Chapter Text
Trevor skipped breakfast that morning.
It wasn’t because he was avoiding Adrian or anything. That would be fucking stupid. He just didn’t feel like seeing him after last night.
The idea that Adrian was the one who made him change his letter, that he was the one who was trying to be honest here was insane.
So, he wasn’t avoiding him. He just knew Adrian might try to start another stupid conversation like the one last night. And that was… fucking counterproductive.
But alas, he still had mortal weakness and needed to eat.
After his lesson with Lisa ended earlier than usual, he snuck through the castle, keeping an eye out for the blond head.
He didn’t see him as he passed. He was probably out doing that stuff he wouldn’t tell Trevor about. Because Trevor was not an idiot like Adrian probably thought he was and he noticed Adrian disappearing some days for a few hours.
It wasn’t like he cared but it was better to know where any threats were at all times.
Triumphant, he reached the kitchen, peeking through the doorway and from his angle it was empty. Walking in, he strode right over to the Tepes’ pantry, looking for some bread.
He froze.
“Seriously?” He muttered.
“Yes.” Adrian fucking Tepes said behind him. “Hello.”
“Hello.” He gritted out. “Were you seriously hiding there?”
Adrian, leaning against the far wall that was not visible from the entrance said, “No.”
“Sure.” He picked through the pantry, happy to take fucking anything to leave immediately.
“There’s no bread.” Adrian piped up. “We ran out.”
“That’s fine.” He found a block of cheese. Yeah, good enough.
He turned, making his way to the door when Adrian spoke up again.
“You cannot seriously be eating cheese on its own?”
“Why?” He raised a brow. “It’s food isn’t it?”
“It’s simply not nutritious nor a filling meal. You haven’t had breakfast.” He said disapprovingly as if that explained everything.
“Is that so? Well, as the human I’m the expert on what I need.” He shook his hand with the cheese. “I’m fine.”
“We should have sandwiches.” He said, completely ignoring Trevor.
Trevor stared at him. Sandwiches. The vampire wanted to make sandwiches. Was this some joke? Was it a running theme from last night where Adrian’s brain was infected?
They didn’t have lunch together. Breakfast, yes and occasionally dinner when Lisa came to join them but not lunch . His week-long stay in the castle so far was always organised. His lessons, his experimentation with Adrian or making dinner.
The periods between were different. Trevor found himself doing whatever he wanted in those hours, and he didn’t see Adrian either. It wasn’t something they discussed, just an unspoken rhythm they had fallen into. By the time dinner rolled around, the distance between them felt more like a quiet understanding than an avoidance.
And now they were breaking it.
“We— you don’t have any bread.” He snapped.
Adrian stared and Trevor prepared himself for it, for him to bring up last night. His fists clenched as he imagined his accusing voice.
But.
‘I’m not a coward.’
‘No, you’re not.’
But Adrian only sighed and then shrugged, posture leaning towards disinterested. “We can make it.”
He stumbled. “That shit takes ages.”
“Not with the oven.”
“Uh, yes . With the oven.”
“Oh no,” he shook his head. “I meant with our oven.”
“Huh?”
—
“This shit is so weird.” He leered, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.
“How so? I think it’s a very practical and useful invention, especially since it makes it easier to cook with precise measurements.”
Trevor rolled his eyes. “Still weird.”
The object of their attention was conspicuously nestled between the various cupboards, low enough that Trevor never paid attention to it.
An electric oven. A cooking device that fucking lit up on its own and you could change the amount of heat on it. Fucking insane.
He watched the dough that Adrian had chucked in around half an hour ago rise, fully puffed out and golden. And they didn’t have to do anything once they put it in.
No cleaning out ashes, no swapping wood pieces. It fucking did it all by itself.
He hated Dracula. He really did.
“Give it a few more minutes,” Adrian said. He organised their slices of meat and vegetables, quick hands sorting them into neat piles.
He squinted at Trevor’s bowl. “I thought you said you were making the sauce?”
“That is sauce.” He strode over, proudly mixing the bowl and lifting the large spoon, dripping with creamy white goodness.
Adrian’s brow lifted. “I smell garlic. You Belmont’s do know that it doesn’t affect us, yes?”
“Fuck off. It’s Mujdei. Surprised you haven’t heard of it.” And Adrian said he liked to cook, please, he inwardly scoffed.
He hummed. “Maybe I prefer a different type of sauce.” Adrian locked eyes with him, a slow, deliberate smile creeping across his face, just enough to reveal the tips of his fangs.
