Marshall and rowan, p.1
Marshall and Rowan, page 1
Marshall and Rowan
The Angelic Blood Chronicles
Book 1
by Zavian Glory
© 2024 Zavian Glory
All Rights Reserved
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except in quoted segments for review purposes, without written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Content Warnings: absentee fathers, mentions of off-page murder of family members in the past, grief over the loss of a mother, mentions of a fatal car accident and a bridge collapse, mentions of death in a medical setting, mention of finding a dead body, sexual content, worldbuilding based off Christian mythology that some might find offensive or potentially triggering of religious trauma
Chapter One
Shale
It was 11pm on the East coast and 8pm in Shale's lonely little apartment on the West coast.
For almost twelve years his mind had registered the time in that way, reminding him just how far apart he and Ro were. Twelve years of only getting to see each other once a year – twice if they managed to coordinate their vacation time right. Twelve years of college and then their jobs keeping them on opposite sides of the country.
Well, admittedly it had been their mothers' doing. Shale had always believed his mother had been upset to learn he and Ro had moved on from childhood best friends to boyfriends. Why else had she told him the only school she'd use his father's money to pay for would be one three times zones different from the medical school Ro had already been accepted to? Of course, she had begrudgingly accepted that she couldn't keep them apart during summer vacations, but she'd kept telling him he needed to meet and date other people, too, because he "needed" a family. It only made sense to him that his continued relationship with Ro was why she had refused to leave the house to him in her will until he turned thirty.
But he had less than two weeks left until then. He and Ro would both be thirty and they could finally shake the last stipulation their mothers had put on them, even in death. Shale could finally move home and they would no longer need to be in a long distance relationship.
His phone beeped with a text and he smiled at Ro's name on the screen. You busy?
They'd been together long enough for Shale to know to hit the call button. "I thought you were going to be busy," he said when the call connected.
Ro snorted. "Nah, I'm walking back to my apartment. The vibes were all off."
Shale shoved a box of blankets off his couch and plopped down in its place. In their twelve years of long distance dating they had chosen to have an open relationship, seeing other people to fill the loneliness they felt when apart, but they'd always been careful about it. They had always been cautious of hurting other people who maybe wanted something more serious than they did, but neither of them liked the idea of hook-ups with strangers. They'd each learned how to find – sense, almost – the right kind of partner, someone interested in a casual sort of relationship or a friends-with-benefits arrangement. They had eventually determined that their ability to tell when someone might be the kind of partner they needed was an almost instinctual trait they both shared, odd as it might be, and they had simply started referring to it as "vibes." If they were lucky in their search, the vibes were right. When they weren't, the vibes were off.
"I take it Bryce wasn't there tonight?" Shale asked, kicking his feet up on the couch.
"They told me he was staking out a rival club," Ro answered. "Some new place that just started a couple of blocks over."
"That's a bummer. I wanted you to tell me more about that thing he does with his tongue."
Ro chuckled, which was one of Shale's favorite sounds. "Well, since you're finally moving home maybe I'll bring you to meet him sometime and he can show you himself."
Shale laughed. "For sure. Though, I am looking forward to it finally just being you and me. At least for a little while."
"Me, too," Ro replied. "I started looking for jobs closer to the house so I don't have a two-hour commute each way. I know I have the savings to last a while because we've been planning this, but the thought of doing nothing for too long makes me antsy. My last day of this job is next Friday, and I'll be going to the house right after work."
Shale smiled. "Maybe we could still take a week off from our job hunting after the move –"
"And just spend time together," Ro finished. "Best idea you've ever had."
"And here I thought the best idea I ever had was kissing you when we were fourteen," Shale teased.
"Hmm, I guess that was an okay one, too," Ro replied with a laugh.
From the other end of the line there came the sound of keys rattling and then a door opening and closing. The ambient sound of the city Shale was used to constantly hearing in the background of Ro's line faded and he could hear Ro's footsteps in the hallway of his apartment building. Then there were more jingling keys and another door opening and closing. More jingling and rustling as Shale imagined Ro hanging up his keys, then his coat, taking his wallet out of his back pocket. He liked just listening to Ro living life.
"Fuck, I have so much more packing to do," Ro finally said with a sigh. "I don't know why I thought I should go out tonight."
"Because you said you had a rough day at work and I suggested you let off steam," Shale reminded him.
Ro sighed again and Shale imagined him flopping down on his couch like Shale was on his. "Yeah."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Another sigh, then a few moments of silence before Ro said, "Someone died in my room today and I wasn't as mentally prepared to see that happen as I would have thought I was."
"Oh, fuck." Shale wished he could hold him after a shock like that. It wasn't the first time he'd wished for that simple ability, but he hoped it would be the last. "You're a physician's assistant in a family clinic, you don't work in a hospital or something. I wouldn't have expected you to be okay with it at all."
