Work Text:
It was supposed to be a joke. A one time goof. Ha ha, laughter. And then he was going to delete the account and pretend it never happened.
Most of the men on the site look like they haven’t graduated from college yet and are only just pushing the boundaries of their self expression. This isn’t a bad thing, but Kravitz isn’t looking to listen to someone wax poetic about their twisted existence at 8:00pm on a Thursday.
He isn’t exactly sure he has time on his hands to be dating, but he’s never one to question fate.
As he sits down on the couch of his apartment, he spends the next five minutes scrolling lazily downward on a row of photos. After passing on at least ten people, he is about to close the app. But then one catches his eyes and he pauses. He taps on the picture and up comes a guy with purple ombre’d hair, wearing a deep v-neck shirt, and silver jewelry for days and—
Kravitz scrolls down to see more. It’s the only picture on the account. The name is a series of pumpkin emojis? The description underneath is even sparser. It just reads:
My name isn't Casper, but you could be my Boo ;>
Kravitz shakes his head at what is obviously a joke account. But still, this person must have had a good laugh making it. He figures it wouldn’t hurt to hit the beating heart that means yes.
Okay, he thinks. I can dig this one person. For the fun of it.
And then immediately, a notification comes up. The guy had dug him too.
“Shit, why did I do that?” Taako exclaims, the moment he gets the notification.
“Delete that right now,” Lup says, hearing the ding from across the living room. She’s seated crossed legged in an armchair, while Barry is beside Taako on the couch. They’re all at home—well, Barry and Lup’s home. Taako is staying in their guest room for the time being. Financial frugalness and all that.
“I barely even looked at the profile, I was just swiping for fun!” Taako insists. He doesn’t delete the account. Instead, he sits up in his spot and peers more closely at the profile he matched with seconds before.
There are plenty of photos, two of them selfies, and the rest look like candids. The first one is just the guy sitting at a desk, pouring over some complicated looking paperwork. His dark hair drapes loosely over his shoulders.
“I’ll give him this: He’s hot as fuck.” Taako holds up the screen to show his sister. Lup rises up briefly to look at it.
“Damn,” She says, shaking her head. “Okay, I’m sold.”
“He can’t be that handsome,” Barry says. After a brief glance at the screen, he notes, “I stand corrected.”
“I can’t believe someone actually dug you,” Lup says, curling back up in her seat. “How was I supposed to know you’d go and reel in a hot boy within the first two minutes?”
Taako sticks out his tongue. “What can I say? Cha’boy can rock a goth look if he wants to.”
“That ENTIRE outfit was thanks to my styling, if I recall,” Lup says. “You wouldn’t know what a modern day vampire looked like if it bit you on the ass.”
“You don’t know what I’m into,” Taako shoots back.
Lup tugs a pillow from behind her seat and tosses it at him. Taako puts up an arm to block it, eyes still glued to the phone.
Whoever this guy is, he can not take a bad picture to save his life. The second image is of him stepping out of what looks to be an apartment building. It’s during the dead of winter and he seems dressed for the occasion. He’s wearing a dark grey three piece suit, with a deep red tie and a long black overcoat. He’s looking at the camera with an amused expression.
The next photo has him wearing a large, heavy glove on one arm, and a huge black bird flapping its wings as it stood on it. His hair is pulled back into a somewhat messy bun, and his clothes look a bit more casual, still in all black.
The forth image seems to come right out of some sort of goth teen magazine: handsome boy standing right in front of the largest, fanciest tombstone Taako has ever laid his eyes on.
“There’s one of him chilling in a graveyard,” Taako says at Lup.
“And?” Lup asked, not looking away from her computer. “Barry and I hang out in graveyards all the time.”
“You’re both nerds,” Taako says. “You treat cemeteries like they’re parks.”
“Some of them are parks,” Barry says.
Taako ignores him, as the phone dings again, this time with a message:
“💀Hi.”
Kravitz has no idea what possessed him to send that message. Given that it’s a dating app for goths, he has a quarter of a mind to blame it being cursed.
Alas, that probably isn’t the case here, as he spends the next five minutes staring at his own message in silence. He’s waiting, though not sure for what. What kind of response is he hoping for? Will he get any at all? There isn’t much to go off of regarding this person, so he holds every possible reservation.
That is, until he gets dinged an hour later, with a message that reads:
🎃🎃🎃: Sup my dude. Are you a demon? Because you got me possessed :>
Kravitz blinks, because what? He doesn't know how to respond to that, other than just asking a straightforward question.
Kravitz: Was that....a halloween pun?
He gets a response right away.
🎃🎃🎃: Maybe. Want another one?
Kravitz: Sure, go for it
🎃🎃🎃: You’re such a treat that I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. ;>
Kravitz: Pffft. What pun website did you pick these off of?
🎃🎃🎃: What? Don’t believe cha’boy is pulling these gems off the top of the dome?
🎃🎃🎃: I’m offended
Kravitz: Apologies.
Kravitz: Got anymore?
🎃🎃🎃: Well, since you’re so polite about it…
🎃🎃🎃: You must be tired, because you've been running through my nightmares all night! ;>
Kravitz: hmmm. 7/10 compared to the first two
🎃🎃🎃: Well...one has to account for taste
Kravitz: Of course. Of course
Kravitz finds himself smiling at his phone. This person, who seems to be having fun, is entertaining, to say the least. He doesn’t mind chatting with them for a bit. To humor them.
Kravitz: would you like to hear one from me?
🎃🎃🎃: oh hell yeah my dude lay it on me
Kravitz: Hey, Are you made of candy? Because you look so sweet!
Taako actually bursts out laughing. He hated that he was laughing. This was the worst goddamn pickup line he had ever heard, and it was through a fucking gothic dating app.
🎃🎃🎃: terrible
Kravitz: I gave yours a positive review!
🎃🎃🎃: Mine were actually good though
Kravitz: well, one has to account for taste
🎃🎃🎃: rude!
“You certainly are enjoying yourself,” Lup notes, putting up dinner dishes. Taako hasn’t moved from the couch since he started messaging his instant match. “And typing quite a bit. Is a hot goth boy a good conversationalist?”
“He’s not boring,” Taako admits, finally getting up from his seat. “I don’t know how long this convo’s gonna last, but I’m not going to begrudge throwing a few more puns around. I’ll probably delete the app after dinner.”
Taako doesn’t delete the app after dinner. He doesn’t delete it before bed either, or the following morning when Barry drives him and Lup to work. He sits in the back, one leg stretched across the seat, replying with many terrible jokes.
🎃🎃🎃: You know you're goth when you can't find any specific item of clothing because they are all black
Kravitz: That has actually happened before, I’m ashamed to admit
🎃🎃🎃: one must struggle for the aesthetic
They continue back and forth like this, often during work breaks. Taako’s mind grows expectant to the familiar ding of the phone and an incoming response. And when that gets old, they start talking about each other’s profiles.
🎃🎃🎃: hey, side tangent, but in that bird on one pic of yours real?
Kravitz: Oh, that one. I volunteer at a corvid sanctuary. The birds...know me well there.
🎃🎃🎃: great. not ominous in the slightest.
🎃🎃🎃: I mean not that ominous is a bad thing.
🎃🎃🎃: that’s like, this app’s whole fuckin deal
Kravitz: Pfft, exactly.
🎃🎃🎃: I can be ominous. Check it
🎃🎃🎃 b̻̰͓̠̄͆͊̕o̾͟o͔̖̼͗̊͜͝͝ ̮̩͐̍m̝̤̱̱̙͆͌̃͘͡o͎͊ṯ͚͙́̒͆h̥̼͗̅̿ͅė̛̮͉̬̚r̖̰̟̍̽̊̾͜͜͞fuc͓͒k̟̿ĕ͇̼͕̮̀̍͝ȑ̙
Kravitz: holy shit
Kravitz: ¿sᴉɥʇ op noʎ uɐɔ ʇnq
🎃🎃🎃: pffft
🎃🎃🎃: Mine’s spookier. Definitely from a haunted computer or something
Kravitz: Well mine is clearly from a bat hanging upside down.