He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Adrian was not threatening with a vegetable in his hand. Trevor scoffed, unphased. “You put blood on our sandwiches and I will knock you out.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
“Try and succeed, asshole.”
“I’m sure.” Adrian walked over to the smaller cupboards, the clatter of cutlery shifting beneath his hands. “The bread should be done now. Grab it, will you?”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” he grumbled but made his way to the oven, grabbing a thick dishcloth as he did.
Adrian had been the one to start the machine in the beginning. He had turned it on using some dial and placed the tray in casually. It was so simple.
Trevor crouched down and opened the oven, surprised at the heat that emanated out. He reached into the oven, dishcloth in hand, and Trevor froze. The feel of heat around him made his hand clench, dishcloth scrunched in his fist.
Why…
He forced himself to loosen his grip. Shaking his head, Trevor grasped the tray and placed it on the counter. He threw the dishcloth next to it before turning the oven dial off.
So fucking simple, it was unfair.
“The castle is going to be moved tomorrow night. It’ll shake but that’s normal.”
Teleporting castle, what the fuck! “Oh? Why are we moving?”
“We need some supplies. We’ll be heading up North to Iasi.” Adrian caught his eye. “Ever been there?”
“Not really.”
“It’s nice. I’ve gone with my mother before. They’re more lax than Targoviste.”
Trevor snorted. “Everywhere is compared to that shithole.”
“It’s near the coast and they get different sorts of merchants and traders there. Different countries, different values. Can’t really afford to be picky when that’s how the people thrive.” Adrian explained.
“Won’t be long, though,” Trevor grumbled. “The Church is like an infection.” He pointed at him. “A fucking parasite. Lives with us and causes harm like what the fuck? And some of them are what? Mutualism? That’s what this shit is. A bunch of farm folk who think the Church is gonna reward them if they support them. What do they even get?” He scoffed. “A few bullshit sermons about how the harvests will be better next year? Maybe it’s commensalism, instead.”
There was no response and Trevor looked up, annoyed, to see Adrian staring at him, an expression of surprise on his face.
“What?” He barked.
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “But… you’re actually listening. In your lessons.”
Was that it? “What the fuck else do you think I do?” He retorted, offended slightly. As if he would doze off when Lisa was teaching him shit that mattered. His brow furrowed and pointed an accusing finger at him. “If you think you’ve been doing all the leg work for that fucking Gorgon venom—”
“Of course not,” but he had a soft look on his face. “I’m just glad it’s been occupying you. And that you find it interesting.”
“And you’ve insulted me again.” He deadpanned. He didn’t really care but the look on Adrian’s face as tried to explain himself was funny.
“That’s not— I merely meant that you—”
“Relax, I get it. Here,” he beckoned Adrian over to him, stirring his bowl of sauce. “Look at this.”
Adrian bent his neck over to see and Trevor smirked, flicking the spoon up and watching the sauce hit Adrian’s face with a satisfying slop.
Adrian started, pushing himself away and pushing Trevor’s shoulder in one movement.
“What the hell was that?”
“What?” He shrugged innocently. “I thought garlic doesn't affect you?”
Silence reigned and Trevor couldn’t hold it. He laughed, it quickly turning into a squawk as Adrian lunged at him and smeared the sauce into his hair.
“You bitch!”
“Trust me, it’s an improvement.” He grinned, fangs flashing behind his lips.
— — —
That night, Trevor woke in a cold sweat, the echo of a scream chasing him. Gasping, he kicked through the tangled bed covers, his pulse racing like a drum in his ears. For a moment, it felt as if the entire room was shaking with him.
Fuck.
He forced himself up, stumbling into the bathroom, stubbing his toe as he did but he could barely feel it over the rushing in his head. Splashing cold water on his face, he mumbled to himself, words that later, he couldn’t even recall.
Shaking, he clenched his fists, thumping it harmlessly against the marble sink. He stared at his wild reflection in the mirror, hands braced on the counter. He was fine.
Face still wet, he made his way back to his bed. He looked at it for a moment. It was big. The whole room was. And the baths. And everything here. He glanced around, at the high ceilings, the elegant furniture, the richness of it all, and felt a sudden wave of loneliness. None of this was his.
And normally that wouldn’t bother him. But now he could only hear the quiet.
Slowly, he laid back on his side, facing the door. His heart was quick in his chest but calming every second. He sighed, pressing his head hard into his pillow. No one was here.
He stared at the door. Right across from him was another room and Adrian was there. For a stupid, insane moment, he thought about it. But he sighed, throwing the covers over him completely and engulfing himself in the more familiar darkness.
