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“Cmon Scott! It's not that bad! You don’t even have to get into the bath with me! Just- help me? Please?”
Scott was not a weak, or emotional man.
He was very resolute. He would always find a way to gaslight or manipulate his way out of a situation. He did not think with his emotions, in fact he hardly had them.
Well, that's how it used to be at least.
But seeing Avid’s eyes, wide and pleading, demon tail thwacking the table leg beside them, human hand and demon hand clasped together like a prayer, he felt his resolve weaken more than a bit.
“Fine.”
He watched as the man’s gaze lit up with delight. He wrapped his arms around Scott’s neck and laughed, his demonic tail whipping the air so fast it made a sound. “Thank you! I promise you, it’ll be great!!” He gave a toothy grin. Scott felt his gaze soften just a tad.
It had been 235 years since Scott first swore to better himself. He had made, well, minimal progress. He hadn’t killed anyone in four whole years at least! (Admittedly, that slip up was an accident.)
It had been 35 years since Avid woke up from his grave, now half demon and a bloodlust stronger than ever. Tears were shed, reunions were had, and the two shared the second kiss of their lifetime. (This time, initiated by Scott himself.)
Despite that, Scott wasn’t exactly sure where the two sat. These new feelings and emotions he wasn’t used to feeling were just- far too complicated. Was he in love with Avid? He still wasn’t sure. 35 years and two kisses, and he still didn’t even know if he loved the man.
Deep down, he had hoped Avid would simply move on, allow his feelings to dissipate and find someone far better and far more worthy of his time. It never happened of course. Avid was far too stubborn for that, insisting that he’d wait a lifetime for Scott to sort out his emotions. Scott felt weird when he said that. Shelby said it was called “getting butterflies in your stomach”, which sounded rather unappealing to Scott.
So long story short, the thought of helping Avid take a bath- no, taking a bath with Avid…
It sounded absurd.
Yet, once he saw that delighted expression, he knew his fate was sealed. There was no getting out of it now. He had already agreed, and now Avid was expecting it.
Hand in hand, they walked to the bathroom in Scott’s home. The room had shelves full of bath salt collections that Drift had been donating to Scott, but only saw use when Avid finally resurrected. Turns out, baths were Avid’s preferred method of relaxation. It also just so happened he was stressed about 90% of the time.
The bathroom was simple. It had all the necessities. There was shampoo, conditioner, and body wash on the side of the tub. It was decently sized, enough to fit both of them. There was a small table beside the bathtub with jars and jars of bath salts. Avid’s precious collection.
There were many different scents of them. The smell was rather overwhelming when they were all together. It made Scott’s nose scrunch up in disgust. He heard Avid start running the bath water, so he decided to search through the various scents and find one that Avid might like.
A pink container stuck out to him. ‘Rose’ it was labeled. It smelled pleasant. It was half empty, meaning it was being used quite regularly. Since only Drift, Avid, and Shelby really cared for the bath salts, Scott assumed that meant Avid used and enjoyed this scent.
As Scott tore his gaze away from the bath salts, he landed on Avid. The demon was currently unclasping his cloak. Scott watched as his hands moved to fiddle with the button of his shirt, and that was when it clicked in Scott’s head what he was doing. He shyly averted his gaze, glancing off to some corner.
Sure, he knew Avid wouldn’t mind, but it still felt like the right thing to do. The vulnerability of this situation was not lost on Scott. Avid was exposed. He was leaving himself open to attack. He was doing so right in front of the very vampire who wanted him dead so many centuries ago.
But he trusted Scott.
That made a weird feeling stir in Scott’s heart, but he wouldn’t dare question what it meant. He feared he already knew.
He heard the sound of water sloshing. Then, he heard Avid’s voice. “Okay, you can look now!” Scott hesitantly turned his gaze back to the tub, finding that Avid was mostly submerged now. He had to admit, the water looked enticing. He could see steam come off of it, meaning it was very warm.
He shouldn’t…
But Avid looked so happy.
He could see the black splotches of skin that ran down his right side. Skin that he knew was rough and scaly due to the demonic blood that sat still in Avid’s lifeless veins. He could see Avid’s tail cutting through the water, swishing away the soapy bubbles surrounding it.
Scott exhaled quietly. He slowly lifted his hand and spun his finger around. Avid’s smile faded as he tilted his head at an angle. If Scott had any circulation he might have blushed. He sighed softly. “Can you- yknow- turn..?”
