Archive of Our Own

Aaron stops to checks his map. They’ve hit the National Radio Quiet Zone and so he no longer has access to his Maps app. Propping himself on a rock, he pushes his headlamp up to rub sweat from his forehead. Kevin shrugs the new backpack Aaron acquired for him off and takes out his water bottle he insisted on getting, offering it to Aaron. Aaron nods his thanks, taking a long drink.

“If I carried you, this would go a lot faster.”

“I said no.”

“I’m holding you back. You should let me help.”

It’s true. Since Kevin has joined Aaron, he’s only able to travel at night. It’s harder to see at night, so not only does he lose hours he could be traveling, but he makes slower progress during the hours that he is out. This hike, for example, would be far more enjoyable for Aaron if he could take in the views. They had started out at dusk, but by the time they ascended above the tree line it was dark. They’re in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Monongahela spread below them, and Aaron knows the Green Bank telescope must be down there somewhere if his phone signal has cut off, but he can’t see any of it. 

“Kevin.” Aaron sighs. He shouldn’t have let Kevin come with him. He woke up well into the afternoon after the night they met. Kevin was snoring beside him. Aaron rolled towards him, irritated, only to pause at the red lines scratched down his back. So much better than the previous night, but still far more raw than he expected from a vampire injury. Was it simply because of Miles’ supernatural status, or did Kevin not drink enough from him the night before? Despite all his teasing, he seemed to stop himself well before his fill.

Aaron rolled onto his back. He sighed, the sound buried beneath Kevin’s rumbling snores. He sounded very human when he was asleep, as opposed to how silent he was when he was awake. Aaron closes his eyes. He asked himself what the fuck he was doing with a vampire he only just met in his bed, but of course, there had been no other real course of action after what Miles had told him.

“Aaron.” Miles had shifted, feathers puffing up as though he did not really want to relay the information of his vision. Aaron went tense and cold all over, his mind immediately jumping to the worst. Was something going to happen to Andrew? To Nicky? Would there be a patient he couldn’t help? Someone he couldn’t save? “Relax. It is not exactly bad news, but it may be something you will not like to hear.”

“Thst sounds like bad news to me.”

“That vampire,” Miles said slowly. “Your paths crossing tonight was mere coincidence, and yet, as with so many small occurrences, it has rewritten many futures.”

“The vampire? This is to do with him? What does he do? Does he hurt me? Andrew? Should I not trust him?”

“Rather the opposite. He will not harm you. Never purposefully, anyway. I cannot tell just how far in the future I saw. It was a collection of glimpses. Not clear enough for me to collect the details, but I can say with certainty…” Miles fell quiet for a brief spell. Aaron raised his brows, but tried to be patient. He didn’t know if Miles was potentially having another vision, or if he was trying to word something without giving away too many details. Miles warned him before how wary he had to be with his visions. How knowing too much of their fate could negatively impact a person. Sometimes they would do everything in their power to avoid it, and like a Greek tragedy, in doing so would actually bring it around. Other times the knowledge led to their demise. There were reasons Miles had become known as a harbinger of doom, after all. “He will become very dear to you.”

“What?”

“As will you to him. From tonight, your futures are entangled.”

“Entangled how?” Aaron asked. Miles just looked at him. “Are you saying I’m gonna fuck him?”

“It is not my place to define your relationship, but it will be close, whatever it is. Also, you should check in on Fifi. I think she’s experiencing a bit of pain. I can tell you where she’s at currently.”

That is what has led them here, trekking through the mountains in search of Fifi.

“Aaron.” Kevin frowns at him. Aaron tilts his head up so his head torch hits Kevin in the eyes, causing him to hiss and look away. “If you just got on my back we’d get a lot farther a lot faster.”

“Your back is still healing.”

“Barely. They’re closed over.”

“Mhm.” They’d travelled on through smaller towns on their first night, checking into a cheap motel to pass the day. Aaron checked Kevin’s back. He had thought with his vampire healing that the marks would be entirely gone, but though they had healed impressively fast by human standards, they were still pink and raw. Aaron had put more salve on them and offered Kevin his wrist again.

“Was it that good for you?” Kevin smirked. He lifted Aaron’s wrist to his mouth. He brushed his lips over the thin, sensitive skin there. He pressed a soft kiss to the place where Aaron’s pulse beat steadily beneath the skin. He did not bite. “I have fed enough.”

“No you haven’t.” Aaron felt a flush in his cheeks from being teased, but he sculpted his face into a scowl. “You would have healed more otherwise.”

“I have fed enough for now. You will not have recovered yet.”

“I would have lost more to a blood donation and still been fine.”

“I do so hate when we quarrel.” Kevin batted his stupidly long, stupidly pretty lashes at Aaron. Aaron huffed. Kevin was attractive. He could acknowledge that, objectively. Vampires usually were. Even if as a human they had not been conventionally attractive, once they were changed, they gained an alluring quality. This was evolutionary. They needed it, to draw their prey in. Despite this, Aaron had never met a vampire he was attracted to. Looking at Kevin then, he didn’t think he was attracted to him either. Not really. Not yet, but he probably could be, and wasn’t that a dangerous thought. 

