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Tommy didn’t believe in vampires.

All the stories he’d been told as a kid, all the warnings the orphanage had said about never walking alone at night, were total bologna. There weren’t bloodsuckers hidden in the alleys, and Tommy wasn’t in any real danger.

At least, that’s what he told himself as he walked home from another technically illegal robot match. 

He’d won big that night, beaten the toughest competitor out there all because of the silly little machinery he worked on whenever he got bored. The guy was mad that he lost, but Tommy whisked up the money and swiftly walked out before anything could happen. (He was like that: an avoider.)

Now, though, it kind of felt like somebody was following him. He had a tingling in his spine, a prickling on his neck. Yet, every time he turned around, the dark alleys were empty. 

It was fine, though. He was fine, because the orphanage was just around the corner… only a couple of more blocks to go. Everything was chill.

A clattering sound made Tommy’s feet leave the ground. He snapped his head around immediately, only to be met with a lone pipe clattering against cement ground. It had been cut, surely, but Tommy couldn’t see anyone around. So, he continued.

Another block later, and there was another sound from behind. It was more of a pattering, a beating against the ground. Footsteps, surely. 

This time, when Tommy turned around, he was met with the guy from the robot match he’d beaten. He looked angrier than before, almost furious. 

Tommy shrunk lower due to his gaze.

“You messed with the wrong guy tonight, kid,” the man growled. He was bulky, muscular, and about a foot larger than Tommy was. His snarl was terrifying, his eyes were gleaming wickedly. The man would beat Tommy with no problem; he’d probably pummel the blond to the ground before he could so much as speak.

Eyes wide, Tommy took a step back. “I beat you fair and square, sir. I didn’t ‘mess’ with you at all.” He tried to stay calm, but his voice was shaky as he spoke.

“Too bad,” the man said, taking a step closer. “Even if you won ‘fair and square,’ you’re still my next meal, regardless.”

Tommy squinted at the words, a huge what the fuck moment. But then, the man grinned, and he quickly understood what exactly he meant by ‘next meal.’ Sharp canines flashed in the dark light. Fangs, clear as day. 

But, vampires weren’t real. There was no way.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Tommy tried, mustering all the confidence he could manage. “I’m just trying to get home.”                                                                      

Suddenly, the man was reaching out to grab his wrist, faster than the speed of light. He was holding Tommy there, still grinning, still showing off his fangs. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Tommy tried to pull away, but the man was stronger. He tried to scream out, but a hand was clamping down on his jaw before he could even open his mouth. Everything was hopeless as the man’s keen canines reached closer to his neck.

“I think you’ve got the wrong guy!” Tommy huffed, still doing everything he could try to escape– to no avail. “I’m definitely not the guy you want.”

The man stopped moving closer, and loosened his grip the tiniest bit. Tommy continued, stealing the only chance he might have at escaping, “I’m scrawny! I’m weak and feeble and the only good part of me is my brain. Why would you want someone as frail as me? Don’t you want someone who would surely taste much better?”

“Hmm,” the man said, a low rumble in his chest. “Nice try, but I don’t think so.”

However, it was already too late for the bulky vampire. He’d loosened his grip while Tommy was talking just enough for the blond to reach into his coat pocket and pull out his robot. With a quick elbow to the gut, Tommy was finally out of the vampire’s grip. He tightened his grip on the cold, metal robot, and swung it at the vampire’s head using as much frail muscle power as he could.

The punch landed square above his nose, between his eyes. He stumbled back, eyes crossing, before he was back to a sinister grin. “You think a robot can stop me?” He was laughing sardonically, and every aspect of his tone made Tommy want to just listen to him. He wished he could run away, or god forbid fight back, but he was much too scared. 

So, he stayed still, waiting for what was coming.

The air felt colder, his body felt numb. As the vampire moved in, Tommy found himself closing his eyes, shrinking in on himself as he prepared to meet his end. 

His demise, however, never occurred.

“Kieran,” said a smooth voice from the distance, “have you really stooped so low as to go for a child like this?” 

Tommy kept his eyes closed, terrified that yet another bloodsucker had entered the alley, mortified that he might be murdered by two supernaturals at once. 

“He stole money from me, Wil,” the man from the robot fights argued. “He’s crossed me.”

A ticking went off in Tommy’s brain at the words. He’d done no such thing. He wished he could’ve argued against the man, could’ve proved how fairly he’d won the fights that night. But his eyes were still closed shut, still petrified of everything around him.

“Is that true?” the smooth voice said, sound right beside Tommy’s ear. “Did you steal from Kieran?”

Tommy gulped before opening his eyes; slowly, cautiously. He was met with brown ones staring back at him. The smooth voice turned out to be a guy, who didn’t even look that much older than Tommy. Wavy brown hair coated his head, round glasses framed his eyes. A long brown trench coat was wrapped around his entire figure, and through his parted lips, Tommy could see the very things he’d vowed weren’t real before that night. Fangs. 

“I, uh,” Tommy tried. He felt like his insides were burning from under the strange man’s gaze. “I don’t cheat. I won the competition because my robot was better than his.”

The brunet vampire chuckled, low and eerie. “You’re overexaggerating again, Kieran. Leave the poor kid alone. You could do so much better.”

Tommy would have been upset about the comment if it hadn’t saved his life. He was stuck staring between the two vampires, eyes switching back and forth. It was like they were eyeing each other, trying to see who would back down first. Even though the brunet made Tommy uneasy as hell, he hoped the guy from the robot fights would be the one to leave first. He didn’t know what would happen if they were left alone again.

He walked away a moment later, pride sinking in every step. 

The brunet vampire turned to Tommy then, grinning with his fangs on full display. He did a little bow, as if he’d just performed a theatrical show, before saying, “I’m Wilbur. You’ve got some nice fighting skills.”

He was being sarcastic. Tommy knew he was being sarcastic. The vampire was making fun of him for his pathetic use of wordplay and lucky nose shot.  Regardless, he said, “Tommy.”

His head was ringing with all that he’d processed in the last five minutes, his skin was tingling from the inhuman grip. His wrists hurt terribly as well, and when he looked down, he was met with bruised up skin. 

