Chapter Eighteen
In the office, Julien was seated behind the desk, peering with an expression of annoyance at the computer screen.
“Do you still have him on the phone?” Karim asked, rounding the desk to look over Julien’s shoulder.
“No. Did you back up the inventory list recently?” Julien asked.
“Yeah,” Karim said, leaning closer to look at the screen. “On Wednesday.”
Julien blew out a long breath. “Okay, good. The website’s down and Gerald can’t figure out why.” Then Julien looked up to see Luis. “I’m so sorry Luis, this was supposed to be a nice, work-free weekend.”
“It’s okay,” Luis said with a shrug. He hoped the redness on his cheeks wasn’t noticeable. “Stuff happens.”
“I can’t believe we’re paying him,” Karim said, reaching over Julien for the mouse. “What garbage.”
“Yes, I think… I think when he calls back maybe you can handle it,” Julien said wearily.
“Good,” Karim said.
Luis inched around the desk to get a better view of the screen. “I could take a look,” Luis said after a minute of Karim’s frustrated clicking.
Both sets of eyes turned to him.
“I do this, you know, as a job,” he reminded.
“Luis, you’re here as a friend–” Julien started.
“Yeah, but friends help friends, right?” Karim cut in, seizing the opening. “I mean, Jules, you're always telling me to open up and ask for help when I need it.”
“Oh, now you’re going to pull that card?” Julien said with a tone. “I just don’t think we should make Luis do unpaid labor on his days off.”
“We could pay him,” Karim said. “In about ten minutes we are going to have a part-time salary suddenly available.”
“It’s really no trouble,” Luis interjected. “I could just take a look. I mean, I want your website to work.”
“See, he’s not bothered,” Karim nudged Julien playfully before stepping back. “Let him have a look.”
To Luis’s surprise, Julien folded. “Only if you don’t mind,” Julien said, meeting his eyes.
“I don’t. I like problem solving,” Luis said.
Karim pulled back the chair to prompt Julien out of it. “All yours,” Karim said, pulling his husband away. “And I bet you’re just about hungry again. How does pasta sound, when you’re done?”
“Amazing,” Luis said as he took a seat.
“Great. I’ll go whip something up. Julien will stay and answer any questions you may have.”
So, Luis got to work.
##
It took an hour and a half to get the site back up. When Luis finished there were still a lot of issues that would need to be sorted, but for the moment their website was at least accessible.
“It looks like Gerald keeps trying to patch it together, but he really doesn't know what he’s doing.”
They were in the kitchen, a heaping bowl of alfredo in front of Luis at the counter seating. Julien was sitting beside him as Karim cleaned the kitchen and packaged the leftovers.
“Well, he’s officially fired,” Karim said. “And you’re hired.”
Luis grinned, “I’ll work for pasta, this is amazing,” he said before twirling another heaping bite.
“I’m glad. Handmade the pasta myself,” Karim said proudly.
“You made the pasta?” Luis asked. Fuck, no wonder it tasted so good.
“It’s not too hard,” Karim said. “But it makes a difference, doesn’t it?”
“Mhm,” Luis agreed with his mouth full.
“We’ll have to draft a contract,” Julien said. “He’s being paid in money, not pasta. And I want this to be scheduled regular work hours, not eating away at your weekend.”
Luis nodded. Once everything was fixed, it would be very simple maintenance. Something he could easily fit into his work week.
“But thank you,” Julien said, “for tonight.”
“It was no problem. I’m sorry you had to miss the movie,” Luis said.
“Yeah,” Karim leaned against the counter, a fanged grin plastered on his face, “It had a throuple ending.”
The reminder had the back of Luis’s neck prickling.
“Oh, did it?” Julien said with clear interest. “You don’t get that very often.”
“No, you don’t,” Karim agreed, but his eyes were on Luis.
Julien looked between the two of them as if he could read what had happened from the sudden tension. Luis’s heart sped up guiltily. “And is that where it ended?” He asked.
“Unfortunately. Your phone call timing is impeccable,” Karim groused.
That made Julien laugh. “The universe agrees with me, clearly.”
Karim muttered something under his breath as he turned away to finish the dishes. Luis didn’t catch it, but Julien laughed harder.
“Patience,” Julien crooned.
“Yeah, whatever,” Karim said. “But now I’m hungry.”
Luis cast a look at the time, but it was too late for the bar.
“We went out yesterday,” Julien said.
“Yeah, well, maybe I’m just extra hungry this week,” Karim said, putting the last of the dishes into the dishwasher.
“Hungry, I’m sure that’s it,” Julien said dubiously with a knowing smile.
Luis finished his bowl, pushing it back across the island for Karim to take care of. “You could bite me,” he volunteered.
He wasn’t sure if it was the good food, finally getting to fix their website, or what had happened after the movie, but he was feeling open to it. Excited about it, even.
