching his teeth to his claim mark.

“M-Mare, more…” Mad dug his fingers into Mare’s shoulders, tilting his head to give the alpha more access and letting out a whine when Mare pulled away.

“Hold onto me, dearest,” Mare whispered, waiting for Mad to hold on before effortlessly carrying him off the couch and toward the bedroom. “I want you to be comfortable,” he explained when Mad furrowed his brow in confusion, then moved away to remove his own clothes, leaving Mad in just his hoodie.

Climbing back onto the bed, Mare knelt between Mad’s legs and hitched up the hoodie before settling his hands on his hips to keep him still. Leaning down, he met Mad’s eye as he pressed a kiss to his hipbone before centring himself to kitten lick at his cock, smirking at the squeak Mad let out from it.

“M-Mare, please…”

“Patience, sweetheart,” Mare murmured, licking his lips before taking half of Mad’s cock into his mouth and sucking, running his tongue along the underside in the way he knew drove Mad crazy. Adjusting his hands so one arm was slung over his lower belly to keep him down, Mare moved his free hand to tease at Mad’s hole, smearing the slick there before slipping two fingers inside and groaning at the warmth that encased it.

“Oh, gods above, Mare,” Mad panted, covering his face with one arm while tangling his fingers into Mare’s hair with the other. “Y-You’re going to kill me.” Mare’s chuckle sent vibrations along his cock, making him jerk against Mare’s arm before letting out a high keen as Mare pulled off.

“My favourite thing about you,” Mare began, lifting his fingers to his mouth with a sin-filled smile, “Is the way your slick tastes like oak when you’re ready for me. How you smell heavenly to the point where I feel lightheaded.” Watching Mad’s chest heave as he licked his fingers clean, he shuffled forward before lining himself up to Mad’s hole, leaning forward to catch the omega in a kiss as he slowly pushed in.

“Mare…” Mad groaned as he was filled, clutching the sheets so tightly they started to tear and breaking the kiss to press his nose into Mare’s scent gland. “M-Move.”

“As you wish,” Mare hummed, hooking one hand under Mad’s knee to bend his leg while the other got a tighter grip on his hip before he started to thrust at a slow and deep pace. “Gods, you’re perfect,” he mumbled, watching Mad’s face contort in pleasure as he angled his hips to make him see stars.

“M-Mare, m-more, harder, please Alpha,” Mad babbled, meeting Mare’s thrusts as he reached down to rest a hand over Mare’s on his hip. “B-Bite… bite me, please, Mare…”

Mare growled at Mad’s babbling, nipping at his jaw before mouthing at his scent gland and moving further to sink his teeth into his claim mark, tasting Mad’s pleasure as he came between them, grip tightening on Mare’s hand on his hip in a silent command. Releasing his leg, Mare moved his free hand to glide across Mad’s body, tracing the invisible trails of each freckle and making more of a mess on his stomach.

“Mad, starshine,” Mare panted, pressing his lips to the shell of Mad’s ear as his hand returned to Mad’s hip. “When my knot locks, I want you to bite me, stake your claim over and over. Can you do that for me?”

Through his blissful haze, Mad nodded, clawing at Mare’s back to pull him closer as he mouthed at his claim mark, feeling Mare’s knot catching before warmth flooded him, biting down as hard as he could while Mare locked them together.

--

“Phan says he’s sorry,” Mare reported, poking his head into the bathroom to smile at Mad in the tub, relaxing after Mare cleaned him. “His intentions were good, just… misplaced.”

“It’s because Jackie’s beta, isn’t it?” Mad asked quietly, voice strained from earlier. “Jackie can’t give Phan pups, so he wants you to have them.” Looking up, he saw Mare’s smile fall as he stepped into the room. “He knows I’m not stupid.”

“He does,” Mare was quick to console, helping Mad climb out of the tub and wrapping him in a fluffy towel. “He’s just stupid enough to think I care at all about carrying a family line. He knows better than that.”

“Do you…” Mad trailed off as Mare dried him before putting him into a fresh pair of boxers and a soft sweater. “Do you think they can come over tomorrow? To talk?”