A drop of blood fell down to his wrist a second later, and only then did Tommy fully comprehend that his nose was bleeding, next to a vampire. He panicked, trying to clean it up, but it only bled more and got about ten times worse. He didn’t even want to look at Wilbur, didn’t want to risk seeing a blood-crazed stare. He’d escaped death once for the night; he didn’t think he could do it again.

A moment later, though, Wilbur was laughing. It was a mocking laugh, one of pure ridicule. Tommy almost thought he’d heard the vampire snort. “I’m not that sensitive to blood,” he’d said, sneering. “I would’ve thought you’d think higher of me.”

Tommy stopped trying to wipe the blood off, instead settling on keeping his nose to his elbow; he could wash his clothes later. “Sorry.”

Wilbur raised a brow, an analytical expression taking over his face. “Why are you out here by yourself? It’s night, you know. Vampires and werewolves come out around this time.”

“Werewolves are real too?” Tommy couldn’t help the gasp that escaped his lips. Wilbur shook his head, though, so Tommy answered his previous question, reluctant to upset another powerful vampire. “I was at the robot fighting competition. I beat that guy and he got mad, and now you’re here. I dunno what even happened.”

Wilbur laughed again, clean and taunting. “I meant, why are you walking home alone?”

“Oh,” Tommy said. Oh, Tommy thought. “I, uh, well, I live at the orphanage a couple of blocks down, so. It’s usually a short walk, but not tonight, apparently.”

“I’ll walk you there,” Wilbur said immediately. “It’s safer that way. You’re bleeding, so I don’t want… anymore vampires to come after you, okay?”

Tommy was confused out of his mind. Why was this killer vampire keeping him safe? How the fuck had he managed to survive the night? 

Wilbur began walking quickly, feet barely even touching the ground, and Tommy followed. Through dimly lit alleys and brooding streets, together they walked. 

Almost instinctively, Tommy moved closer and closer to the vampire at every small noise from the distance. He wanted protection, nothing more. Obviously. 

He didn’t need friends, or a family. At the orphanage, he was just fine on his own. A vampire’s protection wouldn’t shield him from anything he had to face back home. He still had a year left before he could legally leave the place, and there wasn’t anything a vampire could do about that.

The orphanage came up quickly, Tommy almost ran to the door. He was exhausted from everything he’d seen, terrified of the unknown. But Wilbur whipped around in front of him before he could get there. 

“Be careful,” he said, sounding the most genuine Tommy had seen him that entire night. “I know what it’s like here.”

I know what it's like here…

“You what?” Tommy yelped. But Wilbur was gone before he could respond, swept into the cold night air, disappeared into the shadows. 

He grimaced as he made his way back inside the orphanage, questioning whether the night he’d just experienced was real, or all just a figment of his imagination.

Tommy’s dreams that night were fucking weird.

Usually, his dreams were void, filled with molding grays and unperceivable pictures. Now, they were vivid, perfectly crystal clear.

He was in a dark room. Wooden floors, concrete bricks lining the walls. There were whispering voices coming from all over, but the only one Tommy could focus on was the smooth voice from the night before.

“I don’t want to be a sire, Phil,” he claimed coolly. Though, Tommy could feel the frustration lining his voice; he sounded aggravated, irked. 

More whispering that Tommy couldn't quite focus on, and then, “Not him.” He let out a breathy, mocking laugh. “He’s hardly vampire material.”

Tommy shook his head, trying to concentrate back on the space. He took a step forward, and peered past a corner. Standing in a hidden room were three men. One tall, blond, and older-looking. One shorter, buffer, scarier. And the other: Wilbur, from the night before.

A gasp left Tommy’s lips as he tried to turn away, to leave the harrowing house. But his eyes met Wilbur’s, and a cold stare found his position. He was stuck in place, paralyzed from movement as the vampire walked closer, almost floating toward him in swiftness.

“What are you doing here?” Wilbur asked, eyes beaming down at the shorter. His voice was undisturbed, but Tommy could tell he was confused. 

“Well,” Tommy said, looking past Wilbur to meet eyes with the other two in the room. His dropped his gaze immediately. “I don’t know, actually. I’m dreaming, I think. At least, I’m supposed to be.”

Wilbur just squinted at him for a moment, before turning around to the other two. “Phil,” he started, voice cautious, “Has this ever happened before?”

The older blond guy– Phil– shook his head slowly.

Wilbur faced Tommy again. “Right, well,” he nodded his head quickly, faster than Tommy could even process, “Can you try and go back home? I don’t know. Close your eyes and think about sunshine and rainbows, everything happy.”

His tone was sarcastic again, but Tommy closed his eyes anyway. He didn’t want to be there as much as they didn’t want him to be there. He tried to picture his own lone bed at the orphanage, tried to pinch himself awake.

Nothing worked.

He opened his eyes, smiling sheepishly at the vampire before him, “Sorry.”

Wilbur placed his forehead into the tips of his fingers, a groan escaping his lips. “It’s fine,” he said, voice daunted for the first time that night. “You’re not even really here, right? I mean, can I even touch you?”

He reached a hand out swiftly, fingers extending toward the blond’s torso. 

He made contact easily enough, but when Tommy felt cold fingers enclasp around his shoulders, he felt a jolt of electricity shot through his spine. 

His dreamworld went dark. And he woke up back in his own bed.

His forehead was sweaty, his hands clenched. It had all felt so real like he’d actually been in the creepy house with Wilbur and the two other vampires. A chill went down his spine as he remembered the scene, his heart pounded inside his chest.

As he stepped out of bed, everything felt so wrong. He shrugged it off, though, and made his way to breakfast, neck prickling as he went.

Hours later, after Tommy had finished a day full of chores and unnecessary work, he returned to his room; cramped, lonesome in the unkept attic. 

The sun had finished its lap, the moon was taking the lead. 

Tommy’s window was cracked open an inch more than usual, and he wondered briefly if Mr. Mare had been the one to do so. He scanned the rest of the space quickly, hoping his tech stuff hadn’t been gotten in to. Hastily, he lifted up his mattress. Underneath, his bag of gadgets was still attached. He sighed in relief.

His relief, however, was short-lived.

“Why were you in my house last night?” said a cool voice from behind.

Tommy turned around immediately, whipping his eyes around the room until he saw Wilbur, hidden in the shadows of a dusty corner. He gulped before setting his mattress back down. 

