Theowoketofaintbird noises in the arms of—oh.
He jerked to full awareness as the events of the previous night rushed back in, drawing a shushing noise from Peter, who lay next to him, cradling him to his chest.Theo ignored that.
“Are you okay again?”he asked before sitting up and looking Peter over…and over.He was naked under the covers, two healthy blue eyes sparkling like glacial ice in the little morning light that made it through the heavy curtains, platinum hair a halo around his perfect face.There was no trace of the scratches the birds had dealt Peter, just skin and muscles no lawyer should have.
“Quite.”Peter put one arm behind his head.A smile played around his mouth as Theo just continued to stare.
“I…erm…”
Theo felt himself turn red.This is Peter’s bed.Okay.I slept here after we had sex.That’s normal, right?
“Mm?”Peter’s eyes fell partway shut as if he were waiting for something.
“Shower.I should go take a shower.And…”
What else am I going to say to him?This is fucking awkward.Or is it?Should I feel embarrassed?No, it was just sex.We did that before, plenty of times.Maybe I should…
Theo’s lips were still sensitive from last night, from how they’d kissed as if it were a primal need more important than anything else, more important than the blood or the sex.
Before he knew why, he found himself pressing a chaste kiss to Peter’s lips.The vampire returned it, but did nothing more.He didn’t reach for Theo, didn’t attempt to deepen the kiss.Theo couldn’t tell whether he wanted Peter to or not.Regardless, this was nice.
Theo pulled back and cleared his throat.“Shower.”
“Of course.”Peter was still lounging against the pillows and staring up at Theo, who had only managed to get his face about three inches away from Peter’s.“There are fresh towels waiting for you, Theodore.”
Then Theo realized how idiotic it was to just start going about a normal morning after the night they’d had.“What about…what happened?Bernard?”Theo looked over his shoulder at the door, which was, disturbingly, slightly ajar.
“You don’t have to worry about a thing regarding that one, Theodore.He was long gone by the time you fell asleep last night, and—”
Anger overtook the strangling fear.“You went out there!You saw Bernard.He’s strong, believe me.I know you’re a vampire too, but he’s mean, and he will hurt you for no other reason than because he can.Why would you do something as stupid as running outside after him?”
“Because,” said Peter, preternaturally calm, “he is trying to torment you and succeeding to a point, and I won’t have that.”
Theo snorted.“Him tearing your heart out would torment me, you fucking idiot.Do you think Bernard cares that you’re a fancy lawyer or whatever?He wants me back.Maybe he finds my blood just as seductive as you do.Fuck.Is that why all this is happening?Is my blood why—” Theo could feel tears welling in his eyes.It would make sense.Bernard running into him that one night when Theo was out bar hopping with friends.Bernard getting so possessive, to the point that he wouldn’t let Theo attend classes on any kind of regular schedule, and then the way Bernard had always drained him…
Instead of getting an answer, Theo found himself pressed against Peter’s strong chest.“There’s no need to cry.Shh.Nothing about you caused this, Theodore.”
Theo just wanted to melt into Peter and believe him.But Peter was wrong.It did make sense.
“You…don’t have to lie.It’s okay.He’s just after my blood, same as you.”
All of a sudden, everything fell into place—all that time Bernard had used him, and Bernard following him to New Elvenswood.The way Peter had decided to stick around after that first night.The way he was allowing Theo to stay here even though he preferred being alone.
Peter sighed.“Theodore, there is nothing special about your blood, not in the way I made you believe.I lied about that.”
“What?”Theo pulled back from Peter’s chest, though Peter’s arms around Theo never faltered.“What do you mean you lied?You said you got addicted to me!”
Peter nodded.“I did, and it was not even too far from the truth.I wanted to give you a rationale for offering you my protection—one you could understand, and obviously, a logical reason for accepting said protection.Had I known it would lead to this amount of crying, I’d have told you something else, believe me.”Theo felt Peter caress the back of his head.“I do apologize for the lie, though I am not sorry I did it.I refuse to be.”
Theo knew he should be angry, furious even.Peter had tricked him into sleeping with him.Except he really didn’t.I did that because I wanted to.I did that because I don’t think he’ll hurt me, not even now.
“What do you mean it wasn’t even too far from the truth?”
Peter took a few seconds to respond.Then he said, “It means I couldn’t get you out of my mind from the moment Celeste introduced us.I went out to clear my head because I was thinking about you.Imagine my surprise when I ran into you on my way to seek distraction from thinking about you.At this point, Theodore, I’m done with the very idea of getting you out of my head.I want you.”
Theo knew he should be running out of there.He shouldn’t be finding this knee-bucklingly hot, and his breath shouldn’t be hitching, and his heart shouldn’t be beating this noisily in his chest, but it did.
“You made me sign a contract.What normal person does that?”
