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“Dear Former Students,
You are cordially invited to the St. James Catholic School for boys fourteen year reunion party. This is not an official event but a friendly get together organized by our alumni. In the spirit of celebrating our Lord and the diverse ways He has guided our lives we have chosen this particular date.
Romans 14:22 – ‘The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. Happy is he that judgeth not himself in that which he approveth.’
The event will happen at the school grounds from 9.00 PM to 12:00 AM next Friday. The party is semi formal and you are encouraged to bring a plus one.
We hope to see you there!
Yours in the brotherhood of Christ,
Father Solomon”
Guillermo wanted to delete the email immediately but found himself re-reading it. He hadn't thought about his time at St. James in over a decade. He'd only been graduated for two years when he started working for Nandor. The more he stared at the email the more he started to feel anger bubbling up inside him. The overly familiar language, the claim of diversity, the bible verse thrown into the middle. Then he realized, his rage cooling to a simmer, that this could be his chance to have a little revenge. He wouldn’t call himself petty, per say, but the idea of getting back at some former tormentors was a tempting one. With plans forming in his mind Guillermo saved the email and smiled.
“So you’re saying it's an invite only event with access to, potentially, dozens of virgins and you can only bring one of us?”
“Yes. That's… exactly what I just said.”
“Bullshit.” Laszlo scoffed. “What's to stop us from hypnotizing our way in?”
“Would you hypnotize your way into the real Nouveau Theatre des Vampires?” Guillermo said. It was a comparison he reasoned his housemates would grasp, even it if was completely false.
“If this human event is so damn important than why did you get invited?” Nadja said. Guillermo repressed a retort. If he wanted this to work he had to stick to his plan. He tried to draw on the same confidence he'd had when he'd taken charge of catching the Sire.
“I grew up with these people. They consider me one of them. Of course, it is a catholic community so I get it, if none of you want to come. Potential danger and all that.” he said.
“I am not scared of a little church group.” Nandor said. “Besides, you are going to protect me.”
“Who said you were the one going?” Laszlo said. Guillermo watched the three vampires argue. The next step of the plan was crucial. He wasn’t going to head to a class reunion as a single man, lest his bullies be proven right.
“There's one more important detail.” he said. He made sure everyone was listening. “Whoever goes with me needs to pretend to be my… partner. Romantically.”
Nadja made a face. He gathered she wasn’t keen on the concept. Laszlo appeared less put off but a glare from his wife kept him quiet.
“Peasy easy!”
“Easy peasy, master.”
“Obviously I will be going.” Nandor said. “Really, it's not hard to pretend to love Guillermo. I do that for a few hours and get a full meal in return?”
“Tell you what, Nandor, you have fun doing that while surrounded by supporters of the jeebus man.” Laszlo said.
“I will!” Nandor snapped. He turned to Guillermo with a flourish of his cape. “We shall attend this school of James party together. No arguing.”
“Of course.” Guillermo said. Internally he put a pin in the fact that Nandor thought pretending to love him was easy. He was going to have a hard enough time focusing on the event without overthinking things. He couldn’t afford to reflect on offhand comments.
The days leading up to the party seemed to blur. Guillermo did his chores by muscle memory as he brainstormed a believable cover story. One to make all his old classmates jealous. Sure, a few of them would definitely end up eaten but he'd love to see the looks on their faces first, when they realized they'd been wrong about him. Friday arrived and Guillermo put his plan into action.
“Remember, we met twelve years ago. We moved in together right away. We're very happy and you are-"
“From a royal family, very rich, and totally in love with you. Yeesh, you’ve told me so many times it has been burned into my brain.” Nandor said. Guillermo finished with the clasps on his cape and stood back.
“The more we play it up the easier it'll be to find food.” he reminded the vampire. Initially he had considered trying to convince Nandor to wear a suit but the more he thought on it the more he realized just letting his master be himself would be the best irritant to a room full of catholic men. He'd settled on a black tuxedo for his own outfit. Best to let his “date" draw all the attention.
“Let's just get this over with.” Nandor grumbled.
Their arrival to the school went without any major issues, although Nandor did hiss at the cross on the building wall. One of the alumni was standing by the doors to welcome guests. His eyes widened as he watched Guillermo walk up arm in arm with Nandor.
“Is that little Gilly?” he exclaimed. Guillermo winced a little at the old ‘nickname'. He'd managed to block out most of those memories. He plastered on a false smile.
“Jonah! I haven't seen you in ages.” he said. Jonah looked up at Nandor and his face fell slightly.
“Who's your friend here?” he said. His eyes had a teasing glint to them. “Couldn’t find a date?”
“Actually, Jonah, this is my boyfriend, Nandor.” Guillermo said. Jonah blinked at him a few times and then glanced back at the vampire.
“Really?” he said quietly.
“Yes, really. We have been together for twelve years.” Nandor said. At the sound of his voice Jonah jumped slightly. Nandor smiled in a way made to hide his fangs. “He is my universe.”
