forum A Different Kind of Anti Villain (OxO with @Dayzed, MATURE)

Started September 24, 2023 by @Desvelarse pets

tune

Kohen picked up on the lack of reaction to his words, a near-quiet hum leaving him as he made a mental note not to bring it up again. Maybe being called odd was a sore topic, and he could understand that- he had a few topics of his own that were like that too.

However, when the tease was turned on him, he scrunched his nose distastefully again but this time at Vaughn.
"Hey! Watch it-! I bet I could have your ass on the floor if I wanted to" He paused, a light blush passing over his cheeks. "I just wouldn't want to," He said, instead of admitting that there was no way he could overpower the larger male sitting across from him.
Kohen was a little bold in his claims.
…
Okay, maybe he was very bold in his claims, but tough acts and bluffs had saved him more times than he could count- both out in the streets and at school. Had he never made himself out to be stronger than he was- he would have found himself in some serious trouble. Hell, there had been times when even though he didn't believe he could get out of a situation, the words that had come out of his mouth had encouraged him to try and he had been pleasantly surprised to realize that he had it in him to fight back and win.
Course, every fight and every situation hadn't gone down that way at all. In the beginning, Kohen had taken hits silently, never fighting back, never talking back. He had gone to the adults for help multiple times during those years until his depression had turned into white-hot anger.

It was only then that he had raised his fist to the first person who had dared to beat him down, effectively knocking two or three of the kid's teeth out until someone heard the commotion and ripped him off of the other.
From that point on, his track record had gone down the gutter. But he didn't care, because it had worked. In his mind, even to this day, he had a firm belief that he didn't need anyone's help, he would be the one to protect himself. He would have his own back, and he would make sure others got what they deserved if they tried to hurt him again. All of this was true…. except when it came down to his father.

Kohen's eyes lit up when Vaughn started to talk about himself- it's what he had been searching for in the man since they had met. He loved it when he could relax around others and when others placed the same trust in him. It was odd, however, how Kohen seemed to trust Vaughn, knowing that the man was a killer. Especially when he could still feel the ghost of Vaughn's hand around his throat at times when he caught a glance of them. But…
For some reason, it was a comforting thought. It was the closest he had been to death his entire life, but the thought comforted him. Nowadays, he found himself ruminating a lot over his own death. Maybe underneath all the anger, he was still depressed, he could certainly feel it creeping up at times, but he made it a point to ignore it.

Being strangled wasn't the worst thing out there and it sure as hell beat dying a more violent death like Vaughn's victims had. The violent deaths shook him, but he didn't mind going out in a simpler way.
As he thought it over, there was a moment in his head when the pieces clicked together as to why he was so hellbent on befriending Vaughn and why he didn't mind being around him even after he discovered he was the killer. Aside from the man's attractive looks and the charming personality Kohen deemed him, Vaughn embodied a way out- in more ways than one. Not only could he help Kohen with getting rid of his father… if he ever gathered the courage to tell anyone about what went on at home, but Vaughn could easily kill him too.

A slight frown made its way onto his face at his own thoughts, now swallowing harshly. While it vaguely unsettled him, it felt alluring. His body had decided it didn't mind being killed long before Kohen had even realized. It numbed him to know that he hadn't been dealing with his problems as well as he had hoped. Maybe having ignored them was what was biting him in the ass now- and the worst part was, he didn't even care.

As Vaughn kept talking and the realization set into Kohen's bones, he seemed to feel a little lighter. His eyes looked over every inch of Vaughn's face as if trying to remember every line and every subtle expression. It looked a little like he was fawning over the guy, the way he listened intently- that was till their food came.
His eyes darted over to the woman again, silently thanking her when she set their plates down. Along with Vaughn's water, Kohen had asked for a refill on his sugary drink.

A small soft smile made its way onto Kohen's face again when he looked at Vaughn.
"You were saying? I didn't know you were part of the system" He commented casually before he picked up the hamburger, only looking at it for a second before his eyes found Vaughn's again to let him know he wanted to keep listening to him, his teeth sinking into the burger. A pleased sigh left him at the savory taste of it. He had taken a giant chunk out of it- like he did with most foods when he was starving, ready to scarf it all down. Sometimes he forgot that he shouldn't bite off more than he could chew, but now he had to deal with chewing the giant chunk slowly as he looked like an idiot with his mouth too full.

Vaughn had hoped the conversation wouldn’t be picked back up after the waitress left, but he had never been that lucky. He was the complete opposite- a walking bad luck charm. Tragedy followed him everywhere he went. Ever since he was a child, he had been surrounded by negative energy. From the moment he was born- where another infant was passing away in the next room- to now, everything and everyone around him was affected by his bad luck. It was one of the many reasons that drove him to isolate himself from society.

Kohen pressed for more information, inquiring about him being in the system. Vaughn looked down at his food, suddenly feeling a lot less hungry than he had been when he arrived. Despite the horrible taste of it, he took another long drink of the beer. While it wouldn’t do much considering his high tolerance to alcohol, maybe he could convince himself that it was enough to take the edge off. Enough to have this conversation. In the end, it was his fault. He was the one that brought it up, and he couldn’t exactly shut Kohen down without dampening the mood. He would have to push through the discomfort.

“Yeah, since I was thirteen,” Vaughn said, reaching up to scratch at the back of his neck. After spending a couple of nights at the hospital due to his potential head injury from being shoved down a flight of stairs, he was brought into the system. His parents had no family to take care of him, or maybe they just hadn’t wanted to. If there had been anyone, they wouldn’t have wanted to deal with the burden of raising a fucked up kid. He stayed at the center for a while, mostly being seen my doctors, psychiatrists, and detectives who were working the case. He was made to relive that night over and over again for the first year of his life until he was eventually placed into a home. He had told Kohen that he wasn’t in contact with his parents, so with the new piece of information, it was easier to understand why.

Vaughn picked up his burger, taking a bite out of it. He wanted to spit it back out due to his appetite having been soiled, but he forced himself to chew and swallow the piece. He could have sworn he tasted the familiar metal of blood, but he chalked it up to his mind playing tricks on him.

“It’s not all that interesting, really,” Vaughn quickly said, wondering if he could get out of talking about it further. It wasn’t normal for a preteen to suddenly be in the foster care system. It had its implications- the main cause being loss of immediate family. If Kohen asked about that, he would shoot the conversation down immediately. That was one thing that was off limits- the death of his family. Talking about it would likely cause a breakdown, and he didn’t need to go and do that in front of his new found crush.

The lack of wanting to talk told Kohen everything he needed to know. He hadn't ever been good with dealing with emotions- not his own, and certainly not others. However, one thing about him was his understanding. While he may not have been good at showing it in the traditional sense, he picked up on things a lot quicker, and in return, it helped him think of how he wanted to approach a situation.

It was things no one ever thought about- like the atmosphere that hung around them or the subtle mood shifts in other people. Their actions when they were scared or angry. He wasn't a people pleaser by any means and if someone was in a terrible mood, he didn't care to land a left hook to ruin their day further, he could handle himself, but…
It helped in situations like these. It helped with knowing where the boundary was set and if he was about to step on a landmine that he wanted to avoid altogether. He didn't want to ruin Vaughn's day, that wasn't his intention today.
There were a few seconds of silence as Kohen slowly chewed his food and swallowed before he decided to change the topic.

He supposed he should thank his father for his hyper-awareness and maybe even slight paranoia.

"Yeah, well, you know what is interesting? That you keep drinking this shit- it can't be that good, you said so yourself" Kohen said, now swiping the drink off the table when Vaughn finally put it down.
"Here, I'll trade ya for a second" he spoke as he gently slid over his cherry cola over to Vaughn's side of the table, now bringing up the beer to his lips and taking a large swig of it to finish the bottle.

It was almost instant the way Kohen brought his hand up to his face to keep himself from vomiting the drink back up. He took a few labored breaths before he forced the rest down.
Kohen cleared his throat after he had set the bottle down. It looked like he paled a bit from how horrible the taste was.

"I don't think I've ever tasted anything worse. I don't even think my father would touch this" Kohen stuck his tongue out in disgust.
It had been meant as a joke, and he hadn't meant for it to slip out but the mention of his father made his smile falter for a second, the mood around him taking a dip before he picked up the burger again and took another bite out of it- just as large as the last.
He couldn't let it show how not even the man's name was enough to ruin his mood and put him in a panicky state.

Vaughn was pleased that Kohen didn't push the topic of him being in the foster system. He was able to relax a bit, no longer worried about having to brush off questions about why he entered it at such a late point in his life. Figure hissed something about him being lucky, but he ignored it in favor of paying attention to Kohen, who was swiping the beer away the second it hit the tabletop.

Kohen slid the cup of cherry cola over to Vaughn, and he raised his brows in confusion. Why was Kohen doing this? The thought that Kohen could be doing this to lighten his mood made his heart swell with emotion. If that was the case, it was a realization that Kohen could be weirdly considerate. He had his own way of doing it, but it still counted- and worked. When Kohen took a sip of the beer and showed such intense disgust afterwards, he couldn't help but laugh. It was stifled from him trying to hold it in, but he failed. Kohen was so honest with his reactions, and it was amusing to him. He tilted his head down, placing a hand over his face in an attempt to hide it as he laughed softly. "Yeah, it really is that bad," he agreed, shaking his head a little.

