13 Floors in Every Direction

Chapter 2

Location: Jade and Lance's apartment in downtown New York City
Jade had come back early that morning, he didn't say anything to Lance. Lance didn't take it personally he understood that Jade was pretty stressed out and trying to help usually made things worse. A few hours later Jade roles over gently kissing Lance's neck.

Lance roles Jade over, "Get off of me you weirdo."

"Hi."

"Hi," Lance replies rolling over to face him.

"Lance, its Christmas, you know what that means?" For being over 300 years old Jade could still talk like he was 21. Which for the record he looked.

"Yes Jade my both my parents will be here soon and you have to pretend you care about what they have to say." He nods with a smile that made him look like a child.

One thing Lance could never figure out about Jade is how he could go from rambling about what shape the clouds made to a killer that had no regard for his victims. Jade was not a bad guy, he lacked the characteristics of an evil person. However, that's all the police and the news had to say about him.

"Lock your doors at night New York there is an evil killer on the streets." Now on the streets wouldn't be the correct use of words in describing Jade.

The two lived in a very nice apartment in downtown New York. They had money, Lance had a job as a director that doesn't hide the big bucks.

The police can be wrong about some things. Just like humans are, they are simply scared of what they don't understand.

"Jade, Jade? Jade!?" He jumps a little and looks up startled. Lance laughs a little getting out of bed and heading down the hall toward the kitchen.
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"Lance?" Jade's voice rings out with a hint of panic. "Your mom is calling me. What do I do?" The fear in his voice broke Lance's heart.

"Answer it."

"But but but. Hey, Linda. Ok... Yeah, we can do that... Oh no... Yes, I will tell him... Of course, we'll wait for you... Ok, see you then... Ok bye." He drops his phone on the counter. "Why did she call me?" He wines.

"I don't know, what did she say?" Lance asks stirring a pot of caramel-colored liquid.

"There was a wreck on the highway so they are going to be later then they thought they were going to get here."

"Oh ok."

"You know what that means?" Jade asks gingerly slipping his arms around and up Lance's waist.

"We're going to decorate?" Lance asks way too excited.

"What? Um I mean if you want to." Lance nods excitedly, bearing a smile that only belongs to children on Christmas morning.
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"Come on come on let's go," Lance says in a playful tone from the top of the stairs.

"I'm coming I'm coming, give me a break I'm old," both of them exchange playful smiles as they made their way to the bedroom where Christmas was. "Ok help me strip the bed so we can move the mattress and get to the sweet sweet Christmas stuff."

"Please never say that again. I don't think I have ever been more embarrassed to be in love with you," Lance says as he pulls the sheets from the bed.

The two move the mattress, "I hope you pooped today 'cus your not getting in here." Jade says pulling the mattress into the doorway of the master bath.

"Oh no," Lance says with a slight laugh in his voice.

"What?"

"The bed is broken," Lance says looking to meet Jade's eyes, "wonder how that happened?" The slight hint of sexual intention in Lance's voice gave Jade a mix of emotions.

Emotions he didn't think were appropriate for what the two were doing. Jade having PTSD, he had strange triggers that lead to emotions that don't match the current situation he is in. One of the many drawbacks of being so old and having been through so much.