“I’m fine,” Aaron says in the present moment. “You can help in the ways you have been, but I’m capable myself. I usually do this alone.”

The one kind of assistance Aaron has accepted from Kevin is help in passing any obstacles in their paths. Fallen trees or rock slides, things Aaron would have to navigate around usually, that would cost him time. He has let Kevin lift a tree from his path or scoop Aaron into his arms to jump over fallen rocks, as embarrassing as it is to be held by him. It’s too dark. If Aaron starts trying to navigate off the trails at night like this, he could end up lost or injured, which is not what he needs. So he swallows his pride and accepts these small acts.

“I am not doubting your capability. I am sure you are very capable.”

Despite his words, Kevin’s tone suggests otherwise. Aaron frowns in his direction, but his head torch hits Kevin’s eyes and sends him flinching and hissing again. They trek on further in silence, though it is not an uncomfortable one. Aaron spends so much of his time alone, sometimes he forgets he is expected to make small talk. Either Kevin is the same or he no longer cares for such trifling human details. It suits Aaron either way. 

“It’s not long until dawn. We should probably stop for tonight.” Aaron muffles a yawn against his wrist. They could probably go another hour or so, but his feet are vibrating from carrying him so many hours, his calves are tightening, and his whole body is just achy and exhausted. “We’ll have to find somewhere well sheltered.”

“Stay here. Leave this to me.” Kevin shrugs off his backpack and sits it by a boulder, gesturing for Aaron to sit. Aaron is too tired to argue. He sinks down, digging the water from Kevin’s backpack and taking a long drink. He’s starting to slump into himself, exhaustion taking over, when he hears the barest sound of movement. Aaron jolts upright.

“Just me.” Kevin slides to a stop in front of him. He hoists up both their backpacks before Aaron can grab his. “I found a cave. Come on.”

*

In the cave, Aaron sets up his tent. They may be sheltered, but he doesn’t want to be sleeping in the dust and dirt of the stone floor. It’s a harder surface than he usually camps on, and he is certain his back will be complaining in the morning, but he’s tired enough he will crash out and sleep through. At least with them travelling at night, it means the temperature will be slightly higher during the day while they’re stationary. 

“Should I stand guard?” Kevin is hovering outside Aaron’s tent door as he kicks off his shoes and starts to strip off his outer layers. His eyes track Aaron’s movements. Aaron tries to ignore that, but he can’t. 

“What for?”

“What if an animal comes in?”

Aaron tsks and rolls his eyes.

“It’s fine. You should get some rest too. Let me see your back.”

“My back is okay.”

“Kevin.”

“Ooh. I like when you say my name in that tone.” Kevin touches Aaron’s chin, light, tipping it up. “Do it again.”

“The distraction effort is cute, but won’t work on me. Let me see your back. Now.”

Kevin’s eyes darken. It is not just that the pupil expands within the iris, but beyond it, bleeding black across the white of Kevin’s eyes. Then he blinks and it resets. Aaron raises a brow. Kevin clears his throat and takes off his shirt. The lines don’t look much different from this morning. Closed up, but still raw. At this rate, on a human, Aaron would be sure they are going to scar, but they shouldn’t on Kevin. Not if he were healing properly.

“You need to feed again.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You’re not healing properly.”

“I’ve gone longer without.”

“I don’t know if you’re being stubborn or noble, but both are a waste. It serves me better if you’re at full strength.”

“You won’t be. It’s only been a few days since I fed from you, and we’re doing a lot of walking. It would weaken you.” There's a note of finality to Kevin’s voice. He looks at Aaron like someone who refuses to be argued with. Jaw tense, eyes narrowed, expression set. However, Aaron doesn’t need to argue. He can play dirty. He shrugs off his jacket. Dropping it aside, he hooks his fingers in the neck of his t-shirt and tugs it down. Kevin’s eyes move to his throat. Exactly where Aaron wants them. 

“I’ll let you bite my neck.”

“What?”

“If you feed. I’ll let you do it from my neck. That’s where you wanted to bite me, wasn’t it?”

Kevin’s eyes are inky black again. He’s looking at Aaron like he is a particularly delectable dish laid before him. Aaron feels blood rush to his cheeks. Perhaps the scent will entice Kevin further. 

“Is it messier from the throat? Maybe I should take this off…” Aaron reaches for the base of his shirt, starting to tug it up. He knows that it won’t be messy. That Kevin will only make a small cut, his saliva will help heal it, and he will not want to waste any blood. Still, Aaron puts a questioning tone in his voice, playing up the clueless victim. 

“No.” Kevin puts a hand to Aaron’s wrist. His skin is cool, but not shockingly so. Aaron thinks his hands are probably about the same temperature as Kevin’s. Something he has in common with vampires: bad circulation. 

