Page 12 of Colin

“What’s your name?” Dane found himself asking, refusing to acknowledge the bone-deep relief he felt at seeing him there. He couldn’t keep calling the guy “the kid” in his head, no matter that he looked to be in his early twenties at best. Barely older than the college kids that toddled by their house in a drunken stupor throughout the school year.

The kid tucked a loose strand of pale-blue hair back behind his ear. “Colin. Yours?”

The fact that this Colin had come by their house, asking for a place to stay and offering himself up as a human blood bag without so much as knowing their names clearly amused Fox, who laughed out loud. “I’m Fox. This is Dane.”

Dane nodded his greeting, well aware Colin would forget who was who come morning. They always did.

Fox gestured to the door. “Shall we show you inside?”

Colin cocked his pretty head, his face unreadable. “You’re gonna let me stay?”

“Trial run. We’ll give it a month.”

Fox was being uncharacteristically civil. Usually Dane was the one who spoke for them when it came to strangers. Fox had more of a hair trigger. But back at home, when it was just the two of them, Dane was the quiet one. Funny they’d fallen into that pattern with Colin already.

“All right.” Colin rose from the porch swing and strode toward them, planting himself in front of them expectantly. Fuck. Was the human wanting them to bite him right there and then? Dane’s dick twitched at the thought. It would be stupid to do it where anyone might see, but if they took him over to the porch swing, covered his body with both of theirs, and sank their fangs into that creamy throat…

Colin’s brow furrowed. “Are you going to show me inside or what?”

Fox cleared his throat, glancing at Dane with a smirk that said he knewexactlywhat Dane had been imagining. “Of course, little lamb.”

Colin scowled at Fox as he swept past them into the house. Not a fan of the nickname, then. He was ballsy for a human; Dane would give him that. Fearless.

The trills of excitement traveling down Dane’s spine weren’t just coming from Fox anymore.

Was this the worst idea they’d ever had or the best thing to happen to them in months?

Dane didn’t often have occasion to feel embarrassed in front of humans. It had been decades since he’d cared enough what any of them thought to even manage it. But he felt vaguely uneasy as Colin stared into their living room and the mess that had piled up over the last month: the empty chip bags, the heavy layer of dust, the stains of what could possibly be blood. It was like the physical manifestation of Dane’s weird brush with pseudodepression.

“Jesus.”

Dane winced as Fox crossed his arms, his muscles bulging in a clear intimidation tactic. “Listen, human, we follow a different set of standards.”

Colin shot them both an unimpressed look. “Did you forget I know other vampires? Slovenliness is not a requirement of the species.”

“Dane usually cleans,” Fox muttered, his imposing stance deflating.

Dane flicked his shoulder. “Fuck off if you think you’re throwing me under the bus.”

But Colin was already pushing past them, making his way to the kitchen. It wasn’thorrible. They didn’t use that room much, other than storage for chips and beer.

Colin opened the fridge, clocking the various six-packs that took up residence there, and the lack of anything else. He moved on to the cupboards, seeming to make note of each dish (or lack thereof). He finally turned to Fox and Dane with a small sigh. “Are you two vampires or frat boys?”

Fox scowled. “You didn’t say you were going to be ajudgmentalhousekeeper.”

Colin cocked his head. “Your feelings are easily hurt, huh?” He slid past them again, making his way upstairs. He glanced at the closed doors and then back at them, clearly expecting some guidance.

Fox gestured to the correct doors. “That’s Dane’s room. That’s mine.” He pointed across the hall. “That’ll be yours.”

Colin opened the door leading into what would be his room, scanning it quickly and turning back to them. “I can keep the furnishings in here?”

“Sure.” Dane couldn’t even remember what furniture was in there in the first place. He was pretty sure whatever it was had come with the house when they’d bought it. He hadn’t set foot in that room in…years, maybe?

Fox stepped closer to the human, his voice soft and sultry. “Aren’t you going to check our bedrooms, little lamb?”

Colin gave him a blank look. He may have smelled like whiskey, but he certainly wasn’t acting drunk. Or maybe he was just skilled at hiding his tells. “Why? I’m not going in there. You can keep them as filthy as you like.”

Dane’s lips twitched as disappointment emanated from Fox. It was clear his hopes of fucking their new roommate were going to be harder to achieve than he’d thought. He was too used to giving his hopeful hookups one glance and having them drop to their knees, practically begging to suck him off.

---