Arlo James

See what it's like to be a vulture's lunch

Thank god they were nearly finished! Not that it had taken long for the pair to unload that moving truck. Vampiric strength and speed were more than easy to utilise for lifting furniture and carrying boxes. Arlo and Sebastian had managed to unpack those belongings in nearly thirty minutes. A human team surely having taken several hours to do that same amount of work. Arlo kicked that front door open a final time, the man balancing a coffee table in one hand and a box under the other arm. His foot rested agianst the door, holding it open for Sebastian to carry that sofa through, the Englishman having tucked that entire piece of furniture under one arm as he texted on his phone with the other hand. The man having insisted he needed to assure his husband he was hardly going to be out the entire night. It was cute really, the way he worried about Dorian and Dorian worried about him in turn. Vampire or not it was still...nice to have someone care.

"The sofa can go over there, near the armchair, when you're ready, bud. I'll sort the rest of this stuff out tomorrow night. Is Dorian cool with you staying a bit longer or are you going to get grounded for staying out past curfew, eh?"

Arlo's tongue poked easily between his lips in that ready tease. The vampire seeing no harm in ribbing Sebastian a little. It was amusing, after all, to see a vampire be told he had to be home at a certain time. Then again, those nights Abby was expecting him he tended to go well out of his way to make sure he was there on time too, if not early. Abby tended to worry if he was even a few minutes late. God he hated seeing her worried. That overly protective part of him simply...refusing to be the source of any of her unhappiness- if he could help it. It damn well hurt his heart any time she so much as frowned, heaven forbid she got upset, let alone actually cry. Arlo entirely assured he was completely unequipped to handle tears. In the very least they hadn't really had to cross that hurdle yet. Arlo lowered that coffee table to the ground before placing that box onto the polished wooden floor beside it before heading for the fridge he'd had the sense to plug in a few moments after he'd carried it up.

"You wanna beer?"

That very question was all but shouted over his shoulder as he heard Sebastian settle on the couch he'd carried in only moments ago. Arlo reached for one of those cans, tossing it behind him with the ready assurance Sebastian had the reflexes to catch it before taking his own and striding back through his new kitchen and into that open plan living room. Damn but it was nicer than his old place. That real furniture kinda helped in turn. Not that he'd known exactly what to buy. He'd never had the money to buy furniture until now. Most of those pieces he'd collected over the years having been scavenged from curbsides or good will. This was the first time in all his life he'd ever bought things. Arlo having resorted to simply buying entire living room and kitchen sets from magazines if only because it made that whole process a damn sight easier. Maybe his house looked a bit like it was out of a Home and Design catalogue, but hey, it worked right? The Crusnik easily flicked a set of speakers on as he passed, the speakers effortlessly connecting to the bluetooth on his phone to instantly play that playlist as he settled into the arm chair opposite Sebastian's couch- his legs draped over one arm, his back resting agianst the other in exactly the sort of way a chair was not supposed to be sat in and Arlo was inclined to find comfortable. His fingers easily began to tap the beat to that song near instinctively against the chair arm. His blue gaze shifted to his coven leader and best friend then.

"So, what do you think of the place?"

That spacious, classy, two-storey townhouse was nothing short of a significant step up from the dive of an apartment he'd lived in before. Hell, the windows in this place even worked. Arlo mostly sure that alone was a bonus and yet, somehow, Sebastian's opinion, like Abby's, mattered to him. Sebastian had taste after all- or at least, Arlo was mostly sure he did. He was the Prince of Italy- and British for that matter. British people knew stuff about design right? They were born knowing. He was certain.

"Ab's helped me pick it out. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, study space, music room, open plan. It's kinda a lot for one person I guess but.....I'm hoping Abby will move in sooner rather than later. I finally asked her."

That near sheepish look managed to find his features as he lifted that drink to his lips. He'd only spoken about asking her for weeks, after all, the vampire finally inclined to admit to his companion that he'd actually gone and done it and yet- there in lay the issue itself. That source of, well, not tension, Abby and himself were hardly tense after all but maybe....uneasiness that had existed between them just a little of late. This one of the very reasons he'd wanted Sebastian to stay beyond merely helping him move tonight. He needed to talk to the man. The other vampire was, well, his only friend. As unusual as it was within their species to find companionship amongst one another. Sebastian, with his successful marriage, had become something of an....idol to the younger, far less experienced vampire. After all, if Sebastian could happily marry a non-vampire then he could too right? The Englishman significantly more experienced in those...relationship matters than Arlo himself. He could hardly bloody remembered most of his human days to draw experience from to begin with. Arlo having come to rely on his companion when it came to those...emotions. Especially in the absence of his own maker. Sebastian's blood in turn was equally.....glorious. Arlo having become more possessive of the other vampire then he was truly willing to admit. He took another sip of that drink then, Arlo near sure he could feel Sebastian's gaze expectantly on him all the same as he lent further back in the chair before continuing that tale. A soft sigh fell his lips as his gaze shifted back to the other vampire.

"It didn't go exactly like I'd hoped. I know she wants to wait until marriage before we sleep together and I'm fine with that, but I was kinda hoping we could live together before we got married, you know? I mean, you and Dorian lived together first right? Well, apparently this Nepal place she comes from has rules about that too. Apparently she's not allowed to live with me until we get married either. She's going to ask her father to see if we're allowed to bend the rules a bit but I'm not holding out much hope here, bud. What the fuck is Nepal's problem? Do they just hate sex and happiness there?"

That near irritable snort fell from his lips then. Arlo, so at last, content to admit those frustrations out loud. It wasn't Abby's fault after all. She could hardly help the way she had been raised. It was like those...farm....people.....with the horses. The Amish. That was it. They didn't know their lives sucked and that the rest of the world had internet and cars. How could Abby know what she was missing if she'd never tried it? The idea that he might be charged with showing her.....all those things she was missing out on though was...stressful to say the least. Christ, what if he fucked it up? He'd never wanted a relationship to work more than he had this one. That worry content to gnaw at his chest as his gaze lingered on his companion then. As if Sebastian, somehow, understood the inner workings of Nepal.

"That isn't even all of it yet, bud. I asked her if we were allowed to do other stuff, you know, touching, oral, that kinda thing, if we cant have sex- she looked at me like I'd grown a second damn head. Not only has she never....er....touched anything before, but she didn't even know what I meant! I had to explain it to her! She's so innocent Seb! More than innocent! She's....terrified. I was stressed about sleeping with a virgin but apparently I shoulda been worried about trying to touch her at all, she damn well had a panic attack on the couch and- are you fucking laughing!? Sebastian! Your an ass sometimes, mate."

Arlo reached for the nearest pillow, the vampire content to hurl it across the room and towards his companion. Maybe Sebastian the Sex God was not exactly the right person to tell this too and yet who the hell else was he going to ask? His fears about sleeping with a virgin had suddenly compounded into fears about touching her.....intimately at all, if only for fear he was going to damn well terrify her! Another groan fell from his lips then in that near dramatic moment before that truth followed.

"I'm in love with her, bud. She's different from any other girl. She means so much more to me- and I'm scared of....scaring her. I thought living together we could both get more used to, well, being around each other all the time, I thought it might be easier for her then, you know? Have you ever been with anyone that....inexperienced? What did you do? How did you do it? Christ this love business is harder than anyone ever says."