“Wow, that’s… so great.” Jonah said. His words were slightly strained. Guillermo knew that to Jonah it definitely wasn’t great but the man held back any negative comments for the time being. He held the door open further. “Why don’t you two head inside?”
“Thanks Jonah! Let's catch up later, okay?” Guillermo said. He didn’t wait for an answer and led Nandor down the hallway.
“Is he one of the virgins for eating?” Nandor whispered as they walked. Guillermo nodded.
“Later. There’s definitely some better choices here.” he said. Nandor huffed a little but didn’t object. Soon they'd arrived in the gymnasium.
The room had been converted into a party space. Gold and white streamers had been taped along the walls. Snack tables stood by the doors and a sad looking DJ playing christian rock music was on the stage. Various people milled about, mainly men with a few ladies here and there. Guillermo scanned the crowd for his particular bullies. It didn’t take long for one of them to find him.
“Well, if it isn’t mister protector of the cross.” said a tall man who approached with a smug grin. “I didn’t think you'd show up, Gee-er-mo.”
“David, how are you?” Guillermo said. He didn’t bother correcting the butchered pronunciation of his name. A happy target was an easy target.
“I’m doing swell, my little friend. Let me introduce my wife, Elena.” said David. A woman with almost identical blond hair to his smiled from beside him.
“It's wonderful to meet you, Elena. I’m Guillermo.” said Guillermo as he extended a hand. Elena shook it briefly.
“It's lovely to meet you too.” she said. Her voice was curt and concise. A flicker of confusion danced over her face as she looked to Nandor.
“Who's your buddy, gee-er-mo?” David said. “I don’t recognize him.”
“This is Nandor. Nandor, this is David.” Guillermo said. The men gave each other a brief nod.
“Nandor, huh? Sounds exotic.” David said.
“It is a noble name.” Nandor said. He smiled at the humans curious expression. “I am of royal blood in my homeland.”
“You sure are, honey. My handsome prince.” Guillermo chimed in. He tried to make his voice sound as sappy as possible. From the look David gave him he knew he succeeded. “Oh, I didn’t tell you yet, did I? Nandor and I are a couple.”
“We are boyfriends.” Nandor added. Guillermo smiled as he watched David try desperately to keep a straight face. He knew the man wouldn’t dare to start hurling slurs at them here. Elena simply appeared to be surprised.
“That's great, you two. So good to see at an event like this. After all, the theme of the party is how varied and unique the Lord God made us all.” she said. She didn’t catch the small scowl Nandor gave at the mention of the G word as she was focused on the reaction from her husband. David forced a tiny grin.
“I didn’t expect that. That's…. “ he started saying.
“Really? You were pretty vocal about calling me gay back in the day.” Guillermo cut him off. He couldn’t resist getting a few jabs in. He let some venom drop into his voice. “Although your language wasn't as Christian like.”
“Well, that’s in the past now. You seem to be…. fine.” David said.
“So do you. Did you get that job at the bank you were interning for?” Guillermo said. David seemed to unclench his teeth slightly.
“I did. Up for a promotion this month.” he said.
“Wow! I can’t imagine working for that long.” Guillermo lied. David's eyes narrowed. Guillermo placed an arm around Nandor. “Since Nandor is from a royal family he handles all our finances. I offered to help by picking up a job but he insists on spoiling me.”
“That's so sweet.” Elena said. Her husband was starting to go red in the face.
“I handle our household finances as well. Although, someone as well off as you must have a strong interest in investment.” David said. His voice shook as he tried to keep it level. “Maybe you'd like to discuss potential stocks? Privately?”
“Outside?” Nandor suggested. Guillermo recognized his hungry look but thankfully David did not. The two headed towards the door. As soon as they were out of sight Elena leaned in.
“I am so sorry, Guillermo.” she said. Her expression was full of guilt. Guillermo wondered if it was genuine.
“It's okay, Elena. It's a big step up from how he used to act.” he said. Elena shook her head.
“It's really not. He's only going along with your boyfriend so he can-"
“Beat him up? Don’t worry. Nandor can handle himself.” Guillermo said. “It's David I’d be worried about.”
“He hits harder than you’d think.” Elena said quietly, almost to herself. Guillermo finally clocked the nature of her relationship with her husband. He controls the money and she knows how strong he is? Suddenly Nandor chowing down on the man was a lot more appealing.
“Elena… do you need help?” Guillermo whispered. Elena glanced around the room. She didn’t reply but her silence spoke volumes. Guillermo sighed and weighed his options. He could leave her be. David would be dead soon anyways. On the other hand…. he leaned in a little closer.
“If you do…. Nandor has ‘connections’. David will never touch you again.”
“That's… I mean… he's not always bad, but…” Elena mumbled. Something in her broke and she looked at Guillermo with a quiet fire in her eyes. “You know, if he went missing I would get his estate.”
“Don’t you mean your estate?” Guillermo said. Elena smiled a little. Guillermo pulled out his phone and pretended to text someone. “He ran off after the fight. Never seen again.”
“Leaving everything to his poor wife.” Elena said. She patted his shoulder. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Literally.” Guillermo said. Elena grinned.