“Oh yeah?” Karim said, eyes bright.
Luis shrugged. “I’m always trying to keep my levels down, and a bite isn’t that much blood,” he said.
“Right,” Karim said as he turned to put the bowl in the dishwasher. “Mutually beneficial healthcare.”
Julien said something under his breath in French. Then he looked guiltily at Luis. “Sorry. I said, ‘oh, how noble.’”
Karim let out a choked laugh. “Are you now going to translate everything to Luis?”
“It’s rude to not include him,” Julien said, “I need to break the habit.”
“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Karim said with a devilish grin. Then to Luis, “Shall we?”
In the living room, Luis sat and Karim took up the seat beside him.
Julien sat primly on the opposite couch. “I’ll time,” he said.
“Great,” Karim said and sidled closer to Luis, wasting no time. A hand landed on Luis’s shoulder and his nerves shot up.
Each time he did, it ended up more loaded than the last. It should’ve started to become more normal and less nerve wracking, but after the movie…
Karim leaned in and guided Luis to tilt his neck. “Ready?” Karim asked, voice breathy against his skin. Luis trembled.
“Yeah.”
Then the sharp tips of fangs were pushing into his skin. Luis gasped at the initial prick of pain before the chemicals hit him. Karim only tightened his hold, kept him steady. Heat poured from the wound as Karim sucked and swallowed. The wet sound of it was loud in Luis’s ears.
Pleasure came on its tail, slamming into Luis so hard that he moaned. It was a breath of a thing, barely any noise, but Karim didn’t miss it. The vampire’s hands on him flexed, and there was another hard suck, a swallow of his blood.
Fuck, it felt incredible.
Luis’s awareness shrank to the push and pull of the pleasure-pain.
He folded further into Karim, wanting more.
He wasn’t so much swept away this time, as he was allowing himself to indulge, allowing himself this moment where he just felt good.
Where all the guilt and pain of the last week fell away.
Then came Julien’s firm, times up.
Karim pulled away slowly, tongue lapping across the puncture wounds. Even that felt nice, the enzyme muting the last of the pain of being bitten.
Luis was hazy, eyes closed. He didn’t try to pull out of it this time, allowing himself to drift in it just a little longer. Karim had him and wasn’t letting him go. He was safe.
When Luis finally opened his eyes, Karim was there.
“Okay?” He asked. His fangs were still out, but his demeanor had already softened. There was an unruly swoop of hair trying to fall in his face.
Luis smiled at him. “Yeah.”
The corner of Karim’s mouth quirked up. “Good.”
The haze tapered off slowly, and as it did Karim let him go. Luis appreciated that Karim didn’t make jokes about how long it took him, or how out of it he probably looked.
But then again, the experience had affected Karim too.
“Here,” Julien prompted, and offered Luis a juice.
“Thank you,” Luis tipped it to his mouth, and the cold and sweet was a welcome break from the swamping heat. His mind still wasn’t on solid ground yet, and he didn’t force it as he sipped his drink.
Julien started a conversation about a rug they’d seen at an antique mall earlier in the week, and how he wanted to go back for it. Karim disagreed.
“He was selling it as a pre-1900s. It was 1940s at best,” Karim argued.
“Maybe he’d come down on price,” Julien said. “The coloring was just so unusual.”
“Which is why he’s got it at robber baron pricing,” he complained. “You could see if he’d come down, but I doubt it. He wouldn’t come down on the lamp.”
“Darling, it was Tiffany’s,” Julien said with emphasis.
“With a crack that ran up the whole side. It’s still there, might I point out,” Karim said with a sniff, “no one is going to pay that price.”
“Well, I think I want to try. I just keep thinking about it,” Julien said.
Karim crossed his arms, “Fine. But now, are you having a drink? Or is Luis going to bed?”
Julien gave Karim a hard look. “Darling, must you always be so…”
“To the point?” Karim asked. “Yes. If I wasn’t, we’d never get anywhere. You and I would still probably be traipsing around the English countryside, directionless.”
“You haven’t even asked Luis what he wants,” Julien pointed out, ignoring the comment.
Both sets of eyes turned to him. Luis was finished with his juice, his head a bit clearer. He likely didn’t need another bite, but…
“You can,” Luis said. “I mean, it’s not–it doesn’t hurt.”
“I’m glad,” Julien said delicately, hedging. “But it is late, if you’d rather just retire–”
Karim let out a loud sound of annoyance. “Oh, for fucks sake. Come on,” Karim said as he stood, crossing the living room and motioning for Julien to stand.
Julien gave him a look, but stood.
Luis laughed, he couldn’t help it. “Pushy,” he said.
“Someone has to be, you two are impossible. Planned patience meets anxious denial,” Karim said under his breath, urging Julien to the opposite couch.