His Obsession

“You know he likes you like a sister.” Felissia told Talisa. Her granddaughter scowled and crossed her arms in front of her.

“No matter how much you want otherwise, honey, he’s going to only care for you that way.”

“But maybe if—” Talisa began and her grandmother shook her head. The young lady sat down on her bed beside of Felissia.

“It sucks.” Talisa told her grandmother and winced. “And Chase? He likes Chase ?! After all he’s gone through, he likes a bounty hunting werewolf.”

“Yes, a werewolf mercenary who was hired to capture and successfully took him back to the people who hurt him.” Felissia replied and continued before Talisa could interrupt. “ But Puck forgave him for it and strangely enough I think it did him some good.”

“Did him some good ?!” Talisa exclaimed. “Those bastards completely destroyed Puck and Chase took him back to them. How could Puck save Chase’s life after he did that?”

“Because he’s just that type of person I suppose.” Felissia sighed. “He’s a better person than I. If I had that happen to me, I would have left Chase to die.”

“Yeah me too.” Talisa confessed. “And I think you’re right, that whole thing did do Puck some good. Did you see his impersonation of a big fluffy cloud?”

“He discovered his unique ability?” Felissia exclaimed and her granddaughter nodded.

“Nora hates it but I’m happy for Puck.”

“Me too. At least now if he gets into fight, Puck can escape without getting a scratch.” the vampire sighed. “You know he doesn’t drink enough blood to heal himself sufficiently. When he came home last week covered in all those bruises…”

“It scared me too.” Talisa confessed. “I always thought the rapid healing was something a vampire just did. That one time an ogre hit you over the head with a bottle, the gash healed in less than a minute.”

“I knock back a pint of straight blood around twice a day.” Felissia told her. “Puck has around half a pint in a single day and I can’t slip him anymore without him detecting it.”

“And trust me, I tried.” she confessed to her granddaughter with a wince. “Remember the day after the fight with Jiang when Puck locked himself in the bathroom?”

“Yeah, he was throwing up loud enough I could hear him through the door.” Talisa replied. “You said he had some bad Cream of broccoli soup.”

“I tried to give Puck more blood to help heal and it didn’t work. The Voices even tried to help him keep it down-- and I know they did because I saw the slight blankness to his eyes he gets when they help. But after three spoonfuls, the taste got to him. He was up and in the bathroom ‘fore I could say ‘Something wrong?’”

It was just then that Chase knocked on the frame of the open door and stuck his head in. The werewolf scanned the room and sighed when he didn’t find what he was looking for.

“Damnit, I thought he’d be up here with you.” he swore. “Shit!”

Chase leaned back out of the room and yelled down the hall to Porter, “Puck’s not here either.”

“He told me he was going back to his room while Talisa and I talked.” Felissia said as she stood. “He’s not with you?”

Chase hunched down on himself and responded in a tiny voice, “It’s not my fault.”

“He’s not?!” Talisa screamed jumping to her feet. Her grandmother put a hand on her shoulder.

“What happened?” the vampire calmly asked.

“Before I say anything, promise you won’t be pissed at Porter.” Chase replied.

“What the hell did Porter do to Puck!” Talisa demanded shrilly and the werewolf winced.

“It wasn’t what he did, it was what he was thinking about doing.”

“What was Mr Smith planning on doing?” Felissia asked evenly contrasting her granddaughter’s fury.

“Some sort of curse.” Chase said in a tiny voice. He rushed to defend his friend, “He wasn’t really going to go through with it but he already bought the black thorn vines—”

“He what?!” Talisa screeched and Chase hunched down further into himself. “Do you even know where those vines come from and why the thorns are black? I’ll tell you why, they grow on graves! And not just any graves, a murderers! That’s why they’re used for curses!”

“Shit, he left!” Porter shouted as he came up the hall. Before Talisa could begin tearing into the sorcerer, her grandmother tightened the hand on her shoulder.

“We have more important things to do with our time than to yell and place blame.” Felissia said. “What’s important is we find Puck before, say, Kyriak or one of his malicious bunch stumbles upon him.”

“By now Spartacus knows Puck’s left his place and I’m probably not the only merc whose number he has.” Chase added. “Any ideas where Puck could have gone?”

“He could have gone off to St. Mercy’s to help one of the Voices.” Talisa replied and then frowned. “But Puck usually warns us when he does that.”

“Porter, I assume you still have that tracking crystal.” Felissia said and the boy nodded. “Good, you go check the hospital.”

