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Neil had been scouring the internet for what felt like hours. After comparing multiple listicles, many seemingly aimed at young, single women, he felt like he had a list of potential first dates he could take Andrew on.
He rubbed at his mouth, trying to erase his giddy smile. Months of dancing around with Andrew, tentatively flirting, sharing secrets, scars, and vulnerabilities had finally come to a boiling point a few weeks earlier. Andrew had finally pressed himself against Neil, outside of his apartment, kissing him with a cautious air, and whispered, “Don’t kiss someone else.”
Once Neil had regained cognitive function, and the air in his lungs, he managed to reply, “Who else would I want to kiss?” Andrew had glared at him and dragged him upstairs after that.
Andrew was the only person Neil had ever dated, and while he loved their night time drives, or watching movies in Andrew’s apartment, he wanted to make sure he was treating Andrew right. He had considered bringing it up to Matt, who had been dating Dan successfully for several years, but had decided against it in the end. Allison would never let him hear the end of it, and Kevin was just as clueless as he was.
The only other option was the internet, which had been surprisingly helpful. He scribbled down some of the dates that would be easy for him to accomplish, and noted some of the ones that would take more planning. It would be worth it for Andrew.
— 1 —
Neil looked appreciatively around the backyard of the burger join he had chosen for their date. The picnic tables each had their own umbrellas and were spaced out far enough that customers wouldn’t overhear each other’s conversations. A few of the trees surrounding the perimeter had colorful lanterns swaying gently in the breeze. Strings of lights created an ambiance that Neil personally thought added to the atmosphere very nicely.
Not to be overly confident, but he was pretty sure this was the best date spot anyone had ever found. He grinned at Andrew who was sitting across from him. Andrew met his grin with a cool stare, and went back to people watching. Neil glanced down at the menu, noting the fact that there were milkshakes.
A waitress approached their table, and pulled her pen out of her pocket. “What can I get you, gentlemen?”
“The burger of the day, with no tomatoes for me, thanks,” Neil said, handing over his menu. He turned his gaze towards Andrew expectantly.
“Nothing for me.”
The waitress hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. “Sure, thing. I’ll get this going for you.” As she walked off, Neil felt a pinch of anxiety. He studied Andrew across the table from him, watching the string lights make Andrew’s hair more bronze than gold.
Andrew gazed at Neil blankly, and Neil did his best not to squirm. Why wouldn’t Andrew want a burger? Burgers were a safe bet. Most people liked burgers, according to the internet. Something clicked in Neil’s head.
“Are you a vegetarian?” he blurted out.
Andrew raised an eyebrow. “No.”
“Vegan?” Neil wrinkled his nose in disgust before he could stop himself, forcing himself to smooth out his features. He could be a supportive boyfriend. Even if it meant supporting something like veganism.
Andrew scoffed. “Definitely not.”
Neil wracked his brain. Kevin had tried almost every diet under the sun at one point. Keto was out because Andrew could have ordered a salad. The Paleo diet was out because it seemed too pretentious for Andrew. Neil bit his lip nervously. Why hadn’t he checked with Andrew before taking him here? He had been so wrapped up in the idea of the date, he hadn’t bothered to check in about the food.
“Neil.” Andrew’s terse voice broke through Neil’s thoughts. He looked up at Andrew, whose shoulders had drawn into a tight line. His entire body seemed racked with tension, and what appeared to be nervousness.
“I can’t eat here because I’m a vampire,” Andrew said, bluntly.
Neil’s mind drew a blank. That wasn’t a type of diet he had heard before. He opened his mouth, ready to ask more questions, but quickly shut it when assessing Andrew. The blonde was refusing to meet Neil’s eyes, staring far off into the distance. His jaw was a tight line and Neil could feel his knee bouncing under the table.
This wasn’t the time to be asking prying questions. He could do more research when the date was over.
He took a breath, “Okay. Do you want me to go ask them to make my food to go?” Neil glanced around for their waitress. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard.”
“No,” Andrew replied, “I’ll eat later.” He rolled his shoulders back, and his frame seemed to relieve a little tension. Neil smiled at him and Andrew rolled his eyes.
“Tell me about the book you’re reading. What was it called? The Moving Dead? ”
“ What Moves the Dead,” Andrew corrected. “Have you ever read Poe’s story, The Fall of the House of Usher?”
“No,” Neil grinned. “Tell me about it.”
— 2 —
A stroll around the city’s historical square was a great date idea, Neil thought to himself. The lamplight was romantic, and the summer breeze felt fresh and new. He clung tightly to Andrew’s hand as they meandered around the streets.
