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“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Come oooon,” Ray smiled in response, holding up the black and red Dracula cape. “It would be funny as Hell and nobody would know.”
“I think we have different definitions of funny,” Gerard sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Ever since Gerard had been bitten and turned into a vampire a few months ago, Ray had been trying to reintegrate him back into the human world. As much as he could with Mikey's help during daytime hours, anyways.
“Point being,” Ray continued, ignoring Gerard's comment, “I think it would be good for you. A Halloween party is nice and normal. Perfectly human.”
“Aside from wanting to bite and suck dry every person there, except maybe you and Mikey?”
“Mostly human. And, you won't even have to wear the shitty plastic vampire fangs.”
“Yeah, because that was my biggest worry,” Gerard grumbled, “plastic muzzle for my new teeth.” Ray sighed, giving him a hard look for a moment.
“Look, man,” Ray started lightly, “I know this sucks. Bad phrasing,” he added quickly, seeing Gerard's glare. “But I don't know how to fix this. I don't know if it can be fixed. But I miss my best friend, and I want you back, even if you want to bite shit out of me sometimes. Plus, Mikey and I will be there to keep things in check.”
Gerard huffed, looking between the cape and Ray for a long moment. He knew he wasn't easy to deal with, but somehow, Ray had stuck through him during everything thus far. Including his transition to vampirism. Between him and Mikey, Gerard knew he had a good support system.
As much as a confused 30 year old could need when becoming a vampire, he imagined.
“Fine, fine, but only for a few hours. Whose party is it?” Gerard asked.
“Yes!” Ray fist-pumped, draping the cape over Gerard's shoulders and clasping it together in the front. “Mikey's coworker Frankie is throwing it at his cabin, it's like a 30 minute drive into the woods from here.”
“Oh, great,” Gerard said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “So we'll either be dismembered and killed, or wake up tomorrow morning with tattoos we don't remember asking for. That's brilliant, Ray.”
“Shut up and slick back your hair, Dracula.”
“This is fucking stupid, Mikey. Why am I throwing a party again?”
“Because it's fun,” Mikey grinned, pinning the last of the fake bats into place for decoration. “Plus, my brother has been in a funk lately, and you're the only person I know with space enough to throw a party to maybe get his mind off of things. I already invited people.”
“We're a little old for this, you know,” Frank pointed out. “I'm turning 26, and you're 27. Isn't your brother like, 30 or something?”
“Being older doesn't make us or them allergic to fun, Frank.”
“Makes having a party a little childish, though.”
“You draw and color on people for a living, and you look like a walking sketchbook,” Mikey pointed out, raising a brow. “Mister tattoo artist.”
Frank opened and closed his mouth, eyes narrowing a little at that. Fucking prick had a point.
“Fine. What's his deal?”
“What do you mean?” Mikey asked, clicking through Frank's television till he found a scary movie to play in the background.
“You said he was in a funk. What's got him messed up lately?” Frank asked. Mikey paused for a moment, giving Frank a nervous look.
“Well. You know how you told me that thing before, when we got drunk about a year ago, about you being chronically ill?”
“Werewolf isn't a dirty word, Mikey.”
“Well, it's something like that.”
Frank furrowed his brows at that, tilting his head in confusion. Something like that. Something like a werewolf.
“So, what,” Frank tried, “your brother's a werewolf, too?”
“No, not a werewolf exactly,” Mikey answered carefully, turning towards Frank once he found a movie. “More like the heads to your tails of the same, weird supernatural coin.”
“...Oh, for fucks sake, Mikey,” Frank responded after a few seconds of silence. “Not a God damned bloodsucker.”
Nearly two hours later, Frank's cabin was filled with people dressed in various costumes, the stench of alcohol and smoke making Frank's lip curl in disgust as Mikey dragged him towards the front door while loud music played. He had been doing a fair job of avoiding his best friend and coworker so far, but there were only so many places to hide.
“All you have to do is invite him in, Frank! Five seconds, tops,” Mikey groaned, dragging Frank by the hand towards the front door of the cabin. “Ray is bringing him over and I promise we'll watch him. I think you'll like him, honestly.”
“I think you're forgetting the part where vampires and werewolves are like, mortal enemies,” Frank deadpanned. “They smell like corpses, and if he's a fresh turn, then he'll be antsy for a drink.”
“He smells like a turtle tank and drinks blood bags from Ray's work, now come on,” Mikey pleaded. “He only ever bit me once on the hand, and even that was an accident. He's like a puppy.”
