Over the Tracks (MxM)

12-

Chris didn't even need to open his eyes to be aware of Caleb's tiny body cuddled up against him. When he spared a glance, the alarm clock showed it to be just a little past 4am; it wouldn't be going off for a while. He could try to get some more sleep, but if he did, he might sleep right through the alarm. Being a deep sleeper did have its downsides, and that was one of them. He never did like his alarm, but it was the only thing that could wake him up some mornings. Instead of falling back asleep, he stared down at the kid in his arms. One hand slowly ran his fingers through his surprisingly soft blond hair, which he could just barely make out with the moonlight streaming in through the window. Caleb seemed to snuggle against him a little more, mumbling something unintelligible through his sleep, further muffled by his face being pressed against Chris's bare upper chest. Chris didn't pay it much mind, until his voice started becoming clearer. It was still too hard for him to understand, though, even with focusing his attention on them. From the tone of his whispers, Chris guessed Caleb was having a nightmare. He continued to run his fingers through his hair. He would've rubbed his back, too, but he was unsure if the medical lotion he had put on the morning before was still in effect. He doubted it was, so he refrained, not wanting to cause the guy any pain, even if it was an accident.

Caleb went silent after an almost inaudible whimper, stiffening before relaxing against Chris. He pulled the kid slightly closer, and he didn't resist. They stayed like that until Chris had to move, shutting off the alarm a minute before it would sound so it wouldn't startle Caleb too much, turning it on again after he deemed it safe. "I have to get up now so I'm not late to work. Are you ok?" Caleb only nodded in response. He didn't seem completely ok, but Chris wouldn't pressure him about it. He carefully inched away from Caleb, laying him down as he slid off the bed, pulling the blanket up to cover just under his neck. After Caleb was tucked in, Chris left the bedroom, going to the bathroom to get ready for another day.

When Chris walked out of the bathroom after fixing his hair and dressing in the clothes he had taken in with him, he started to make some breakfast. He only had time to make a few pieces of toast. He set most of it on a plate, which he placed on the nightstand next to Caleb, who appeared to have fallen asleep again. The one piece that was left, he ate as he did the last few things he needed to before leaving. He decided to do one last thing, though. On a loose sheet of paper, he wrote: Caleb, this is for you, but don't let it be all you eat today. I also set the tube of medication on the bathroom sink if you need it while I'm gone, but be careful not to use too much. I'll be back as soon as work is over. -Chris. He then set the finished note by the plate of toast before grabbing his keys and heading out the door.

He drove through the early morning traffic to their main 'office', if it could even really be called that. It may have appeared to be an office of some sort on the outside, but after stepping through the doors and into one of the more out-of-the-way rooms, it wasn't much like an office at all, at least not in the traditional sense. It turned into a vampire hunter's lair. There were several different styles of light guns neatly stored; handguns, pistols, rifles, anything. There were also a few other less used weapons, but Chris had never been interested enough in them to pay them any attention. Half of them were still being researched on their efficiency. How the labs did the research, though, he had no clue. He would think they would capture a vampire, but they were too dangerous, and halfbloods were so rare that they had never actually found one in the nearby area, or if they were there, they hid themselves well. He shrugged off the thoughts as he turned to one of the two desks in the room. His desk was a mess of pen-marked papers on top, but at least he knew where everything was. He turned on his computer, logging in and pulling up the program he needed. It showed an aerial view of their quadrant of the landscape surrounding the city. There were other stations that cared for the other three quarters, but Chris wasn't the one to deal with them. He zoomed in on his sector, noting that the sensors showed no trace of the vampires he knew were lurking in the trees there.