It had been offered, so Vaughn took a small sip of the cherry cola. He didn't drink from the straw, having a feeling Kohen would kick him again for doing so. He hadn't had cherry cola in quite a long time but made a point to have it more often. It tasted good enough, and it was one of Kohen's favorites, so he would learn to like it too. He passed the cherry cola back to Kohen. "Just wash your mouth out with that," he suggested, taking the empty beer bottle back from Kohen. He was surprised to see that Kohen had finished the rest of it, but it wasn't like he would miss it. Maybe Kohen had finished it so he wouldn't have to, which made him smile softly. How considerate of him.

The short shift in Kohen's energy when he mentioned his father didn't go unnoticed. Kohen hadn't mentioned much about his father previously. He wondered what Kohen's home life was like. If it was enough for him to momentarily deflate- and immediately try to hide it after- then it certainly piqued Vaughn's interest. "Bad relationship with your father too?" he asked with a dry laugh.

Saying that Vaughn had a 'bad relationship' with his father was a severe understatement. It was more of a fitting statement for someone who just couldn't talk to their father, not someone whose father was essentially a family annihilator. It was easier to talk about his father than his mother and sister. Maybe that was because he felt so much less attached to the man who tormented him growing up. All he had were negative memories with his father, unlike his mother and sister, who he only shared positive memories with.

Though, Vaughn didn't know how much of a touchy subject it was with Kohen. He didn't want to pry and lose the favor of someone he just begun to bond with. "If you don't want to talk about it, you can just kick me again," he offered before taking another bite from his burger. It was a bigger bite this time around, his anxiety settled enough to be able to stomach something. The burger tasted good, though that was compared to the normal shitty convenience store food he ate on a regular basis. He wished that he could have better food like that more often, but there was never the occasion to. Maybe he could go out to other restaurants with Kohen. Not only would it give him an excuse to eat better food, but it was also an opportunity to hang out with Kohen again.

Kohen hadn't expected Vaughn to react at all to his antics, but the stifled laugh brought the rosiness back onto his face- the corner of his mouth curling into a subtle side smile.

The smile on the other made his heart skip a beat. Kohen knew he had been fucked since he met the guy, even after everything, but it seemed that the realization was only starting to sink in now. He liked him. A lot. But he didn't know what that meant for him exactly. He could pine after the guy all he wanted but would he ever allow himself to admit his feelings? He didn't think he would. Maybe he would be doing himself a service if he kept things strictly friendship-related between them. It made his heart sink yet again, but it couldn't be helped.
Still, even after his conclusion, the charmed smile didn't fall as Vaughn tried to hide himself.

Once the cherry soda was passed back to him, Kohen eagerly took it and drank from it. The soda was almost nearly at the halfway point again despite the fact that the waitress had just refilled it.
Kohen's eyes flickered up from his drink to Vaughn when he asked the question. There was slight hesitation there, but overall it didn't seem to bother him as much as it had initially. However, the reassurance from the other to avoid the subject completely brought a soft smile to his lips before he waved him off.
"You could say it's a bad relationship, though, it's not anything I can't handle," He said proudly, a more playful grin coming onto his face.

Although Kohen was deathly afraid of his father and the topic was very hard on him, Kohen liked to act like it didn't bother him much- that he could handle any sort of problem or hardship in his life. While it would be a different story if his father were present, it felt nice to pretend like the bruises and wounds under his clothes meant nothing. Not once had he stopped fighting back when his father tried to hurt him, but he found that even if he did fight back, he always lost. Every. Time.

That part did bother him. Usually, he wasn't so powerless, but at home, it was a different story.

"But hey, lots of people have shitty fathers- or even just shitty parents. I'm lucky enough to have at least one of those. Doesn't mean I'm too fond of the guy, but he and his wife were nice enough to adopt me" he hummed, that fact alone being part of the reason why he felt he owed the ill-tempered Christian man, despite everything he had done to him. He wouldn't forget the way he had hired people from his church one summer to literally kidnap him and send him off to a conversion camp for "therapy". It had been to help with his same-sex attraction but ended up doing a lot more harm than good.

While Kohen didn't know what was considered sexual assault, he knew that on some level what had happened to him at that place was what happened to a lot of women. Still, he hadn't thought much about the way one of the older men had come onto him, because it hadn't mattered in the end. The guy hadn't gotten far before Kohen was beating him to a pulp. In his mind, it didn't count. It didn't count as sexual assault since he had almost killed the guy.

"What about you? You said 'too' so it can't be that great" he seemed to follow suit, taking a bite out of his burger after he had finished talking. "I thimk we shouhd bahn tomgether to run away" he spoke, some of his words sounding muffled as he tried not to be too impolite while eating- the end of his sentence only sounded clearer since he had finished chewing his food.

The way Kohen reassured Vaughn that he could handle his father made it seem like he knew. There was no way that Kohen could know that he was a killer, but it sounded like it. It sounded like Kohen was hinting at him to not get involved with whatever was going on. It made him feel a bit paranoid, though he had only bumped into Kohen that one time. He had been wearing his mask, so there was no way that Kohen saw his face that night. Even if Kohen did know the killer was him, there was no way he would still be hanging out with him. Kohen would call the police or avoid him all together if he knew. They would never be having a meal together and smiling at each other like they were currently.

Vaughn shook off that paranoid feeling as he listened to Kohen. So, Kohen had been part of the system as well. He wondered what happened to Kohen’s birth parents. Did they die and go to jail like his did, or was Kohen given up at birth like most were? That felt like such a pushy question, and if he asked that, Kohen would ask the same one in response. That was something he couldn’t lie about- well, he could try. He could try to lie, but there was something that always gave him away. Whether it was a certain emotion in his eyes or the way he’d stumble over excuses, he knew that he couldn’t lie about that.

The question about fathers was turned on him. Vaughn cleared his throat, wondering how he should answer. He couldn’t say the exact truth- that he wasn’t fond of his father because he killed the two most important people in his life. Despite his anxiety on how to answer, Kohen’s muffled words of running away together made his lips twitch into a faint smile.

“Depends on if you mean my fosters or my blood related father,” he said, looking down at his food, “The couple of foster fathers I had were alright. I don’t keep in contact with any of them, don’t feel like I need to. My blood related father, he…”

What the hell was Vaughn supposed to say? He should have never even mentioned his father and should have only answered about his various foster fathers he had throughout the years. “I never had a good relationship with him, even as a kid. He’s in prison, haven’t spoken to him since then,” he decided to say. It was vague enough to not cause suspicion. His father could easily have been portrayed as just absent instead of the over controlling man he had really been. His father could be in jail for anything, not for his attempt at being a full family annihilator.

But, as anxious as he was to talk about it, Vaughn felt a faint bit of relief. It felt nice to get those heavy thoughts about the man out of his brain. It was like a physical- small, but still there- had been lifted off of his chest when he spoke about it. He took a small bite of his burger, choking it down. He picked up a napkin, wiping it against his lips before crumpling it up in his fist and dropping it on the table. “It’s just me alone now, so there’s nothing for me to run away from,” he said, tone flat and expression unreadable.

It was difficult to tell if he was sad about it or not. Of course, he would miss what could have been. He had been meant to experience so much with his mother and sister. He had been meant to walk through life surrounded by those loving hands, but it was ruined by his father. That was reality and nothing could be done about it. It was better to accept what had happened and move on. He had not achieved that completely, at least not in the traditional sense. If he was really over what happened, he wouldn’t feel the need to go out and kill men. He would be medicated and in society with everyone else.

Kohen stared at Vaughn for some time, watching the man carefully, his smile having faded between the bites of his hamburger, a slightly tired expression replacing the previous energy he had. It wasn't a surprise, he had barely gotten any sleep last night and his back was still sore. Right about now, he was really wishing to have taken some painkillers, but it didn't show on his face- the discomfort.

"Mmm so you bounced around a lot, huh?" Kohen casually commented. That makes sense… he thought to himself. Not that it made sense or was an excuse to kill others but still… it made sense to Kohen. He wondered if something like that- not having a permanent home to call your own was enough to push you over the edge.
Well, Kohen didn't know too much about mental health or anything of the sort, but when Vaughn trailed off at the topic of his biological father, Kohen felt himself holding his breath. Like he had triggered a subject he shouldn't have.

When the words did finally come out of the man, Kohen tried to play it off like it didn't mean a whole lot. Prison? Prison for what?
…
Was that the thing that had pushed him over the edge? He couldn't know for sure, and he wouldn't ask either. He felt it was unwise. If he pried anymore, he felt like Vaughn might figure out that he knew his secret. Maybe something like recognition and understanding would read on his face, and he didn't need a target on his back. He didn't quite know if Vaughn at this point would think twice about killing him. Maybe he wouldn't and he didn't want to go down in such a brutal manner.

The thought made him pause in eating, now staring down at the hamburger in his hands- feeling like he couldn't stomach it anymore.

"Oh" Was the only thing Kohen found he could manage to say. It was an easy read. His words. Oh. I don't know what to say to that- and I don't want to ask for more details. You seem like you don't want to talk about it.