“Yeah, I’m sure they can, dear heart,” Mare agreed, grinning at Mad’s squeak from being lifted. “We’ll have them over for dinner, and we can talk about whatever research Phan brought over.”

“I’m happy I met you,” Mad murmured, settling under the bedsheets and curling into Mare’s side, head on his chest to listen to his heart. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, starlight,” Mare hummed, running his fingers idly through Mad’s hair and listening to his breathing. “I’m always going to love you, and I’m always going to ensure you’re happy.”

-------------------

He and Phantom had been out on a walk when Jackie heard about a bank robbery. And Phantom, being Phantom, didn’t listen when told to stay back and followed Jackie into the bank. The robber had seen the two, aimed his gun at Phantom, and that was enough to get Jackie to panic and act the way he had. 

“He’s not dead…I think?” Jackie nudged the man with his foot. “I guess that’s one way to stop a robbery. We should probably-” He didn’t get to finish before Phantom was on him, pulling him into a kiss and using his magic to send them away. 

Jackie didn’t realize they were in his room until he was falling back on his bed. He had a few moments to gather his brain and blinked as Phantom sat on his lap, took his mask off, and put it on his face. A warmth went through Jackie that he had no idea what it meant because all he could think about in that moment was how badly he wanted to kiss Phantom more. And he did. Jackie wrapped an arm around Phantom’s waist and sat up, catching him in a kiss and earning a hum of approval.  

“I knew you’d like that.” Phantom chuckled, tilting his head and nipping at Jackie’s lower lip. 

“Yeah.” Jackie nodded his head in a way that reminded Phantom of a happy puppy. He squeezed Phantom’s waist tighter before flipping them over. Phantom laughed as he laid out on the bed, hands resting on either side of his head as he saw that soft, affectionate look in Jackie’s eyes that he was always so weak for. 

“Show me how much you like it.” Phantom grinned.

“Okay.” Jackie dove straight into another kiss. Phantom chuckled and placed his hands on Jackie’s face, thumbs rubbing against his cheeks. He felt Jackie’s hold on his waist get tighter, a protective, almost possessive grip that was so hot. 

“My big, strong hero~” Phantom hummed, his grin growing when his words made Jackie take in a sharp breath and lower his head, hiding his face in the crook of his neck. It was always so cute how flustered Jackie got from praise. “My Jackie~” He hummed more, hands sliding down Jackie’s chest, trying to feel the muscles hiding under his classic red hoodie. And even through the thick fabric, he could trace his fingers along the lines and curves of strength both earned and given to him. 

“Phan.” Jackie breathed out, pressing his nose closer to Phantom’s neck. 

“Yes?”

“I-” 

“Jackie! Did you break a bank’s flo-oh!” Chase’s scolding question turned into a shout when he opened the door and saw the two on the bed. 

“Hi, Chase.” Phantom casually greeted while Jackie yelped. 

“I’ll yell at you later.” Chase covered his eyes with a hand and closed the door. 

“I guess that’s fair.” Phantom clicked his tongue, knowing he could be the same way sometimes, so he didn’t have much room to judge Anti. “Do you have any ideas yet on what you want to dress up as?” He turned toward the wall, flinching when Jackie suddenly popped up with a black stocking on the top half of his head and nearly yelled in a rough voice-

“I’m Batman!” Jackie had the biggest, goofiest grin on his face. 

“Might have to cut out a few holes so you can see.” Phantom chuckled, stepping over and slipping the stocking off Jackie’s head, making his green hair stick up from the static. “And now you look like Anti.”

“Nope.” Jackie quickly used his hands to flatten his hair, yelping a little when he got shocked.

“Definitely not Anti.” Phantom used his own hand to finish fixing Jackie’s hair. “He wouldn’t have squeaked at a little static.” He teased with a wink, breaking into a laugh when Jackie exaggerated a pout at him. “He’s also not as strong as you.” Phantom leaned over the short wall and gave Jackie a quick kiss on the nose, rolling his eyes with a smile when Jackie put back on his goofy grin. 