🎃🎃🎃: You win this round
🎃🎃🎃: dork
Kravitz seems to be a fairly open person. Taako learns quickly that Krav visits his two moms a lot. That he has a bit of a sweet tooth. And that, if given the opportunity, he will wax poetic about Beetoven’s post mortem works.
Despite his best efforts to remain firmly aloof—and hide the fact that half of Kravitz’s references flew over his head—he doesn’t mind disclosing little bits about himself. After a little over two weeks, they get into the habit of talking to each other in regular conversation.
🎃🎃🎃: I made cupcakes earlier. Red velvet with chocolate lava in the center
Kravitz: that sounds fantastic.
🎃🎃🎃: that’s how we do
Kravitz: are you going to decorate them?
🎃🎃🎃: Maybe. Got any design suggestions?
Kravitz: hmmmm. Vampire teeth? It’s red velvet so
🎃🎃🎃: I've got some buttercream icing and some red food coloring. Could whip those bad boys up to look bitey as hell. I’ll send you another pic when I'm done.
Kravitz: I'd love to see them.
🎃🎃🎃: taste is ten times better, homie.
Kravitz doesn't know how best to respond to that. Sure, he and Taako have been regularly talking for over two weeks now, but it hasn’t come up in any previous conversation to actually meet up.
But then again, this is a dating app after all. He can shoot his shot, and the worst response he can get would be a no. Be he doesn’t want to risk ending what has become some of the most enjoyable conversations he’d had in a while.
He doesn’t worry about this too long, when he gets another response.
🎃🎃🎃: hey, i’m going to go out on a limb here and assume you’re an actual person and not some weirdo on the internet. I take it you live near Neverwinter?
Kravitz: Somewhat. I usually commute between here and rockport, but I’m planning on settling closer in the near future.
🎃🎃🎃: cool cool. Got any fave hotspots?
Kravitz thinks for a minute, and then sends a follow up message.
Kravitz: There's a brewery downtown that hosts alternative nights once a week. I think this upcoming weekend they’re having a goth night. Would you be interested in meeting up?
Taako thinks about it. He really didn’t expect to get this far, all things considered. He doesn’t want to get so far out of his comfort zone that he couldn’t back out. But he had been talking with the guy for a while, and he had brought up the topic of them meeting in real life.
🎃🎃🎃: Sounds fun homie. send me the details
“Luuuuuuuuuuup,” Taako whines. He leans against the wall near the front door. “Luuuuuuuuuuuuup!”
“What is it, Ko?” Lup asks, struggling to bring in bags of groceries. Barry enters right behind her, carrying a box full of fresh fruit and veggies.
“He asked me out on a date, Lup!” Taako says, doing nothing to help either of them. “A date! This weekend!”
“Yeah?” Lup asks, confused. She opens the pantry to stock it. “That was the point of the app, wasn’t it?”
“I have to be goth now, do you know what that means?” Taako tugs on his braided hair. “My hair is blonde! Fuck, am I going to have to dye it black?”
“You can’t work black,” Lup replies. She grabs a step ladder. Barry hands her some cereal boxes to put on the top shelves.
Taako glares at her. “Um, cha’boy can work anything, thank you. I just need an outfit, and a little bit of knowledge until this date blows over or something.”
“How do you know this guy’s not a creep?” Lup asks, getting down from the step ladder.
“Barry’s a creep and you married him,” Taako says. “No offense, Barold.”
“None taken.”
Lup gives Barry a kiss on the cheek, then reaches over to hand Taako a carton of eggs. “Put these up. Also, there’s no specific way to be goth, Taako, you have more options than you realize.” Her eyes narrow. “Why would you try to look goth anyway? Just dress like yourself.”
“It was a Goth. Dating. App. If he sees me walking in looking like this—” He gestures at himself. “—He’s going to think I wasn’t taking the whole thing seriously.”
“Were you?” Barry asks, dubious. “You’ve been talking to the guy for, what? Four weeks?”
Taako makes a noncommittal sound, as he shuffles over to the fridge. He says, “This is just for the one date.” He points at his sister. “You have to help me, Lup. Legally. As my sibling, it’s required.”
“I don’t remember signing any documents stating that,” Lup replies.
“I helped you get with Barold,” Taako points out. “And that was a way harder task than anything I’m asking you to do right now.”
Both Lup and Barry deflate a little at that. Lup fiddles with her wedding ring absentmindedly, the ring that probably wouldn’t be there without Taako pushing and shoving the two of them into voicing their feelings for each other. Lup looks her brother in the eyes.
“You expect a history lesson about a subculture spanning decades to be learned in two days?”
Taako closes the fridge. “If I can teach a ten year old how to cheat in poker in 45 minutes, you can teach me how to woo goth boy.”
“Angus is an outlier and should not be counted,” Lup replies. She gives him a relenting look. “Where would we start?”
“I don’t know, movies?” Taako says. “I’m on a time crunch here!”
“Okay, okay,” Barry rubs his forehead. “How about we start with Herzong’s Nosferatu and see if we can work you up to Beetlejuice .”
“I only understood a few of those words,” Taako replies. But he smiles with enthusiasm.
Taako sits on Lup’s couch, occasionally glancing at the movie on the big screen in front of him. On the coffee table is a stack of literature, including Frankenstien’s Monster , The Collective works of Edgar Allen Poe , and a hot topic magazine.
But Taako’s attention is mainly on his phone. More specifically, the messages he’s just recieved:
Kravitz: Hey, what are you up to?
🎃🎃🎃: watching Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Likin’ the costumes a lot.
Kravitz: Oh that’s a good one!
“Talking with your boy?” Lup asked, walking into the living room with a pile of clothes. Taako twists the goofy smile that had worked its way onto his face into a pout. He scoots over to let her set the clothes on the cushions.
“Yeah,” He replies, glancing from the tv to his phone. “He just suggested Bela Lugosi’s Dracula . Is that one better?”
“Oh, damn,” Lup says, straightening up. “He’s old school.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Taako asks. “And you didn’t answer my question.”
“That’s one of the OG goth flicks,” Lup replies. “Black and white, Ko. You might have a connoisseur on your hands.”
“Fuck me,” Taako groans, slapping a pillow over his head.
“Pay attention to the movie and he might,” Lup says. Taako throws the pillow at her. She catches it just in time to throw it back at him. “Come look at these outfits. I’ve been meaning to clean out my closet and you’ve given me a good enough excuse.”
“I want good shit, Lup,” Taako says, sitting up. “Not just hand me overs. I have to look hot.”
“You sound like you want to impress him,” Lup says. “Are you aiming for love at first sight?”
“Nuh huh,” Taako says, pulling out a black lace blouse and eyeing it over. “One date, and then cha’boy’s going back to classic Taako.”
Kravitz knocks on the door of his mothers’ house. He isn’t trying to feel nervous. But there are definite pinpricks starting from the tips of his hands and rising up his forearms. How did he end up here? He asks himself. He should’ve deleted the account as soon as he matched with the profile—the actual name of which, he still doesn’t know.
He doesn’t have to stand on the front porch for long. The door swings open, and an older woman in an elegant black dress and shawl stands in front of him. Her thick, black hair is pinned back into a stylish updo. She looks Kravitz over and remarks, “What a lovely surprise!”
“I called you saying that I was on the way, mother,” Kravitz says, smiling as she pulls him into a hug.
