His Obsession

“Nice place…” Talisa said distantly as she parked her grandmother’s Chevy in the parking lot of Chase’s apartment building. In the back seat, Puck yawned and uncurled himself from the tight ball he drew himself in on the drive over.

“Not expecting a ritzy neighborhood, were ya?” Chase unbuckled himself with a quiet laugh and got out of the front passenger seat.

“Actually, I presumed you lived in a trailer park inside one of those travel trailers that you can hook up to a truck.” Talisa shot back as she got out and followed the werewolf inside the chic adobe building with Puck staggering after.

Unlike outside where the environment was thick and humid, inside the building with its glossy black floors the air was perfectly cool. Chase walked confidently up to the guard behind the desk who greeted him by name.

“Haven’t seen you around for awhile, Mr Damien.”

Chase shrugged, “Been laid up for a few —and wouldn’t you know I lost my keys.”

The slender older man shot him a look over his glasses, “That’s the second time in a month.”

“What can I say?” Another shrug from Chase, “The hospital misplaced my pants.”

“More likely one of your one night stands stole’em.” The man muttered sliding the spare to him. “Shall I have maintenance change the locks again?”

Talisa’s snicker was covered by a yawn from Puck. Chase gave her the finger over his shoulder as he took the key.

“It would make me feel safe.”

The guard sighed and picked up the phone hidden on his desk, “I’ll mail your new set to Mr Smith.”

“Thanks!”

Still winded from his silver sickness and concerned for Puck’s lethargic state, Chase led Talisa and the vampire to the elevators and pressed the button for the third floor.

You’re wobbling, the Voices informed Puck.

Sleepy, he replied back. A number of Voices giggled.

Wanted to see your Puppy’s palace, a few Voices said snidely.

Before Puck could respond, Chase shook his shoulder, jolting the vampire’s attention to him.

“You okay there?” the werewolf asked.

“Don’t worry.” Talisa assured him. “It’s just the time of day getting to Puck. Instead of burning him, sunlight just makes him sleepy. Nothing to be anxious about really.”

Yes Chase, this happens everyday when our dearest Puck is out and about, sarcastic Voices added. Puck smiled as the elevator dinged and the doors opened for Chase’s floor.

Immediately when the werewolf opened the door, Puck stumbled into Chase’s bedroom and landed face first onto his bed. He dug himself into the silky green sheets and buried his face into the exact place where Chase always laid his head.

“Puck, get up!” Talisa scolded when her friend began to drift off to sleep. “You don’t sleep in other people’s bed.”

“Puck slept in Witchy Poo’s before he got his own.” He mumbled. “And Witchy Poo has—”

“Okay, correction: You don’t sleep in other people’s beds without permission.”

“He can crash out there.” Chase told with a chuckle. “Puck looks nice in my bed—I mean from an aesthetic point of view.”

Talisa didn’t say anything but gave him a rather threatening look. A giggle floated out from Chase’s room and the werewolf just knew it wasn’t Puck who was laughing.

“Uh— want some coffee?” Chase asked Talisa. She crossed her arms beneath her breasts still wearing the same mildly annoyed nasty look as before.

“I’ll just go grab my duffel bag from the closet and start packing.”

“You go and do that.”

Chase ducked into his room under the hawk like gaze of Talisa Firerose wondering when he became like a chastised puppy around the witch. He pulled down the old army duffel that was one of the only things he had left of his biological father and began shoving clothes inside.

“Don’t forget to pack underwear.” The Voices sang from Puck’s lips. A startled glance behind him found one of the vampire’s eyes open and peeking up at him. The Voices gave him a toothy grin.

“Do you always do that when he sleeps?” Chase demanded. He pulled out and crammed three spare sets of boxers inside the bag.

“No, why would you think that?”

“I just find it suspicious that Puck gets tired and then out you guys come.” He replied. “This is the second time you guys chatted me up while he was asleep.”

“We merely wanted to be helpful.”

“You’re not my mother~.”

The Voices smiled darkly, “And how do you know one of us isn’t?”

Chase glared at them over his shoulder, “Because I’m pretty certain my mother wouldn’t be giving me a devious look right now.”

“You’re right.” The Voices said trying to laugh. Their different pulls on the single body made Puck’s vocal muscles spasm and cut their laughter into a single short bark. The Voices cleared their shared throat.

