65. The Silence That Followed

" T hree months," Foxx said with a sigh as he sat back in the passenger's seat and put on his seat belt. He pulled out his phone when it dinged multiple times, chuckling softly on seeing the texts were all from Charity.

Harlow sighed. "I guess…we should make the most of it?" The dhampir's brow rose when Foxx's phone dinged multiple times in a row once again. "Who is blowing up your phone?"

He smirked. "Charity, asking about our house."

The man chuckled. "So…vacation…"

"Cabin?"

The dhampir smirked. "How about, before that, we check out the land I was telling you about? We can go home after, pack, and then stay at the cabin, I guess… Though…I mean, three months is a long time. Maybe we can go somewhere you want to go?"

"Ohh! Is the land far from us?" Foxx asked, before frowning and thinking on the last bit… "I mean, I'm fine with the cabin. Sex on the shore, sex in the grass, sex, sex, sex!" He giggled.

Harlow laughed and started the car, pulling them out of their parking spot.

As they started off down the road, the man answered him. "The plots I was looking at, I think the furthest one out is like thirty minutes away from the apartment. It's actually in the same city where Doc lives, in Hollow Moor. It's slightly surprising how far out the Inner Village has expanded."

"Let's do it! Let's check them out!" he giggled. There were…some really pretty places in Hollow Moor... His phone dinged again, and this time it wasn't Charity, it was Alastair.

ALASTAIR

Saw the news, can I come out of hiding now?

FOXX

Get the shot and you can! But, by the Goddess, have I got news! Guess what?! Harlow wants me to move in with him!

ALASTAIR

Foxx, the point of saying ‘guess what?' is that I'm supposed to guess, and then after failing, that is when you tell me.

Foxx glared at his phone.

Harlow snorted, drawing his gaze. "Arguing with Alastair?"

"How did you know?"

"So far, I'm pretty sure he is the only one who makes you look like you are about to chuck your phone."

Foxx huffed. "Well, you aren't wrong."

He glanced down when his phone dinged again.

ALASTAIR

How do you move in with someone who has no place to move in to?

Foxx eyed the message, before quickly typing one of his own.

FOXX

Well, I was going to tell you all about it, but since you decided to be mean, have fun guessing! Maybe I'll answer tomorrow, maybe I won't! Bye!

Foxx smirked smugly as he sent the message, his smirk only widened as he rejected his friend's incoming call. Turning off the ringer, he slipped his phone into his dungaree chest pocket.

Harlow chuckled. "Well, now that you are done causing trouble, is there really nowhere you want to go?"

"I don't know what you mean!" Foxx snickered. "As for the other bit, I mean, I'm not big on traveling, as I told you before. Never have been. Part of me thinks, on the non-vacation side of our holiday, we should, however, go to Daydric's estate. It's in Scotland, but…the man could help you train more than I ever could, if I can convince him to help, that is."

Foxx wasn't sure that he could, as the way the vampire had been talking, it sounded like he wanted them to figure it out themselves.

Harlow was silent for a moment, before saying with a grin, "If we go there then there is a possibility Gavin won't find us."

Foxx scoffed. "Don't get too excited, it was just a thought, and I doubt he will agree."

"I mean, he doesn't have to be there to help me for us to go and hide there. Oh…what about Wes?"

He hummed. "We could always do a video chat now that we don't NEED to be as secretive. Though we could get Sephira to set up a secure line for us in that way too."

"Are you sure there's no place you want to go?"

Harlow eyed the vampire as the man pursed his lips, his head tilting. A slow smile slipped onto Foxx's face as he met his gaze. "Have you…ever seen…the world's biggest ball of yarn?"

Harlow barely kept the smile off his face at how ridiculous the question was. "No, can't say that I have."

Foxx's smile widened. "It's in Kansas. WE could go!"

He lost the fight, a smile breaking out as he chuckled. "If you want to."

"Yes!" Foxx squealed, bouncing in his seat. "Oh! Why don't we do a tour of the weird things to see around the US?! Did you know that there is a potato hotel?!" The vampire frowned. "Well, it's more of a potato house, that you can rent, and it's not really made of potatoes or anything. Can you imagine the smell if it was?"

"A tour of weird things… I'm pretty sure you are the weird thing."

Foxx hmphed. "I am not weird, I'm adorable!"

Harlow smirked. His mouth opened to say he was both, but at that moment, his dashboard started to ring. The incoming call screen, showing an unknown number, popped up on the navigation. "What…"

"I set up your phone to automatically connect."

"Why?"

"So, you don't have to struggle to not only get your phone out, but then to swipe and answer it while driving."

Foxx pressed the accept button.

"You think you've won, don't you, Harlow? That you pulled one over on me."

They both stiffened at the sound of Maverick's voice.

Harlow tsked. "Calling to bitch and whine, Maverick? How like you."

"Just know that what happens next is your fault," the man growled.

Foxx snorted. "You know your problem, Maverick? You seem to love blaming others for the shit you do. And I honestly have been wondering, are you refusing to own up to the monstrous shit you do because you're a coward? Or are you really just that stuck in your insane vigilante fantasy that you can't recognize how full of bullshit you are?

"I mean, the former is plausible. But I'm pretty sure it's the latter, and that you're just trying to make everyone suffer for your shitty childhood, because boo-fucking-who, no one wanted to play with you."

Maverick growled, the sound oddly animalistic. "That your new partner, Harlow?" the man ground out.

Harlow smirked. "Lover, actually."

Maverick inhaled sharply. "You… continue to disappoint!"

"OH, did you hear that, Harlow? The nutjob is disappointed?! What ever shall we do?" Foxx cried dramatically.

"SHUT UP!" the man roared. Taking a shuddered breath, Maverick hissed, "Just know, I wish you both were there… OH, and…say hi to…Tony for me, will you?"

Right as the call cut off, there was a loud booming sound that came from somewhere behind them. The car vibrated in the aftermath of what could only be an explosion of some kind. Even before the shaking stopped, Harlow was slamming on the brakes, his tires screeching as he jerked the vehicle to a standstill.

Both sitting silently, their hearts seemed to pick up in speed at the same time the sirens began. Without a word, Harlow and Foxx slowly looked back.

A small plume of smoke floated up in the distance, and the light of a fire broke up the night sky and city lights, all coming from…where they had just left—from the Guild.

THE END!