Sense of death - A Jared Leto Vampire Story

Five: Reasons

A few hours after sunset, Tomo and Jared  were at their large Victorian styled living room located in front of the foyer. Tomo had been lying on the couch watching TV while Jared busied himself on another painting as a sudden knock sounded on the door. Both Tomo and Jared stopped and looked at each other in confusion then turned to the door. They waited for a few tense minutes before hearing the second knock. It was very rare for Jared and Tomo to have any guests over. Jared then motioned for Tomo to go for the door. Tomo nodded back walked to the door. Tomo grabbed the doorknob, waited for a few seconds and pulled it open.

On the other side of the door stood a man that was not a stranger to them. A man they've spent years on the search for and missing until they've decided it was time to give up and settle here in Verum Valley. 

Smirking on the other side of the threshold "Sh-shannon?" Tomo asked not hiding the surprise on his face as he took in Shannon's figure. Shannon looked quite healthy. His face full, his chest and muscles stretching his shirt. Shannon's stance was still though his eyes seemed stressed yet hid with a slight smirk.

"Tomo," Shannon addressed him back in his casual voice and said calmly with a tone of irony. " Haven't see you in so long."

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Tomo switched from being surprised and happy to unbothered quickly. It wasn't that he was only angry, but that Shannon didn't even seem to care. Like nothing happened.

"You don't see me in what? three decades? and this is how you're going greet me?" Shannon's smirk didn't leave his face. "I can't believe it!" he scuffed and peeked behind Tomo. "Where's my brother?"

Even after all these years, Shannon still meant the world to Tomo. He was a brother to Tomo as he was to Jared. All three held each other through their best times, stayed during the sorrows of each and confined in one another during their turning stages of becoming vampires. Having Shannon back was going to change their lives. This Tomo knew, unless Shannon was still reckless. If Tomo and Jared missed this chance of having Shannon here by treating him like a child that needs to be tamed, they could lose him again. 

 Tomo was having a moment of realization and fear as he stared at Shannon from behind the door while Shannon stared back. Shannon's smirk growing as if he was reading Tomo's mind. Tomo then opened the door wider and stepped aside to let him in.

Shannon walked in. His hands by his side as he looked around the many paintings Jared made that were hung on the walls. Shannon walked slowly as he viewed the Victorian furniture. He walked towards the living room in the heart of the house confidently and continued to observe. Massive wooden bookshelves covered the walls in the room. The large floor to ceiling windows across from him viewed the dark forest, his eyes wandered to the vintage beautifully painted portraits, and finally, his eyes fell on Jared who stood in the middle of the room looking back at him.

Shannon's smirk fell as he then observed his brother. He observed every inch of him carefully and did his best not to show his surprise of finding him alive and even better thane expected him to be since the night of the attack. 

" You still paint." Shannon said.

Tomo came to stand next to Shannon awaiting Jared's response. Jared didn't respond. Nor did he move his eyes away from Shannon. Shannon waited impatiently before he broke into a low chuckle, shaking his head.

"Surprised to see me alive?" Jared finally spoke, but it was resentful.

"Maybe." Shannon shrugged and diverted his eyes away from his brother and focused on Tomo instead who scolded at him. "Maybe not."

Shannon's eyes shifted back to his brother who was staring back at him, and his eyes reminded Jared so much of his mother. The feeling ate at him and he wanted to crawl to it and protect it because even though it had been a little over a century since Jared moved on from his old life, he still longed for anything that reminded him of his past. Jared longed for that feeling of home, and now as Shannon stood there three feet in front of him, he was reminded of how home had felt like for a split second. And he did not want to let that feeling go.