An involuntary shiver ran up Kohen's spine at the lack of emotion behind Vaughn's words. Kohen gave him a shaky smile before he decided to scarf the rest of the hamburger down, hoping that it would make him sick enough to need to use the bathroom to get away for a second.

Nothing to run away from. Kohen repeated the words in his head. He begged to differ- if the piles upon piles of folders and reports of Vaughn's kills in his father's office said anything.

It only slightly set him off.
Okay. Maybe it set him off a lot. The flat tone and near-dead look in his eyes. Again. Kohen wasn't a huge fan of dealing with emotions and while Vaughn lacked one at the moment, it felt very similar to sitting across a ticking time bomb. Something silent that didn't give a warning, but there was just something too off-putting about it that you knew not to mess with it.

"Yeah- nothing to run away from, makes sense…" Kohen swallowed harshly at that, now unable to maintain eye contact. Instead, he looked over at the waitress who was attending another table and taking their order. "Should we take our leave now? I'm done- unless you wanna stay a bit longer and eat our promised pastries here"

But before Vaughn could even answer, Kohen was waving down the waitress.

She promptly made her way over to them when she finished taking the table's order, glancing from Kohen to Vaughn, then back to Kohen.
"Ready for the check?" She asked. "Would that be all on one bill?"
"Ah- yes please, I'll be paying this time" He spoke, it looked a lot like Kohen was trying to cover up his panic by focusing on talking to the waitress, but in the process, he didn't exactly know what he was saying, his words coming out a bit rushed. To Kohen, it felt like he was suddenly on autopilot.

"What do you think? I pay this time and you get the next one?" He pitched the idea to Vaughn, his eyes on the other for only a second before they were darting to the woman again when she spoke.
"Well, while you two decide on that, what pastries would you two like? I'll throw in two, one for each of you" She smiled at Kohen, her gaze shifting over to Vaughn.

Emotions were very complicated for Vaughn. He could feel them most of the time, but the problems arose when it became time to express them. It didn't come naturally to him. While most people expressed emotions without a second thought, he had to take a split moment in his mind to instruct his face on what shapes to make. He had gotten quite good at it growing up, trying to trick his therapists and foster families into thinking that he was alright with what he hoped was a genuine-looking smile. It worked for the most part. But, there were times that he forgot. When he forgot to direct his face and didn't mask his dead eyes with something more human. Some would call him a psychopath for that, and maybe they were right.

That was exactly what had happened when he spoke to Kohen about his biological father and running away. He picked up on his mistake almost immediately and put on a softer emotion. Though, the damage had been done. He wondered if he had scared Kohen by his lack of emotion. It made him mentally scramble, trying to think of something to rescue the situation, but the damage had clearly been done. He looked down at his half-eaten burger and knew that he couldn't stomach another bite even if he tried.

"Kohen, I'm-" Vaughn had started to say, but Kohen was already flagging down the waitress. He looked up at the woman for a moment, then to Kohen when he said he would be paying. Vaughn had planned on paying for the two of them, but then Kohen said there would be a next one and he decided to let it go. He would get the tab next time, right. There would be a next time. Maybe he was thinking too deep into how Kohen felt about his words. Maybe Kohen didn't care too much about what he had said. They were already talking about going out together again. "Yeah, the next one."

The question was turned to him about what would be for dessert. He didn't have an answer right away, not having even thought to look at the dessert menu. "Uhm, something cherry flavored- like pie or something," he answered. While familiar with the restaurant, he rarely ever got dessert for himself, so he was unfamiliar with what they offered. Surely there would be something cherry flavored, though.

They would end up going with a cherry cheesecake. It sounded good enough, but he just hoped he would be able to stomach it. The waitress took down the order before walking away, leaving the two of them alone again. Vaughn sat tense in his seat, wondering if he should move past what happened or say something about it. It didn't take long for him to decide, desperate not to lose the connection that he had so recently made.

"I'm sorry if anything I said bothered you. That stuff is just… hard for me to talk about," he suddenly said, voice sounding soft. He looked guilty, like a child who just got scolded for breaking a vase. He would control himself and be better at expressing himself around Kohen. He could be good, as long as it meant that Kohen didn't leave him. The connection he felt with Kohen was already clear and strong on his end, and he hadn't felt that way in quite some time.

It wouldn't have bothered Kohen. It wouldn't have.
But he knew that the man sitting across from him was an actual serial killer. For the most part, Kohen was pretty accepting-
…
Well. He was a little more now than he had been years prior, but when it came to the way others expressed themselves emotionally and carried themselves- he didn't care much. Vaughn could have spoken to him the entire time with no emotion on his face whatsoever and Kohen wouldn't have batted an eye as he ate. The guy was odd, he knew that. He didn't care for odd. But he knew. And he couldn't shake the images from his head.
Kohen still didn't know what it meant to get on the guy's hitlist, but if the reports he read over told him anything, it was that Vaughn was very specific in who he targeted. They all had two things in common- one, they were both men. Kohen was a man. And two, they were all abusers. Kohen wasn't one. But if his past threatened to resurface and Vaughn found out about his years in high school, he might think differently. Though, there wasn't a reason for Vaughn to go looking. Kohen's paranoia, on the other hand, made him feel lightheaded.

Kohen had heard Vaughn's cut-off sentence but decided to ignore it as the sickness in his stomach grew. Maybe he should really consider skipping town. He had planned to for a while now- he had wanted to save a little more, but maybe jumping the gun would be good this time…

But then Vaughn was talking when the woman asked about the pastries they wanted and he was asking for something cherry flavored. He seemed to freeze at that, the words that were on the tip of his tongue faltering.
The woman only nodded before she left.

Kohen, despite knowing that Vaughn wasn't a bad guy-
His thoughts stopped there. Wasn't he though? Didn't the number of people he killed say otherwise?
No.
Kohen refused. After all, he was the same. Maybe not on the level Vaughn was- he could count how many he had killed on one hand, but still, the same. A killer was a killer, no matter how you wanted to paint them.

He wasn't a bad guy, Kohen decided then and there. He might have been terrifying in those moments, but he wasn't all bad.
Kohen huffed at the apology, his eyes looking at the wall with sudden interest before they reluctantly looked over at Vaughn and found his eyes again.

"I understand… I don't mind talking about hard subjects- it didn't bother me at all-" He stopped short. If Vaughn asked what it was then, what would his excuse be? He couldn't exactly flat-out say that he knew he was the killer and that was the reason why he had seemed so panicked and suddenly on edge.
But the look on Vaughn's face now made Kohen's heart hurt. He wondered if the other had a hard time expressing himself- maybe killing would do that to a person who had been doing it for a long time. Or maybe it was just the way he was and there was nothing to fault.

"You just seemed a little serious and I was scared to push the conversation further…" he muttered at the end through pouted lips as he slouched against the table again, a bit of his anxiety melting when Vaughn provided an explanation- though, not that Vaughn owed him one. Still. It helped a bit, the look on Kohen's face looking conflicted for a second before he smiled.
"Cherry flavored, huh?" He asked suddenly, wondering if Vaughn also enjoyed cherry-flavored things as he did. "D'ja like my soda?" he mused.

Vaughn was too sensitive for his own good. It was strange to think that a serial killer, someone who has participated in so much violence, could be so soft. He had the sensitivity of a child. He had never grown out of it. Being in an abusive household always left him feeling vulnerable and exposed. Being beaten down did that to a person, leaving them cracked and broken. It was something that could be helped with therapy, but he lied and tricked his way out of that.

Kohen's words were surprising to him. He had always been met with anger after doing something wrong. If he messed anything up as a child, his father would make him pay for it. While it could be verbal, it came as physical most of the time. His father would beat him, leaving bruises and scratches all over his body. His mother would do his best to protect him, but he would turn on her every time. He would beat her half to death, then go back to him. He never blamed his mother, not once. She tried to save him, every time she tried to get his father's attention on her. Sometimes, it worked. His father would take his anger out on her instead of Vaughn. After his father would leave, Vaughn would crawl over to his mom and hug her as close as he was able to, apologizing for not being able to protect her. He hadn't been big and strong back then like he was now. He was just a kid. There was no way he would be able to do anything to protect her, all he could do was help put Band-Aids on her wounds and take care of his sister in the meantime.

Maybe he should apologize again. That would be the safe option, right? Even though Kohen explained that it was ok, he was still nervous. He was scared. Scared of the consequences of his actions, though all he had done wrong was not shape his face the right way.

Kohen had interrupted his worrying thoughts by asking about the cherry cheesecake. Really, cherry wasn't his first option if he had to choose any flavor. His favorite was apple, probably. That, or blackberry flavored things. Still, it was Kohen's favorite. If it was Kohen's favorite, that meant that he would have to like it as well. He would adapt if it meant that he could relate to Kohen better and get closer to him. His new infatuation wouldn't easily be stopped by a different taste in fruit flavors.

"Yeah, cherry flavored," he confirmed. What he said next was something that he hadn't been able to control. He blurted it out without a second thought, like his words had a mine of their own. As he said it, Figure echoed the words back to him. "It was ok, but I like you."