“I’ll go check the place I found him.” Talisa told everyone. “He might have decided to go back since someone made him feel he wasn’t wanted.”

“Where can I check?” Chase inquired as both Talisa and Porter went to search their respective areas. “There another place Puck could have run off to?”

Felissia thought for a long tense filled moment. If he didn’t go to the hospital to help someone and he didn’t go back to the woods, where would Puck go? Where would he go to think or feel safe? What place would do that?

Inspiration came in a flash of brilliant clarity. It was a place that was close enough that Puck’s daytime somnolence wouldn’t be a problem. He would feel calm there, it would be a happy place for him to be, especially after Porter’s actions.

“Try the cemetery.” Felissia told him. “There’s a good chance Puck’s there.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because that’s the resting place of Maeve Durant, Puck’s twin.”
************************

The Enduring Repose Polyandrium was a cemetery for those with money to throw around despite being dead. A gold plated obelisk with the name of a once famous actor on its sides stood in the middle overlooking the hallowed grounds. Gothic statuettes of bone white marble were scattered around ornate granite tombstones and vast mausoleums.

Maeve Durant’s gravestone sat beneath a tree with beautiful red and orange leaves. The stone was a glossy pale gray, speckled with white glitter. Her name was written in a flowing script with her date of birth and the moment of her untimely death. At her right sat an identical marker with the name of her brother.

Chase lovingly traced each neat letter of Mikel Durant’s name, the day of his birth and the sad day when everything changed. He wondered what kind of man he was before becoming Puck. Before all the screaming and pain began. He sat down before the two stones and the flowers that lay between.

“She wanted to become a model” came a familiar tired voice from beneath the shadow of the tree. “And he wanted to be a scholar.”

Chase rose up and sat down beside of Puck out of the sun beneath the tree. Both of them gazed at the final resting place of Maeve Durant.

“You would have like to have met his sister.” Puck told him. “She was cheerful and adventurous. Unafraid, strong.”

The werewolf put his arm around Puck without a word. The vampire laid his head on Chase’s shoulder and they were silent for a moment.

“Maeve held out for so long after— ” he began to tremble. “After, they— ”

“After Mikel died.”

“Yes.” Puck told him. “Puck was born in St. Mercy’s when Maeve was hurt. Puck wishes he could have helped Mikel’s twin sooner. Maybe then she would have— ”

Chase felt tears begin to wet his shirt where Puck’s head lay.

“There wasn’t anything you could have done.” he told the vampire. “It’s a miracle she hung for as long as she did.”

“Six months.” Puck said solemnly. “She waited to see Puck for six months. To speak with Mikel.”

“She wanted to say goodbye.”

“Mikel didn’t want her to say goodbye!” Puck screamed shoving Chase away from him. He leapt to his feet and shouted, “Mikel needed her to stay!”

Tears were streaming down his cheeks in rivers of pain. Puck wiped the trail away harshly, leaving tiny score of red across his cheeks.

“Without her, what is Mikel to do?” the vampire demanded. “What does Puck have to live for without her? Nobody except the Voices need Puck and they’re fucking dead !”

Puck fell to his knees and broke down into tears.

“They’re all dead. Everyone who wants Puck are dead.” he whimpered. Chase crawled to his side and put his arms around him.

“I’m not dead.” the werewolf told him as he rose and went to Puck’s side.. “I’m alive thanks to you.”

“Chase Puppy— ”

Listen to him, the Voices told Puck.

“And Felissia and Talisa are alive.” Chase chuckled. “They’re worried sick about you and want you to come home.”

“Witchy Poo doesn’t need Puck around her.” he argued. “Puck is in the way of Porter and Witchy Poo.”

“Witchy Poo is an adult and can make that choice on her own.”

“But what about Porter? Puck doesn’t want to hurt Porter and being around Witchy Poo— ”

“Porter needs to take out that stick up his ass and get beaten with it.” Chase snapped. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Puck, most of his problems isn’t with you.”

“What’s wrong with Porter, maybe Puck can help.” he said. “Puck helps Voices, he can help Porter too.”

The werewolf playfully ruffled his hair, “Let’s see, there’s that jealousy he has. That’s the main problem but there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Okay…”

“Then there’s the whole his god brother almost bit the dust and he was helpless to prevent it or even allowed to help.”

“Porter has a god brother?”

“Me sweetie.”

Porter’s parents were Chase’s god parents and Chase’s parents were Porter’s god parents, the Voices explained. They’ve literally known one another since they were in diapers.