“No?”

“You’ll be cold,” Kevin says. His tone is blunt, but Aaron has found there is rarely variation in Kevin’s tone. He does not think he intends the words to sound blunt, that is just how they come out. A lot of the people he works with are similar, not used to modulating human tone. Clearly that is not Kevin’s issue, but it has a similar effect. Aaron thinks he means to be gentle in stopping him. “You don’t need to take it off.” 

“So you are going to feed then?”

“This is a difficult offer to resist.” Kevin draws his nails over Aaron’s throat. Not hard enough to cut, but enough to scratch. In flaunting his throat, Aaron had forgotten just how sensitive it is. It has been a while since anyone has touched him intimately. He remembers how Kevin’s mouth on his wrist felt. The hazy heat it sent through his body. Shit. His neck will probably feel even better, which will be worse. Maybe. “I should…”

“Can we skip the going around in circles arguing about this and just get it over with so I can go to sleep?”

Kevin looks into Aaron’s eyes, assessing. Aaron feels a small tug of Kevin’s power, thrall extending. He has the brief desire to just go to bed starting to lap at the shores of his consciousness, but it quickly retreats. He had felt a similar sensation in the hotel, like Kevin automatically starts to extend his power when he’s about to feed, before catching himself and withdrawing it. 

“You should lie down. In case you get woozy.”

“No picking me up this time?” Aaron’s voice is snide, suggesting he really didn’t appreciate that, but Kevin takes it as a challenge. A moment later, Aaron is in the air. Kevin moves so quickly he can barely process the movement before Kevin is crouching down with him, spilling him out on his sleeping mat and bag. Aaron scowls. “That wasn't an invitation.” 

“Whoops.” Kevin bats his lashes in a false show of innocence Aaron doesn’t buy for a second. He wishes they were still standing. Spread out on his back with Kevin lying beside him like this, it all feels so much more intimate. Aaron’s heart rate picks up. He stares at Kevin, who looks at his throat hungrily, head tilted just fractionally to the side as if listening to the flow of Aaron’s blood. His eyes dart back to Aaron’s face and Aaron’s heart leaps in surprise. “You are certain about this?”

“Yes, Kevin. I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t certain.”

“You like to help inhuman creatures.”

“I medically assist people. That’s my job.”

Kevin shakes his head, expression unconvinced. He shifts a fraction closer. His body presses against Aaron’s side. He lifts a hand to curl at the far side of Aaron’s neck, fingers pressing to his pulse point.

“What are you doing?”

“Keeping an eye on your pulse to make sure it doesn’t slow down too much.”

Aaron thinks there is no fear of that right now. His pulse is beating hard and fast, blood rushing loudly in his ears, adrenaline spiking through his body. He tells himself it is because Kevin is a predator, and on a biological level his body knows that, is reacting to the fact he is laying himself out like an offering. Aeons of evolution are screaming at him to flee or fight. He tells himself this, but really he is remembering Miles’ words as he looks at Kevin. Wondering how their futures are entangled. Imagining the possibilities. Body igniting in response to his closeness as a consequence.

“Last chance,” Kevin says, breath ghosting across the skin of Aaron’s throat. He suppresses a shiver. Fuck. This is a bad idea, but not for the reasons Kevin thinks. Aaron simply arches his neck, not bothering to answer with words. He stares up at the ceiling of his tent as Kevin inches closer. Aaron feels first his breath, then the lightest touch of his lips, the barest brush of his fangs. His body braces for the pierce of a bite. He’s so on edge he almost convinces himself he feels the touch of Kevin’s tongue before he even breaks skin.

As Kevin’s teeth press into his skin, Aaron hisses. There is no way to deny the pain of that first puncture. His body tenses, which he knows makes it worse, but he can’t help it. Kevin’s fingers are still pressed to his pulse. He brushes his thumb along Aaron’s jaw in a soothing motion. Drawing his fangs back, he swipes his tongue across the wound, before he opens his mouth and presses it hot and urgent to Aaron’s skin.

Kevin doesn’t apply much suction, instead lapping at the slow trickle of blood. Still, even that small draw of his mouth feels multiplied by his vampire venom, and each flick of his tongue lights up Aaron’s nerves. He closes his eyes. He breathes shallowly through his mouth. The vampire venom flows through him fast and warm. It makes him feel floaty, hazy, the most pleasant kind of high. Yeah. Aaron could definitely get addicted to this. He stretches his head back further. He’s trying to be subtle, but there is no hiding the fact he is arching his throat up against Kevin’s mouth. Arousal stirs in the pit of his stomach. His hips roll in a small, barely noticeable pattern, automatic reaction. He bites hard on his lower lip to stop himself from making any noises. 