“I'm more of a puppy than he is,” Frank grumbled, pausing and letting go of Mikey's hand as he caught sight of Ray standing in the doorway with who he assumed to be Gerard. Dressed as Dracula. Christ.
Frank couldn't tell if it was the somewhat stale smell that hit him first, almost like a funeral parlor sitting room, or the panicked state in Gerard's eyes as he glanced around Frank's cabin while Mikey tried to talk to his older brother. The one thing Frank could tell for certain was that his initial thought on a bloodthirsty beast was far from the truth, which he was silently thankful for as he approached the group.
“Good to see you, Ray,” Frank greeted, trying to speak over the loud party music. Ray, dressed in his skeleton costume, gave him a small nod and smile in response, shaking Frank's hand in greeting before Frank's gaze returned to Gerard. “You must be Gerard.”
Gerard almost looked like he was going to be sick at the realization Frank was a werewolf, but he nodded back anyways.
“Yeah. Thanks for the invite,” Gerard tried, sticking out his hand for Frank to shake. Frank glanced down at it for the briefest of seconds, internally debating.
“Sure,” he replied after a few seconds, taking Gerard's hand and shaking it. “Come on in.” Frank could see the way Gerard visibly relaxed almost immediately at the statement, hesitantly stepping into Frank's cabin. But it was the sickening warmth in Frank's palm as they shook hands that made his mind blank.
Oh, shit. Frank almost felt cursed with something worse than lycanthrophy at the realization that his best friend's brother was his mate. He felt stupid now at the thought that Mikey's nurse costume was the worst thing of the night.
“See, not too hard, right?” Mikey asked Frank as he linked his own arm with Gerard's, quickly dragging his elder brother away without protest.
“I don't know how you put up with him,” Frank told Ray after a few seconds of watching Mikey and Gerard trailing through the crowded room of the party. Mikey was his best friend, and he often found himself wondering how that even happened.
“He's a good friend,” Ray smiled back, eyes happy as he watched Mikey from across the room. “He makes an even better boyfriend. Plus, Gerard is my best friend. We'd love for you to join us in our campaign some time you know, now that we've all met officially."
“Campaign?”
“Dungeons and Dragons.”
“Mikey is already pushing how lucky he feels tonight with this party, don't you start with me now, too.” Ray snorted at that, giving Frank a small pat on the back before joining Mikey and Gerard across the room. “Fucking prick,” Frank mumbled, taking a swig of his beer and shaking his head.
By the time Frank had done a lap around his cabin to make sure his bedrooms were all unoccupied and stepped outside for a smoke to escape the crowd, he was more than surprised to see Gerard sitting outside alone, practically frozen in place as he stared up at the moon. Frank furrowed his brows, glancing up at the white orb in the sky uncomfortably before his gaze shifted back to Gerard.
“Where's Mikey and Ray?” Frank asked as he sat on the opposite end of the bench Gerard was currently seated on. The vampire glanced over, seemingly worried and surprised all at once at Frank's appearance.
“Oh, uh,” Gerard started, focusing on the man in front of him, “pretty sure they went out into the woods past your property line. Something about knowing how annoyed you'd be if they claimed a room.” Frank made a disgusted face at that, sighing and shaking his head as he pulled out a pack of pre-rolls.
“Wanted this party, then didn't even stay for it. Your little brother is something else,” Frank mumbled, lighting a joint and taking a drag as he shoved the rest of them back into his pocket. “I've said it to Ray, and I'll say it to you. Don't know how you put up with him.”
“Mikey's my little brother,” Gerard smiled. Frank caught sight of Gerard's fangs as he did, but he didn't comment on it. “He reminds me what it's like to be human, I guess. This is…all relatively new to me still. Good to have a reminder of what's important to me so I don't go all feral.”
“And what's important to you?” Gerard seemed almost taken off guard by Frank's question.
“Family. Friends. Keeping them safe,” Gerard answered after a few hesitant seconds of silence, thinking it over. “I guess it boils down to people I care about. They remind me I used to be-”
“Something other than a monster?” Frank finished for him, almost cynical. Gerard's expression faltered slightly at that, and Frank rolled his eyes slightly. “Not calling you a monster. I'm speaking from experience. Guess it doesn't matter what we're turned into, when we all drown in the same pool.”
