He felt torn. Was he doing the right thing by coming
here? He wondered if his parents were stil trying to find
him or whether they had given up hope. His biggest regret
in al of this was the pain his family had to endure, and how
his sister would never get to know him as the man he would
have become. So many wakeful nights he had sat outside
his family home and watched over them.
His thoughts were interrupted as Christian entered the
kitchen. Once again he was dressed as if he belonged in a
different era: long sleeves, tie, and a waistcoat, though he
wore black jeans. Somehow, as strange as it seemed, it
worked for him. Holy hel , he actual y looked good. And
strangely kind of hot.
It was obvious that Christian seemed to be surprised to
find Michael was the only one here. “Where is everyone?”
“They’ve already gone out for the night,” Michael said.
“Without me?” Christian asked in astonishment.
“You’re going out with me,” Michael said with a shrug.
“Kerr is sending me out alone?”
“You won’t be alone, you wil be with me.” Michael
wondered just what he had let himself in for. A cheeky grin
formed on his lips at the enthusiasm, and spread across
Christian’s face. He’s kinda spunky, Michael thought again
as dimples flashed in Christian’s cheeks. Michael dropped
his eyes in embarrassment. Thank God Christian couldn’t
read his thoughts. “Did I mention Doyle wil be going with
us?” Michael said as he saw Doyle walk up behind
Christian.
“Wel I’m ready. Let’s go.” Christian slipped his arms into
his leather coat as Michael began to rise. “Where are we
going on our date?”
Michael closed the door to the house behind them and
said, “Anywhere you want to go. And it’s not a date.”
Shrugging, Christian spoke, “Okay, let’s go to the
Keyhole. It’s where Doyle and I watched you the last night.”
“Why there?” Michael asked curiously.
“It was fun. There were so many different kinds of people
to watch.” Christian shrugged. “You seemed at home
there.”
“Not at home,” Michael said truthful y. “I was there
because I blended in. No one there knew me.”
Doyle spoke softly at his other side. “You mean no one
there knew what you are?”
Michael didn’t say anything. He knew Doyle was
probably right. He didn’t want anyone from his past to see
him and recognise him for what he had become. And this
was one place he knew he would never run into any of his
family.
§ § § §
The Keyhole was a little out-of-the-way nightclub, where
most of the clientele were outcasts from society. Michael
realised he now felt right at home among al the misfits he
had once so readily rejected. They sat in a booth shrouded
in shadows. Michael closed his eyes and listened to the
thrum of the living. They sounded so vibrant. How he envied
them. His thoughts came back to the present when an
angry voice sounded beside him.
“I said what are you staring at, boy?” A pissed off drunk
held Christian by his shirt front. Michael could see Christian
was getting angrier by the second. Shifting his gaze he saw
Doyle had frozen as he carried their drinks from the bar and
watched.
“Can I help you?” Michael said calmly. He glanced in
Doyle’s direction shaking his head slightly trying to say
don’t come over — let me sort this mess out first. Doyle
nodded and Michael turned his attention back to the
problem at hand.
“Your boyfriend here keeps staring at me,” he slurred,
giving Christian’s shirt a shake.
“Maybe my boyfriend finds you attractive,” Michael said
matter-of-factly. His hand drifted out and rested upon the
one Christian was clenching on the table. Holding it there
he tried to draw out al of Christian’s frustrations, wil ing him
not to lose his cool, squeezing gently to help him control the
shaking. Michael almost sighed out loud in relief as he felt
Christian start to relax.
“Then maybe he shouldn’t.” The stranger shoved
Christian hard in the chest before letting go and stumbling
away. Blushing, Christian turned his hand underneath
Michael’s and interlaced their fingers so they were holding
hands.
Doyle frowned as he watched Christian turn his hand into
Michael’s. Something inside him wanted to snatch Michael
away, but the saner and more rational part of him that kept
tel ing him he wasn’t gay wouldn’t al ow his body to move.
The time wasn’t right.
“What are you doing?” Doyle heard Michael ask as he
gestured at Christian’s hand.
“You told him I was your boyfriend, so I’m just playing the
part, love.” Christian laughed, and Michael didn’t seem to
know what to do. “This was your idea.” Christian leaned
over and kissed the corner of his mouth.
Anger washed over Doyle as he watched Michael freeze
when the tip of Christian’s tongue caressed his lower lip.
Moving quickly toward the table, he tried to prevent anything
further from happening between Christian and Michael.
Nervous, Michael leaned back and away from Christian.
“I only told him what I did so he wouldn’t thump you,”
Michael said softly. “I’m not gay.”