“I’m still allowed to be surprised, aren’t I?”
“It’s that Kravitz?” calls another voice from inside. A second later, a second woman turns a corner. She’s wearing a ginormous sweater of various colors over a plain white gown. Her long, prematurely white hair is pulled up into a large bun at the crown of her head, and pinned with two large knitting needles.
“In the flesh, Istus dear,” the first woman says, shoving Kravitz over to her wife.
“You really should have given a better explanation for coming over,” Istus says, hugging him. “You sounded so frantic over the phone. RQ and I thought you were having a crisis.”
“Hello to you too, mom,” Kravitz says. “And asking for all my old stuff back isn’t a crisis. I just wanted to lighten the load for you guys.”
RQ and Istus exchange knowing looks before glancing back at him.
“At least stay for lunch before you haul ship and sail out,” Istus says, patting him on the shoulder and leading him to the dining room. “Then you can tell us about the new boy.”
“I—what?” Kravitz stutters. “How-”
“I’m the one who first guessed it,” RQ replies, trailing right behind them. “You’ve been very ‘busy’ lately. And when not busy you’ve been waxing more poetic than usual.”
Kravitz often forgets how perceptive his mothers are. They’re kind of otherworldly in that regard.
“Well,” Istus says, pushing him into a seat. “It’s all speculation without confirmation. Is there someone you’ve been seeing?”
“Well, not seeing, exactly,” Kravitz says. “We’ve been talking. We met online.”
“Better not be a catfish,” RQ says, bringing in a tray of tea. “You haven’t been sending them money have you? I’d be disappointed if you fell for one of those schemes.”
Kravitz quickly shakes his head. “No! None of that, I promise. We’re planning to meet on Saturday. At the Neverwinter Brewery.”
“Oh fun!” Istus says. “RQ and I used to go there all the time. Lovely hotspot for young people. Make sure to bring breath mints.”
“And don’t hesitate to call us if you need anything,” RQ adds. “First dates are always a nerve wracking experience.”
Kravitz puts his head in his hands. His moms are the most embarrassing people on the planet.
“I think I have it under control,” he replies, after a beat. “Do you know where I could find some of my old stuff?”
“I think we have some of your clothes in the storage room,” RQ says. “There’s quite a few things in there we need cleaning, actually.”
“Kravitz,” Istus says, patting the table. “Hurry up and woo that boy so we can have some extra hands to move those boxes around.”
Kravitz doesn’t know how he’s going to make it to Saturday.
“What’s this?” Taako asks, pulling out a long, lacy, pastel gown. It looks tailored to fit, and smells old. “Why is it with all your goth stuff?”
“That’s the gothiest thing I own,” Lup replies. She grabs it and drapes it over her shoulders. “I found it at a temple yard sale. Old lady there said it was a burial gown for funerals. Don’t know how it ended up there.”
“You looted a corpse for clout?” Taako asks, incredulous.
“It’s not looting if I paid for it!” Lup argues. “And look me in the eyes and tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing!”
“…I wouldn’t pay for it,” Taako says, after a beat.
“Hypocrite!”
“Okay. okay.”
The outfit they settle on includes a burgundy, crushed velvet top, a heavy black skirt that cuts jaggedy at the knees, fishnet stockings, and black motorcycle boots. Taako slips on one of his many wide brimmed hats—a black one, with the brighter decorative elements temporarily removed.
He does a small spin in front of Lup’s mirror. His still platinum blond hair flows loosely about his shoulders. “How do I look?” he asks.
“Still not done,” Lup notes. She gets up and starts rummaging through her vanity. “Gotta get that makeup right, babe.”
Taako groans. He knows enough about heavy makeup to know that this could be time consuming. “I have to leave in an hour!”
“I’ll keep it simple,” Lup insists, grabbing a brush. She motions towards her vanity chair. “Sit.”
She braids Taako’s hair, tying it off with a black ribbon. She doesn’t bother to powder his face, it would contrast too sharply with his late summer tan. But after a deliberate smudging of deep purple and around his eyes, and a healthy winged eyeliner, Taako looks fit to kill.
“This takes me back to highschool,” Lup says, looking him over.
“Oh please,” Taako says, getting an eyeful of himself in the mirror. He grabs his phone, figuring a quick selfie wouldn’t hurt. “Your hair was all over the place and you wore ripped stockings until they fell apart.”
“It was a look!” Lup says, poking his arm. “Anything else before you head out?”
“Yeah,” Taako says. He whips a small case out of his bag and pops it open. Inside are two red eye contacts. “Mind showing me how to put these in?”
Kravitz can’t quite name the emotion he’s feeling as he walks down the street, towards their date spot. Anticipation? Unease?
He’s glanced at the picture of the mystery profile maybe a hundred times, the only thing to go by in terms of finding them. For all he knows, the person in the photo probably isn’t the person he’s going to meet. Hell, there might not be someone waiting for him at all. It could be one big dupe! He’s riding on a promise, and a flimsy on at that. Sure, he could play it off as going to have some solo time at a favorite hot spot.
But deep down, he hopes this isn’t the case.
Taako looks around with scant nervousness. The outdoor courtyard is open, illuminated by big white tents strung with tiny, cool lights. There’s already lots of people, mostly dressed in black, but some sporting an assortment of colors. They all look eye catching and distinct, hanging around in small groups. Taako’s glad that Krav picked a spot that’s well populated, with visible exits. Graveyards be damned, Taako isn’t about to jump some bones without getting a good look at his date first.
Taako has the fortune of spotting him first. The man wears a sleek, black vest over a burgundy shirt and black slacks. There is the familiar black coat from one of his profile pics as well—but the formal ensemble isn’t what catches Taako’s initial attention. The guy’s face—beautiful and dark, framed by long, dreaded hair that was twisted loosely over one shoulder— shit.
Taako feels a smile tug on his face. There’s something very dorky in the way the guy moves. His fidgeting hands and searching eyes read as uncertain. He seems a little out of his element—odd, because he’s clearly dressed like he belongs here. His stride causes his jacket to billow back gracefully. Everyone around him seems to move like they’re making way for him.
Yeah, Taako agrees with himself. He could be into that.
Taako whistles to get the man’s attention, and waves at him when their eyes meet. The man blinks in surprise, then strides toward Taako.
“I’m Kravitz,” The man says, extending a hand. He’s smiling, obviously pleased by what he sees. “It’s lovely to meet you in person.”
“Likewise, my dude.” Taako replies, preening just a little. “The name’s Taako.”
“Taako,” Kravitz repeats. In this light, Taako can see the red eye shadow rimming his eyes. “So that’s how you pronounce three pumpkin emojis?”
“That’s exactly how you pronounce them,” Taako says, grinning. He nods at the crowd of people. “You’re going to have to show me around this place, because I’ve never been here, and I’m coasting on charm alone, homie.”
“Seems to me you’ve got a lot of it,” Kravitz replies.
“And plenty to spare,” Taako says, with a wink.
Real life Taako is far more stunning than any photo. Real life Taako tilts his head to the side and grins like he always has mischief on his mind.
Kravitz begins to count off little details—the freckles across Taako’s face; his animated hands; the loud, unforgettable laugh that seemed to erupt when he least expects it. He’s different from the rest of the guests here. Everyone’s there to be themselves, free and uninhibited. Under all the makeup and dark clothing, Kravitz feels like there is a world of Taako, hiding just beneath the surface.
Taako recognizes a few people here. There was Johann, DJing the fuck out whatever kind of music was currently playing. Was that Gregorian house? Taako didn’t know, but it suited the mood. Funky enough to dance to, but chill enough to not drown out any conversation. He spots Hurley and Sloane in a corner of their own, chatting with a group of hard pressed individuals. All of them are wearing black leather jackets, and enough chains to seal a bank vault.
