#then woooo decorating and fixing stuff

[spookysinner45]

Wooooooooohooooo!!! So fun times! I finally got the entirety* of my downstairs all deep cleaned and finally cleared up!! 🎉🎉🎉

There's still a lot more work to be done but at least it can be done not in shameful filth 😭💙

[fletchphoenix]

Start Of Something New

Hiya! Chapter 9! =) thank you for your support! Updates may slow down, as I am starting my last year of high school tomorrow! Woooo! But I hope you all enjoy this - sorry for the delay!

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Hugo gently kicked open the door to his new apartment, in his arms were the last of the cardboard boxes with various different labels containing his belongings. Well, he guessed it wasn’t JUST his new apartment anymore, his boyfriend following in behind him and setting a box aside before running to get some more from his dad’s car. Varian had more belongings from him - having taken multiple days to unload his stuff alone with much help from Quirin through this process. He still couldn’t believe how much of a titan Quirin was compared to his titular son, however Varian had said he took more after his mother, and something about Quirin having served in the military of Lunaris prior to settling down in Old Corona. It was a good enough explanation for Hugo, him just accepting it at this point and not to question anything to do with the past of Varian’s family whatsoever, especially not his Aunt Adira and Uncle Hector. That pair...they terrified him to say the least, immediately giving him the most intense shovel talk of his life as soon as he met them. A shiver ran down his spine at the memory, before proceeding to unpack his last remaining boxes.

  It was now July - scorching hot sun constantly pounding down onto his back without a care in the world as its heat relentlessly cursed Corona. The town was always abnormally sunny, but this? Now Hugo was almost positive the universe was actively trying to screw him over, like it had before he began dating Varian, of course. Speaking of the boy, they’d been together for six months by now and both boys decided that it was high time they moved in together. Hugo could only sneak in a select few times before Quirin had figured out what they were doing every night, and, as much as Varian’s dad trusted him, it was probably for the best that they moved in together. He just couldn’t bear to be away from the boy for too long - call it whatever you want, abandonment issues, a troubled childhood, whatever. He just wanted to make sure he was safe at all times and the only way he felt he could be sure was with the boy’s figure sleeping in his arms. What could he say, he was a fool in love, completely enamored with his boyfriend and falling in love all over again every time they met eyes.

  They’d managed to afford a better apartment than the old one, which was an absolute ripoff by the way, though he was really going to miss the place. It was paid for quite easily too - Varian having found a job that he had yet to disclose to his boyfriend, though he was sure it had something to do with alchemy, and Donella had given him quite a generous raise out of nowhere for his ‘hard work and dedication’, though he was sure it was so he could afford a better place. It was a beautiful place too, already feeling so much like them with framed photographs along the walls of their most precious memories, such as New Year’s Eve and that one time they went to the aquarium, oh! And when they took Yong to a theme park for the first time! A chuckle ripped from Hugo’s throat as he recalled Yong pulling Varian towards the biggest coaster in the park, begging for Varian to go on with him. His face was priceless, jaw dropped at the sheer height of the thing as Nuru and Hugo passed up the offer. Varian had held onto his hand for hours after that as he and Nuru cackled, Yong, who had the time of his life, was buzzing with excitement for the rest of the day. 

  Another picture recalled the time they’d gotten matching tattoos - a small test tube on his left wrist and a beaker on Varian’s right wrist. It was a wild day - Varian’s twentieth birthday, that is. They’d just been to the coffee shop, which had become a tradition between the two on a morning to commemorate what had brought them together, when Varian, out of nowhere, had just said he wanted to do it. Hugo blindly agreed to his boyfriend’s request without a second’s thought, the pair heading through the streets to Irene’s tattoo parlour where Irene happily obliged to their requests. What Hugo hadn’t anticipated was how painful it was going to be - his hand gripping his boyfriend’s in an iron grip as he desperately tried, and failed, to hold back his shouts and strings of curses at the jolts of pain running though his body. That was an interesting birthday for Varian - Hugo silently praying his twenty-first would be less agonizingly painful than March 24th. It was coming up on October 27th, so only a few months away. He shook the thoughts from his head as he took in the rest of their apartment.