“Mention what?” she said. She walked away with renewed confidence. Guillermo felt it was a little risky to let her think he and Nandor had vanished her husband but David would have been gone either way. At least now someone else was happy about it. The fact that she was instantly down for murder wasn’t his concern. He grabbed a drink and milled about. Nandor was taking longer than usual but Guillermo reasoned it was because he was trying to not get any blood on his clothes. At least that’s what he hoped.
“Guillermo? Is that you?”
Guillermo turned to see an unfamiliar woman with familiar eyes. She was one of the few attendees to take a name tag. “Eve" was written in large block letters on the sticker. Her hair poofed up into a short afro and her smile was bright yet nervous. Guillermo took a moment to process her appearance before the familiarity clicked.
“Is that my bible buddy I see?” he said. Eve relaxed her shoulders and smiled wider.
“It's so good to see you! I thought I’d be the only queer person here.” she said. Guillermo reached out to hug her.
“You're never alone when I’m here, remember?” he said. He recalled days spent working together on projects alongside hushed conversations about things the school didn’t want them to discuss. Eve laughed as she pulled back from the hug.
“Man, I missed you Guillermo. Things have been crazy since you went all quiet on me.” she said.
“I’m sorry. I got… distracted.” Guillermo said. He really did feel bad about dropping contact once he became a familiar. It had come with the job but it still hurt.
“It's okay. Your own life comes first. Speaking of, I gotta know. I saw you earlier with a tall, dark, and handsome hunk.” Eve said. She raised an eyebrow. “Someone special?”
“You could say that.” Guillermo said. He found his smile wasn’t fake even if his words were. “His name is Nandor and we've been dating for twelve years.”
“Twelve years!? Has he popped the question yet?” Eve said.
“Not yet. We're happy with how things are now.” Guillermo said. He knew someone would ask eventually. He was glad it ended up being Eve.
“I’m so happy for you!” Eve said.
“And I’m happy for you! Look at you!” Guillermo replied. Eve grinned and twirled in place, spinning her dress.
“I know! Six years on HRT as of next week!” she said proudly.
“That's amazing, Eve! By the way, fantastic name choice.” Guillermo said. Eve laughed.
“Thank you!” she said. Before they could continue their conversation someone approached. Guillermo looked up to see Nandor.
To his credit he'd managed to keep his clothes clean. His face was a different story. Blood was drying around his lips and down his chin. Some had even managed to splash up onto his nose. Guillermo thought fast and decided on the concerned boyfriend routine.
“Babe, are you okay? Did David do this to you?” he exclaimed with what he thought was the correct level of worry. He reached up and tilted Nandor's head slightly. “Let me find a first aid kit, okay?”
“I am fine. David was no match for me.” Nandor said. “Neither was the doorman.”
“Jonah attacked you too?” Guillermo said. He sighed and used a napkin to dab at the blood. “I should have figured.”
“As I said, I am A-Okay.” Nandor said. Guillermo felt a small bit of pride in the fact that he'd finally gotten the phrase right.
“Are you sure you're not hurt? I’m in nursing school right now so if I can help at all…” Eve said.
“That's alright, Eve. We'll wash the blood off in the bathroom and see how bad things are.” Guillermo said. Eve nodded.
“Head wounds do bleed a lot so it could be small. Keep me updated though. Just in case.” she said.
“We will. Thanks.” Guillermo said.
“Who is your smart friend, Guillermo?” Nandor asked.
“This is Eve. We knew each other when we were kids.” Guillermo said. “Let's get you cleaned up and then I can introduce you properly.”
“Very well. Until next we meet, Lady Eve.” Nandor said. “My boyfriend and I are going now.”
“See you guys later. Hopefully without any major injuries.” Eve said. She waved as Guillermo led Nandor out of the gym.
“What happened?” Guillermo said as soon as they reached the bathroom.
“I ate the mean one but the door guy saw me so I had to eat him too.” Nandor explained.
“Of course. That’s why you took so long.” Guillermo said.
“Heeey! I was doing the clean eating! It's harder than you think!” Nandor said. Guillermo sighed.
“You're right. Sorry. I was just worried you might have run off.” he said. Nandor scoffed.
“I would never run! This party challenge is nothing.” he said. He was a little grumpy but still let Guillermo wipe his face. Several paper towels and a pink sink later the vampire looked presentable again.
“There. Next time you grab someone try to do it near the end of the night. I can only explain away so much.” Guillermo told him.
“Fine. I’m not hungry now anyways. That Dave guy was sucky but the door man tasted good. Very virgin blood.” Nandor said.
“Okay, good to know. Let's get back before anyone gets suspicious.” Guillermo said.
“Suspicious of what?”
It didn’t take long to return to the gym and find Eve again. She smiled as they came over.
“There you are. Everything okay?” she said. Nandor smiled back at her.
“Yes, everything is okay. Guillermo takes good care of me.” he said. He grabbed Guillermo’s hand and brought it to his lips for a chaste kiss. “He always does.”