So he feels relatively at ease within this crowd of wildly dressed, mostly strangers.
Kravitz does most of the talking, allowing Taako to follow by ear, and keep his end of the conversation as generic as possible. He can feel the choker rub against his neck, and the fishnets bunch beneath his skirt. He still looks hot as shit—a fact that no shortage of people point out. So a little discomfort won’t take away from his good time.
And with Kravitz—actual Kravitz—hooked on his arm, Taako feels over the moon.
“Find anymore good jokes?” Kravitz asks. They don’t realize it, but they’ve been out for hours.
They’re a short walk away from the plaza, in a less illuminated spot. Not so far as to be completely alone, there were still people walking up and down the street. But it is significantly quieter, allowing both of them to chat, and soak up each other’s company. Even when the conversation dwindled, it didn’t feel weird. Taako leans against Kravitz's shoulder, scrolling through his phone. Kravitz has one arm around Taako’s side.
Taako tugs on Kravitz’s jacket excitedly, eyes still on his phone. “Oh, here’s a good one: how many goths does it take to change a lightbulb?”
“What's a lightbulb?” Kravitz asks flatly.
Taako stares at him for a split second, then bursts out laughing. “Don’t do that!” He leans forward in his seat and tries—poorly, to restrain the string of giggles escaping him. “I thought you were serious for a sec, holy shit!”
Kravitz smiles, face outlined by moonlight. The sky is clear, but still starless, thanks to the city lights. They’re both seated on a bench, waiting for the bus that Taako’s planning to take home.
Kravitz says softly, “I’ve had a very lovely time, Taako.”
“Same here,” Taako replies, looking up at him. He feels something warm rise in his chest. “It was cool to meet in the real world. Add faces to names, shoot the shit.”
Kravitz asks, “Would you be interested in meeting up again? In the real world?”
Taako tugs at the choker on his neck. It’s irritating him worse now, but he doesn’t dare take it off. Kravitz is smiling at him, soft and kind. Taako can feel himself leaning closer to him. “Absolutely.”
The city bus pulls around a corner, just a block away, its bright yellow lights cut deep shadows into the dark blue city buildings. The two stand up expectantly.
“Well, I’ll be on my way,” Kravitz says, sounding like he’s speaking more to himself. Taako watches on as Kravitz gives him a polite nod, and then turns on his heel in the opposite direction of the bus. Taako stands there just a moment, as the vehicle begins to pull up.
His feet take off before he could think.
“Hold on,” Taako calls.
Kravitz pauses and turns around. Taako barely stops in front of him and, after a half second’s hesitation, plants a sound kiss on his lips. Kravitz’s skin is cold, thanks to the late evening’s chill, but Taako doesn’t mind that at all. He pulls back, a little stunned by what he’s just done.
Kravit blinks in surprise. Then he leans in, returning with a kiss of his own. This one is a bit softer, more deliberate. They hear the bus come to a shuddering stop a short distance away. Taako pulls away, turning and running to the bus without another word. He reaches the steps just as the last person exits.
Kravitz stands there in a daze, watching at Taako gets on the bus and swipes his card. He couldn’t see much more of Taako than that, save for a quick view of his face through the buses’s dimly windows.
And then it pulls away.
“I have made a terrible mistake,” Taako says, loudly shutting the front door, and bypassing Lup and Barry on the couch. Barry pauses the cheesy, B-rated horror movie on screen, while Lup whips around to shoot her brother a confused look. Taako doesn't say anything further as he marches into the kitchen and starts digging around in the fridge.
“Was it bad?” Lup calls. “Tell me if it was bad. I’ll hunt down the guy myself and kick his teeth in.”
“It wasn’t bad,” Taako replies, finding a tray of brownies. He pulls the tin out of the fridge and starts rummaging through the cabinets for a glass. He begrudgingly adds, “The opposite, actually.”
“Oh,” Lup and Barry reply. They glanced at each other, then back at Taako.
“So, I take it the date went well?” Barry asks, adjusting his glasses.
“Too fuckin’ well,” Taako mutters. He stuffs a brownie in his mouth and starts pouring himself a glass of soy milk.
“Don’t tell me you fell hard for Mr. Tall, Dark and Spooky,” Lup says, face shifting from concerned to eleated.
Taako responds with a loud groan.
“Holy shit, you did!”
“I fucked up, is what I did!” Taako shouts. He puts the carton back in the fridge and slumps down to the floor, glass of milk and brownie tray in his lap. “Fucked up a perfectly good casual Friday.”
“Oh, no,” Lup says, vaulting herself over the couch. She darts into the kitchen and snatches the brownie tray out of Taako’s hand. He squawks in protest. “You don’t get to have a pity snacks over a date gone well.” She plops down across the floor from him and grabs a brownie for herself. “So you hit it off with Gomez Adams. I need deets. NOW.”
“Barold!” Taako shouts. “Lup is bullying me!”
“I don’t think it counts as bullying if she’s supporting you,” Barry says, deciding to get up from the couch and join their little cross-legged circle on the kitchen floor. Lup offers him a brownie, which he gratefully accepts.
Taako sneers at both of them. “Et tu, Barold?”
Barry shrugs. “So how did it go?”
Taako sighs and takes a sip from his glass. “It was fine I guess. Dude definitely did not use photoshop on any of those profile pics.”
“Shit,” Lup says. “So he’s the real deal?”
“If there was a book about how to be goth, it would have his face on the front cover,” Taako says. “And the back cover. And the spine. And like, whatever example illustrations are provided—”
“Okay, we get it, he’s hot,” Lup interrupts, waving a dismissive hand. She peers at her brother, trying to parse the nuances in his behavior. “But like, is he chill though? You seem really twisted about having met him. How were his vibes?”
“Impeccable,” Taako says, without missing a beat. “His flavor is...off the fucking charts.”
“That’s still not it,” Lup says, eyes narrowed. She’s too damn good at reading him. And Taako prides himself on not being an easy book to read.
But Kravitz seems like the kind of person that Taako wouldn’t mind being an open book to.
“He proposed going on a second date,” Taako said. “And I said...absolutely.”
“You said absolutely? ” Lup and Barry exclaim. They’re so in sync, it’s sickening.
“I was caught up in the moment!” Taako whines, before reaching over to grab another brownie. They’re mostly gone at this point.
“Hmm,” Lup says. She gives a slow nod, before deciding to rise to her feet. “Well I’d say give it another date or two to really decide how you feel. Also I'm gonna have to vet him before you two make things official.” She reaches down a hand to help Barry to his feet. “Scratch that, we’ll have to vet him. Isn’t that right babe?”
“Right,” Barry says, giving the back of his legs a rub. He glances at Taako, still seated on the floor. “You planning on staying the night, bud?”
Taako blinks and rises to his feet. He can tell by the paused movie and large bowl of the popcorn on the couch that he was probably interrupting something.
“Nah,” he scoffs. “I was on my way over to Maggie and Merle’s. Figure I should give you the breaking news first.”
“The courtesy is appreciated,” Lup replies. She pulls her brother into a hug. “You might as well take the last of the brownies with you and share with the boner squad. They’ll deserve them just as much as we did.”
“Bold of you to assume I’ll share,” Taako says. But he goes about wrapping the last of the desert in plastic wrap, before tucking them into his bag.
“Hey,” Kravitz says, turning the key to his home, phone in hand.
“Hello dear,” RQ answers on the other end. “Istus and I meant to call earlier, but then I remembered you had a date. How did it go?”
Kravitz doesn’t know how to explain the feeling he built up just by chatting on that silly dating app. And then to meet Taako, to hold him, to be kissed by him in fleeting seconds. To piece together the tiny, informed bits of a person, and still be blown away by the fully realized thing.