Avid blinked once. Twice. Then he seemed to finally realize. He let out a squeak and covered his face, hissing quietly as he no doubt got soap in his eyes. Scott couldn’t help but let out a quiet huff of amusement, the closest thing to a laugh you’d ever get out of him. The sight was amusing, watching Avid scramble to respect the other vampire’s wishes, even forgetting his own surroundings to do so.
Scott exhaled quietly and hyped himself up in his head. It was a little pathetic sure, but this was…new. He had never been one for vulnerability. He put up a thick mask of arrogance and ego in order to push people away and keep them out. He had never truly let himself be open and exposed to someone before. Of course not. Why would he? Vulnerability only opened him up to pain.
But he knew Avid wouldn’t cause pain.
Because Avid wasn’t like that.
He didn’t hurt people. He didn’t hurt Scott. In fact, Scott felt the safest he’s ever felt when he had Avid at his side. Avid allowed him to feel. Avid clearly trusted Scott enough to leave himself open to injury, so why shouldn’t Scott trust him enough to do the same? It would only be fair, right?
He began to steadily work away at abandoning the layers of his complex outfit. He was slow, hesitant, and he refused to acknowledge the shaking in his hands. He knew Avid was waiting. He shouldn’t take too long. But with each layer removed, he felt more and more anxious.
Once he was done, he neatly folded his clothing and set it down on the table nearby. He grabbed the rose bath salts and sprinkled some into the bath. He took a deep breath before he began to nestle into the water.
He flinched at the temperature. It wasn’t scalding, but the warmth against his cold, lifeless skin might as well have been like fire. But it didn’t burn. No, it felt rather pleasant really.
He turned to look at Avid. The man still had his hands covering his face. Scott smiled. Their knees were brushing, so there was no way Avid didn’t know that Scott was in the bath by now. Yet, he still waited for Scott to tell him it was okay. How thoughtful.
Scott gently grabbed the demonic hand, carefully prying it off of Avid’s face and rubbing his thumb over the claws. Avid’s eyes were screwed shut, but his vibrant yellow eye finally opened hesitantly upon feeling his hand be removed. Scott found it cute, but he’d sooner stake himself than admit it.
“Hi,” Scott spoke quietly, a small, genuine smile working its way onto his face. He wasn’t sure why his voice was so gentle and quiet. It simply felt right, like a volume any louder would shatter this moment and make Avid leave. Truthfully, he was still scared he might.
However, when Avid slowly lowered his other hand and smiled, his fangs visible from under his upper lip, Scott couldn’t help but feel slightly better already.
“You said you wanted me to help you, right?” Scott reminded him. Avid’s eyes widened, as if he was just now remembering why he wanted all of this. But then, he remembered. And gods, the expression he made.
He looked happy. So, so happy. Like a kid that just got everything they wanted for Christmas. His words failed him. He nodded quickly and wordlessly turned around. His tail was wagging, and now Scott could feel it thwacking the side of his leg repeatedly. He couldn’t even bring himself to mind. Avid’s excited reaction to such a simple task warmed Scott’s usually cold heart better than any hot water could.
He took the shampoo and squeezed a bit onto his hand. Luckily, the shampoo didn’t have too strong of a scent. He leaned forward and began to scrub the soap into Avid’s scalp. He felt Avid lean into the touch quickly, as if it were second nature. The man’s tongue was barely visible between his lips, almost like a relaxed cat. His eyes closed shut in relaxation.
It was the prettiest sight Scott had ever seen.
He continued to scrub the shampoo into fluffy white locks. As he neared Avid’s horn, he heard the half-demon before him begin to purr. He couldn’t help but smile, scratching along the base of the horn. Avid nearly went limp against him, his head falling onto Scott’s shoulder. Some of the shampoo rubbed off onto Scott’s skin, but he didn’t mind. He made sure to keep the shampoo out of Avid’s eyes.
As his hand trailed down his hair, he reached Avid’s neck. He paused. Underneath his fingers, he found the spot where a pulse should be, if Avid had not been turned. Every part of Scott’s instinct screamed to bite bite bite bite bite bite BITE. He knew that just a few fragile layers underneath that pale skin was motionless blood that had not been circulated for centuries. It would be so easy. Avid was completely relaxed. His eyes were closed. He wouldn’t suspect a thing.
Scott gently moved Avid up so he was sitting upright in front of him again. He didn’t miss the quiet whine that left his throat. He kept his claws gently pressed against the pulse point. It would be so easy to tear into that spot, to spill the red blood underneath, to put some use to those useless veins that had spent so many years with no purpose. Scott leaned forward and…
He pressed a quick, gentle kiss to the spot.