Vaughn was horrified with himself that he had even said such a thing. He didn't even know if Kohen liked men, and there he was, confessing his feelings just like that. His emotions showed on his face that time, real and saw and without force. He looked startled. His eyes glanced to Figure, wondering if it had been the only one to say it and not him, then looked back to Kohen. Regret flooded his system as his nails dug into his fists. His anxiety shot through the roof, and he felt as if his fight or flight would kick in. While normally going towards 'fight', he would run away. He couldn't hurt Kohen, not when he liked him so much. It wasn't right, Kohen had done nothing wrong. Kohen wasn't like those other men that he killed.

"I'm sorry- I don't know why I said that," he stammered out, face having gone red. He looked away from Kohen, moving to get to his feet. He wanted to run away; he didn't want to see the way that he thought Kohen would surely look at him. He could feel himself begin to sweat, and Figure chuckled from somewhere nearby. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Kohen saw how the man seemed to be in deep thought- almost as if he was… paralyzed. And in more ways than one.
He didn't know what else to say. Kohen was notorious for being a rough individual. Yes, he had his moments where the gooey parts of him became exposed, but Kohen was all bloodied knuckles and anger- even to those who had experienced heavy trauma. He wasn't kind. At all. To anyone.

Or so he told himself that.

However, his actions contradicted his thoughts and claims. He didn't know it, but his attempts at making others feel better came out in harsh jokes, or pushing other's buttons to get them angry and use him as a target- he could take it. A good beating. He didn't mind- as long as the other person felt better afterward. It's what he would want, so he did it for others.
While he no longer bullied people, a watered-down version of that came out when he wanted to cheer someone up. Maybe it would be in the form of taunting someone to get them to try something new or just straight-up making someone do something- very similar to how he had switched beverages with Vaughn.

One thing was for sure, though. Kohen didn't know softness. He could express it on his face and physically hold himself back, which looked a lot like softness, but intentional softness was not something he knew. He hadn't ever received that and he hadn't ever given it back into the world.

Vaughn however…

He didn't know. It was rare for Kohen to think of someone so highly. He respected those who were stronger- looked up to them. He wanted to be that way too, and Vaughn checked off all those boxes in the physical sense. Killer or not, he was strong, and it was admirable.

Which was why, this time, he did seem to be intentionally softer, his heart beating faster as the unfamiliar feeling took over. Vaughn was strong, but it seemed that his mental state was a wreck. The subtle movements of the other and look in his eyes reading a lot like desperation to Kohen- he even got the vaguest hint of worry. And for a moment, he could see his childhood self in Vaughn, even if it was only for a split second.

He wasn't though- his childhood self anymore. Instead, he had become unbearable to be around. He was too unapologetic and dismissive.

But… Vaughn caught his attention in more ways than one, and Kohen's curiosity would be the death of him.
However now, the words that came tumbling out of Vaughn's mouth froze him in place. It took a second. Two seconds. Three, then four, then five, before Kohen processed exactly what it was that he had heard.

A smile of disbelief appeared on his face and it threatened to become cruel- but he resisted laughing. Like me? He thought it over in his head. Maybe he was just jumping to conclusions and he had only said that cause he liked Kohen's company but when Vaughn apologized over and over after the fact- that's when Kohen knew he hadn't just meant it casually.

The anxiety inside him seemed to spike. Maybe he should leave, because at this rate, Kohen's nervousness would lead him to…

Hurt him.

It was like it was the only thing Kohen knew how to do. He felt sad? Hurting someone would make him feel better. Angry? Hurting someone would fix that too. Jealousness and fear- it helped with it all and his control over things soothed him.

This time, though, he could see the clear panic on the other's face- the atmosphere around him heavy with anxiety.
The apologies were still swimming in Kohen's head, but then Vaughn was getting up to leave and anger hit Kohen like a ton of bricks.

Sorry??? Why the hell are you leaving?

Kohen didn't miss a beat as Vaughn got up, yet letting the guy stand to see if he would actually leave. And when it looked like he would, his hand swiftly grabbed the half-finished cup of soda- his aim at Vaughn.

"Hey, asshole!" He called out before the cup left his hand and made contact with Vaughn before it fell and the liquid pooled near Vaughn's feet. The rush of adrenaline made Kohen's heart hammer in his chest. He could have done more. He could have punched him, knocked him to the floor to hurt him till his heart's content, but he hadn't. Not that this was any better.

Kohen's face had mirrored Vaughn's in that instance, his face, along with the tips of his ears red from how hard he was blushing.
"That how you confess to people you like? It's shitty. Needs work" He hissed out, his hand trembling as he placed it on the table to stabilize himself. His anxiety had gotten to be too much that it showed all over his body- the way he was visibly shaking now.

"You're stupid." The heat only seemed to grow more intense as Kohen spoke, now speaking with emotions, instead of thinking anything through. "How the hell do you know I don't like you too?!" A dangerous bite in his tone as he raised his voice. Why was Vaughn apologizing? He was apologizing like it was bad to like him- was it? Kohen's heart constricted with the realization that even if people did like him, maybe it was too much to be with him. And the scene in front of him was probably exhibit A.

Vaughn's emotions showed clear on his face. Waves of emotions went through him, mixing together until they formed one big mess. He went from feeling angry, to confusion, to hurt. He didn't understand exactly what he had done wrong. Had he messed up so bad by blurting out his confession to Kohen.

He hadn't had much time to react when Kohen threw his cherry cola at him. All he had been able to do was lift his hands in a way to try and shield himself, but it didn't do him much good. The cup hit his chest, splashing brown liquid onto his grey crewneck hoodie. It left a decent sized stain, and he looked down at himself with wide eyes. The glass landed at his feet with a shatter, causing those around them to turn and stare. He could barely deal with Kohen's eyes being on him so often, much less an entire restaurant. "Kohen, what the hell?" he hissed out, face turning red with embarrassment.

Nothing was said as Kohen scolded him. He flinched when Kohen called him stupid, the movement faint but still visible. He seemed to shrink into himself in a way, like he would be able to hide. He would hide often as a kid. When his father would come back home drunk, he would hide away in his closet. He would curl up in the back of it, arms wrapped around his knees as he tried to make himself as small as possible. If he was small, maybe he wouldn't be noticed. It worked for a while, but his father eventually found his hiding spot, and he was suddenly no longer invisible. He wished that he could be invisible.

The reason Vaughn had apologized had been because he expected to be rejected. He thought that if he apologized fast enough, then Kohen would consider forgiving him and continue going out with him. He bit the inside of his cheek as he saw the way that Kohen trembled with emotion. Kohen hadn't rejected him, but he hadn't accepted his feelings either. Before he even thought about pressing the conversation further, he pulled off his sweatshirt, not wanting to liquid to seep onto his white t-shirt that he wore underneath. He dropped it onto his seat, rubbing a hand over his face.

Not wanting to cause even more of a scene, Vaughn suddenly grabbed onto Kohen's arm firmly, dragging him into the bathroom. It was a private, single person bathroom, and once inside, he locked the door behind them. "Kohen, why did you do that?" he asked, sounding frustrated and upset. His brow was furrowed and he frowned softly. Was what he did really bad enough to cause Kohen to react in such a way.

"I'm sorry, I panicked- I got scared," he stammered out, which was true. He was scared of losing Kohen's companionship, so he did what he thought would help. Clearly, that wasn't the right answer. "I'm not good at this, I know that. You said it yourself, I'm odd."

Vaughn exhaled sharply, head tilting back for a moment. His eyes shut as he attempted to collect his thoughts. What was he even supposed to do now? He didn't know how Kohen felt, much less what he thought of him at that point. "I do like you, I wasn't lying about that," he mumbled, "If you don't feel the same, that's fine, but I like having you around. I want to stay around you."

He wasn't good with his emotions. But was that an excuse for this? There was a reason he avoided his feelings, he hadn't learned how to deal with them properly. And Vaughn suddenly confessing to him threw Kohen's mind into a panic. He couldn't be attracted to this- he couldn't. So his solution had been to cause a commotion- typical.

Kohen's eyes landed on Vaughn's shirt, the stain clear and for a second, reminding him of how they had "first met", though, it hadn't been this bad. He knew he had messed up and the only thing that read on his face was regret. But isn't this how it always went? No one had taught him how to ruin his relationships with everyone important that he knew- he had done that himself.
The flinch from Vaughn bringing on that same squeezing feeling to his chest as the painful feeling burrowed itself further into Kohen.

The only thing he could do now was watch as Vaughn took the top layer off and set it down.

But when Kohen realized he was reaching for him, he tried to jerk back- though, it seemed over the top as he did so, his eyes wide as he wasn't able to evade the taller man. Kohen winced as Vaughn grabbed him, his arm tender with bruises that his body was working to get rid of.
It didn't take long for the sick feeling to start up in his stomach again as he was led away.
"V-Vaughn… wait-" he tried to reason but it didn't do much as he soon found himself locked in a tiny room with the other.
Kohen hadn't waited to snatch his arm away, backing away from Vaughn to the point where his back hit the wall. He eyed him carefully. He wouldn't do anything here…right? He didn't have a weapon on him? No- it was too public for something like that. He'd get caught. The thought seemed to soothe him, his body slumping against the tile wall.

