(no subject)

[likesthestooges]

Ever since the bookshelf had given Aidan a copy of Leaves of Grass he had been spending most of his free time at home reading it. He had always liked Whitman, finding the man good company and an excellent poet, if a bit misunderstood. Reading his book was a little like reconnecting with the man, something he appreciated on the island. It was like connecting with some of the better parts of his life from before.

He wished that he could have something like that from here if or when he went back. There were more good memories associated with this place in the short time he had been here than there were in almost all the hundreds of years he had lived back on Earth. He'd have to settle for just enjoying it as much as he could while he was here.

Comments

[whatiwant]

"Still like Whitman just fine, I see," Henry remarked as he scaled the porch and caught sight of what Aidan was reading. It had been nearly a century, and he still remembered those days like they'd just happened.

[likesthestooges]

"Still like him just fine," Aidan said with a grin, smiling up at Henry.

His friend seemed to be doing well, adjusting to life on the island. His physical recovery was coming along nicely as well. The scars would likely always be there, but fortunately it wouldn't be easy for Henry to see them. Doubtless his friend had enough reminders of what happened as it was.

[whatiwant]

Henry sunk down into the chair next to Aidan, still not quite used to the reality of his humanity, but he was getting there, gradually. He'd mostly gotten back into the swing of things with eating, at least. And the bright side, at least, was that he seemed to feel much closer to his physical age of 25 than his actual age of over a century. "Have you noticed there seem to be an unusually large number of genuinely nice, helpful people in this place?" he mused, stretching his legs out in front of him. "What are the odds of that happening?"

[likesthestooges]

"I have. It's a nice change of pace."

A lot of times, Aidan didn't feel like he belonged here with all these people. Maybe he wasn't the worst of them, but he wasn't even close to the best of them. A wolf in sheep's clothing, maybe just without the teeth anymore but still not one of them.

"And it's probably not by accident."

[whatiwant]

"Kinda makes you wonder what we're doing here," Henry said, flashing Aidan a wry smile. Henry didn't exactly have remorse about the way he'd lived, except where it concerned the rift he'd torn between himself and Aidan. Being a killer was part of being a vampire, really, in Henry's opinion. He knew Aidan no longer saw it that way, something he was still trying to wrap his mind around.

"And the women, man, shit," he said, shaking his head as he sucked in a slow breath, making an 'o' with his lips. "Is there such a thing as an unattractive woman on this island? Because I sure haven't seen any."

[likesthestooges]

"There... are a high percentage of attractive women," Aidan said with a nod. That was definitely hard not to notice. The percentage of attractive men was pretty damn high as well. Overall there weren't a lot of normal looking people on the island, let alone ones that would be considered unattractive.

"It's a pretty good deal all around."

[whatiwant]

Henry nodded, taking that into consideration. "Yeah, I guess it is, considering the alternative," he agreed. Better a mysterious tropical island with his maker and an abundance of gorgeous women than hung on a hook awaiting whatever fate Mother had in store for him.

"So it seems your luck's been pretty decent with the ladies here," he added casually, hooking his hands together behind his head.

[likesthestooges]

Aidan glanced over at Henry. As casual as the other man was trying to be, he could sense that this wasn't going to be a casual conversation, which was fine. Closing his book, he turned to face Henry a bit more.

"If you have something to say, go ahead and say it."

[whatiwant]

Henry's eyebrows raised slightly. So Aidan was cutting right to the chase, then. Not unexpected. Henry could work with that just fine. "So how many names've you got on your dance card these days, old friend?" he said, giving Aidan a pointed look. "Three, is it? Or are there more I'm missing?"

[likesthestooges]

"I didn't realize you were keeping track," Aidan said.

He shouldn't be surprised that that Henry was, or maybe it was just that obvious to anyone that lived with him. He would have liked to be able to say that it wasn't any of Henry's business, but in a way it was. Considering what Aidan had cautioned him against the last time they had seen each other, it was more than fair.

"But it's just three."

[whatiwant]

"Just three," Henry echoed evenly, pushing his glasses up on his nose with an index finger. He nodded, slowly, like he was considering that. "I guess when none of the women are Suren, that makes it easier to manage."

[likesthestooges]

"They all know I'm not exclusive," Aidan said. The memory of Suren made the back of his neck itch a bit, as if he would turn around and see Mother standing there.

"Two of them know because we've all been together and the other just wants something... uncomplicated for now."

