Marshall reached down to pick up his suitcase off of the ground. Before he could commit to a full bend, his husband took the reins by grabbing the luggage himself. A smile was flashed in the vampire's direction to silently tell him to relax. It was a weekend of pampering after all—meaning Marshall wasn't expected to do anything except be happily spoiled. At least, that's what Paul instructed.

If there was one trait, among several, Paul had which stood above all the others, it was his stubbornness. When he made important plans, he always did everything in his power to commit to them. If he ever swore to do a favor for someone, he kept his word no matter how much time passed. If he said he was making time for a specific person, he'd ensure there were no distractions to steal his attention away.

He promised a weekend away to allow his lover to feel like pampered royalty, so Paul wanted to get a head start.

Shaking his head, Marshall turned around to give his other companion a tight hug. As their bodies met, they let out simultaneous grunts when squeezing each other with purpose. "Are you really sure you're okay with us leaving for so long? You're only just getting the hang of controlling your cravings."

"Stop worrying so much," Brad chided with a laugh. "I'll be fine. Besides, you guys are only leaving for three days. If you ask me, your trip is too short."

"I'm just concerned about something happening while we're gone."

"All that stress is exactly why you need some time away. You've been going crazy over a lot of stuff recently. And, really, for your sake, you need to take a break."

Both men parted, only for Brad to wrap an arm around Marshall's shoulders. They stood close enough for differing hair textures to weave into each other.

"Plus, with how much you've been keeping an eye on me, you haven't been able to fully...settle in with your husband." Brad wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "And if there's one thing I know about you, it's that you get cranky when you don't get laid after a few days. According to my calculations- ah, let me see...add the six, carry the four...oh, yeah- it's been weeks. So, go on. Drive off, check into your hotel, and have a wonderful evening filled with some rough, passionate, wild kinky shit. If you don't come back with a limp by the time this weekend is over, I'm sending you off again."

"Challenge accepted!"

Paul's excited voice caused phantom warmth to erupt across Marshall's entire face. 

He chuckled, shielding one of his cheeks with the back of his hand. "Ganging up on me like this isn't fair. How am I supposed to come up with a counter argument?"

Brad shrugged. "Hm...you're not! You just need to stop putting everything else before yourself for a change. How can you start? By climbing into your seat, like the little passenger princess we all know and love, and being swept away by your dashingly handsome knight in shining, slightly furry armor."

With everything now packed, Paul closed the trunk. He gave himself a moment to approach both vampires to, quite literally, scoop them up into a strong hug. Shared laughter was forced out of them with each gentle clenching of the arms.

"Aww, Brad- you think I'm handsome?~"

"Well, not more than me, but you're definitely up there."

***

Brad continued to wave from his spot on the porch as he watched his friends drive down the road. He only relaxed once the car was no longer visible, reveling in a calm silence hanging in the air. He listened to swaying branches whose pine needles caressed each other like delicate fingers. Tall trees danced high up near the sky. Breaks in clouds allowed faint rays of sunshine to seep through. Wearing shorts gave his lower legs no covering, and they began to glisten by the natural radiance gleaming down from the heavens.

One more deep inhale of sweetly scented nature was taken to override Emily's natural aroma upon walking back inside.

It was finally tolerable to be around her again.

"And then there were two," she teased, placing a sheet of unbaked cookies into the oven.

Chuckling, Brad walked into the kitchen. "Do you need help with the dishes? If you want to go rest for a bit now that the house is empty, I can take it from here."

"Oh- I'd really appreciate it, honey. I actually wanted to take a shower before everyone got back."

"That's fine. Go ahead, take your time. If the oven goes off while you're in there, I can plate dessert."

Emily offered a kind kiss to the forehead alongside a thankful embrace. She took off her vintage-styled apron to hang on a metal hook beside the refrigerator. Then, with a rather tired sigh, she made her way down the hall toward the master bedroom.

Brad turned on the faucet. Several pieces of cookware sprinkled along the surface of the counter were gathered up to be placed in the sink. A wet paper towel was dragged along any areas still covered in minuscule traces of flour. He took hold of the pink sponge sitting in a plastic caddy near a pump device for soap. Two flower-scented mounds of foam were used to start the process of tidying up.

Baking cookies wafted into his nose, but they didn't instill a sense of hunger or mouthwatering excitement like they used to. The homemade dessert smelled pleasant; he just had no desire to partake in snagging a piece.

Honestly, Brad was still getting used to the whole not eating thing. An attempt was made to bite into an empanada once, just to see how different his tastebuds were. When the expected flavor of seasoned chicken was sullied by what could only be perceived as a mouthful of tar, he had no choice but to listen to his body. It was a brutal realization because, truthfully, he missed eating. Food played a big part of his cultural heritage as a human, and great pride was taken in anything having to do with delicious cuisines—especially from Spain.

Now that he couldn't eat anything without it tasting like dirt, he learned to find joy in the smells picked up when he or other people cooked.

