<span style="font-family: 'Georgia'">In spite of all of the trouble Carter was likely to cause for not simply taking Asa’s explanation at face value, he couldn’t deny that he was proud of the boy; the man he was becoming. It was also taking some getting used to, in the sense that Carter questioned Asa nowadays. Which presented a whole new plethora of problems.</span><br/><i><span style="font-family: 'Georgia'"><br/>
‘You're just making excuses and I'm eventually going to figure out why’</span></i><br/><span style="font-family: 'Georgia'"><br/>
Asa made no attempt to deny that he was indeed making excuses, “Yes, I have no doubt that you will try,” he stated matter of factly, as if he’d been expecting nothing less from Carter. Not that he would find anything, Asa was almost certain of that. Only, he wasn’t aware of the journals tucked away in Carter’s room. What had started as a thorough documentation and analysis of the human body, had quickly descended into the ramblings of a mad man. A man who’d lost himself, first to an obsession of discovering a cure for vampirism, and then to the very thing he’d ‘sought’ to cure in others. Or in one man in particular.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-family: 'Georgia'">Of course Carter didn’t find his comment the least bit amusing. Not that he would’ve had anything to worry about. Not with Asa being there. "We never expect them to, but thus is life. Frustratingly out of our control.” His thoughts were on the incident the night before, but also on the other moments in his life when things had gotten drastically out of hand. When he found himself out of his depth, scrambling to survive the eb and flow of the restless storm his life had become ever since that fateful meeting centuries past. This time when Carter apologized, Asa forgave him. “All is forgiven,” he stilled Carter's hands briefly, prompting the other to look at him, “Forgiven, Carter. But we’d do well never to forget.”<br/>
<br/>
"Tomorrow?” His gaze followed Carter's soapy path across his body; alabaster skin free of any scars, blemishes, or marks, save for the single deer antler inked in all black that curled along the right side of his waist and ribs. “No, I will be here tomorrow." And likely the day after that, too. But he didn’t say so. A low laugh and a raised brow following Carter's mention of him actually studying, "Just a little is it?” Knowing Carter’s attention span, he’d do well if he managed to get through the whole o his studies without wandering off.<br/>
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The sudden flush staining Carter’s cheeks hinted at where his thoughts had drifted, and it was as arousing as it was endearing. He’d seen the male flush all shades of red, but none stood out so vividly in his mind as the one night Asa had come home early, a rare occurrence, and decided he would surprise Carter. Only, he’d been the one swallowing his tongue, the door handle creaking under his grip as he stumbled onto a private moment not meant for his eyes. Asa didn’t think he’d ever seen Carter flush so red. It’d taken every ounce of willpower to just back out and close the door behind him. Suffice it to say, for the sake of all parties involved, he’d stayed away for a whole week, and the night was never mentioned. He’d also begun to stop and listen before taking the extra precaution of knocking on Carter’s door before he entered.	<br/>
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Reaching up now, Asa brushed his thumb over one stained cheek, "Tell me what you're thinking," he whispered, the heat in his gaze steadily rising. </span>