Ro drew a deep, shaky breath. "I know. But I took this job to help people heal, and today I walked into an examination room to see a woman who'd been complaining about chest pain for months and found her dead on the floor because her previous doctor claimed she had anxiety. She was coming in because the anxiety medication wasn't helping and she wanted to see someone else. I walked into that room after reading over her chart once and already planning to refer her to a cardiologist, but it was too late."
"Fuck, Ro, I'm sorry that happened," Shale said gently. Hearing the pain in his voice made Shale's heart break. Ro was always the strong one, always the one to comfort Shale when things happened. This had really rattled him and Shale hated that he was in pain. "That's awful."
"Yeah," Ro agreed. "If I was her family, I'd be pissed at her previous doctor."
"Me, too. Are they going to let you talk to a therapist about this?"
"I'm talking to someone tomorrow on my lunch," Ro replied.
"That's good. I'm glad they're doing that for you even though you're almost done there."
"Yeah." Ro was quiet for a while, then sniffed and said, "I gotta get my mind off it right now, though."
"Okay." Shale struggled to find something to say. Finally he went with, "I got to go frolic in the woods today."
Ro snorted. "You frolic in the woods all the time."
"Not all the time. I've been locked in an office for the last week trying to figure out how to not have a hit put on me by Big Lumber. Hopefully my name isn't on the report that says we should not allow logging every single place they want to log. Or if it is, then hopefully they can't track me back home. I'm just trying to help the planet and future generations by saving our resources. Hell, I even want to help them. That's why I went into environmental conservation."
Despite his good intentions, he also felt it had prevented him from finding work closer to Ro after college. Every time a job had opened up on the East coast that he could use his degree for he had applied, only to lose out every single time. He assumed it had to do with having to relocate across the country, regardless of what anyone said. He hoped he would have a better shot once he finally moved.
"Find any magical creatures in the woods?" Ro asked.
"Not this time," Shale said with a laugh. "I am inclined to believe there are fairies out there, though."
"Only one and only when you're there."
Shale snorted. "I hate you so much."
Ro laughed. "I find that hard to believe. Are you all packed?"
"Not yet. Mostly, though."
"How are you getting everything here?"
"I'm leaving my furniture and just bringing my boxes of stuff, since we know the houses are furnished. I think everything should fit in my SUV. If it doesn't fit it's not important."
"And how long is the drive?"
"About a week, based on how many hours I plan to drive each day."
"And you're leaving this weekend?"
"My last day of work is Friday and I'm leaving first thing Saturday. I'll keep you updated on my progress."
"I can't wait to see you," Ro said quietly.
Shale smiled. "I can't wait to see you, too. And for this shit our moms concocted to be done with. And for us to be in the same time zone finally."
"It'll be nice to finally make ourselves a life after they kept on telling us what to do for thirty years. Even after they were gone for ten of them."
"Yeah. But they couldn't keep us apart, even when they tried."
"I love you."
Shale smiled even more. "I love you, too."
"Hey." Ro's voice had a certain tone to it that always filled Shale with anticipation. "Wanna let off some steam with me?"
Shale chuckled. "Is that ever even a question?"
Ro laughed. "I hoped that would be your answer."
Twelve years of long distance dating meant they had done this a thousand times. Shale usually preferred video chats where he could see Ro naked and at the height of pleasure. But over the phone was just fine. He put it on speaker and listened to the sounds Ro made, his breathing and moans. He imagined Ro was right there next to him, not on the other side of the country with just his voice beside Shale's ear on the arm of the couch. He closed his eyes and imagined Ro was the one touching him, and that he was touching Ro instead of himself. The longing made him finish far too soon, but he coaxed Ro on with his voice until he groaned.
"I miss you so much," Ro murmured after.
"Less than two weeks," Shale reminded him. Promised him.
Less than two weeks until their lives would change forever.
Chapter Two
Ro
What surprised Ro most when he arrived home at last was how well-kept the front yard was. For some reason, he had expected the house to have been neglected in the ten years since his mom's death, even though the family lawyer had assured him it had been looked after. He and Shale hadn't even bothered to return home on their school breaks after their moms' deaths, though they'd been told that was permissible. Instead, they'd both taken summer classes to stay busy. Neither of them had been in the house since their moms' joint funeral.
The house itself, a massive thing that had been built well over a hundred years ago and passed down through the generations, looked pristine from the front, just like he remembered. And to the right, close enough to almost be the same house except for the three-foot strip of lawn between them, was Shale's house. It was just as massive and well-kept, almost identical to Ro's house.
Growing up, he'd never thought much about it. Now, as an adult, he found it a little odd that their families had lived practically on top of each other for so many generations. As far as he knew, neither of their families had ever been large enough to justify the size of the houses, either. Though, to be honest, his mom had never talked extensively about her parents or grandparents. He just knew no distant relations had paid their respects after her death.
