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The sun was just climbing into the horizon when Sebastian reached the marker. The fog makes the taller trees seem almost invisible and Seb can’t help but smile a little. If this keeps up it will surely make things more.. interesting. He took off his gloves and placed his hand on the nearest trunk keeping his touch light, just enough for his scent to linger. He checks his watch and looks at his map again. About three more hours.
When Seb first found out that Kimi is a vampire his questions were as endless as the sky above ranging from “What the actual fuck?!” to the more sensible “But you can walk in daylight?” to his best one yet “How long have you been 17?” in his best passive impression. Kimi was uncomfortable to discuss it at first. He was never one to reveal much in normal circumstances but over time and Sebastian’s relentless curiosity, he acquiesced. “Yes, I can walk in daylight” and “No Seb, you know I don’t sleep in coffins” and “I hate garlic because it tastes gross not because it actually hurts me” he says when Sebastian accidentally poured a shaker’s worth of toasted garlic in Kimi’s salad.
They were home in Switzerland for the summer break when Sebastian discovered it, this time truly by accident. He was tending to their garden when he noticed Kimi looking at him. The orange glow of the sunset was reflected in his obsidian eyes. He needs to feed. Seb dropped the shears, smiling mischievously at him before running to the back of the house. He doesn’t know what made him do it, knowing full well that Kimi would be on him in just seconds. They eventually ended up on the living room floor, Sebastian breathing deeply from running around. Kimi was looking down at him with an unusual expression on his face and he can’t help but trace his fingers on the crease between his brows and down his crooked nose. A reassurance that this is okay. He moves his head to the side, baring his neck. “I told you, I like it when you bite me.” Sebastian says softly. The tension between them is suffocating now, something that hasn’t happened when they did this before. He knows there is more to it than just plain hunger but also that now is not the right time to ask about it. Kimi leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the base of his neck before he felt the familiar sharp jab on his skin. The intensity caught him totally off guard, like a solid punch to the solar plexus. He was gasping, shaking, but the pressure on his neck only strengthened until he surrendered to it and everything turned to black.
When he woke up later that night, Kimi was lying beside him on the bed. He carefully placed his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, rubbing soft circles near the bruised skin. The silence stretched on for quite some time before Kimi spoke. He admitted that although he’s never had problems before with his partners and his needs, there has always been something that’s missing. Something that he couldn’t entirely explain in words. Not until he met Sebastian. Only then did he understand what it was. The primal need to hunt. The craving for that thrill second only to the ever present desire for blood. Despite his mortality, Sebastian has always challenged him, not only in racing but also every aspect of their shared lives. The emptiness that that craving created within him has left him wanting to consume every inch of Sebastian that he can get and sometimes, like this afternoon, he’s afraid that he might. Another stretch of silence and then Seb took Kimi’s hand from his shoulder and kissed his fingers lightly, taking this for what Kimi is offering, an apology and a way out.
A week later, Kimi came home from a meeting to an empty house. He was about to run upstairs, afraid that Sebastian has left him when he noticed the envelope on the side table. Inside he found a plane ticket, a USB and a folded up note. He plugged the stick to his laptop and opened the only file titled “The Chase”. There were photos of caves, maps, even weather forecasts and so much more. He picked up the note and couldn’t help the shiver that runs through his body at the three words Sebastian has written. “Come find me.”
There are not many places in America that he would want to visit but Kimi has always wanted to see the woods of the Pacific Northwest. The expanse of woodland is everything they need for this. Upon hitting the divergence of paths on Squak Mountain, Seb decided to stop first and get his bearings. The sky was overcast and the barks on this side of the forest are slowly turning white as autumn draws to a close. He adjusts his backpack, careful not to dislodge the big, round patch attached to his jacket. Clever invention is what it is. Able to mask the scent of whatever it is attached to. It’s become very popular for hikers who don’t want a chance encounter with bears, wolves or in Sebastian’s case, a whole ‘nother predator.
He was already trudging uphill to Juniper when he was startled by a flock of birds taking up to the sky. A few seconds later, he can hear something scurrying out from a fallen log a few feet from him. A small elk emerged and stared directly at him before running away. For the same biological reason, the animals can always sense it too. Kimi is on the move. He crouched behind trailside ferns, eyes scanning for any sign of movement. If he makes it to the clearing, he can definitely use that to his advantage. He gets up, walks slowly, trying to be light on his feet. He wouldn’t be caught again because of damned footprints like last time.
The lake was even more beautiful than the photos Kimi has showed him. The water is calm, almost black in the daylight and surrounded by towering pine trees on all sides. The harsh outline of the mountain can be seen from where he’s standing, the top already covered in frost. It took Sebastian’s breath away and he couldn’t help but take out his phone and snap a few photos.
He didn’t know how long he was walking, content to follow a trail of wildflowers lining the shoreline when he felt it. Like ice crawling up his spine. He whirls around, eyes towards a cluster of trees. Walking backwards, he scans the ground for movement. A sudden flash of black caught his eye, still a little too far. Heart racing, he ran in the other direction uncaring anymore about being quiet. Too slow, he could see Kimi now running parallel to him. No he wanted to scream, trying to push his feet to run faster. He was almost on the edge where the shoreline meets another path to a wooden bridge when Kimi slams behind him, knocking the breath from his lungs. They lay there for a moment, Kimi a solid weight on top of him. He was nuzzling Sebastian’s neck, breathing him in. “Hell-o.” he sing-songs. Annoyed, the German still tried to wriggle himself free but to no use. Kimi was laughing behind him, the bastard. He let up, pulling Seb to a sitting position and wrapping his arms around him. The ground was littered with dried maple leaves, the air smelling of soil and cedar. Everything was magnified including the tranquility of the moment. Seb was about to tug his scarf loose when he felt Kimi still his hands. “No. I just want to see this with you.”
“What gave me away this time?” Sebastian asks as they crossed the bridge, their fingers bumping with every step. “Do you honestly think I can be kept from you for long?” Kimi replies with a wink and Seb laughs at that, blush appearing high on his cheeks. “No, you have to tell me so I can do better next time!” he protests. “I don’t know, maybe because I can see that hideous thing on your face from up the mountains.” Kimi retorts. Seb swats him away and laughs, “Well maybe your age is showing. You’re getting slow, old man.” He teases and looked at Kimi who has stopped walking and was looking at him with a devilish smile on his lips. “Old, huh? You won’t be saying that when I catch you this time.” Seb turns to run, his laughter echoing around them. “Well then, get a move on old man!”