cantilevers | Inbox (Etraya)

[So tense. This was clearly a topic that was uncomfortable for Kirk if he couldn't urge the other man to relax. It only added to his curiosity. Was it as bad as his own fall out with a certain someone?]

And what are you currently working on, hmmm?

[Kirk still welcomes Vander’s touch but talking about Will and Tina may still take a bit]

Reviewing my notes on my artificial plasma. I want to see if I can improve the formula so that I don’t have to drink it as often.

Can you also potentially concentrate and enrich it so that you also don't need to eat as much of it? That means you have more opportunity on missions to make it last longer.

[He knew the plasma was important to Kirk's survival and keeping the other man from having to kill for a meal.]

Have you found anyone you trust to help you try to search out different avenues for a cure?

I’ll have to work out what it would take to enrich and concentrate it. But maybe it’ll work.

[Kirk suspects the project will take some time and that some trial and error will happen]

I’ve talked with Viktor and Jayce about combining our knowledge to help each other. And I’ll need to check in with Yuri again if his world’s magic could help.

It would be worth a try if it could sustain you longer with less. I am curious what the mission coming up will be and if they will send us off world again.

[He knew from working with alchemists that these formulas took time and experimentation. It wasn't fool-proof and there was a cost to innovation. No wonder Kirk spent so much time in the lab.]

What will you do if you do find a cure for your vampirism?

[It’s a question Kirk has thought about before. He answers calmly]

Stay by Hernan’s side as long as he wants me to. I could take on a more supportive background role instead of being a frontlines Justice League member.

[It was the expected answer honestly. His hands continued to massage Kirk's shoulders.]

And if that happens in Etraya? You'll be human like many of us again. I guess there are perks to that like eating more than one kind of meal, sleeping during the night hours if you want and going out in the sun.

[Kirk nods. It would be nice to have even just one of those things again]

Technically, I can be awake during the day and be under sun now but given the sensitivities my body has, it’s best for me to be careful about how much I do it.

[He hummed in agreement.]

We can't have you with a nasty sunburn. You've just said you tend to hunt more at night back home.

Yes. For many reasons, it’s best for me to work in the shadows.

[Though not all of those reasons are related to his body’s sensitivities. Criminals were also easier to hunt whenever it was nighttime]

Even here, if I hunt for deer, it’s best when it’s dawn, dusk, or night.

I assume that's also where you're most comfortable hunting. It's what you were used to back home, so why not here too?

[He made it sound reasonable and friendly. Vander had a lot of friends who were night owls and operated at night. There were a lot of elicit trades that did best when no one was looking after all.]

You know if you're hungry and not feeling it for deer, you can call me, right?

[There’s a slight change in Kirk’s expression. It’s one that seems a bit more shy and more reluctant to look at Vander in the eye]

I know. But I’d rather not use that privilege too much.

[He leaned down, resting his chin on the top of Kirk's head when it seemed the other man was avoiding looking at him. He was undeterred.]

Saving me for those hot dates on missions then. I understand and I'm not offended.

[That manages to get a soft laugh out of Kirk. He nuzzles closer to Vander]

For some, high-stakes missions takes the romance out of dates.

[But given the way Vander reacted to Kirk bruising and biting him…]

Then again, maybe it’s a turn-on for you.

[Vander rumbled a low sound of amusement in return to Kirk. There it was, the nudge towards a better mood.]

Well, I will never claim to not have a high bar for romance. Our first was a bathroom, second in an alley and third when we came back.

[He chuffed, not denying it.]

I like the fangs. They suit you. Of course, not having them will suit you too.

You seem to like me almost regardless of what I have.

[Confusing at times still but mostly welcomed]

That's because I like you, Kirk. You're my friend.

[He did not want to have to spell it out, but he would. More than once if he had to. Kirk needed to hear it, especially if the previous friendship had gone so sour.]

[Kirk nearly sighs. He hasn’t forgotten why Vander is here. The curiosity about his past is still hanging in the air]

I know. You mean a lot to me as a friend too.

Good, that's all that matters to me. That and your safety.

[In the end, he was a protector and he thought that aspects of Kirk needed to be protected, especially if the other man was hurting. He bowed his head and kissed the top of Kirk's crown.]

You know I'll protect you, right?

[Logically, it's rather silly. Vander was non-powered human while Kirk had special abilities that made him rather capable of protecting himself from many physical threats.

But despite having that thought, Kirk welcomes the kiss]

I know. You don't have to. I'm still okay.

[Well, as okay as anyone suffering from vampirism]

[It was silly, but that was the point too. He was invested in their friendship and that meant that all the protections that he extended everyone else went to Kirk as well. He protected in his own way, including keeping Kirk's hunger at bay.

If he was ever called upon to help, he would show up without question. He rested his forearms on Kirk's shoulders in a friendly gesture.]

I know I don't have to, Kirk. I want to. You can call on me for anything, okay? I'll be here for you.

[Kirk takes one of Vander's hands and kisses the back of it with just the barest hint of fang included]

I'll... try.

[No guarantees though. There's a beat as he continues to hold Vander's hand. He suppose he might as well get it over with]

I've mentioned before that I grew up in a small town. Most of the jobs available were manual labor. A lot of people's ideas for a fun time involved sports, church social events, hunting for fun, or whatever crap bored teenagers with a car can think of. So for a bookish and quiet introvert like myself, it was difficult to fit in with anyone. Even my parents were never sure what to do about me. Even now I feel like my father never liked me because I was more interested in the sciences than something more tangible like football or fixing cars.

[He continued to rest his chin on the top of Kirk's head, not wishing for his hand back especially after the hint of fang. Perhaps a warning that Kirk wanted to bite his wrist? No, not at all. His fingers curled to hold Kirk's hand in return when the conversation overturned to the reason he had been invited in the first place.

He listened intently, not entirely being able to relate. Yet, as a father, he actually could. He had the same issue with Powder, though she was dramatically younger by the time Vander left her life. Her interests did not match the other children as much and required special efforts on his part.]

That must have been lonely as a child and maybe even as a teen? Did you have any friends back then?

[Kirk continues to hold Vander's hand as a way to reassure himself and to keep going before he changed his mind again]

Not really. Heh. Though later in my teens, I did have my first girlfriend. It didn't work out but Francie and I stayed friends until we graduated high school. We had different interests and lost touch. Years later and after I transformed, I very briefly came back to my hometown. We talked until her husband decided to pick back up his old hobby of bullying me.

[And Kirk never visited Ellis again after that]

After I graduated high school, I moved out to Gotham. I went from a small town I had nothing in common with to one of the largest cities in the country that could offer me much more opportunities. I was smart enough to attend Gotham University on full scholarship and won plenty of financial aid.

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