Page 46 of Vampire Lee

The dishwasher was running when Lee reached the kitchen, so he put the plate in the sink and walked over to the refrigerator. He opened it and grabbed two beers. There were several, and if someone got angry with him for taking two, he’d pay them back. Then he reached for the cupboard above. It was packed with chips, microwave popcorn, M&M bags, and some other chocolate.

He grabbed a bag of popcorn and threw it into the microwave.

“Hi.” Rei sauntered into the kitchen, walking with a predatory grace that normally would’ve left Lee salivating.

“Hi.”

“Want to fuck?”

“Nope.” Surprisingly enough, it was true. He wanted to head up to Dillon.

“Hmm.” Rei grinned at him, his fangs a little sharper than normal, and Lee almost groaned. He liked the sight, he did, but…He could have an armful of angry human upstairs, and for some weird reason, it was far more appealing.

“Is it worth the effort?”

Lee frowned. “What?”

“Dillon. I believed Mars would go insane with Devin. It’s not like picking someone up in a bar.”

Lee looked at the microwave, so he wouldn’t have to look at Rei. “I have no idea. It’s not like we’re…I don’t think he likes me much.”

Rei barked a laugh. “I think you’re wrong.”

That made Lee look at him. “You do?”

“He’s been here for seven, almost eight months, and apart from a few mumbled words to Devin, he doesn’t talk. With you, he talks. And judging by the scent, he allows you to touch him.”

“I don’t know if allow is the right word. I steal touches.”

Rei shrugged. “You’re still alive, so it can’t be too bad.”

Lee laughed, as if Dillon could kill him. Luckily, he didn’t have to continue the conversation since the microwave pinged.

“Don’t push if you don’t plan to hang around.”

Lee nodded before grabbing his things and heading up the stairs. Hang around? As in long-term? Lee didn’t do anything long-term.

He pushed open the door to his and Dillon’s room and smiled at Dillon who was standing by the window. “Brought popcorn and beer.”

After placing the items on the bedside table, he arranged the pillows so they could lean against the headboard and reached for the remote. “Come on. On the bed.”

Dillon sighed but climbed on.

“What are you in the mood for?” Lee flicked through the streaming services. Something easy. Nothing with torture or kidnappings, nothing with supernatural beings. Humans who moved at normal human speed, with normal human strength, and weren’t up to anything too gruesome.

“I haven’t watched a movie in years.”

Because he’d been kept prisoner. Fuck. “Okay, let’s pick something where we don’t have to think.” He hit play on one of those movies with a group of young people on the cover. There was a car in the background, so maybe it was some kind of road trip story.

He sat next to Dillon, handed him a beer, and put the popcorn bag on his lap. He sipped his beer and reached for some popcorn. After a few seconds, Dillon did the same.

The movie played out, and they watched without much comment. A few times, Lee caught Dillon watching him instead of the TV, but he ignored it. Once the beer was empty, he put the bottle on the bedside table and glanced at Dillon’s. He had more than half left. “Don’t like beer?”

“Oh, yeah, I…” He took a sip. More time went by, and Dillon sipped his beer and ate some popcorn. When the bottle was empty, he handed it to Lee. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, babe.”

Dillon huffed but focused on the TV. Lee ate some more popcorn, mostly to empty the bag. When there were only kernels left, he grabbed the bag off Dillon’s lap and put it next to the beer bottles. Then he grabbed his pillow, put it on the mattress and stretched out diagonally over the bed while pulling Dillon down with him.

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