Nine

Colson lets out a groan as he stretched himself awake. He doesn't open his eyes and instead turns to the side, pulling the duvet up even more. It was then that he noticed there was someone in the room. He slid his hand under the pillow and quickly sits up, pointing his weapon right at...

Aetos.

The vampire raised both hands in the air as he stared at Colson. He was wearing a dark red shirt that was partially buttoned and leather pants that hugged his frame. Shit. It's too early to see someone this mouthwatering.

He falls back onto the bed with his hand placed over his eyes.

"Good to see you too."

"Why are you here and why are you so dressed up? It's not even ten yet." Colson groaned and turns over to his side so he could look at the wall.

"I drove for hours to get here. Are you feeling alright?"

This gets Colson's attention. He sits up and faced Aetos again. The vampire didn't look like he hadn't slept for hours, the only thing that was out of place was his hair. It looked like he had ran his hands through his hair for a long time.

"You drove here?"

"I fel- uhh... Erik called me and he said you looked bad." Aetos replied and Colson feels something fluttering in his stomach. "I made you breakfast. It's stir fry."

"You are my king." Colson grinned as he sits up. Once he's on his feet, he hears Aetos' breath hitch. Aetos couldn't tear his eyes away from Colson who was in his clothes.

Colson walks close to Aetos and smiles up at him. He turns away from Aetos and walked towards the bathroom, looking through the cupboards for a new toothbrush. He finds one and it takes him a few minutes to freshen up. He finds Aetos still standing in the middle of the room, he steps closer to Colson as if to make sure someone hadn't got to Colson in the bathroom.

"I'm fine. Why are you so freaked out?"

"I can't be scared for my friend?" Aetos retorts and Colson smiles. He steps closer to Aetos, leans up and pressed a kiss to Aetos' cheek.

He rests his hand on Aetos' chest and smiles at the vampire. "I'm fine. And I'm here, right in front of you." He says and the vampire nods. Aetos reaches up, closed his hands around Colson's and led him out of the bedroom, their fingers intertwined.

There's a plate of food on the table in the kitchen, steam still wafting from it. Aetos, ever the gentleman, pulls out the stool for Colson, who takes his seat.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Colson replied as he made his way to the fridge to get the carton of juice. He grabs a cup and slides the two over to Colson who was eating what had to be the best food ever.

Colson eats in silence and Aetos just watched. Colson didn't understand why Aetos was freakin out this much. They haven't actually known each other long enough for Aetos to freak out this way. There's something else. Something Colson was missing.

Once he was done with his food, Colson takes his plate over to the dishwasher. He had just closed the lid when Aetos spoke.

"Are you going to tell me who beat you up?" Aetos asked, his voice calm but Colson could hear it. The tiny tremble of underlying anger.

"If I didn't tell my brother, what makes you think I can tell you?"

Aetos looked like he had just swallowed a sour candy. He gets up from the stool and stalked over to Colson.

"Colson..."

"I can't actually tell you. Every time I try to say his name it just hangs in my throat." Colson tries to explain. "It hard, it feels like a huge stone is in my throat, pushing the words down."

Aetos moves closer as tears spring to Colson's eyes.

"I was so scared. When he came I tired to scream but it was like my voice was gone. I really tried to fight him off but I felt weak, powerless. He was too strong and he said he'll do it again and again." Colson rushes forward and tucked his face into Aetos' chest, letting his tears soak through the vampire's shirt.

"He can't get you. You're here, you're with me. I'd tear anyone who wants to harm you apart."

Colson gripped Aetos' shirt tighter, his body shaking as he cried. It takes him a while to calm down and stop crying. He pulls back, sniffing as he wiped his tears. Aetos bat his hand away and does it for him inside, his thumbs wiping the tears away.

"Ugh... I'm sure I look blotchy."

Aetos smiles and shakes his head. "I only see cuteness."

Colson huffs out a laugh as he stared at Aetos. He reached up and wrapped his fingers around Aetos' wrist. "Thank you... for saying that. It made me feel better."

"I meant it. I'll do whatever it is I can to keep you safe."

Aetos was close, close enough for Colson to see the slacks of green in the vampire's grey eyes. There was a smoky scent to Aetos and it made Colson want to close the remaining distance between them. He wondered what the vampire would do. Would he push Colson away or would he kiss him, drag him up to the bedroom and roughly fuck him so hard Colson forgets his own name?

Heat bloomed in Colson, making his cheeks go red and Aetos just couldn't look away. Colson had to be sure of his feelings before he did something drastic like falling to his knees, pulling Aetos' pants with him and sucking his cock like it was the only reason he was created.

Colson tried to take a step back but he was already close to the dishwasher. So instead, he side stepped Aetos and walked over to the carton of juice.

"Oh, while you were gone. I thought about your job offer and I've decided to take it."

"Colson are yo-"

"I'm not scared of anyone except him. I can hold myself against anything or anyone else. So don't give me that look."

