“You watchedInvasion of the Body Snatcherswith me, but you didn’t tell me the zombie apocalypse is a real fucking thing I should be worried about?”Theo said, staring at Peter.
Peter finished half his drink.“It’s not, because it would require a necromancer to constantly feed energy into them, but yes, zombie bites fester.They can be quite annoying.Nothing you need to worry about though, dearest.”
Mike snorted.“Yeah, they’re also lethal if you aren’t a vampire.”
Peter shrugged and put an arm around Theo.“It’s simply a matter of how to handle them, Theodore.Zombies are nothing to get worked up over.”
Corvin snorted.“Yeah, no.There’s plenty of reason to get worked up over them.Peter there even did some heroing no one saw when he pulled us out of the water.”
Peter sighed.“The resort couldn’t save my shirt after all, but I would do it again.”
“Sorry about your shirt,” Theo said.
“Thank you.It was a nice shirt.”Peter kissed his cheek.
Mike giggled.“Let me guess, you agree that your own boyfriend problem is—and I quote—satisfyingly solved?”Mike asked Peter.
“Michael, I said permanently, not satisfyingly.I hope you will remember your wedding vows better,” Peter said.
Corvin nodded.“Maybe I should get those in writing, hmm?Have Peter look them over and get you to sign over your soul to me.”
Mike looked at his fiancé.“If souls were real, honey, you’d have mine already.”
Peter leaned in and watched as the two men kissed, and Theo relaxed against his lover’s side.
“This was fun,” Theo said as they walked back to the car.
Peter reached for Theo’s hand.“It was, and I cannot tell you how glad I am that you and Corvin hit it off.”
“I guess we did.Never thought I’d befriend a librarian.”
Peter was still smiling his slightly creepy smile when they got into the car and pulled away from the house.
“Where are we going?”Theo asked when Peter had taken two wrong turns in a row.
“Since you’re no longer working nights, I’m taking you to have some fluffy, touristy fun.”
“You what?I’m almost drunk, Peter.”
“You finished a single glass of wine.I have every confidence you’ll be fine.And if you aren’t, I’ll be there to sling you over my shoulder and carry you home.”Peter cleared his throat.“Viking style.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“Peter…”
“Theodore, dearest, I said nothing.You’re almost drunk.It was a liquor-induced hallucination.”
Theo scowled.Peter ignored him.
Eventually, they pulled into the same, still very empty lot they’d parked in the night they’d come here to lure Bernard out.Theo wanted to not feel anything, but the memory of that night still made his heart beat faster and his skin slick with a sheen of sweat.
“I’m here, Theodore.”Peter reached over to take his hand.
He’s said the same thing every time I’ve woken up in the middle of the night ever since that day.Theo dreamed of shadows, but Peter had reliably made them vanish.
“I know.”