“Well?” She asks.
“I would like to see him again,” Kravitz says, entering. He figures it’s best to leave it at that for now.
Taako hasn’t dated in a while. He’s an audacious flirt, but a little rusty in the actual realm of romance. Kravitz, goofy as he is, seems to navigate those waters perfectly fine.
Taako discreetly sends Kravitz a message during a staff meeting: “Do you always wear suits when going out? You should wear your shirts half unbuttoned. It’s a good look. You could work it.”
A minute later, he sees the reply:
Kravitz: Keep talking like that and we’re going to end up like this:
It is immediately followed by a gif featuring a pair of animated, dancing skeletons.
Taako fights back a sharp laugh, distracting two of the people seated beside him. He hides it in a cough and tucks his phone back into his bag. This is hella unprofessional. He shouldn’t text during a meeting and he knows it, but damn if he doesn’t enjoy hearing back from Krav.
An hour after the meeting, and a healthy string of skeleton gifs later, Kravitz sends him this:
Kravitz: I’m working at the bird sanctuary right now, definitely not in a suit. Would you be interested in meeting up?
Taako wanders around the entrance to the bird sanctuary. It’s a large, closed off park on the outskirts of the city. He can hear a variety of birds in the trees right outside the gate. In the distance is a body of water, which looks tranquil. It’s his first time being here and already he can see why Krav would like a place like this.
Admittedly, he had to detour home to change out of his work clothes. He’s currently sporting a pair of black overalls and a cropped t-shirt that says, “Haunted Doll.” His hair is plaited and tucked into two buns, which he figures he can reason into being neat for work.
He spots Kravitz standing near a dark colored building, eyes already searching for Taako. He’s wearing a long black tunic, tailored beautifully to his body. The sleeves and collar are embroidered with swirling lines of silver. There is a large raven resting on his shoulder, and a slightly puffed up crow resting on his right arm. He smiles when he sees Taako approach.
Taako nods at him. “You weren’t kidding about the bird thing, huh?”
“Nope,” Kravitz replies. A small black and white bird—a magpie—also decides to use Kravitz as a perch. It opts for nesting in the bun on top of his head. Kravitz looks sheepish. “Sorry I—”
“Don’t move!” Taako exclaims, whipping out his phone. “I gotta take a picture of this!”
Kravitz smiles with embarrassment, but holds still, long enough for Taako to get all three birds in the shot. Once Taako is satisfied, Kravitz uses his free hand to gesture at the other cages. “Would you like a tour?”
“Sure thing, my man,” Taako replies, following Kravitz’s lead down a particularly shaded path. The crow and the magpie decide that now would be good to find a less mobile perch. The raven stays on Krav’s shoulder, however. It blinks at Taako with bright, intelligent eyes, then lets out a caw or two.
“She likes you,” Kravitz says assuringly. “She caws at the people she likes, and flaps her wings at the ones she doesn’t.”
“Smart bird,” Taako replied. He slowly reaches a hand at her. She bonks her head up against it, cawing again, and he is immediately charmed.
Kravitz leads Taako to a stone bench, nestled quaintly by a large pond, next to an oak tree covered in spanish moss. The sky is a little overcast, but there’s no threat of rain.
Taako does his best effort to lean against him, careful to not squish the bird. She does both of them the polite service of flying to a low hanging branch of the oak tree. They watch her and she watches them. It’s a curious situation.
Taako nods at Kravitz’s outfit. “I thought you said you weren’t dressed formally.”
“I said I wasn't wearing a suit,” Kravitz corrects. The stitching on his clothes shine against his dark clothes and skin. “There’s not many people who volunteer here at a time, so there’s really no dress code.”
“Getting fancy for the hell of it,” Taako says, eyeing him over. “That’s something I can respect. Looking good, Krav.”
“You look lovely as well,” Kravitz replies. Taako’s face feels warm. He’s reminded of the fact that he didn’t intend to get this far at all in terms of their gothic little romance. But he can’t quite help himself now.
“You know, we kind of left our first date on sort of...spur of the moment terms,” Taako says. He leans forward just a little. “I was wondering if we could be more deliberate this go round.”
“Are you asking to kiss me?” Kravitz asks, looking a big more smug that Taako would prefer.
“Well, I’m certainly not asking you to give me a running history of this park.”
“Are you sure? I think I’m equally adept at either of those things.”
“Then I think I would prefer the former over the latter,” Taako says, unable to hide his annoyance. He’s beginning to think that Kravitz has a bit of an asshole streak.
Kravitz smiles and leans in to kiss Taako. It’s soft and lovely and very easy to get lost in. He kisses Taako again, pleased by the small sound of approval escaping him. Taako feels Kravitz's arm curl around him, and he wraps his own arms around Kravitz’s neck. They both take some time to enjoy each other’s presence, with nothing but the birds and the trees as further company.
Kravitz learns things about Taako. That Taako doesn’t speak about mortality or death with a weight in his throat. That whatever reverence he might have for the gods is scant at best. That he is often distracted by wildflowers, and one moment he’ll have a small bouquet in his hands, and in the next, a flower crown circling his head. That he’ll make flower crowns for the both of them, offering one to Kravitz without a word. But Kravitz accepts them each time, taken by the light in Taako’s eyes, which never seems to dim, only brighten.
Taako walks into the kitchen to find Barry covered in dirt from the waist down.
“Who did you dig up, Barold?” Taako asks. “And did you hock any good shit?”
Barry starts to protest. “I didn’t—”
“Not important,” Taako says. “I need to borrow your record player and a list of underground bands from the 1980s to now.”
“You’re really taking this aesthetic change to heart, aren’t you?” Barry asks, running the sink to get some of the dirt off his hands.
“Taako doesn’t go halfway on anything,” Taako says. “But you look like you were halfway to the center of the earth.”
“Don’t tell Lup I tracked dirt into the kitchen,” Barry says sheepishly.
“Hmm,” Taako says. “Get me those disks and I’ll consider it."
"There should be some Miazma and Elysian in my office. You can listen to those."
"Barold, I'm begging you to use real words."
Kravitz is a man of rituals. He only buys one kind of coffee (black). His wardrobe is repeatedly monochromatic (black).
But at the same time, he’s unpredictable. He bets high on random things, not caring if he’ll win or lose, just that the bet is entertaining. He has a different character voice for any given situation. Taako is unable to contain his laughter after Kravitz regails him with an account of an argument he had with a client.
“And he said, ‘Well I didn’t see any bloody additional fees.’ And I said, ‘It’s right there in the fine print.’ And he said, ‘How am I supposed to fockin’ read that?’ And I said, ‘with your eyes, sir.’”
Taako practically chokes on his own coffee (caramel latte with two hazel nut shots), spilling a bit on his lap (purple slacks. He’s stretching his wardrobe a bit, but he feels comfortable enough to add some accent colors.)
“And you didn’t get fired?” Taako asks, as Kravitz offers him a handful of napkins.
“I’m good at my job,” Kravitz says. “They can afford to lose one unruly client over one employee who breaks decorum.”
“Not the type to go apeshit, huh?”
“Oh, if only,” Kravitz replies, smiling. He’s so terribly handsome. Taako’s really glad to be able to appreciate that fact up close.
“I’m running out of date ideas!” Taako grumbles. He sits at the table with Lup, two practically empty dinner plates between them.
“You could visit the Goldcliff Catacombs?” Barry offers, washing pots in the kitchen.
“Goldcliff has catacombs?” Taako asks.
“Gotta put all those bodies that accidently fell off the cliffs somewhere,” Lup explains.
“Noted,” Taako says, scrunching his nose. He messes around with a single brussel sprout on his plate. “I don’t know. Visiting some dusty, underground caverns sounds like a less than ideal date.”
