Chapter Text
The only night of the year, in which humans should lock their children in their home and not let them out, they put them in weird costumes and let them beg for sweets and candy all over town. Humanity really had changed.
The positive thing about this night was – well, it wasn’t difficult to be positive with all the incredible noises and colours and annoying brats running around – that Ghost could walk around freely with no one even blinking an eye at him.
In the century he currently lived in, people were very hard-boiled anyway. In earlier centuries people had turned their heads whenever he had passed by, wondering about his pale skin, his smooth movements and maybe sniffing the danger of death subconsciously. He had to hide more often than walk freely, but now people didn’t seem to mind as much if one seemed a bit off and people turned their heads not as much as they used to, even if he dressed in his old-fashioned, long, black coat, suit and pants. Tonight however, he was completely free.
“I knew I would find you here tonight.”
Ghost didn’t even turn his head at the sound of Price’s voice. “And you are here to scare the kids again?”
Price chuckled, sitting down next to him on the park bench. Ghost had sat down here, acting as if he read a newspaper, mainly to enjoy being among people. Not that he would ever admit it.
“I am not scaring the kids. I even bought them candy. They are the real monsters here, some already became feral when they saw it and wanted to steal it. They almost managed.”
With that, Ghost turned his head to find a huge bucket full of sweets and chocolate wrapped in Halloween-themed-paper. He perked a brow at the older man next to him and took a second to take in the sight of him. He hadn’t changed – well, not really surprising for a vampire – but the smile in his eyes seemed to be wider this Halloween. Ghost tilted his head in expectation.
“Are you going to tell me what you are up to or are you just here to look and grin at me like an idiot?”
Price chuckled. “I won our bet. Now, lad, you owe me.”
Ghost frowned, thinking about which bet he might mean. When the thought dropped, he chuckled, a rare sound in his own ears.
“You know, winning a bet we made like 120 years ago, doesn’t count.”
“117 years, don’t exaggerate. And a bet is a bet and won is won. I found a handsome date for tonight, I asked him today. So, with whom will you spend Halloween this year then?”
Ghost groaned and shook his head. “I am not going to play along this shit.”
“We made a deal. If you don’t want me to remind you until the end of the world that you are not keeping your word, better find a date for yourself tonight.”
“Who even is your ‘date’?”
“Don’t mock me, lad. Nik is older than me and very handsome. I am actually looking forward to…” Price looked at his watch and chuckled. “Hmm, three hours left. I should hurry getting this candy away and then make myself ready.”
Ghost rubbed his forehead. “The bet was about dating a mortal, Price. If he is older than you, it doesn’t count.”
“Body years, lad. Don try to wiggle yourself out of this affair.”
Ghost groaned again. “I am not wiggling myself out of anything. I am merely saying that-“
Price leaned over and every other vampire – or, to be fair, any being - Ghost would have had probably attacked due to the close proximity. Price however, didn’t seem to be intimidated by him, not even after all this years. Or maybe especially not because of all the years.
“One evening, Ghost. One evening of feeling alive. So, if you want to continue being miserable, go enjoy that, but I am going to have fun tonight.”
“Don’t fall in love.”
Ghost hadn’t even wanted to say that loud. Price nudged him, got up and grabbed his bucket. “No. Fall in love, Ghost. What are we, if not our memories.”
Before Ghost could end up having a quarrel with him, Price was gone. The crowds of kids became louder, and Ghost got up from his place with an ache he hadn’t been able to lose throughout the centuries.
“You should find someone tonight.”
Ghost’s eyes looked dead back at Price, who watched him closely. “Why should I find someone for tonight, if I blink and they are dead in the next moment.”
Price crooked a smile. “Everybody needs a partner. It’s about time you find one for yourself.”
“I don’t need a partner, Price. I don’t need anyone.”
The older vampire sighed and shrugged. “Humour me then. Just go out tonight. It’s the only night of the year we can walk among humans without having to be afraid.”
“Humour -me- then, Price. Find yourself a partner, a date, for Halloween’s night, a mortal, a man, without any manipulation or other tricks. You must get to know him on Halloween’s day and then ask him out.” Ghost threw a challenging look at him. “And if you find that one, I will spend Halloween’s night with a mortal, considering calling it a date.”
It was a task which Price couldn’t fulfil. He was a vampire, they were a human. He was a man and going on a date with another man wasn’t allowed in these times. Ghost knew he was being mean and cruel, reminding Price of that he was alone, something which hurt the older vampire more than he would admit – but Ghost just wanted to be left alone.