His dream, though, had apparently been real. He wasn’t imagining the god forsaken place with the three vampires, he hadn’t concocted the fantasy behind his eyelids. It was weird as hell.

“I told you,” he sighed, “I have no idea how I was there. I thought I was dreaming.”

Wilbur’s calculated stare turned demented as he pursed his lips. “When I touched you, you went away, so I think you were dreaming. I just don’t understand how we could see you.”

Tommy said nothing as the vampire started pacing around the room, quick enough that he was only a blur in Tommy’s peripheral. He was mumbling something incognizant as he went, but Tommy couldn’t pick up on that either.

“This is so annoying,” Wilbur said finally, stopping all movement as he popped up right in front of the younger blond. “Phil said this has never happened before, and he’s been around for a while. Why now? Why you?” 

It sounded like he was talking to himself more than he was to Tommy. The words hurt a little, nonetheless. Sure, Tommy didn’t want to be associated with the vampires he’d seen the previous night at all, but being made fun of was something he didn’t particularly enjoy. And Wilbur had been making fun of him ever since they first met.

“Phil says I’m supposed to be your sire,” Wilbur announced, gaze piercing Tomy’s entire figure. “Can you believe that?”

He was being derisive again, making a joke about Tommy’s misfortune. It was frankly pretty frustrating, and Tommy didn’t even know what a sire was. “ No way,” he said, mimicking the brunet’s tone. “I can’t believe this.”

Wilbur rolled his eyes, quirked his brow. “You have no idea what a sire is.”

“I have no idea what a sire is,” Tommy repeated. He was pissed off with being a coward about everything. Maybe there was a vampire in his room, maybe said vampire could destroy him at any given moment. But he wanted to know what the fuck his dream had been about, wanted to know how Wilbur had just happened to be in the alley right when he was about to be eaten by the Kieran guy.

Wilbur sighed drowsily. “It means ,” he said, eyes widening in effect, “that Phil thinks I’m supposed to turn you into a vampire.”

Every muscle, every nerve in Tommy’s body went slack. He didn’t want to be a… a people murderer like the guy in front of him. He didn’t want to be burned by the sun, or scorched by holy water. And he certainly didn’t want his diet to consist of blood. 

Wilbur grinned at his stupor. “I’m not going to, so don’t worry,” he assured, smiling coolly. “I want it about as much as you do.”

With a still-clenched jaw, Tommy managed to ask, “Why are you even here, then? Why did you save me last night? Why haven’t you eaten me yet?”

A blink, and then Wilbur was scoffing cruelly. “First off, I don’t eat people, thank you very much. Second off, last night, I can’t even tell you why I was there because I don’t remember. And third off, I’m here because you confuse me, Tommy. I want to know why you seem so important.”

Tommy took a step back. “What do you mean you don’t eat people? And how can you not remember what you were doing last night? You’re not making any sense!”

“You could call me a vegetarian,” Wilbur answered with the same creepy smile. “I really don’t remember why I was out last night, though. It’s blacked out in my head; all I can remember is leaving the house. Phil told me I said I had ‘important business’ to attend to. I think, maybe, I was trying to find you.”

Tommy almost yelled in frustration. “Why would you want to find me?”

“A question for the ages,” Wilbur agreed. “I’ve been asking myself that ever since last night.”

Tommy hated everything to do with their predicament. A vampire subconsciously searching for him couldn’t possibly be good in any form. And being ‘vegetarian?’ What a load of bullshit. It was probably all a scheme, a ploy in luring Tommy to his too-soon death. 

He huffed dramatically. “Well, I don’t want to be a vampire.”

“That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all night.”

Tommy frowned. 

“Come back to the house with me,” Wilbur offered, taking an abrupt step forward. “You can meet Phil and Techno, and we can figure out why the hell you keep bothering me.”

Going to a house of vampires was the last thing on Tommy’s list. It was a bad idea, a terrible one at that. He’d probably be sacrificed to the devil, or maybe aggressively chopped into pieces at the hands of the so-called vegetarians. 

“How have I been bothering you? You’re the one that showed up in my room, and in the alley. If anything, you’re the nuisance.” Tommy was deflecting, too stubborn to admit that deep down, he really wanted to understand why he kept seeing the vampire in front of him. 

“Fine,” Wilbur said, cold and firm. “But you’re not safe here. Kieran’s probably out for your blood, and he has friends. I don’t think you want to meet those friends.” He turned his back, “I could protect you, but I guess not.”

Tommy seriously wanted to punch Wilbur in the face. He was so aggravating, and yet, Tommy found himself taking a step forward against his better judgement. He yelped out a ‘wait’ before the brunet finally faced him again. 

“I’ll come with,” he offered, “if you promise that you’re not going to murder me.”

A promise with a vampire was probably nix (Tommy knew this), but when Wilbur smiled the smallest of a genuine smile and whispered a, “Promise” it felt like he was telling the truth. 

Tommy had no idea why, but somewhere deep inside of him was begging him to trust the vampire in front of him. His mind was tugging at him to believe Wilbur’s assurance, to let down his walls. 

He was only slightly nervous as they made their way to the creepy house.

Said creepy house was much scarier in person than it was in his dreams, and that was saying something. 

It felt much darker when he actually made it to the front, more gothic and eerie. It was like a more alarming version of Victorian-era architecture.

Tommy grimaced as they walked through a tall, rusty metal gate. A leaf crackled under his step, and what sounded like crows were cawing from the woods next to the house. Tommy hated it already.

Wilbur, however, went right up to the front door. He leaned against a post on the porch calmly, eyeing Tommy as he made his way across the treacherous lawn. 

When Tommy finally reached the landing, as soon as his foot touched the wooden creaks of the front staircase, the front door swung open. A blond man and pink-haired guy were standing in the opening, staring at him like he was something to eat. (Tommy was really hoping he wasn’t stupid enough to be lured into a blood bananza as the entree. Wilbur had promised, so he could only hope the brunet would stick to his words and not go back on them. Because otherwise…)

“He’s real,” the pink-haired one observed, face neutral as he stared Tommy down. 

“He’s younger than I thought,” said the other; Phil, if Tommy had remembered his name right. 