“Mmph?” Aaron blinks his lashes open when Kevin moves away. It feels like it has been no time at all, as though Kevin had only just bit him a few seconds ago. Kevin laps at the wound a couple more times, encouraging it to close, before he moves his mouth away. Aaron turns his head to look at him. “That didn’t feel like very much.”

Kevin is very still. His eyes are black. He stares at Aaron for a long moment before he speaks.

“It was enough.” Kevin runs his tongue over his fangs, licking them clean. Aaron’s eyes track the movement. He shouldn’t find it attractive. Not someone baring their fangs at him while they’re alone in the middle of nowhere, but Miles said Kevin wouldn’t hurt him, and Aaron believes him. “Thank you.”

It takes Aaron a moment to realise why Kevin is thanking him.

“Whatever. You needed it.” Aaron rubs the side of his neck. It is damp with Kevin’s saliva, and his skin still feels sensitive, but there is no pain. The wound closed already.

“Do you give yourself away to all your patients?”

“Shut up.” Aaron frowns. He turns away from Kevin, opening his sleeping bag. “You’re not a patient.”

“What am I then?”

“A headache.”

Kevin huffs. His hand has moved away from Aaron’s throat now. He watches as Aaron wriggles into his sleeping bag and lies down. Aaron looks up at him.

“Told you we should have got you a blanket.”

“I don’t feel the cold the same.” Kevin turns, looking at the door of the tent.

“Well, zip it up,” Aaron says. “There might be a draft.”

“You want me to sleep in the tent with you?”

“Where else would you sleep? Dumbass.”

Kevin pulls the zip into place. He lies beside Aaron. He has neither a mat to lie on, nor a blanket. He uses his backpack to prop his head up, lying on his side, facing Aaron.

“What the fuck is this, Edward Cullen? You gonna watch me sleep?”

“No. Just looking.”

“Making sure you haven’t bled me out?”

“Something like that.” Kevin brushes the hair from Aaron’s forehead. Aaron feels a dizzy rush, like the tent is spinning every so slightly. He blames the blood loss. Aaron should pull away. He tells himself he’s going to, but he stays in place as Kevin’s fingers trail down his cheek. 

“Okay. Good night,” Aaron says bluntly, making distance with his tone even if he can’t with his body. He turns off the torch. He rolls so his back is facing Kevin. It goes against his base instincts to put his back to someone he doesn’t know, but if Miles says Kevin will not hurt him, then he will not. Aaron burrows into his sleeping bag. The heat of their interaction is dissipating now and he can feel the cold of the night. A rustle, and Kevin presses against his back. “What are you doing?”

“I’m not the best source of heat, but I can insulate you a bit.” Kevin drapes his arm over Aaron’s waist. It is not really like cuddling, considering there is a layer between them. A barrier. Aaron tries to relax into it, but he’s too on guard. He may have let Kevin bite him, but he’s still someone Aaron doesn’t know that well. He lifts Kevin’s arm away. 

“You do not need to spoon me.” 

“But you’re such a perfect height to spoon.” Despite the playful tone of Kevin’s voice, he doesn’t put his arm around Aaron again. Instead he tucks his hands in close to the front of him, but stays near to Aaron otherwise. Aaron supposes he can accept this. At least Kevin isn’t touching him any longer. He closes his eyes. His body is exhausted from hiking all night, and yet it is also keenly aware of Kevin’s presence, nerves on end. He keeps remembering the feel of him feeding. Aaron shakes his head, as if he can shake free of the memories, burrowing further down in his blanket.

Eventually, Kevin’s silence shifts to rumbling snores. Aaron finds the noise annoying to begin with, but it doesn’t take it long to become white noise. Slowly, Aaron’s guards come down enough for him to fall sleep.

*

Waking from a confusing tangle of dreams of dark eyes, teeth digging into him, the uncertainty of whether he is being devoured amorously or literally, Aaron squints his eyes open. He feels flushed and unsettled. The sound of Kevin’s soft snores are still a background rhythm beside him. He fumbles for his torch and clicks it on, causing Kevin to whine in protest and press his face to Aaron’s bicep. Aaron frowns down at him. Stupid vampire.

“Come on. We need to get moving.”

Another night of hiking gets them most of the way there. Largely, they walk in silence, focusing on the physical demands of the hike, but now and then Aaron gets bored enough to ask Kevin questions. He learns that Kevin had been in West Virginia originally when he was turned, spent some time travelling after that, but has returned and settled with a few other vampires.

“You’re undead and you have roommates?”

“Yes, and?”

“Sounds like my nightmare.”

“The undead part or the roommates?”

“Both.”

“Do you live alone then?”

“Well, I’m on the move most of the time.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“I have a home base, but it’s not really worth paying rent to have my own place.”

“You don’t live alone.”

“Not. Technically.”

“Hypocrite.”

“No. I don’t live with roommates.” When Kevin starts to say something, Aaron cuts him off. “I live with my brother.” 

“Andrew?”

“Yes.”

“Well. I don’t have any brothers in blood, but we may as well be.”