"Let me be worried for you."

Colson shakes his head and turns to Aetos with furrowed brows. "I FUCKING SAID I'M FINE. WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BELIEVE ME?"

"I want to but you have to understand why I'm worried about you. You can't even say who made you that way."

Colson stalked up to Aetos and poked his chest. "You just have to trust me on this." Colson takes Aetos' hand in his and placed it on his chest, right where his heart would be.

"I'm fine, Aetos." Colson whispered, stepping close to the vampire who doesn't say anything. He stay in Aetos' space for one, two, theee seconds before turning away. He doesn't take more than two steps before he's being pulled back in.

Aetos grabbed Colson by the waist and pushed him against the counter and in the blink of an eye, Aetos was kissing Colson to an inch of his life. Colson pressed a hand to Aetos' chest, trying to pushing the vampire away but he wasn't budging.

Colson felt his knees go weak as he tries not to give in. A swipe of Aetos' tongue on his bottom lip elicits a moan from him, forcing his mouth open. He slid his hand up the vampire chest, up to his neck, his fingers playing with the little hairs at the back of his head as he kissed back, just as passionately.

It felt too good. His tongue gliding with Aetos, tasting, giving. Aetos gripped Colson and pulled him even closer until they were chest to chest, toe to toe. Colson pulls back for air but Aetos doesn't stop, he trails kisses down down Colson's neck. He lifts Colson until he was seated, the vampire between his legs.

"Aetos..." Colson gasped as the vampire sucked a bite into his neck. Colson tightened his grip in Aetos' hair as the vampire slid his hand up his waist, underneath his shirt and his fingers played with Colson's nipples, tugging and squeezing.

Fuck, it felt too good. If this goes on, Colson was going to come soon.

"Aetos..." Colson gasped out. Tugging at the vampire's head, his swollen lips parted. The vampire doesn't stop, so Colson actually had to gasp out. "Stop."

The vampire literally flew back until he was backed up against the dishwasher. They were both panting, their chest rising and falling in sync. Aetos was looking anywhere else but at Colson who was staring right at him as he tries to understand what the fuck was going on between them.

"Aetos..." Colson falls out but the vampire doesn't look at him. So he calls him again but instead, the vampire began pacing, one hand running through his hair. All what that does was draw Colson's attention to the dark hair and how soft it had felt between his fingers.

"Did you actually have business to deal with in New York?"

Aetos shook his head.

"We didn't talk about the last kiss." Colson places his hands on his lap, he doesn't get down from the counter and just stared at Aetos.

"I thought you didn't want to."

"Yeah. But we just kissed again and you've left a couple hickeys on my neck, so we need to actually discuss this." Colson said, his voice a bit shaky. He could still feel Aetos' hands on his body, on his nipples.

This time Aetos looks at him.

"Do we have to talk about this? I don't want to ask you to dinner and be rejected." Aetos snapped, rubbing the side of his neck.

"You haven't even asked me yet. You don't get to decide for me." Colson retorts.

"It's my heart and I get to decide who breaks it."

Colson hops down and made his way to Aetos who was staring right at him, his hands in his pockets.  "I'm going to need time. I don't fully understand how I feel about you and I don't want to treat you as a rebound nor do I want you as a rebound. You are... important to me. My safe space."

"Colson..." Aetos pulls his hand from his pockets and placed it on Colson's waist.

"It's not a no. It's a maybe. It's a soon."

Aetos takes Colson's hand in his and raised their intertwined hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to it. He has waited all these years, waiting for a couple more would not kill him.

"Now that we have that sorted. I'm taking your offer as your assistant. I have a couple orders coming in, in a few days and I'll put in an order for wooden bullets with -"

"I can cover the woods bullets. I know a guy."

"Ooh, look at you, sounding all mysterious and shit." Colson chuckled as he leans against the vampire. Aetos laughed as gently tugged on Colson's hand. They made their way to the sitting room and fall onto the couch.

"You have to fill me in on things I need to know, then we can watch something." Colson said, curving his legs underneath him.

"Besides the Dark House, there are various others. Only a handful of my coven were moved to Astir, the young and the recently turned. We just need to check up on them once in a while and my council meetings -"

"Can I skip those? Can you take Pytor in my place?"

"Of course." Aetos replied, he doesn't pry. Colson didn't feel good about leaving the borders of Astir. He didn't want to be far away from Cobie, especially now he was carrying.

"We need to check the amount of blood bags delivered, make sure they weren't tampered with or poisoned." Aetos continued. "Besides that, we just offer advice, train, stop fights from time to time and that's it."

"Do I need to ask how much I'm going to get paid?"

"Name a price, anything and I'll do it."

Colson knows what he wants. He needed a place far away from Michel, a place where the Beta wouldn't be able to reach him , to hurt him and that was here in Aetos' house. The same place the vampire told him to always feel welcome. He just hoped he wasn't asking for too much.