He pulled back just as quickly, but he did not miss the way Avid’s breath hitched. The man’s eyes opened wide. Before he could turn to look at Scott, ask him about what he had just done, a cup of water was poured over his head. He let out an indignant squeak at the surprise attack, trying to comb his wet hair out of his face. Scott couldn’t help the laughter that left his body, admittedly quiet and short-lived. He helped Avid swipe the pesky wet strands out of his face, gently combing the white fluffy mass behind his head.
It’d be so easy to hurt him like this. It was a thought his brain kept wandering back to, no matter what. The only thing that stood between him and Avid’s blood was a thin layer of fragile skin that Scott knew he could tear and maim if he so pleased. Scott knew that. Avid knew that. Avid knew that Scott was a bloodthirsty, violent killer.
Yet he still lets him hold him like this.
He still lets him see him in his most vulnerable state.
And gods it made Scott swoon.
He poured another cup of water over Avid’s head, combing his hand through his hair in order to get out extra soap. Truthfully, he also wanted an excuse to touch his hair longer, to hear his purrs grow in volume as his claws scratched at the delicate scalp.
“Avid,” Scott began to speak. Avid gave a lazy hum in response. He sounded ready to fall asleep. Scott continued. “If you don’t mind me prying, is there a reason you wanted me here to take a bath with you? I know you usually ask Drift to help you. Is…there a reason?” He inquired. He was curious as to why Avid seemed to need someone alongside him. Baths were supposed to be a private experience, correct? Scott wasn’t entirely sure what sort of customs had changed over time.
Avid hummed again, and Scott almost thought that he hadn’t heard him. Then, he began to speak. “Well, I’ve always taken baths to help calm down. I’ve done that since Elle was around,” he murmured, his voice growing a little somber as he mentioned his old best friend.
Scott frowned and grabbed the body wash, squeezing some of it onto a washcloth and beginning to scrub Avid’s skin while he spoke. He knew that Elle was still a sensitive topic. They were still unsure if the woman was alive, or where she even was if she did turn out to be alive.
“One day, I came back really, really exhausted. I could hardly walk, but I was covered in blood from our hunt that day. We were chasing a werewolf I think. Killed it. And I was just- so utterly drained…So, she dragged me to the bath tub and cleaned me up. It felt, well, it felt great. I felt- safe. Elle’s always been like a sister to me and having her take care of me like that…It was- it was nice,” he murmured, his voice trailing off.
Scott didn’t ask him to continue. He waited quietly as he scrubbed the body wash into his skin. He hesitated, before gently washing over the scar that laid just over Avid’s heart. The very place he had been staked all those years ago. It didn’t heal nicely at all. Hell, it was still bleeding when Avid had been revived. He saw the way Avid winced when he grazed the scar with the washcloth.
“A-Anyways,” Avid cleared his throat and relaxed against Scott once more. “I guess I just- feel safer when I have someone here with me, taking care of me. It reminds me of her and…” he trailed off, curling up against Scott’s chest. His head was placed just over where Scott’s unbeating heart was.
This time, Avid did not finish. He remained silent. Scott continued to scrub his skin. He was uncharacteristically careful as he did so. He didn’t want to hurt him, despite the vampiric instincts in his head screaming at him to do so. He couldn’t deny that the thought was tempting. He had only tasted Avid’s blood once, but it was an addicting taste. (or maybe that was just because it came from Avid.)
He knew that Avid probably wouldn’t mind letting him feed, but now didn’t feel like a good time for that. This was a tender, vulnerable moment. Scott was supposed to prove that he could resist his instincts, that he could be trusted with handling Avid in such a vulnerable state. Biting him certainly would not help. So, Scott would hold back. For once, he wouldn’t simply take what he wanted.
He continued to scrub away at Avid’s body. It was oddly soothing for him as well. Perhaps he just liked seeing Avid so happy and calm. He could hear him begin to purr once more. He smiled.
He felt Avid’s tail whacking against his side. He had no doubt he would have bruises forming where his tail was hitting, but he didn’t mind. He gently scratched just behind Avid’s ear with his free hand, and watched as the other melted against him. Cute.
Scott used the cup to dump water over Avid and wash off the body wash. As he did so, he continued to scratch carefully behind Avid’s ear. The younger vampire was completely limp against his body, a wide, goofy smile on his lips. Something about the reaction made Scott feel fuzzy. He wasn’t sure if that feeling was related to love or not, but he liked to think that it was.
