Storm shrugged. “It’s worth a try, because you’re right. These possessors are doing this for a reason. And it seems like they’re targeting paladins.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against Nathan’s shoulder. “You’re not safe.”
Nathan smiled softly. “I hunt demons. I’m never really safe.”
Storm pulled him closer. “You are with me.”
He wanted to kiss Nathan’s reddening cheeks, but instead Nathan pecked him on the lips and slid away.
“I can’t live in a bubble, Storm.”
Groaning, Storm stood and fetched his clothes from last night while Nathan stepped into the bathroom. He’d left his and Nathan’s discarded things from last night in the living room, piled on the sofa. After he dressed, he set the coffee to brewing.
When Nathan emerged, smelling like fresh deodorant and minty toothpaste, he was taping some clean gauze into place over the stitched-up bite wound on his forearm.
“You should let me heal that,” Storm said, batting his hand away and fixing the tape into place for him.
Nathan frowned in confusion. “Heal it? You can do that? How?”
“Our blood has healing properties. If you ingest it, it’ll heal you.” Slow heat moved through Storm at the thought. If Nathan agreed to take some of his blood, they’d probably wind up back in bed.
Nathan stared. Blinked. Stared some more. “Really?”
“Mm-hm. It would heal you as well as it heals me. Which is to say, you’d basically be immortal while it was in your system.”
He couldn’t tell if Nathan’s blank expression was good or bad. “Wh-What? Seriously?”
Storm nodded. “It’s the only reason Luke survived the attack from the paladins when he was banished.”
“Luke… The others all do this? They’re all—what, immortal?”
Storm’s nose scrunched. “I think so. It’s not like I’ve gone out of my way to ask. I never really wanted to hear about their sex life, know what I mean?”
“Sex life,” Nathan repeated, his voice high. “Sex life—it’s a sex thing? You’redemons, of course it’s a sex thing, forget I said that. They drinkblood?”
“Just a little. It’s not like it takes a lot.” He took a breath to say more, to tell Nathan he didn’t have to if he didn’t want to, but Nathan slapped a hand over his mouth.
“No, wait, hang on,” he said. When his hand fell away, it lingered on Storm’s chest, his thumb brushing a tiny wrinkle in the fabric of his shirt. “That’s a lot of information to digest. Um.” He shook himself, then met Storm’s eyes with an earnest look. “Thank you for the offer. I can’t accept right now, because Maxwell would’ve given a report to Sloan about my injuries. If I show up miraculously healed, it’ll be too suspicious.”
He tried not to pout, but if Nathan’s widening smile was any indication, he didn’t succeed.
“I’m not saying no forever,” Nathan continued. “Just not this time. Not when there’s a risk we’ll be discovered. I won’t put you in danger.”
Storm brushed the gauze with his fingers. “This will scar.”
Nathan’s sigh was a weary gust. “It won’t be my first.”
With an unhappy growl, Storm crushed Nathan against him, ignoring his halfhearted sputtering and instead focused on the way Nathan’s arms wrapped around his waist without hesitation.
“Oh, yeah, I have something for you before we go,” Nathan said, squirming until Storm released him. He opened up a drawer near the coffeemaker. The contents within rattled, and Storm leaned around Nathan to see that it was filled with junk. Pens, post-its, loose change, paper clips, screwdrivers, scotch tape. Nathan picked something out and closed the drawer, turning around to hand it to Storm.
It was a key.
“What…” He took it slowly, uncomprehending.
Nathan took a fortifying breath. “It’s a key to the house. You… showed me last night that I can trust you in my worst moments. I can’t keep pretending I don’t feel something when I do. It’s crazy fast, but I don’t care. You’re welcome here, whenever you?—”
“Always,” Storm said quickly. “I want to be here always. With you, by your side, no matter what.” He lunged forward, kissing him hard. Nathan’s hand—and the key—were trapped between their chests. “No one’s ever given me a key before.”
Nathan’s laughter against his mouth was sweet. “Glad I got to beoneof your firsts.”