"Wait- just…." Kohen held up a hand as he hunched forward, placing his other hand on his knee for support. He really did feel sick now and it was taking everything in him not to throw up. But Vaughn's words didn't stop and they muddled in his head as he slid down to the bathroom floor, now bunching his hair up in his fist as he set his forehead against one of his knees.

"No…-" He started, but the only thing that had been there since the beginning echoed over and over in his mind. I think I like you too, but I don't want to. I'm also scared. However, what came out instead was…
"I'm just a dick."

While Vaughn seemed perfectly capable of expressing how he felt, saying exactly what he needed to without any repercussions, it wasn't the same for Kohen. He couldn't do it. Guilt and shame and fear gagged him, then consumed him with the mere thought of saying what was on his mind.

It took a minute longer for Kohen to gather himself. Gods was he exhausted.

Once he looked up to see Vaughn's face, there was a near-irritated look on Kohen's face that showed in the form of a slight glare, however, laced with guilt and sadness. It seemed that even in these situations there was still a roughness to him- the expression on his face looking angry, even when he wasn't.

He swallowed harshly, muttering something about how 'odd didn't equate to something bad'.

The rest of Vaughn's words kept Kohen silent, now biting down on the side of his lip as he examined literally anything else but Vaughn- looking a lot like he was still trying to act tough. However, the gloss in his eyes was clear as day even as he kept trying to maintain his feelings bottled. He didn't know why he suddenly felt so overwhelmed as Vaughn cleared things up with him- that he still wanted to hang around him despite it all. That he liked him.

He liked him too. Kohen liked him too. I like you too. He gradually allowed himself to think the words.
It all felt like too much though- his attraction to Vaughn. He wanted that- to be with someone he liked, but he couldn't. And the more he thought about it, that he couldn't have what he wanted, that he couldn't ever be himself or be happy finally pushed him over the edge. It showed in the way a steady stream of tears streaked down his face, Kohen now frustratingly trying to wipe them away. He was fine. He was fine. This was all so stupid to cry over- his father would kill him if he saw him crying. What would he think? What would he think? It repeated in his head.

"Yeah…" Came Kohen's hoarse and shaky voice. "…you're not at all-" not at all like the person I saw last night. He wanted to say, but never finished the sentence.
He wondered what would happen if he could shut his brain off for a second and let himself speak every repressed thought he had since he'd been a kid. He wondered if it'd give him peace of mind, or would help calm his soul from the turbulence.

Don't apologize. You should never apologize for things you do if you are right. Came his father's stern words, but here he was, an apology halfway out his mouth.
"I'm sorry…-" he nearly choked on the words, the unfamiliarness strange on his tongue. "It's not your fault" he forced out.
"I apparently haven't been housebroken yet" he spoke, straining to hear himself over the overwhelming… well, everything.
Kohen never spoke of himself like that- for those who knew him, but in this instance, it seemed like he had adopted his father's vocabulary into his own.

The exhaustion mixed with a lot of things he hadn't expected seemed to defeat him.

What the hell. Why not. What more did he have to lose? His soul to eternal damnation?
The thought made his hand shake until he balled it into a fist.

"I feel the same…" Came Kohen's quiet words, like he couldn't bring himself to raise his voice any further. "…'like you…" he continued, now sounding muffled as he dipped his head down again to rest it on his knees. "…'just don't know what to do with it, I panicked too…" he rubbed the back of his neck as if he were trying to comfort himself.
"Sorry," his voice became a little clearer at the end even though he felt all too hot from the embarrassment with every word that passed through his lips.

Vaughn's head fell down as Kohen spoke, watching as the ginger man sank down to the floor. He felt guilty all of a sudden. He hadn't wanted Kohen to be upset about anything. Despite being paranoid about Kohen exposing him if he ever found out his identity, he didn't want to hurt Kohen- not one bit. Not physically or mentally. He wanted to keep Kohen safe and well. He couldn't imagine being anything like his father and causing someone so much pain for no reason.

Then, Kohen began to cry. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and Vaughn began to panic. He pushed aside his own anxieties in favor of concentrating on Kohen's distress. His lips parted, not ever expecting to see Kohen cry, especially over something like this. Carefully, he moved to sit down next to Kohen. He moved like Kohen was an injured wild animal that would be scared away or attack if he went too fast or close. He kept a small bit of space between them, not touching Kohen for the time being. "Hey, it's ok- don't cry, it's ok," he stammered, trying to soothe Kohen. His eyes were a bit wide, filled with worry as he looked at Kohen. He didn't want to see Kohen cry, not for any reason. His heart ached at the sight, and he wished there was a quick way to fix it. If only fixing it was as easy as killing a random person. He thought he could do that if it meant Kohen wouldn't cry again.

Housebroken. The word felt strange to him. It was like Kohen was trying to say that however he acted wasn't right. That confused Vaughn. What about Kohen wasn't right? So far, he liked everything about Kohen. He even liked Kohen's feistier side- the side of him that caused him to throw drinks on another person for confessing their feelings. He enjoyed being around Kohen, even if they hadn't known each other. They had only hung out twice, yet he already felt so attached. Maybe it was because he had no one else in his life to be around, so he was latching onto the closest thing that provided some sort of companionship. Whether that was true or not, he cared about Kohen and wanted to see him safe.

"You don't need to be housebroken, whatever that means," he stated, trying his best to speak firm but soft. He would try his best to comfort Kohen the best that he was able to. While he might not be the best at it, he would make an attempt for the person he cared for.

Kohen liked him. Kohen actually liked him too. The confirmation shocked Vaughn, the surprise visible on his face. What he wanted to do was grin. He wanted to laugh and be happy about Kohen reciprocating his feelings. Internally, he did just that. He felt delight swell up in his chest, threatening to escape. Though, he would save his celebration for when Kohen was a bit more emotionally stable. He scooted a bit closer to Kohen, not touching him but still close.

Vaughn's arm moved, painfully slow so that Kohen would see it coming. His arm draped around Kohen's shoulders, hand moving to the side of Kohen's head. He nudged Kohen's head to the side so it would rest against his shoulder. Once it was there, his fingers brushed through Kohen's hair gently. As a kid, when he would be upset or have nightmares, his mother would do something similar. She would hold him to her and stroke his head until he calmed enough to relax again. He hoped that it would have a similar effect for Kohen as it did for him as a child.

"It's ok, you don't need to apologize," he started, nails lightly scratching Kohen's scalp, "I'm sorry for almost running away. I should have stuck around to see what you would have said."

A moment of silence passed before some intrusive thoughts slipped from Vaughn's lips. He didn't feel like he was the one saying it, yet he was. Being so bold was unlike him, maybe even completely inappropriate for the current situation. Still, he said it and couldn't take it back. The emotions he felt swelled too deep in his chest, and they escaped through his lips in such a strange way. "Kohen- can I kiss you?"

Kohen didn't know to explain to Vaughn that this wasn't his fault- or at least not entirely. No one would have seen it coming- not even Kohen who kept a tight lid on everything emotion-related. Vaughn may have kickstarted it, but really, this was bound to happen eventually. It had only been a matter of time.

As Vaughn took the space beside him, Kohen seemed to tense at that, now vigorously trying to wipe the tears away even more. There was no way he would let Vaughn see what a mess his face had become now that he was closer.
However, even with all the wiping, his eyelashes still stuck together in certain sections, the corners of his eyes gaining a faint redness as Kohen irritated his skin with the excess wiping.

Vaughn telling him not to cry simultaneously pissed him off as much as it made him want to cry even more. It was the thought that the other man had seen him this way that Kohen hated. That mixed with the soft words he hadn't ever gotten tugged at his heartstrings. He hadn't ever felt this way before and was slowly deciding that he didn't like how the kind words made him feel. It was like he had spilled all his guts out on the floor. He was vulnerable right now and it felt unbearable- to be exposed like this.

The words repeated back to him gave him a bit of a shock, as if in disbelief that he had said that about himself.
He didn't answer Vaughn, a small part of him not believing the words, but also not wanting to say so. But it was then that he turned to look over at Vaughn, his head still resting on his legs. There was a light blush on his face as he looked Vaughn over. He was sitting right there. Next to him. So casually. With him.

He saw the way Vaughn's overall demeanor seemed to light up, a type of relief and maybe even excitement there. It only turned his face red to know that it was genuine- still having held onto the small bit of doubt in his heart. He never let himself hope too far and wouldn't have been surprised if Vaughn was just playing a cruel prank on him.

Vaughn moving closer to him alarmed Kohen a bit, but he allowed it- and didn't move away even though his anxiety was practically screaming at him to run. Still, the move made him sit up from his previous slouched position. The slow movements from the other made Kohen narrow his eyes, yet, his heart stilled as it was the most honest part of him.
He was silently grateful for the careful approach.

Even though physical contact to this extent made Kohen nervous, he did lean on Vaughn… despite the way his body tensed.

The moment Vaughn ran his hand through his hair in an attempt to soothe him, Kohen's heart felt all too heavy. Heavy in the way his body slowly relaxed against the other. It didn't help that he was tired, the gentle touch coaxing him to close his eyes.
And again, Kohen said nothing to Vaughn's words, not having much to say save for a faint pleased noise that came from him, sounding a lot like a soft drawn-out tired hum.