“I think you’re plenty clean now,” Scott spoke up. He didn’t want to bring it up really. He almost wanted to stay in the tub longer. The water was still warm. The room was filled with a peaceful, comfortable silence. Avid made a sound almost akin to a whine, pushing himself up so he could look at Scott.
“Yeah, but you aren’t!” The half-demon protested.
Scott paused, his mouth falling slightly agape from the shock of Avid’s statement. “Pardon?” He couldn’t help but question. He saw the determined glint in Avid’s eyes, and he knew that whatever scheme the demon was cooking up, there was no getting out of it.
Avid reached over and grabbed the shampoo that Scott had previously used. Scott finally realized what was going on. Avid wanted to return the favor. He wanted to take care of Scott as well.
The elder vampire was glad he lost the ability to blush hundreds of years ago.
He can argue. He can tell Avid that he didn’t want this, and the demon would probably listen. But he didn’t. He kept his mouth shut as Avid began to scrub shampoo into his hair. He sat there and accepted the treatment. If anyone else dared to try and handle him so gently, he would have cut off their hands. But this was Avid.
He had to admit, he was starting to see why Avid found this relaxing.
This was not the first time Scott had felt Avid’s claws in his hair. Avid had taken up a habit of braiding Scott’s hair when the two were sitting still for too long. Scott never said anything or complained. The feeling of Avid’s demonic claws combing through his hair was incredibly soothing. Before he even knew it, Scott would find himself lulled into a peaceful state of calm. All his stress and worries would melt away the moment those vicious claws touched his scalp.
Now was no different.
Scott felt the tenseness in his shoulders melt away as Avid worked through his hair. His eyelids suddenly felt far heavier than they should. Avid started humming a quiet tune. It was familiar. Scott had heard him hum it many times before. Drift claims that Avid sounds terrifying when he sings, but Scott thought it was anything but.
Scott couldn’t remember the last time someone held him so tenderly. He couldn’t remember the last time someone held him period. He was used to most forms of touch he received being threats on his life. It was unfamiliar. It was unnatural. But it was far too pleasant for Scott to tell Avid no.
He felt his own throat rumble as a purr slipped out of him. He hadn’t meant to. It was an involuntary reaction. He felt Avid pause his movements. Scott didn’t have to turn around to know what the younger’s expression probably looked like. It was the same awe-struck expression he always made when he learned something new about Scott. It was the same expression he made when he saw Scott turn into a bat for the first time, and when he saw Scott’s third form for the first time.
His eyes would get wide, his irises practically sparkling. His pupils would dilate ever so slightly. His mouth would fall ever so slightly agape. Since becoming a demon, his amazed expression would always be accompanied by the swishing of his tail. Scott could hear said tail beating against the ceramic of the tub.
“You can purr?!” Avid practically squealed. Scott wanted to shy away from the embarrassment, but his soap covered hands would no doubt burn his eyes should they get anywhere near his face. He was once again very glad that he had lost the ability to blush years ago.
“Of course I can,” he scoffed. He tried to hide how humiliating that little slip up was by acting as if it was something casual. “You can purr, Shelby can purr, Drift can purr, all vampires can purr. Why, even Owen could if he wasn’t so grumpy all the time,” he explained dismissively. He was hoping Avid would drop it and continue with washing Scott, but unfortunately, he was unwilling to drop the topic.
“Well I knew that! But I’ve never heard you purr before! I sorta thought you couldn’t!” Avid laughed with amusement as his hands resumed combing through Scott’s hair. Before Scott could argue that it was silly, Avid dumped water over his head. He hissed in surprise, wiping some of his hair out of his face. He heard Avid giggle, and all of a sudden he felt those “butterflies” Shelby spoke of return.
As Avid washed the shampoo out of Scott’s hair, Scott couldn’t help but wonder why Avid even wanted to do this. All Scott had done was cause him issues. He had gaslit him, he had insulted him, he had pushed him away time and time again, and yet the man still pulled him down and kissed him, mere minutes before his demise. He still wanted to sleep at Scott’s side and greet him whenever he came home. He still wanted Scott’s attention. He still looked at Scott like he had hung the very stars in the sky.
It was weird.
