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April 17, 1927
Orpheus didn’t remember until the blood of his first killed filled his veins. He dropped the body and started screaming in agony, his past life flooded into him as his current life died.
Max rested a hand on his shoulder and he shudder, shivers racking his body as he moaned in pain. The man reminded him of Hades, cold to the touch and wanting control, trying to find warmth in the people he surrounded himself.
“Is alright David, every new vampire reacts differently to the death of their human body” Max informed him, unaware what was really causing him such distress was remembering who he used to be, remembering the harsh winds, the melody, a hungry young girl who he loved so much.
“Eurydice I’m so sorry” A sob racked through Orpheus’s (David’s?) body, remembering the way his stomach has dropped, thinking they had made it out only to see her with a foot still in. Remembers tears streaming down both their face, the sad smile he gave her as her body disappeared even when Orpheus tried running to her.
“Let it happen son”
David (Or was he Orpheus?) would never let Max know, he didn’t know what the man would do if he ever found out reincarnation was real, he gloated about vampires and beings of immortality, defying the law of nature, David (Orpheus?) doesn’t want him to know that his cheated death twice already.
•••
July 31, 1973
“Who is Eurydice?” Marko asked cautiously. David’s finger stop strumming momentarily, the humming in his throat dying. He kept his eyes fixed on the red carnation that had sprouted from the ground at his melody.
“Do you believe in reincarnation Marko?” David turned to look at Marko after a minute, the boy’s hand fidgeted with his fingers, a nervous tick he’d soon grow out of. Marko had only recently turned, still getting used to the life of the undead.
“That’s real?” Marko’s eyes widen. David never kept if a secret from the boys, kinda hard when you wake up with your wife’s name on your lips, when you stare at every hungry young girl hoping for an instant it’s her before the hope died within him. Dwayne found out quickly, when David sang a melody and red carnation grew around them. He couldn’t bring spring back but the flowers seemed to haunt him.
“Vampires are real, why can’t reincarnation be?” David gave the curious boy a slight grin. After Paul had also found out because David woke up screaming her name, David didn’t bother keeping it a secret from the vampires that joined his little family, of course Max would still never find out, he swore the boys to secrecy, and it wasn’t like they didn’t have a million things they kept from Max already.
“She was wife, long before…”
•••
Meanwhile in Phoenix, Arizona
Eurydice tried keeping the sobs as quiet as she (he?) could. Clutching the red carnation as the teenage body Eurydice been reborn into racked with pains of a life lived before.
Michael had been walking to his house when he spotted a red carnation that seemed to have sprouted from the ground on the sidewalk. Michael never cared for flowers, but something called him to it. Kneeling down, he carefully plucked the flowers.
Eurydice fell onto her (his?) knees, glad nobody was outside as memories flooded back. The horrible hunger, the harsh winter, a boy who made her feel loved, a choice she took, the weird warmth of what she thought would be a chilling place, her husband defying the gods to bring her back, the realization on both their face as he looked back.
Eurydice (Michael?) never hated Orpheus, she (who was she?) never could, Eurydice forgave him the moment he turned around, even as hell called her back. She (he?) would never forget the look on his face.
At home, he (she?) ignored Lucy’s worry calling from the kitchen, Sam playing in the living room, his father nowhere in sight and hid in his (her? This was so confusing, being reborn as a boy) room, sliding against the door trying to come to terms with what was happening.
A knock on the door startled him. “Honey? Are you okay? Lunch is going to be ready soon” Lucy’s soft yet concerned voice resinated through the door. Michael (she had to be Michael) took a deep breath and tried controlling his voice.
“I’m fine! I need a minute to freshen up”
Eurydice could never tell them
•••
April 26, 1987
Michael sat on his bike staring at the house. His bruises still hurt like hell, it was way too early and he wanted nothing but to get the hell out of there already. Michael didn’t like Phoenix after he remembered, the dessert heat reminded him of the unnatural heat in hell, his father was a drunk with a mean left hook and Michael had looked at every poet and guitarist he stumbled onto with a pained look.
He turned to look at his family. Lucy reminded Michael of Lady Persephone sometimes, her sweet demeanor, she brought warmth with her and joy even in the darkness moments like the goddess did in the harsh winter.
