15. Distract and Pretend

H arlow reread the line in his book, trying to ignore the brat staring at him. Which was impossible. Honestly, at this point, he might as well go to bed, as he had no clue what was going on or what he was reading.

"Take the cameras down," Foxx pouted, slapping his pec lightly.

Smirking, Harlow set the book on the nightstand and said, with zero emotions, "No."

"HARLOW!"

Mmm, it was moments like this that made him happy that his sense sensitivity had mostly calmed the fuck down two days ago. Like, there were still moments his sight and hearing went haywire and brought on a raging headache, but for the most part, things were calming down…except his strength… There were…way too many things he'd need to fix at his cabin when he finally got a handle on it.

"FOXX!" he mimicked. "It's been a week. I don't even know why you are still trying."

The vampire hadn't given up throughout the four days they'd spent at the cabin, and it didn't seem like he intended to now that they were back home either.

"Why not?!"

"It's for safety, Foxx. Both of our asses have gotten kidnapped once, and there is also the whole ‘the council will likely try to kill us the minute I'm either registered or they find out about me' thing."

"You don't even have a phone to receive notifications about the damn pictures anymore! Take them down!"

How to steer away from this conversation? Ah! He knew how!

"Oh, speaking of phones, can I borrow yours?"

"Why?" Foxx asked, sounding suspicious, even as he slowly grabbed it off the nightstand, unlocked it, and held it out for him.

"Could you get to the dial screen?"

The man's eyes narrowed, but he did as he asked before handing it over.

Taking the phone, he finally explained, "I need to call my psychologist."

"NOW?!" the vampire cried. "It's 5am?! Why would you call now?!"

"Well, it's been a week, and I still haven't gotten back to him yet."

"You said he knows Tony. Don't you think he'd have called him already?!"

"Yeah, but I need to reschedule."

"RESCHEDULE?! You can't even go out in public yet!? The closest you've gotten to a human heartbeat is still ten whole beats too fucking slow!" Foxx took a deep, calming breath in and out. "You know… WAIT! BLOODY HELL, HARLOW. STOP CHANGING THE FUCKING SUBJECT, YOU ASS!"

"Hold that thought!" Harlow dialed Wes' number like his life depended on it, and hit call.

"Harlow!" Foxx hissed.

He smiled and held his finger up to his lips as the phone continued to ring. He began to fear Wes wasn't going to pick up, but then the call finally connected.

"Hello?" Wes rasped softly.

"Wes, it's me, Harlow."

The human cleared his throat. "Harlow, Tony told me something happened, and to wait for you to call. Are you all right?"

"It's complicated, and can't be said over the phone. Speaking of, mine is broken, so until I can get it fixed, I'll likely call from this number."

"FIXED?!" Foxx cried. "Hell no! No one is going to fix that piece of shit, Harlow!"

"Then I'll just get a new one."

"New, as in a smartphone, right?"

"Why would I get a smartphone?"

"You are NOT buying another flip phone! My boyfriend WILL NOT have an old man phone. Do you hear me, old man?!"

Harlow thought it was a bit hypocritical to call him an old man, while refusing to let him have an ‘old man' phone.

"I see you aren't alone," Wes said slowly with a yawn.

"Yeah, that's Foxx you hear. He has a vendetta against my flip phone. No, apparently, it's all flip phones. Anyway, I have an issue. I want to reschedule, but I can't leave the apartment."

"Did you throw your back out again?"

"Not exactly."

Foxx snickered. "Kind of glad that happened now."

He glared up at the vampire, who just smiled sweetly. He mouthed the word brat. Foxx stuck his tongue out.

"Do you want to try a video chat, or maybe just a phone call?" the human suggested.

"Can't do that either. Could you come to me?"

"Come to you? Tony mentioned it was complicated…and he was very vague… If you think it's necessary that I come there…I'm sure I can work something out. I don't have my full schedule with me though." Wes yawned again, before continuing. "Why don't I call you back… I'm guessing you aren't on daylight hours… How about I call around say 7pm?"