“You two are so cute together!” Eve said. Guillermo kept quiet and wished his blush wasn’t genuine. Nandor beamed.
“Guillermo is the cute one. He's a little rascal.” he said. Eve giggled.
“Really? Glad to hear he got some more confidence after escaping this place.” she said.
“He is very confident. And brave. In my homeland he would be a respected warrior.” Nandor said.
“That’s certainly something. The Guillermo I knew wasn’t quite the soldier type.” Eve said. “He was always strong, though. Have to be to survive here.”
“Yes, he is strong indeed. Strong enough to protect himself, and protect me.” Nandor said. Guillermo wanted to interrupt the praise fest but he was far too flustered to get any words out. All he could do was stand there red faced as his friend and his master chatted about him.
“He told me you guys have been dating for twelve years. How did you meet, if you don’t mind me asking?” Eve said. Guillermo crossed his fingers and hoped Nandor remembered their cover story.
“I was visiting this country at the time. I wanted to see the world, all it had to offer. When I got to this Staten Island I was interested in the local cuisine. I first saw Guillermo at your establishment of Panera Bread. Right away I knew there was something about him. Something different. We kept talking and eventually got together outside his workplace. When I realized the nature of my feelings I immediately offered for him to stay with me.” Nandor recited. Guillermo relaxed a little. Things were going as planned.
“So fast? Wow. You must have known he's special.” Eve said. Nandor nodded.
“He is. We have been living together for over a decade now and he is still surprising me.” Nandor said.
“You really got yourself one hell of a man, Memo. Hold onto him, tight.” Eve said to Guillermo. He smiled even through he wanted to cover his face and hide. This was so much more embarrassing than he had anticipated.
“Trust me, I plan to.” he said. He placed an arm around Nandor despite his brain yelling at him to not touch the vampire at all.
“He is good at holding tight. Especially for cuddling.” Nandor said. Guillermo shot him a look. He was going off script. Eve laughed.
“You’re a lucky man.” she said. “His hugs are the best.”
“So are his kisses.” Nandor added. To accentuate his point he leaned in to quickly peck Guillermo on the forehead. Guillermo finally found his voice but unfortunately it seemed to be stuck in backtalk mode.
“You call that a kiss? Come here.” he said.
Before he knew it he'd grabbed Nandor by the cape collar and pulled him down to his level. If he hesitated now he'd never hear the end of it. So with as much determination as he could muster he pressed their lips together. It wasn’t a very long kiss but he made sure there was some force behind it. If Nandor was going to ignore the plan then so was he. At least for this. They parted and for a moment they only stared at each other.
“Aww, you guys are so sweet.” Eve commented. The two backed away from their impromptu embrace and faced her.
“That's more than enough about us. How about you? How's the nursing going?” Guillermo said. He really did try his best to listen to her answer.
He wasn’t going to think about the kiss, he wasn’t going to raise the subject of romance, and he certainly wasn’t going to acknowledge the softness in Nandor's eyes right after they'd separated. Their conversation with Eve lasted a while longer but eventually she left them alone.
“I gotta go. I’ve already stayed longer than I planned, which is long enough to piss everyone off by existing. Keep in touch though, okay? I’ve missed you, bible buddy.” she said. She added Guillermo to her contacts and waved goodbye. “Have a good night! Nice meeting you Nandor! Guillermo, you treat him right or I’m taking him!”
“Goodnight Eve! Talk to you later!” Guillermo said as he waved back.
“Farewell Eve! May you find glory in all your battles!” Nandor called after her. Guillermo saw her laugh and give a thumbs up. It was a silly thing to hear normally but from Nandor it was a genuine sentiment.
“Okay, let’s stick to the plan from now on, got it?” Guillermo whispered as soon as he was sure no one was listening.
“I am being stuck to the plan. We are telling these people we are boyfriends and I get to eat some of them.” Nandor whispered back.
“I mean… just… that was a lot all at once.” Guillermo mumbled. Nandor smirked.
“Not up to your own challenge, Guillermo?” he said.
“That's not what I-"
“It sounds like you are.” Nandor continued. Guillermo gave himself a moment to glare at the vampire. He grabbed Nandor's hand and squeezed tighter than necessary.
“I. Am. Not.” Guillermo hissed. “And it is not a challenge, or a competition, okay?”
“If it's not, then why am I winning?” Nandor hissed back. Guillermo was tempted to break their cover and fight the vampire right then and there.
“Hey, G-man! Long time no see!” called out a nearby human. Guillermo plastered a smile back on his face.
“Oh, Issac! How are you?” he said. Issac chuckled.
“Could be better, not gonna lie. But that’s not the point of the party. We're all here to have fun!” he said. His drink was definitely alcoholic. His face was flushed red and his words were slightly slurred. He did a double take when he noticed Nandor. “Who is this?”
“I am Guillermo's lover.” Nandor said.
“For real? Damn g-money, what a pull!” Issac said. He squinted slightly. “She's a big one ain’t she? Deep voice too. No judging, of course.”
“Actually, Issac, Nandor here is my boyfriend.” Guillermo said. Issac blinked a few times and stared at them slack jawed.
