Chapter 12 #3
They slept for a few hours, bodies close.
The next thing Dariel was aware of was Athens bending over to kiss his shoulder before pushing himself up, turning to the side of the bed and showing off the dimples in his lower back, right where his hair ended.
Dariel admired the way Athens’ waist sloped into his hips; soft cheeks pressed into the sheets.
Do not be afraid to yearn to love again, John. It’s time.
They washed again, and cleaned up the few visible blood stains they’d unavoidably made—joking about how they would be redecorating anyway.
“We’re going to make this place a heaven,” Athens said, sat at the base of the bed, scrunching his hair into the towel.
“No one would ever wish to live anywhere else,” Dariel contributed.
“I can’t wait to see his face when he wakes.”
A pang of worry hit Dariel; what Godwin had asked for; what they’d done. “He’ll be confused, but we must explain, make him understand,” he said. What if something went wrong? What then? What if we’ve left him alone too long?
“He will understand. I promise. He’ll be okay.”
Dariel nodded. “We were destined to meet him. Meet each other. It can’t be for nothing,” he stated, though it was more as a reassurance to himself.
The pair dressed, Dariel making note of the way Athens moved as he pulled on a stylishly tattered, knitted dark grey jumper over a thin, black vest top, and slid on baggy, black cotton lounge trousers.
Dariel only brought bed shorts, not quite having prepared himself for the evening they ended up having.
He thought back to the night before as he stepped out of the taxi—the thoughts that plagued him then. It felt like a lifetime ago.
“Need to borrow a t-shirt?” Athens asked, clearly watching the cogs whir in Dariel’s mind.
Before he had a chance to respond, an oversized white tee was thrown his way. “Don’t worry about giving it back.”
They headed back towards the main bedroom, the winter birds chirping outside with sunlight beginning to beam through every window along the landing. The dawn of a new day.
Dariel entered first, his fresh clothes cool against his skin still, waves reformed in his now dried hair.
Godwin was awake, propped up on pillows with a book on his lap. He’d been up and about, drawing open the curtains and dressing himself in soft pyjamas. Dariel held a breath as he stared at the scene, but at Godwin’s solemn smile, he sighed.
“Good morning,” Godwin said, flopping the paperback shut and wiping his eyes under his glasses.
Dariel’s chest lurched. He’s okay. “Good morning.”
Athens appeared from behind and held Dariel’s shoulder.
“Gentlemen,” Godwin said, pushing himself back against the pillows slightly, placing the book on the bedside table. “Did you sleep well?” he asked, though Dariel knew that wasn’t the main question he wanted to ask.
“Pleasantly.” Athens pinched Dariel’s ass. “You?”
There was a mild heat in the room, the unspoken question waiting in the shadows.
Then Godwin asked it. Inhaling; brows tight. “Why didn’t you do as I asked?”
Before answering, the vampires went up to join him on the bed, Godwin moving to accommodate them both. Athens lay down in the middle, hand caressing Godwin’s chest. “I like you too much to kill you, darling.”
Darling. Memories of the night before, all the way up to a few hours ago washed over Dariel’s brain in a tidal wave.
Godwin didn’t let his seriousness fade. “Why did you really not do it?”
He doesn’t remember.
Athens looked away from them both, hair flicking over the sheets. “You never wanted to die.”
To this, Godwin didn’t react, which said enough to Dariel. He agreed.
“What we did last night, everything—every moment… I thought I was ready. It was everything I’d hoped for and more but…”
“You didn’t want it to end,” Athens finished for him.
Godwin winced a smile for the briefest moment. “Perhaps not.”
“Well it’s always good when we’re all in agreement, isn’t it?” Athens looked back to their host. “And it doesn’t have to end.”
“But my memories, what you are…” Godwin startled forward. “I wish to keep them, please don’t take them. I will never tell a soul.”
Dariel sat upright at the base of the bed, eyes fixed to the other two men. “We’re not leaving, and we’ll stay for as long as you’d like. Nothing will happen to your memories.”
“I don’t understand, you’re both so young looking and attractive, you have your whole lives ahead of you—infinite lives! Why would you waste your time with me, here? It makes no sense.”
“Does it not? Or does it just not make sense to you? Because Dariel and I are very content with our decision,” Athens promised, tone sharp.
Godwin still stared at them both in disbelief. “But I can’t…” He shook his head. “I won’t ever fall in love… not romantically.”
“And?” Dariel cocked his head, Athens nodding slowly.
“I can never love you that way! You two deserve…”
“Did you not enjoy last night?” Athens stroked Godwin’s arm again, long black nails raising goosebumps on the flesh.