“Who you live with?”

Kevin nods.

“You’re keeping them secret?”

“Not my place to name other vampires to the brother of a hunter.” 

“Not my place to lead a vampire to the den of cryptids, but here you are.”

“If you really didn’t want me here, I wouldn’t be here.”

“And how would I get rid of you? I’m just a helpless little human.”

“You may be little, but if you’re Andrew’s brother, I doubt you’re helpless. Haven’t you been telling me that you can look after yourself?”

“So,” Aaron says, changing the subject. “Big one. What age are you?”

He is curious about this. Kevin seems well adapted to modern vernacular, his speech just a touch stiff, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. A lot of vampires have learned to adapt as time moves on. Safer the more inconspicuous they can remain.

“Thirty five.”

“You don’t look it.” Aaron knows it is difficult to truly guess anyone’s age by looking at them. Depending on genetics and life experiences, everyone wears their years differently. Time leaves a much harsher toll on some than it does on others. He also knows that vampires are supposed to be more visually appealing. Part of that adaptation to draw in prey. Kevin’s skin is not so entirely smooth as to have an uncanny valley effect, but it is clear and free of blemishes. His eyes, when they are settled in their natural green rather than the hungry black, are bright and radiant. There is only the vaguest hint of creases around his eyes and mouth, no wrinkles set in place from years of expression. The most noticeable mark on his face is the furrow that is quick to appear between his brows, betraying a lifetime of fast frowns. Overall, Aaron would have put him mid to late twenties. Perhaps around his own age, but wearing it better.

“Flatterer.”

“Uh-huh. And when did you turn thirty five?” 

Kevin laughs. Aaron’s so busy looking at him his foot catches a rock in the dark and he staggers. Kevin is at his side in a blink, catching his arm before the weight of his body can land on his twisted ankle, hoisting him up and saving him the potential strain. Aaron huffs out a surprised exhale. 

“Just less than twenty years ago.”

So he’s really in his early fifties then. Aaron has been wondering about this, the more he stews over what Miles told him. He knows that Kevin will look young for a long time. That he will, eventually, begin to age, but so slowly it will scarcely be noticeable. Andrew has told Aaron of centuries old vampires who look like they’ve only aged years. For all intents and purposes, Kevin will look in his thirties - or late twenties, depending on who is judging - for Aaron’s lifetime. Still, he doesn’t love the idea of being entangled with some creepy old guy from the Victorian era who just happens to be wearing a young person’s body. Fifties isn’t great, is higher than he would consider with another human, but in vampire terms it could be worse.

Not that he is going to date Kevin. Or anything of the sort. Mile had only said he would be important to Aaron. There may have been an implication, but Miles also sees variations of many futures. There is no set path. He wouldn’t have told Aaron if it wasn’t solidified in enough possibilities to be a near certainty. That Kevin wouldn’t hurt him. That he would be important to him. There are a lot of ways someone can be important to you. Andrew is important to Aaron. Nicky is. As is Katelyn, and though that may have been romantic once, it no longer is. The people and creatures he checks on, they matter to him in a way. It doesn’t have to be romantic.

“Is that so shocking?” Kevin asks.

“What?”

“You just went quiet. I assumed you knew I am older than I look.”

“I do. You’re actually younger than I thought you’d be.”

“What age are you?”

“Big three-o. As of two weeks ago.”

“Did you have a party?”

“No.” Aaron gives Kevin a flat side glance. He and Katelyn had gone for dinner and drinks, then to see a show at the theatre. When he got home, he waited up for Andrew, who was supposed to have been back the previous night. Andrew was annoyingly bad at keeping Aaron updated on his current status for someone working a job with a high fatality risk. He had landed back bloodied. Aaron had stitched his arm up over shared cake and whiskey. Hip hip ho-fucking-ray.

“Happy belated birthday.” Kevin only smiles when Aaron glares at him, so he aims his headlamp at his eyes just to annoy him.

As the night gives way to dawn once more, there is no cave to be found for shelter this time. So they have to construct one from branches. A quick, makeshift lean-to that will block the rays of the sun. Kevin does most of the work, moving faster than Aaron, though Aaron gives him directions. He sets the tent up in the shadow of the branches.

“Will this be enough to protect you?”

“Should be,” Kevin says. He sits cross legged in the corner of the tent, watching as Aaron sets up his bed for the day. Aaron takes out some jerky, his hiking snacks significantly depleted by now. He offers it to Kevin, who shakes his head. “Vegetarian.”

“Ha ha.”

“Not joking.”

“You drink people’s blood.”

“Yes. That doesn’t involve eating meat.”

Aaron knows vampires don’t need to eat as often as humans, that blood can sustain them, but with how little Kevin has been drinking, a bit of food would do no harm. 

“You’re serious.”

“Yes. I don’t like the texture. Never have.”