“That is correct. We have been with each other for twelve glorious years.” Nandor said.
“Your…. Your boyfriend?” Issac repeated. Guillermo leaned against Nandor's side and did his best to look affectionate. Issac continued his shocked staring. “You're gay?”
“Wha- yeah, I am. Did you… not know?” Guillermo said. He’d thought everyone in the school knew, going by the way most of them treated him. Apparently Issac really hadn’t as he shook his head vigorously.
“Nah man, no one talked about that kind of stuff here.” he said. He looked to Nandor like he was seeing him for the first time. “Legit? Your boyfriend? And you brought him here? To old saint Jimmy?”
“Of course, who else?” Guillermo said. He honestly didn’t know what angle to go for at the moment.
“Man…. You're so fuckin’ brave dude. I would be terrified if I was you.” Issac said. He glanced around the room and leaned in. He tried to whisper but it was almost as loud as his speaking voice. “Guess what?”
“Um… what?”
“Me too.” Issac said with a goofy smile. “I got a boyfriend too!”
“You do? Congrats!” Guillermo said. The surprise in his voice was genuine.
“Yeah, his name's Muhammed. I met him at an improv class downtown a few years back.” Issac said. “If I knew you were bringing your boyfriend I would have asked him to come with me.”
“I’m glad you found someone that makes you happy, Issac.” Guillermo said. In all honesty he hadn't thought about Issac much after leaving school. He was just the nice redhead kid from drama class.
“Oh, sorry for calling you ‘she’ earlier, lotta folks here would be pretty steamed if you assumed they aren’t straight so I was trying to play it safe.” Issac said to Nandor.
“It is alright. When in enemy territory, blending in is a perfectly valid strategy.” Nandor said. “Any tactic that keeps you hidden from your foes is worthy of praise.”
“Where did you find this guy Guillermo? He's a riot.” Issac said with a laugh.
“He just walked into my life one day.” Guillermo said. “One moment I was at work and the next, head over heels for a handsome customer.”
“Wow, lucky you. And twelve years together? Damn.” Issac said. He gave his best drunken attempt at a wink. “Any plans to settle down?”
“Oh no, not yet. We're happy where we are right now.” Guillermo said.
“There is no rush. We will be together for eternity.” Nandor added. Issac gave a low whistle.
“Now that’s commitment. I’m so happy for you guys.” he said. Guillermo smiled and continued making polite small talk with Issac for a few more minutes. Eventually the man decided it was time to go and left them with a wave.
Eager to avoid any more encounters, Guillermo looped an arm around Nandor and started walking towards the back of the room. The vampire could have easily broken loose but instead let himself be led through the crowd. Guillermo was glad he didn’t ask why. He honestly didn’t know himself. It wasn’t like things were going bad. To the contrary, his plan was working perfectly so far.
He'd shown up to his school reunion loud and proud with a boyfriend to make anyone jealous. Everyone who saw them thought “Wow, they're so happy together” and realized their hateful comments meant nothing. He should have been a lot more relaxed or at the very least not so damn anxious.
“Guillermo? Your heart is being very loud. Is there danger nearby?” Nandor said. Guillermo snapped out of his self reflection and sighed.
“There's no danger. I’m just… I don’t want to be here anymore.” he said.
“Did I do something wrong?” Nandor asked. Guillermo looked at him for a moment, surprised he'd even assume something of the sort, and then shook his head.
“No, you didn’t. You're doing great.” he said. Nandor refused to make eye contact.
“Earlier I said I was winning your challenge, which I still am, but… recently I have made mistakes. I do not want tonight to be one of them.” he said. He kept his voice quiet enough that only Guillermo could hear him. “It was my fault that the Sire escaped. Even with that being fixed now I know it would not have happened if I’d listened to Nadja. I worry that by not listening to you before I have done something wrong again.”
“Everything's fine. Don't worry.” Guillermo assured him. He'd never heard Nandor admit to anything like this. The incident with the Sire must have rattled him pretty good. Guillermo gave him a pat on the back and smiled. “You were just being… relentless.”
“I am very good at that.” Nandor said. His usual bravado seemed to have returned. The loud screech of a microphone cut off any further conversation. They both cursed under their breath and turned to look at the source of the sound.
A man in the typical catholic vestments stood on stage. He adjusted the microphone a few more times and cleared his throat.
“Good evening, Saint James boys.” he said. His voice was scratchy and his smile dry. A sick feeling began to fester inside Guillermo. He knew that voice. He gripped Nandor's arm tighter.
“Who is that? Your heart is all skippy again.” Nandor hissed. Guillermo took several deep breaths while the rest of the crowd cheered.
“That's the head pastor, Father Solomon. He runs the place.” Guillermo said. He fought back memories of punishments given for reasons undeserving. “We need to get out of here, now.”
“Right.” Nandor said. They both looked for an easy path. Far too many people were between them and the doors. Nandor growled and glared at the masses. “Hang on. I’ll handle this.”
