Chapter Text
It was Gwen's fault that he was in this horrid place.
Smart, beautiful, talented Gwen and her first big Performance after getting turned into something that couldn't be called Human.
Now, Hobie wasn't particularly interested in ballet, besides the baseline respect he paid to most forms of artistic expression, but he was her friend.
He would even call himself her best friend if he didn't fear Margo's wrath so much.
Friends are supposed to support one another, so he could suck it up for a few hours and attend an Event full of stuck-up, blind patriotic swines.
It was better than the alternative of Gwen not going and losing the chance of getting the recognition she deserved because she was terrified of "losing control" and "empty the judges like a juice packet".
He doubted that she would ever lose it like that, but he also wasn't a vampire. He could only guess what it was to be surrounded by potential food in an extremely stressful situation.
If it helped her and made her feel safe, then he would behave for once. He could do it for his friend, especially since she took so good care of him the last time he got dried up because he forgot to hydrate.
No matter how that event would go, Hobie would at the very least get to bitch with Gwen and the rest of their little monster squad about the stuck-up people that she has to deal with.
They would probably get some fast food before that.
He just needed to survive a few hours and not cause a scene, no matter how people stared and sneered at him.
That was his plan at least, till he saw that beautiful boy waiting in the halls before the venue.
He looked out of place, like a flower growing on a concrete floor.
Whereas all the people around them wore black tie, ridiculous makeup, and stupid-looking jewelry that not even his sisters would wear, that boy wore an oversized Hoodie and ripped jeans.
He was fidgeting with what appeared to be a sketchbook, as he aimlessly looked around.
It looked nearly adorable if he didn't look so lost. That made him want to talk to him and help him find the place he belonged to.
Their eyes met and Hobie felt himself lost in those beautiful golden eyes.
They reminded him of hidden treasures, golden coins, and the sun itself.
Without really thinking about it, his grip on his battle vest became stronger as the pretty boy walked towards him with fast steps.
"You are Hobie, right?"
Those pretty eyes looked at him anxiously and he could see how tightly he hugged the book to his chest, as if he was scared of him.
"Who's asking?"
The boy blushed deeply and Hobie took it as a nice surprise.
Of all the people that had interacted with him, if you counted the stares he got from these sneering old people since he entered the event walls, this was the nicest.
"I'm Miles! Gwen asked me to be moral support and mentioned that you would be here as well!"
Miles smiled tentatively and Hobie had to blink for a moment before a big grin appeared on his lips.
Gwen had told him about this little guy.
He was one of the few friends she had in that pretentious School she went through and in her own words "a social butterfly that brightens your world with a simple smile".
He slugged his arm around the other boy's shoulder, as he gently pulled him along, ignoring the surprised gasp the other let out.
"Well, I am glad that I am not alone in this tank full of sharks! Let's see if we can find some nice seats together!"
The other nodded as they entered the main event area.
They most likely wouldn't get to see Gwen before the show started, so they had to sit somewhere where she would be able to see them on the stage.
He gave her a quick text after they found a nice seat before he concentrated his attention back on the smaller teen next to him.
Miles was blushing and it was an adorable sight.
It was probably the supernatural allure that he had. Most humans were terrified by it, but some felt safe, if not attracted by it.
"Gwendy told me that you are an artist-"
A big smile appeared on the other's face, as he nodded, the embarrassment all but forgotten.
"Yeah! I a-, sorry for interrupting you, but yeah. I like drawing! Do you know the abandoned train tunnels under the Flatbush Theater? It's a great place for graffiti and I often go there for art! My dad hates it, but that place is perfect for it-"
Miles started to ramble on about the different kinds of graffiti paint and what fits to what kind of wall and for the second time that evening, Hobie found himself lost staring at him.
He didn't understand half of what he was talking about, though he did make a mental note to introduce him to Noir if Miles was aware of the supernatural beings around them.
The other looked beautiful and he truly understood what Gwen meant with 'he will brighten your day with his smile'.
It made him feel warm and happy, which was a miracle on its own.
There he was, happily sitting in a place full of the worst people in the city because of the cute Teen next to him.
Not even the stares of those around them could deter him.
"- And this is why you should never draw in the dark."
Miles gave him a bright smile, as the room slowly darkened.
"The show is about to begin!"
It was more of a whisper-yelling, as the other opened the sketchbook on an empty page. He looked extremely excited and Hobie looked at the stage, where the dancers slowly came forward.