 Along the hall were five doors leading off to different rooms, the first of which being a sitting room - decorated with the mass of green and blue furniture, a common theme throughout the apartment due to their fixations on the respective colours. They blended nicely together too, just like they did. Two couches sat in the room, one pressed against the wall with the glass coffee table from the old apartment in the centre on top of a teal rug. A TV sat on a separate table in the corner at a perfect angle so you could see it when sitting on either sofa (Varian had spent hours calculating the perfect angle, Hugo determining in a few minutes that if they put it in the corner, everyone could see it to which his boyfriend had to stubbornly agree that he was right). In the other corner, a cat tower sat for the fat bastard of a cat Ruddiger who would be living with them. He swore that the cat hated him - always interrupting whenever him and Varian were attempting to get...intimate. It was annoying, him resulting most nights to just shooing it out of the room and locking the door behind him.

  Adjacent to the living room’s entrance was the kitchen, the tiled floor causing a clicking noise whenever he stepped. Varian had a strict rule of no shoes in the house, to which Hugo mostly abided to, but not today as he’d been overworked and severely undercompensated by his boyfriend, much to his disappointment. ‘Back to the kitchen’ he thought, taking his mind off the MANY ways his boyfriend could make up for all the unnecessary hard work he had to do. It was, yet again, the second largest room in the house, lined with marble counters and sleek, black cupboards. It had felt extremely out of place at first, not merging in well with their blue and green aesthetics whatsoever, but they made it work, attempting to decorate by placing a clock on the wall, a coffee machine that Rapunzel had bought them and, at last, a toaster. That was the thing Hugo was most excited about if he was being honest - having his very own toaster! Along with the coffee machine, Rapunzel had gifted the pair a variety of customised cups, plates, bowls..you name it, they most definitely had one that Rapunzel had slaved over making for hours just for them. A sweet act from a sweet girl, Hugo muttered to himself and rubbed his wrist absentmindely, his goggles hanging round his neck swaying as he strolled out of the room.

  In a straight line from the door was the bathroom, the room housing a bath, shower, sink and toilet. A green mat was laid out on one half of the room, a blue mat meeting it in the middle and spreading out the rest of the way. Another notable article was the toothbrushes that sat in the cabinet above the sink, doubling as a mirror, with a green and blue toothbrush sitting beside each other in a glass cup. Hugo took a moment to check his appearance, fixing his ruffed up blonde hair, straightening his glasses and shooting some awkward finger guns at his reflection. He cringed for a second before heading back out into the hallway, making a sharp left and through a doorway to the next room.

  Ah, yes. His and Varian’s room - a mish-mash of the two boys’ decorative decisions and personal interests. A double bed sat in the middle of the room, the covers blue as it was Varian’s turn to have made the bed, with a bedside table on either side of the bed. His table consisted of a small lamp, the book he was currently making his way through (The Tales Of Flynnigan Rider, which Varian had begged him to read for months), a picture of his absolutely adorable boyfriend and his glasses case for when he slept. Also on his side of the room (which was the left, just for the record) sat an oak desk, a grey chair tucked under it, which had the laptop Donella had gifted him placed in it, along with a cup holding his pens and pencils. Papers were stacked up above the drawers and Olivia, in her cage, sat on the opposite side, chittering softly as she slept. A wardrobe sat on his side too, one that him and Varian both shared (Varian had taken a liking, it seemed, to stealing his clothes and keeping them), it painted cyan to fit both their favourite colours. 

  Varian’s side was a whole different story, having a bedside table and a desk, along with a guitar propped against the side of the desk. Research papers were littered over the desk, Hugo hastily moving over to set them into a neat pile in the centre of his desk beside his laptop. That was sure to score him a few kisses from the younger boy - he was sure of it! Also on his boyfriend’s side were a lot more photos and posters on the wall - some of people he recognised and many of people he didn’t. For example, the ginger haired woman in the middle of many of them who had a wide smile plastered onto her face, who he swore he’d seen before in Donella’s office, however he couldn’t put a name to the face no matter how hard he’d racked his memory. She was in many of them too, holding baby Varian in her arms and standing beside Quirin, or with Varian in what looked like a makeshift lab, holding a test tube in one hand and the small boy in the other, Varian cuddling the woman close to him. Very heartwarming, however Hugo assumed his boyfriend wouldn’t appreciate him snooping around his side of the room, so he quickly headed out and to the highlight of the whole apartment, picking up his box along the way. 

