Page 27 of Haunted Mediation
James rocked back on his heels, his shoulders knocking roughly into the wall. Leon stepped in closer, until the left side of his body and the right side of James’ were practically melded together.
“You’re also not a problem, and you sure as hell add more to my life, to your mom’s life, and even to the lives of your minions, than just taking up space.”
James could feel every individual muscle in Leon’s chest that had to expand and contract for him to take his next shaky breath.
“If I have ever done anything to make you feel that way…like you have to provide me with some kind of value to be in my life… Please let me make it up to you.”
James shook his head, and Leon ducked until his forehead rested against James’ temple.
“Alright,” Leon said, his breath teasing the underside of James’ shirt collar. “But whatever has made you feel like this, and think like this…we’re gonna fucking fix it, okay?”
James couldn’t nod or move his arm, not with Leon clutching his hand and glued to his side. He peeled his lips apart, and they felt sticky and raw as he forced himself to answer. “I think it might be a combination of things. It’s no one person's fault. It’s…sort of been a long time coming.”
Leon rested his free hand over James’ heart. “We’re gonna fucking fix it.”
James gazed at the scuffed, blank wall in front of him. “We…like, you and me?”
Leon tipped his head up and pressed his lips right against James’ ear. “You and me, darlin’. Together.”
Chapter Six
LEON
Together was probably the only way they were going to manage to stumble their way through the next two rooms of the house. They were like uncoordinated baby fawns. Or maybe a couple of jackasses.
“Okay, vampires don’t sound so bad–” James said, immediately interrupting himself with a shriek as the coffin right by the door very predictably swung open to reveal the bust of a vampire.
Leon was about to laugh at him when something grabbed onto his leg. He shouted and kicked off what looked like a huge stuffed bat.
James let out an actual fucking giggle, and Leon wheeled on him.
“Oh yeah?” he said, unable to keep the smile off his face. “Think that’s funny?”
James gave him a lopsided grin that showed off one of his adorable dimples. Leon desperately wanted to kiss it?—
And he could.
“Alright, little mensch, you can go first then,” Leon said, releasing James’ hands to grab him around the waist and haulJames in front of him. He pressed a quick kiss to James’ cheek and then pushed him forward.
“Leon!” James squealed, reaching back to grasp Leon’s arm.
They stumbled forward, narrowly missing a stuffed wooden stake that flew overhead. James continued to try to dodge back behind Leon, but Leon was quite a bit stronger than him. By the time they made it halfway into the room, Leon had managed to get his arms securely wrapped around James’ waist and his chest pressed into James’ back.
“Come on, darlin’,” he growled in James’ ear. “Lead the way.”
James shivered from the top of his pretty head all the way down to his ridiculous loafers.
Was this actually real? Had Leon passed out in the hospital of horrors room, and this was all a dream?
“I’m going to end up walking us into a wall if you keep doing that,” James said.
Leon was surprised to find he could watch the flush creeping down the back of James’ neck. He grabbed James’ chin and turned his head towards the door at the end of the room. “Eyes forward then, darlin’.”
James shivered again before one of his familiar put-upon-sounding sighs escaped his lips. “You’re doing that on purpose.”
“Damn right I am.”
James settled into Leon’s embrace, and Leon spread his legs a little until he was able to hold James’ weight easily. They stood there, in the middle of the gaudy black and red lace covered room in a peaceful silence.
