Chapter Text
His limbs felt heavy as he stepped into the borrowed Haven, the space as cluttered as the thoughts muddled in his head. Much had happened over the past two nights, leaving him little time to absorb everything that had happened, especially with a new voice nattering through his thoughts. He wasn't accustomed to hearing someone else's voice echoing through his mind, and it was an irritation as much as it was intriguing.
Fabian was thankfully quiet for the moment, allowing him to sweep into the bathroom and stare forlornly at the bathtub packed with garbage and mold.
He knew his scent was strong, he hadn't needed Lou's rude observations to be aware that he smelled like blood and dust.
Yet, when given the opportunity to bathe he encountered an obstacle.
His sigh was resigned as he began to pull the detribis from the tub to leave it in a pile amongst the rest of the garbage. A glance around and helpful comment from Fabian directed him to expired cleaning chemicals and repurposed clothing as rags.
Thankfully the water worked and the tub itself was only somewhat disgusting once the junk inside was removed.
Once the tub was decently clean, he finally allowed himself to strip off his clothing and step into the hot spray.
A century’s worth of tension seeped from his body.
He watched tiredly as red-tinted water flowed from his body, the streams disappearing down the drain. How many had he killed since he woke? Whatever the number, it was not enough to satisfy his hunger.
Eventually he made his hands run over his body, refamiliarizing himself while tracing the strange symbols cut into his skin. It was frustrating not being able to recognize them, and that someone had dared to place a claim on him at all. Marked him without his consent.
The proud beast inside him rankled at the thought, at being claimed. It had been centuries since he belonged to anyone.
The mark on his hand troubled him the most. The symbol mocked him while his sluggish mind insisted he should know it. How much longer would the dregs of torpor restrain him?
The soap he found crusted to a shelf foamed after being worked under the water, the scent something he could not place but was better than the scent that lingered on his body. It spread over his skin smoothly, leaving him feeling cleaner than he had for ages. He washed until the water rinsed clear.
It took some time before his body felt clean, but his hair was a different story. It hung wet and heavy over his shoulders, clinging to his back in matted chunks. The only hair washing serum available was something thick and pasty called Head and Shoulders. He spent longer than he would have liked detangling his hair, only stepping from the shower as the first of the sun's rays rose over the horizon.
With no clean towels available, he found spare sheets that he used instead. He was careful as he dragged the sheet over his carved chest and arms, a furious feeling in the base of his stomach with every reminder of their existence.
Rather than redress, he sat on the bed nude as he braided his hair in preparation for his slumber. It was as he worked the long strands that Fabian started chattering again, but the weight of the sun quickly quieted both their minds