despite how frantic william was growing, he slowed his pace in attempt to let the stranger pass--if it even was a stranger--so he could continue on his walk and hopefully make it home soon. this slowed movement went on for a few minutes, and when william finally dared to glance behind himself again, the shadow was gone, finally. he breathed a fake sigh of relief and turned back forward before being met with a cold hand on his shoulder.
the vampire spun on his heel and stepped back quick, reflexes quicker than any human's, but his enemy didn't notice the suspiciousness of that as he was--bent over and panting?
"travie, what the fuck?" beckett stepped forward again, quickly scanning the other for any signs of injure, or any way to help the slightly-taller male.
"william, what the--fuck--are you--doing out this--huff--late?" he panted back, hands on his knees as short curled hung down by his cheeks, hiding his face briefly until he looked up at the immortal properly.
this was no stranger, obviously. travie and william had been close since high school, but over the past few years had grown apart as careers and lives got busier with age. mccoy still was unaware of the change in species for william, but it didn't really effect anything between them other than william's inability to eat his cooking (at least without having to spit it back up soon after,, vampire stomachs refused to digest human food apparently).
the two boys used to be something closer to friends with benefits when they were at their tightest, but even towards the end of their relationship, they wained off of all the kissing and groping, at least in public. jokes always flew behind closed doors, if kissing is even considered a joke really.
william was semi-grateful for the distance between them honestly, he didn't want to get caught up in loving someone so much if it was just going to end in his eternal life and their indefinitely finite one.
"uhm, walking and not scaring the shit out of other people?" the younger answered, not placing any hands on travie to consul them as travie was finally standing up straight, breath still stuck a bit far back in his throat. somewhere closer to catching it at least.
"yeah, no shit, i know you go on your nightly limbo walks, but you left the house at like 2am, dude, why?" travie questioned, scanning william back as they easily looked like they could be freezing right now, travie knew he was at least.
travie lived nearby in his own apartment and could see a bit of bill's house from the window, and it seemed like despite their relationships distance, william couldn't avoid the physical distance part.
"because i--" he'd never had to explain why he could easily stay up so late before, he hadn't had any reason to since he stayed away from friends way usually to avoid suspicion (as if anyone would believe he was a vampire regardless) "i napped earlier and woke up at, like, one. i still wanted to walk, so i did. why would you care?" he knew he sounded kind of snappy right now, but he had a right to after being spooked so hard a minute before.
"you look like a girl, bill, anyone could easily try to snatch you up if you're not aware, especially at this late!" he tried to warn, but if this was just any day five years ago, it might as well have just been an excuse to get william to come to his house and instead, and hopefully in his bed too. william rolled his eyes. "jokes on you, someone already did a few years ago," is what he wanted to say, but instead he just bit his lip and let mccoy win this time, leaving his stubbornness on the back of his tongue.
travie knew he'd won, it was easy to tell with william since his rebuttals usually came quick and stuttered, but a 15 second silence was enough to get the point across and let the two resume their separate walks as one now.
travie glanced down and took his hood off of his head, and then glanced back up, "...do you wa--" "do you wanna come over to my house for the night?" william mocked, knowing the exact words and tone that were about to come out of the mccoys mouth before they did, which earned an annoyed look from both the boys.
"you're so predictable, travie." the brunette retorted, eyes narrowed down before him and away from the tan boy beside him.
"why do you have to be so short with me, beckett? if i didn't know how you were, then i'd be fuckin' pissed right now. offended? whatever." he tried to find the right word, but he didn't care all that much to. "you sound like a dick." travie argued.
"because i can be short." he growled back, still looking at anything but his walking-buddy.
“yeah, you can, but you know it’s only with me, anyone else would slap the shit out of you for that attitude.” travie admitted, teeth gritted between dry lips that he’d been biting all night while trying to catch up with the pretty boy beside him. william being pretty was about the only reason his attitude was worth it—and that feeling probably wasn’t exclusive to travie.
william frowned, untensinf a little because of the truth handed to him. he knew he was in a bad mood because he was hungry as shit, but he had no appetite for travie, he never really did around people he liked--he only really liked animals for meals, probably has something to do with his empathy levels. "i'm probably just still tired...from earlier." he lied, but his tone was apologetic enough to soften the overall mood of their conversation.
"so that means you're allowed to spit in my face for trying to offer you some hospitality?' "no." "right." "...can i still come over?" "yeah." travies tone softened, finally, "you can, come on."