  Pushing open the door to the sight of the room was always just as exhilarating for Hugo as the first time he’d been able to - his eyes meeting their makeshift lab / workshop area where they could practice their crafts expertly. He adored the room, smiling as he made his way through and dumped his box onto the counter before unpacking it. It just seemed so...them to convert the unused bedroom into their own lab space, beakers and test tubes littering the surface with microscopes and Hugo’s own toolbox sitting flush against the wall for both boys to use. He didn’t have the resources to pursue alchemy before, but meeting Varian had given him the chance to begin his research and boy howdy, he loved it! The subject was so interesting, so many different experiments to be done with ways to do it...god, he loved the subject so much. He also loved the way the other boy’s eyes lit up as he rambled about the topic to seemingly no end, his adoration on full display. It was absolutely adorable, and it helped that the couple worked together like a well-oiled machine, seamlessly sliding past each other to grab metals, acids or anything else they may need without disrupting the research at hand. It was harmonic.

  Hours later, they’d finally finished the unpacking spree and slumped down onto the sofa in a tight embrace, Ruddiger obviously attempting to break it by scratching at Hugo’s ankles. Hugo paid him no mind, shaking his foot to ward the cat away as his boyfriend watched in amusement. “I swear to god, V, your cat hates me. He might as well be a raccoon with how much trash he eats-”

  “Maybe if you didn’t bully and make him insecure, he wouldn’t hate you!” V responded, scooping the...unrealistically fat cat into a loving embrace and nuzzling his nose against his face. “Is he making you insecure, my beautiful boy..? You’re so beautiful.” he cooed, and Hugo could swear the cat was giving him a smug glare, anger bubbling in his stomach at the fact that a goddamn cat was getting more attention than he was - A goddamn obese cat was getting more attention from the love of his life, who he’d completely dedicated himself to, than he was! He let out a frustrated grunt, looking away and glaring at the wall, not even noticing his folded arms and childish pout. Varian had to hold back a full-blown laughing fit at how his boyfriend was acting, slowly placing the cat back on the floor and leaning against him. “Hugh..you look like a four-year-old with a pout like that.”

  “So what if I do? That little..thing was grinning at me! Y’know, like the smug little bastard he is! I swear he’d plotting something!” he ranted as his boyfriend moved back into a lying position, taking Hugo’s collar in his hand and pulling him down too. It wasn’t until Varian’s legs had wrapped around his waist that Hugo had noticed the position they were in, a flush creeping onto his face. “Oh so this is my compensation?”

  “Yep.”

  “I..humbly accept.” He replied, leaning down and capturing the raven haired boy’s lips with his own, the other boy letting out a whine as Hugo’s teeth nipped at his bottom lip. They continued to kiss, lost in the moment with hips rocking against each other’s until Hugo suddenly jolted back. “FUCKING CAT SCRATCHED MY BACK!” he yelped, standing immediately and completely ruining the moment they were having. Varian’s glare redirected itself to Ruddiger who was, rather smugly, licking his paw and sitting on the cushions of the other couch.

  “How about we go to bed? It's been a long day.” He comforted, resting his hand on his boyfriend’s back and already guiding him to their room. ‘And we can lock the door’ he decided not to add as he kicked the door to their room shut, instantly locking it almost on instinct. Hugo, however, seemed disinterested in their previous activities, already changing into pyjamas, much to Varian’s disappointment, though he wouldn’t admit it. It was strange though, how Ruddiger didn’t trust Hugo and kept on scratching and attacking him at any given chance. Usually the cat was docile or disinterested in people, never outright hostile. Maybe it WAS jealousy...could cats even feel jealousy? Now that was something he was gonna be thinking about all night..he muttered as he grabbed some pyjamas from the closet and began to change.

