He had cried with Frankie before in pleasure, but this new feeling surging through him and snatching
sobs from his lips was anything but kind. It was ripping his soul into jagged pieces, wondering what
he ever did to deserve the affection of such a pure creature, tears freely running down his cheeks.
Frankie had to reach for him, pull him into his arms and kiss his forehead, murmuring, “I forgive you,
Obe... I forgive you.”
Snod sobbed openly against Frankie’s chest, weak and utterly wrecked, his shattered world starting to
pull itself into shape. He had a new world now, a life with Frankie, with Rees, and with Athaliah. All
of the pieces were where they needed to be, and he had never been so happy.
Frankie’s forgiveness was the glue binding it all together, Snod’s tears washing away the guilt that
had been haunting him for so long. He finally got to have this, he could fall in love and get his happily
ever after.
Joy, he realized, he was crying with pure and unadulterated joy.
Frankie held him, rocking him gently as if he was a child. He was humming softly, a tender melody
meant to comfort, pressing little kisses against his brow until Snod finally began to calm down.
Snod looked up, gasping when he realized Frankie’s eyes were bleeding, stammering, “Frankie,
your... your eyes...”
“Oh!” Frankie didn’t seem alarmed, wiping the blood off with his sleeve, absently remarking,
“Happens when I run out of tears. Vampires don’t make much in the way of natural human fluids. So,
sometimes... well, the tank gets low and to provide the function, our bodies will pull from... you don’t
really want to hear this.”
Snod was morbidly fascinated, too curious to not ask, “Does that mean... during coitus...”
“Yes,” Frankie chuckled, shaking his head with a snort. “Don’t ask me, don’t say it out loud, but yes.”
Snod groaned and he had to laugh, the sound surprisingly clear, hastily wiping at his face as it ended.
He tried to clean away all evidence of his breakdown, but remained curled up in Frankie’s arms.
“You still want me,” he said, trying his best not to phrase it as a question. “Treacherous and terrible
thing that I am.”
“Yes,” Frankie confirmed, turning Snod’s chin so he could kiss him. “Yes, I do.”
“And our bond?” Snod asked hopefully.
“May be restored in time,” Frankie said, offering a reassuring smile. “I miss it, too. We still have a
lot to work on, but I need you to be honest with me from now on. It’s the only way this will work.”
