They got cleaned up, Snod taking a set of borrowed clothing to dress in. The pants were a little too
snug, but the shirt was comfortable. Frankie admired the fit of the jeans with a hungry smile, but kept
his desires to himself and the bond clear for now.
Frankie drove them to the mall to pick out a few things, but it quickly turned into purchasing an entire
wardrobe. Frankie had a generous nature, and he clearly enjoyed spoiling Snod. He barely glanced at
a shirt or a tie that caught his eye and Frankie was already grabbing it for him.
Snod nearly passed out at the register when it was time to check out, Frankie patting his hand and
telling him that it was fine. They dragged the purchases to the food court, Frankie again letting Snod
get whatever he wanted.
The Order had a few restrictions regarding diet, but Snod couldn’t resist the sweet aroma of the
Chinese restaurant. Frankie enjoyed watching him slurp down a literal pound of lo mein and sesame
chicken, chuckling at his satisfied groan when he managed to finish it all.
Watching Frankie in public was incredibly entertaining. He had to walk at a normal human pace, and
Snod could see how much he wanted to run and blink around. Having to restrain all of that power had
to be exhausting, trying to appear as human as possible to blend in. Even slow, he moved with an
unnatural grace that made Snod question how no one else around them seemed to notice that he was
supernatural.
Plenty of people did stop to check him out, men and women alike, leaving Snod with an
uncomfortably angry feeling in his stomach that he couldn’t quite place. His admirers certainly saw
his physical beauty, but Snod knew not a single one could really see just how special he was.
Frankie’s smile was so bright, always waving and grinning at children as they walked by. And babies,
oh, how he adored babies, pausing often to compliment them and their parents. It was like wading
through a sea of darkness with a ray of sunshine, Frankie beaming happily wherever they went.
They headed back to Frankie’s home, the vampire making quick work of washing all the new laundry
and putting away the clothes. He showed Snod a grocery catalogue for a company that would deliver
food right to their front door. He let Snod place a generous order and even helped him put all the food
up when it arrived.
Exhausted by the day’s errands and humbled by how much money Frankie had spent on him, Snod
collapsed on the sofa.
Frankie brought him a glass of soda and Snod cringed when he took a sip. He narrowed his eyes,