"That works."

Wes murmured a sleepy sounding goodbye and hung up.

"So, he will be coming here?" Foxx sighed. "That's one more person who will know your secret…"

"He won't tell anyone. The man didn't even say shit when I talked about possibly killing Iggy."

"Which legally he should have," Foxx drawled.

Harlow snorted. "He's not seeing me legally . I mean, he's seeing me, but there is no paper trail, so…"

"Ah…" The vampire sighed again, before laying back down, his head resting on Harlow's chest.

Smiling, he pulled the man more firmly against him.

"If you try to sneakily bite me as we snuggle, I will hurt you, old man!" Foxx hissed.

He chuckled. "Noted."

Harlow closed his eyes, intending to sleep, when Foxx suddenly pulled away from him, crying out, "YOU DID IT AGAIN!" That was his cue to keep his eyes the fuck closed.

"Harlow, you bastard! You are not getting out of this conversation again !"

Harlow kept his eyes closed, even as Foxx started to shake him and rant away.

Foxx's eyes snapped open, he was gasping for air while his body shook. Sobbing softly, he clung to Harlow's shirt as tears slipped down his cheeks.

"Shh, Foxx, it's okay. It was just a dream," Harlow murmured sleepily, while the man ran a hand up and down his back.

Foxx just held on, crying, as time passed slowly, the dhampir continuing to ramble reassurances. His tears slowing, he hesitantly said, "S-sometimes…i-it…" he hiccupped, "Feels like…they are g-getting worse."

"Was this one like the last one you told me about? Back on that platform?"

"It started off that way…but then I was…in that ranch-style house. You…were there…but…" Foxx let out a shuddered breath. "You were dead…"

Harlow smoothed his hand over his hair, before pressing a kiss to Foxx's forehead. "I'm alive and well. I'd rather not be the cause of your nightmares, Foxx."

He sniffled. "Sorry… Sorry for waking you up."

"Don't apologize. Never apologize to me for something like this." Harlow cupped his face, his thumbs roughly brushing away his tears. The man opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to hesitate, before finally saying, "Maybe…you could start talking to Wes too?"

Foxx blinked. "What?"

"I mean…it could help?" Harlow said, though the way he said it sounded as if he was asking a question, rather than stating something.

"Does it help you?" he asked softly.

"Fuck if I know." The man sighed. "But then, I'm not normal. Well, no, I'm dhampir normal, but not…normal, normal."

Foxx snorted.

"But maybe it will help you. And perhaps it has helped me. I mean, instead of running off to kill Iggy, I called Wes. I even held back and waited a full day to see him."

"Ahh…poor Iggy was about to die when he'd already been turned down. But like, let's be real. You'd never kill Iggy outright… You'd plan it first."

Harlow smirked. "That I would, brat, that I would."

Foxx giggled. "Well, you aren't normal, as you said, and maybe that's why Wes isn't able to fully help you. But…you know as well as I do that I'm not normal either."

"You aren't, but you do feel more than I do. You hurt more easily than I do." Harlow caressed his cheek. "I felt nothing as I saw those vampires on that platform, not even for the children… You, on the other hand, bleed for them, and are still bleeding."

Foxx bit his lip when it wobbled, tears starting to fill his eyes again.

"And, to be clear, Wes isn't like Johansson. He doesn't hate vampires, and he isn't a jackass. He is also the one who told me I'd have to say something if I wanted more than just sex with you. That it wasn't fair of me to put restrictions on you when I wasn't willing to offer you more."

Sniffling, Foxx took in a deep breath and let it out. "Well…that at least tells me he isn't an idiot."

Could he…talk about all of this with someone other than Harlow? Should he? "I'll…think about it… That's all I can promise."

"That's more than I expected." Harlow gave him a brief peck on the lips before his arms slid back around him. "Let's go back to sleep."

Foxx grunted in response. Closing his eyes, he buried his face against Harlow, praying to the Goddess that he dreamt of nothing else tonight.