Brad was getting antsy.

Marshall could tell in the way his friend's body language and mannerisms changed over time: he'd stare into space with his gaze fixated on random points near his feet; sitting down was usually accompanied by a leg silently bouncing up and down in a jittery manner; his fingers would drum against his thighs or arms, as if he were searching for some form of distraction; he sometimes made a habit of quietly pacing downstairs in the middle of the night before moving to sit outside, either on the porch steps, the swing, or on the hood of one of the cars, for hours at a time to get some much needed fresh air.

Being too close to anyone with a beating heart, despite their wolf genes and conventionally off-putting scents, was becoming more difficult. A natural fragrance of wet dog could only override the aroma of fresh, warm blood so much. An overwhelming desire to feed, accompanied by a heightened sense of smell still regarded as too novel for proper adjustment, was a bad mix to a newborn vampire.

Brad hadn't claimed he wanted to rip into something that could bleed yet.

Though, a habit of massaging his throat when he believed no one to be looking was always caught by another vigilant vampire. He also caught on rather quickly to rushed steps taken out of a room if company came over. 

And then there was the undeniable fact of his bright red eyes becoming darker with every passing day.

At first, Marshall wanted to wait for Brad to come to him—to admit he was feeling peckish and wanted something to eat.

Brad's unwillingness to do so possibly meant, a) he didn't fully comprehend his body's silent cues just yet, b) he was embarrassed about his very apparent hunger, c) he wasn't sure how to vocally make his needs heard, or d) he didn't want to burden anyone with his issues.

Either way, Marshall wasn't going to let his friend go hungry when a remedy was available for him.

So, after throwing on a set of clothes he had no qualms in getting dirty, Marshall exited his bedroom to head downstairs.

His own throat began burning with great intensity the night before while Paul was sleeping. Since then, Marshall had been more than tempted to take an indulgent bite.

Doing so for the first time was really a means of saving the wolf's life. Still, the vampire couldn't ignore how much he longed for another taste. How much he ached and yearned to drain his lover. Not enough to bring alarm to his health or anything like that, of course. Marshall just...really wanted to experience what it would be like to almost painlessly rip a gash into beautiful tan skin, painting it red. He also wanted to experience what it would be like for Paul to get fed off of, this time while completely awake and lucid so he could feel everything.

The act of having blood drawn would render him breathless, a bit dizzy, and tingly all over. He would undoubtedly become limp and pliant, readily accessible for Marshall to take whatever he wanted and, with permission, do whatever he wanted.

That specific thought process alone changed Marshall's feeling of hunger from mild to downright insatiable. Another reason why he believed grabbing a snack was necessary right now.

As he got downstairs, he caught sight of Brad watching a soccer game with unfocused eyes. His absent expression further shed light on him being mentally distracted since he loved watching sports with great excitement. Whether it be soccer, basketball, American football, or ice skating, Brad got competitive while donning the role of spectator. Not even offering a delighted shout when Spain's national team scored a goal was a bit concerning.

Paul was in the middle of eating a plate full of homemade croquetas at the dining table. One hand was occupied by a deep fried snack, while his other was used to hold his phone. He scrolled lazily, blinking slowly while taking in whatever media was displayed on his screen.

"Oye, pendejo, buenas tardes. ¡Qué hermoso día! Necesito que te prepares. Tú y yo vamos a salir. Ahora. Okay? Okay." Marshall leaned into his husband's space to give him a fat kiss on the cheek. "We'll be back in a bit, Tiger."

Paul nodded in understanding, offering his own sweet kiss in goodbye alongside a heartfelt, "Love you, baby".

Brad rose from the couch, confused. "¿Adónde vamos? I know the sun is about to set, but still."

"You won't be seen, don't worry. Even if we were, forest coverage is more than enough at this time of day to keep you from sparkling. And to answer your question..." Marshall flashed a wide grin. "We are finally going to go on our first hunt together."

"Oh? So soon?"

"Yup. I can tell you're hungry. To be honest, I'm kind of on the same boat myself. So, you know, I figured we could get you used to feeding from animals."

Brad clenched his jaw, uncertain. "I'm...not sure if I have the best control right now."

"All the more reason to head out. Going after animals enough times while you're hungry will kind of condition you to not associate humans with mealtimes. At least, your cravings will dampen enough to not be seen as more than a minor annoyance while you're around them."

Glancing to the side, Brad started toying with his fingers.

It seemed he was hesitant for another reason.

Marshall offered a soft, kind smile. He walked up to his friend, gently dropping his hands onto the other man's tense shoulders. "I know you might not be comfortable with killing yet. That's fine. If you want, I can take care of it until you're ready to do it yourself. There's no rush. I just want to make sure you're fed well. This is all new- I get it. I just need you to trust me to take care of you."

"I do trust you," Brad answered with absolute certainty.

"Good. Then let's go."