“Don't be too obvious.” Guillermo said. Using the vampires speed and strength to clear the way would be easy. It would also result in mass chaos. Nandor nodded and took a purposeful step towards the exit.
“By the grace of God we have been united here on this day.” Father Solomon continued. All at once Guillermo’s half baked plans to escape withered away. As soon as the G word was spoken Nandor had stopped in his tracks.
“Fucking guy.” he grumbled. His face scrunched up with pain. Guillermo felt his panic rising. They wouldn’t be able to make it out with Nandor hissing the whole time. He tried to lead the vampire towards the nearest corner. If they couldn’t leave then at least they'd stay far enough away from the others that they wouldn’t notice anything.
“It is truly a blessing to see you all again. So many of us, brothers and sisters in Christ, standing together to celebrate the Lord and his wonderful works.” Father Solomon said. Several attendees raised their glasses in agreement. Nandor flinched at each holy mention. Guillermo finally got him into the corner of the gym. He leaned heavily against the wall and slouched down.
“I'm so sorry, I didn’t know he'd be doing this, please, just hang in there.” Guillermo whispered frantically. Nandor grimaced and closed his eyes. To his credit he was doing his best not to react to the burning words, although the agonized expression and involuntary noises didn’t help.
“To honor this moment I would like to lead us all in prayer.” Father Solomon said. Nandor's eyes snapped open. He and Guillermo shared a panicked look.
“It's okay, I’ve got a plan.” Guillermo said, planless.
Dozens of ideas flashed through his mind. He couldn’t blow their cover and causing a distraction would likely only yield concerned well wishes mentioning God from everyone else. He had to keep Nandor quiet or at the very least create an excuse for his behavior. He watched Father Solomon raise his hands in preparation and something inside him snapped. He didn’t dare linger for a second on his chosen solution. He threw his arms around Nandor's neck, trying to shield his face from view, and pulled him in. For a moment their eyes met. Guillermo took a deep breath.
“Trust me.”
Their lips pressed together.
On stage, the pastor started his prayer.
“Our Father, who art in Heaven, we give thanks for your presence here tonight. To know God-“
Another pained hiss but this time it was muffled. Guillermo deepened the kiss and refused to think about it. This was only to keep their cover. Just like the one from before. It didn’t mean anything.
“-is to love and to love is divine. Your love, oh Lord, -“
He felt a hand on the back of his neck. Then another at his waist. His heart beat faster and his cheeks tinged red. This was all part of the plan. Nandor had to play along. It was nothing serious.
“- that you share with us, empowers us to do thy will. The love of your son, Jesus Christ, -“
That was a big one. If his mouth wasn’t covered Nandor likely would have shouted. Whatever sound he did make morphed into a moan. Guillermo had goosebumps. He knew it wasn’t a pleasant noise. It was caused by pain. It wasn’t a good thing. It still sent a shiver down his spine. He briefly pulled away to take a breath. He didn’t need to initiate the next kiss. Nandor did it for him.
“- saves us and delivers us unto your kingdom. Please give us the strength to spread the word and love of God-“
One of his hands was tangled in Nandor's hair. His glasses were digging into his skin. This was a necessity to keep them safe. This was strictly professional. Nandor tilted his head and Guillermo felt tongue.
-"throughout our lives and the world you created. We ask this in Jesus' name, -
Both vampire and human moaned. Guillermo felt like he couldn’t breathe. Everything was too hot and too close and too damn intimate. Claws scraped his skin but didn’t break it. His hands balled into fists. He only had to do this until the speech was over. Then they could go back to normal.
“- amen.”
With a final groan the embrace ended. Guillermo gasped as he pulled away. He was short on breath and he could feel his face burning. He was still holding onto Nandor like his life depended on it. The vampire held him with a similar grip.
“Perhaps, we should keep doing that. In case he says the hurting stuff again.” Nandor mumbled. “Just to be safe.”
“….. yeah. Just to be safe.” Guillermo heard himself agree. He’d barely registered that he'd said it before he was swept up in another kiss.
The pastors sermon faded to mere background noise against the pounding of his heart in his ears. He couldn’t tell which sounds were caused by mentions of God and which were simply pleasure. He could feel fangs, ever present yet never harming. Strong hands kept him close. As far as he was concerned in that moment there wasn’t anyone else in the room. There was just him and Nandor. Only them and the kinds of kisses Guillermo refused to admit he'd fantasized about before. He didn’t care who saw them now. He only wanted more. More of this closeness, more of this feeling, that he'd told himself countless times wasn’t going to happen.
“- and with that I shall let you return to your partying. Good night, my children, and let God guide you.” Father Solomon finished his speech. Applause filled the gymnasium. In the back corner the fake couple separated.
“Are you still wanting to do the leaving?” Nandor said. Guillermo panted for a few seconds before he replied.
“Yeah. Let's get out of here. Before more people start praying at us.” he said. Nandor said nothing but released him. Guillermo kept his eyes on the floor and ignored any judgmental stares while they quickly walked to the doors. Within minutes they were outside.