Wilbur groaned, pushing them out of the way as he ushered Tommy through the door. “Welcome,” he spoke, so low into Tommy’s ear that an involuntary jolt ran through his senses. He laughed when Tommy practically jumped off the floor, backing away in half-hearted kindness. “Meet Phil and Techno,” he pointed to them one by one. “Kristin’s upstairs, probably spelling up the place. She might even be making up the guest room for you.”

Tommy couldn’t hide his amusement. He was getting too used to Wilbur, which was sort of terrifying to think about. (Being besties with a vampire definitely wasn’t on his bucket list.) Regardless, he scoffed, “I thought you slept in coffins.”

“Only in the stories,” Wilbur sighed wistfully. He clapped his hands together, the noise reverberating around the room. “We just… don’t sleep.”

Tommy laughed; hesitantly, nervously. “Yeah, right. There’s no way you don’t…”

He trailed off upon the realization that all their faces were dead serious. “Okay,” he reaffirmed, “so you don’t sleep. Right. Got it. Can you go out in the sun now too, or…?”

“Has this kid ever watched a vampire film before?” The pink-haired guy– Techno – asked. “Oddly, some of them are suspiciously correct in the way they depict us.”

“Apparently not,” Wilbur answered. “But I hadn’t either before I was one.”

“Yeah,” Techno said dumbly, “that’s because you were raised at–”

Wilbur coughed loudly, awkwardly, and Techno’s eyes snapped immediately to Tommy. “Right,” he said quickly. “Nevermind.”

“We can’t go out in the sun,” the older one– Phil– said, smiling softly downward. “It’s basically the only thing that kills us. Besides wooden swords and holy water.”

Tommy furrowed a brow. “Wooden… swords?”

“Wooden stakes just don’t have the same effect anymore,” Techno answered, shaking his head in what looked like disappointment.

All of a sudden, Wilbur was holding Tommy’s wrist, pulling him toward a dusty sofa. “We’re getting off topic,” he said, voice low enough to make Tommy more attentive than ever. “Phil,” he asked sweetly, scarily,  “Can you get Kristin? I want to see if she knows what’s going on with us.”

As Phil left, Techno sped over to the couch, plopping down next to the blond in the blink of an eye. He grinned in Tommy’s direction, “Kristin’s our resident witch.”

“She’s also Phil’s wife,” Wilbur added.

Tommy nodded slowly. It was surreal to be in a house with not one but three vampires when he’d believed them to be a fallacy only a mere day before. And now, witches were real too? Had Tommy been living under a rock for the past couple of years? How could he be so blind?

There was hushed whispering down the stairwell, and then a pretty woman was standing at the bottom, Phil’s arm around her waist. She wore a long black dress with a veiled hat covering her face. In contrast to the dark appearance, she was smiling. She looked happy next to Phil, she looked completely unlike the way she was dressed.

When she saw Tommy, her eyes widened. “I’ve heard so much about you,” she said, voice bubbly. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

“Back at you,” Tommy replied. Although, he felt like his breath had been knocked away by a ton of bricks. Everything in the house was too much. Everything he believed was a lie.

Wilbur groaned again, forehead finding the tips of his fingers. “We don’t have time for pleasantries. Kristin, can you please get your spellbook out?”

He was kind of being a dick (Tommy wondered why he was being such a dick to the people he lived with. Surely, if he had people he were living with, he wouldn’t be as rude as Wilbur), but Kristin complied anyway, a roll of the eyes along with. 

When she pulled out the spell book from her cloak, Tommy’s jaw went slack. It was large, thick, and shining in a purple glow. The book was mesmerizing in every possible way; Tommy really wanted to move closer, to touch it.

He didn’t, though, and instead watched quietly, awestruck as she flipped through violet luminescent pages. Her face was concentrated as she searched. For what, Tommy didn’t know. He only hoped it was an explanation for the weird dream, for Wilbur’s strange blackout. He really didn’t want to be in the house for any longer. 

“I think,” Kristin’s face fell, “I found it.”

Phil peered over her shoulder, eyes scanning the pages. “Oh boy.”

Tommy’s senses went on high alert. Whatever they were looking at sounded bad . What if he was supposed to be sacrificed to the blood gods like he’d thought originally? What if–

“Frater sire,” Kristin read. “A bond between vampire and human. A bond,” her voice dropped, “where they must choose which species to both be a part of…”

She trailed off, turning to look at Phil with beady eyes. He bit his lip, shrugging almost dejectedly. 

She continued with a sigh, “... or else, the consequence of death will ensue.”

The room was silent, loud with thought. Tommy didn’t quite know what to make of that. He definitely didn’t want to be a vampire, but he didn’t want Wilbur to have to change his entire lifestyle just to accommodate some loner guy from the orphanage down the street. He felt helpless, guilty even though the guy he was bonded to was a vampire of all things.

Wilbur, though, was fuming. “That’s stupid. How do we know it even applies to us? It could be something else, it could be–”

Kristin continued reading. “The frater bond can be recognized when a pair of differing species experience one or more of the following: (1) Dreamlike states where they can communicate with each other even during bouts of rest. (2) Black-out-like states where they feel drawn to each other without knowing why, or finding each other without knowing how.” She huffed, “Do you believe me now?”

“What does frater even mean?” Wilbur was livid in agitation, refusing to so much as look at Tommy in his moment of pure anger.

“Brother,” Phil said simply. “Latin.”

Wilbur simply stared at him, eye twitching in a frenzy. “We’re not–” He broke off to groan for the nth time that evening. “I don’t even know him.”

Kristin looked at him with an expression that told the vampire to shut the hell up. “Think about how he feels.” She pointed to Tommy, smiling sadly. “Try to imagine another person’s feelings, Wilbur. I know it’s hard for you.”

Techno snickered, but silenced immediately when Phil and Kristin turned his way. 

Wilbur’s whole body tensed as he took a deep breath. “How long do we have until the decision needs to be made?”

Kristin pursed her lips before responding, guilt dotting her features. “The next full moon.”

“That’s this Friday,” Techno explained unhelpfully.

Four days .

Tommy had four days to make the biggest decision of his life, to choose immortality and blood, or being stuck with a very angry vampire-turned-human for the rest of his days. If not, he’d be dead before Saturday, murdered by whatever supernatural force had placed the sire on them in the first place. 