There was no chance Price could fulfil this bet and it would make sure he would finally leave Ghost alone, allowing Ghost to dwell in his misery until the end of all times.
How could he have been so mistaken.
For a moment he considered hunting Price instead – he hadn’t even demanded proof of the existence of this ‘handsome’ stranger. Maybe Ghost became old now. He would never have forgotten about something like this a few centuries ago.
“Oh, wow, yar lookin’ like a real, modern vampire!”
Ghost blinked. In front of him stood a young man with the most ridiculous hair cut Ghost had ever seen in his entire existence and that must mean something. He wore some well-worn jacket and pants with holes, which seemed to be a thing for youngsters nowadays, and had a bag over his shoulders. The man also had somehow managed to surprise him, just stopping in front of him and staring openly at him. It was rude and Ghost was once more reminded that he missed the good manners of the earlier centuries, even if he didn’t miss a lot of their other things.
“Ah, sorry.” The man scratched his head, a bright smile on his lips and his blue eyes were sparkling like the sky on a summer day – something which Ghost terribly missed, even after all this time.
“I just really like yar costume. I am a vampire enthusiast, ya must know! May I take a photo of ya, please?”
Ghost quickly rose his hand when the man put out his phone, but at Ghosts movement he stopped, and his smile dropped a bit. Ghost shook his head.
“No photos.”
The man looked so ridiculously disappointed, that Ghost sighed, feeling almost bad.
“The flash light isn’t good for me. I have sensitive skin.”
The man blinked, then he laughed – a bright sound which sounded weird in Ghosts ears. The laugh seemed honest and genuine, a sound which he noticed to be missing in this century. He tilted his head at the interesting mortal in front of him.
“Ah, because yar a real vampire, eh?”
Ghost blinked. The man chuckled. Eventually, Ghost nodded.
“Yes. Exactly because of that.”
The man continued to chuckle. “Ya must know, if ya were a real vampire, photos wouldn’t hurt ya. It’s a myth. Same tha’ vampires can’t be photographed.”
Ghost perked a brow. “Is that so? Vampire enthusiast, you said, eh?”
“Aye!” The man’s eyes lit up again and he stretched out his hand. “Sorry, by the way, me name’s John, but me friends just call me Soap.”
Ghost wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the story behind that nor did he want to be called a ‘friend’ so soon after meeting. He eyed the hand warily before he grabbed it – warm skin against his cold, the feeling of fresh blood under his fingers. His eyes snapped back to the bright blue eyes of the man, the self-announced vampire enthusiast ‘Soap’.
What a poor fool. Maybe Ghost would laugh about this evening in a few centuries.
“Damn. How do ya do that? Yar ice cold! Do ya have like ice packages or somethin’ in yar coat?”
Ghost let go of his hand and nodded seriously. “Yes, that is exactly how I do it.”
“Sick!”
The man beamed at him. He literally beamed at him. Ghost stared back at him, which only seemed to make the man happier.
“Damn, yar so deep in character. Yar on yar way to a costume contest or somethin’?”
Ghost tilted his head, watching the weird man and eventually sighed. “There is a reason why all things are as they are.”
The man’s jaw dropped. “Ya read Dracula! SICK! Please, can we- I need tae… argh, yar to good to be true, mate.”
Within all his years he had walked upon this planet, Ghost couldn’t remember anyone ever calling him ‘good’. He eyed the smaller man up and down and then – whyever- he decided to give in.
“Tell me, do you already have plans for tonight, stranger?”
John Soap MacTavish, the weird Scot and self-announced vampire enthusiast stared at him. Maybe his jaw would never find its way back to be able to close the mouth and Ghost would take the responsibility for that. After a while, in which the man just stared at him open mouthed, which Ghost still found rather rude, he sighed and shrugged.
“Well, if you are not swinging that way, that is alright. I am sorry for asking. Farewell, stranger.”
“Wai- no. NO! Sir vampire, yes. Aye, I want to. Whatever, really. Please. I-“ A mouthful of Scottish words left the mans words which Ghost didn’t really bother to understand, but considering the flush on the mans cheek and the racing of his heartbeat, the smell of the delicious blood under his skin… he was nervous. More than nervous.
“I didnae have plans. I- God. Is tha’… are ya askin’ me oot?”
Ghost pursed his lips. “I… think that’s what you are calling it this days, yes.”