They helped him cope with an area of change turning out to be a little more troublesome than anticipated.

Oh well. He still found giving up food to be a small price to pay for getting a second chance at life.

A life which granted better friendships, a greater sense of familial closeness, and...

"Em, do you mind if I- o-oh. Hi, Brad."

He looked up from the sink to find Leah standing at the house's entrance. She was dressed in her usual jean shorts with a plain short sleeved shirt. Shoulder length hair was tucked behind one ear, revealing a softly defined point in her jaw.

Light creeping in through the windows and doorway gave her skin an ethereal golden hue.

Brad didn't need to breathe. However, witnessing such a stunning spectacle took his away.

"Hey. I didn't expect to see you here so soon," he greeted, turning off the water and drying his hands.

"Eh, I wasn't about to sit around and play guard dog at the leech wedding. Sam knew that forcing me to stay around all those Cullen bastards for so long would drive me crazy, so he let me leave when the reception started. I figured I'd just hang out with Em until they got back for our sleepover. I...didn't think I'd catch you here by yourself."

Ignoring a delicate tingling in his chest, Brad nodded toward the hallway. "Em's in the shower. I told her to take some time for herself, so it'll probably just be me and you for a bit."

His keen hearing could pick up Leah's heart beating faster; could pick up a quiet gulp in anticipation. He could feel her natural body heat spike in her stomach, chest, and face. Her delectable smell of a musky, earthy, robust sweetness heightened as well. Moving to further smooth down strands of pinned back hair revealed the veins traveling down her inner arm.

Brad's gaze wandered for a moment, cascading down the curves between her torso and hips to the length of her smooth legs.

Nibbling on his lower lip, he cleared his throat to keep his voice from cracking. "The, uh, cookies should be done in a little. We can sit down together. If you're okay with that."

Leah nodded. She made her way toward the dining table while twiddling with her thumbs. Upon choosing a seat, she motioned for Brad to do the same beside her.

He had the intrusive realization that this was their first time hanging out together without at least one more person among them.

Creaking of his chair upon sitting down sounded way louder than it should've. He opted to take his phone out, scouring through a random selection of music to keep things from getting awkward if neither of them kept a conversation. There wasn't a true method of picking tunes, though; he was just trying to occupy himself for a few extra seconds. A pop song with slow, relaxing music was picked at random.

 Brad was thankful Leah didn't understand Spanish once the lyrics came in—because, man, the singer was making some bold declarations.

Tapping against the table gave Brad an excuse to focus on something else.

"Now that it's just the two of us, um, I'd...like to talk to you. About something. It's pretty important, and, erm, I've kind of been holding off on it because I wasn't really sure how you'd react." Leah scratched at the back of her head, looking down at a beige placemat nestled beneath her elbows. "Since we're friends, I think it'd be good to clear the air about certain stuff."

Brad hadn't expected the need for a sit down conversation to be something Leah wanted as well. He'd been considering telling her about his attachment in terms of their blood singer bond. Not to frighten her or make her think he expected something—he just wanted to be honest about the new developments happening in his life. Especially if those details gave exposition on his actions if he ever started acting strange without warning.

Leah was a nice girl. She gave her concrete attention whenever Brad spoke, and she didn't shy away from his striking temperature when they met for an occasional hug. It was usually easy to spend time with her.

But for some reason, right now, tension lingered around them.

Brad could only assume Leah's topic of conversation was just as important as his.

Nudging two of his fingers, he gave her permission to speak.

"I've never gone through something like this before, so I'm not really sure how to go about explaining it."

"Just say whatever you have to. I'll listen."

Leah took a glance upward. When their eyes met, dark brown peering into sparkling gold, neither of them could look away.

"...Did you feel it too? That night we first met- when we made eye contact. How it was like the entire world melted away for a second."

"I did."

Her tense shoulders lowered. "Well, that happened for me because I...imprinted on you. It isn't something I meant to do. It isn't something I can control. It's kind of a spiritual connection that happens in the Quileute tribe's wolves with...people who are supposed to be their soulmates."

Aside from a faint uptick of his eyebrow, Brad didn't react.

Leah took his silence as a request to continue.

"Imprinting isn't really a common occurrence, but it has happened to a few of us. I first saw it happen with Sam. He and I used to date back before he first shifted. Then, after he did, he imprinted on Emily, and we broke up. After that happened, I only really saw imprinting as a sort of curse. Something that brought misfortune instead of happiness. Because the loving relationship I was in was torn apart by the hands of an otherworldly bond.

"That changed, though, when Paul imprinted on Marshall.

"I don't know if they've told you about their connection yet. If not, then, yeah, they're so attached to each other because of their bond. Not just from Paul imprinting- it's also because Marshall's vampirism accepted and reciprocated it, tying them together in a way...most of us can't really fathom because of how intense their love for each other is.