“I'm sorry. That… that was all I could think of.” he said. The cold night air bit at his skin. He stood at the edge of the school grounds and shivered. He didn’t want to think about how Nandor felt. It wasn’t likely he'd be angry but it was a slim possibility. Even with their cover established as a couple that didn’t give him the right to make out with the man with no warning.
“…. was it not good?” Nandor said.
“What? No, it was amazing I just-“ Guillermo stopped before he said anything too incriminating. He sighed. “I thought you might be upset. I kind of did that out of nowhere and I didn’t ask first. That's what I’m apologizing for.”
“…. I am upset.” Nandor said after a moment of thought. Guillermo’s stomach dropped. Oh. He prepared himself for whatever reprimands were coming his way.
“I'm sorry-"
“I am upset that you are winning.”
“I- what?”
Nandor came closer. He easily towered over his bodyguard. His face was twisted into a thoughtful scowl.
“This competition of being boyfriends. What you did was basically cheating. How am I supposed to do better than that?” Nandor continued. Guillermo’s mouth moved but no sound came out. Nandor reached out and tapped his nose. “I'm the relentless one. Not you.”
“So you’re not… mad? That it happened?” Guillermo said. Nandor scoffed.
“Why would I be mad?” he said. “Who would be mad at that? It is kissing and touching. It’s not a being mad thing.”
“Lots of people would be mad, actually. Like, if they didn’t want it or if it was with someone they didn’t like.” Guillermo said.
“But I was wanting it.” Nandor argued. He paused. “…. did you not want it?”
“No, I did, but-" Guillermo cut himself off again. He was too damn flustered to talk without feelings leaking through. “And it's not that I don’t like you, I do-"
“Obviously.”
“- but I thought that maybe you… didn’t like… me.” he finished. He looked away from the vampire. “Not enough to go along with… that.”
“…. Guillermo. I am not saying it very much but…. I do have a small bit of affection for you. Just a little, but…. it is there.” Nandor said slowly. He placed an awkward hand on his bodyguard’s shoulder. “This school of James thing, it matters to you. I appreciate the easy meals, of course, but… I wanted to help.”
“…. Thank you, master.” Guillermo finally dared to make eye contact. It took all his self control to not hug Nandor right then and there. The vampire looked almost melancholic, his expression distant and sad.
“You have so much to enjoy in your life.” Nandor mumbled. He was talking to himself at this point. “You can have so much as a human that just… goes away, as a vampire. What would one reunion matter to me, a single event among thousands of others? In this unending life it's like… why does any of it matter? I have no partner to share it with, no children, and those who once mattered to me I've almost forgotten. I can’t even remember the names of my wives.”
“…. you're tired.” Guillermo realized. “You're tired and you don’t want to be alone.”
“I suppose so.” Nandor said. His hand dropped from Guillermo’s shoulder. He turned around and gazed up at the starry sky. “An all powerful immortal being should be happy. I have not been. Not as much as I think I should be.”
“…. I can’t relate completely, I mean I’m not…. I’m not a vampire, but…. I’ve had days like that. Where everything is going great and I should be happy.” Guillermo said. He rarely ever spoke of personal topics around the vampires and when he did they ignored him. Right now it seemed Nandor would be open to listening. He stepped up beside Nandor and joined him in stargazing. “You want to be happy, you do everything that used to help, but you just aren't. It sucks.”
“I guess human depression and vampire depression are very similar.” Nandor said.
“Guess so. There's no easy way to fix it. It never really stops. But you can try.” Guillermo said. He tentatively reached out to take Nandor's hand in his.
“…. you told those werewolves you are my heartguard.” Nandor said. He didn’t pull his hand away.
“Yeah. I am.” Guillermo said.
“Is this… part of that? The talking about emotions?” Nandor asked.
“I think so. I don’t know if it actually helps you but it's worth a shot.” Guillermo said. Right. Heartguard. An excuse to talk to each other this way without it being because of any other feelings. He dropped Nandor's hand and turned to leave. “C'mon. Let's go home.”
“Guillermo?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.” Nandor smiled slightly. Guillermo grinned back. Even spotting someone watching them from the school window wasn’t going to dampen his spirits. Granted it was uncomfortable but he didn't really care what his old classmates saw anymore.
“You're welcome. Now let's-" He never finished the sentence. In the blink of an eye Nandor was in front of him. Before he could say anything there were two cold hands cupping his face. They were soon followed by equally cold lips.
This was different from the desperate embrace in the gym. It was gentle, almost unsure, and slow. He pushed down his shock and kissed back. The tiniest logical part of his brain reasoned it was because Nandor had also noticed the stranger watching them and wanted to keep their cover. The rest of his mind was occupied with committing every moment of the event to memory. It didn’t matter that the vampire was freezing or that the bridge of his glasses was actively bruising his nose. For just this once he could pretend his master was kissing him for him, not for any other cause. It was over all too soon. Nandor leaned away and Guillermo wanted to chase him so badly.
“There. More points for me. I am winning again.” Nandor declared. Of course. It was all a competition to him. Guillermo suppressed his disappointment as best he could.