Scott wasn’t sure when the transition occurred. The Avid currently putting bodywash onto a wash cloth behind him was nowhere near the same person as the Avid that he had first met at Oakhurst. The Avid he first met was terrified of vampires. He was determined to prove that Scott was evil. He would shiver when the man was around and always glared at him with a disdain Scott was all too familiar with. Scott got amusement out of watching his face flush with frustration. He enjoyed toying with his misery. He’d curse Avid’s name under his breath and hope for some unfortunate event to befall the man before him every time he got the chance.
But now, the two were the closest thing to a couple you could be without actually being a couple.
They had kissed twice, they shared a bed, they held hands, they ate meals together, they went on walks, hell they were taking a bath together right now!
But those three little words had yet to leave either of their mouths.
Scott was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt hands on his back. He flinched violently at the touch. He immediately felt Avid retract his hands.
“Sorry! I- I probably should have warned you, huh?” The younger laughed nervously, scratching the claw mark on the side of his neck. “We don’t- we don’t have to do this yknow? I can drain the water now and—“
“No,” Scott interjected. “It’s okay. You caught me by surprise is all. Continue, please,” he spoke, his voice softening as he said ‘please’. Avid seemed hesitant, but finally placed the wash cloth back on Scott’s back. He began to slowly scrub up and down. A shaky breath left Scott as Avid scrubbed his skin tenderly.
He leaned forward, resting his arms on the edge of the tub as Avid cleaned his back. He felt his purring start up again. Avid didn’t comment. He appreciated that, as the embarrassment of having such a sound pointed out verbally again would ruin the tranquil silence they currently found themselves in.
The wash cloth was soft, a pleasant fabric that didn’t scratch up his skin. Scott was pretty sure it was a gift from Shelby. He exhaled quietly through his nose as Avid scrubbed his sides. He couldn’t deny that this was very relaxing. He was beginning to see what Avid meant. Being taken care of was nice. It was intimate, but oh so pleasant.
Scott didn’t even notice he was beginning to drift off until Avid pinched his ear. He made an annoyed sound and looked up, trying to shoot what he hoped was an intimidating glare towards the demon. In reality, he was far too tired for it to have looked anything but pathetic. Avid simply grinned, fangs gleaming in the light.
“Don’t fall asleep on me,” he spoke, a teasing tone in his voice. “Drowning in a bathtub isn’t a pretty way to go.”
Scott mumbled some sort of tired nonsense. He hadn’t even noticed how sleepy he was getting. It was as if he had been put under some type of spell. A very, very relaxing spell. He heard the water slosh and realized Avid was getting out. Just as he did before, he averted his gaze. Even after such a close encounter, watching him in a vulnerable state felt…wrong.
He heard the sound of cabinets opening and closing. He could hear Avid moving, his demon tail scratching the tile below. “Hey Scott?” He spoke. Scott slowly turned his tired gaze towards Avid and hummed in response. The man was now covered by a towel. He had a relaxed, lazy smile. His eyes were half lidded, his ear flicking. “I’ll be changing in the bedroom, okay? Get dried up.” Avid explained, his voice considerably softer than before. He left out the door and shut it, leaving Scott in the silence of the bathroom.
The bath water was now cold. Avid’s touch was no longer on him. The bath was no longer pleasant. Scott willed himself to push through his exhaustion and stand out of the bathtub. He grabbed a rolled up towel on the counter. It felt soft under his fingers. It wasn’t very warm, but it was certainly warmer than the cold water.
He went through the simple, yet exhausting process of drying off. The bath had drained him, and the thought of curling up in bed was really all he cared about in the moment.
As he was drying off, he saw the door crack open. The demonic clawed arm of the demon extended through the tiny crack, new clothing in hand. Scott felt his heart warm. He carefully took the clothing, and Avid quickly retreated back into the bedroom. Scott couldn’t help a quiet, amused huff from escaping him.
The clothes provided seemed comfortable enough. It was the most “casual” clothing Scott owned; a red sweater and black leggings. It was probably some of the most comfortable clothing Scott had. Vampires didn’t need to sleep, so he never felt the need to keep pajamas. Maybe he would invest in them at a later date. For now, these would have to do.
He changed into the clothes, relishing in the warmth they provided. He turned around and looked at the still full bathtub. He rolled up his sleeve and reached into the now cold water to unplug the drain. He shivered a bit as the cold water touched his skin. He retracted his arm once the plug was pulled, wiping his soaked arm off on the towel. Once he hit the lights for the bathroom, he opened the door and took in the sight before him.