"Paul was open about the imprint from the very beginning. They decided to take things slow because they didn't want something like divine intervention or fate to be the reason they got together. If they were going to pursue a relationship, they wanted to do it on their own terms. An unfortunate turn happened during their first date, and it ended up leading to Marshall sharing his darkest secrets about himself. When Paul accepted them, and Marshall as a whole, they realized they actually were meant for each other. 

"I didn't really get their connection at first because a wolf has never imprinted on a vampire before. And because wolves and vampires are natural enemies, I never thought they were going to last. But look at them now: they were able to turn the towns' resident playboys into faithful, caring, affectionate husbands. They're so devoted to each other, it's actually kind of crazy."

So Paul imprinted on Marshall? And Marshall did the vampire's equivalent of the same? 

That explained a lot.

Marshall had always been a no dating, no strings attached, no feelings type of guy. 

Having Paul show up and seeing them get together after only a couple of months was super unexpected at the time.

Of course, Brad always accepted their relationship. He just never realized what made everything change.

Did that mean...

"Since you imprinted on me, does that mean we're going to end up together like that? Where our relationship is going to continue to grow until we make the move of becoming something more? Do all imprints end up romantically?"

Leah's eyes narrowed, her mind searching for any appropriate answers to give. "From the imprint bonds I've witnessed, as long as both people are of age, they always end up getting together. The universe doesn't just gift you a soulmate with the intention of keeping you as friends."

Brad chose not to voice his disagreement with that statement.

Maybe later, when they'd had time to further digest everything.

"I'm not telling you this because I want to force you into anything, Brad. We might be friends, but we haven't known each other long. Besides, you just got out of a relationship. I know things were bitter at the end. Still, it just feels like we'd be moving way too fast. I didn't know your ex or the type of connection you guys had. Either way, I want to respect it. To give you time to...figure things out before we try to do anything."

"Well, if we're airing things out..." Brad turned in his chair to face Leah completely. "We're connected in more ways than one. You have a really unique scent in comparison to everyone else. Marshall told me it's because your type of blood is designed to bring me closer to you. He said he shares that bond with Paul too- and I'm kind of wondering if that's another layer as to why they're so drawn to each other. 

"On top of that, like I said, I had that world-fading-away little moment too the night we met. You had all my attention, and I ended up having this really strong need to keep you around. To be near you. I could tell you didn't want to leave when me and Marsh had to have that talk. And to be fair, I didn't want you to leave either. I just knew mine and Marsh's conversation had to happen right then and there. He's explained a lot of things to me since then. About vampires and the tribe."

Leah tilted her head to the side in confusion. "But he never told you about imprinting? Like, at all?"

"No. He never even said anything about his bond with Paul. He didn't feel like it was his place to bring it up. Considering what you've said, I kind of agree. When Marsh comes back, I should probably thank him. I'm assuming he wanted to give both of us a chance to explain ourselves."

That, and Marshall was sparing his friend the headache of having so much information given to him at once.

Brad really had gone through a lot of life altering changes.

There was still one he had to address for the sake of setting a boundary, though.

"In terms of my relationship with my ex, you don't need to worry about that. If it's weird to you, I get it. But don't let our old ties be the only reason you think you shouldn't follow your heart. My ex and I stopped being compatible ages before we ended things. It just took her becoming a vampire to realize how broken our relationship actually was. We kind of dated because, well, we were both single and wanted someone to spend time with. I never loved her. She never loved me. And to be completely open, even if I hadn't killed her to protect Marsh- even if we were never turned into vampires, Yasmine and I would've never stayed together. We'd been on track for a breakup for a long time. It just didn't happen because neither of us cared enough to pull the plug."

A spike of courage gave Brad the push to take hold of Leah's hand. He traced his fingers over her skin for the simple pleasure of feeling her warmth against him.

"So, yeah: my ex is gone, our relationship is over, and I have no connections to her whatsoever. That being the case- you're right. We haven't known each other long. We haven't been friends for very long either. I don't think I'd be fit to get into a relationship with anyone until I've been able to really get used to being a vampire. Until I'm able to really feel like me again. But that doesn't mean I'm rejecting you. Or the imprint.

"I like you, Leah. I think you're really pretty. Spending time with you is really nice. If we ever did get together, I wouldn't be upset. It's just not the right time."

Rather than showing any inclination of being upset, Leah actually sighed in relief. She sandwiched Brad's hand between hers, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. 

"It isn't the right time. Still, I'm glad we've been able to get this all out, at least. I appreciate you listening to me. For not freaking out."

"Same here."

Brad put forward an uneven smile. His eyes scrunched at the corners, pointing to his happiness being completely genuine. He continued to appreciate the warm heat wrapping itself around his hand. 

Only when he interlaced his fingers with the source did he realize what was going on.

Chuckling, he nodded in the direction of the kitchen. "So. I'm assuming the guys are going to order takeout when they get back. It'll probably be a few hours until then. Are you hungry? I can make you something to go with Em's cookies."

Intrigued, Leah sat up straight. "Only if it's not a bother."

"For you? Never."