Sam was getting Nanook into the moving the truck, a box of comics in his arm he argued he needed to hold onto to keep in pristine condition.
Michael looked back at the house. His life took a turn when he held that red carnation in his hand. Somehow being a boy now wasn’t the weirdest thing, he’d come to term with that quickly, wasn’t like he could do much about that, and he had already lived most of this life as Michael, even if on the inside he’ll always be Eurydice.
Michael only hoped, if he ever found his husband again, he wouldn’t judge this new body…
“Michael! Get your bike in the van, we need to go!”
Michael sighed as he hoped off and made his way to the van. He hasn’t told them about his past, is not that he doesn’t want to but is kinda hard to explain.
“hey so I’m a reincarnation of a girl from ancient greek who died and was sent to hell, my husband tried to save me but the gods, who are real by the way, made a test we couldn’t beat and I was sent back, and I found a red carnation one day and remembered all this so I’m not fully your little boy anymore”
Yea, not happening. Michael had been able to keep it on the down low pretty good either way, hadn’t had any slips up after the first few weeks, when he’d hoard food on instinct or his fascination with coins suddenly, reminder of the tickets to the underground.
Michael winced as he mounted the bike into the van. Santa Carla would be a new start, there was something tugging in his soul when his mom announced they would be living in their grandpa’s old house now, like something was waiting for him, he just didn’t know what.
•••
David has had a feeling for days, a tugging in his soul he couldn’t quite identify. It wasn’t danger, he knew what sensing danger was like and it wasn’t that. The others noticed, even Star who was still new to sensing things could tell.
“We can cancel if you want” Dwayne suggested, looking at David as he leaned against one of the many boxes backstage. They had a show in half an hour and the tugging in his soul had gotten worst, it was like something was trying to get out of him or guide him somewhere, David wasn’t sure yet.
“No, is fine” David tried taking another deep breath but the feeling got worst. He knew everyone was staring at him, David wanted to tell them all to fuck off but he knew they were concerned, he could feel it in the bonds.
“I need a minute” David pushed himself off the wall and made his way out into the cold night, ignoring the shouts of concern. He needed to get out, something was calling to him and David needed to find out what it was before it drove him mad.
He pushed his way through the crowd, following his instincts, people parted the way, maybe it was his intimidating aura, maybe it was because of his focus looked, maybe it was people recognized him from the band, David didn’t really put much thought into it.
It got worst near the stores, David wondered for a moment if he was dying or something, he couldn’t explain the feeling. He stood in the middle of the moving crowd and closed his eyes, honing into his senses, something was calling to him. Opening his eyes, he turned to the direction where the comic book store those two kids worked at was, another kid entered the store, and from the direction he came from-
David felt the world stop, well actually he did make it stop unknowingly, but that wasn’t important. Because meeting his eyes was someone David never thought he’d see again.
She looked different now; he wasn’t young girl anymore but a young man, brown curly hair where black long hair had been, a defined face instead of softer features, blue eyes where brown eyes had been. But Orpheus knew Eurydice anywhere
“Eurydice…”
•••
Michael had thought he was having a heart attack when the tugging in his soul got worst when they arrived in Santa Carla, he could barely focus bringing stuff into the house, he needed to get out, something was telling him to get out, go somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t here.
He had walked to the boardwalk by himself, his mom didn’t let him ride his bike but he was desperate to get out. Sam and Lucy ended up in the boardwalk themselves later, Michael stumbled onto Sam who had quickly dragged him to the comic book store Michael had no interest in going into, especially when the tugging got worst.
“Don’t wander off” Michael warned Sam as his little brother entered the comic book store, the tugging was the worst it ever was that Michael was sure he was about the drop dead a third time.
Michael closed his eyes, he felt overstimulated by everything, he tried centering himself, taking a deep breath even though everything smelled of alcohol, greasy fair food and who knows what else.
Michael opened his eyes and felt the word stop, (he didn’t know it actually had) because staring right back at him was someone Michael had been desperately trying to find. His eyes had already begun watering, tears threatening to spill.
He looked different; platinum blond hair where black curls had been, blue eyes were green used to be, sharper features that were almost ethereal, pale skin, a more muscular body instead of the lithe one that came from little food in the time they used to live in. But even now, Eurydice knew Orpheus anywhere.