“Oh, more than anything… it was… perfect.” Godwin blushed, hand lifting to his neck where two puncture marks still remained, slightly crusted over.
There’s another two on his back. My marks. Dariel thought to himself, looking down in polite embarrassment.
“Well then, you loved us in your way. There is nothing wrong with who you are. We don’t expect anything you cannot give,” Athens said.
“But… Why? I don’t understand.”
“I thought we discussed this last night, darling. You understood there was nothing wrong with you.”
“Yes, but…”
Athens sat up, slamming an angry hand into the duvet.
“But nothing! We made our decision. We want to stay with you. It’s not because we feel sorry for you, because anyone with a soul would.
It’s because we want to keep you company.
We want to stay with you. We want to get to know you more, and we hope you want to get to know us—not for the creatures we are, but the men we were and will be.
We want to share our lives with you now, and we’re not expecting romance, we’re not expecting anything you do not want to give.
We want you to talk to us whenever you want.
To help you pick out a wardrobe, and redesign the walls to be whatever your heart desires.
We’re going to fix that bloody record player, and keep your hedges trimmed, and you’re going to cook us your favourite meals, even if we can’t eat a lot.
This is your home, not your prison. We want to help you live. ”
The only thing keeping tears from Dariel’s own eyes was seeing them glisten in Godwin’s. The man was speechless. Practically gasping for air.
“What…” He choked up, words disappearing.
“Will you let us do that? Everything we did yesterday, we can do as your friends. No romantic strings, none of those feelings. Is that not what you want?” Dariel asked, rubbing Godwin’s legs from under the covers.
Godwin nodded, sucking in the remnants of sadness that hadn’t already streamed down his face. His mouth formed a thank you, though no sound came out. It was enough.
Athens slipped off the bed, standing and tying his hair up into a high ponytail, heading towards the door. He looked even more attractive with his hair pulled back from his face, Dariel thought.
“Right, I’m going to catch a rabbit or whatever you have roaming around in these woods,” Athens announced, pointing to the window on the far wall where the leaves and vines practically covered it entirely.
“Dariel will keep you company.” He reached the door.
“Oh, and since we’re going to be sticking around for a while, Godwin, just letting you know, we try not to drink human blood if it can be helped, unless the person is willing. ” He winked towards the bed.
Godwin leaned forward in protest. “Last night, the bottle… it was my own…”
“Oh, I know that. The sweetest.” Then he left.
“You’re really staying?” Godwin asked Dariel as they both sat side by side.
Dariel let his head flop onto Godwin’s shoulder. “For as long as you’ll have us,” he promised.
“You bit me too, didn’t you? I felt it.” Godwin rubbed at his other side where the wound would have been.
Dariel’s brow scrunched in apology. “Did I hurt you?”
Godwin threw him a genuine grin. “Oh, no. It was quite the opposite.”
“Was the rest good?”
They smiled into each other’s eyes.
“You were the best, Dariel. Although I cannot shake the thought I didn’t get to return the favour.”
Dariel swallowed and let his eyes wander down Godwin’s body, desire pooling in his crotch. “Would you like to?”
“Now?” Godwin’s voice grew raspier; hungrier.
“If you want. Or we can wait. We can do it now and later if you really want. I don’t have many plans for the rest of the day. Whatever you would like.”
Godwin blushed and swallowed, reaching for Dariel’s arm. “Can we… now?”
“You want that?” It was Dariel’s turn to swallow hard.
“Very much so.”
They were moving before Dariel could really process what they were doing, his body positioning itself like muscle memory—already knowing what to expect from his partner.
The bedside drawer opened, and Godwin moved to position himself over Dariel, strong legs straddling him as Dariel assisted in removing his drawstring shorts.
It was much softer than anything they did the previous night—each finger stroke drawn out in the way of a carefully choreographed routine. They both understood this was never going to be the final time.
Then came the final act, Dariel biting down hard onto the pillow as Godwin inserted himself all the way, jolting their bodies together as gently as possible—Dariel noting how much time and care Godwin put into each thrust.
“Don’t leave us,” he found himself saying, letting his thoughts spill out between cries of pain and pleasure.
Dariel fell asleep not long after, flat on his front with his arms pillowing his cheek. Legs and arse pleasurably sore. He heard Godwin leave then come back with the fresh nature scent of his body-wash; felt the sunlight on his eyelids before he turned his head.
He vaguely remembered hearing the door open again and a mug being placed on the table beside him. He felt the weight of another step over him and settle between them. An arm covered his body and pulled him closer, but he was fast asleep again before he could note anything else.