#tbh this might be the last time Silas has this sort of characterization

[bitchfitch]

The night shift at Uncle Jim-Jim's Arcade and Fun Complex had gotten a lot less spooky since Silas learned the true nature of the monster which haunted the place. He double checked his work like he did every night, a final round of inspection through the massive and dimly lit building before returning to the arcade.

It was rare the 'monster' stayed quiet the whole night, usually prefering to follow Silas around the building while dicking around on his phone until it was time to go wherever they felt like going that night.

"Bats!" Silas called from the entrance, "I'm done. Do you want to go bother ducks in the park or something?"

There was no response from the dark room beyond.

"Chase? You're here right? I'm not talking to nothing?" Silas asked before whipping around, expecting the bastard to have snuck up behind him, but there was only the empty lobby. No waif of a vampire looking like a victorian orphan boy lost in time emerging from the shadows.

"Chase? Seriously, Bats, I'm starting to worry," Silas walked into the room, grabbing the step stool from behind the prize counter as he passed.

He approached the crane games, and set his stool down, climbing up to get a better look at the coffin that rested on top of them. Still fully closed, no gap between the lid and the box that Chase liked to keep while he slept.

Silas knocked on its side anyways, "Babe? You in there?"

he got a loud, drawn off groan in return.

"Everything ok in there?"

"Nooooo," Chase whined from within.

"Gonna tell me what's up?"

"No."

"Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"... No."

"Ok, then you're going to have to come out, I'm not going to stay perched on this all night, my darling."

the lid cracked open a hair, "It's rude to try and make people come out you know? Very problematic."

"Funny, how making an old man climb a crane game to talk to you is also, what did you call it, 'problematic'?"

"Cringe," Chase huffed.

"Yeah, well at least I'm trying to stay hip. Come on, we can go back to my place and watch a movie or something."

"No. Its- I love you, but please just leave."

"I love you too, and I'll go if you really want me to, but will you at least give me a hint on what's happening? Did I do something to upset you?"

"If I tell you you're going to be stupid about it."

"Let's be honest, I was going to be stupid about it no matter what." he grinned when that silly joke got a giggle out of Chase.

"... Promise to go straight home? Lock your doors and salt lines around every entrance. Extra garlic by the windows."

"Chase, are you in danger-"

"Promise."

"I promise, I promise, swear it on my parents' graves."

"Thank you," the lid opens fully, Chase sitting up, his hair a mess and his pale face streaked red with dried tears, "My sire is back from his trip, and I just want to keep a low profile until he leaves again. He ..." Chase grimaces, "He and I arn't a thing. Haven't been for years, but he doesn't agree with that. I- I really don't want him knowing about you, ok?"

"Chase..." Silas has to pick apart the layers of what Chase just said to him, "I- Let's start with this, What do you mean he's your Sire? Like, he's your father?"

"No, He's the guy who turned me into a vamp. He... No, not dealing with that tonight, putting that memory back into it's box. He turned me, he thinks we're still a thing and is the worst person ever, and would absolutely kill you if he found out I was quote un-quote cheating on him with you. That's All you need to know," chase rambles off. "Leave, I'll text you when he's gone again,"

Silas nods, he and Chase would talk about this more later, "Do you want me to vamp proof the entrances? I've got salt hoses in the trunk and everything already."

"No. He'll know someone is helping me and be... Listen Silas, I- He's not going to be happy with me no matter what and he's never been reasonable. It's going to be a lot safer and easier to just let him have what he wants until he fucks off again."

"Bats is he-"

"Don't say it. Yeah he is. I- I don't want him to but he is and there's no stopping it. If you aren't comfy with that... I dunno, break up with me or something." he pulls his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms around them, "Or just break up with me anyways because dating a vampire was a stupid idea and dating me specifically was an even stupider idea."

"I'm not breaking up with you for what's being done against your will," Silas's brow furrowed.

"I know, you're too nice and good and -"

"I'm not to good for you either, keep out of that doom spiral too."

"Meanie."

"Yeah. Cruelest fucker in this city at your service. But I'm serious, do I need to call Mindy? I don't like that she kills people but this is a guy who sounds like he needs to be dead."

"Chances are he'll just kill her. He's not like every other vamp she's hunted or any of the other monsters kicking around. He was the first and he's not nearly as easy to kill as the rest of us."

"But he can be killed?"

"You Promised you wouldn't be stupid about this."

"I'm not being stupid."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not being stupid Yet, then."

"Silas. Please, Please Please Pretty Pleas I am actually Begging you. Go home. Come back for your next shift, pretend you don't know me while you're here. Leave as soon as it hits closing even. I'll handle cleaning up for the night and everything."

"You suck at cleaning," Silas sighed, "I'll go. I'll be real clever and smart. But, when it's all done, Promise me you'll come to my place and let me baby you for a bit? Take you on a nice date, and then maybe actually talk about what's happening here?"

"I won't want to."

"I know, but I don't want you to have to be alone in this. You can tell me anything and just get it out of your system. Ok? Then you can beat me at one of the videogames you keep 'forgetting' at my place or whatever. Deal?"

Chase looks at him, his face half hidden behind his knees, but his expression is still so obviously soft. The pain and nerves keeping him tense, but the love is all there, "Deal."