Page 31 of Love Bleeds
Which gave him all the permission he needed to wrap his arms tightly around the other man's back and run his tongue along his lower lip. The mortal tensed, but only for a second. Then, he opened his mouth and relaxed in Crimson's hold.
Maybe his initial reaction had been because he hadn't wanted to kiss a vampire? Because he'd wanted to kiss Damian rather than Crimson? Whatever his reservations had been, they seemed gone now. For a beat or two, Crimson lost himself in their embrace.
His eyes fluttered open as the mortal's body warmed in his grip. It was then that he noticed a soft glow had spread across his skin. Or had it? Even as Crimson tried to get a better look, it was already fading.
The mortal himself didn't seem to have noticed anything. Taking a deep breath, he locked eyes with Crimson before quickly averting his gaze again. A shy smile showed on his lips.
Crimson almost laughed. That was just so like Luke.
He blinked.
Luke.
"Your name is Luke."
Luke's attention snapped back to Crimson, his eyes wide. It was his signature look. Crimson didn't know how he knew that, but he knew he'd seen exactly this expression on Luke’s face a hundred times. The knowledge was slightly jarring, considering he couldn't dredge up a single actual memory of any time they'd spent together, but he had no time to worry about that. Not while Luke's eyes filled with tears.
Quickly, the mortal buried his face in shoulder, as if he didn't want Crimson to see.
"I didn't mean to make you cry," Crimson said, mostly because he didn't know what else to say.
Apparently, that broke the dam.
"You remember," Luke murmured softly. "You're still in there somewhere."
He meant 'Damian' by that, didn't he?
But anything else he might have said was drowned out by the sobs that shook his body as his tears started falling in earnest. Crimson could tell he must have been keeping a tight lid on his emotions for a while, judging by the force with which they spilled out of him now. He held the boy a little more tightly, but that only seemed to turn up the volume on Luke's sorrow. "It's okay," he tried. "Everything will be okay."
Crimson's words didn't stop Luke's tears, but then why should they? He had no power to back them up. There was a very slim chance of things being okay in the future. Vlad must have noticed Luke by now, and even though Crimson hadn't contacted his sire, the other vampire might have.
Hell, even if Luke got away now, Nicolai would hunt him down eventually, and then what?
"Luke," Crimson tried. "As much as I hate to say it, you really need to get away from here."
"We have a safe house," Luke blurted out. "You could come with me. Vampires can't get in there. That means you can't get in there but we can get Puck to change the wards and..." He sniffed and rubbed at his eyes. "I know he would do it. You have to come with me. I can't leave you with the vampires. Not now that I've found you. Not now that I know you're still you. They said you wouldn't be, but you are!" Luke stared at him with red-rimmed eyes, demanding some kind of response.
But before Crimson could give it to him, another voice spoke up.
"My, what a touching scene."
Crimson's blood ran cold at the familiar rumble of his sire's voice. He exhaled, only to stop himself from cursing out loud. Without another thought, he pushed Luke away. "Go," he said sharply, because he didn't know what he would do if Nicolai ordered him to harm the boy.
Luke didn't run, though, choosing instead to glare at Nicolai as if he wasn't scared at all.
He should be.
"Are you the asshole who did this to him?" Luke demanded. His tears were drying on his cheeks. There was no hint of grief in his demeanor now, only rage. Crimson could see the scene play out. Luke would throw himself at Nicolai in a fit of fury-- and he wouldn't win.
Crimson knew it, and he was pretty sure Luke knew it too. Except Luke was beyond caring, like a bear who had been poked too many times. Or maybe more like an extremely angry kitten.
Nicolai smiled at Luke. "You're like a little child at a playground," he mused. "You only care about a toy when someone else wants to play with it.""What the hell are you talking about? He's not a toy! And I cared!" Luke's hands balled into fists. As if he stood any chance of landing a punch on Nicolai. He needed to run, couldn't he see that?
"You can tell yourself that," Nicolai said, completely unaffected by Luke's anger. He strode over to Crimson and laid a hand on his shoulder. Crimson suppressed a shudder at the touch. "I've seen all your friend's memories," he said to Luke. "It's amazing how oblivious you were. Do you have any idea how much he suffered because of you?"
Luke's mouth fell open, as did his fists. He deflated almost as quickly as he'd pumped himself up. "I... I didn't mean to--"
"No, you didn't." Nicolai smiled again. "Completely oblivious, just as I said."