Christian’s stunned expression gave way to a maniacal
grin. “Real y?” Christian let go of Michael’s hand. “I’m sorry
man. I didn’t mean anything by it. I don’t know what
happened. Al I was doing was watching the crowd. I think
it’s kind of cool to watch people, they just fascinate me for
some reason.”
“And right there is your problem. These days you can’t
even glance at a person without getting yourself smacked
in the head.” Michael drained the remains of his glass and
ordered another from a passing waitress. He was trying to
ward off his hunger and was failing miserably.
“Hey, let me ask you something. Do you have to feed
every night?” Michael wasn’t sure if he real y wanted to
know the answer, especial y because he was stil trying not
to think about what he was supposed to do.
“Nope, just for the first week or so, and then it is probably
about once every two weeks,” Doyle said as he sat down
beside Michael again.
“Yeah the first week is a real kil er.” Christian started
laughing at his joke. “Kil er — get it?” He shoved Michael
playful y in the shoulder.
“I got it.” Michael shook his head in amusement. “You’re
so fucking funny.” Despite his earlier assumptions, Michael
found he actual y liked Christian, and knew he wasn’t going
to thump him. Wel , he probably wasn’t going to thump him.
And as for Doyle, he would have to think more on that
because he seemed a little weird.
“Come on, I’m hungry! Le
t’s get out of here.” Michael
heard his voice shake as he spoke and wondered if
Christian heard it as wel .
As they stood up to leave Christian said, “Ten to one
odds says you can’t do it.”
“There’s your wicked sense of humour again,” Michael
said as they headed outside.
“I’l do it if you can’t,” Christian said, his voice barely
above a whisper. “I mean, I’ve already fed you once. This
time it would be less fun, but it would be easier because
you could actual y do the biting and drinking yourself.”
“How… What I mean is, how did you feed me?” Michael
asked as they started walking.
“I gave you the kiss of life, love.” Christian winked at him
and then began explaining exactly how he had helped him
to feed. He kept talking and Michael was even more
confused than ever.
“You kissed me?” Michael stopped and stared at
Christian.
“Lots of times. And it wasn’t actual y kissing. More me
just spitting blood into your mouth.” Christian grinned and
somehow it made Michael feel uncomfortable. Honestly, he
didn’t think Christian was tel ing him everything. Michael
looked over at Doyle expectantly.
Doyle only shrugged, “I just let you feed from my wrist. No
spit swapping with us.”
“Hey you filthy faggots! ”
Al three of them stopped at the angry voice and spun
around. They had made it to the inner city parkway and now
found themselves face to face with the drunk from the club.
This time he wasn’t alone; he had brought friends along to
back him up.
“I’m gonna teach you perverted little cocksuckers a
lesson. Come on boys; let’s teach these pretty little fuckers
how to be real men.”
Drunken laughter fil ed the air as the men began to circle
them, cal ing out derogatory remarks and trying to
intimidate al three of them.
Michael stared at Christian and then Doyle for a moment
before stepping in front of them. The need to protect
Christian and Doyle came without warning. Growling low in
his throat, he felt something tear free deep inside.
Something he never knew existed, but was glad it was
there now. The drunk reminded him of his cousin Jeffery
and it freaked him out a little. Okay it may have freaked him
out a lot but now was not the time to let the fear rule him.
Now he had a more pressing matter to face.
Tensing, Michael got ready to spring at the first sign of
trouble. Christian and Doyle growled from behind him and
Michael felt hands press lightly to the smal of his back in
reassurance. The touches ran through the whole of
Michael’s body, and he final y felt right with what he had
become.
It seemed to take a lifetime before they made a move,
but then it was over in a second. Michael stood with his lips
pressed to the throat of the night club drunk while the others
turned tail and ran.
“Wow,” Doyle said to Christian, “I didn’t think he would
be able to do it.”
He watched, fascinated, as Christian wiped the blood off
his lips. One of the drunks had gotten a lucky punch in. The
drunk’s so-cal ed friends had taken off pretty fast when they
realised their intended prey was wil ing to fight back. Doyle
turned his attention to Michael as he let go of the stranger
and gently laid him under a tree. Michael checked to see if
the man stil lived.
“You gonna leave him alive?” Doyle asked.
Standing up, Michael moved to Christian’s side. Doyle,
Michael, and Christian al watched the guy curiously. If
leaving the guy alive worked, then at least this way there
would be less of a body count. But Kerr was not going to be
pleased, though not much pleased Kerr of late. “Holy fuck!”
