"That makes more sense. I wonder what Marlo looks like to people who aren't vampires, I should ask Leo — apparently when he isn't in human form he's even brighter." 

"I wonder if I hurt Marlo to look at," he says cheerfully.

"Not to look at, or he'd have mentioned it. Maybe to be around but not in a supernatural way, I don't think." 

"Oh, well, that sucks. I don't want to hurt him."

Asher somersaults to his feet.

"....it's sort of private and I'm not sure how much I should be sharing but it isn't you hurting him, it's — there are things that cause him to be a way he would rather not be and recently they often involve you, just because both of the times he's been around you have been really stressful in pretty similar ways." 

"Because people are hurting you and have to be punished for it?"

"Because there's a lot happening and he doesn't really understand what's going on but he obviously has to do something about it, and the something that needs to be done often turns out to be more vicious than he prefers to be when he has time to think about it. The fact that I'm getting hurt is part of it but 'people need to be punished' is not really the thing." 

"I think... maybe I am bad at understanding good people problems."

"...you're cute." 

Asher scoops Sasha up in his arms. "Because I was like 'maybe I can hurt anybody who hurts Sasha, and then Marlo wouldn't have to be in confusing situations' but I think judging by what I thought when I was human that would not help."

He holds on to Asher. "I imagine that would not help, no." 

Asher carries him outside the house and then starts to run. The houses blur. "Vampire transit!"

"So cute." 

"Not as cute as you!"

"I don't know," he says, but doesn't kiss him until they're at Asher's house. 

He liked being pinned against the wall when he was hypnotized, does he like it now?

(Things Sasha might notice about Asher's house now that he's less hypnotized: It's big, especially for a single person. Almost every wall is covered with bookshelves. There's a barre and a mirror in the living room. The kitchen features a really nice tea set.)

He does like getting pinned against the wall. 

"So vampires do show up in mirrors, then?" 

"Yep. If we didn't, my hair would look way less nice."

Sasha laughs and kisses him again. 

Asher kisses him thoroughly, holding his wrists against the wall.

He relaxes by fractions until he's being held up more by Asher's hold than his own legs. 

Asher lifts him up. "Do you dance?"

Asher is so strong and so good and

"No?" 

In a single movement Asher lifts him up so he's sitting on Asher's shoulder.

"Want to start?"

"— I think I'd rather make out with you honestly."