“Eurydice…”
His voice was so much deeper but as he said he’s name Michael let the tears fall as a sobbed escape his mouth.
“Orpheus!”
•••
They don’t know who ran first, maybe both did, but Orpheus held his wife for the first time in decades, who sobbed into his chest.
David felt tears falling down his face, he hadn’t cried in so long, it wasn’t an emotion he was used to feeling after becoming a vampire, but as he held Eurydice, his wife, (or husband he guessed, Eurydice was a guy now, not that David cared, he swung both ways, and even if he hadn’t he would always love every version of Eurydice) he didn’t care if anyone saw him cried.
“It’s you…” David whisper, cupping Eurydice’s face to get a better look at him, his beautiful blue eyes that were filled with so many tears, twin streams running down his beautiful face, lips trembling with every sob, curls framing his face making him look so alive.
“It’s me” Michael laughed between his sorrowed woes, looking into Orpheus pale face, into his captivating blue eyes filled with tears slowly falling down. Up close Michael could see Orpheus had a bit of gold around his eyes. Slowly, Michael brought his hands to rest against Orpheus’s own.
David stared into his Eurydice’s face for a moment. The tugging had completely disappeared, replaced with such a feeling of completion like he had been missing part of himself. Warm hands held onto his cold ones and David was suddenly hit with the fact that Eurydice was human, he could hear his heart beat mighty in his chest, blood rushing through his veins. Eurydice could grow old while David stayed the same for years to come, and suddenly David hated being a vampire.
“Orpheus?…” Michael saw Orpheus eyes flash gold for a moment as a frown took over his face, his tears slowing down. Orpheus looked lost in his head, a looked Michael had seem before when he was focused on finishing his song.
Michael lowered one of his hands to Orpheus chest, settling it where Orpheus heart should be. He was about to ask what was wrong when he paused and stared at his hand.
Orpheus had no heart beat
He couldn’t feel it, not even the slightest beat beneath the skin that Michael finally noticed was unnaturally cold. Concerned and confusion flooded Michael’s senses, he looked up, ready to ask when he finally noticed his surroundings.
Nobody was moving, everything was frozen in place, he could Sam in the comic book store, frozen as the two kids were also frozen mid conversation with him.
“What is happening?…” David finally came back to himself, noticing Eurydice looking around with growing concern, the hand on his chest where his heart no longer beat. David looked up to see everything frozen and felt panic creep up, he hadn’t noticed he had frozen time, he hadn’t even thought Eurydice would notice quickly he wasn’t really alive.
David tried to stumble back, letting his hands fall from their place, fear for how Eurydice would react, until he quickly reached for his arms and held him in place “hey- no” he was looking deep into his eyes, that terrifying stare David had been subjected to multiple times. “Don’t run from me lover” Eurydice told him, and David almost felt tears well up in his eyes again. It had been so long since he heard that nickname.
“What is happening? Are you doing this?” Micheal questioned, maintaining a strong grip on Orpheus gloved wrist so he wouldn’t leave. Michael would not loose Orpheus again because of whatever was happening. Orpheus stared at him for a moment before sighing softly, looking away for a moment, gathering his thoughts before turning back with a defeated look.
Slowly, Orpheus brought Michael’s hands to his chest, his own hands covering Michael’s own. They looked into each other’s eyes, a million thoughts passing through them.
“What if I told you vampires were real?” Orpheus whispering, almost scared to admit it. Michael looked at Orpheus in shock for a second, looking over his face; the gold in his eyes, the sharper features, he took notice on how Orpheus nail’s were longer, claw liked, ready to slice through anything.
“Okay..” Eurydice accepted the fact quickly, David’s eyes widen “okay? You aren’t going to question it?” He asked confused. “We lived in a time of gods before, we were reincarnated, why should I not believe you? You wouldn’t lie to me”
David wanted to cry again, instead he closed his eyes and brought his forehead to rest against Eurydice’s, holding her warm hands tightly, they weren’t soft, even back then they had never been soft. They had calluses and rough from work. David closed his eyes and breathed deeply, even though he didn’t need to. He was glad he had frozen time around them, even if unintentionally, he didn’t want to have this conversation publicly surrounded by everyone.
“Is that what you are then? A vampire?” David open his eyes and stared into Eurydice’s curious own, they held no fear or hate in them like David feared they would once he found out the truth.