No, he couldn’t.
— — —
“What’s wrong?”
The voice snapped him to attention and Trevor straightened from his slouch at the lab table, “Oh? What?”
“You were daydreaming,” Adrian explained, their sheets of loose paper and books strewn between them.
But Trevor started at his words. “Maybe you’re just boring,” he lied.
His eyes narrowed. “You should still be paying attention.”
“I already know all this stuff,” he gestured to the mess. “Probably better than you.”
They weren’t continuing their venom work today. They still needed a sheep to inject, unlucky bastard, and Trevor still wasn’t allowed in the science room. There wasn’t much progress they could make without it since Adrian refused to do without him.
They’d retreated back to a common ground. Monsters. He and Adrian were trying to find something neither of them were familiar with to explore but they knew most of it. Or well, he did and Adrian knew some stuff.
“Maybe,” he continued, “I should be the one teaching you.” He smirked at Adrian’s expression. “Oh, don’t like that, huh? Too bad. Watch and see.”
He rose from the table, standing in front of the room with his arms clasped behind his back.
“Class is in session.”
“Kill me now,” Adrian muttered.
Trevor smirked. “First lesson is that vampires are technically already dead. Surprised you don’t know this but I’ve always been told I shouldn’t make assumptions. Even though I’m usually right.”
Adrian’s voice was a sarcastic drawl. “Are you now?”
“Yes. Come on, test me vampire.” Trevor strode over behind Adrian, leaning over him as he said, “I know everything.”
Adrian glanced up at him with an unimpressed stare but looked curious for a moment. “Very well. What are our weaknesses?”
“Seriously? Okay, starting off with children's knowledge.” He began counting off his fingers. “Sunlight, crosses, holy water, fire and fucking stakes. And concentrated weapons.” His fingers brushed the whip on his hip.
“Those are so… direct. Don’t you know anything that doesn’t require say, violence?”
Trevor stared at him. “The fuck? Those are your weaknesses, of course they’re direct.”
Adrian leaned back, his elbow atop the table as he cupped his face in a palm. The ring glinted under the light. His gaze was searing. “You don’t know anything else? Something that might make us surrender regardless of its ability to directly harm us?”
“...Magic?” He didn’t know what Adrian was getting at. “Poisons?”
Adrian hummed thoughtfully. “No. Nothing so crude.”
Trevor frowned. “You’re not making any sense. If it’s not physical, how can it be a weakness?”
Adrian visibly hesitated. “Perhaps it’s something more instinctual.”
Trevor scoffed, making his way around the table. “Instinctual? Since when does that factor into you all?”
“More than you think,” Adrian replied calmly but didn’t explain further.
Trevor’s frown deepened, suspicion brewing. “You’re being cryptic as hell again. What is it? Some kind of vampire secret?”
Adrian chuckled softly. “Something like that.”
“What is it?”
“I’m not telling you.’
“Then why even bring it up?” Trevor snapped.
“To test you,” he said, voice level. “And to see if you’re as well-versed as you claim.”
“And what did your test tell you?” He rolled his eyes.
Adrian hummed, watching him closely. Trevor frowned, about to ask what the fuck he was missing when Adrian chuckled softly. “I think, Belmont, that you don’t know as much as you think you do.”
“Fuck is that supposed to mean?” He blinked.
“Exactly what I said.”
Trevor scowled. Leave it to Adrian to mess up his lesson. He was probably threatened that Trevor knew all his weaknesses and started to pop out some bullshit.
“Whatever.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I still know more than you.”
He shrugged. “I don’t doubt that.” He admitted, surprising him. “But not on vampires.”
“We’ll see.” He scowled.
But that only made Adrian grin.
— —
Another night passed. He woke up again. His skin was cold with sweat. He traced the wetness over the palms of his hands, over the raised burns.
The quietness of the room was interrupted by the room shaking, walls vibrating as they moved harshly, just as Adrian said they would. A beat later the castle was still and Trevor rose, crossing over to his window.
He huffed at the different sight.
Yeah. Fuck Dracula.
— — —
“Morning.” Lisa chirped from her place at the counter. Dracula stood beside her, his presence imposing yet silent, but right now, Trevor couldn’t even care to be bothered about that. Other than their clash after the wedding, Dracula had kept his distance. Trevor hadn’t seen much of him.
He thanked whatever deity, or more precisely Lisa, for keeping him in line.