“I might dress up as a doctor, just to annoy Henrik.” Jackie’s grin turned into almost a mischievous one. 

“Do it.” Phantom encouraged with his own evil smirk. “And be sure to add plenty of fake medical terms so we can see him try not to lose his shit.” 

“Got it.” Jackie did a little salute. 

“Guess we’ll look for some white lab coats or something close to it.” Phantom felt a little more confident about going to the party now that they had a bit of an idea. “If we can find two, I’ll go as a doctor with you.”

“Hell yeah!” Jackie perked up and scurried off to start searching. Phantom chuckled to himself and went back to the rack he had been looking through. A few more hangers later, and he found something that changed his original idea into something he was going to have a lot more fun with. 

Jackie, being distracted by his quest, made it easy for Phantom to pick that item alongside a few more to make the costume complete, and he bought it without Jackie even noticing. 

“I could only find one coat.” Jackie looked a bit disappointed.

“Don’t worry, I found something even better to dress myself up as, you go with your idea.” Phantom gave Jackie a pat on the shoulder, showing off the shopping bag he held.

“When did you-? Nevermind.” Jackie chuckled, used to Phantom’s ability to sneak around without him catching on.

“Let’s go home and get dressed up. I know you’ll love my costume.” Phantom looped his arm through Jackie’s. 

“Okay!”

x~x~x

Jackie straightened up the collar of the lab coat he wore, looking and feeling beyond cheeky. He was excited about his plan and could already hear the annoyed swears from Henrik. 

“Phan? You almost ready to go?” Jackie called out toward the closed bedroom door.

“Adding the final touch.” Phantom’s voice called back. 

“I’ll text Anti that we’ll be heading down soon.” Jackie pulled out his phone and started typing away. He got about a few words down before the door creaked open, and he glanced up.

“I-” The phone slipped right out of Jackie’s hand, clattering against the floor as his eyes went wide while staring at Phantom. 

“Like my costume? Wanted to dress up as my favorite hero.” Phantom leaned one hand against the doorframe while the other rested on his hip. The ‘costume’ consisted of some very familiar-looking articles of clothing. A pair of black pants with red stripes, a red hoodie, and the final touch was a blue mask across his eyes. “What do you think?” 

“You-You’re-You’re dessed-” Jackie struggled to get any words out, hands still frozen in place as if holding an invisible phone. 

“Jackie? Hello?” Phantom sang, stepping over to him and waving a hand in front of his face. “Didn’t think I’d fully break your brain with this.” 

“You look really good.” Jackie finally managed to get a sentence out, reaching up to hold the sides of Phantom’s face. 

“I always look good.” Phantom chuckled and was confused when Jackie slipped the mask off his head. “Was it on wr-” His question was cut off by Jackie pulling him into a kiss. “We’re going to be late to the party, aren’t we~?”  

“Yep.” 

---------------

“Are you sure you want this?” Shawn asked again, looking into Jameson’s blue eyes for any signs of hesitation. He was perched on the edge of Jameson’s bed, shirt half undone with Jameson standing in front of him, shaking hands signing his deepest wants.

“I want you, Shawn Flynn,” he signed, bright eyes welling with tears. “When I thought you’d leave me because I’d lost my voice, you stayed. I was so afraid of losing you, I never thought about what you might do to lose me. So, yes, I’m sure. I want you, and I want you to have all of me.”

Somewhere down the hall, Shawn knew Jackie and Phantom were worrying about Mare’s health, and he also knew that the walls weren’t soundproof. The curtains on the window were still open, bright moonlight shining onto the bedsheets, and he was acutely aware that they hadn’t locked the door when they came in. But none of that seemed to matter in that instant, because Jameson was standing before him and telling him he was wanted. And that was all Shawn wanted to care about for the rest of time.

A small squeak left Jameson’s throat when Shawn leapt at him, catching him in a kiss with his arms wrapping around his neck and waist. Fingers danced along the small of his back and gripped his hair, and his eyes fluttered closed as he lost himself in rediscovering the taste of Shawn’s mouth. There was a faint hint of blood, copper among the taste that came with Shawn’s usual sawdust and ink scent, and he shivered as his tongue swept along the chipped fang inside Shawn’s mouth, knees going weak as Shawn held him closer.