Every so often Andrew would stop to peer into the windows of stores to look at their displays. He would stop and stare quietly, as if committing what he saw to memory. Neil had wished that he had thought to come here during the day so that he could buy whatever Andrew wanted. He then made a mental note to look up if dates to the mall were a good idea.
Andrew hummed, and yanked Neil along the street. The old brick street dead ended and Andrew drew Neil towards an alleyway.
“Seems a bit dangerous,” Neil teased, following in Andrew’s wake.
Andrew scowled at Neil, and Neil poked him in the side. “Not from you, Drew. I know you’ll always protect me.” The alleyway was covered in dark shadows and Neil could only see Andrew’s eyes in the moonlight.
Andrew’s lips thinned out into a furious line, that Neil had come to recognize as an expression of devotion and exasperation. As if on cue, Andrew quickly raised Neil’s hand to his lips, and pressed a quick kiss to his knuckles.
Neil smothered a laugh, and they stumbled out into the main square again. Neil blinked at the sudden brightness of the lamps and looked around. The sound of organ music was drifting hypnotically through the night air.
Across the square, the old cathedral’s doors were open. It must have been for an evening service, Neil realized. Candlelight spilled out of the entryway and Neil was struck with a sudden idea.
“Come on,” he said to Andrew, making his way across the square.
“Where?” Andrew asked, following Neil.
“Into the cathedral, I bet you-” Neil’s arm was jerked to a halt. He jolted in his tracks back to where Andrew had firmly planted his feet.
“No.” Andrew’s jaw was set firmly.
Neil blinked. “Okay.” He glanced back towards the candlelight twinkling in the night. “Um, why?”
Andrew looked at him with an expectant look on his face. “I’m a vampire.”
“Oh, right,” Neil said, lamely. He had forgotten to look up what that meant. He had been too distracted by Andrew’s kisses after their failed burger date to really care about Andrew’s diet. He seemed healthy, so it was really none of Neil’s business anyway. He guessed being a vampire was more of a lifestyle choice then? He wasn’t too sure.
He definitely respected Andrew’s commitment to the aesthetic though.
Andrew tugged on Neil’s hand, guiding him back towards his car. “Why would you want to go in there anyway?” he asked, as he unlocked the doors.
Neil blushed as he settled into the passenger seat. “I thought you would look pretty in the candlelight,” he said, sheepishly.
Andrew froze for a moment, his hands locked on the steering wheel. Then, he quickly swooped in and pressed an angry, harsh kiss to Neil’s lips. Neil barely had a moment to respond, when Andrew drew back.
“I can light you a few candles in my room,” Andrew whispered against Neil’s lips. A furious heat worked its way down Neil’s chest.
He cleared his throat, “Yes, let’s go do that.”
— 3 —
Mall dates were a good idea, according to the internet. In fact, many teens went on dates to the mall. Neil had decided to ignore that last part, since he and Andrew had both left their teen years far behind.
Lots of websites had told him to treat his partner and to buy them things that they picked out in person. Neil knew he could do that without fail. He still had a lot of money from his trust fund his Uncle Stuart had set up for him. Additionally, his work as a translator had helped pad his bank account.
Andrew picked Neil up in his car after sunset, and Neil slid excitedly into the passenger seat. Andrew held out his hand in greeting and Neil took it happily, pressing a kiss to the back of Andrew’s hand.
The mall wasn’t too busy on a Wednesday night, for which Neil was grateful. He followed Andrew around dutifully, holding his hand and letting Andrew tug him into different stores. Andrew was pulling things off shelves at an alarming speed and Neil felt pleased that the date was going so well. He was excited to buy things for Andrew, who usually seemed so content to window shop after hours.
Suddenly, a pile of clothes was foisted into his arms.
“Go try those on,” Andrew instructed.
Neil spluttered. “Andrew, I wanted to treat you.” He struggled to lift the clothes; how had Andrew been carrying all this weight?
Andrew looked thoughtful. “Let me watch then,” he asked.
Neil felt his face flush. “Yeah, okay,” he stammered, and Andrew sent him a smirk. The dressing rooms were deserted and Andrew herded Neil into the farthest room. Andrew took the clothes from Neil, who took the moment to shake out his arms. Andrew eyed what he had chosen critically, and then held out a pair of pants and a shirt at Neil.
“These first,” he said, then sat himself down on the singular stool in the room.