“Well,” he inhaled a shaky breath, “shit.”

Two days later and Tommy’s back to the creepy house.

He’d been fine back at the orphanage, but Wilbur had showed up again, claiming he didn’t remember how he’d arrived. It was fucking annoying because Tommy had kept having dreams about the house and Wilbur ever since he’d left the first time. It really proved that the frater sire Kristin was talking about was true. 

(He really didn’t want it to be true.)

So, with a little over two days remaining on their time stamp of death, Tommy was back at the house, sitting on the couch, idly watching Wilbur pace the room at an inhuman speed. 

Kristin and Phil were chatting in the corner, something about ‘asking Niki,’ whoever that was. 

Techno wasn’t there, possibly out for a bite, or maybe out with whatever type of people vampires hung out with. 

Tommy didn’t like the unknown. He didn’t like not knowing what would happen in two days' time. Would he and Wilbur both die without making a choice? Would he be involuntarily turned into a vampire just so the family he was with could stay together? 

In all honesty, maybe vampirism was better than whatever they had in store for him at the orphanage. He had ideas for what he wanted to do when he got out (something with theatre, or journalism), but in the meantime, he didn’t really know. If he was a vampire, he could still write and be in plays and such, surely. All he’d need to maintain would be a blood diet…

Tommy still didn’t know what Wilbur meant by being a ‘vegetarian.’ Literally what the fuck was he talking about? Was he some ‘no grain diet’ vampire? How the hell do vampires even go on diets?

Whatever. Tommy didn’t care. Yet.

“Who’s Niki?” He asked, finally fed up with waiting waiting waiting. 

Kristin turned to him immediately, eyes wide before they fell. “Oh, she and Jack are just some old friends of ours. We think they could help with the… sire issue.”

A scoff came from Wilbur, his pacing had stopped. “You are not inviting Jack Manifold to our house.”

“He’s one of the best warlocks around,” Kristin argued.

“He’s a–”

“Wilbur,” Phil cut the brunet off. “We’re going to get help from whoever we can. This bond of yours is serious, and in two days time, none of us have any idea what will happen.”

Tommy didn’t need to turn his head to feel Wilbur’s glare. “Fine. He’s still a moron, though.”

“If you say so,” Kristin sighed. 

They went back to whispering quietly, and Tommy found his gaze turning toward the previously pacing vampire. As Wilbur met his eyes, he shrugged, “What’s so bad about Jack?”

The brunet simply groaned.

He’d gone back to the orphanage that night, but after Wilbur left (he’d insisted upon walking Tommy home), there was a strange feeling all along his spine. He hoped it was just the cold, but a tugging in his gut warned him it was something else .

The evening before the night to end all nights, Tommy was back at the creepy house. 

He’d been there way too often as of late, and it was starting to seriously annoy him how comfortable he’d gotten. It was a terrifying place filled with supposedly-terrifying (Tommy still hadn’t seen them eat humans yet. Or, well, anything for that matter) vampires. And yet, the atmosphere was chill. His heart didn’t even pound anymore when entering the door, and whenever he sat down on the sofa, it felt like a regular chill night. (Or, what he imagined a chill night with the fam would look like.)

That night, Thursday, Wilbur had snatched him back to the house for ‘protection.’ It was their last night to decide, their last night to figure the sire thing out, before it all went to shit. Niki and Jack were supposedly coming to test out spells on them, and whatnot. Tommy was offered to stay the night.

He didn’t know how to accept the offer, so he just… said nothing. He’d never slept anywhere besides the orphanage. He didn’t know what to think, what to feel while staying at the creepy house. So, he just avoided the topic.

He was on the couch, and Wilbur was next to him, listing off things that could possibly help them out of this scenario. Tommy could tell without even thinking that none of his options would work, but he didn’t want to make the vampire upset.

(Okay, maybe Tommy was growing fond of Wilbur. Maybe. But it was just because of their stupid sire thing, okay? He wasn’t becoming friends with a killer(?) vampire.)

In a platoon of sparkles, the door burst open. 

He heard Wilbur groan, but Tommy’s eyes were more fixated on the two beings standing at the door. One was a friendly looking blond girl– she had a flower shawl and vines in her wavy hair– and the other was a guy. Tommy sort of understood why Wilbur disliked the dude because holy shit he was overdressed. He had on a suit, and some sort of fur shawl around his shoulders. He was bald, apparently, and covering his eyes, there were red and blue lenses in a rich-looking pair of frames. Tommy almost rolled his eyes at the guy– at Jack.

But Jack stepped forward, much too sure of himself, and said, “You called?”

Tommy could hardly groan before Kristin was ushering him in, whispering about the frater bond to he and Niki. They were nodding their heads, eyes darting from Wilbur to Tommy. The latter felt like an exhibit in a museum; he hated it. He’d never really been looked at this much before he met Wilbur and was pulled into this whole thing. It was weird to get so much attention– he didn’t know how he’d survive like this in his future.

“We could do a ligatus spell on them?” he heard Niki propose. “I don’t know if it could work, but it’s worth a try, right?”

Kristin was nodding her head, and then she was turning around to face Tommy. She smiled guiltily, “This might hurt, just a bit. If it goes right.”

Eyes wide, Tommy cowered back into the sofa. He didn’t want it to… hurt, but he supposed that if it would get rid of his looming death date, it was worth a shot. Wilbur was by his side a moment later, bracing himself next to Tommy, close but not touching. He huffed, “Let’s get this over with.”

Kristin’s book burned purple. It started floating and then all the magicians’ hands were changing color. Kristin’s purple, Niki’s green, and Jack’s a mixture of red and blue. (He looked like a posh version of spiderman– how was that fair?) 

They glanced at each other, then to the frater-bonded on the couch. And they started speaking in what sounded like Latin.

Has religatas animas. Duos pro uno. Separate ea in perpetuum, hoc vinculum irritum erit.

Light flashed around the room, all different colors clashing bright. Tommy felt like a string was being pulled out of his chest, like the magicians were tearing his soul from his body. In the air, he could almost see it: a sort of yellow glow. It looked like putty.

He started coughing, and there was something in his throat. He swallowed it back, tasting a searing tang of iron, and summoned as much of his voice as he could. 

The lights were whipping everywhere, his chest felt desolate, and Tommy screamed, “STOP!”