Truth be told, Aidan wasn't sure how much longer that was going to last with Rachel. She might be okay with it and think she wanted that, but he knew that's not what she really wanted or needed. Surprisingly, he was okay with that.

[whatiwant]

"I see," Henry said, still in that same calm, even voice. Eighty years in exile had taught him the lesson of patience Aidan had failed to impart upon his eager and young mind. "So that's working out pretty well for you, then?"

[likesthestooges]

"It's working just fine for now."

Aidan knew this wasn't the sort of thing that could be kept up long term. Nor did he want it to. Living a life of casual sex with multiple partners wasn't something that he wanted. The problem with being madly in love with someone was that once he got over them being gone, he knew he wanted that feeling again.

"For a while here I was... with someone."

[whatiwant]

"Oh?" That was something Aidan hadn't told him before, and Henry sat up slightly, curious. "What happened with that?"

[likesthestooges]

"She was from London. Modern day. She arrived on the island pregnant and we ended up dating," Aidan explained. "I actually delivered her son Alfie. He was... a very beautiful little boy. A few months after that though, one day they were just... gone."

It had torn him up, to lose another family. Even if they had only been together a short time, it was still heart-wrenching to go through. Centuries of experience at it never made it easier, it just gave you the knowledge that eventually it did get better.

[whatiwant]

They had both experienced loss, many times over. It was the price you paid for being immortal. And just because they had to go through it over and over, that didn't mean they ever got used to it.

"I'm sorry, Aidan," he said sincerely. "I know that couldn't have been easy."

[likesthestooges]

"I've... learned that you take your opportunities when you can."

Otherwise, they might end up buried in the ground for 80 years. Or you might have to kill them. Or they just disappeared for several decades. Love and happiness never came without a steep price.

[whatiwant]

That was definitely something Henry could understand, and he nodded. "So is that why you're sticking with casual these days?" he asked. It seemed that way, but he wanted to hear the confirmation from Aidan.

[likesthestooges]

"Casual is... what seems to be the most convenient option right now," Aidan said. Maybe it wasn't the best one in the long term or the most normal one but it seemed to be working so far.

"What about you?"

It was a bit of a loaded question. Aidan wanted to know if she had learned her lesson after 80 years.

[whatiwant]

"Me?" Henry chuckled. "I've only been here a couple months, Aidan. I'm still trying to get used to the fact that I'm human again, that I have to eat real food and breathe air and I can't hear the blood rushing through the veins of someone fifty feet away."

[likesthestooges]

Aidan decided not to mention that it had taken him less than a few months to find someone to hook up with, but that was him and he didn't want Henry to think he was comparing the two of them. That was the last thing he wanted.

"How have you been dealing with being human again?"

[whatiwant]

"I'm managing," said Henry. He knew he probably shouldn't have been complaining about the adjustment, considering Aidan had been a vampire much longer than he had, but it wasn't all that easy. "It's weird, not having the cravings, but it's...not bad, exactly."

[likesthestooges]

"But you'd go back to being a vampire if you had a choice," Aidan said. While Henry wasn't as angry about losing his vampirism as some people might be, he wasn't quite embracing his humanity like Aidan was.

[whatiwant]

"I would," Henry said, without hesitation. "Unlike you, I wasn't trying to get away from it. But I'll manage. Guess I don't really have any other choice, but I've spent enough time being miserable. I don't really want to keep that up here."

[likesthestooges]

He should have been. Aidan took someone with a good life, who could have lived happily, and made their life hell. Henry didn't see it that way, but it was the truth all the same. Henry was a regret of a different sort.

"I hope you find some happiness, Henry, I really do."

[whatiwant]

Many years ago, Henry'd thought he'd found the path to happiness. Turned out, he'd only found part of the answer. The other part had taken him eighty years to discover. "Thanks, Aidan," he replied, and he meant it. "I appreciate that. Who knows, maybe being stuck here and being human will end up good things."

[likesthestooges]

"At least it can't turn out as badly as back home did," Aidan said.

He still hadn't asked exactly what had happened with Henry, but 80 years ago he lost the woman that he loved and his son. That was the second time it had happened to him and it hadn't been any easier than the first.

"We're together again."

[whatiwant]

"That's for damn sure," Henry agreed. Without Mother and Suren around, the possibilities for what could be just seemed a lot better, even with the downside of what they were having to deal with. "And I'm really glad about that. I spent too long in hiding, I'm glad it's over."

[likesthestooges]

"I'm glad it is too," Aidan said. He knew that back home it was far from over, not with the shape he arrived in, but they could take what happiness they could get here.