Neil felt a rush of anticipation zing down his stomach as Andrew leaned back, his eyes lazily roaming Neil’s form. He quickly changed into a black shirt, with long mesh sleeves. Andrew pointed to a pair of baggy jeans and Neil hopped into them.
They shockingly fit his waist well and Andrew nodded his head approvingly. Neil moved both into his ‘maybe’ pile as he tried on a dark blue sweater with gold accents. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Andrew dragged both the shirt and pants into his lap.
“You don’t have to get those for me,” Neil told Andrew, turning to face him.
“Shut up,” Andrew instructed, motioning for Neil to pass him the sweater. Then, he pointed to a pair of yoga pants.
Neil shrugged the sweater off his head obediently, and tugged on the yoga pants. He twisted around to look at himself in the mirror, and caught Andrew eyeing his ass appreciatively. Neil grinned at Andrew in the mirror until the blonde looked up and scowled at him.
“We’re getting that in every color,” Andrew announced.
“Andrew, no!” Neil protested. “I wanted to come here to buy you things. How can you even afford all this?”
Andrew rolled his eyes. “I’m a vampire.”
Neil hesitated before shrugging. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure,” Andrew said. “Get dressed. We need to get you new running shoes.”
— 4 —
The sun was beaming pleasantly down on Neil’s skin as he hopped out of his car. Today, he was taking Andrew on a surprise date to the beach. The internet had suggested both surprises and beaches, so Neil had gone above and beyond and combined them.
He bounded up the stairs to Andrew’s apartment, and knocked a few times on the door. He waited a few moments, then shifted back and forth. Andrew seemed to be taking a while to respond. Neil was sure that Andrew had said he was free all day. Or maybe he had said he was free all night? He couldn’t remember now.
Neil wondered if he should knock again, or even call, when the door suddenly swung open. Andrew stood in the shadow of the doorway, blanket wrapped around his shoulders, blinking blearily at Neil. His hair stood up at unflattering angles, and his face had crease lines from his pillows.
Neil swore he felt his heart skip a beat.
“Um, hi,” he stuttered. Andrew grunted at him and turned back inside, gesturing with his head for Neil to follow him. “I’m here because I wanted to surprise you,” he said.
“I’m surprised,” Andrew replied, his voice sounding raspy. He made his way further into his apartment, which was surprisingly dark for how sunny it was outside. He must have blackout curtains, Neil observed to himself.
“I came to see if you wanted to go to the beach with me?” Neil’s voice trailed off into a question, and he felt momentarily embarrassed by his hesitation.
“Can’t. Vampire,” Andrew replied. Neil felt himself deflate. Andrew probably stayed indoors to keep his pale skin untanned. He should have thought of that.
“Well, that’s alright. I can come back la-” he cut himself off as Andrew lurched towards him, wrapping his fingers into the front of Neil’s shirt.
“Come nap,” Andrew instructed.
“Yeah, alright,” Neil said, quickly. “Anything.” Andrew gave him an appraising look, and turned down the hallway.
Neil quietly trailed after Andrew, watching as Andrew crawled back into his bed, which had been piled high with blankets and pillows. Andrew patted the bed next to him, and Neil started to crawl in after him.
“Neil,” Andrew said, sharply, halting his progress immediately. “Outside clothes.”
“Oh, right,” Neil huffed to himself. He stripped off his shirt and rummaged through Andrew’s dresser to grab a pair of shorts. Andrew nodded in approval, and Neil crawled under the covers. It was warm and soft, and Neil felt himself relaxing almost immediately. Andrew poked and maneuvered his body, until Neil was perfectly molded to his chest.
Andrew wrapped his arms around Neil, and whispered, “Sleep now. Beach later.”
Neil felt himself smile as he began to drift off.
— 5 —
Neil hurriedly ran around the kitchen, putting finishing touches on the meal. The internet had said that cooking a homemade meal was romantic, but Neil only knew how to make spaghetti and meatballs.
But, pasta could be romantic and he had added candles all over his apartment. He hoped that the candles covered up the smell because the recipe had told him to use a lot of garlic. Neil had been tasting the sauce and meatballs throughout the cooking process, and he thought it tasted great. He just hoped Andrew liked it too.
He heard a knock at the door, and shouted, “It’s open!”
A few seconds passed, and Neil looked over his shoulder. No sign of Andrew. He frowned and walked over to his door. Maybe it wasn’t unlocked?
He peered through the peephole and saw Andrew waiting placidly on his porch. He swung the door open, and beamed at Andrew. “Sorry, thought it was unlocked. Come inside!”
