Dawn College

"You weren't bothering me at all."

"I needed your help and almost got you dirty with toxic gunk, that's going to be someone's definition of bothered." Abel rubbed his shoulder and mumbled something to himself.

"You didn't ask me to do it so I don't count it as being bothered."

"It doesn't matter if I asked or not, the fact you felt obliged to help me..." Abel looked through his pockets before pulling out a small butterfly knife, flipping the blade out and holding his breath as his dug it straight into the mostly healed wound.

"Any decent person would help you." Maria said, grimacing a little when he stabbed himself.

"I'm not sure immortals are in the brackets of who to help." Abel twisted the knife with a swear and then yanked it out to the snell of something rotten. "Goliath is gonna need some of this, I haven't been poisoned in years..."

"Who was that guy back there? How the hell did he manage to poison you?"

"I'm not sure I..." Abel let the foul smelling fluid stain his shirt slowly. "There's another one from the before, like Jerimoth. But Jerimoth doesn't like talking about him. But he's been trying to permanently get rid of Jeri for millennia. So he uses us as test subjects for working methods."

"How did he know where you were?"

"We have something of a sense for our own kind. The older you are the better it is. You won't believe how hard it was keeping Jeri's body whole as he grew older in the one he has now, because the power took time to kick in. Being a rich kid helped him with the bodyguards." Abel slowly moved to pull himself to his feet.

"Not every rich kid has body guards, I should know."

"Being a stillborn heir with a second chance, his parents were determined to keep him this time." Abel wiped his mouth. "Want help bringing stuff in? I won't get gunk on it."

"No, no, I can get it on my own." Maria said, getting back onto her feet and heading to the boot and opening it.

"Are you sure? I can help if you want." Abel spat something out to the side, looking nervous and expectant.

"I can carry the stuff in, I'm fine." Maria said as she got the bag out of the back.

"Need any help at all?"

"M'fine."

Abel moved to check the inside of the truck, leaving the keys in the ignition but the engine off and walked ahead to hold the door open for her.

Maria closed the boot after a few seconds and headed inside, murmuring a quiet thanks when she passed him.

"Need help finding Jace's room for your baby again? Or putting stuff away or - Noah's home!" Abel looked both conflicted and cheerful at the same time as he shut the door.

"I'll probably need help with finding the room, yeah."

"Taking the stuff with you? Would you want me to change first or am I still okay to go like this?" Abel picked at his shirt absently, nose wrinkling when it briefly stuck to his skin.

"I'll drop the stuff of in my room first, and if you want to change go change, it's up to you."

Abel quickly shucked his shirt off, jogging towards the stairs and holding the material at arms length.

Maria followed behind him quietly, going to her room.