His next words however brought a burning heat to his face. He supposed that's what lovers did, but he was all too unprepared for it. He hadn't ever kissed anyone before. How could he say that he was inexperienced in the area of romance?
"I…I'm not- t-that's…I wouldn't…" the words faded as he grew increasingly flustered. "If you really want to-" He said at least, a faked indifference on his face, even though his heart was hammering against his chest now.
He swallowed hard, not being able to look at Vaughn. "Just- I'm not too familiar so it might not be good, I haven't…" and then it hit him. Wouldn't this be his first time at any of this?
"Listen." He said firmly as he spoke again, trying to brush off the embarrassment. "I haven't been with anyone before….er, ever." He finished, now feeling like he was really exposing himself.
"So, I'm serious" he tried to make a case. He was all too anxious about this to the point where it looked like he was stalling for time. "You're going to be disappointed" he drew into himself some with that last line. Maybe Vaughn wouldn't want to anymore if he laid everything out on the table. He was new to everything in every sense of the word.

Vaughn wanted to kiss Kohen. He wanted to do that more than he thought he had ever wanted to do anything else. He wanted to get closer to Kohen, to wrap his arms around him and try to make him feel better. If he could do just that, then everything would be ok, he thought. Though, he noticed the way that Kohen grew anxious and how his body tensed up.

Kohen had never kissed anyone before. That was a bit of a surprise. While Kohen had attempted to convince him at the pet store that he had sex before, he hadn't been too convincing. Though, that was just sex. Vaughn at least thought Kohen would have kissed someone before. Kohen was attractive and, in his opinion, had a good personality. How could someone not want to kiss Kohen, especially when he looked so wide eyed and red in the face. "I thought you said you got around," he hummed, teasing Kohen a bit in an attempt to lighten the mood. He wondered what Kohen's excuse for the bruises on his neck would be now, since clearly, they weren't hickeys from some mystery woman.

Though, the fact that Kohen hadn't kissed anyone before didn't turn him off from the idea. No, it was the complete opposite. It got him excited. He was happy to be Kohen's first kiss. It appealed to something possessive inside of him. No one else had gotten to touch Kohen like that, no one but him. He was overjoyed by the idea of that. It showed on his face, with the way his eyes seemed to light up. He would be Kohen's first.

"How could I be disappointed about something like that?" he breathed, tilting his head to look at Kohen better. "I don't mind being your first anything."

Vaughn's hand left Kohen's hair, moving to take Kohen's chin between his fingers so he could turn Kohen's face towards his. His gaze went from Kohen's eyes to his lips, and his stomach churned with anxiety and anticipation. For once, everything was quiet. Figure wasn't there, and neither were any of the other intrusive voices. He felt settled, like it was just him and Kohen in their own little bubble. He wanted to stay in that moment forever. Maybe every time him and Kohen did something like this, his mind would get quiet. That made him want to try over and over again. "It's ok, you don't need to be nervous," he murmured, thumb rubbing against Kohen's jaw gently. They were close now, enough to where he could feel Kohen's breath against his face.

Wasting no time, Vaughn closed the gap between them. His lips pressed to Kohen's softly, giving Kohen any chance to pull away if he wanted to. He took things slow, leaving a couple lingering pecks to Kohen's lips before properly kissing him. He quickly grew addicted to the feeling of Kohen's lips and how he tasted. If he wasn't too concerned about taking things slowly with Kohen, he would have quickly devoured the other man alive. His obsession deepened in that exact moment, and he knew that this couldn't be the last time that they kissed.

Vaughn's hand left Kohen's chin in favor of resting on his cheek and jaw instead. His other hand steadied himself by resting on Kohen's knee, touch light enough that Kohen could easily brush it off if he wanted to. He tasted fresh, like minty toothpaste. There was also a hint of something a bit more metalic from when he had bit the inside of his cheek. He hadn't noticed it before, but he had left a small break in the skin that caused a light amount of bleeding. It was a strange combination of flavors, but they somehow fit hand in hand with each other.

The kiss didn't last long. It ended, and he pecked Kohen's lips once more before separating. His hand stayed on Kohen's face, caressing his cheek in an affectionate way. His face was red, and despite the kiss having been slow and sweet, he looked breathless. His eyes were all hazy, like he was drunk. Maybe he was, feeling like he was drunk off of Kohen. "Was that ok?" he breathed.

He thought that it was more than ok. He thought that simple kiss was the best kiss that he had ever shared with another person. "Can we do it again? Please?" he asked, practically giving Kohen puppy dog eyes as he spoke. He wanted more. He wanted to kiss Kohen again and again, wanted to kiss him not only on his lips but all over. He would do whatever Kohen wanted him to do if it meant that they could kiss again. He could be a good boy if it meant that Kohen would kiss him again.

Kohen shot Vaughn a hard glare at the tease, though, the red on his face was too apparent to take him seriously.
"Shut up…" He muttered, now slightly embarrassed about the fact that it was clear that he had lied before about the hickeys.

His eyes flickered up to look at Vaughn for a moment after that, wondering what kind of expression he would be making. Surely, he preferred the more experienced. But when he did, he was surprised to see a sort of delight in Vaughn's eyes- it made Kohen's eyes widen a bit at the thought of him not minding it.

First anything. The words rang in his head.

Kohen brought a hand to his face at the implication of that. His other hand tugged on Vaughn's shirt as if telling him to stop putting images in his head.
His grip only tightened on his shirt as Vaughn guided his face to look up at him. He moved the hand covering part of his face to gently grab Vaughn's wrist, swallowing harshly as he looked into his eyes. The trail from his brown eyes to his lips made him suck in a shaky breath. He really was out of his comfort zone with this one.
It didn't take long for Kohen's eyes to flicker away from the anxiety as Vaughn drew close. Though, the reassuring words and touch to his face slowed his heart some.
The moment of calmness faded, however, when Vaughn pressed his lips to his, Kohen's breath hitching from surprise. A muffled sound escaped him as he released Vaughn's hand and moved to press it against his chest instead, both of his hands now clinging onto his shirt with a cluelessness of where to put them.

Kohen appreciated the slow pace but it made his heart beat wildly from both the anxiety of never having done this and the excitement of experiencing something new. The peppered kisses made Kohen chase after Vaughn's lips for more, unsure of what to expect.
Once Vaughn pressed into him one final time, deepening their kiss, Kohen let out a small whimper. His worries about anything he had had before quickly melted into the sensation of Vaughn's warmth.
It felt good. It felt good to be this close to someone- it felt like love.

At the moment- and almost always, as Vaughn would soon come to find out, Kohen tasted sweet, just like the cherry cola he had drank. He was constantly snacking on something cherry-flavored- mostly just candies, or drinks that were sickeningly sweet- the taste always lingering in his mouth. On the days when he was having a particularly bad time, he would indulge in the sourness of candies instead of the sweet ones. What he ate largely depended on how he felt.

The taste of Vaughn felt all too familiar to Kohen, tasting his own blood in his mouth time and time again. It was odd, but Kohen didn't dislike it. Because it was familiar, the combination of the two gave him a sense of security and trust, his body slowly relaxing into Vaughn's touch.

As Vaughn pulled away and ended the kiss, Kohen looked to be slightly dazed now, as if he had been expecting Vaughn to keep going even when he broke contact between them. All Kohen could do in response to Vaughn's question was nod, the action stuttered as he tried to shake the pleasant fuzz that had clouded his mind.
The pleading seemed to shock Kohen back to reality, quickly sobering up with the look Vaughn was giving him. A ghost of a smile twitched at the edge of Kohen's lips as he took a second to try and catch his breath- despite it having been a slow kiss.
"Uhm..- y-yeah, that's fine…" he said all too meekly. "…'don't mind.." he added at the end, trying to subtly and quickly lick his lips before Vaughn decided to kiss him again- as if already missing the softness of Vaughn's lips on his.

Vaughn had practically melted when Kohen had whimpered against his lips. That was a tempting noise. He wondered what else he could do to get Kohen to make that noise again. Was Kohen just sensitive to their kissing, or had it been something out of surprise? Either way, he wanted to replicate it. He wanted to keep a recording of that sound that he could listen to whenever he felt like it. The hands that gripped onto his shirt was the icing on the cake. It was like Kohen's body was speaking for itself and begging him to keep going.

The fact that Kohen tasted like cherry came as no surprise to Vaughn. It brought a little smile to his lips. Cherry was slowly going to become his favorite flavor as well if that was what Kohen tasted like. It was cherry, and a bit of something sweeter. It was strange that Kohen, who's personality was so fiery and loud, could be so sweet. He didn't want anyone else to get to experience that sweetness. He wanted to keep that side of Kohen all to himself. if Kohen allowed him to, he would jump on the opportunity in a heartbeat.

When Kohen said that they could kiss again, Vaughn once again lit up. A smile formed on his lips, being much more noticeable and brighter. He was clearly showing his emotions on his face a bit more naturally now. He gave Kohen's knee a small squeeze, brushing his thumb against Kohen's plump bottom lip gently. The skin was soft, though he knew that already from their kiss. How Kohen had never done this before was beyond him. If anyone knew how sweet he tasted or how soft his lips were, they would probably want a turn. That wouldn't happen, though- not if Vaughn had anything to say about it. He didn't like sharing.