With a bit more excitement shared between them, both vampires gave fast waves to the wolf seeing them off. They raced toward the shoe rack to grab their sneakers. Footsteps gained even greater speed when running outside, down the porch steps, and across the grass. Their shared laughter echoed behind them as they broke through the treeline, into the woods.

It had been a long time since Marshall had a hunting partner. He stopped going on family outings shortly after meeting his mate. He never thought to ask the wolves to accompany him either for the sole purpose of not making anyone uncomfortable. Doing so alone gave him time to be by himself, however, there were moments he longed for companionship. To have someone he could joke around with.

Brad kept up without issue. He dodged branches and hanging vines easily. Debris was barely kicked up since his quick, light steps were careful enough to not disturb nearby plant life. His eyes sparkled with a new wave of fascination while taking in his surroundings in awe.

Marshall remembered the elation he felt after he was fully accustomed to his more heightened vision. Simply taking a walk down a desolate street in the middle of the night was breathtaking because he was able to see things he never had before. With so much astonishing clarity as well. Specks of pollen, tiny hairs on leaf stems, individual patterns in tree bark, textural differences in bricks and concrete—every aspect of normal life gained additional beauty without ever changing. He learned to find intrigue in the smallest of details, leading to his captivation in regard to paintings, sculptures, and other forms of visual art.

Brad was an avid lover for hands-on crafts, dabbling in scrapbooking, ceramics, interior design, etc.

He was more than likely to have his interest grown ten, maybe even a hundred times more because of his newfound ability to visualize to a greater extent.

His smile was infectious. As was his laughter. Marshall's chest filled with warmth at the sight of his best friend appearing like his old self again.

A man as wholesome and endearing as him deserved to experience that level of happiness at all times.

Hopefully, one day, he would.

Distant snapping of a twig caught the vampires' attention. They paused in their tracks behind a large tree wide enough to shield both men. The fragrance of fresh blood was amplified by a rapid heart rate, pushing the delectable scent outward. Two pairs of blackened eyes peered around their makeshift hiding spot to get a glimpse of what animal was trying to run in their direction.

To their satisfaction, it turned out to be a brown bear in pursuit of a lynx.

Both animals by themselves were enough to satisfy multiple people, so going after the bigger of the two would save time and effort.

"Staying behind this tree actually works in our favor. When they pass by, I'm going to jump for the bear. Make sure you watch carefully to understand when the right time to strike is," Marshall instructed.

He crouched down, closing his eyes. He relied on his ears and nose to guide him on points of focus. It was easier to differentiate between animal traits like scents, breathing, heart rhythm, and running patterns. 

As soon as the lynx ran past, a minuscule opening was left between itself and the bear chasing close behind. The creature's upper half had barely made it beyond the tree before strong hands latched onto it. A surprised screech tore through the air in time with a fragile body slamming directly into the ground, skidding a short distance away with a more dangerous predator looming on top. 

A deep, feral snarl was the only warning given to warn the creature of its unavoidable demise—which came in the form of a swift, painless neck breakage.

The bear's remains fell to the ground, lifeless.

Blunt nails made easy work of tearing its flesh open, enhancing an already powerful smell of blood.

Ignoring his hunger, Marshall peered over his shoulder. "Come on. Hard part's over with. You gotta be quick to not waste anything, or else it'll bleed out."

Brad didn't look like he was actively listening. His hungered gaze was glued to his meal lying on the ground. Its smell was beckoning him over, calling to him so he could give in to his primal urges the way he was meant to. As assured, the hard part was over. Brad's only task now was to give himself permission to indulge.

His ears twitched, forcing his attention to dart to the left. 

Marshall's nose picked up the unmistakable scent of distant humans at the exact same time.

Since he himself hadn't heard anything just yet, he made a mental note of Brad's superior hearing capabilities.

Since he was a newborn, Brad was bound to have a few stronger, more unhinged traits: cravings, strength, agility. Unfortunately for him, though, Marshall had experience. Years spent living with the Olympic coven gave him a plethora of necessary tools to accurately read different types of body language.

Brad's clenched fingers and flared nostrils pointed to him finally picking up the scent as well.

Veins engorged in his neck and forehead, showing his inner moral struggle of not wanting to hurt anyone versus his desire to rip into everything.

Turning a mere centimeter revealed his body forcing him to give chase.

Marshall appeared in front of his friend, grabbing him by the cheeks and bringing their faces close together. "No, no. Calm down- you're okay. Look at me. C'mon-"

An invisible force felt like it wrapped around Marshall's torso; kind of reminiscent of how a snake would wrap its body around a tree trunk to climb upward. He let out a surprised yelp as he was flung to the side into a nearby bush. Only three steps were heard before his hand shot outward. A vine exited from his palm, successfully wrapping around Brad's ankle. He fell to the ground but didn't stop trying to pursue his prey.

Since Marshall gripped tightly around the plant sprouting from his hand, he was yanked forward in time with a swift kick attempting to loosen his hold. He reacted by allowing a chain to erupt from his other hand, taking refuge around Brad's dominant arm. 