"Can I say here? Not all the time but just most mornings, afternoons and nights." Colson asked, not looking the vampire in the eye.

"You can stay for as long as you like." Aetos replied. "Are you sure that's all you want?"

Colson nods. "Yeah. For now."

The conversation drifts after that and they sit in silence. Colson reaches for the remote and pulls up recorded episodes of The good doctor. Time moves fast, a couple episodes later, Aetos gets up from the couch and stretched a little.

Colson's eyes trailed down the body of the vampire, the way the unbuttoned material clings to Aetos' body and damn, that man was fine!

"I'm going to make lunch. Do you have any specific thing you want?"

"Fried fish? With chips and eggs." Colson grinned.

"I don't have any fish at home. I'm going to make a call." Aetos said, pulling out his phone as he excused himself out of the sitting room. Colson watched a few minutes into the next episode of The Good Doctor when the bell went off.

He stands up from the couch and made his way to the door and checks the tiny screen by the door. He smiles brightly when he sees Cobie standing there, his brother's rainbow swirl eyes staring right into the screen.

"Can you please tell me before you leave next time so I don't get a heart attack when I see your empty room?" Cobie tuts as he walked into the house. He had on a large lavender jumper with thumb holes and a pair of dark jeans.

When he gets to the sitting room, he pulls out the small black gun holster that was held up by his jeans but covered by the large jumper.

"Erik walked me over. I thought he told you."

"He's in a meeting with Freya. She came over very early this morning, something about Unseelie problems. She wants to move some of her fairies here." Cobie said, as he takes his seat.

"Well, Erik walked me here last night. He waited till I got into the house before making his way back home." Colson said as he takes a seat beside his brother. "He was even shirtless. You picked well, brother."

" I know. You've seen him nude. He does this thing with his hips when he's ins-"

Colson slapped his hand over Cobie's mouth. "I've seen enough, I don't want to hear and know more than what I do."

Cobie chuckles and licks Colson's palm.

"Ugh. Cobie..." Colson sticks his tongue out in disgust. "And you wonder why I doubt you're the older one."

"Oh ho, suck my dick little brother. You know I am, we had the birth certificates to prove this."

"Everything burnt in the fire. You can't prove that." Colson shrugged, his lips pulled up a bit at the side. Cobie moves closer to Colson and tucks himself closer, his head on his brother's shoulder.

"Mum would have wanted to be here. To see us. To see them." Colson said as he gently rests his hand on Cobie's stomach.

"I know." Cobie sighs. "I'm not carrying twins, Colly."

"You never know." Colson says with a shrug.

Aetos cleared his throat as he walked back into the room. He smiles at Cobie in greeting. "Hey, Luna dearest."

"Hey, Aetos. I hope you don't mind me coming over?" Cobie asked as he gives the vampire a blinding smile, his eyes turning pink.

"Of course not. We're having fish and chips with eggs for lunch. Is there anything you want?"

Cobie visibly pales at the thoughts of eggs. "No eggs please. Fish and chips is fine. Can I have mine with mayo not ketchup?"

Aetos raised a brow at Cobie's resquest while Colson looked a bit green.

"Sure. I'm not cooking it but Pytor is getting them for us." Aetos tells the brothers. Cobie offers his thanks and waited for the vampire to leave before turning to Colson.

"So..."

"What?" Colson asked, pulling back a bit.

"You and Colson. Something feels... different but I can't place my fingers on it." Cobie said with a slight tilt to his head.

Colson feel the heat spread through his cheeks. He had the option of keeping Cobie in the dark but he just couldn't bring himself to. He was already keeping one thing from his brother he didn't want to add another.

"We might have kissed again." Colson offers and Cobie lets out a sound that was half squeal, half squawk. "Before you start planning our wedding, I told him we are just taking it slow."

"I am so happy for you."

"Cobie..."

"What?" Cobie teases. "You've found your prince charming. Allow me to be happy for you."

"I don't actually know if he's my Prince Charming. What I do know is that I feel a lot for him and I don't want to hurt him or burden him with my baggage."

Cobie places his hand over his brother's hand. "I felt the same with Erik. But I learnt along the way that if you find the right person, he will love you for who you are, baggage or not. He'll take care of you, protect you. He'll make you feel safe and so happy. You might butt heads but he'll yield when he's wrong and be strong headed when he thinks what he's doing is for your protection."

Colson doesn't say anything. He's looking at his brother with wide eyes, every word sinking in.

"Behind the fear is something you really want. You just have to learn to look past it. Don't let your fear hold you back. For you to find your one, your mate, sometimes you have to say yes to a couple of things." Cobie said with a small smile. He pressed a kiss to Colson's cheek.

Their quiet moment was interrupted by Aetos walking into the room. "Pytor is here with the food." The vampire announced and Cobie cheered.

Colson watched the vampire good, the small weight he had always felt in his chest lifts a little. And maybe, just maybe, Aetos won't have to wait for long.

.