Edited 7/7/22.

A/N: This chapter contains mild swearing and implied sexual content.

***

Marshall snaps a picture of an impressive architectural masterpiece before pocketing his phone. In front of him is a historic astronomical clock-a real gem and tourist attraction in Prague's Old Town Square.

The piece is massive, displaying two gargantuan visages. One houses a twenty four hour clock with the time of the sunset, a visual of the sun's current positioning, and zodiac signs. A second display shows a calendar with small religious engravings surrounding it. An array of realistic statues sit on either side of both interfaces. Atop the upper clock are two windows with moving figurines known as the Parade of the Apostles.

Thanks to his sensitive hearing, Marshall is able to make out light sounds of shifting gears; both from moving figures and the dual clocks beneath them. He also takes in the unique sounds of high pitched chiming since a new hour has just passed.

It's a melodic tune composed of bells set in a specific cadence. Harmonious ringing only lasts for a moment though.

A final strike of a bell hides the religious figurines behind two wooden doors. Surrounding people applaud the short show before moving on with their own plans.

"Man, this is gorgeous." Marshall takes a moment to properly marvel at the scenic view in front of him. "What a way to end the tour. Is there anything about this in our brochure?"

"Hm..." Paul quickly skims over a thin piece of paper in his hand. "It's centuries old- and has been refurbished a couple times. As you can see, it displays both astronomical and religious items of importance, along with statues about mortality and things like that."

"Refurbished yet it still has that old timey feel to it- which is charming. Makes you feel like you're in a different era." Golden eyes continue to look up at the structure before turning toward Paul. "What's next on our itinerary?"

"Our tour for the art museum is in..." He checks his watch. "Twenty minutes. It's a short walk from here, so we can just look around the town plaza a bit more if you'd like. I didn't want to do too many museums in one day, but there's a second one that I think you'd be interested in. It's the Central Gallery. I know you said that you like works by Andy Warhol, and they have some over there. We could check that out tomorrow after we stop by that NSFW museum."

"Sounds good to me, Tiger. You good with your coffee, or do you want to grab another?"

"I'm good, Honey Bun."

Both males clasp their gloved hands together as they begin walking.

Marshall snuggles into his thick purple scarf, while his other hand is pulled into his pocket. With the sun beginning its descent, the temperature is starting to become more frigid. It doesn't really bother the vampire, but he figures he should fake some weather appropriate reactions since he's around so many tourists.

A few minutes of walking leads him to an open marketplace. Tall buildings with rustic lighting are an array of colors. Most follow a beige/off white exterior with red roof tiling. Town Square is illuminated by orange hued streetlamps.

With Christmas coming in a few weeks, a lot of the surrounding establishments have shimmering, twinkling decorations outside of them. Such festive décor is displayed in multiple windows as well. Unfortunately, the large town Christmas tree isn't up yet. Even though this is the case, Old Town Square is still a gorgeous sight to behold.

A large statue depicting Jan Hus stands triumphantly in the center of the plaza. The statue has oxidized due to weather climates; and it has taken a reflective greenish color. Some people are using the piece of art as an eye-catching backdrop while taking commemorative photos. Marshall finds himself taking a picture as well when he brings his attention to a small alley between buildings. Behind them resides a Gothic styled structure known as the Tyn Church.

He may not be a religious person himself, but the vampire offers a sign of the cross out of respect for said church. Paul does the same in solidarity.

In front of the structure is some sort of pastry shop. There seems to be a running theme because a lot of neighboring stores are some form of eatery. Other nearby establishments consist of small clothing stores and hotels. Central Gallery is only a couple of yards away.

A particularly cozy looking Italian café catches Marshall's eye. His hand is pulled though, so he looks away after a few seconds.

He tilts his head to the side which causes some stray hairs to blow into his face. Paul takes it upon himself to move them, as well as nodding toward another direction.

Golden eyes take in the sight of a group of street performers setting up together. One person has a stand up bass, another has a clarinet, someone else has a banjo, and the last person-who is also singing-is playing a wearable percussion set. A lone music stand holds a sign that says the band's name. An open instrument case for coins and other offerings sits right beneath it. The group's sound is quiet against bustling city life, but both Lahotes can hear them just fine.

The musicians begin playing a slow swing song. Smooth instrumentation makes Marshall sway his head from side to side.

Paul walks away for a moment to get rid of his empty coffee cup. His husband doesn't really pay attention to it though. The vampire is more enamored by the people in front of him.

He focuses on the way expert fingers pluck against a set of banjo strings. He notices how the clarinet player's expression changes when doing higher notes; and how their embouchure tightens as well. The bass player taps their foot in accordance with a slow tempo. Hands move in between multiple percussion instruments as if it's second nature- and the person's voice is low. It blends well with the overall instrumentation.

"Marshmallow."

The vampire turns his head and comes face to face with Paul holding a hand out. Marshall chuckles before taking it. He's twirled with ease, which causes his laugh to extend.

He's pulled close. One hand braces against his lower back, while the other appendage claims one of his own. His free hand settles on his husband's shoulder.

With soft music playing behind them, both males find themselves waltzing together. Their movements aren't really planned. They take turns leading and fall into a routine that way.

Marshall's dreamy grin remains as he dances.

After coming out of another twirl, he wraps both arms around Paul's neck. Gold and brown meet. It's a delicate type of eye contact which leads to facial exploration.

The orange hue from surrounding streetlamps paints caramel tinted skin in a warmer light. Pink lips are pulled into a playful smirk. Rich brown is partially shielded by somewhat crinkled eyelids and long lashes.