Vaughn leaned in again, kissing Kohen with a bit more confidence now. He still kept things slow, not wanting to overwhelm him, but wasted no time with the innocent pecking. He pressed closer to Kohen, his hand that was on Kohen's chin moving to the back of Kohen's head. His fingers laced through the hair on the back of Kohen's neck, scratching at the skin in a comforting way. He was glad that Kohen seemed to be getting into the act more. The way that Kohen's lips had previously chased after his didn't go unnoticed. He wondered what other things Kohen would surprise him with. "You can put your hands in my hair if you want," he murmured between kisses, knowing that Kohen seemed unsure about where to rest his hands. He loved having his hair played with, he found. Any sort of petting, scratching, pulling- he loved all of it.

He decided to take things a bit further. His lips parted, tongue brushing against Kohen's lips. "Open your mouth a little bit for me," he encouraged softly. Once Kohen did, he was able to kiss Kohen deeper. His tongue slipped onto Kohen's mouth, brushing against Kohen's tongue. Now, he could really taste the cherry cola. He huffed softly at the taste in a pleased manner, grip on Kohen's knee tightening in the slightest. There was the urge to take things even further. He wanted more with Kohen, to help him experience all of the things he hadn't been able to yet.

That couldn't happen, though. Vaughn cared about Kohen. Kohen was too special to experience any more firsts on the floor of a bathroom. As much as he wanted to be greedy, he couldn't push himself to continue on with Kohen. Still, he would indulge in continued kissing. The pace of the kiss increased, and his hand left Kohen's knee to rest on his hip instead. He held firm, his thumb rubbing circles against Kohen's hip. "You're doing good, Kohen, you're really good," he breathed against Kohen's lips, petting his scalp.

It wasn't lost on Kohen how much brighter Vaughn seemed than before. He didn't know he could have that kind of effect on someone and it made his heart swell with delight that anyone could be happy because of him.
The color on his face darkened with the brush across his lip, his eyes looking down at Vaughn's hand as he did so before looking back up at him. He wouldn't lie- that small gesture made him feel so many things. For one, it made him feel wanted… in the warmest softest of ways that so happened to pull at his heart.

The press against his lips drew a soft sound from him once more, as if trying to brace himself for the heart-stopping feeling of Vaughn but unable to. The straightforwardness of the kiss made it impossible for Kohen to ready himself, and in return, made a faint trembling start across his body. It was a lot like a physical manifestation of how his heart was making him feel.

Once Vaughn had started to speak in between the kisses, Kohen languidly opened his eyes, the comforting feeling of Vaughn's hand at the back of his neck having lulled him into relaxing and closing his eyes. It took a second for him to process the words, but when he did he moved so his arms draped over Vaughn's shoulders. His hands gently ran through his hair, absentmindedly brushing through and feeling the texture. He decided he loved it- running his hands through the other's hair. Kohen was an anxious person and almost always needed to fidget with something and this was doing wonders in helping him not to be such an anxious mess.

Kohen found that the familiar hammer of his chest increased with Vaughn's encouraged words. He wasn't one to do as he was told but in this moment, he was more than inclined to follow Vaughn's lead.
Feeling the new and unfamiliar motion of kissing brought his eyebrows together- not at all displeased, but trying hard to keep up. A few breathy sounds escaped Kohen as he just barely pushed further into Vaughn. He was still a bit hesitant and very shy about it all but seemed to be enjoying this interaction with the dark-haired male.

Kohen's body shuddered involuntarily at Vaughn's touch by his waist, his hands loosely bunching up sections of the other male's hair and gently tugging on it to try and still his heart that raced with the soft-spoken praise. The hungriness that Vaughn displayed as he wanted more from Kohen drew a small whine from him. Vaughn was giving him everything he could ever want and somewhere in the back of Kohen's mind, he knew that was a dangerous thing. It didn't matter though; Kohen was ready to drown himself in whatever Vaughn had to offer him.

The tension melted away from Vaughn’s body when Kohen’s fingers carded through his dark hair. A shivering breath escaped his lips whenever Kohen tugged on it in just the right way. He knew he would be unable to keep up with things for long before he got himself worked up. Still, he chose to savor the moment. Never had someone been so pliable and soft in his hands. Kohen was following his little instructions and reacting so positively to his touch. It was exhilarating, as much as it was calming.

Kohen’s shivering hadn’t gone unnoticed by Vaughn. It pulled him from his desire to continue with Kohen. He wanted to take everything the red head had to offer, but he knew he couldn’t. Not yet, at least. They had to take things slow, and what they had going was a damn good start. They could kiss again- hopefully. Vaughn’s fear was that the memory would be locked away in that bathroom. There was only so much time until Kohen found out who he really was, and then things would end. Vaughn needed to savor Kohen’s presence as much as possible. He had no time to waste with being nervous.

After a final soft kiss, Vaughn drew back. His cheeks were pink and he looked at Kohen like he was the only thing that existed in the world. Really, that was the truth. He liked Kohen, liked him so much that he didn’t have eyes for anyone but him. It could have been seen as unhealthy for him to get so deeply attached in such a short amount of time, but the thought didn’t register to Vaughn. He was just devoted, nothing crazy or dangerous.

Vaughn’s head tilted, momentarily pressing into the feeling of Kohen’s fingers. He savored the feeling before they would eventually move away. His hair was a mess, looking like he had just rolled out of bed, but he barely noticed. His hand left Kohen’s hip and went back to stroke his cheek, a little smile on his lips. “I like you,” he stated, repeating the same thing that had started the initial argument. He picked up Kohen’s hands, pressing his lips to the knuckles affectionately. He didn’t run away when he said it, not like he had tried to before. He stayed on that bathroom floor with Kohen instead.

After a couple of minutes, the pair would leave the restaurant. Vaughn had made sure to collect the togo bag that was left on their table that contained the two slices of cheesecake in their own boxes. There wasn’t much conversation made between the two of them, but Vaughn was alright with that. He felt content in the silence after getting his emotions off of his chest. It felt good to do so, and he wondered if it was something he should do more often. Figure seemed to hang back more, watching from afar where its whispers and hisses were quieter.

A short walk led them to a nearby park. It was a large area of woods with small destinations throughout- like various playgrounds or gardens. It was known for its trails that were family friendly, not being too difficult for younger children. They found a bench in a shady area near a garden. It was full of rose bushes, mostly, surrounding a small fountain with stone statues of birds perched on it. Vaughn dug into their togo bag, hanging one of the boxes and a fork to Kohen.

“Still feel up to eating the free cheesecake?” he asked, glancing down at him. He hadn’t made much eye contact with Kohen since their kiss. He seemed a bit flustered by it all, though held no regrets about doing it. Really, he was antsy about being Kohen’s first. He wanted to ask how it was, if he had done a good job. Maybe he was seeking out praise, though he would never directly ask for it.

Kohen was wholly unaware of how intense the thoughts and feelings going on inside of Vaughn were. He had never had anyone be interested in him, let alone obsessed with him. He didn't know what that looked like and he would most likely mistake Vaughn's overwhelming need for him for love- genuine love. Well. Maybe it was, despite it all.
Still. Because he had no experience with love he didn't know how dangerous and volatile it could be at times. He only knew about the things he had done in the past just to get close to someone he liked, but more than half the time it had been laced with hate and anger.
Vaughn was already a dangerous individual in Kohen's head but the way he had just kissed him and touched him sure was disarming. The look he was currently giving him was enough for him to drop his guard completely too. And for someone who was just now getting a dose of the love he should have had sooner in his life, he didn't know what to do with himself.

The flushed look on his face had started to fade as he looked Vaughn over, from the messy hair to his lips when he spoke. His eyes quickly darted elsewhere however when Vaughn spoke the words- only to be brought back by the kiss to his knuckles.
Kohen looked flustered to no end with those simple three words and painfully sweet actions to the point where he resorted to pushing Vaughn away playfully, the red on his face and tips of his ears making it clear that he enjoyed hearing those words despite the expression he might have been pulling in that moment. And although he had pushed Vaughn away, his hands had stayed by the hem of his shirt when they dropped down, holding onto Vaughn's clothes, even now.

"Yeah, I guess I like you too," he said, trying hard to dismiss the raging anxiety that mixed with the joy of finally saying the words he had wanted to say for so many years. It felt relieving as much as it gave him a slight rush of adrenaline.

On their way out of the restaurant, Kohen profusely apologized to the waitress who had been kind enough to gift them the two pastries on the house. She had huffed and told Kohen that she would only forgive him if he brought his boyfriend around to eat again while she was on shift. She commented on Vaughn being eye candy before poking fun at Kohen and telling him it was all jokes- noting how he had started to eye her suspiciously, almost as if starting to get defensive. She seemed to enjoy the lively couple as nothing interesting usually happened on her shifts, it felt like a breath of fresh air- or maybe slightly toxic air, but either way she didn't mind it.

