Lookalikes

Avira had retreated to the garden in the face of the overcast day. Staying inside was lovely and all, but he couldn’t sleep and wanted fresh air. He decided the garden was a good a place as any to spend some time.

Dressed in a v-necked shirt the color of the sky, and a pair of simple dark pants, he walked through the rows of flowers, pausing occasionally to gaze at one that caught his fancy. Mostly however, he just walked and kept his mind blank.

He hadn’t seen Coilean today, which he didn’t entirely care about, but at the same time a small prick in his heart told him he missed the other.

Aodh strolled through the gardens, hands buried in his jeans.

His hair was straight tonight, not spiked or fluffed.

He was in the mood for mischief. And his favourite form of mischief was taking his brother's place and stirring the dirt.

Spotting a head of white hair, he strolled towards it, straightening himself out of his usual slouch to look more like his brother's posture.

Avira heard the approaching footsteps and his eyes flashed. He turned his head just slightly, glancing out of the corner of his eye.

It looked like Coilean.

His tongue flicked over his lips, tasting the air. He was upwind so he couldn’t smell the other but…he didn’t smell like Coilean from here… Maybe he’d just been hunting or something.

He smiled at the vampire - yay, vamprie - and, when he was close enough, wrapped an arm around him.

He dropped a kiss to his lips, silver eyes warm with fake tenderness. "Dia duit, muirnín."

Best way of causing trouble: loving up to everyone in sight.

----------------------------
God to you (hello), sweetheart

Still didn’t smell like Coilean, as the other wrapped an arm around him, and Avira suddenly felt nervous. He was kissed and addressed in Gaelic however, so he tried to calm his nerves. It had to be Coilean, yes? He was the only werewolf who would touch him like this. Only werewolf who would touch ANY vampire like this.

He hadn’t called him leannan though….

He was probably reading into this too much. It had been a long day.

“Bonjour le loup rouge.” he purred lightly, kissing ‘Coilean’s’ cheek.

He blinked. That was French, right?

Well shit, he wouldn't be able to keep up with that. He had no knowledge on the French language.

"How've you been, muirnín?" he asked with his best 'Coilean-soft' smile.

Coilean was a romantic heart-breaker with a soft smile that had melted many people's hearts.

Avira quirked an eyebrow.

“Alright.” he replied. “Why the sudden name change? You’ve suddenly gotten bored with calling me ‘leannan’?”

Something was off about his smile. Avira was getting increasingly nervous.

He trusted his instincts more than anything else. Instinct told him this wasn’t Coilean, but he tried to brush that off because, well… that was silly, right? It had to be. He was just on edge…

Gotten bored with calling him... He suppressed a wicked grin. This one was a lover~

Oh, he'd have a lot of fun with this one.

His next thought was: trust Coilean to have a different nickname for each of his lovers. He had called his last lover muirnín. This one was leannán, was it?

"A little change once in a while is good," was his simple reply as he brushed the boy's hair out of his eyes gently.

Avira let the other brush his bangs aside.

On instinct, his hand rose to touch the collar that seemed to usually be around his throat these days, emblazoned with Coilean’s name. It made him feel a little better. This had to be Coilean, it had to be. He was just panicking.

“I suppose.” he replied.

His eyes dropped to the collar and he grinned, hand dropping to trace the skin just above the thick treated leather.

When had his brother given him this?

His collar was something Coilean hated to be parted with. It was something his father of sorts had given him and Alek didn't give things out often. This boy must have been special to his brother to be in possession of his collar.

"Let's go for a walk," he suggest with another smle.

Avira paused, then nodded. He saw no harm.

His fingers brushed the collar once more, then he dropped his hand. He allowed the wolf to lead him onto whatever path they would be walking, keeping his eyes moving around the environment.

Something wasn’t right. But he was still upwind and he couldn’t smell the other properly.

He wrapped an arm around the young vampire's shoulders, pulling him closer as he strolled in a random direction.

Silence.

What do you talk about with your brother's lover while you're trying to be your brother convincingly?

The options are really limited.

Where was Maccon when he needed her?

Avira was panicking. Coilean always had something to say, some song to sing. It filled the silence between them.

Nervous, he subtly changed their route, heading quietly towards the other direction. Downwind.

At first, nothing, but then at last his companion’s scent hit his nose completely. Avira let it fill his mind as he dug down the layer of earth and rain to-

-That. Was not. Coilean’s. Scent.

In just under a second Avira slammed his elbow into the stranger’s side, kicking his legs out from under him a moment later.

The vampire leapt back, landing catlike, eyes glowing with something akin to hatred. And people wondered why he had trust issues.

“Who. Are. You.” he snarled.

Aodh grunted when the elbow hit side, cursing under his breath as his legs were swept out from under him.

He pushed himself backwards into a handstand and then back onto his feet. No way was he landing on his ass.

"What's wrong, muirnín?" he asked, eyes wide, hopefully pulling off the innocent, confused look well.

Avira bristled. Muirnin wasn’t his nickname, but it was still something he imaged Coilean might call him, and hearing it from someone else irritated him.

“You are not Coilean.” he said coolly. “You smell nothing like him wolf.”

The vampire didn’t move, remaining stock still. He knew how and when to strike. He just had to be very careful about it.

"Muirnín?"

He took a few cautious steps towards the tense vampire.

Weak people would give up their act when they were caught. He just acted harder.

He was Coilean's twin, he smelt so similar to his brother he could plead trying a new shampoo or some-

Good idea, Aodh, he praised himself.

He took another few steps forwards, holding his hand out to the vampire. "What has you so on edge today, Muirnín?" His voice was soft, worried.

He could be the clone of his brother if he really tried. It looked like he was really going to have to try for this boy.

Avira almost attacked, almost, but then remembered they were meant to be on peaceful terms with the werewolves.

“Coilean calls me ‘leannan’.” he snapped. “He tends to sing whenever we walk and are not talking. He banters. And he smells nothing like you. You’re not Coilean.”

He stood up straight, but his posture was far from relaxed. It was tensed, dangerous, his eyes narrowed as he gazed at the imposter.

This was getting annoying.

This boy was far more perceptive than the ancient Lycan had hoped he'd be. He was smart and he knew his brother.

His eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't like that. This boy was getting far too close to his brother. He wanted that to change.

He shook his head. "You're nothing like Kae," he muttered, as if mourning not being with the elf at the moment.

It took all he had not to gag.

For half a second, Avira faltered.

Who was Kae?

He would never know, he hoped. It was one of those moments when Avira’s body took over for his mind and acted.

He darted away, faster than one could blink, disappearing to…somewhere. Even he wouldn’t be sure until he reached it. He didn’t care either. There was a feeling of impending doom hanging over him and he couldn’t help feeling like something was terribly wrong.

"You're just a distraction until I can get back to my wife," he called after teh vamprie as he darted away.

Hopefully that did it.

Hopefully that damned vampire wouldn't go anywhere near his brother again.

Now he needed to go wash his mouth out and bathe his bran in bleach. He had just pretended that he liked Kae and wanted to be with her...

Wife.

The word carried on the air after him.

When Avira finally stopped, he sank down, into a tiny ball. He was trembling all over, whole body shaking. Tears didn’t come, but then again, he hadn’t cried in years.

Coilean had a wife.

Whoever that had been, they knew more about Coilean than Avira did.

Avira’s nails dug into his chest as he squeezed a hand over his heart. Why did it hurt so much? Why was he gasping for breath…?