Everything in the room went duller. His eyes were open long enough to see the yellow blob sink back inside his chest, and then he was falling, out of breath, onto the brunet next to him. His face met cold trousers for a spare second, and then the world went completely black.

He heard voices around him– there was a shaking at his shoulder, too– but Tommy was far too exhausted. He seeped into the grasp of blackness, chest humming as he fell asleep.

What felt like an eternity later, Tommy woke up in an unfamiliar bed. There was a weight by his feet. His eyes felt heavy as he blinked them open.

Wilbur was there, at the end of the bed, facing toward a big, looming window. It reminded him of the orphanage for a split second– of how he’d stare into the night begging for something to happen to the moon– but when the brunet turned around, he immediately forgot.

“You’re awake,” the vampire said, softer than Tommy had ever heard before. He sounded tired, exhausted. Maybe the spell had affected him just as much. 

Tommy tried to answer, but his throat was tight. He settled for a half-arsed groan. 

“Took me a while to speak too,” Wilbur said, eyes far away. “I guess nothing can save us now. Til death do us part, and all that.”

“We’re not,” Tommy coughed, clearing his aching throat, “we’re not married.”

The vampire laughed. “No. We’re bonded with a brother sire that no one’s ever heard of before. I mean, how are we supposed to be brothers? We’re nothing alike.”

That stung. Tommy knew they weren’t related or anything. He knew that they were strangers, but still, it was nice to think that maybe…

Wilbur’s eyes downturned, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean–”

“No, you’re right,” Tommy agreed, face sour. “We’re nothing alike. You’re a bloody vampire and I’m just– a kid from the orphanage.” He brushed off the covers, standing up to leave the room. “Sorry for hoping for something more.”

Tommy ran through the door before Wilbur could respond. He wasn’t stupid, he knew the vampire could catch up if he wanted to, but Tommy was too ticked off to care.

He pattered down the stairs, out the door, and then he was staring into the night.

Wilbur hadn’t followed him out.

Tommy tried not to think about it too much. Wilbur was a vampire. Tommy was just a human he’d had the misfortune of being bonded to. The vampire didn’t need him; hell, he’d probably be happy if Tommy died before the full moon. Then, he’d be able to keep his vegetarian vampire life filled with witches and warlocks and bloodsuckers galore. 

The blond didn’t need vampires in his life. He was fine on his own, truly. Just one more year. And then he’d be out of this place. On his own. Fine without the help of any vampires.

Just. Fine.

As it turned out, the world couldn’t afford to give Tommy a break for once. 

He’d been out in the night (what Wilbur had warned him strongly about not doing), alone, and frustrated out of his mind. How the fuck had he managed to get close with vampires? 

It wasn’t like they were friends, but it was nice– the way Kristin and Phil cared for him, the way Wilbur and Techno bantered like brothers. And Wilbur, god, Tommy was pulled toward the guy in the most confusing aura. He wanted to hang out with the guy, wanted to argue with him… the way he supposed brothers acted.

Sue Tommy for wanting something like that. 

He felt stupid now, though. Stupid for thinking he could ever have something like a family, even if they were vampires.

A clanking sound brought him out of his brooding.

He flipped his head around immediately, expecting to see a fallen pipe, or maybe an alley cat, like he had all those nights ago. Instead, he was met with something much more sinister.

“Kieran,” he said quietly, eyes wide, lips turning into a frightened smile, “How are you? Win any more robot fights as of late?”

The vampire’s teeth were gleaming as he laughed to himself. “Looks like you’re out here all alone again. And this time, Wilbur isn’t here to save you.”

Tommy glanced to his sides, behind his back. More burly vampires were walking in, trapping him in a circle of bloodsuckers, hidden away in an alley. He gulped, “Wilbur’s not coming.”

Kieran grinned and moved closer.

Tommy, though, stepped back. “You don’t have to kill me, really. I’m just–”

“You’re weak, I know,” Kieran rolled his eyes, licking his lips. “You said that the other time we had the fortune of meeting. This isn’t about food anymore, though. No, this is about revenge.” His eyes were flaming, Tommy almost saw red. “I didn’t appreciate Wilbur standing up to me, and what better way to get back at him than killing you.”

Arms, strong vampire arms, grabbed Tommy’s and held him in place. He flailed, even though he knew it was of no use. His head was spinning, he felt like he could throw up. Death was so close, and this time, Wilbur wasn’t coming for him. 

Kieran’s lips moved closer, and Tommy screamed, “Wilbur doesn’t care about me!”

The vampire paused, raising a brow above his pierced canines.

“He’s not coming to save me because he doesn’t care, okay? I’m just some orphan kid, and he saved me one time because he felt sorry for me. Hurting me isn’t going to hurt him at all.”

Tommy’s hard pounded harder as the vampire shrugged. “Maybe, or maybe you’re bluffing. Either way, I’m still pissed off at you. You cheated and took my money. That’s not just something you can get away with.”

“I didn’t–”

He was cut off by a piercing feeling in his neck.

His head was light, his neck was stinging  He was dying.

Oh god.

He was going to die.

Kieran’s fangs were in his neck, sucking out his blood. He was this guy’s meal. And strong muscles were keeping him in place. And he felt so exhausted. And there was no fight left in him at all.

He wished that Wilbur would come and save him like the time before. He wanted help. But he knew the brunet wasn’t coming as more and more blood left his system. It was hopeless.

Tommy let his eyes flutter close as his world turned black.

His dreams were filled with red. 

Red tunnels, red rivers, red mountains. Everything was covered in blood. 

He was drowning in the liquid, falling in it, suffocating in red. He couldn’t see, or hear, or move. All he knew was red.

An eternity later, when Tommy felt he should have been entering the gates of Pluto, something shook his shoulder. It was a strong, brute shake, but Tommy could only barely feel it. The person was saying something too, but it all felt fuzzy.

“Tommy!” The voice was louder this time. At the sound, Tommy felt like anvils were falling onto his head; everything hurt. 

He groaned, trying to blink open his heavy eyes. 

The voice picked up again, and Tommy could feel the touch on his shoulder more than before. “Oh thank god,” the person said, “Tommy, what happened? Who did this?”