Doyle’s eyes widened as his bite mark slowly healed itself,
leaving behind the faintest trace of what had occurred.
“Oh My God!” Christian said as he leaned against
Michael’s side as they watched in utter shock. “How did you
know the bite would disappear?”
Michael shook his head, “I didn’t. I just didn’t want to kil
anyone.”
Doyle was just as surprised himself — even he had
never seen that happen before. Usual y when the people
they fed on died, they stayed dead and sometimes wild
dog stories would crop up when a body was found. Though,
to be total y honest, mostly they just weren’t found. “I’ve
never seen the bite disappear before.”
“With any luck he wil wake up and not remember a
thing.” Michael said as he stepped away from Christian.
“Are you ready to head home or do you guys need to
feed?”
Michael looked as if his stomach was doing
somersaults. But it didn’t stop him from reaching out a
finger and wiping Christian’s bloodied lip and putting it into
his mouth.
“No sense in wasting it.”
Again, anger washed over him when Christian’s eyes
popped wide as he did it. Strangely Doyle felt a little
jealous. He didn’t appreciate the feeling one bit.
“We fed last night.” Doyle could hear the tenseness in his
own voice.
They walked in silence for a while, and then Christian
anyway. Kerr and Charm wil realise this one day.”
Wondering what had brought on this little outburst, Doyle
listened on. Christian was getting stranger and stranger
with each passing day. Shaking his head, he walked along
and kept listening to the conversation.
“Don’t you want to know where you came from?” Michael
asked quietly.
“I know where I came from. Wel , I remember where I was
yesterday and last week, the rest doesn’t real y interest me
anymore. It is the past, and is better left forgotten,” Christian
said in a nonchalant way. “And I figure I’l know where I’m
going as soon as I get there. What’s the use in worrying
about it? It’s not like it wil change anything. It just isn’t worth
it.” He shrugged his shoulders and moved slightly closer to
Michael as if seeking comfort or reassurance as they
walked. This time, Doyle noticed Michael didn’t move
away.
They walked along in silence for a few minutes before
Michael spoke. “You seem to have everything figured out.”
Doyle wondered just what made Christian tick. One
minute he was this awestruck kid and the next he was
talking words of wisdom. Maybe he was schizophrenic?
Nah, that didn’t seem right. Michael looked over at him and
Doyle turned away until Michael’s attention was back on
Christian.
Clenching his fists, Doyle watched as Christian turned
and smiled at Michael. Doyle heard Michael’s breath catch
in his throat, and Doyle almost stumbled. This seemed so
weird to him but for the life of him, he didn’t know why. Why
the hel was he feeling this way? It made him want to
respond in ways he would normal y reject. He wasn’t gay!
He shouldn’t find Michael attractive. Man, would this make
Charm laugh her arse off. Despite their closeness to him,
Doyle tried to ignore Michael and Christian as they walked,
but it never worked, he was ever conscious of the fact
Michael and Christian’s hands were nearly close enough to
touch. His thoughts shamed him. Al it would take was for
one of them to stretch their fingers out for them to make
contact. Doyle thought Christian was probably gay, and
wondered if Michael was as wel . Michael and Christian’s
hands bumped against each other’s and Doyle saw
Michael’s whole body shiver.
“You know, if you want to hold hands you only have to
ask, love.” Christian chuckled as Michael jumped away and
shoved his hands into his pockets. Doyle mumbled to
himself while hoping they wouldn’t.
Uncomfortable as it was, Doyle listened as they went
back to their earlier conversation.
“I could make myself insane trying to work it al out and
end up crazier than Charm. I love her to death, but man, that
lady has got a screw loose. And they think I have
problems.” Doyle bit his lip to stop himself from laughing at
how much Christian was babbling, while Michael seemed
to be doing his best to fol ow along.
“Busted.” Doyle blushed furiously as Michael glanced
over at him and winked. Michael laughed, ending with a
crooked smile which only made him blush more. Damn it,
he so needed to get away from these two — especial y
Michael. He hated how his body and mind reacted
whenever they were near each other.
§ § § §
They were the first ones home. Without saying goodbye,
Doyle headed straight to his room and Michael watched
him go until Christian flicked on the TV as he passed it. The
theme for Buffy came on, and they both burst out laughing
both col apsing onto the couch.
“Do you think they would have given us a job? I mean if
we were in America when they were making this show.”
Michael wiped the tears out of his eyes.
The theme music ended and Christian whistled softly as
he watched Buffy kicking vampire butt. “Man, if being a
vampire was as easy as they make it out to be then I
wouldn’t mind being chased by a slayer. Especial y if she