Cronin showered and went to speak with Jodis and Eiji who were in the office. They had books spread over the desk. Jodis sat in the chair, Eiji leaned against the desk. They both smiled at him when he walked in. “Have you found anything?” Cronin asked.
Eiji’s smile became a grin and he went to say something, but Jodis stopped him. “I told him he’s not to comment on your bedroom habits.”
Cronin smiled, despite the personal subject matter. “I didn’t bite him.”
“We heard,” Eiji said, and Jodis hissed at him, though she fought a smile. “Everything.”
“Yes, I feel the need to apologize for the decades you endured with us in the early days,” Jodis added, a faint blush tainting her alabaster cheeks. “I have no doubt you’ve suffered more than your share.”
“Decades?” Cronin questioned. “What happened to centuries?”
“Yes, well,” she amended with an embarrassed smirk. “Those too. I’m only now realizing how uncomfortable you must have felt.”
“If you’re uncomfortable—” Cronin started to say.
“Oh no, that’s not what I meant,” Jodis interjected quickly.
“Relax Jodis, my dear,” Cronin said, now smiling. “I know what you meant.”
Eiji laughed loudly. “I’m not apologizing for anything.” He still wore a ridiculous grin. “Not for how loud we were, and not for the joking I’ll do with Alec when he wakes up.”
Cronin chuckled. “It’s pleasing to see your good spirits keep company with good health, Eiji. I’m happy you’re here and I know Alec is too. He’s missed you both, despite Eiji’s jokes at his expense.”
“It’s good to be back here with you too,” Jodis said. “And to see you so happy, Cronin. I never realized you were so unhappy before you met Alec.”
“I wasn’t un happy,” Cronin mused. “I don’t think I knew what real happiness was. I was content with my life, as I knew it to be.”
“And now?”
“And now I know why you would put up with Eiji all these centuries.”
Eiji barked out a laugh and threw whatever it was he was holding at Cronin’s head. He caught it easily and, still smiling, inspected it. It was a small metal filigree sphere Cronin had collected from Italy a long time ago. Alec had been looking at it the other day and left it sitting on the desk when their conversations about the keepsakes he’d collected ended with them naked, as usual.
Cronin put it back on the shelf from where Alec had got it, and turned to face his friends. “I’m hoping you’re going to tell me there’s been a few human and vampire relations that ended favorably.”
Jodis shook her head. “Nothing.”
Cronin frowned. “I had an errant thought before, and I’m now wondering if there may be a vein of truth to the madness.”
“What is it?” Jodis asked, concerned.
“Should we possibly look into the incubi?”
Eiji’s eyebrows almost met. “What?”
“The ability to copulate without biting,” Cronin said casually. “I just thought—”
“Cronin, no,” Jodis said, standing up. She walked over to him and put her hand on his arm. “That’s not what this is. This is not a manipulation, it’s not coercion, it’s fate.”
“I know that,” Cronin replied kindly. “But if we’re looking at all possibilities. If we are to be objective, is it not in our best interest to examine such things?”
Jodis shook her head adamantly. Her eyes were a steely blue. “I can appreciate your logic, Cronin. It’s generous of you to suggest the possibility, but I refuse to believe such a thing.”
“As do I,” Eiji said. “The incubi are deceitful, cruel even, and you are no such thing. What you and Alec have is real. You will share a bed and you will not feed from him because of the slightest chance of long-term effects on him, and you simply cannot cause him pain.”
“I won’t feed from him because of the effects it seems to be having on me,” Cronin said weakly.
“Oh, give me some credit, brother,” Eiji
Eiji’s smile became a grin and he went to say something, but Jodis stopped him. “I told him he’s not to comment on your bedroom habits.”
Cronin smiled, despite the personal subject matter. “I didn’t bite him.”
“We heard,” Eiji said, and Jodis hissed at him, though she fought a smile. “Everything.”
“Yes, I feel the need to apologize for the decades you endured with us in the early days,” Jodis added, a faint blush tainting her alabaster cheeks. “I have no doubt you’ve suffered more than your share.”
“Decades?” Cronin questioned. “What happened to centuries?”
“Yes, well,” she amended with an embarrassed smirk. “Those too. I’m only now realizing how uncomfortable you must have felt.”
“If you’re uncomfortable—” Cronin started to say.
“Oh no, that’s not what I meant,” Jodis interjected quickly.
“Relax Jodis, my dear,” Cronin said, now smiling. “I know what you meant.”
Eiji laughed loudly. “I’m not apologizing for anything.” He still wore a ridiculous grin. “Not for how loud we were, and not for the joking I’ll do with Alec when he wakes up.”
Cronin chuckled. “It’s pleasing to see your good spirits keep company with good health, Eiji. I’m happy you’re here and I know Alec is too. He’s missed you both, despite Eiji’s jokes at his expense.”
“It’s good to be back here with you too,” Jodis said. “And to see you so happy, Cronin. I never realized you were so unhappy before you met Alec.”
“I wasn’t un happy,” Cronin mused. “I don’t think I knew what real happiness was. I was content with my life, as I knew it to be.”
“And now?”
“And now I know why you would put up with Eiji all these centuries.”
Eiji barked out a laugh and threw whatever it was he was holding at Cronin’s head. He caught it easily and, still smiling, inspected it. It was a small metal filigree sphere Cronin had collected from Italy a long time ago. Alec had been looking at it the other day and left it sitting on the desk when their conversations about the keepsakes he’d collected ended with them naked, as usual.
Cronin put it back on the shelf from where Alec had got it, and turned to face his friends. “I’m hoping you’re going to tell me there’s been a few human and vampire relations that ended favorably.”
Jodis shook her head. “Nothing.”
Cronin frowned. “I had an errant thought before, and I’m now wondering if there may be a vein of truth to the madness.”
“What is it?” Jodis asked, concerned.
“Should we possibly look into the incubi?”
Eiji’s eyebrows almost met. “What?”
“The ability to copulate without biting,” Cronin said casually. “I just thought—”
“Cronin, no,” Jodis said, standing up. She walked over to him and put her hand on his arm. “That’s not what this is. This is not a manipulation, it’s not coercion, it’s fate.”
“I know that,” Cronin replied kindly. “But if we’re looking at all possibilities. If we are to be objective, is it not in our best interest to examine such things?”
Jodis shook her head adamantly. Her eyes were a steely blue. “I can appreciate your logic, Cronin. It’s generous of you to suggest the possibility, but I refuse to believe such a thing.”
“As do I,” Eiji said. “The incubi are deceitful, cruel even, and you are no such thing. What you and Alec have is real. You will share a bed and you will not feed from him because of the slightest chance of long-term effects on him, and you simply cannot cause him pain.”
“I won’t feed from him because of the effects it seems to be having on me,” Cronin said weakly.
“Oh, give me some credit, brother,” Eiji
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