At the thought of Kieran, Tommy’s neck flared up. He reached a hand to where the bite had been, and when he pulled his fingers away, a sticky substance was left on his fingers. Another groan, and then, “Kieran.”

“That bastard,” the voice said. Tommy finally registered that it was Wilbur, and almost swatted the brunet away. Why hadn’t he come to help? Why had he just left Tommy by himself ? Tommy had been the one to run away, but now, with all the pain he was feeling, it was hard not to blame a vampire for all his problems. 

“How is he still alive?” a voice said from farther away. It sounded like Techno. “He must be stronger than I thought.”

Tommy’s ear rang as another voice spoke up, “I think it’s the bond. It’s so powerful that it won’t let him die until the both of them make a choice.” Kristin sounded worried. “This is horrible! Now, you–”

“We have to make Tommy a vampire,” Wilbur said, his voice sounding desperate. “If we don’t– if I become human– then he’ll die anyway.”

Phil was speaking next. “It’s a lose-lose.”

“This is fucked up,” said Techno.

Tommy wanted to scream. He had no choice: either die, or become undead. It was a lose-lose, like Phil had said. He didn’t want to… he didn’t want to become a vampire, he didn’t want to kill people. But he didn’t want to die. There was so much he wanted to do, and he’d barely had a chance to see life outside the orphanage.

He fluttered his eyes open, finally being met with Wilbur looming over him. The vampire’s arms were around his back, holding him up from the cold ground of the alley. The others were standing behind, looking down on him like he was some fragile sculpture like he was made of glass. 

He coughed (and decided to ignore the red substance filling his lungs). “It’s fine,” he said, eyes meeting Wilbur’s. “Turn me.”

The brunet spluttered. “No way. I’m not… I planned on becoming human for you. I know you don’t want this, I’m not going to–”

“You were gonna become human for me?” Tommy could almost cry, but it would hurt too much to shed a tear.

Wilbur shook his head, “That’s not important. What’s important is– I can’t turn you. You’ll be like me. You’ll have to hide away during the day, and drink people’s blood. And…”

“Thought you were vegetarian.”

The brunet smiled. “You’re not like me, Tommy. You’re supposed to be more.”

A pulling in his gut made Tommy cough again. It was gross, and painful, and if becoming a bloodsucker was what it took to make the feeling go away, then, he was ready.

“Wilbur,” he pleaded. “Please.”

The brunet turned around to meet eyes with the others– they looked sad, but they were nodding– before turning back around.

Wilbur’s eyes screamed guilty before he was swooping in, fangs dusting Tommy’s neck. He hesitated for a moment, Tommy felt him inhale a breath of air, and then his fangs were in the same spot Kieran’s had been previously.

It felt different than before, but it still hurt. With Kieran, it was as if he’d been pushing pain throughout his veins while he stole the searing red. Now, with Wilbur, it was as if the pain was being pulled out. Tommy felt like a bandaid was slowly being ripped off; it was torture.

He grimaced in pain. Wilbur stopped for a second, pulling his hands back just enough to whisper a dreary, “Sorry.” Then, he was going back in, finishing the painful bandaid process.

Tommy could feel the death entering his senses. He could feel the undead seeping through his veins. As it came, it was almost as if his liveliness was fading as well. His chest felt fiery, like the time when the magicians had cast the spell. He looked down, and sure enough, his soul– the puddy-shaped yellow blob– was weaseling its way out of his body.

His soul was going away. Although, he supposed, that’s probably what happened when someone became a vampire. Cursed to eternal damnation forever, and all that. 

The pain along the rest of his body was fading, but his chest was almost unbearable. The yellow soul was trying to squeeze its way out, and it hurt like hell. 

Wilbur had released his fangs at one point, but it didn’t matter. Tommy was stuck staring down at his chest, watching helplessly as the yellow ball– his fucking soul – finally escaped his body and flew down to the ground.

He was going to hell.

Wilbur let him go, finally, and set him down. He looked as if he were trying to smile, but all Tommy saw was a melancholic frown. “You okay?” Wilbur asked, a whisper.

Tommy looked down at his body. He looked okay. He ran a hand to his neck, where the brunet’s fangs had been moments before, and was shocked when there was no blood on his fingertips like before. He’d healed himself.

Right. So, physically he was fine. Mentally, he was scarred for life, probably. And also terrified out of his mind at the thought of drinking blood. 

Oh–

Blood.

Suddenly, Tommy’s throat felt tight. It was dry, aching for something.

While he knew exactly what it was he needed– what he had to drink in order to actually become undead – he wanted to do anything but that. 

“Water,” he croaked.

Wilbur just looked at him dejectedly, “No. You need blood.”

Tommy rolled his eyes, but Wilbur was picking him up before he could do any different. He was running, fast, and Tommy could actually see everything they passed. They were going at an inhuman pace, and yet, now, Tommy could see every little detail of the land around them. Weird.

They were suddenly in the woods behind the creepy house. It was pitch black outside, surely, and yet, Tommy could see all the trees, all the plants. He could even see a deer in the distance. A deer, an alive deer, with warm blood running through its veins. 

Tommy needed that deer.

He rolled out of Wilbur’s grip and raced toward the deer. It was browsing the grass, sniffing the nearby tendrils of plants. And god, it smelled good.

Tommy beelined right for the doe, and tackled it until its chin was to the ground, neck dangerously close to his lips. He opened his mouth and didn’t even mind the new weight hanging off of his canines because the doe was right there. 

Of course, Wilbur found him before he could sink his teeth in.

“You’ve figured out the vegetarian part of our diet, I suppose.” Wilbur was laughing to himself, looking much more delighted than he’d been all of five minutes ago.

“Just,” Tommy said, eyes unleaving from the doe’s neck, “Show me how to eat it.”

Wilbur stepped in closer. “Well, first you have to kill it. Preferably quickly since we don’t want to hurt it more than we have to.” Tommy was blinking up at him, so Wilbur continued, “A quick neck snap would do the trick.”

The blond took a glance at the deer. He didn’t want to kill it, but his throat was sore and his body was aching for blood. And so, he closed his eyes, and snapped the doe’s neck. 

There was a crack, and Tommy thought he might have been crying. Wilbur knelt down next to him, “Now, you drink.”

