He's a hunter, I'm a monster

42 drops of blood

'There's a railway down here.. there's a fucking railway underneath this city.'
'Not a lot of people know about it.. it's old, no one uses it anymore.'
'Who says it isn't broken?'
'We will stop if we see it's broken, we won't go to fast.. I mean we aren't that strong together,' he says laughingly.

I wish there would've been a train here.. now I need to work for it and it's in the middle of the night.. I could've been sleeping!

'Come on, we need to go.. it's going to take us a while to get to Patel, but it's the fastest way since we're going straight to it.'

He wasn't kidding.. it took us so.. so long. Tired I hang against him and he's just laughing.

'Come on Ted, it's just a night without sleep.' 'Just a night? Just a night!' 'Don't be so dramatic honey.'

He shakes his head and tickles me.

'Sthhooop,' I groan.

'How old is this railway system?'
'Just a bit older than me.'
'Why is no one using it?' I ask surprised. 'Nobody wants to come here, it's full of delinquents.. their words not mine.'

'It's beautifully build though.'
'Patel is beautiful, both up and underground,' he says dreamy.
'We get it nerd.' 'I'm sorry? Me the nerd? You're the fucking nerd.'

I let out a short yelp when he lifts me up.

'What was that?' He replies laughing. 'You scared me asshole.'

'Let's get out of here.'

We walk up a small set of stairs and it's so dark.. I grab his hand and I can just imagine how big the grin on his face is right now.

'I thought you had night vision?' 'Yeah.. but this place is scary.'

When we walk out a small building we are met by the heat of the desert sun. My eyes need to get used to the sunlight, since I hadn't seen it all night.. which sounds obvious but still.

It doesn't take long for us to get recognised and someone walks up to us.

'Josh? I'm sorry prince Josh?'
'It's fine Thalia, just say Josh.'

They know eachother? I just stand there.. awkwardly, until Josh noticed.

'Oh right uhm Thalia this is my boyfriend Teddy, Teddy this is Thalia.. my cousin.' 'I always knew you were gay,' she immediately responds.

'Anyway.. why are you here?'
'We have some things to work out and it isn't safe doing it in Earlmare anymore.'

'Wait.. Teddy as in Teddy Wood?' She asks surprised.
'How do you know that?'
'We can follow the news all around the world here, his name got mentioned.. he's actually banned in Bouspa right?' 'Bouspa?' I repeat. 'Vampires,' Josh whispers to me.

Why don't I know how my own city is called?

'Wait I'm banned?' 'Yes.. you didn't know that? They are looking for you, something to do with state secrets and causing uproar.'

I shake my head.. of fucking course.

'Do you have a place for us to stay for a while? We're going to Zeor later, but I need to figure some stuff out first.' 'Uhm well.. you could stay with me, but I only have two beds.. one is mine.' 'Thalia, that's totally fine. We don't want to be much of a problem for you.'

She nods and leads us to a house, it's in a busy street.

'I'm sorry I life next to the bar and the bar is opposite of the library, the layout is weird.. I know.'
'Do you mind if we go to bed right now? We've been up all night.'
'Of course.. of course, do whatever you like.'

She nods and walks away.

'So why is your cousin here?'

He doesn't respond.

'Josh.. why is your cousin here?'

Again he doesn't say a thing.
I groan which makes him laugh.

'I don't like talking about it Teddy.' 'What kind of boyfriend are you?' 'One that's keeping you safe.'

He touches my nose and lays down next to me.

'I miss the bigger bed.' 'I get it.. you don't want to be closer to me,' he stated sadly, but I can notice his grin. 'No because it's way to hot.'
'That's your own fault, you shouldn't be wearing so many clothes to bed.'

I turn to my side and ignore him.

'No.. you're not getting rid of me this easily,' he says as he grabs my waist, pulls me closer to his body and lay his head in my neck.
'Josh I'm tired let me sleep.'
'Why are you hiding your body from me?'

'How's your back?' I ask to avoid his question. 'It's fine. How are your wounds?' 'Which ones?'
'From the torturing?' He says with a look on his face that says: "Why don't you remember that."
'Oh right.. their f.. fine?'
'You don't sound really convincing.'

'I don't have time for this let me sleep.' 'Alright then,' he places a kiss on my neck and moves away a bit, 'just know you don't have to hide stuff for me.' 'Like you aren't doing the same thing,' I mumble before wrapping my arms around a pillow.

He sighs and I feel him moving his hand up and down on my back.

'You can just ask for a hug,' I groan before throwing the pillow at him.

He laughs and wraps his arms around me.

'Well.. can I have one?' 'No.'
'You're no fun.'

I cup his head in my hands, look him in the eyes and place a quick kiss on his lips.

'It's funnier to be a pain in the ass.'
'I thought I was the asshole?'
'Yeah.. you still are.'

He chuckles and mumbles a "goodnight." It's morning but whatever.