“And right now, Talisa’s pissed at him because he made you run off.” Chase told him. “And Porter knows he fucked up big time, not only in regards to your feelings but his selection of ingredients.”

Black thorn vines are a plant that is grown with bad intent and fed corrupt materials. a few of the Voices explained.

Everything about them is dark and evil. Not something any good little sorcerer should be near. We told you about the vines to warn you and explain why we had to scare Porter.

You didn’t want me hurt, Puck replied.

You’re special to more than just us.

Puck shuddered and huddled closer to Chase, who in turned held him tighter against him.

“Puppy?”

“Yeah Puck.”

“Can you keep all the evils away?” he asked in a tiny voice. “Make sure they don’t get Puck and hurt him again?”

“I swear I’ll protect you and tear anyone apart with my bare teeth that so much as thinks about touching you.”

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s Kyriak” Chase growled and Puck flinched at the name.

“–His bitch sister or that fucking wanna-be drag queen, Sin.” Chase snarled and again Puck started, this time at the fury in the werewolf’s tone. “I will feast on their hearts and piss on the rest.”

Such devotion, a group of Voices exclaimed.

It’s a gory declaration of love, another group informed Puck.

Hideous and sweet all at the same time, don’t you feel wanted.

Feel the love!

“Wow.” Puck said quietly.

Chase heard a slight waver in the vampire’s voice and was horrified that he might have scared Puck with his adamant vow. He let his feelings and animal instincts color his words but he couldn’t feel ashamed about the threats. He meant every word.

“Puck can’t help but feel rea–lly protected.”

Chase relaxed visibly and replied with a smile, “I’m glad. It wasn’t my intention to scare you.”

“Puppy doesn’t scare Puck.”

“Because I’m your dog?”

Puck laughed, “Yes, because Chase is Puck’s Puppy.”

The werewolf gave him a peck on the cheek which made the vampire blush. Chase laughed and kissed him again on the cheek then once more Puck’s cheeks turned pink.

“Puppy quit giving Puck kisses.” the vampire giggled as Chase swooped in for another kiss, this time on the nose. He went to push the werewolf away but was prevented and received a lick for his defiance.

Puck squealed and vehemently wiped at his cheek while Chase rolled on his back laughing. Then before the vampire knew it, his friend quickly sat up and jerked him down across him.

Green eyes stared into brown and then tentatively Chase leaned up and licked the tip of Puck’s nose.

“Would you quit that!” Puck screamed with a laugh rubbing at his nose. “Seriously! Puck doesn’t like it.”

Chase laid there for a moment with a smile and then inquired as he sat up, closing the gap between them.

“Then would you prefer I did this ?”

He touched his lips to Puck’s own and the laughter between them died, rising as a new emotion. Phoenix like flames of warmth licked at Puck’s cheeks as Chase’s eyes closed and a inquisitive tongue solicited entrance.

Chase didn’t push the issue when he was understandably denied a deeper kiss and he kept the kiss chaste and comfortably safe. Puck however, was curious and mimicked the werewolf’s wanderings.

Chase’s eyes snapped open when he felt an innocent probe at his lips. Cracking his mouth open, he sent his own tongue out to quickly greet Puck’s, causing the vampire to gasp but not draw away. Chase’s kiss left Puck’s lips and seared a path down his neck, shivers following in their wake.

Woohooo, pass the popcorn! the Voices exclaimed.

“Chase.” Puck gasped reaching up and holding his head gently. His fingers softly scratched at the werewolf’s scalp, sliding through his shaggy hair. Chase buried his face against Puck’s throat and licked at the skin there.

“Chase!” Puck cried. “Cemetery, Voices are watching. Not the place— ”

“Don’t care.” Chase growled. His animal needs were short circuiting his human side and all he could think of was: Mine, must have, need to claim!

“Puck cares.”

You might want to take this ‘romp’ elsewhere, that Blaine guy from the funeral is coming toward you. The Voices informed Puck.

Puck pulled Chase’s face away and held it up so they were eye to eye. He saw a cloud of bestial lust clouding his gaze and shivered at its intensity and knew deep down it was centered on him.

“Puck and Puppy are going to be found and the Voices say that’s bad.” the vampire told him. “Time to go home?”

Chase nipped at Puck’s fingers and the vampire took it as a yes. He held the werewolf close as the Voices commanded.

Into the mists with ye!

The cloud of mist soared away as Maeve’s former boyfriend came bearing white lilies and a girl on his arm.