“But at one time she was.” They revealed.

Chase stopped packing and turned to look at the Voices. They flashed him another uncharacteristic grin and both of Puck’s eyes opened.

“Really Chase, you didn’t just forget Puck’s vow now did you”

“I remember it.” The werewolf said sourly. He heard Talisa prowling through his kitchen cabinets. “He takes care of the stuff you can’t and I said I’d help.”

“Good boy,” the Voices cooed “Your first mission is to return to where you and your friend became orphans. Puck can take care of the rest.”

“What—or should I say who is there?”

“Relax Leader-chan, it’s all bueno.”

Chase shot the Voices another scathing look, “You guys really like to fuck around with people.”

Puck’s eyes closed, “We weren’t. That was all Jirou and Medina.”

His angry look turned to shock, “They’re still here?”

“They’re not moving on until funeral.” Puck yawned. Chase could tell it was the vampire from the innocent tone that was lacking when the Voices used him. Puck grabbed the werewolf’s favorite pillow and hugged it to himself.

“They’re saying something about their spirits floating up with their bodies to the Goddess. Puck doesn’t understand but so long as they’re content, Puck’s happy.”

Chase is going to help you with someone who’s been waiting for your help, The Voices told him.

He is? Puck inquired.

Yes, you’ll go in a day or so. There’s no rush.

Puck is going to be at Medina and Jirou’s funeral at that time.

It’s in the same area, The Voices told him. Chase knows where, he can take you right where you need to be.

“Puck wants vacation pay for this.” He muttered. “And a bonus!”

“I don’t think the dead offer paychecks to their ‘employees’” Chase commented with a smirk as he resumed packing.

Fine, ‘Getting cats to love you for dummies’ and a judo lesson.

Three judo lessons, Puck haggled.

Deal, the Voices replied and Puck smiled as he fell asleep.
************************

Felissia looked at the odd scene within her car with her hands on her hips. She pursed her lips as Chase stifled a giggle behind her.

“He wouldn’t leave without them.” Talisa explained. Her grandmother sighed and rubbed at her temples.

“They’re Puck’s now.” The vampire told them from the backseat. “He wanted them, Puppy said he could have them and so Puck brought them.”

In the floor, a round plastic container of Folgers coffee sat next to a coffee maker stuffed with filters. Two bottles of Guinness kept an open bag of Cheetos upright and secure from spilling onto a pair of denim shorts and a flannel shirt. Puck lay wrapped in Chase’s emerald green silk sheets, clutching Chase’s over-sized pillow and a small black wolf plush toy with green eyes to his chest.

“Pray tell, why did you feel you needed all this stuff?” Felissia asked calmly. Puck smiled brightly and held out the plush toy.

“It’s a Mini Puppy!” he exclaimed. Felissia turned to Chase with a mild look.

“He’s so cute when he’s happy.” The werewolf replied trying not to grin. Talisa snorted as her grandmother turned back to Puck.

“You are aware there already is a coffee machine and that exact brand of coffee grounds in the kitchen?”

“Puck’s now.”

“And you don’t drink beer, or have beer laced food.” Felissia told him. “Nor do you eat Cheetos and those clothes are too big for you to wear.”

“Puck’s now.”

The older vampire sighed, “Give Chase back his things. The bedding and toy you can keep but the rest you don’t need.”

“Chase Puppy told—”

“Puck.” She said him wearily. Talisa smiled as she an idea popped into her head.

“Y’know I think Nora would love to see the new stuff you got Puck.” The vampire in the car’s expression turned fearful. Talisa took a step toward the pub.

“Let me go get her. You know how much she loves you and your stuff.”

“No!” Puck screamed gripping the sheets, pillow and toy tighter to him as he were protecting it from just the threat of Nora’s name.

“What’s with him and Talisa’s cat?” Chase whispered to Felissia as Talisa leaned down into the car and said a few more quiet words to Puck.

“Familiar.” Felissia corrected. “Nora is from a long line of familiar cats that have belonged to the Firerose family for generations. Talisa’s current familiar is a direct descendant of one of her father’s cats.”

“Okay so Nora has papers, but that doesn’t explain why Puck is obviously scared of her.” Chase replied and Felissia chuckled.

