To Summon Nightmares by J. K. Pendragon

Author:J. K. Pendragon [Pendragon, J.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay romance, trans romance, fantasy
Publisher: Less Than Three Press, LLC
Published: 2014-11-05T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Niall grabbed a change of clothes from the back of his truck and went upstairs to change in the bathroom while Cohen set about making a pot of mushroom soup. It was freezing in the house. The cold stone walls seemed impervious to the heat outside, and Cohen could almost feel the cold radiating through the carpet below him as he made his way to the kitchen. He shivered and zipped his hoodie up, turning on the oven again for warmth as he stirred the soup.

Niall appeared a few minutes later wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, the unbuttoned uniform shirt sadly nowhere in sight. "Cooking the old fashioned way, I see," he joked.

"Yeah, well I didn't really feel like cleaning up chunks of mushroom from all over the kitchen," replied Cohen. "Does magical cooking require explosions?"

"Only if I'm doing it, apparently. Dishes?"

"They're all dusty, you'll have to wash them. Luckily I grabbed soap." Cohen ducked down to pull the bottle of dishwashing liquid from one of the bags.

"Cheers," said Niall, taking the soap from Cohen and they set about getting ready for dinner. It was strangely comforting, just like dinners at home with his family. He wondered what Niall's family was like.

"Thanks for staying for dinner," he said after a while. Not to fill the silence—it wasn't the uncomfortable sort—but because he really did enjoy having Niall there.

"Thanks for having me," Niall replied simply, and Cohen felt a bit of frustration. This was a little too polite and cold, the conversation stiff and rehearsed. He wanted more.

"It's a bit lonely here," he admitted. "I thought it would be nice to be alone for once, but it's a bit too much, you know?"

"You're close to your family?" Niall asked. He was washing all of Cohen's dishes, setting them to dry on a dishtowel with quick, sure movements.

"My sister and I were home-schooled," said Cohen. "And my dad works from home. We live in a pretty small flat, so yeah, we're always on top of each other."

"I'd be scared of this big old house if I were you," said Niall, glancing around. "I mean, not me, I grew up in an old house, but they're different from flats."

"I like it," said Cohen. "It feels more... real, I guess."

"You're a romantic," said Niall with a small smile.

"I'm a writer," agreed Cohen.

"You're a fantasy writer, specifically," agreed Niall. "All about nostalgia and escapism, right?"

"Not necessarily," said Cohen. "But I guess my books were. I kind of had this longing for a world where things were simpler and more complex at the same time." Niall gave him a questioning look, so he continued. "I mean, we live in a world where daily life is boring and morality is complex."

"You want the opposite?"

"I did," said Cohen. "But I guess it's stupid to think that just because daily life gets more complex, morality will get easier."

"Morality always gets more complex." Niall sighed, drying off bowls now and setting them on the table. He sat down and leaned on his arms.

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