The man’s jaw dropped again. Ghost sighed. “But I really-“
“I got a date with a really hot lookin’ vampire guy on Halloween?! I need to call Rudy!”
Ghost started to massage the bridge of his nose. Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea after all. But well, he had been called hot and that actually had made him feel the slightest bit well – he didn’t remember anyone ever calling him anything nearly ‘hot’.
Though the man was just stupid, apparently. What about Ghost was hot? He was a predator. He was looking intimidating. Not ‘hot’.
“This must be destiny. I-“ The man called Soap – though Ghost refused to call this man like a hygiene item – started to grin at him. “Whit’s yar name then, stranger? Dae I need to be afraid that ya suck all me blood?”
If that actually made him shut up – maybe, yes.
Ghost forced himself to smile. “They call me Ghost.”
John – Johnny would be it. John was the name of a man, the name of Price, not the name of a youngster like this greenhorn. Johnny blinked at him and chuckled. “Ghost? Crap, yar so deep in character, its fascinatin’. Well – I didnae, whit are yar plans with me then?”
He had made the last part sounding flirty and that man really was too stupid to be true. There was a real fucking vampire standing in front of him, telling him he was one, and the man flirted with him. Ghost shook his head and pulled out his phone, calling Price. The man answered faster than he thought.
“What do you need?”
Ghost sighed. “I found a mortal man who is willing to spend the evening with me.”
Johnny chuckled at the conversation, watching him closely. Ghost crooked a smile for the poor fool and shook his head, concentrating back on Price, who seemed to stumble for a moment.
“Manipulation is not allowed, Ghost, you know that.”
Ghost rolled his eyes. “No, I did not manipulate him. He wants to go on a date with me, of his own free will. Right, Johnny?”
Ghost couldn’t help to notice the flush intensifying when Ghost called him by the nickname and the Scot nodded fast. “Aye, Sir vampire friend! I am nae getting’ manipulated and nothin’.”
He spoke loud enough for Price to be heard through the phone and Ghost heard the older vampire sighing loudly. “This can’t be true. Where did you find that one? I want proof.”
“How does a double date sound to you? I want to meet your date, too.”
“Oi! Is yar friend a vampire, too?!”
Ghost side-eyed Johnny, who seemed to be even more excited. Price groaned through the phone. “No. I will spend the evening not with your miserable ass and that poor kid. You enjoy your evening, I will enjoy my date. Alone.” He sighed. “Proof tomorrow, both of us. Now enjoy yourself.”
He hang up and Ghost shrugged. “Well, seems the chaperone cannot be here. Do you still want to spend the evening with me?” He tilted his head at the stranger, feeling pity with him. “You must know, I am dangerous.”
The man burst out laughing and Ghost considered briefly to feel offended, but when the laugh turned into a genuine, authentic and lovely laugh again, he dropped that feeling. It sounded so sincere like Ghost hadn’t heard in ages.
“Me bums oot the windae. Yar perfect, mate. Umm, sure, but I need to run home fast and tell me roomie I ken nae stay the evenin’ with him after all. Can we, umm, meet in an hour?”
Ghost watched the man closely, then nodded.
It would be one evening – and Price would finally shut up. And maybe it would be a distraction after all. The young man was intriguing at least, and the bright light in his eyes was something Ghost wasn’t used to.
“Sick! Umm, let us meet-“
“I will await your arrival at the next full hour under the roof of the trees in the park. Be there at the entrance gate when you are ready.”
Johnny chuckled. “Oh, whit are ya plannin’? The park is full of vampires tonigh’. Are ya introducin’ me to yar friends, should I be worried?”
Ghost smiled. “I don’t have friends. And for your own good, I hope, I am the only vampire you will meet tonight.” He let out a sigh. “And I will make sure, no single drop of blood will leave your body tonight.”
“Aww, that’s the most romantic thin’ anyone ever said to me!”
If that was true, Ghost felt more pity to the man than he already did. Johnny chuckled and gave him a thumbs up. “Alrigh’, keep up the good show, yar amazin’. I’ll be with ya in an hour, mate! Don’t dump me!”
Ghost watched the man running off, an energy in his steps he envied him for. He seemed to genuinely be happy that Ghost asked him to spend the evening together. Him, Ghost, the broody vampire who was living alone. Every vampire knew that.
But Johnny just seemed… happy.
It was a weird feeling and when Ghost walked towards the park, he found himself wondering what this evening would maybe bring after all.