“Since they first met, Nora’s been attacking Puck and gleefully destroying his belongings even though the boy tries so hard to get her to like him.” She told him. “But it’ll never happen. One of the quirks of the line is they hate everyone except their chosen owner.”

“Ah-h.” Chase said with a nod. “Sounds like Nora’s a bitch.”

“That’s funny coming from a werewolf.”

“No, what’s funny is a guy who deals with ghosts and survived three of the baddest vampires out there is being terrorized by a dinky kitten.”

The dinky kitten went for Chase’s throat when they were introduced twenty minutes later. Talisa couldn’t stop laughing long enough to pry Nora’s dainty little teeth from the arm the werewolf threw out when he sensed the attack. He had to deal with a growling angry mass of black fur attached to him until Puck was done hiding his new acquisitions and came upstairs. Nora then immediately leapt for the vampire’s throat but he just as quickly displayed his new talent of turning into mist and slithered out of the room with Chase hot on his tail.

“Bad Nora-kitty!” Puck’s muffled voice came from the creeping mist. Both of them heard her hiss and spit at them.

Chase watched amazed as the cloud of white condense air floated up and reformed into Puck shaking his fist at Talisa’a closed door.

“Puck is never making you toys again!”

There was a loud thump that startled Puck into racing down the hallways, down the stairs into the pub and down into the safety of his room. Chase followed the vampire at a sedate pace, listening amused as Nora growled and angrily clawing at the door. As the werewolf reached the stairs, Talisa was heard coaxing her familiar away from her battered entrance way.

“I’m certainly glad Porter’s cat isn’t like Firerose’s.” Chase commented as he came down the stairs into Puck’s room. He found the vampire at his craft desk concentrating intensely on sewing two skins together.

“He’s has a familiar too?”

Chase snorted, “Oh he wants him to be one. But I’m afraid Talisin Avalon Morfrain is just a regular orange tabby my friend picked up at the pound.”

“Puck wants to meet Porter’s Tam kitty.”

“You wanna meet fuzzy butt?” the werewolf asked sitting down and lounging in the bed. “Puck, he’s just a normal fat ass cat. He isn’t descended from sixteen generations of inbred familiars like Nora.”

“Puck still wants to meet Tam kitty. He wants to know if Tam likes toys and if he will play with Puck.”

“He’s a year old.” Chase replied sourly. “He probably will still play with anything you stick in front of him.”

Stitch smaller Puck, the Voices told him. He nodded and shortened his stitches before turning his attention back to Chase.

“Is Porter coming with everyone when you go home?”

“Yup. If you couldn’t tell, Porter really likes Talisa and wouldn’t miss any chance to be with her.”

Porter likes Witchy Poo? Puck asked the Voices.

Yes, they giggled. But the poor boy isn’t given the time of day.

Why not?

Because Talisa likes you.

Puck smiled, Puck likes Talisa too. She’s nice and smells nice and brought Puck home with her and—

Wrong type of like, Puck. The Voices informed him. You like her as a friend, she likes you in another way.

“Puck doesn’t understand all these different likes.” He sighed. Chase smirked.

“So you finally noticed Firerose has a crush on you, huh.”

“Why does Witchy Poo have crush on Puck and not Porter who has crush on her?” The vampire put down his sewing project with another sigh. Chase shrugged but the Voices answered.

You’re her hero. You were the one who saved her from the witch haters who were going to kill her.

Puck does things like that all the time. He saved that girl from killing herself and that one person who got lost in the woods. It’s his job.

You’re also strong and inventive. Not many people with your unique condition could have survived without the guidance of another like them. Even your beloved Felissia Gray had a teacher.

But Puck had the Voices helping. You told Puck to eat the right things and not to go outside. You were the ones to find out Puck could be in the sun and taught him the magic mist trick.

Very true, The Voices replied. But it doesn’t matter to Talisa, it‘s just how she sees you. Your childlike conduct even attracts her. It’s almost fairytale like: The damaged child being transformed into a dashing prince all because of the actions of a brave girl. Then they go off and live happily ever after.

Puck made an awful face that had Chase bursting into laughter.

“Voices tell you something bad?” he asked in between chuckles.

“Fairytale princes are stupid” Puck answered with a pout. “And Puck is not going to be anyone’s dashing prince.”

“Can I be your prince?”

“Huh?” The vampire turned with a start, intense astonishment touching his face.

