I Think I Have
I Think I Have
“Have you lost your mind?” It’s all Bobby could think when he looked up from the books and saw John waiting on the porch. He’d been there two days, waiting for something. Something was apparently showing up in a white truck and John was pacing back and forth. He wanted to yell at the other man, to ask why he hadn’t said anything about meeting someone in his home but when the other guy got out John went still.
Not the still of stalking a prey. Not the still of quiet contemplation. The still of the terrified. Bobby had only seen him like that for his boys after they’d been hurt. Never on a hunt, not even surrounded by ghouls or a nest of vampires. This, whatever it was, was personal. John hadn’t said anything because whatever it was, he was terrified of it.
The man that stepped out of the truck was about the same age as John’s boys. He could see the fluid way he moved, knew that there was something dangerous about the man. He might not be a hunter, but he hunted something that was for certain. He wore faded jeans and a tee shirt, long hair left to blow with the wind but there was something of a warning in the way his muscles rippled as he moved, something that said he might be pretty on the eyes but only if he let you look.
His smile said everything John hadn’t. He looked at John like he was the sun and he was just revolving around it to keep time until John told him it was time to go black. He couldn’t say the same about John, because his life was his boys and his revenge, but there was something else when John turned, when he could see his eyes. Like this boy was John’s world now, like until that sun fell from the sky, he would follow this orb too, circling like the moon, ever pulling and pushing at the tides.
When the younger man made it to the porch John heard the scuff of cowboy boots and heard a soft drawl. He got up from his desk, not willing to spy any further. When he stood he made plenty of noise and by the time he made it to the front door he was rather pleased to see John’s slightly mortified look, like he knew he’d done something wrong.
“John. Didn’t tell me you had friends stopping by.” Bobby said, handing the guy a beer even as he handed the other one off to John.
“Bobby, this is Eliot Spencer.”
Bobby held up his beer, tipping the neck in greeting. “Nice to meet ya’ son.”
Eliot’s smile was warm, but there was apprehension there also. He was ready to fight his way out if need be, looking to John for some sort of cue. It was subtle, the way his weight was distributed to launch, the way his body was loose but his moves were controlled. Nothing he would have noticed before he became a hunter. When John tipped back his own beer Eliot relaxed a little. “Good to meet you too.” He said, taking a long pull from the bottle. “Thanks for this. Been a long drive.”
John looked at Bobby with a smile on his face, like he hadn’t just been holding his breath too, waiting for the man to start hacking at the holy water in the beer, but Bobby let it slide. He saw the duffle on the floor of the porch and nodded. “So, need a place to stay do ya?”
“John said this might be a place to keep low for a bit.”
“You in some kind of trouble?”
“No.” Eliot replied with a grin. “You’re only in trouble if you get caught.”
Bobby shook his head but couldn’t help the smile on his face. “Up the stairs, first door on the right.” He said and let Eliot past him to get his stuff settled.
When John went to walk past he grabbed his arm. “John, have you lost your mind?” There was no heat in his voice, just concern and curiosity.
“Yeah.” John said, his lips turning up into a genuine smile as he looked up the stairs. “Yeah, I think I have.”
“Have you lost your mind?” It’s all Bobby could think when he looked up from the books and saw John waiting on the porch. He’d been there two days, waiting for something. Something was apparently showing up in a white truck and John was pacing back and forth. He wanted to yell at the other man, to ask why he hadn’t said anything about meeting someone in his home but when the other guy got out John went still.
Not the still of stalking a prey. Not the still of quiet contemplation. The still of the terrified. Bobby had only seen him like that for his boys after they’d been hurt. Never on a hunt, not even surrounded by ghouls or a nest of vampires. This, whatever it was, was personal. John hadn’t said anything because whatever it was, he was terrified of it.
The man that stepped out of the truck was about the same age as John’s boys. He could see the fluid way he moved, knew that there was something dangerous about the man. He might not be a hunter, but he hunted something that was for certain. He wore faded jeans and a tee shirt, long hair left to blow with the wind but there was something of a warning in the way his muscles rippled as he moved, something that said he might be pretty on the eyes but only if he let you look.
His smile said everything John hadn’t. He looked at John like he was the sun and he was just revolving around it to keep time until John told him it was time to go black. He couldn’t say the same about John, because his life was his boys and his revenge, but there was something else when John turned, when he could see his eyes. Like this boy was John’s world now, like until that sun fell from the sky, he would follow this orb too, circling like the moon, ever pulling and pushing at the tides.
When the younger man made it to the porch John heard the scuff of cowboy boots and heard a soft drawl. He got up from his desk, not willing to spy any further. When he stood he made plenty of noise and by the time he made it to the front door he was rather pleased to see John’s slightly mortified look, like he knew he’d done something wrong.
“John. Didn’t tell me you had friends stopping by.” Bobby said, handing the guy a beer even as he handed the other one off to John.
“Bobby, this is Eliot Spencer.”
Bobby held up his beer, tipping the neck in greeting. “Nice to meet ya’ son.”
Eliot’s smile was warm, but there was apprehension there also. He was ready to fight his way out if need be, looking to John for some sort of cue. It was subtle, the way his weight was distributed to launch, the way his body was loose but his moves were controlled. Nothing he would have noticed before he became a hunter. When John tipped back his own beer Eliot relaxed a little. “Good to meet you too.” He said, taking a long pull from the bottle. “Thanks for this. Been a long drive.”
John looked at Bobby with a smile on his face, like he hadn’t just been holding his breath too, waiting for the man to start hacking at the holy water in the beer, but Bobby let it slide. He saw the duffle on the floor of the porch and nodded. “So, need a place to stay do ya?”
“John said this might be a place to keep low for a bit.”
“You in some kind of trouble?”
“No.” Eliot replied with a grin. “You’re only in trouble if you get caught.”
Bobby shook his head but couldn’t help the smile on his face. “Up the stairs, first door on the right.” He said and let Eliot past him to get his stuff settled.
When John went to walk past he grabbed his arm. “John, have you lost your mind?” There was no heat in his voice, just concern and curiosity.
“Yeah.” John said, his lips turning up into a genuine smile as he looked up the stairs. “Yeah, I think I have.”