Adrian was already at the stove, flipping an omelette with practised ease. The smell of sizzling eggs and herbs filled the room and Trevor inhaled deeply, almost against his will. He had admitted that Adrian’s cooking wasn’t too bad, particularly the breakfast, and since for some reason, Adrian woke with the bloody sun, Trevor was presented with an omelette each morning he strayed into the kitchen.
“Morning.” Trevor shuffled into the kitchen and took his usual spot, a few spaces away from Lisa and near the stove. He had a clear view of everyone here and while he wasn’t going to be bothered about Dracula, he wouldn’t let him out of his sight.
He watched Adrian's calm movements at the stove. Every morning, it was the same routine. Lisa was usually there too and they started off the day together, some semblance of quiet before they had energy and Lisa dragged him off to his lessons. He never asked where Dracula was during their time. He didn’t want to know. His family would kick him for it.
“Trevor, we moved the castle last night. We’re now up North to restock our supplies.”
He nodded but still wondered at her casual tone. A teleporting castle. Sometimes he thought to pinch himself but that wouldn’t help. “What supplies?”
“A few things from the city but we’re also focusing on the forest here. There’s some flora that are extremely useful in their medicinal properties.” Lisa explained, her tone slipping into that familiar excitement she always had when discussing her work.
“Can I come too?” He was itching to go outside again.
“Of course you can.” She seemed offended that he thought he couldn’t. “We were just thinking of splitting up. Vlad and I shall go to the city in the evening, but if you and Adrian could find the flora?”
Exchanging glances with Adrian they both nodded. “Sure.”
“Good. I shall write you up a list. Adrian will know what they will look like but this is a good way to test if you’ve been paying attention!”
“Homework,” he groaned.
“Think of it as an excursion. Adrian will simply be watching you.”
Adrian was watching him now but he was frowning, looking at a point below his eyes. “He’ll be a hardass but sure,” Trevor yawned.
He saw Adrian roll his eyes before plating up the omelette and setting it down in front of him. He leaned against the counter, arms crossed as he watched Trevor take a bite.
“More chilli?” He guessed, trying to figure out what made it taste different today.
Adrian seemed satisfied. “Yes.”
“I’d say some discipline is what you need,” Dracula finally remarked, red eyes flicking from Trevor’s omelette and back up to him.
“How’s that?” He replied casually. He wasn’t going to let Dracula get either of them riled up. He was too tired for it.
Dracula opened his mouth but after chancing a glance at Lisa, he closed it. Then shrugged as if he forgot his train of thought.
Lisa huffed. “Well, that’s sorted then.”
— —
He hadn’t been outside, really outside and not just walking in the vicinity of the castle since his family left. He fucking missed it. The lessons and project were enough to keep him distracted but he hadn’t been made to sit around all day. He was sure if it wasn’t for this excursion he’d probably run off on his own soon enough.
He’d been here a week. A whole fucking week. Now that they were at a better location, Trevor wouldn’t spend the rest of his time indoors.
He wasn’t sure where exactly they’d landed. A good distance away from Iasi that the castle wouldn’t be seen but still far enough that the forest around them was huge and sprawling. Greenery surrounded them on all sides and when he inhaled, the air was fresh.
They made their way up the steep hills. Adrian walked with him even though he could pass through it in the blink of an eye. They made small conversation as they did but Trevor knew his responses weren’t like they usually were. Even his blinks were slower.
It reminded him of the weeks leading up to the wedding. Trevor didn’t think he had a good night's sleep since the plan was announced. He spent most of his time training or walking through the woods around the estate. His family's stay had been the last time he’d gotten decent hours in and he didn’t want to admit it but he was tired.
Adrian was holding a box in his arms that was already filled with a few of the plants they’d found. Trevor thought he was doing well but they still had over half the list left. The sun was directly overhead and beating down on them. If Adrian was bothered, he didn’t show it.
Focusing on the crunch of twigs and grass, he stopped when he heard the small rushing of water. Grinning at Adrian, who must’ve heard it way before, he led them to the small stream that crossed under the hills.
“Alright, there has to be like five here.” He looked at the list, making his way around the edges of the small lake to find the flora. Once, he would’ve dismissed it completely, more focused on well, anything else. The fact he could recognise the plants now, let alone pay attention to them…
“Here!” Bringing his small knife out, Trevor cut through it efficiently watching the light green leaves rustle from his attention.
“And what’s this one called?”
Trevor rolled his eyes. “Oenanthe Sarmentosa.”
“I’m still surprised you remember these names.”