Chase’s gaze was smoldering as he lifted one hand, and his fingers curled, beckoning Puck to come to him. The werewolf was patient, seeing the uncertainty and fear glittering in the vampire’s eyes and rewarded Puck with a smile when he bravely climbed to his feet. The vampire stood uncertainly at the foot of his bed, frozen in a daze of mixed emotions. The Voices were of no help, any advice scattered by other muffled Voices offering their two cents. Before Puck could change his mind and turn away, Chase quickly sat up and pulled him almost roughly against him.

Confusion yielded quickly to fear as Puck’s body pressed against the tell-tale bulge in Chase’s pants. His first instinct was to lash out and twist out of the arms encircling him. But then Chase shifted, so the evidence of his arousal wasn’t pressed so intimately and pulled Puck’s head down to rest against the corded muscles of his chest.

Chase’s heart beat strongly, a deep bass thump which began to lull the vampire into a more relaxed state. The warm and gentle hand moving along his spine never strayed beyond the small of his back. The werewolf’s arm which rested at his shoulders offered comfort and strength. Puck closed his eyes and was enveloped in tender serenity.

“Puck?”

“Hm?”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“What?”

“Why is it you trust me when you hardly know me?”

Chase heard a soft laugh and felt a smile curl on Puck’s lips as he shrugged.

“Because Puck can see the type of person you truly are.” he replied. “He can sense it, always could.”

“And what do you see?”

“Many things. You tease Porter relentlessly but you are watchful to never go too far. You show a kind nature by tolerating Talisa and showing her respect despite not liking her very much because of Porter‘s feeling. You are gracious with a strong sense of justice and fairness. You give people nicknames.”

“Heh” A grin spread across Chase’s face.

“Puck also noticed you always let other people know plainly what you think of them. If you find someone attractive, you flirt with them. You try get to know them better and try to please them by any means you have. If you notice they are upset, you try to comfort them or fix your mistake that disturbed them.”

“Sorry, I think you have a nice ass.”

“At least you aren’t open to kissing it” Puck replied with an uncomfortable shudder. Chase nuzzled the vampire with his chin and held him tight for an instant.

“Sin right?”

“Puck believes you call him Spartacus.” he said then muttered. “Evil red.”

“Ah Kyriak!” Chase exclaimed and Puck jerked in his arms. “Oops, sorry sweetie.”

You have got to get over that some time, the Voices told him sourly. It’s just a name.

Bad name, Puck cried. Evil red! Hurt Maeve, hurt Mikel.

Guess you need more time, the Voices sighed. We have a great deal of that .

“Since I’m apologizing, guess I should say sorry for kidnapping you and turning you over to those assholes.” Chase said and winced. “Shit, how the hell can you stomach being around me?”

“It’s very easy.” Puck braced himself against Chase’s chest and looked the werewolf in the eye “Chase is a good Puppy.”

“You’re a real sweetheart.” the werewolf told him. “You know that right.”

Puck smiled, “So you keep saying.”

Chase cocked his head to the side “Puck?”

Puck mimicked him with a smile, “Yes?”

“Can I kiss you?”

What?! The Voices were in an uproar.

“What?” Puck asked rather breathlessly.

“Can I kiss you?” Chase repeated with a self-deprecating smile.

Puck nervously licked his lips, apprehension gnawing away the warm comfortable feeling inside. The Voices were arguing angrily amongst themselves and fear knotted in his stomach as he realized he could not rely on them for this answer. It was all up to him and the longer he delayed, the more the silence between them stretched with tension.

“Puck?” Chase said softly. He was ready to quickly change the subject with a random joke, however…

“Ok.”

Brief confusion clouded the werewolf’s face before realizing Puck answered his question. Cautiously he reached out and gently pulled Puck down, his lips slowly descending to meet his.

Slow and thoughtful, Chase caressed the lips above his. He held back the animal urge to dominate Puck and take his mouth with savage intensity. Instead it was a kiss for their tired souls to melt into. Chaste, sweet, full of dreamy intimacy.

“Hey Chase, I heard you were hiding down here from Talisa’s cat.” Porter said as he came down into the basement.

Into the mists with ye!

A cloud of mist zipped right into Porter and sped upwards toward the pub upstairs, leaving one baffled sorcerer and one werewolf a combination of annoyed and bemused.