Lips still locked in a kiss, Shawn started to undo the buttons of Jameson’s waistcoat, making a mental note to buy him another one next time they went into town, and he guided Jameson to first sit on the bed before urging him to lie back, kneeling over him with a knee between his legs as he gently pushed the waistcoat open. He pulled away from the kiss to look down at Jameson, laying on the bed with his waistcoat open and the top few buttons of his shirt undone, cheeks dusted pink and lips swollen from the kisses, looking up at him with almost black eyes.

“Gods above, Jameson,” he breathed, leaning down to press his face into the juncture where Jameson’s neck met shoulder. “You truly are so beautiful. Oh, how I missed being able to touch you, to smell you—can I taste you?” When Jameson nodded, he sank his fangs into this throat, arms shaking as he drank slowly, feeling the way Jameson grabbed his hips to pull him down as if that was his only anchor.

“S-Shawn…” Jameson mouthed the word, air hissing through his teeth as he bucked his hips toward Shawn’s, one hand moving up to clutch at Shawn’s shirt in a silent request to take it off.

----

“There are trace amounts of copper oxide in your system,” Mad murmured, peering through a microscope at the plate of Mare’s blood sample. “Nothing too dangerous; I could probably flush it all out by giving you some vinegar to drink. It won’t taste good, but once I get that flushed I can put you onto a regular system of having my blood to replace whatever doesn’t come out.”

“I’m pretty sure they injected me with your blood, too,” Mare stated, curled up in the armchair with a blanket around his shoulders. “Is that going to affect anything?”

“They mixed my blood with some other things I haven’t identified yet,” Mad replied, turning to give Mare a reassuring smile. “I can start with this copper oxide, then we can see about the other things.” Standing from his workbench, he walked over to Mare and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Whatever they did hasn’t killed you, which is good. Their goal was to find a way to reproduce my blood without hunting me down, so their experiments were based on trying to find what made me who I am.”

----

Shawn threw his shirt aside, following it with Jameson’s waistcoat, then ran his hands over Jameson’s chest and down his stomach, shirt splayed open with only a few buttons missing. “I’m going to get you shirts with bigger buttons,” he mumbled, glaring at the tiny buttons he hadn’t managed to grip properly, resulting in the tearing of the shirt.

Jameson nodded in agreement, pulling Shawn down by the back of his neck to graze his fangs over the sensitive skin behind his earlobe. He revelled in Shawn’s shudder from that, repeating the action before running his tongue over the shell of Shawn’s ear, grinning when Shawn moaned in response.

“Fuck, Jamesy…” Shawn moaned, eyes snapping open when Jameson stopped his movements, looking up at him with flushed cheeks and wide eyes. “S-Something wrong?”

“No,” Jameson signed, shaking his head to accompany his hands. He trailed his fingers along Shawn’s torso before stopping at the waistband of his slacks, eyes dropping to look before meeting Shawn’s green ones again and pulling his hands away. “It’s just been so long since you called me that. I-I wasn’t expecting it…”

“Do you still want to continue?” Shawn asked, sitting back as he waited for Jameson to reply. “We could just go back to kissing if you’re uncomfortable, or I can leave the room—”

“Shawny,” Jameson’s hands signed the letters to the nickname before touching Shawn’s cheek with his left hand and raising his right to swipe a finger from the his own cheekbone to his lip, mouthing the name at the same time. “Shawny, I want to continue. I want you to touch me. I just forgot how that name made me feel.”

“I understand,” Shawn smiled, gently unbuttoning Jameson’s pants as he dragged his fangs down his chest. “What was that thing you did with your hand? What’s that mean?”

“It’s your sign name,” Jameson replied, hands moving deftly even as Shawn slid his pants and underwear down his legs. “Something easier than signing the letters all the time. It’s your freckles and your chipped fang.” He let out a deep sigh when he suddenly felt Shawn’s lips against his hip, hands on his waist keeping him still as the elder vampire gently nibbled at his hipbones.