  As he finished, he sat on the bed and Hugo’s arms wrapped around his waist to pull him into a close embrace, placing gentle kisses to the back of his head in his sleepy haze. Hugo was always lovelier when he was sleepy and when they were alone, the usual sarcastic front he put up dripping away to reveal the true nature of the boy that Varian loved so much. He could be such a gentleman if he put the effort in, like when he’d go out of his way to do the mini things for Varian, such as walking him to his classes or his tutoring job with Yong and Nuru in the library, always taking his time and slowing his pace specially for Varian to keep up with him. And the one time they’d danced together in the kitchen on the night of his birthday.

  “Hugo, I’ve never done this before.” Varian had whispered, the refrigerator light being the only light in the entire kitchen, yet it was enough to show the face of the smug boy standing in front of him. He looked so handsome though, Varian just wanting to kiss that stupid look off his face. He was bowed down, some song playing throughout the small apartment as he held out his hand expectantly to the other male.

  “Goggles, I’ve heard you sing. If you can do that, you’re gonna be a-okay with dancing. Just let me take the lead and keep your eyes on me, you got that?” he questioned, Varian responding with a nod and placing his hand in Hugo’s hesitantly. He was immediately pulled flush against his chest, hands wrapping around his waist as his were encouraged to wrap around the other boy’s neck. They swayed in time with the slow serenade that echoed from the living room, the dimming light being their only source of visibility. Varian didn’t care though, he was too busy staring into the eyes of Hugo, which Hugo staring back.

  The music had long since stopped by now, the two freezing with their limbs entangled before Hugo pressed his lips against his, this kiss feeling like no other they’d had before. It felt so genuine, and so raw, and so real. Like Hugo was truly letting down his guard and letting Varian know that he only held love and affection for the other. It wasn’t full of lust or underlying passion - just a sweet kiss between two boys in the kitchen at god knows what time in the morning. And it was simple divine.

  Varian’s lips tugged into a soft smile as he cuddled against the boy sleeping soundly behind him. That night, something new had blossomed between them. Of course they’d loved each other beforehand and they knew it, but on that night, they had wordlessly sealed their love for each other. In some ways he’d miss that old apartment purely for that memory and how perfectly cliche it was - two lovers dancing in the kitchen. It sounded like an old movie trope, right? But it was so much better than that for both of them.

  Varian turned in Hugo’s grasp to face the boy and rest his head against his chest, shutting his eyes and squeezing them shut. He wasn’t gonna let this boy go, not now, not ever. He loved him more than he could ever hope to describe, from the way he had remembered Varian’s coffee order and how it always specifically needed to be vanilla, to the way that they could just be dorks, jamming out to some songs in the lab, and the way he wasn’t afraid to show Varian just how committed he was to the boy. It was all so sweet. As he drifted off the sleep, he thought to himself…

  This is the start of something new, and something beautiful.

[thegospelofhayden]

The Gospel of Hayden Chapter 3:

Isaac peered out of the room, studying his surroundings. He looked up and down the hallway, eyes flicking to the front door at the far end of the hall. From what he could see the apartment was minimally decorated, a mixture of furniture and objects collected over the vampires long life. Age seemed to hang heavy in the apartment and Isaac wondered just how long Hayden had lived here.

The smell of food caught his attention, pulling him nose first to the other end of the hall where it seemed to open up into a spacious kitchen and living room area. A grey marbled counter separated the two rooms, the kitchen seems more modern than the rest of the home. Hayden stood tending to a pan at the stove, the sound of frying food filling the room.

"Morning sleeping beauty, finally decided to get out of bed have we" Hayden's deep chuckle echoed around the room and Isaac couldn't help but smile slightly as well.

"So this is your place huh?" Isaac asked looking around. He took note of a tv in the corner and a blanket lying messily on the couch. A coffee table sat in the middle of the living room space a few empty glass bottles sitting on top of it. The place wasn't a mess but you could tell this was the place of someone who lived alone.