Kevin does take a handful of dried mango when Aaron silently pulls it from his pack in offering instead. Once they’ve fought down their meagre, chewy dinner, Aaron gets into his sleeping bag. Kevin stays sitting. Aaron glares at him.

“Didn’t we talk about it being creepy if you watch me sleep?”

“You didn’t want me to touch you. I’m just keeping my space.”

Aaron huffs. He turns off his torch. He rolls over away from Kevin. He closes his eyes and tries to sleep, but he can’t settle, too convinced Kevin is just starting at him. 

“Lie down.”

Kevin does. This time with his back to Aaron. Aaron can feel the shift of his back against his own with each breath he takes. Just barely. He matches his breathing to Kevin’s, and eventually, he falls asleep.

*

In the heart of the mountains, there is a hut. There is no other way to describe how it looks from the outside, but the structure is not small. The door towers above Aaron, and the ground around the hut is swampy, large rocks dropped like huge stepping stones to reach the building. Aaron has to jump between them. Kevin sticks close to him, moving with a cat’s grace where Aaron struggles under the weight of his backpack. 

He knocks gently on the door at first. When he receives no answer, he curls his hand into a fist and bangs against the door with increased force. There is a shifting inside, sound moving towards the door before it swings open.

Kevin starts beside Aaron, clearly surprised. He grabs at his arm. Aaron huffs, but doesn’t look away as a large being appears in the doorway, hovering just fractionally off the ground. Her head is big; a circle of a face set into a spade shaped head, eyes glowing like headlamps. Broad shoulders slope down into a narrow waist. She’s wearing a skirt made from thick, heavy material. She does not speak, but emits a high, rumbling vibration of sound. Kevin clutches at Aaron’s bicep. 

“Hi Fifi. It’s just me. Miles sent me up, he said you might need a check up.”

More of the sound: like a loud, continuous bell. Aaron doesn’t really know what she is trying to communicate with him, but it sounds positive enough. 

“Fifi?” Kevin hisses.

“Yeah. Well, she can’t really tell me her name. Officially her cryptid title is the Flatwoods Monster, but I’ve also heard the Flatwoods fiend before. So. FF. Fifi. She doesn’t seem to mind.”

Another positive chiming sound. 

“This is Kevin. He invited himself. Feel free to ignore him.”

Fifi floats backwards, so Aaron steps forward, following her into the house. Kevin hesitates, not crossing the threshold.

“If you’re waiting on a spoken invitation, you may sit this one out.”

“I don’t need a spoken invitation,” Kevin whisper-hisses. “I am just not sure that I’m comfortable with this.”

“Then don’t come in.”

A low, humming vibration. Fifi floats ahead, her glowing eyes lighting the room. She beckons to some mugs hanging from nails on the wall.

“Thanks, but we’re okay. Have you been having more pain?”

Fifi shrugs. Aaron thinks she’s experiencing similar symptoms to arthritis, but it’s hard to be sure when her anatomy is different. A lot of what he does is guessing work; trying to apply the knowledge he did study for to different biological makeups. He has Fifi sit so she is not towering over him, and runs through a series of basic health checks. Again, he doesn’t know what the baseline for good health is for her kind, but he compares everything to the last few times he has seen her. There is minimal change. Aaron takes that to be a good sign. He can’t be sure how old Fifi is, but he thinks she’s one of his older patients. 

“Okay, that’s us all done. Everything looks similar to last time. I’m still happy with your mobility, but you know what to do to help it, yeah? Gentle daily exercise. Heat therapy can help. Try and keep warm coming into the winter now. I’ll leave some more of the anti-inflammatories. They don’t seem to have had a negative reaction.” Aaron doesn’t know if they actually help Fifi, given his lack of knowledge in the anatomy difference. Her skin is shiny, metallic, but doesn’t feel hard beneath his fingers. Despite this, any attempt to draw blood has ended with a broken needle. Still, the meds don’t seem to have caused her harm, so Aaron is content to leave more. 

He packs up his bag and gives her the most polite smile he can muster. She may tower over him, but he always feels like he’s interacting with an elderly lady whenever he sees her. Fifi emits a series of pleasant chimes. She waves a hand towards the fireplace, where several hunks of meat are hanging drying. The smell in the hut is not one that Aaron’s human senses enjoy.

“Thank you, but we ate not long before we got here.” Aaron spares a glance at Kevin, who is still hovering by the door. What a big scaredy cat. He’s the one who insisted on coming with Aaron. Some protector. Fifi hums insistently. “Honestly, I don’t need anything. I’m glad you’re okay.”

At this, she floats across the room to retrieve something from the shelf. With the fresh distance between them, Kevin darts forward to Aaron’s side, standing so close he’s almost on his foot. Aaron elbows him to get some distance between them, giving him an annoyed side glare.

“You’re being rude,” he hisses. Kevin just sends him a wide eyed stare in response, as if he doubts Aaron’s good sense. Fifi hums pleasantly as she returns, handing Aaron a bag that looks very small in her hands, but is hefty when Aaron takes it. He opens the bag, cautious she may be trying to send them with some animal carcass, but inside is full of notes of money. “Fifi. This is too much.”