Paul leans into a delicate touch when his cheek is cupped.

"You're giving me bedroom eyes, Honey Bun."

"I can't help it- you know what slow jazz does to me," Marshall teases with a quiet voice.

"Shall I assume that I won't be sleeping tonight?"

"I'll be nice and give you a few hours. You can make up for it in the morning."

"You're a minx, babe."

"Loud and proud, Tiger."

Both men share a laugh.

Marshall is twirled once again as the soft jazz set is completed. Only then does he realize that a crowd has been watching the couple's dancing. Surrounding strangers offer applause for both performing parties.

He gives a mock bow before thanking the musicians for such passionate musicality. Some money is left in the open instrument case, and a complimentary disk with the band's music is taken. The vampire sticks it into his jacket pocket. At the same time, he pulls out his phone to check the time.

"Oh- our tour is coming up in a few minutes. Let's go!"

"Sure thing, Baby Cakes."

Marshall leads with some more pep in his step; he's practically skipping. He starts humming one of the tunes he just heard. While doing so, wandering eyes continue to look at the shops nearby.

Storefronts are bright and inviting. An outlet mall has a few smaller decorative trees lined with white fairy lights. He's rather surprised to see a lot of signs written in English. Then again, Old Town Square is a tourist hot spot, so maybe it shouldn't be so shocking.

Intrigue builds upon seeing a person standing outside in a mascot suit. They're holding a sign for some deals in one of the stores; and the person's usage of sign flipping is pretty cool to see. It warrants an impressed hum from Marshall.

He passes by a couple more streets until coming face to face with the exterior of the art museum. It's a multi floored building in shades of white and beige. Some windows toward the upper floors are open. Laughter and conversations can be heard coming from inside.

Marshall pulls Paul along with a cheerful snicker. The two check in at the front desk and are given little brochures about the pieces displayed throughout the building. The vampire takes a second to look through the first few pages before walking further inside.

His eyebrows raise in response to a plethora of gorgeous looking murals and sculptures. A specific painting catches his eye.

It's a pair of opened wings.

Realistic feathers are white, and they're splayed out high towards the ceilings. Fluffy clouds in the night sky are in full view in the background.

Marshall makes an audible sound in awe as he approaches the mural.

"Eh, yours are better," Paul states with a low voice to keep other people from hearing.

"I mean, I know- but this is still cool to look at," Marshall replies, examining the picture from up close. "I can't paint to save my life. But I'm a sucker when it comes to photorealistic designs with intricate depth of perception. Like, who wouldn't be?"

"Careful, Honey Bun, your art boner is showing."

"Yeah, and?"

Paul simply chuckles in response.

A few pictures are taken as the couple continue on in their endeavor to see some really head scratching and migraine inducing pieces.

They spend a good hour at the art museum before leaving. By the time they get outside, the moon has risen and the sky is dark. Less people are frolicking around than there were earlier, but it's still a decently sized group of tourists.

Night clubs begin opening their doors, drawing out a new crowd of people. Music of differing types fills the streets. Thumping tunes follow Marshall and Paul all the way to the Charles Bridge.

It's lit up now that day has fully shifted to night. A cobble stone road makes up the pathway-similarly to that of the streets in Old Town plaza.

Marshall snuggles into Paul's frame when the shifter pulls him in. The vampire snakes an arm around the younger man's waist. They remain silent, simply listening to any nightlife happening around them.

Lights reflect off of the Vltava river below. Statues and streetlamps line the edges of brick railings. Marshall looks up at the moon to appreciate its beauty with such a picturesque foreground enhancing it.

A short walk later, the couple find themselves back at their hotel. A nice lady at the front desk offers a short greeting in English, a thick Czech accent coating her words.

Marshall gives a greeting back and wishes her a pleasant evening.

With his husband in tow, the vampire walks over to a vacant set of elevators. Both men pile into one. Instead of pushing a button, a key is pulled out. It's slotted into a hole labeled 'Penthouse'. With a single turn, the elevator rises. Several dings resonate from a floor counter atop bronze colored doors before stopping. They open in the middle of a spacious living room.

Out of habit, Marshall takes off his shoes and leaves them by the elevator. He walks over to a coat rack while pulling off his jacket and scarf. Both items are hung up. He stretches out his arms, continuing on to the large bedroom with a connected master bathroom.

Arms snake around his hips. He's turned around and is pressed against the sink. A hungry kiss is planted onto expectant lips. Pale hands rake through short brunet hair. A warm hand reaches underneath a thin sweatshirt, and the appendage settles against toned abs.

Like clockwork, both males explore each other's bodies in a routine task of getting the other out of their clothes. In between kisses and licks and strokes and caresses, somehow the shower is turned on. Steam fills up the room in a matter of seconds.

Two sets of lips never part. Two trembling bodies never part either.

A groan escapes Paul when he picks Marshall up. The shifter's hands settle under his husband's thighs when strong legs wrap around his waist. Both men remain connected when entering the large stand up shower. Any aims of actually bathing are quickly forgotten due to a pleasant yet sudden temperature change.

Nude bodies become slippery and heated. Kisses faintly taste of water.

"Fuck, Tiger..." Marshall bites his lip in an attempt to hold back a moan. "Don't you- shouldn't we- ah!- shouldn't we bring this to the bedroom?"

"We could do that." Paul drags his tongue along his husband's bonding mark. "Or we could fuck right here."

The mere thought of passionate shower sex leaves Marshall unable to think about anything else.

He's completely bewitched when his lips are captured again.