"Ugh, you can't be serious; I'm stuck with Mr. Know It All. I'd rather let some vamps gnaw on my lifeless body than have to listen to his ass," the young man with ruffled locks of hair the shade of mocha complained while staring at the ceiling. He crossed his arms over his chest, visibly throwing a fit after overhearing that he had to be the one to tag along with Lucian. 

"Brax, language, where are your manners,"  Elias scolded before letting out a small sigh. "Even after everything I've taught you, you're still a brute; where did I go wrong raising you?" Elias sulked while shaking and clutching his head, feeling as though he had failed as a parental figure.

"What the hell did you just say," Brax retorted, clearly offended by Elias's comment. 

"Brax, we've talked about this and how you need to control that temper of yours. Remember those breathing exercises I taught you; breathe in," Elias instructed before inhaling deeply. "And breathe out nice and slow, see easy, now you try," Elias encouraged. 

Brax's eyebrow twitched while his baby blue eyes flickered with anger, growing more irritated by the second. 

"What do you mean! I am calm!" Brax barked. "I've never been more calm in my life. If I were any calmer, I'd be a bear hibernating for winter," Brax grumbled with his arms still held tightly across his chest. 

"Bear, hahaha?" Lucian snickered while clutching his stomach. More like a cub, you mean," Lucian playfully teased while wiping a tear from his eye from all the laughing he was doing.

"Hey, no one asked you! What do you know? Don't make me come over there," Brax barked.

"Oooh, I'm sooo scared the baby bear is going to get me," Lucian taunted.

"That's it, come here you!" Brax said before tackling Lucian on the floor and putting him in a headlock.

"Awww, just look at that; my two baby bears are getting along. Where's the camera when you need it so I can capture such a cute bonding moment," Elias gushed as he clasped his hands beside his face while watching Lucian and Brax roughhouse.

"Hey, cut it out, I am not; stop making fun of me! Brax screeched while looking back at Elias. 

As soon as Brax took his eyes off Lucian for one second, Lucian did a sneak attack and pounced on him. "Oh, you've done it now!" Lucian joked while laughing uncontrollably before putting Brax in a headlock and giving him a noogie.

"Hey, no fair, Elias distracted me!" Brax pouted with his arms crossed while his cheeks puffed up like the little chubby cheeks of a hamster stuffed full of tasty morsels.

"You see, that's why you should never take your eyes off your opponent because that's when they get you," Lucian warned while continuing to horse around.

"Elias, why are you always giving me such a hard time anyway?" Brax asked while pointing in Elias's direction. "You're always on his side. That's some favoritism right there. It'd be nice if you got after Lucian for a change. You have no idea what he does to me when you're not around. All he does is tell me what to do," Brax whined while giving his side of the story.

"Now, Brax, you should listen to Lucian; he has a lot more experience than you. You know he only acts that way because he cares about you and doesn't want anything bad to happen to you," Elias explained.

Brax quickly shut up before mumbling "Whatever" under his breath, unable to come up with a good comeback because he knew that Elias was right.

"Fine, alright, Brax, I understand what's happening here. I see how it is," Lucian stated, sounding as though his feelings had been hurt.

"Huh, what?" Brax asked with a confused look on his face.

"You're only acting up to try and cause a scene, so you don't have to go on the mission with me. Since it seems like it's too much to ask, I guess I'll just go all alone. Hopefully, nothing bad happens to me along the way," Lucian said with sadness in his tone while drooping his shoulders and head, giving Brax the guilt trip before turning on his heels and getting ready to leave. 

Lucian began walking at a snail's pace while grinning as his back was turned, knowing Brax would be beside him in five seconds max. After living with him for all those years, Lucian knew Brax better than he knew himself. Behind that grumpy exterior was a heart of pure gold. Brax would never let anything bad happen to him in a million years. Even if it meant he would have to put his own life on the line to keep him safe, Brax would do it without having to be asked twice about it.

"Hey, you better wait up! You're not leaving without me, especially not after all that hounding!" Brax called out from behind Lucian, causing a smile to form on his lips and instantly perk up like a wilting flower being given water.

"Now, that's what I like to hear; I knew you'd be there for me and never let me down!" Lucian said with a cheery smile. 

"Yeah, yeah, now hurry up before I change my mind," Brax complained.

"But before we head out, we need to wear something more inconspicuous. The last thing we want is to stand out so the vamps can target us," Lucian suggested.

"Hold on a sec, I have just the thing," Elias offered before going on a hunt for something that wouldn't get Lucian and Brax's cover blown. "Now, where did I put them?" Elias pondered while continuing to look.

"Ah, here they are!" Elias exclaimed when he finally found what he had been searching for.

"These should help you blend in better," Elias said before handing each of them jet-black cloaks." 

"Perfect, these will do nicely! Elias, why are you so awesome? I don't know what we would ever do without you," Lucian genuinely admitted.

"Aw, stop, you're making me blush," Elias modestly replied with a wave of his hand, pretending not to let Lucian's comment go to his head, which clearly already had. "There's no need to thank me; it was nothing, really."

Elias coughed into his fist. "I'm just doing my part as a priest of this organization, that's all," Elias modestly replied while his face said otherwise. It clearly read that he was eating up all of Lucian's praise.

"Kiss up," Brax teased while rolling his eyes before Lucian gave him a playful nudge with his elbow while whistling, trying to act innocent. 

"Ouch! Hey, that hurt; why'd you do that for?! Brax whined while rubbing the place on his arm where Lucian had elbowed him. "What are you trying to do? Injure me," Brax exaggerated, sounding like he was dying just from the harmless jab that Lucian had given him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lucian denied, playing the dumb card. "How could I have done something like that when I haven't even moved a muscle."

Lucian just couldn't seem to stop himself from clowning around when it came to Brax. The guy made it too difficult to resist the urge to mess with him. Lucian got a kick out of seeing how angry he would get since he made it way too easy.

Brax gasped before crying out, "Aha, I knew you'd slip up one day!" He pointed at Lucian while looking at Elias. He began excitedly jumping up and down after having caught Lucian in the act of pulling one of his little shenanigans, and he was ready to expose him. 

"See, see Elias, I told you so! Now you've seen it with your own two eyes; he's already trying to abuse me, and we haven't even gotten started yet!" Brax pointed out to support his case.

"Pft, you both are just too much. What am I ever going to do with you two," Elias said while trying his best not to crack a smile or laugh.

"Oh no, I'd never do something like that. I need you to be in the best shape possible because if you weren't, you wouldn't be able to tag along with me," Lucian joked before making his way over to the door. 

"Now, quit fooling around, Brax, before it gets even later. I thought you said you were coming with me?" Lucian asked while standing in the doorway.

Brax tilted his head back while opening his mouth wide to let a loud "ugh!"  escape his lips while throwing up his hands into the air. "And to think you couldn't get any more annoying than you already are. Hold your horses; I'm coming, I'm coming," Brax grumbled since Lucian drove him crazy.

"Oh, actually, hang on. I almost forgot the most important thing, clumsy me; I'm becoming so absent-minded these days," Elias said before smacking himself on the forehead and reaching into his pockets.

"Here, it's the finishing touch to complete the look just to be on the safe side," Elias said with a wink before handing Lucian and Brax realistic-looking fake fangs. "Those babies should help you both better fit the part."