A loud ringing chime.

“Well, that’s true. I suppose you can’t use it for anything, can you?”

This time the ringing is merry, musical, like laughter. Aaron doesn’t actually know what she’s saying, but he tries to guess from the tone of her vibrations.

“Thank you so much. This will help me a lot. Kevin, put this is my backpack.”

“Jesus,” Kevin whispers softly, glancing into the bag before he wraps it up and tucks it into Aaron’s backpack. From somewhere outside, a long howl sounds. Aaron tilts his head. He looks up at Fifi, brows furrowing in question. “Is Harper with you?”

A positive chime. Moments later, something big and heavy slams against the door, scratching and barking loudly. Kevin clutches Aaron’s bicep hard enough to ache. 

“What’s that?”

“Harper. More famously known as the Snarly Yow. This is good, I haven’t seen her in forever.”

Fifi floats over to the door, chiming loudly until the barking and scratching stops. Only then does she open the door. There’s a towering shadow outline of a huge, misshapen dog thing in the doorway, plants sprouting from her fur; sprouts, branches, flowers, and mushrooms. She yaps excitedly when she sees Aaron, tail wagging furiously, vines whipping off of it with the sharp movement. Fifi chimes harshly, a warning. Harper whines, walking with barely suppressed excitement across to Aaron, body trembling with the effort not to race to him.

“Hi, sweet girl.” Aaron has to reach up to rub beneath her chin. Her body is almost as tall as Kevin, standing around six foot and even longer, her head higher still. She ducks down and snuffles against Aaron’s cheek. He laughs, rubbing between her eyes, a space his hand easily fits in. “How are you doing?”

She barks, then whines, offering up her paw. 

“Hm. Let’s see. Oh, okay, one of these thorns on you has just grown into the pad of your paw. This is an easy fix.” As Aaron gets out the same medical pliers he used to help Finn, Harper takes notice of Kevin. Her ears fall flat and she bares her teeth in a growl that even Fifi’s low chime doesn’t dissuade. 

“It’s okay. He’s with me,” Aaron says softly, shifting himself so he’s partially in front of Kevin.

“I didn’t even do anything,” Kevin mutters.

“Cryptids have been hunted for years. Humans make a sport of it. A lot of them are curious, but some of them genuinely want the glory of the kill. Or to capture and study them. They’ve learned they can’t trust anyone if they want to survive.” Aaron slowly extends his hand, palm up, a placating gesture. Harper’s eyes flick to him. Her frame is black as an ink spill beneath the flora growing on her fur, but her eyes are a neon green. Her lips are pulled back in a snarl, some moss growing around her large teeth, sticking to her gums. Aaron will clean that out too, if she’ll let him. After a few moments, she drops the growl, pushing her huge snout against Aaron’s palm. He soothingly pets her. “It’s okay. I wouldn’t bring anyone who would hurt you.”

Harper still looks wary, but she sits and offers her paw to Aaron.

“It might hurt worse before it feels better.” Aaron doesn’t know how much Harper comprehends. If she understands more of what he’s saying than any other dog would. He hopes so. It’s going to hurt if she lashes out in pain. He grips the big thorn in his pliers and swiftly slides it out of the calloused skin of her paw pad. Harper whines and jolts, but she doesn’t snap. “Good girl. You did so good Harper. That’s it all gone now. Let me cut some of these away, so it doesn’t happen again.” 

He gets out a sharp pair of scissors, and snips the worst of the thorny brambles away from around her foot, handing them off to Kevin who holds them out in front of him as if Aaron has presented him with a bomb. Honestly. If he’s going to insist on being Aaron’s assistant, he’ll need a hell of a lot of training. 

“Better?”

Harper barks. The noise this close is enough to rattle Aaron’s bones. He tries to hide his wince, putting both his hands to the fur of her chest and scratching.

“Good. Now. Those teeth are looking very green. How do you feel about letting me into your mouth?”

*

“That thing could have bitten your hand off,” Kevin hisses, warily glancing over his shoulder. They’re out of the swampy area now, crossing back into the mountains. They’ll make the return journey quicker, since the majority of it will be downhill compared to the climb on the way here. Harper had come with them for some distance, leaving not long ago, thus Kevin’s hissing whisper. Fear of being overhead. “Or your head!”

“But she didn’t.”

“Jesus, Aaron, how did you even get into this?”

“It’s a long story.”

“We have time.”

“I had a cryptid encounter. I knew about other supes, vampires and werewolves and whatnot. Obviously, considering what Andrew does, but I still thought all those legends were just legends. Freaked me out a bit, but there was a human there too. A doctor. I suppose it was a serendipitous encounter. Miles would call it fate. I call it coincidence. I happened to have medical training, and I was already open to the supernatural. I sort of inherited the role.”

“From the doctor?”