“I beg to differ,” Lup replies. “Barry and I went there during our honeymoon. Very romantic.”
“Taako is not going into a dark, creepy, cavernous gravesite,” He mutters. “At least not without available backup.” He looks up as Barry walks into the dining room and pulls up a seat beside Lup. “What if we made it a double date? You two have been there before, you could give us a tour!”
“Can’t,” Lup and Barry both say.
“What do you mean can’t? ” Taako asks.
“We’ve…” Barry starts, and his face slowly turns a peculiar shade of red. “Been banned.”
Taako squints. “Banned? How do you get banned from the catacombs? Geez, I know you’re intense mortuary nerds, but what were you trying to do? Reanimate them?”
“ Something was animated , ” Lup mumbles, eyes locked on her plate.
“No,” Taako says. He stands up. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You did not.”
“It was our honeymoon.”
“NO. I hate you guys, oh my gods.” He rushes out of the room. “I’m never talking goth dates with you again!” He stomps out of the room, hands over ears, and hurries up the stairs.
“I’d steer clear of the Old Castle in Rockport as well,” Lup calls after him.
“I can’t hear you!” Taako yells back, followed by incoherent shouting. He’s willing to put on a scary movie now, if it means shifting the paranoia away from potential gothic hotspots.
“..while the angels, all pallid and wan,” Kravitz muses. “Uprising, unveiling, affirm. That the play is the tragedy, “Man,” and its hero, the Conqueror Worm.”
“Oh, worm?” Taako asks, playfully.
Kravitz smiles and bumps their shoulders together. They walk down a busy street, stopping just in front of the building of an old-looking cinema. There’s a line of posters out front, with a list of upcoming movies.
October approaches, convenient enough (for Taako) that almost every movie showing is either a new horror film or a throwback. Kravitz has caught onto the fact that Taako, for all his bravado, isn’t the biggest fan of scary movies. And Taako has caught onto the fact that Kravitz is a sucker for musicals.
“I’ve heard of Sweeny Todd,” Taako said, eyes scanning the list. “But I haven't seen it. We could watch it.”
Kravitz nodded. “That, or Labyrinth.”
“Dude, I fuckin’ love Labyrinth!” Taako replies, excited about the fact that finally, they had something to bond over that Taako knew about on his own volition. “Used to watch that all the time in high school.”
Kravitz seems to light up at that. “It's a wonderful fantasy film; the costuming, the puppetry—”
“David Bowie—” They both say, and then stop. Realization hits at similar, dissonant moments. They both nod in a sort of silent agreement, and then opt to watch Sweeny Todd instead.
Sometimes Kravitz hums things, and motions the rhythm with his hands. Taako remembers Kravitz mentioning wanting to be a conductor once. Taako holds onto these little idiosyncrasies. He feels like he’s learning something. Like reading a book over and over again, and discovering a new detail each time.
They don’t use the dating app to contact each other anymore. Taako type’s Kravitz’s number into his phone, then hands it back to him.
“It’s spelled T-A-A-K-O, T-A-A-C-O,” he says, watching Kravitz type in his name.
“I’m going to put in three pumpkin emojis,” Kravitz declares. Taako looks at him with an affronted expression, before that breaks into a laugh.
“Well that’s karma for you I guess,” he admits.
“LUP!” Taako yells.
“WHAT?” Lup yells back.
“I need to raid your closet!”
“No, fuck you!” Lup says. She immediately runs to the base of the stairs, spreading her arms wide enough to keep Taako from moving towards her bedroom. “You still haven’t given back my velvet shirt. Just buy your own clothes, dammit!”
“But I need an outfit now!” Taako whines. “Krav and I set up another date!”
“ Now now?”
“Well, in a couple hours now. But still.” Taako pouts. “C’mon, Lulu, do your favorite brother a solid!”
“You’re my only brother, dingus,” She says, lowering her arms reluctantly. Taako immediately darts towards her room. He glances back to catch what she’s wearing. She’s dressed in a pretty red blouse and a black pencil skirt. Her hair’s up in a bun and pinned with a sparkling red flower.
“What’s got you looking fancy?” Taako asks, as soon as he enters the room.
“You’re not the only one going on a date tonight,” She replies, stopping at the door.
“Gross,” Taako replies. He rummages for a second. He finds a long black dress with beaded lacing on the sleeves. He slips it on, doing his best to fit it. Luckily, there’s lacing on the back for him to adjust. Once on, he sits down at the vanity and separates his hair into two neat sections.
“Going for a Wednesday Addams look?” Lup asks from the doorway.
“More like Cruella de Vil,” Taako says. He turns back to her. “I was thinking of doing a half and half dye job?”
“Please, no. ” Lup laughs. “Actually, do it, and let me take a photo. I have to have evidence that you made yourself look like a black and white cookie.”
“Just for that, I’m not doing it,” Taako says, frowning. He pulls his hair back into a high ponytail and starts working on his face.
“Just how long are you going to keep this up?” Lup asks.
“Keep what up?” Taako asks, putting big sweeps of black shadow over his eyes. He’d gotten very good at it over the last few days.
“This charade of acting like something you’re not,” Lup says. She walks over and puts a hand on the back of his chair.
“Pardon?” Taako asks. “What if this is me, Lup? What if I’m discovering a new side of myself? Don’t pull a ‘ It’s just a phase, Taako’ on me. What are you, my mom?”
Lup scoffs. “You always change your clothes as soon as you get home, babe. And you complain about those dumb red contact lenses all the time. And I know you get squeamish when Barry and I talk about cadavers.” She pokes his cheek. “This isn’t you.”
“It is Krav, though,” Taako says, batting her hand away. “And Krav likes me.”
“If the guy genuinely likes you, he's gonna like you looking and acting like yourself.” She makes a shooing motion with her hands. “Now scoot over. I have to get ready for when Barry gets here.”
“Ugh, gross, I’m gone,” Taako says, getting up.
Before Lup can take the seat, Taako grabs her arm and pulls her into sort of a half hug. She’s taken aback for a sec, before wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Better knock his sexy ass dead, Taako,” she says. “Not just anyone can have my favorite brother.”
Taako grins and pulls away. “I’m your only brother, goofus.” He walks over to the closet and grabs at the fancy gown. “Also I’m borrowing this.”
“You absolutely better bring that back,” Lup says, eyes lighting up.
“Or what?” Taako says, draping it over his shoulders like a cape. “You’ll bury me in it?”
“I’ll loot your dumb ass for it,” Lup says.
“Have to hand it to you, Bones,” Taako says, sitting beside him, as they wait for an outdoor performance of Don Juan Triumphant. “You’ve got good taste in locale.”
“I do my best,” Kravitz says. He’s wearing a very sleek black suit with a red cravat and pocket square. Taako’s been admiring it all night. “Some of the better cemeteries are too crowded these days.”
Everyone around them is dressed in formal wear. But the pair manages to stand out, in part thanks to Taako’s bright cape. It’s a bit of a relief to not be in all dark colors. Maybe Lup is right.
“Yeah, I’m not too big on gravesites myself,” Taako says, then adds. “My sister and brother-in-law are giant archeological dorks. And, shall we say...a little too enthusiastic about regaling their research visits.”
“You don’t say?” Kravitz says, looking at Taako’s mildly disgusted face with amusement. “I’m sure you’ve heard some interesting stories.”
“Like you wouldn’t believe, now shhh!” He whispers. The music slowly begins to start.
They stop talking, and as the rest of the crowd clambers to silence, Taako grabs hold Kravitz’s hand and gives it a squeeze. It’s warm.
