Foxx’s face scrunched. Tears forming in his eyes, his bottom lip began to tremble as he held back his emotions. “Don’t… Don’t say that. I…” He whimpered and let out a stuttered breath, a tear slipping free, despite trying to hold them back. “I just… I just thought I lost you. I can’t… Please! I won’t let them take you from me. I can’t!”
Harlow shook his head, his face grim. “Me living is not worth you dying. I willneverbe fucking worth your life,” the man ground out.
Foxx’s hands were the ones shaking now, but not from anger, from despair. Tears falling faster, he couldn’t seem to find the right words to say.
“Did you hear me, Foxx?!” Harlow snarled.
“No…” Foxx whimpered.
The dhampir was suddenly right by his side, leaning over him, fangs bared. Gasping, he turned towards him on the chair, staring up.
“Listen, and listen good, brat,” Harlow growled. “You will not die for me! I will turn my own ass in before letting that happen, do you hear me?! My life is NOT worth yours!”
A sob slipped out. “Please… I…I’m not… I’m not going to die. I promise. I’m not!”
Harlow’s expression blanked as he stared him down, though his body remained tense. “I don’t believe you. There was a reason you didn’t tell me this in the first place.”
“Bloody hell, Harlow! I’m not letting you die!” Foxx cried while latching onto the man’s shirt. “And you are not turning yourself in to anyone! I’m not going to die! I’m not! I’m not just some random vampire! I mean, I am, b-but I have connections! They aren’t well known, but I have them! I’ll be fine. It’ll be complicated, but I’ll be fine in the end! I’ll be fine. I’m not lying.” He sobbed harder. “I-I didn’t t-tell you at first b-because I knew you wo-wouldn’t want me to do it then. But I’m not lying now! I do have connections that will protect me, I pr-promise!”
Foxx wasn’t lying… He wasn’t. Yes, he should have told Harlow the truth from the beginning, but…it was just so…complicated.
Harlow slowly covered one of his hands with his. “Your connections being…Daydric?”
“Y-yes!” Foxx gasped.
“Then why haven’t you told him what’s happening? What’s coming?”
He winced, gaze shifting away.
“Foxx,” Harlow growled. Foxx winced, this time in pain as the man’s grip on his hand tightened.
The dhampir must have noticed because Harlow released his hand and was a foot away only a split second later. Rubbing his face, he swore, “Fucking hell, sorry.”
Foxx got up and rushed to hug the man. “It’s…fine, you didn’t mean to.”
“Don’t excuse it.” Harlow sighed and wrapped his arms around him, his hold so light it felt like Harlow was treating him like spun glass.
“Harlow…” He took a stuttered breath, sniffling as he tried to push his tears back. “I-I can’t tell Daydric yet…”
“Why?”
“Because wh-while I know he would protect me…I’m not sure if he will protect y-you.” Foxx took another deep breath, sniffing again.
Harlow let out a sigh of what sounded like relief, before chuckling, the tenson just seeming to melt away from the man while his arms came more fully around Foxx. “So, it’s not that you are worried his protection won’t be enough… Or that he won’t protect you. You are worried that his solution to the problem would be to kill me.”
Foxx nodded. “Y-yes… But if you are already registered when I tell him…then there would be no point in killing you because…” His breath stuttered again, and he forced himself to take a few deep breaths before continuing. “At that point, killing you won’t stop the council from trying to come for me.”
“Fine, Foxx. We will do it your way, for now.” Harlow pulled back, wiped the tears from his cheeks, and pressed a kiss to his forehead before letting him go.
Foxx sniffled, his nose wrinkling at the ‘for now’ part.
Takinghis seat at the island again, Harlow watched Foxx as he slowly returned to pulling things out of the cupboards, this time without slamming anything. He grimaced at the redness of the vampire’s nose, the man randomly stopping to wipe at his eyes.
Fucking hell, Harlow would prefer this didn’t all end with him dead, but he hadn’t lied. He would die before letting Foxx sacrifice himself for him. Harlow had always assumed his days were numbered when ‘human’, so giving up his life now that he potentially had eternity didn’t faze him. What did was…the knowledge that Foxx would likely cry over him… He already fucking was…
Eyeing the growing pile of ingredients and baking shit on the counter, he asked, “So, what are you making?”
Foxx looked at him with a sniffle, clearly pouting. “Cookies. I’m upset and stressed, so I’m making cookies.” The man sniffled again, his pout deepening as he whined, “But I think I’m out of chocolate chips!”