“I’m going to go slow,” Shawn explained, sinking a sympathetic bite into the joint of Jameson’s hip before moving inward. “It has been far too long since our trysts when we were soldiers, so I’m going to relearn your body slowly. Here, one tug means to keep going, and one is to stop, alright?” As he spoke, Shawn guided one of Jameson’s hands into his hair, giving sharp tugs in correlation to the rules and waiting for Jameson to respond.

When Jameson’s response was to give Shawn’s hair one quick tug, Shawn smiled and leaned down to kiss the base of Jameson’s cock, only flinching slightly when Jameson tightened his grip in his hair. Slowly, as if exploring something entirely new, Shawn carefully ran his tongue along the length of Jameson’s cock, then kitten licked at the tip before suckling at it while watching his face for signs of discomfort.

Jameson’s eyes were closed tightly, toes curling as he felt Shawn’s tongue lapping at his cock, and his free hand tangled itself into the bedsheets beside him to keep him grounded. Shawn’s hands on his waist slid down to hold his hips in place, squeezing gently before he slowly lowered his head, swallowing around Jameson and making his mouth fall open in silent screams and moans as the pleasure rushed through him.

--------------------------------------

Jackie swam against the current, hair waving behind him as he dodged and darted around the salt formations framing the twins’ home.

“Phan! Phan, are you in there?” He called, dipping down to peer into the alcove he’d learned was Phantom’s room. “Phantom, babe? Mad said you’d be here.”

“Jackie!” Phantom’s cheerful voice was the only warning he got before something barrelled into his back, careening him through the water into his room, landing him with a huff onto the soft sand.

“Mare sent word that you had something to show me?” Jackie asked, rolling out from under Phantom and dusting himself off. He watched as his partner carefully got off the ground and swam around him, seeming more excited than usual.

“I figured out my purpose!” Phantom announced, swimming backwards away from Jackie with a grin. “Mare’s got his music to get Mad gifts, and I…” he trailed off as he got further from Jackie before reappearing by sticking his head into the entrance of his room. “I sing to heal things!!”

“What do you mean? What are you talking about?” Jackie shook his head, trying to make sense of what Phantom was saying, then he noticed the dark lines across his body from previous fights that seemed to have magically stitched themselves back together. “You’re a healer?”

“I’m a healer!” Phantom cheered, wrapping his arms around Jackie’s waist and spinning him around. “My songs have a healing word, so when I sing, whoever is injured near me gets healed.”

“Mare has persuasion, you have healing,” Jackie started, holding Phantom close before touching noses with him. “You two really are a force.”

“We are!” Phantom sang, pushing Jackie away then grabbing his hand and swimming away from the home. “And if anyone hurts you ever again, I can adjust the music to hurt them more.”

“You don’t need to hurt people for me,” Jackie laughed, pulling Phantom in for a kiss, holding his cheek with his free hand. “I just need you to stay with me and make sure I don’t damage things.”

---------------------

Shawn smiled as he carried a passed-out Jameson to the bed, laying him down, getting his underwear on, then climbing into the bed with him. Wrapping an arm around Jameson’s waist, Shawn pulled him close to his chest, pressing his nose against the fresh claim mark on his neck.

Jameson shivered at the contact, eyes still closed as he slept, but he shifted to be closer to Shawn all the same, reaching one hand around to lace their fingers together before settling back into sleep.

--

Jameson woke up warm, a heavy weight against his back making it difficult for him to move. Slowly he became aware of his fingers tangled with someone else’s, vaguely registering their deep breathing against his neck making him shiver. Turning slowly, he felt his undead heart skip at the sight of Shawn pressed against him, nose pressed against his claim mark while his free hand was tucked under the pillow, holding tightly to Jameson’s hand like a lifeline.

Pale brown lashes fanned over freckled cheeks, nose wrinkled where it was pressed into Jameson’s skin, and he held back a smile as those same lashes fluttered to reveal bright green eyes, misty with sleep. “James?”