Angered at the prospect of someone getting in the way of his meal, he whirled around. Both eyes were filled with a dark, intense hatred; or, at least, something close to it. 

He looked like he was ready to slaughter anyone or anything standing in his way.

Marshall wasn't scared. Or nervous. Hell, he wasn't even worried for his safety. Because aside from a heated glare pointed in his direction, no other gestures were made. There were no quick attacks used to bring him harm. There weren't any true attempts utilizing full strength to shake off dual restraints. Any mannerisms used to try and escape were...halfhearted. 

Brad was fighting extremely hard to not give in to his instincts.

To not see his best friend as an enemy—as an obstacle.

Marshall utilized the distraction to jump forward, catching Brad in the same position as before. "Oye, mira. ¡Escúchame, Romero!"

Yelling was harsh and guttural. Intimidating. However, it worked to make the newborn stop resisting.

"There you go. That's right, eyes on me. Relájate, todo está bien. Slower breaths- cálmate." Marshall instructed, making sure to keep eye contact. "I know what you're going through. I know trying to ignore those urges is extremely difficult. That's why I'm here, yeah? Take in my scent instead. Focus on me and me alone. Focus on my hands- on my words. Nothing else. There's nothing else in the world right now except us."

Brad struggled to do as told. He could still hear those people's far away voices. Although they were growing more distant with each second, he couldn't act like they didn't exist. Nor was it easy to trick his body or mind into thinking such easy prey was a mere fabrication of his imagination.

"If you need to bite me to help lessen your urges, you can. I won't fight back. I won't retaliate either."

Brad recoiled like he'd been struck.

Marshall's expression was calm. His eyes were gentle. His voice was soothing.

All of these details only served to make his statement that much more outlandish.

Like the kind, caring man he was, there was only honesty lacing his words.

Shaking his head, Brad buried his face into his friend's neck. His nose was directly above a portion of muscle which smelled heavily of Paul's natural aroma. It was powerful enough to erase every other scent trying to assault his nasal passage.

Marshall deactivated his gift.

Brad took the chance to press himself further into the other man's body, holding onto his biceps with trembling hands.

"You're okay. Just breathe with me."

Marshall took the time to run through a slow breathing exercise. An extended inhale was held for a few seconds. Then, it was released at the same steady interval. Another was taken, only to be let go in a similar manner. He didn't rush through his counts. He didn't falter when the grip on his arms began to hurt a little.

Aiding Brad took precedence over everything else.

Dealing with minor issues could wait.

"Shit. Ay, puta madre-  ¡Joder!" He stomped on the ground, frustrated with himself. "I'm so sorry. This is why I was scared to-"

"You didn't do anything wrong." Marshall dragged his hand along his friend's spine to calm him. "I figured you were going to react like that at some point. I honestly would've been surprised if you hadn't. Happens to all of us- no biggie. You did your best, and you were able to pull yourself out of a really thick mental fog. It might've taken some effort, but regardless. You did well. And I'm proud of you for that."

"My brain kept telling me I needed to kill you because you were in the way."

"Yeah. But you didn't. Plus, I could tell you were holding back when trying to get away. That takes a lot of strength on your part, Romero. I mean it- you did good." A gentle kiss on the shoulder helped to instill a sense of sincerity. "...Besides, had you actually put up a fight, I would've made sure you got your ass handed to you. I would've done a lot more than just tie you up."

Marshall's joke, while funny, led to Brad picking his head up. "How did you do that?"

"Some vampires have special powers on top of their normal vampire abilities. I can manipulate my tattoos. Y'know, make them come to life, use them for combat if necessary. And, apparently, you can move things without touching them. Kinda caught me off guard with that, not gonna lie."

"I did?" Brad asked, eyebrows furrowing as he thought back to their small battle. "Oh...when you... that was me?"

"If it wasn't, it'd be really concerning. Because that would mean some supernatural squirrel or rabbit tossed me away from you. And as funny as that would be, it'd also be extremely embarrassing on my part. So, for my dignity, yeah, I'm pretty sure you threw me to the side like a sack of rice with your cool ass vampire powers."

Snorting, Brad shook his head with a laugh. He continued hugging his companion while allowing himself to take a glance around the area. Only then did he notice the motionless corpse still sprawled on the ground several feet away.

"Ah, shit. I wasted our food, didn't I?"

Marshall shrugged. "I'm sure it's still got a little bit left. We can get more blood after you've had a proper taste."

Brad was guided toward the dead animal. A large patch of fur was drenched in thick globs of sticky, shiny red. A previously quick flow of blood was sluggish now. A wide, puffy gash had smaller streaks falling from the edges, leaving stains on any areas which had cooled or already dried.

Brad licked his lips without thinking.

"No need to be patient on my account, Romero. Go on. Let loose the way you want to."

Marshall's permission gave Brad the push he needed to lunge toward his meal.