Andrew followed Neil into his entryway, stooping to remove his boots. Neil hurried into the kitchen and pulled out some bowls. Leaning over the stove, he took the top off the pot and stirred the sauce.
A violent gagging noise from behind him made him jump. He turned around to see Andrew covering his nose and mouth with his shirt.
Andrew hissed angrily, “Are you trying to kill me?”
Neil felt his mouth drop open in surprise. “No!” He looked around the kitchen desperately. “Are you allergic? I was only trying to cook-“
“Trying to kill me,” interrupted Andrew. Neil grabbed the pot and shoved it into the fridge. At least the smell would be contained. He moved to the living room to open his balcony doors to start airing out the apartment.
“I wasn’t trying to kill you,” he said angrily. Embarrassment was rushing through his body in waves.
“I’m a vampire and you made me garlic laced food,” Andrew drawled sarcastically. “Tell me your genius plans then.”
Neil stopped short, something clicking into place in his brain. He turned back around to face Andrew and examined him critically. Andrew tilted his head and raised an eyebrow in question.
“Are you-“ Neil hesitated. “Are you actually a vampire?”
Andrew looked at him incredulously. “ Yes, ” he said.
“Oh,” Neil said, almost to himself. A lot of the past few weeks were sliding into place. He hummed to himself as he recollected all the times he had humiliated himself in front of Andrew.
“Sorry I asked you to go to the beach,” he said abruptly. “That was pretty insensitive of me.”
Andrew stood silently watching Neil from across the kitchen.
“Do you still want to date me?” Neil asked hesitantly.
Andrew blinked in shock. “I should be asking you that,” he replied coolly. “Seeing as how I’m the monster in this situation.”
“You are not a monster,” Neil shot back viciously. Andrew raked his gaze over Neil appraisingly, and Neil felt his body flush with heat.
“Yes,” Andrew said quietly into the silence.
Neil looked at him in confusion for a moment, until it clicked. A wave of relief swept through him. Andrew moved towards him, and held out his hand. Neil took it without questioning.
“Come back to my place,” Andrew said. Neil smiled.
— +1 —
“Okay,” Neil said, leaning back against Andrew’s chest. He felt Andrew’s fingers idly twisting locks of his hair. Thinking about it, he should have noticed that Andrew’s chest didn’t rise and fall with the natural rhythms of breathing. Andrew tugged on his hair to get him to keep speaking.
“Okay,” Neil repeated. “So, I know that you can’t eat food, you can’t go into churches, you can’t go eat garlic, and you can’t go out during the day.”
“Food is difficult to digest, so why bother,” Andrew corrected. “Churches make me itchy, garlic makes me sweaty, and, for the record, I can go outside, I’m just nocturnal, so it’s difficult.”
Neil hummed in understanding, contemplating Andrew’s words. “You sound like a diet vampire,” he finally said. Andrew snorted and Neil grinned. There had seemed to be a loosening of tension in Andrew recently. Neil hadn’t realized how his actions, well-meaning as they were, had been causing Andrew stress. He shifted, pressing a kiss to Andrew’s shoulder and snagged his phone off the coffee table.
“I have more questions,” he informed Andrew, pulling up his internet browser.
Andrew leaned over his shoulder, peering at the screen. “10 Vampire Myths?” he read dryly.
“It’s important,” Neil stressed. “Can you see your reflection in mirrors?”
“Not if they’re backed with silver,” Andrew replied.
“So, no antiquing dates,” Neil said. Andrew tugged on his hair again in a silent reprimand.
“Can you fly?” Neil asked.
“No,” Andrew replied firmly. “Scared of heights.”
“No rock climbing, skydiving, or ziplining dates then,” Neil sighed.
Andrew rolled his eyes. “Find someone else to be an adrenaline junkie with,” he said.
“Can you turn into a bat?” Neil asked, curiously.
“Absolutely not,” Andrew said.
“Then we can for sure go to the zoo,” Neil said happily. He paused, trying to decide how to ask his final question.
Andrew nosed his hair above his ear. “I can almost see the cogs in your brain struggling to turn,” he murmured, vibrations rumbling down Neil’s scalp. “Out with it, junkie.”
“Blood sucking?” Neil’s voice trailed off into a question. He hadn’t seen any signs of Andrew drinking blood over the past few weeks, but that wasn’t to say that it hadn’t happened.
“Yeah, that has to happen,” Andrew replied, tracing his lips down Neil’s neck. He pressed a delicate kiss to Neil’s pulse, and Neil suppressed a shudder. He felt Andrew smirk and he turned around to sink into Andrew’s kiss.