“Hey, fuck you. I had to learn Latin too.”
“Indeed. And what are the properties of this plant?”
“Makes the kidneys good and the toxins fuck off.”
He sighed. “I suppose that’s the gist of it.”
“Whatever. So why are we collecting all these? I thought you grew them?” Because they had a fucking greenhouse attached to the castle too.
“We do. But the past few weeks haven’t allowed us to attend to them as we usually might have.” Another look had him adding, “We forgot about them.”
He snorted. “Good to know we weren’t the only ones knocked off course.” Placing the stems carefully in the box he made his way around the lake, ticking off what he could find.
He was actually kind of surprised with himself. He’d answered most of Adrian’s questions correctly and though he forgot the uses for two plants, he was still doing better than he expected.
It reminded him of when his father would give extra pie to whoever got the highest score on their tests growing up. He’d always laugh at their complaints, citing that their turn would come if they studied.
But he was gone now.
“–vor? Trevor?”
“Huh?” He blinked. “What’d you say?”
“There’s no more here. We should keep going.” Adrian was watching him carefully and Trevor turned away as if was inspecting the lake for himself. He wasn’t.
“Guess we should.” He looked over the list, taking longer than needed to read it. “This one doesn’t grow in sunlight. What? A cave?”
“Maybe.” They began to walk south, deeper into the first. “Though I didn’t see any past here. We’ll have to find it on our own.”
“I like guessing games,” he grinned. “Quick, what’s a vampire’s favourite fruit?”
Adrian’s brow furrowed but he answered. “Pomegranates? No wait, blood oranges?”
“Nectarines.” Trevor barked a laugh. “Get it? Neck tarines.” At Adrian’s offended face, he continued. “You know because you guys like to drink from people’s necks.”
“Yes, I understand.” He rolled his eyes. “You’re an idiot.”
“I’m funny.”
“You try to be, that much is obvious. I have one,” he spoke over Trevor’s rebuttal. “What’s a vampire’s favourite kind of animal?
He huffed. “That’s easy. A bat.”
“No,” he smirked. “A bloodhound.”
Trevor blinked. “That wasn’t funny.”
“Yours wasn’t funny.”
“Mine was witty. Your’s is really on the nose.”
“It is not.”
“Don’t feel bad. None of you vampires can make a good joke. It’s probably a species thing.”
“That is not how genes work.”
“You can’t prove that.” He shrugged. “Vampires suck at jokes.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“You know I know a joke that—”
“No.”
—
“Finally,” he sighed. The sight of the cave, metres away from them, brought seriously needed energy back to him.
Was it some cruel joke to finally let him out of the castle only for it to be after nights of unrest and hours of wandering to find a fucking flower?
“I’ll get it.” Adrian stepped forward but Trevor shoved him back. “The fuck? It’s my cave. I found it.” He’d made them take a random turn after the clearing but it worked.
“You had a lucky guess. It’s not yours .”
“You know what I mean. Isn’t this supposed to be my little test?”
Adrian shifted. “Yes. I merely….” he frowned. “You seem a little tired. I thought I might—”
“Fuck no,” he spat. If Adrian thought he needed his pity. If he— fuck he thought Trevor was tired. Not wrong but. Fuck.
“I’m fine,” he reiterated. He pointed to the tree line. “Make yourself useful and go over there.”
“Why?” He asked, bewildered.
“There’s mushrooms. I want to add them to dinner.” And he strode off to the cave, satisfied when he heard Adrian’s retreating footsteps.
The cave was deeper than it looked and Trevor couldn’t see past where the sunlight lit up some space. They had no torchlight and he sighed, quickly making a makeshift with a strip of his shirt and a branch.
It took him a few tries to generate a spark and as soon as he stopped moving to do it, he felt his body relax and his tiredness settle in his muscles.
Fuck.
Shaking his head, he grew the flame, lighting his shirt up and turned the branch around, satisfied with his makeshift torch.
Just this and we can go back.
He crouched at the cave’s entrance, inspecting what the sunlight allowed him to see before he crawled in, torchlight steady in his hand. The cave was deeper than he expected and it got narrower immediately.
He crawled into the cave, grimacing at the smell. Maybe he should have let Adrian come in. He went deeper, his entire body now past the entrance. He squinted, looking for a sight of the pink flower when he froze.
Oh.
There was the flower. Blooming proudly and standing tall and bright pink. What they had been searching for for hours.
And there was the bear.
It blended it perfectly, dark fur glinting in the firelight. It hadn’t noticed him and he breathed out at the sight of it, asleep.
