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When Master Hughes took him in, that was the laying of a new foundation. But still the rot of his old life haunted him.

“I don’t regret all. Some things I did to survive, or because I didn’t know better. But most, yes.”

“Have you tried to make amends?”

By the time he had seen the error of his ways, many of his victim’s families were long dead. But he’d done his best to improve the lives of any remaining survivors.

“I have.”

“Then what more can anyone ask?”

The answer, of course, was more. So much more. His very existence. But so far he had gone on living, so all he could do was move forward and use his abilities for good.

“I don’t know.”

“If you’ve done your best, it’s no one’s concern. And you sell yourself short in the romance department.”

Freddie didn’t say anything. His last relationship had been with another vampire forty years before. Damian hadn’t been willing to put up with Freddie’s work obsession, nor with his silence. He’d had his own agenda. The whole thing had ended in betrayal.

“I don’t know.”

Anthony reached up and pressed his palm to Freddie’s cheek. “I’m sure of it.”

Anthony removed his hand and kept walking. Freddie stood stunned for a moment, then followed a beat later, catching up as they continued without speaking, more comfortable now.

Soon they came upon an enormous park guarded by a whimsical stone structure with a white marshmallow roof. Anthony turned to Freddie.

“Is this where you wanted to go?”

Freddie nodded. “Parc Güell.”

“It’s incredible.”

They walked up the stairs and Freddie stopped at the table to buy tickets. After a glance around the fantastical structures out front, they entered the park.

It was magical. The sun hung low in the sky, painting the greenery with yellow stripes, and enveloping Gaudí’s architecture in an amber glow. Anthony grabbed Freddie’s hand and kept pulling him eagerly toward the next sculpture. A colorful mosaic lizard climbing a bannister. A huge stone canopy with Roman-inspired columns. Stonework and tile and nature, all of it integrated and interacting in surprising ways.

Warmth bloomed in Freddie’s chest when he saw the smile on Anthony’s face. He thought over what Anthony had said. It’s possible he was right. Being involved with Anthony might not distract him. Perhaps it would fuel him.

Either way, his feelings for Anthony were deepening. He wasn’t certain he’d be able to rein them in for much longer.

They reached an empty stretch of path with no statues or art. It was dusk now, and they strolled in quiet solitude. Anthony threaded his arm through Freddie’s and leaned against him as they walked. Freddie was filled with a sense of wonder. There was a vulnerability about the way Anthony was with him. It was unlike how Anthony was with anyone else. His trust was a warm blanket, a protection.

He wanted to be that for Anthony.

“I’m sorry I kept my distance,” Freddie said, tightening his hold. “But I know myself. I can be protective. Obsessive. If you don’t want that…”

Anthony looked away, over the trees and into the sparkling city of Barcelona below. Freddie couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“It’s not something I wanted. It’s just, when my parents died…”

Anthony swallowed, distress showing on his face. Sadness bloomed in Freddie like a funeral flower. He never wanted to be the cause of Anthony’s pain.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Freddie said. “I understand.”

“No.” Anthony took in a breath, and tightened his grip on Freddie’s arm, although he still looked away. “I want to. My parents died in a car accident when I was seven. They didn’t…it wasn’t their fault.”

Anthony paused, and Freddie leaned down, kissing him on the top of his head. He waited for Anthony to continue.