Kravitz wants to tell his moms about Taako. But it dawns on him that he doesn’t quite know that much about him. He could invite Taako over and have them meet firsthand, but he’s not sure that they’re at that stage yet. Then he realizes that they’ve been going on dates pretty consistently for a number of weeks now and that they’ve probably bypassed that stage, to be honest.
He supposes the next best route is to go on a social media search.
He opens his laptop and types Taako’s name into Fantasy Facebook, an easy place to start. He admits to himself, it’s a little weird to do this now and not sooner. He doesn’t know anyone who’d have a name exactly like Taako, so maybe he’ll be in a bit of luck. He spots a picture that looks vaguely like the Taako he knows and he clicks on it.
A profile comes up and—
He looks at the profile and it’s... baffling . This Taako is dressed in bright colors. Not that Taako looks bad or anything, but not like anyway Kravitz has seen since they started dating. A lot of photos showing sunny beaches and outdoor restaurants in the background. Taako is with people that Kravitz can’t imagine hanging around his inner circles.
Well, with some exceptions: In some of the photos, there’s a man and a woman standing with Taako, whom Kravitz swears he’s probably run into in passing. But he doesn’t feel like diving too deeply down that rabbit hole.
He closes his laptop and leans back in his chair, not knowing what to make of, well, anything.
So this is a trick? He wonders. Just something fun to do to mess with him? A con that’s been going on for almost two months now?
Kravitz isn’t sure if he’s angry. But he definitely feels confused. And maybe a little hurt. He feels a lot of things, and none of them are good. Of that, he’s certain.
He looks at his phone, there's a missed call. In place of a name are the three pumpkin emojis. Kravitz changes it to Taako's actual name. He doesn't find the pumpkins funny anymore.
Taako doesn’t hear from Kravitz for a week. That isn’t too concerning. They were both expressing big work related stuff coming up and they figured having an off week wouldn’t do them any harm.
But then it goes into two weeks, and even though Taako sends Krav messages, he gets a sort of vague, non committal responses, which isn’t like Kravitz at all. It sucks, especially now, because Taako finds himself enjoying his job less and less. Sure, it pays the bills and most of his coworkers are friends and whatnot. But it’s syphoning away whatever creative energy he has. And what was spent as time with Krav is now slowly becoming time spent worrying about where his life is going at the moment. If he quits, he can't afford to move out of Barry and Lup's place, which is something he saw himself doing within the year. He loves them, no doubt about that. But, for a second there, he thought he was doing a good job of landing on his own two feet.
This is weird, Taako thinks, late one evening—phone in hand but not open to anything. Taako thinks about calling Lup, but she and Barry are gone on an excavation for a few days. They’re in a different time zone and probably fast asleep by now. He doesn’t feel so urgent as to give them an emergency call. But he’s restless as fuck and just…
Taako takes a deep sigh, and dials a number on his phone.
“Hey,” comes Taako’s voice.
“Uh, Hey,” Kravitz says, a little awkwardly. He’s laying in bed, not really doing much of anything. Taako’s call takes him off guard. “H-how are you?”
“Well, you sound surprised,” Taako says, sounding amused.
“I am a bit,” Kravitz replies. “You don’t usually call.”
“I know.” Kravitz can hear Taako sigh on the other end, and he regrets not being more forward with talking to him. Taako continues, “Lup and Barry are gone all weekend and my other friends are either neck deep in finals or fast asleep at this time of night.”
“Nice to know I’m your fallback friend,” Kravitz teases.
“Pffft,” Taako says. “Sorry if you’re busy, we don’t have to talk, we can just—”
“No, wait, go ahead,” Kravitz says, before he can stop himself. “Did you need anything?”
“Yeah, I, ah,” He sounds uncertain, like he’s trying to find the right words to begin. “My job’s...been driving me up the fuckin’ wall. I was thinking of quitting, but I don’t really want to work in the same field.”
“Are you thinking of switching careers?” Kravitz asks, sitting up. Usually Taako jokes about how much his job sucks. This is the most serious thing he’s brought up to Krav.
“Maybe,” Taako says. “To be honest I was really thinkin’ about education. You know? Becoming a teacher.”
“Well, you walked me through how to make a mean Bloody Mary via text,” Kravitz replies. “So I think that accounts for something.”
“I had to save your ass from substituting tomato sauce with ketchup!” Taako says, his voice raising with amusement.
“It has tomatoes!” Kravitz replies, smiling. “I see no difference.” He’s happy to hear Taako’s familiar laugh at the other end. It’s so loud and uninhibited. Nothing about it could possibly be faked. “I think you’d make an excellent teacher,” Krav continues. “You’re smart, and you know how to make complex ideas simple. If you really want to change careers, I could...help you find some programs to apply for?”
“Thanks, Bones,” Taako says. His voice on the other end sounds soft. “I—I’d appreciate it. I don’t...know if I’ll make the big change just yet, but I like knowing my options are open.”
“Of course they are,” Kravitz replies, his own voice softening as well. He has it bad .
“Hey,” Taako says, before the pause in the conversation becomes awkward. “You wanna come over to my place tomorrow? We could watch a movie. I’ve got some activated charcoal that I’ve been dying to try out on some dessert.”
“Is that a goth pun?” Kravitz asks. “Over the phone? That you said with your mouth?”
“Listen,” Taako says, giggling just a little. “It’s second nature at this point, so just roll with it, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll come over.” Kravitz doesn’t want their conversation to end. Try as he might—try as he wants to convince himself that Taako isn’t sincere in their relationship—he can’t bring himself to believe that. “Have a goodnight, Taako.”
“Goodnight, babe.”
Taako sits and stares at his phone for what feels like forever. He hadn't realized how stressed he’d been prior to calling Kravitz. But now, with the call over, he’s hit by the sudden calm of just talking to him, of being listened to. A part of him wishes that the conversation had been longer. His mind had been racing the whole time for more things to say, only to come up short.
But he had invited Kravitz to come over tomorrow, and Kravitz had agreed.
Taako stuffs his face deep into his pillows and lets out a frustrated groan. He’s probably reached his event horizon when it comes to vapid talking points. Opening up, even a little, about his career fears has proven that.
It also proves that Kravitz doesn’t mind.
I’m in deep, he admits to himself. He’s all for Kravitz and his spooky vibes, and dramatic attire, and nerdy interests in all things macabre. But he also can’t get over how earnest he is. He feels bad for leading Krav on like this. For accepting so much of him, when Kravitz barely gets glimpses of who Taako really is.
He wants them to be on equal footing. He just...hasn’t figured out how to do that yet.
Kravitz lets out a sigh as soon as the call ends. He realizes how stuck he is; he wants someone to be real with. Maybe that was a lot to expect from meeting someone online. Maybe he should be grateful that he got this much.
But no. Kravitz is a person, lifestyle be damned.
He supposes he’ll have to discuss the issue tomorrow.
Taako is standing in the kitchen, hair up in a messy bun. He’s wearing black tights and an oversized MCR shirt. He’s not wearing makeup, but he did put in the effort to wear the red contact lenses. He figures that’s suitably gothy enough for a chill breakfast dinner date. Before he can measure out the batter for the pancakes, he gets a text message.
Kravitz: Hey, I didn’t mean to pry, but is this you?
Taako sees the picture that’s attached to the image, and freezes.
It’s his Fantasy facebook profile image. He’s dressed for Lup and Barry’s wedding. In it, he’s wearing a floral print suit, with the gaudiest dress shirt he can find to wear it with. None of his accessories match, which only heightens the drama of his look. His hair falls over his shoulders in coils. It’s a near perfect opposite of the profile picture of his goth persona.
He could ignore the question. He could come up with some bullshit excuse. But that’s him clear as day. And even worse, Krav would be over soon, to probably confront him about it head on.