An almost comfortable, though mildly awkward silence, fell between the two, Gerard back to glancing up at the waxing moon and Frank taking small drags off his joint while the music and party continued inside. Frank still couldn't believe that out of all people, his instincts were telling him his mate was his brother's best friend. And a vampire, no less, though it sounded like a recent development for Gerard.
“How long?” Frank asked, earning a confused look from Gerard.
“Huh?”
“How long have you been like this?” Frank tried again, eyes flicking down to Gerard's mouth before back up to his eyes. “Fangs seem like a bitch to grow in.”
“Oh,” Gerard said, almost groaning. “A few months, I suppose. Time is kind of weird now, but not long. Went out to drink at the bar, and someone took a drink from me instead.” Frank snorted at that, lips curling upwards, and Gerard smiled, almost relieved.
“Well, at least whoever it was didn't kill your snark or sense of humor, too,” Frank replied. “Most vampires I've met are either super dull, or just bloodthirsty.”
“Yeah, well,” Gerard relented, “the first week wasn't pretty. I refused to…to drink from anyone, and it was taking a toll. Ray finally convinced me that since technically all the blood he was bringing me was willingly donated, I wasn't harming anyone.” Frank hummed at that. He supposed it made sense.
“Better than you going all rabid and going on a spree,” Frank added. “After a certain point, I've heard it gets really difficult to control the thirst. Ray probably saved your life, and countless others.” Gerard nodded in silent agreement, knowing it was true. Had it not been for Ray, Gerard was likely to wreak havoc during the earlier parts of his transition, leading into an even harder life as a vampire.
“What about you?” Gerard asked after a few moments of silence. "How long have you been a werewolf?”
“Always,” Frank shrugged. “We don't start showing physical signs like transforming until later in life, after puberty, so I guess I had a relatively normal human childhood. Being a werewolf isn't too different from being a human, mostly. Past that, it's mostly mental.”
“Mental?”
“It's like…having a second you in your head you can interact with. A lucid living conscience,” Frank tried, and Gerard grimaced slightly. “Yeah. Annoying as shit, at times.”
“Sounds like it,” Gerard mumbled back. “At least I'm just thirsty and have to use an incredibly high SPF sunblock. Not have to worry about a voice in my head, or fleas.”
“Oh,” Frank snorted, “that's rich coming from a man who drinks bloodbag Caprisuns and is on a permanent juice cleanse.” The two men stared at each other for a moment before starting to laugh, smiles on both of their faces at the image.
“Fair enough, I guess,” Gerard replied, tone still light and smile still in place.
Frank took the moment Gerard was distracted to look at him. Really look at him. He was handsome, he would admit. With his dark hair slicked back like Dracula, as corny as it was, it almost made him look classically handsome. Between Frank admitting to himself Gerard was attractive, and the sickening warmth that flooded his palm when shaking hands earlier…Frank knew he was fucked. Absolutely fucked.
“D'you think Frank has realized it yet?” Ray asked, chin resting on Mikey's shoulder and arms around the slightly shorter man as the pair watched Gerard and Frank talk from a distance, the pair leaning against one of the trees bordering Frank's property. Mikey hummed at that, taking a small sip of his beer.
“Probably,” Mikey finally answered, letting out almost an annoyed huff. “I hope so, anyways. They'd be good for each other. They both need this. Plus, maybe it would keep Frank from sniffing my hoodie every time I take it off.”
“Your fault for letting your vampire brother wear it all the time and getting…what did you call it? Mate stink? All over your clothes,” Ray snickered. “Besides, who knows how long it would've taken them to meet otherwise. Between Frank's attitude and Gerard's shyness…” Ray trailed off, and Mikey sighed in response.
“I know, I know,” Mikey relented. “Best chance was this party. Which, I'm still kind of surprised he let me throw. This, or forcing Frank to play Dungeons and Dragons with us.”
“He wasn't likely to play with us any time soon, Mikey. The first time you asked him to play, he asked if you had somehow regained your virginity,” Ray rolled his eyes. “You're going to have to get him a good present for throwing a party on his birthday when he didn't want one.”
“He gets my brother, but I know,” Mikey smiled with a shrug. “He'll play with us now, though. Especially if Gee asks him. Besides, not just virgins play Dungeons and Dragons, you know.”
“Clearly,” Ray teased, giving the shorter man a soft squeeze, eliciting a squeal of protest. “I seem to recall someone getting handsy with the DM after the last session we held.”
“So what!” Mikey huffed. “You were perfectly happy to let me suck you off, thank you.” Ray snorted in laughter in response, making Mikey groan. “See if I ever do that again.”