“Right. You're winning.” he said. He was almost glad for the next interruption. He didn’t want to think about this for at least another week.
“Mister de la Cruz, I see you saw fit to join us tonight.” The sickeningly familiar voice came closer. The watcher from the window had left the school and approached them. Father Solomon stood stone faced a few feet away.
“Father. I see you're still here.” Guillermo said curtly.
“Tell me child, what devilish influence convinced you to flaunt your perversion here?” Father Solomon said.
“Guillermo, is this one of the ones for…?” Nandor whispered. Guillermo glared at the priest and nodded.
“You know, Father, if you hadn’t been so strict about changing my ‘perversion’ I wouldn’t have shown up. In spite of everything you taught me I still found love, found a family, found a home. I had to show everyone you were wrong.” Guillermo said. He couldn’t keep the tremble out of his voice.
“You may think you have found love, my lost little lamb, but it is only wicked lies. When this false life of yours falls apart you will remember my teachings and see they were right. The Lord will welcome you back into the fold if you would only let Him.” Father Solomon said.
“Bullshit. First you speak of love for everyone and now you are telling Guillermo these things?” Nandor snapped.
“You must be the one who caused him to stray from the path.” Father Solomon said. He regarded the vampire with disgust. “You who have tarnished the works of God-"
The impromptu sermon was cut short immediately after the lords name left his lips. Nandor had hissed loudly with his fangs in full view. Father Solomon stared wide eyed at the vampire.
“What manner of demon are you?” he whispered shakily.
“Guillermo, can I eat him now?” Nandor asked.
“Yeah. I’ll meet you at home so don’t worry about the mess.” Guillermo said. He stalked off and ignored the brief scream from behind him. He could focus on the satisfaction of it all later. Right now he needed to clear his head.
By the time he arrived home Nandor was already there. Once again he was covered in swathes of red.
“Guillermo! You didn’t tell me he was tasting so good!” he said as soon as he saw the human.
“He did?” Guillermo said.
“Yes! Virgin and a priest? It is the perfect combination!” Nandor exclaimed.
“I figured blood from anyone who was blessed would hurt you.” Guillermo said.
“Only the recently blessed. He was old.” Nandor said.
“Well, I’m glad you had a good time.” Guillermo said. He started to make his way to his room. Nandor stepped in front of him.
“Guillermo. I wanted to say thank you. Both for the food and for the… talking bits.” he said. Guillermo managed a small grin.
“Happy to help. Thanks for going along with everything.” he said.
“I did win your challenge, yes?” Nandor said. Guillermo sighed.
“Yeah, yeah you did. Congratulations. You won.” he said. The vampire beamed.
“I knew it. What am I winning? What is my prize?” Nandor said.
“Um… I don’t know. I thought the food would be enough. Did… did you want something else?” Guillermo said.
“Hmm… yes. I would like….” Nandor mused. Guillermo braced himself for whatever inane demand his master came up with.
“I would like do to more kissing with you.”
“You what?”
“You were very good at it. I felt… happy. I would like to feel that more often." Nandor explained. Guillermo felt like every thought he'd ignored that night came back all at once to hit him together.
“I…. Yeah. I’d… I’d like that too.” he stammered. Before he could properly process the offer Nandor had kissed his forehead, leaving a bloody mark, and left.
He stumbled into his room and sat down on his bed. His reflection caught in a nearby picture frame. The almost comical kiss mark on his head stood out as if it was cartoon lipstick. He sighed heavily and flopped down on the mattress. He was going to get changed, wash his face, and get back to work. He could think about everything later. Maybe he'd get used to it, eventually. Being kissed by Nandor. The idea filled him with warmth. He shrugged it off and sat up. Whatever his master's reasons for wanting them to kiss more, it didn’t matter. He was Nandor's heartguard after all. If kissing Guillermo helped with that then so be it. As he prepared for the rest of the evening he noticed a new message on his phone.
Eve- Hey, how did it go?
-Not very well. Father Solomon gave a speech.
Eve- Yikes. Glad I went home before that. You okay?
-Yeah. I'm fine. I had Nandor with me.
Eve- Your knight in shining armor, huh? Did your prince protect you with his loving presence?
-We kinda made out in the corner for the whole prayer.
Eve- That's way better. XD
-It definitely helped.
Eve- Alright, I won’t delay you lovebirds any further.
-You're not delaying anything.
Eve- Sure I’m not. ;)
-Eve. Seriously. We're both tired and going to bed.
Eve- Ok, ok, guess being preached at is kind of a mood killer. It was great to see you again!
-You too. Talk to you later?
Eve- Of course! Have a good night, bible buddy. Say hi to your royal loverboy for me.
-I will. Goodnight, Eve.
Guillermo sighed and put his phone down. A second later it buzzed.
Eve- Give him a smooch for me too ^3^
He chuckled and typed a reply without really thinking about it.
-Of course.
With that he finally left his room to start the nights chores. Maybe he would do that. For Eve, of course. The thought kept him smiling through hours of dusting and body disposal.
He was…. happy.