It was too tight for him to move, reach for his whip or do anything other than reach forward to the space in front of him.
Trevor nodded. Time to go. He shuffled backwards, carefully, slowly. He was near the entrance now, the light of the sun overshadowing his torchlight. The end of the cave was pitch black again, with nothing to be seen.
He was almost out. Almost.
Almost.
He shuffled through the entrance, swapping his hold on the torchlight when something crawled over his arm. He jerked, flinging the centipede away when the torch fell, and the heat, the feel of it, hot and scarring and familiar made him gasp.
The clatter of the torch sounded in the cave and Trevor didn’t wait, already scrambling, pushing himself out of the cave and jogging over to Adrian.
“Bear!” He shouted. “Let’s go!”
Adrian turned over to him, mushrooms in hand. He looked over him. Behind him. His mouth pursed.
“We can take it.”
“I wouldn’t need your help. But that’s not the point,” he dragged him away, looking over their shoulder to the still empty cave entrance. He sighed. “I’m not killing a bear.”
“Why?”
“Why?” He gave him a look. “It's minding its business and it’s still asleep . I know I call you vampires bloodthirsty but seriously Adrian, at least try to hide it.”
“That’s not what I meant.” He tried but Trevor waved him off. Excuses.
— —
“This took longer than I expected.” He yawned. They were walking back through the woods, box loaded and list crossed off. The pink flower was the only one left off. “It was that fucking cave. And what type of bear stays here anyway?”
“It’s their home, Trevor.” He said as if he wasn’t the one that wanted to fight it in the first place.
He shrugged, forcing his steps forward as they made their way back to the castle. It was barely the afternoon now. Lisa was probably still at the castle with Dracula and after dropping their cloaks at the door, they made their way to the same room Trevor had his lessons in.
Sitting at the table, they organised their finds neatly. Trevor sank into his seat, his entire body melting as soon as he stopped moving.
Adrian was speaking about something, his voice calm and steady, a low hum in the background. Only a few lights were on, softening the edges of the room. He walked back and forth, placing their plants away in glass boxes.
The minutes ticked by and Trevor sighed, the heaviness around him seeping into his bones.
“We shall have a sheep soon. My mother will get one during her trip,” Adrian said, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather.
Trevor nodded, though the words seemed to drift past him. He blinked slowly, the exhaustion of the day settling heavily on his limbs. He tried to focus, adding something about a farm—at least, he thought he did—but the memory of what he'd said slipped away the moment it left his lips.
Adrian’s voice continued, but it seemed to come from a distance now. “We’re not near any right now, so it’ll have to wait.”
Trevor shifted in his seat, leaning his head into his hand. His eyelids drooped and he mumbled something—something about his... what was it again? He couldn’t quite remember.
“What does that have to do with anything? Are you– Trevor you’re falling asleep!”
By that time, he was already dreaming.
— —
This time when he woke, it was peacefully. A scraping sound met his ears and he sighed, blinking wearily. The warm lights were on, and he could smell the familiar scents of the room. They were still in the lab.
He heard a murmur close to him but try as he might he couldn’t open his eyes fully. Something brushed over his hair softly, and Trevor sighed.
His blinks got slower and soon he was asleep again.
— — — — — —
Adrian watched Trevor sleep.
He’d transferred the man onto a cot as soon as his face hit the table and since then he’d woke only once, barely, before returning to sleep again.
He knew something was wrong. Trevor had entered the kitchen subdued and slow. His eyes were red and there was darkness below them.
He’d been mumbling ridiculous responses to Adrian, and he could see his breathing become deeper, his voice became throatier. And then he became still, his hand supporting his head for a moment before it moved.
He sighed. Was Trevor not getting enough sleep? But why? Their rooms were fully furnished and the bed was comfortable. Trevor should have all that he needs to retire. But he wasn’t.
Frowning, he noticed Trevor shake and threw another blanket over him. He remembered Mrs Belmont’s words. Trevor must have been exhausted today yet he still volunteered to help them collect supplies. He’d spent hours in the forest, looking for the cave, and only complained about the annoyance the bear posed to their trip and not the damage it could have posed to himself. They came home and he still went to work with Adrian, trying his best to keep up conversation until he dropped.
Trevor will never put himself first, Trevor’s mother had said.
He remembered the promise he made to her.
In a traditional marriage, the priest would utter the vows to stand by each other in sickness and in health. And as Trevor had jested before, till death do they part.
This was no traditional marriage. But Adrian was going to help him anyway.