Who: Sebastian & Oren Where: Oren's apartment When: July 3, around 1pm What: Sebastian and Oren have a little talk...
Even though Oren only lived a mile away, close enough to walk, Sebastian took the car anyway. It was a pain in the ass to squeeze into it with his wings, true, but it was still safer than walking the streets unprotected. He wondered if he'd ever feel safe on the sidewalk again.
The ride was short and uneventful, not really giving him any time to mentally prepare for what was sure to be a difficult conversation. You should have just left when you saw Ethan there, he told himself silently. No reason for you to talk to him. Should have just gone home.
Sebastian wasn't sure why he'd been so annoyed by Ethan's presence. Oh, there were plenty of reasons - the way he appeared at the worst possible times to stir up trouble, all the things he'd done in the past, and now, the way he seemed to be living in Oren's apartment like a freeloader - but they were none of his business. Except they were. Oren had become his closest friend ever in the short time they'd known each other, and it was obvious that Ethan's presence was causing him pain.
Then why are you letting him do this to you, Oren? Pity? Guilt? Love?
Love. That had to be it. Oren was constantly giving of himself until there was nothing left. The consequences of that were all too clear, and Sebastian was sure that Ethan was just latching on to drain away as much as he could before moving on again.
Who's the vampire? Sebastian thought bitterly, carefully pushing open the door to Oren's apartment and stepping inside. It was dark, and he closed and locked the door behind himself before reaching out to switch on a light - easy to find in the dark, thanks to his own glow. "Oren? It's me, Sebastian."