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It's two weeks and a few states later when Mikey brings up the fact that they're close to an old friend.
"We should visit," Mikey says as he weaves between traffic.
"I don't know how I feel about introducing Frank to another vampire so early," Gerard answers, looking out at the moon. Frank is asleep in the backseat again.
"You can't keep him sheltered forever, Gee. He needs to meet others at some point, and I think starting off with Ray is the perfect choice."
Gerard turns in his seat to watch Frank's eyelids flutter. He sighs.
"I suppose you're right."
"I don't think I want to," Frank mutters. He's clutching onto Gerard tightly as they walk, trying to walk next to him and behind him at the same time and tripping over every other step.
"Ray is a good friend of ours. As long as you don't hiss at him, everything will be fine," Gerard assures him.
"If you're worried about doing or saying anything rude, just don't do or say anything," Mikey adds from a few paces ahead of them.
Frank whines low in his throat and Gerard wraps an arm around him to tug him close.
The house is nice looking, almost identical to the houses next to it. The sun is well past set when they step to his front door and Mikey knocks.
The door opens almost at once to reveal a smiling man with long curly hair.
"I could smell you a block away," he grins.
"How's it going, Ray?" Mikey says, sounding a tad happier than Frank's ever heard him sound before.
"Great. Come in, come in."
Ray steps back so Mikey can cross the threshold. Gerard pauses before entering and tugs Frank out from where he had been hiding behind his sire.
"Oh, who's this little one?" Ray asks, glancing the boy over.
"This is Frank. Frank, say hello to Ray."
Frank peers up at the taller man with wide eyes and blinks.
"The poor thing looks terrified, Gerard. How old is he?"
"Almost three weeks," Gerard says, letting Frank hide behind him again.
Ray huffs out a laugh. "I bet you're hungry, young one."
Frank looks up from behind Gerard and nods.
"Why don't you come on in and I'll get you something to eat."
"Thank you Ray," Gerard smiles, leading Frank inside.
Frank mutters a soft "thank you," keeping his eyes lowered and his hand in Gerard's.
Ray chuckles and shuts the door behind them.
Frank stares into the mug of microwaved blood that Gerard handed him. It smells plastic and gross, but a warning look from Mikey lets him know that he can't complain, so he tentatively takes a sip.
Yep, gross. But like Gerard says, filling and nutritious.
Gerard catches the small twist of Frank's lips and smiles at him over his own mug.
"I don't think I've seen you smile so freely in years, Gerard," Ray comments, settling down on a couch next to Mikey.
"It's a recent change," Mikey says, eyes darting toward Frank.
"I see," Ray grins. "Does this mean you're finally gonna settle somewhere?"
"Not in the foreseeable future," Gerard tells him. "It might work for you, but I don't think the three of us could blend in anywhere."
Ray laughs. "Well, maybe not Mikey, with his habit of snatching pretty young things from the bar scene, but you Gerard? I think you could live the way I do."
"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered it," Gerard admitted.
"Somewhere with a big hospital," Mikey scoffs, "so you could alternate between bags and little old ladies?"
"Mikey," Gerard scolds, but Ray laughs it off.
"And what about you, young one?" Ray asks, turning to Frank. "How do you like to feed?"
Frank freezes under the gaze of the three older vampires, but Gerard nods at him, giving him permission to speak.
"Drug dealers," Frank mutters.
Ray bursts out laughing again, almost spilling the contents of his mug.
"I figured Gerard would have you feed the way he does."
"I do that too, but I like... I prefer it when they fight back," Frank says softly.
Ray finds it immensely funny for some reason.
"Sired by a passive, living with a seductor, and he turns out to be a hunter. Isn't that a great argument for the nature verses nurture debate?"
"The what?" Frank asks.
Gerard turns to him. "Some vampires believe that you'll take after whoever sires you, but others argue that the type of vampire you will become is already written in your genes, even as a human."
"What do you believe?" Frank dares to ask.
Gerard shoots him a soft smile. "I believe any vampire can learn to feed passively."