“Yes.”

“Who were they?”

“Ah. You’re keeping your little vampire friends safe, so I’m guarding my people too.” 

“Thst wasn’t that long of a story.”

“It was the SparkNotes version.”

“The what?”

“Nevermind.” Aaron yawns widely, tipping his head back. As he does so, a rock below his foot rolls and he starts to slide forward. Kevin catches him effortlessly, another save. 

“You know, if you let me carry you, we’d be out of the mountains by sunrise. You could actually sleep in a bed.”

“I can-”

“Manage. I know. But your back hasn’t been great, has it? When you jolted there, it flared the pain again.” Kevin hasn’t let go of Aaron, one hand holding his bicep, where he’s sure Kevin has left the imprint of his hand after how hard he clutched it in the hut. His other hand has slid beneath Aaron’s backpack, supporting him. “The scratches are gone now. Why won’t you let me?”

“Because I don’t like being carried. What if you drop me?”

“I won’t drop you.”

“It feels weird. And you jolting me around also hurts my back.”

“Tsk. Humans are so fragile.”

Aaron elbows Kevin away and starts walking again. Kevin skulks alongside him in silence for a bit, but curiosity wins out. 

“Did one of your patients hurt you?”

“No. It was a vampire, actually. One of Andrew’s bounties. Tried to drive Andrew off the road. I had the joy of being shotgun at the time. I’m lucky a bit of sciatica is the only lasting damage.”

Kevin hisses. Aaron quirks a brow at him.

“You could have been killed.”

“Yes. My near death experiences are usually a result of Andrew’s career rather than my own. It’s why Miles didn’t hesitate to attack you. Why he didn’t pause to check the future.”

Kevin is quiet for another spell. Aaron doesn’t mind. He’s tired now. He doesn’t always have to travel on foot when he is making visits, and it’s been a while since he has spent so many days on the move. He can feel himself getting older. His body protests such exertion now, the uncomfortable, broken sleep, the lack of his usual diet. He can’t wait to have a proper hot meal again. To fall into his own bed.

“I’m glad you did not die before we got the chance to meet,” Kevin finally says. Aaron is already flushed from exertion, but he feels fresh heat prickle beneath his skin. He can hear Miles’ voice in his head. He will become very dear to you. He does not look at Kevin, glaring into the dark ahead of them. 

“You have awful bedside manner,” Aaron says. 

“What?”

“The way you acted in Fifi’s. That was awful. You can’t insist on coming with me and then be rude like that.”

“I was freaked out! That thing was huge.”

“She.”

“And the dog? It was growling at me.”

“No wonder.”

“Aaron.” Kevin frowns. He’s learned Aaron’s tricks now and puts a hand up to shield his eyes as Aaron turns his head torch towards him. 

“Not that you’re invited, but if you ever come on another visit with me, you’re not to act like that.”

“Hmph.” Another bout of huffy silence as Kevin stews over that. When he speaks again, his voice is quiet, timid, a confessional: “I was scared. I’m not used to being scared any more. Usually I’m the scary thing now.”

“Just because they’re different, doesn’t mean they’re scary.”

“Are you mad at me?”

“Yes.”

“Aaron.”

“You asked. I am, but it’s over. Just don’t do it again.”

“Does that mean I can come with you again?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Where are you going now?”

“Home.” By the time they get back, it will have been over a week since Aaron left home. He wants his own bed. If no one has contacted him, he’ll relax for a while before planning out some check ups with those he hasn’t seen recently. 

“Can I make sure you get back safely?”

“You think it would be wise to come anywhere near where Andrew lives?”

“It’s not as though I am a stranger. Andrew knows me.”

“Mhm. If he finds out you fed from me, he’ll likely try to decapitate you.”

“You offered.”

“I’m aware, but Andrew takes overprotective brother to the extreme. It’s irritating.”

“With good cause, it sounds like.”

“Do not take his side.” Aaron points at Kevin warningly. Kevin catches his outstretched hand and squeezes around it. Aaron shakes him off. 

“Can I make sure you get most of the way back?” 

Aaron sighs. He tries to think how close would be safe enough. He doesn’t want Kevin to know exactly where he lives, and he definitely doesn’t want Andrew to spot them. Still, he has a feeling that even if he refuses to travel with Kevin, he’ll have a shadow watching him regardless.

“I’ll think about it.”

This seems to be enough to satisfy Kevin. He’s not pouting as he drops off into silence this time, just settling into the pattern of their quiet coexistence. He is not so bad, Aaron thinks. As far as vampires go. As far as people in general go, something Aaron does not always have patience for. He glances sideways but keeps his head facing forward, not alerting Kevin with the shifting of his head torch. Waste of effort. Kevin’s already looking back at him. Their eyes meet, and Kevin doesn’t quite smile, but something in his expression brightens. Aaron rolls his eyes, feeling heat climb up the back of his neck. He looks ahead once more as they both head back into the night together.