"I can't wait to see Gwendy kick everyone's powdered ass."
Next to him, Miles snorted as they saw Gwen enter the stage with her dancing partner.
She looked a bit strange in her glittering princess costume, but she had this fierce determined expression in her eyes that he knew so well.
She would do just fine.
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"Gwen, you looked amazing!"
Miles hugged the girl tightly, as she let out a breathless laugh. She was still in her costume and Hobie smiled as his friend.
The Performance itself took 2 hours and then they had to wait for another half hour till they let her go.
She wouldn't get the results of the Judges for another week, but from what he had seen, she had done well.
"You rocket the stage Gwendy. All eyes were on you luv."
She looked like she had just run a marathon and probably wanted to jump under the shower as quickly as possible.
Even as a creature of the night, the last few hours must have been exhausting.
"Thanks, guys. You have no idea how terrifying this was."
Miles slowly let go of her, as he patted her shoulders.
"I can't imagine what that had to be like and I hope that I never have to."
Hobie couldn't help but grin at that.
So the pretty boy got embarrassed if he got attention?
Gwen gently punched his arm, most likely realizing his intent on the other teen. Then, her eyes wandered to the sketchbook that Miles was holding.
"Did you draw me again?! Can I see?"
The boy blushed deeply, as he gave her the book.
Hobie couldn't help but look at it in curiosity, as Gwen flipped through the pages.
He was aware that the other had drawn during the whole event, but he had enough manners to not look at an unfinished drawing without consent.
That was just rude.
But now? Now he had the allowance.
The book was full of different drawings of people, scenery, and animals. He mostly used warm colors, though some of the pages were a void of dark red colors.
He couldn't take in much of the pictures, as Gwen was scrolling pretty quickly through it.
Then she stopped at a double page.
Different sketches of dancers posing littered the pages, but that wasn't what he was concentrating on, even if they were drawn skillfully.
No. He was concentrating on the drawing of his side profile. He looked beautiful on the paper and he couldn't help but blush.
"My man, did you really just waste half a page on me?"
Miles gasped as he turned to him, with furrowed brows and an angry expression that had no right to look so adorable.
"What are you talking about?! Your face is nice and fun to draw!"
Embarrassed flooded him, as Miles looked at him with the most earnest expression he had ever seen on a person.
No one had ever flattered him like that.
Even under his own kind, his face was more fish-like than necessary.
Sirens hid their ugliness behind empty words and sweet promises to lure their victims into their trap.
But Miles wasn't a victim and he wasn't a Perpetrator.
Next to them, Gwen smiled like the Cheshire Cat, as she elbowed the boy to get his attention.
"Did Aaron finally update his Flirting strategy? You weren't half that slick when we first met."
Those pretty golden eyes widened, as he took a few steps back. His mouth opened and closed a few times and he looked speechless.
"What?!"
The Girl broke into a fit of laughter, whilst Miles seemingly tried to explain himself.
It was cute and it helped him with swallowing the embarrassment he had felt about the flattery.
"It's alright, I was just bullying you."
The other boy looked relieved before he turned his head to look at him. He had a determined expression on his face, as he stood as straight as possible.
"Sorry for drawing you without allowance, but I couldn't control myself when I saw your expression."
He looked distraught and Hobie couldn't help but smirk.
"It's fine luv. Though we should probably do such things in a place with better lighting, don't you think? "
To get his point better across, he winked at the other boy.
God, he must look so stupid right now.
He knew that Gwen would never let him live that down, especially if Miles didn't get his hint.
"Really!? I mean, uh, sure! Sure! We could meet with Gwen at our usual hangout spot if you want-, only if you want to take another person with you! We could also meet alone in a Café I know and-"
The other was blushing madly and tumbling over his words. He looked adorable and Hobie could feel his heart beating faster.
He said yes to a date.
"Yeah. Uh-, oh-, OH! Look, it's my Uncle! I have to go!"
Miles grabbed his sketchbook, before he all but ran towards a man that was just getting off a motorcycle.
He did turn around before reaching him and waved at them whilst walking backwards. A big smile was on his face before he slipped and was thankfully caught by his uncle before he hit the ground.
That was one of the cutest things he had seen in a long time.
"You know that I will tell Pav about this."
Gwen was leaning her entire weight on him, as she grinned at him.
"Yeah, yeah. You two are gonna bully me so bad for this, won't ya?"