There were no other cars in the long gravel driveway, but the front door opened as he stepped out of his car. A middle-aged woman in a business suit stood in the doorway, smiling. He'd seen her several times throughout his life, especially since his mom's death, and knew she was the family lawyer. All he knew her by was Calhoun.
"Welcome, Rowan," she said when he approached.
Ro shook her offered hand. "Thank you. It's nice to finally be home."
"Do you know when Marshall will be joining us?"
"He said it would late tonight," Ro answered, his heart practically fluttering at the words and the knowledge that they were finally going to be together.
She nodded. "Then tomorrow morning we will go over everything you need to know."
Ro assumed she meant the nitty-gritty legal stuff. What a boring birthday that was going to be. "Sounds good. Am I allowed to bring my stuff in?"
"Of course," she told him with a warm smile. "I ensured the largest bedroom was made up for you. The same at Marshall's house. I trust I can leave you his key?"
Ro didn't think it was the best time to say Shale was going to be staying with him that night and into the future. They had already made that very clear plan with each other. "Of course."
She smiled. "Thank you. Now, would you like assistance with your things?"
Ro was surprised by the offer, but he appreciated it. All he'd brought were books, clothes, toiletries, and other personal items. He already knew the house was fully furnished and the kitchen came with all the dishes and utensils he could possibly need. The only thing he hadn't brought were groceries, other than what non-perishables had been in his cupboards in his apartment, so they would need to make the trek to the nearest grocery store soon.
Despite the heels she wore, Calhoun made moving an entire stack of boxes look effortless, much to Ro's own embarrassment. He was in sneakers and worked out almost daily, and she was clearly stronger than he was. She must spend as much time in the gym as in the office.
Once everything was inside, she said goodbye and left. Ro still hadn't seen another car, so he thought it a little odd. He shrugged it off and decided she must be walking to meet someone down the road. After all, the houses were in a pretty secluded patch of woods off a hard-to-find gravel road in the mountains. Surely she was just making it easier on whoever had to pick her up. Hopefully she didn't encounter a mountain lion or a moose on the way to her ride.
Left alone in the house in the looming darkness, Ro was overcome by memories of his childhood in that very house. Every room seemed to be haunted by his mom. Playing board games with her at the dining room table. Her making dinner in the kitchen with the help of Shale's mom. Her scolding him for trying to slide down the railing of the massive staircase like he'd seen kids do in the movies. Her teaching him how to tie a tourniquet in the downstairs bathroom, an odd thing to teach a kid to do, he realized now, but he'd always been interested in medical things.
There were other memories, too. Him and Shale chasing each other through the house, covered in mud from playing in the rain, to frustrated orders from their mothers to stop making such a mess. Making up stories about the monsters that surely lived in the nearby lake they weren't allowed to get anywhere near. Building snowmen in the back yard, or making snow angels when there wasn't enough snow for snowmen. The angels had always seemed to amuse both their mothers much more than the snowmen.
Kissing for the first time while they'd been laying outside, watching the stars. Making out in his room when they were supposed to be doing the homework his mom, who'd homeschooled both of them, had assigned. The sleepovers they'd had regularly their entire lives turning into lessons about each other's bodies.
Accidentally giving each other hickeys during one of those nights, which had put an end to the sleepovers and resulted in their college choices being made for them.
But he remembered that his mom had noticed how excited he'd been to see Shale again the first time they'd come home from college for the holidays, and she'd apparently given up on keeping them apart during their breaks. At dinner that first night she'd slid a box of condoms across the kitchen table at both of them, saying, "The two of you are always going to be a part of each other's lives, but you're also part of something bigger. Remember that. You have a duty to build a family. We'll talk more about it after graduation, but don't be careless in the meantime. If you want to share a room when you're home, we won't try to stop you anymore."
Then she had looked at Shale's mom and touched her hand. Ro had been too flustered to read much into it at the time, but now, staring at that kitchen table where they'd been having dinner then, he wondered if there had been more to that touch, that look they'd shared. He turned and went upstairs, flipping the light switch so he could see the framed pictures still on the wall. There was the one of his mom with her head on Shale's mom's shoulder, cuddled up on the couch, their clothing style from the 1980s. Next to that picture was another, this one two middle-aged men in matching sweaters and dress pants sitting on the same couch with two little girls at their feet, playing with blocks. Ro knew the children were his mom and Shale's mom, and the men were his grandfather and Shale's grandfather. The affection in their expressions as they looked at each other was obvious.
How often had he walked by these pictures, and all the others of their mothers and grandfathers, and never thought anything of it? Neither he nor Shale had any pictures of their fathers, and pictures of their grandmothers were few and far between.
How odd would it be for generations of their families to be romantically connected? Were they all just lonely living in the middle of nowhere and had formed the easiest relationships they could? Or was that why the houses had been built so close together to begin with?
