Seeing as he couldn't find sleep himself, it was all he could do.
The hotel room he'd booked them into was actually nice. It featured some real wood furniture and blackout curtains that reliably kept the sun out. Sheets with a thread count Charlie had marveled at before crashing so hard he'd slept for 24h straight.
They both had.
But that had been two days ago, and now Simon felt restless.
They couldn't stay in this hotel forever, but what were they going to do next? How were they going to live?
Slowly, Simon slid out of bed. Charlie stirred but didn't wake.
In the bathroom, Simon splashed water on his face and stared at his reflection. Same face. Different eyes. Red bled through the brown when he wasn't careful, when emotion ran too high.
He was a vampire now, through and through.
He didn't like that fact, but he was going to have to accept it eventually.
The face in the mirror scowled back at him.
"Simon?"
Charlie stood in the doorway, squinting against the bathroom light.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."
"Did you even sleep?"
Simon turned off the water. "Couldn't."
Charlie shot him a worried look. "Why not?"
"There's something I need to do." The moment Simon spoke the words, he knew they were true. "Before we can figure out what's next. I need to..." He stopped. Started again. "My mom. I need to visit her grave."
Charlie's expression softened. "Okay."
"I'd like to visit her tonight."
"Then let's go." Charlie was already turning back toward the bedroom. "Just let me find my shoes."
"Charlie…"
"I'm coming with you." Charlie looked back over his shoulder. "Unless you don't want me to?"
Simon's chest tightened. "No, I want you to."
They dressed quickly. Simon in his usual dark pants and leather jacket. Charlie in clothes they'd grabbed from a 24-hour storethe night before. Now he had jeans that actually fit and a comfortable green sweater.
Simon's bike waited in the hotel's underground parking. By now, he had acquired a spare helmet for Charlie.
"Hold on tight," he warned as he handed it to him.
Charlie eyed the motorcycle with caution. "Where are we going first?"
"There's a flower shop on Madison Street. It closes at eight."
Charlie climbed on behind him, arms wrapping around Simon's waist. "Then we should probably hurry."
Simon kicked the engine to life and pulled out of the garage, Charlie's grip tightening as they merged into traffic. The city blurred past. Storefronts, streetlights, people heading home or heading out. Normal lives. Normal problems.