Taako: Yeah, that’s me homie
He braces himself, and by braces himself, he sets down his phone and walks the perimeter of of the house for five minutes before walking back to the phone and witnessing whatever response is waiting him when he gets there
Kravitz: so do you dress to suit the aesthetic of all your dates? Or am I just a special case?
Taako can’t tell the tone of this message. It could be an olive branch, or there could be a bitterness behind it. He wants to believe that he knows Kravitz well enough. That Krav won’t find harm in his actions. Or that he’d be too polite to break up with him over text. Before he can conjure up an appropriate response, there comes a follow up:
Kravitz: that. Sounded much more accusatory over text. My apologies.
Geez, now he’s doing damage control for him. The dork. Taako responds quickly before it gets any worse.
Taako: Nah, krav. You’ve got me pretty squared away right off the bat. It did start off as a joke. And then it just, kept going
Kravitz: I would’ve preferred if you had told me sooner, Taako
Kravitz: I’m not comfortable with the fact that you essentially lied to me for this long.
Taako feels his throat tighten. He considers calling, but he doesn’t trust his voice to stay level. Something compels him to break out of his comfort zone for just a moment, as he replies:
Taako: Would you believe me, if i said i kept it up, because i wanted you to like me?
Taako: I mean, yeah it was a goof, initially. But it's not anymore.
Taako: It’s just cha’boy trying to make this work.
Taako: Us, I mean.
He’s more nervous than he thinks he deserves any right to be. If this whole thing goes south, he never wants to message anyone ever again.
The response comes after a minute.
Kravitz: You watched every iteration of Dracula
Kravitz: ...just to talk about it for dates?
An olive branch. Taako quickly wipes his face with his hand and types:
Taako: Babe, I’ve become a veritable encyclopedia for campy vampire films. If you’re planning to stop by, we could watch Dracula 3D and make fun of the terrible cgi
Kravitz: be there at six.
Taako checks the time. It’s nearly 4:30. He turns back towards the batter. There’s a lot he’s gotta cook between now and then, not to mention cleanup. He quickly texts kravitz, see you then , blatantly ignoring how wet the back of his hand is, or how puffy his eyes are—this time, not due to the contact lenses.
The benefit of staying at Lup and Barry’s place is that Taako doesn’t have to do any redecorating for Kravitz to come over. Lup loves to crank up the spooky for guest parties, but for now it looks more or less like a regular house. There’s old, ominous tomes on every available bookshelf. At least two side tables have skulls on them for decoration. There’s a preserved heart sitting in a formaldehyde jar on the kitchen countertop.
It’s perfect.
The house is empty, save for him. Taako is putting the finish touches on two plates of activated charcoal waffles with raspberry syrup, when there’s a knock on the door. Taako throws off the bright, lacy apron he’s wearing and rushes to answer.
Kravitz steps in, his eyes immediately flickering from one creepy aspect to the next.
“Wild, huh?” Taakos asks, greeting him with a kiss. “My sister and brother-and-law decorated.”
“They certainly have interesting tastes,” Kravitz says. “Is the base of that lamp a femur?”
“You get used to it,” Taako says, waving a hand. “But pretty run of the mill, don’t you think?”
“I wish,” Kravitz said. “It’s certainly spookier than my place.”
Taako leans back at that. “Really?”
Kravitz pulls out his cellphone. “I’ll be moving out soon, but I have pictures of what it currently looks like. Want to see?”
Taako nods, and leans forward as Kravitz pulls up pictures of his home. It looks...like a regular apartment? The furniture is all dark and industrial looking, but not jet black and antiquated like Taako would’ve imagined. There’s knitted throws of various colors draped over everything. And in the windows are potted plants. It’s ruthlessly domestic.
Kravitz catches the confused look on Taako’s face. “What do you think?”
“Huh,” Taako replies. “It’s nice? Tame. I don’t know. I had it in my head that you lived in like, an old, abandoned crypt or something. This seems so….normal?”
Kravitz laughs. “I’m going to choose to take that as a compliment.” He takes the phone back and tucks it in his pocket. “I know my attire is a little on the dramatic side, I do that for myself. But when it comes to work, or my home, I like to keep everything else relatively down to earth.” He grabs two wine glasses.
“Above the earth, you mean,” Taako handing him a glass.
Kravitz smiles. “You get it.”
“Right,” Taako says. He steels himself and says. “You know, Taako isn’t always dark and gloomy one hundred percent either.”
“Oh?” Kravitz asks, with that asshole expression on his face that Taako can’t seem to get enough of.
“Yeah,” Taako says. “I uh, I dabble pretty heavily in the fantastical. You know, bold colors, iridescent stuff.”
“I can imagine,” Kravitz says. “I can also imagine liking someone like that.”
“Can you?” Taako asks. His voice is oddly quiet.
“You light up a room, Taako,” Kravitz said, completely earnest. “If I’m being honest...I don’t know if goth and, well, morbid stuff in general, really...suits you.”
Taako makes a face that Kravitz can’t quite read, and for a second he fears that he’s overstepped some boundary. But before he can properly apologize, Taako gives Kravitz’s hands a squeeze.
“Wait here a sec.” Taako sets his own glass on the coffee table, and darts up the stairs, leaving Kravitz looking confused and bewildered in the kitchen. Kravitz waits there for a good ten to fifteen minutes, before he hears taako come down the stairs.
He looks up and sees that Taako has changed— transformed is a better word. It’s a totally different person standing across the room from him. Taako stares at him awkwardly, like he’s not sure whether he should approach him or not.
“Kravitz,” he starts, and then he’s talking too fast for Kravitz to register what he’s actually saying. But Kravitz is more focused on the boldly patterned, billowy shirt that Taako is wearing. And the bleached jeans and floral boots that look like they’re laced with ribbon instead of shoelaces.
“—it was meant to be a harmless joke and—”
And the gold jewelry that is scattered around his hands and neck. And the locks of his hair that fall out of his braid with every turn of his head. These things about him that were moments ago not him, but now are absolutely him.
“—I was being honest when I said I liked certain things. Like the music! It was dope as shit. But also it was your music, and that was, you know, it meant something. And I—”
Kravitz gets up from the couch and walks toward him.
“—Listen, I wasn’t trying to make fun of you, or the things you like, or care about. I just—”
Kravitz grabs both of Taako’s hands, and Taako stops talking.
“Taako,” Kravitz says, shaking his head gently. “Taako, I think you’re amazing. I like that you’re more than what you wear, or do, or think. I want to experience all of you.” This close up, he can see that Taako’s eyes are a different color. They aren’t that fake, colored red anymore. They’re a brillant, emerald green. Kravitz smiles and says, “I love you, Taako. And nothing’s going to change that.”
“Oh,” Taako murmurs. Surprise flashes across his face, before a confident grin takes back over. “Oh! Well, glad to get that crazy business out of the way! Better strap in, babe. There’s still a lot about cha’boy that you have yet to discover.” He gives his braid an over-the-shoulder toss. “This ride is a rollercoaster and the only direction it goes is up!”
It’s a bit later. They’re both curled up on the couch, watching a romcom that Taako picked out. Something light and laid back, not gothic in the slightest. Kravitz’s arms are wrapped around Taako. Taako’s palm is resting on Krav’s chest, where he can feel him breathing.
“Hey,” Taako says, giving Kravitz a soft poke. “You wanna hear one last spooky pick up line?”
“Go for it,” Kravitz replies.
“I can't find a costume for Halloween, so can I just go as your boyfriend?”
Kravitz shakes his head, smiling wide. “That’s probably the best and worst one you’ve said yet.”
“You didn’t answer the question,” Taako says, giving Kravitz a frown.
“Of course, Taako.”
“Hell yeah,” Taako replies, and kisses him like he’s bringing him back to life.