Kohen didn't say much the entire way to the park, he seemed to be deep in thought, but a lot more relaxed around Vaughn after the happenings. Being with Vaughn had felt very good- it still felt very good but a new worry had silenced him. If Vaughn kept killing and he eventually got caught- since there was no doubt in Kohen's mind that it would happen sooner or later, what would he do?
…
He just couldn't get caught, Kohen decided. He didn't know how to bring up his concerns for the other male. He wasn't one to say how he felt and with the extra barrier there of Vaughn not knowing that he knew- it was a problem. He didn't want to think about how Vaughn would react to him knowing. He wondered if that would scare him and make him do things in order to keep Kohen quiet. It was a lot of what ifs and a lingering panic from his previous 'what if he kills me?' thought.

After they found a spot and sat, he glanced over at Vaughn when he offered the dessert to him. He hummed in appreciation as he took it, almost instantly unboxing it and digging in to scoop a bit of the cake into his mouth.
"I could eat" he joked, a small smile tugging at his lips despite having stuffed himself with the large burger and fries at the restaurant. If there was something about Kohen, it was his insatiable hunger for food. It was as if he was in a constant mindset of starvation whether that was emotionally or physically.

Vaughn didn't know Kohen all too well to pick up on that small fact yet but Kohen ate at any chance he got, like he didn't know when his next meal would be. Even if his mood was ruined or he couldn't stomach it, he would still force it all down. It partially had to do with the fact that his father got angry and unnecessarily violent when he didn't finish all his food at the table even if Kohen felt unwell. The other half of that was that he genuinely had no clue where his next meal would come from, his father was very inconsistent in that area. Some nights he demanded they eat together as a "family" and the next he was drunk off his ass with nothing to show for it.
Kohen had gotten "used to it" but there were nights when there was nothing edible in the entire house and he resorted to scrounging around…. sometimes, he found, that restaurant threw out perfectly good food.
Even if it was past the expiration date…

Kohen reciprocating Vaughn's feelings with a verbal confirmation didn't help his mindset one bit. When Kohen had returned the words, Vaughn had smiled like some lovesick idiot. Despite Kohen pushing him away out of embarrassment, he pushed back, pecking Kohen's lips quickly. His energy had gotten much lighter since then. Despite his own embarrassment over the situation, his joy over Kohen feeling the same trumped that. He wondered how much Kohen liked him. Was it as much as Vaughn already liked him? As nice as that was, it was wishful thinking. His emotions were overwhelming and intense, threatening to consume the usually unfeeling and stoic man.

At the park, Vaughn smiled softly as he watched Kohen eagerly dig into the cheesecake. He wondered if Kohen had gotten enough to eat at the restaurant. Maybe if Kohen had any more free time later in the day, they could grab something else to eat. He wouldn't mind that. He tended to take a couple of days in between kills to allow himself to rest and stay low. That time was already being replaced with ideas of things Kohen and him could do together. He seemed lost in thought as he made a mental list of all of the things that they could do together- if Kohen had the time, that is. Kohen had a job that would surely take up some of his time. Vaughn had to accept that Kohen couldn't give him all of his attention at all times. He was very much reluctant to do so.

"Is it good?" he asked as Kohen ate the slice like it was his last meal.

Vaughn took out his own slice of cheesecake, setting the box down on his lap. He opened it up, taking a little piece off with the fork. He put it in his mouth, exhaling softly at the taste. It only took a second for him to put the pieces of a memory together, brought back by the taste of the cheesecake.

It was the memory of a cherry pie- the taste and smell of it coming back to Vaughn clearly. He remembered his childhood home and how his mother enjoyed baking in her spare time. She seemed to use it as a way to relax. After something happened between her and his father, she would always end up in the kitchen baking some sort of sweets. The smell of it would draw Vaughn and his sister from their hiding place in his closet. It was a sign that their father had either left to go to the bar or pass out wasted in his bed. It was a sign that it was safe.

Vaughn and his sister would come down the stairs, creeping quietly into the kitchen. Their mother would greet them as if nothing was wrong, as if the forming black eye and other bruises on her skin didn't exist. The three of them would sit at the kitchen table and eat the dessert, their mother asking them about how school went that day. Cherry pie was something that she was very good at baking. She had her own recipe, one that she said she would share with the both of them once they were older. She said she would teach them how to make the pie from scratch one day.

The day never came- she was murdered by his father before that. Vaughn never learned her recipe. He had never been able to replicate her cherry pie, nor had he been able to find something that tasted just like it.

The sounds of a bird chirping as it landed by the fountain pulled Vaughn from his memories. While remembering softer times with his family, he had a far away look on his face and something sad in his eyes. He blinked quickly, having felt his eyes begin to grow wet. He looked down at his cheesecake, fork tapping on the to go box that it sat in. He suddenly wasn't sure if he could stomach it, but knew it would be strange if he didn't. He put another bite in his mouth, swallowing it a bit more harshly than he had before.

"Don't know if I'll be able to finish the rest of mine- I got full on that burger. Want some of mine?" Vaughn decided to offer. Kohen seemed hungry, and he needed to get rid of the rest of the cheesecake. It would be a win for the both of them.

While Kohen had been focusing on his cheesecake, he could feel Vaughn's gaze on him- call it intuition… or perhaps the trauma of being watched closely at all times since his childhood.
Kohen looked at Vaughn from the corner of his eyes as he ate, yet didn't utter a word. His eyes did, however, very clearly give off a 'what are you staring at me like that for?' vibe.

Vaughn would have to get used to it- or perhaps will Kohen to change in that area. He gave off a mean aura even when he was silent and eating- much like an animal guarding and defending its meal. The words from Vaughn only made his suspicion rise, his intensity growing with it.

"…it's good.." Kohen spoke cautiously as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It didn't come, and instead, was filled with silence as Vaughn seemed to drift off to a place unknown to Kohen. He saw the spaced-out look on Vaughn's person but didn't dare to question it or even snap him out of it. Kohen didn't need to ask, he already knew. It was the type of knowing that came from someone who shared a similar experience- who knew what it was like.

So instead, he dug back into his cake and took another chunk full into his mouth.

Kohen didn't have any good memories to look fondly on. He remembered there had been a time without constant pain and the torment that came with everything that was his father and the household he lived in, but that was as far as it went. He supposed no pain was good, even if those memories were mediocre at best.

Vaughn offering his cheesecake to Kohen, however, made him stop. He looked at his face to gauge if he was joking or not and when Kohen assessed that he wasn't, he took the pastry all too eagerly- now quickly finishing off his portion to dig into Vaughn's.

"Thanks" he spoke, his voice sounding lighter and brighter, even if it wasn't noticeable at first.

He didn't know, but anyone who was willing to offer him food was on his strong "like" list, even though Vaughn had more than food to offer him- that, however, triumphed everyone else.
Kohen came back to those who fed him- as seen with his friend who had offered him a position at the coffee place. At the moment, he didn't think anything could top having a warm meal- even if it was just once a day. Love and food were all he was looking for. He could go without shelter- he had many times throughout middle and high school, oftentimes sleeping on the streets, but as long as he wasn't alone, it wouldn't be so hard. He had gotten through tough times by himself and he could again if he had to, but it all sounded exhausting. Not having someone by his side to tell him that he could do this and that he wasn't alone felt depressing- as plainly as he could put it. A support system, in short. It was a support system that he craved.

"I'll pay you back," Kohen said through a mouthful of cake, trying to keep his mouth open to a minimum, making his words sound muffled so as to not be rude.

Kohen looking suspicious made Vaughn arch a brow in question for a moment. Why would he be joking about giving Kohen the rest of his cheesecake? An idea of why came to Vaughn's mind- did Kohen not have easy access to food? It would explain why Kohen insisted on scarfing down anything that he was given. He realized that he didn't know much about Kohen's homelife and wondered if it was in any way abusive like his had been. Maybe Kohen's parent refused to give him food as a punishment or something along the same lines. He would have to get to the bottom of what was going on. Maybe he could help Kohen.

When Kohen lit up and accepted the cheesecake, Vaughn smiled softly. He wanted to keep doing things that made Kohen have that expression on his face. He would do whatever it took to see it over and over again in an attempt to commit it to being flawless in his memory. Maybe he should ask to take a picture. Would Kohen allow him to do that or would he shrug it off and deny him? The worry kept his mouth shut.

Vaughn shook his head quickly when Kohen said he would pay him back. "You don't need to, it's ok," he replied, voice firm in that decision. He glanced down at his hands where he was fidgeting with his thumbs in a nervous sort of way. His next words came out a bit less firm, sounding more unsure and experimental, "Think of it as a 'thank you' for going out with me."

Saying it like that, it sounded like they were on a date. Was this technically a date? They went out to eat with each other and kissed at the end of it, that sounded exactly like a date to Vaughn. Though, he didn't have much experience to judge it off of outside of a few random dates as a teenager and watching movies. But he felt like it could be a date if he really wanted it to be. His ears had been getting hot, turning red at the tips from feeling flustered by his own words and thoughts.

"Are you doing anything else today? Do you have any other plans?" Vaughn asked, turning to look at Kohen. Maybe they could spend more time together, and they could do things that people did while they were on dates. That would practically make things official, wouldn't it? He had a hopeful glint in his eyes as he waited for Kohen's answer, and he felt himself opening his mouth again to ramble a bit more due to feeling awkward, "I don't have any other plans for the day, and I don't really want to go back home. I'd like to spend more time with you, if that's alright."