Tommy’s eyes found the doe’s neck, where its vein had been pulsing only moments before. He leaned down slowly, hesitantly, and reached his new fangs out. They pierced the doe’s skin, and at the slightest shed of blood through the tip, Tommy was moving in impossibly closer. The taste of blood was something he’d never thought to have tasted so good . But it was good, incredible even.

He couldn’t stop drinking until the very last drop of blood left the deer’s body. 

When finished, Tommy looked up at Wilbur, blood dribbling down the corner of his lips. “Did I do good?”

“Yeah,” the brunet said, messing up the top of Tommy’s hair with the turn of his fist. “You did good. But, let’s go home now, okay? Everyone’s probably worried about you.”

The blond only nodded and licked his lips.

Wilbur tugged him back to the house, where the other three were waiting on the couch. Kristin immediately jumped up and gave him a hug. It was warm, and nice, and it made Tommy feel all fuzzy inside. (He didn’t get many hugs.)

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispered, pulling him closer. 

Tommy just hummed as he tightened his grip. Long night, he needed some comfort from it.

Phil was walking up to him next, smiling tiredly. “Welcome back.” And Techno was there, too, grinning as he said, “Here’s to forever,” whilst pulling the blond in for an awkward side hug. 

It was great to have all these vampires– people – by his side, but he didn’t know how long the niceness could last. The bond was broken now, so Wilbur didn’t need him around anymore, and none of the others had a use for him either. He’d have to go back to the orphanage, wait another year, and then be on his own again. He’d be alone in a world of vampires… like himself.

It was weird to think that, now, he was a vampire. He was the thing people warned you about at night, the monster everyone told stories about by the campfire. But, really, he didn’t feel any different. Sure, now he had the urge to drink blood every other day, but mentally he was still the same. The only part of himself that had left was his soul…

“Uh,” he started, “So, about my soul? I’m assuming that was the yellow thing that left my body when Wilbur, erm, bit me?”

Wilbur frowned, “Yeah. Now that you’re undead and all, your soul kind of belongs down there. Once we die completely, we’re cursed to hell. It doesn’t matter if we were vegetarian or not.”

“Then,” Tommy furrowed a brow, head spinning, “Why are you vegetarian? If it doesn’t pay off in the end.”

Wilbur chuckled smally, “Because none of us wanted to be vampires in the first place. We were all turned against our will, and we don’t want other people to suffer the way we did.”

Tommy nodded. His eyes felt heavy and his stomach felt full. He was tired, but, as Wilbur said before, vampires didn’t sleep.

The brunet picked up on it and was by his side in a moment’s notice. “I’ll take you to your room. Your first night being undead is really something.”

And so they went; back to the same bedroom from the night before, back to the place Tommy had snuck out of in frustration. His bed had been made, though. He wondered if Kristin had done so, or if Wilbur had. 

Regardless, he sat down. His eyes were closing as soon as his bum hit the comforter. He squinted them open, staring at Wilbur, “I thought vampires can’t sleep.”

“We can,” Wilbur smiled, “We just don’t need to most of the time. It’s, like, an eternity of insomnia. Usually, all vampire’s can sleep on their first night since it's so draining. All the pain and blood and such– it’s enough to make our bodies tired.”

Tommy yawned as he pushed his legs under the covers. But Wilbur was looking at him like glass again, so he huffed out, “What?”

“I’m sorry,” Wilbur said, looking down. “I’m sorry for all of this. The stupid bond and for not following you when you left. I was mad, but I should have followed you. I know you didn’t want… this.” He inhaled, exhaled. “I really was going to choose to be human for you. I know how awful being a vampire can be.”

“But,” Tommy started, breaking off with another yawn, “Why would you care how I feel? After the bond was broken, I just assumed you wouldn’t want to see me again. Why should you care if I become a vampire when you get to keep up your nice life here?”

Wilbur shook his head. “Tommy, do you remember what I told you the first night we met? Outside the orphanage?”

Be careful, I know what it’s like here.

“You said you knew what it was like, at the orphanage.”

The brunet nodded. “I lived there, a few years after it opened actually, and I got so angry one night that I just… left. I left and was on my own, and that’s how I became this. It was awful at first– I went through a people phase– and then I met Phil, and he showed me I didn’t have to be the thing of everyone’s nightmares.

“I know you’ve lost your soul, and you’re cursed to hell. I know that the last place you probably want to be in is a house with people like me. But I do care about you, Tommy. I know you’re a good kid, and I know you can accomplish great things.” He stood up to leave the room, quietly. “I’m so sorry I did this to you, and I understand if you never want to see me again. But I talked to Phil, and he agreed.

“We want to adopt you from the orphanage. We want you to stay with us.” He turned to leave the room, “That’s all. Goodnight, Tommy.”

The blond could hardly speak at Wilbur’s words. The brunet wanted him to stay. He wanted Tommy to live with his dysfunctional family. Tommy would have a family. 

He tried to answer, but Wilbur was already gone.

In the morning, Tommy woke up feeling strong.

Vampire blood was pouring through his veins, and he’d drunk enough doe blood to keep him full for days. 

His mind was humming as well. Wilbur had said the vampires wanted him to be a part of their family. He said Tommy could stay, that they would adopt him. 

He’d been wishing to be adopted by a nice family (vampires worked, too) ever since he could remember. 

So, he bounded out of bed with a pep in his step like never before. Tommy raced down the stairs to the kitchen, and as soon as he saw Wilbur in his view, blurted, “I want to stay.”

The brunet’s eyes widened, and then he was racing to pull Tommy into a bone-crushing hug. (It was so tight that it probably would have killed him had he still been human.) He hugged Wilbur back, and then he was crying again, but only a little. 

He was going to live in the creepy house now, he was going to have a family. 

As the hug faded, Wilbur decided they needed to go to the orphanage as soon as possible. Apparently, Tommy was supposed to sneak back in and pretend like he hadn’t been gone the past two nights. And then they would adopt him and everything would be set right in the world.

Suddenly he didn’t care about Kieran, Mr. Mare, or any other fear his brain could conjure up. All that mattered was that he had a family, and he was physically, mentally, and somewhat emotionally fine. Tommy would have brothers, and Phil, and Kristin.

He was finally going home. And even though he didn’t quite know what his future would hold, Tommy deemed his life could only go upward from there.