"Yeah I guess, I don't stay here often since I'm usually travelling. It's more of a place where I can come to recover from my wounds" his voice didn't give away much emotion, and Isaac took a seat at the counter watching the dark haired man as he cooked. A clear plastic bottle sat next to Hayden on the worktop and it didn't take a genius to guess what the thick red liquid was inside. It made Isaac's stomach turn.

"Did you sleep on the couch?" Isaac wondered out loud as Hayden put the contents of the pan on a plate before cracking a few eggs into the skillet. Isaac hadn't realised how hungry he was but he was practically drooling over the smell of fresh cooked bacon and eggs. Isaac had somehow managed to survive on microwave meals and instant noodles whilst his mother was in the hospital, family friends occasionally dropping by with leftover stew or casserole whenever she came home for recovery.

Hayden shrugged in answer to his question as he seasoned the eggs.

"It's no big deal, I don't really need to sleep or eat as long as I keep myself satisfied with this stuff" he picked up the bottle of blood to emphasise his point, the liquid inside splashing around slightly from the movement. "I like the familiarity of it I guess" he shrugged again, putting the eggs on each of the two plates that had been set out. He slid the largest portion over to Isaac and it took almost every ounce of strength for the younger male not to dig in immediately.

"Thanks" he smiled softly, he still felt slightly nervous, his fingers fidgeting beneath the table as his other hand picked up the fork and took a bite off eggs. He had to bite his lip to hold back the appreciative moan from escaping his mouth. These had to be the best damn eggs Isaac had ever had.

They eat in silence, Isaac's too busy shovelling food into his mouth to be able to make conversation. Once he finished he licked his lip, looking up to see Hayden's blue eyes watching him closely.

"That was great, thank you," Isaac said sheepishly, smiling softly. He was unsure of how to react under the other man's gaze, an unknown feeling welling in the pit of his stomach.

"I have some things I need to do today, I'll swing by your house and grab some clothes for you and anything else you need," he said, resting his elbows on the counter. Isaac noted the scars that littered his arms.

"Wait for what? Cant I go home? I...I thought it was just one demon..... is this..... earlier you said angels hired you to protect me, why?" Isaac questioned.

Hayden nodded, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Yeah, I don't know why but there are a group of demons after you. Those pigeon winged douche bags didn't give me much to go on. You're safer here. This apartment is warded. Nothing can get in unless it's me.....or human."

Hayden stood and took the plates from the counter, putting them in the sink. Isaac sat frozen, his mind trying to wrap itself around all the information in his head. The sound of running water broke him out of his thoughts, Hayden scrubbed off the plates and set them to dry.

"My laptop... it's the only thing I can't think off except my clothes" Issac said softly, watching as Hayden turned to him with a soft smile.

"If you want you can shower whilst I'm gone, I think I have some old clothes you can borrow." He walked to the door, Isaac following behind. He watched as Hayden pulled on a leather jacket and picked up a set of keys.

"The bathroom is in there and just take whatever you want from my wardrobe in the bedroom. I should be back before dinner so just help yourself to food from the fridge as well. I'll order take out once I'm back." Hayden fixed his appearance in a cracked mirror, sliding a hand through his thick hair. The younger male simply nodded, watching Hayden's movements with soft green eyes.

Hayden turned to Isaac as his hand reached for the door handle.

"I need to lock the door behind me, if anyone comes to the door, do not answer it on any circumstances, even if it sounds like me, do not answer. Do you understand Isaac?" His voice was serious and weighted, the information resting heavy on Isaac's shoulders.

He nodded again. "Yeah, I...I understand" he mumbled, pouting slightly as his eyebrows furrowed. Hayden grinned, his fangs showing in his blinding smile.

"Don't worry kid, I'll be back before you know it" and with that, he left, leaving Isaac alone to explore his new surroundings.

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Woooo finaly chapter 3 is out! Sorry for the wait, hopefully i can keep this up over the summer. Pleade keep all my tags and my name. Dont forget to like and share!

-C.Jamieson