Page 1 of Brush with Death
Chapter One
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VALE WAS GETTING USEDto waking up with a skull on his chest.He didn’t even open his eyes to look anymore.He reached down and stroked the top of Oscar’s body—or was it his head—and smiled when he felt Oscar’s tentacles moving with excitement.Just a few months ago, this situation would’ve freaked him out.It still did a little if he thought too hard about the fact that there was a being made of reanimated bones sleeping on his chest.He tried not to think too hard about that, but sometimes, it was impossible not to.
Vale did live with a necromancer, after all.
He turned sideways and smiled at the sight of Cyril sleeping next to him.Oscar skittered off the bed after falling to the mattress, making an irritated sound because Vale had dislodged him.Vale ignored him.He had better things to do, like staring at his boyfriend.
That was something else Vale wouldn’t have believed a few months ago.He had a boyfriend.He’d retired and was putting down roots, something he couldn’t have imagined himself doing.Meeting Cyril had changed his life so completely that sometimes, he could hardly remember what he’d done before him.
“I hate when you do that,” Cyril grumbled.
“When I do what?”
Cyril blinked his eyes open.He smiled, reminding Vale just how completely in love he was with him.“Watching me sleep.It’s creepy.”
“What’s creepy is your pet.”
“Let it go, Vale.Oscar was here before you, and he’ll still be here after you and I die.”
Vale grimaced.He was tempted to ask what would happen when Cyril passed away since it was his gift that had reanimated Oscar, but he didn’t really care.He didn’t want to have to think about Cyril not being here anymore.“Can we not talk about either of us dying?”
Cyril snuggled close.“Whatever you want.”
This was what made life worth living.Before Cyril, Vale only had work.It had been easier and safer, but he’d been lonely, even with his friends.He’d never be lonely again.
It had been easy to get used to having Cyril in his life because Cyril was a delight.It had been less easy to get used to Cyril’s job and Oscar, but Vale would never regret any of it.He was happy for what felt like the first time in his life.He didn’t want that to change, and he’d fight to ensure that it didn’t.
Their morning was soft and lazy.After cuddling in bed for a while and listening to Oscar’s tentacles skittering on the wooden floor, they got up, and Vale cooked Cyril breakfast.It was disgustingly domestic, and Vale loved it.Gone were the days of following people in dark alleys and killing them—not that Vale had ever killed anyone in a dark alley.He’d planned his hits better than that.But he was done with that part of his life, and he was happy about that, even though it left him at a loss.
It also left him available to protect Cyril and spend time with him, which was good.The problem was that they couldn’t be attached at the hip, even though Vale didn’t like the thought of Cyril not being in his sight.
“When’s Russell getting here?”Cyril asked as he sipped his coffee and played with one of Oscar’s tentacles.The bony pet was in his lap, and his tentacles inched toward Cyril’s plate every so often.
The damn thing didn’t even have a stomach, for fuck’s sake.
“Later.Are you sure you have to go to work?”Vale asked.
Cyril grinned.“One of us has to.”
Vale loved that Cyril teased him.He’d been painfully shy and a bit awkward initially, but he’d relaxed in their relationship, which was what Vale had wanted.Cyril was it for him, and he wished to make him happy and for Cyril to feel like he could be himself when they were together.They both should.Vale didn’t want them to hide anything from each other—the good or the bad.They were supposed to share all of it.
“I can’t say I don’t enjoy my time as a kept man,” he said, joking.
Cyril’s smile widened.“Will I find dinner on the table when I come home?”
“If you want.I did put breakfast on the table, so why not dinner, too?”
Cyril was still smiling when he leaned forward to press a kiss on Vale’s lips.“I don’t think I’ll be that late.Maybe lunch?”
“You know Russell is going to insist on having lunch with us.”
“You love him.”
“Sometimes.”And sometimes, Vale was annoyed by his best friend, especially when Russell wanted to spend time with Cyril.Vale knew Russell and Cyril would never do anything to hurt him, but he couldn’t help it.Russell had always managed to know exactly what to say to get under Vale’s skin.
Cyril patted Vale’s arm.“You can have me all to yourself tonight.”