Jameson nodded slowly, bottom lip quivering at the overwhelming wave of emotion washing over him, turning his face away so Shawn couldn’t see the tears prickling in his eyes. Untangling his hand from Shawn’s, he covered his face, flinching slightly at the twinge from the fresh bite on his neck, and he froze when Shawn gently wrapped fingers around his wrist.

“Look at me, love.” Waiting for Jameson to obey, Shawn propped himself up onto an elbow to give the other vampire some distance, smiling reassuringly when Jameson moved his arm away. “Hey, you’re alright. I’m here, you’re alright… aren’t you?”

Jameson shook his head, tears falling freely down his cheeks as he raised his hands to shakily sign his answer. “I’m not sure, Shawny. I-I just… I haven’t woken up like this in so long, I—” Dropping his hands, he looked at Shawn helplessly before freezing as his gaze landed on the fresh claim mark on Shawn’s neck. “We…”

“Yes, love,” Shawn whispered, reaching out slowly to press his fingers against Jameson’s claim mark before cradling his neck and smiling with watery eyes. “We belong to each other now.” Sitting up properly so the sheets pooled around his bare waist, Shawn guided Jameson to copy his pose, pressing his hand to his own claim mark.

“I love you,” Jameson signed before pulling Shawn into a tearful kiss, pressing his lips against Shawn’s like the world would end if they parted.

----

“Ah, so they finally surface,” Phantom crowed as Shawn and Jameson descended the stairs, smirking at them from where he was laying on the sofa with his head in Jackie’s lap. “We haven’t seen you in days!”

“Let them be, babe,” Jackie murmured, carding his fingers through Phantom’s hair and massaging his throat with his free hand. “They’ve just claimed each other, makes sense that they’d be holed up for a while.”

“Yes and speaking of holes—” Phantom cut off with a yelp as Jackie dug his fingers into his claim mark at the same time as tugging on his hair, silencing him from his quip. “Do you two need anything? Water, fresh sheets, a new bed?”

“Phantom!” Jackie hissed, face bright red as he glared half-heartedly at his mate.

“We were hoping for some blood, actually,” Shawn answered, holding a hand out to help Jameson past the last step on the stairs before guiding him to sit down. “I’d like to ensure that Jameson is fed and rested before we do anything else.”

“So, we won’t be seeing you again after you’ve gotten water?” Phantom teased, ducking away from Jackie’s playful shove with a fanged grin. “Mare’s better, by the way. Maddy figured out what they did to him and flushed it all out. Tell me, James, is it really so bad for you or Jackie to discuss your claims and mating, or is it just Jackie?”

“Phan!”

“It isn’t so much bad,” Shawn began, brushing Jameson’s hair out of his eyes as he answered for him. “It’s more like a privacy thing, for example I wouldn’t like to hear about how Jackie claimed you.”

“I’m going for a walk,” Jackie announced, stepping out of the front door with an unnatural blush on his face.

----

“I don’t believe Jackie understands the difference between alchemy and necromancy,” Mad began, combing his fingers through Mare’s hair as he lathered shampoo into it. “I highly doubt whether I could bring someone back from the dead through traditional means.”

“I didn’t think that was possible at all,” Mare answered, tilting his head into Mad’s touch with his eyes closed. “I always thought that once a person was dead, they were gone forever.” He closed his eyes while Mad rinsed the soap out of his hair, hugging his knees to his chest as he waited for Mad to help him out of the tub.

“Some people believe that it is possible to bring people back to life,” Mad replied, drying his hands and draping a fluffy towel around Mare’s shoulders. “I guess in some ways we’re a pretty good example of that, but resurrecting someone after they’ve been buried? It just doesn’t seem right.”

“I never pictured you as someone concerned with the natural order,” Mare joked, stepping out of the tub and wrapping the towel around himself. “You never seemed to care what the world tells you.”

“My turning ignored the natural order enough for me,” Mad replied, carrying the tub to the cabin window and tossing the contents out. “Creating a vampire changes genetics, blood – it’s cellular, molecular. Raising the dead? That just… sounds closer to witchcraft, or something far worse. It doesn’t feel right to meddle with it.”

------------------------