The Mage and The Vampire

"Jack?"

"What?"

"Can I talk to you about something?"

"Can't it wait until the episode is over?"

"I‎t just started."

"So?"

"Jack please."

Jack rolled his eyes and paused the TV, "Alright, lay it on me Riley."

Riley nodded once and cleared his throat. "Well uh, as we've been dating a while I think it's one for me to admit there's something I wasn't entirely truthful about..." he paused waiting for Jack's reaction, but Jack seemed more concerned with the ice cream he had dropped on his shirt.

"I'm listening," Jack told him wiping off sprinkles onto Riley's floor.

"Well uh I wasn't exactly truthful when I told you who-or what I was."

"Are you gonna tell me that after all this, you aren't into guys?" Jack frowned.

"No!" Riley said quickly waving his hands back and forth. "No! I'm not well- I'm not uh... I'm not human..." he said his voice quiet. "I'm a- a vampire..."

Jack nodded shortly, "And I'm a contract killer."

"I'm serious," Riley tried. "Well uh just look-" He took a deep breath and he felt his fangs began to lengthen and when he opened his eyes he knew they were bright red. He looked to his boyfriend worried, but Jack looked bored with the entire situation. "You're not surprised, or freaking out."

"I've met vampires before," Jack shrugged, "I meet all races, I'm a mage after all. So I assumed you weren't human though, I just figured you were a halfbreed of some sort. And I'm not surprised because you literally just told me you were a vampire."

"But- but you sarcastically said you were a contract killer! And normal people don't believe those things that easily!"

Jack grabbed the remote and hit play, "I'm a contract killer Riley, I highly doubt that's considered normal."

Riley's widened, "What?"

Jack's eyes didn't leave the TV, "Is it really that hard to believe?"

"Yes!" Riley shouted. "I thought you just buy and sell magic items!"

Jack paused the TV with an annoyed sigh, "Well I need a legitimate business as a front. And as a person who sells stuff and has to go and get more a lot, it doesn't really matter if I leave suddenly."

"Is that why you never let me go with?"

"Correct. So basically when someone needs someone else dead, I kill 'em, loot 'em, and sell what I take."

Riley's eyes widened and his hands went to the pendant around his neck, "And this? Did you just rip it off someone dead guy and wipe off the blood?"

"I bought that," Jack assured him. "I was on my way back and I passed a shop and stopped in. And that was expensive too, pure dragon scales cost a ton. Also I do buy and sell things the normal way too, otherwise my business wouldn't last very long."

Riley sat back and looked up at the ceiling taking in this information.

"Why does the idea of me killing people bother you so much?" Jack asked him.

"Because you're you," Riley replied not making eye contact with him. "I've never seen you hurt a fly."

"Well I wasn't paid to."

Riley looked back to Jack with a raised eyebrow, "Is money all you ever think about?"

"Well as someone who grew up with literally none, yes. But tell me Ry," he continued leaning in a small smile on his face, "Isn't it a bit hypocritical of you to be against me killing people when you've done it yourself?"

"W-What?" Riley spluttered. "I stick to animals."

"Oh come on," Jack pressed. "I've never met a vampire who hasn't killed someone before."

Riley watched him for a moment before he sighed, "It is was only twice. I didn't have a lot of control over myself in the beginning. And I regret it."

Jack frowned and sat back, "Well that's disappointing. I have another job coming up and I was hoping you'd join me this time."

Riley shook his head, "What have you done with my cute, innocent boyfriend?"

Jack shrugged, "He evolved, so take it or leave it... But if you pick leave I will cry."

Riley gave a sigh and stood up, "I need to think for awhile, I'm gonna go lie down."

"Take your pills!" Jack reminded him as he walked off, but Riley ignored him. He was no longer hiding his vampiric nature, he wouldn't need those pills anymore.

~~~~

The sound of the chimes drew Jack's attention away from the boxes he had been stacking, "We're closed," he called. "And I'm gonna be away for a while. Is it urgent?"

When there was no reply he moved out of the back to the front of the store and was surprised to see his a tall figure in a large cloak which blocked their face standing there, a large backpack on.

Jack raised an eyebrow, as the figure moved forward away from the shop's door and lowered their hood. And he was surprised to see his boyfriend's red eyes underneath it.

"I'm going with you," Riley stated.

Jack crossed his arms, "And why the change of heart?"

"Because I've never seen you fight before, and I've spent the last few days worried sick that something will happen to you."

"I've been doing this for years, Ry."

"So? That doesn't make me stop worrying about you."

Jack chuckled, "Alright fine. Come along, but I'm not giving you too much of my pay."

Riley shook his head, "I'm here for your safety not your money."

"And what about your job?"

"I told them my boyfriend surprised me with a sudden vacation. And as I never take vacations my coworkers were happy for me, my boss not so much."

Jack laughed and pulled him into a hug, "It'll be nice to have company for once. Oh, where we're going you're going to need to pass for human."

Riley nodded and popped a pill in his mouth, and Jack saw his appearance change, "Then let's go."

~~~~

"So where are we going that I need to pass for human?" Riley questioned as Jack led the way into the basement of the shop the next morning.

"The human realm," Jack replied. "Only scare amount of people there are informed about other races, so act human."

"You go there often?" Riley guessed.

"A lot of my jobs take place there," Jack nodded locking the basement door behind Riley. "People hide out there, and well some are just human. I have an apartment there too. Multiple actually." When the door was locked with some form of magic he led the way down the stairs, at the bottom was the clutter and junk Riley was used to. Jack paid it no mind as he said a spell under his breath and suddenly all of it was thrown apart to the side to reveal six or seven magic circles on the floor.

Jack walked over to one of the circles and waved Riley over. "Stand here, and be still. Oh, and close your eyes." Riley joined him in the circle and did as he was told. He felt as Jack put a hand on his arm before he felt a wind whip around him as Jack began to cast his spell in words which sounded like nothing more to gibberish to Riley.

When Jack's words and the wind stopped he suddenly heard a stream of curses, surprised he opened his eyes to find Jack kicking a bed in frustration. They were in a small bedroom.

"What's wrong?" Riley asked Jack.

Jack jolted startled, before turning around, "This isn't where we are supposed to be."

"What?"

"You saw all my magic circles in my basement? Well each leads to a specific place, I did one to a city, but we ended up here. This is one of my safe houses, I wanted to be in the city. We are about 20 miles away currently."

"Why didn't we end up in a city?"

Jack shook his head and sat down on his bed sending up a plume of dust and he hurriedly stood up coughing, "My only guess is that my other apartment was compromised so we were sent here."

Riley felt a chill go down his spine, "How was it compromised?"

Jack shrugged nonchalantly, "No clue, but this means I'm gonna have to go into the city to meet up with a contact of mine for info."

"When are we gonna leave?"

"This contact is well- hard to contact, I need to wait until it gets dark to do it. So we will probably leave tomorrow night. So in the meantime... Do you wanna see one of my weapon collections?"

"One?"