The only light in the room was a lamp on the bedside table. Avid was sitting on the edge of the bed, his attention quickly moving towards the bathroom door as Scott opened it. He was in Scott’s clothing, wearing a white blouse and black leggings similar to the ones Scott had on. His tail began to wag as he laid eyes on Scott.
He looked cute.
Scott took a deep breath to maintain composure. He walked over, his steps nearly silent. He sat down on the bed and got under the blankets before looking at Avid. The demon simply sat there expectantly, not moving. Of course not. He wouldn’t dare do so without command.
Scott outstretched his arms as if he were asking for a hug.
Within seconds, the demon’s eyes lit up like a dog that heard the word “treat”. His tail began to wag as he practically threw himself into Scott’s arms. The elder vampire grunted from the impact, but soon buried his face in the other’s hair. The smell of roses still lingered on Avid from the bath salts. It was nice.
“Mm, do you like baths now?” Avid mumbled, now sounding much sleepier than he had before. His eyes were shut. Scott had never noticed how pretty his eyelashes were til now. Was that weird? Perhaps.
“Yes,” Scott simply answered. “I suppose they are…pleasant.”
He didn’t have to look to see Avid’s smile of satisfaction. He could hear the younger vampire begin to purr once more, loud and soothing. “Good,” he responded. “Maybe we could take more?” He sounded so hopeful, so excited.
“Perhaps, maybe.”
That was the best answer Scott could give him. Judging from the way Avid’s purring increased in volume, he assumed the demon had accepted that answer.
The two sat there in silence for a few minutes. The only sounds were Avid’s purring and Scott’s own quiet rumbles that were nearly drowned out.
Maybe it was the exhaustion, maybe it was the lingering warmth from the bath, maybe it was just his own mind acting on its own, he wasn’t sure, but the words slipped out before he could stop them.
“I love you.”
Silence.
Those three words that neither of them had ever dared to say. That fragile, thin line drawn in the sand that they had desperately tried to tip toe around.
Avid seemed to cease all movement on top of Scott. Even his tail has stopped swaying. Scott felt the regret wash over him in waves. He had messed it up, hadn’t he? There was a reason he held off saying those words for so long. It was too risky. He took his chance and he got exactly what he feared would happe—
He was snapped out of his spiralling thoughts as Avid cupped his cheek. The demon’s eyes glistened, as though he were about to cry. He seemed to stammer and stumble over his words for a moment before finally uttering out a quiet “Really?”
Scott felt whatever breath was left in his undead body get stolen away. He had never seen Avid like this before. Teary eyed, eyes filled with hope and fear, tail wagging, eyelids drooping from the remaining exhaustion in his body…
“Why wouldn’t I?”
A weak, trembling smile graced Avid’s lips. Scott could’ve sworn he saw two tears fall. Before he could check in on Avid, the demon suddenly shifted forms. A large bat sprawled across Scott’s chest, curling into the warmth of his wool sweater as tiny claws hooked into the fleece. He felt his nose press against his neck, letting out a series of whimpers and squeals as he clung desperately.
“I love you too…” Avid managed to mumble through his bat-like crying.
Scott was in shock from the reaction. All he could do was gently cup the back of the fluffy bat’s head and hold him close. He wrapped his other arm carefully around the smaller’s back, cradling his fragile frame. Avid was much larger than a normal bat due to his demon blood. Scott didn’t mind. It made it easier to hold him without the risk of crushing him.
Avid had been waiting for this. He knew that. Scott had made him wait such an agonizingly long time. Yet, Avid waited. He waited and waited to finally hear those three words, and now he had.
Scott had to admit, it felt nice. He liked the way the words sounded. The way Avid said them back felt even nicer. He wanted to hear them again, but it seemed incoherent bat sounds were the only vocalizations he could get out of him right now.
He pressed a kiss to the bat Avid’s forehead, the shrill squeak he earned hurting his ears. He slowly lied down fully, Avid falling limp on his chest. He could hear him whimper and sniffle still. He had his nose pressed into the elder vampire’s hair, likely searching for the same comforting rose scent that Scott had smelled on the other.
Things weren’t perfect between them. Far, far from it. Scott knew that. This was the first hurdle, but it wouldn’t be the last, and certainly wouldn’t be the hardest. Yet, as he felt the warm weight of a cat-sized bat on his chest, he figured this was good enough for now.
His eyes slowly slipped shut. He was warm. He was clean. He wasn’t alone.
He drifted off to sleep, hoping that Avid would still be there by morning.