David nodded, he couldn’t find the words. He brought Eurydice’s hands up to his lips and kissed his knuckles softly, he longed to kiss Eurydice so desperately, to hold him forever and never let go.
“And this” He gestured to the time frozen around them. “Is this something vampires can do” he asked. “It takes time to learn, years of experience to be able to hold time as long as I have” David explained, running his fingers against Eurydice’s own. Eurydice tilted is head slightly. “How long have you been like this?” It was an innocent question yet David still froze for a second
“I’ve been twenty three for almost a century” Orpheus looked away as Michael audibly gasped. Orpheus definitely didn’t look like he’d been alive for so long, he looked as youthful as ever, Michael probably wouldn’t have been able to tell of he didn’t know Orpheus. “Have you been alone?…” he asked quietly, he dreaded the thought of Orpheus being alone for so long.
Orpheus shocked his head. “No, my sire, the man who turned me…” he trailed off for a second “his turned others, we all stay together, they have become my family” Michael smiled at that, glad Orpheus has not been alone this entire time, that he’s had company.
“What about you? Do you have a family?” Orpheus asked, a soft looked on his face Michael had missed dearly. “My little brother” Michael gestured to the comic book store. “My mother is probably around looking for a job, we just moved here today” David perked up about that. “And your father?”
Michael tensed momentarily, but Orpheus caught it and concerned took over his face. “What did he do?” He didn’t even ask if he didn’t have one or if he had died, Orpheus just knew Michael dead beat dad had done something. Maybe Orpheus could read minds, he wouldn’t be surprised if vampire could read minds.
That theory became more prevalent when Orpheus eyes narrow into something dangerous and looked at Michael’s torso, where the dark bruises hid under his shirt. “Hey-“ Michael released one of his hands for Orpheus hold and cupped the side of his face, making Orpheus look at him. His eyes had gone gold again and Michael could see a sharp set of canines peeking out slightly. “My mom got divorced, is why we moved, he can’t hurt me” Michael reassured the predator in front of him, even still Orpheus did not scare him the slightest. “I’m okay”
David’s eyes soften at that, that did not mean he wasn’t thinking on every way he was going to kill that man for even putting his hands on his husband, but Eurydice looked at him so sincerely he just sighed softly.
“So, you’re a vampire” David almost laughed at how Eurydice asked, but seeing the smile on his face made it worth it “Never grow old, never die” David shrugged. “I’ll die in daylight or if I get staked in the heart but” Eurydice looked terrified at that.
“So I could only see you at night?…” Eurydice frowned slightly, it was almost a pout and David wanted to kiss it off his face, their moods have been on a rollercoaster already and David just wanted to see him happy. “Soon as the sun goes down, I’m asleep during the day” David explained, technically he could be awake during the day but he’d to tired as hell, it truly wasn’t worth it, but if Eurydice wanted to see him in the day, somewhere where the sun wouldn’t get him, he’d do it.
Eurydice looked in his eyes, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. Even with a different face David could recognize Eurydice’s expression clearly. A minute passed before Eurydice spoke
“How does one become a vampire?”
“Eurydice-“
“Humor me”
Michael could see a battle going on in Orpheus head, a part wanting and a part questioning. Orpheus would live forever, he’ll never grow up while Michael did and that wasn’t fair, he searched for so long, he spent so long without Orpheus both lived and dammit he wasn’t going to go through that again.
Michael always had trouble feeling like he belonged, especially after remembering who he used to be. He didn’t feel like he connected well with his family, he barely had friends, he found freedom riding his bike because he felt like he could fly and for a moment not be shackled by anything,
Even back then, he only felt like he belonged when he met Orpheus, when his loved surrounded him whole and he promised the world to him. His mom told them Santa Carla was a chance to start anew, what if starting anew meant becoming a vampire to spend eternity with his husband?
“You need to drink a vampires blood, whoever that is will become your sire” Orpheus started explaining, his hands fell to Michael’s waist, Michael’s own found their way to Orpheus’s shoulders. “With vampire blood in your system you’ll be a halfling, half alive and half dead. You can go into sunlight but it will annoying, you’ll be tired during the day. You’d have the basic abilities but not as powerful as a full vampire” Orpheus hesitated on the next words. “To become a full vampire…” he paused “you have to make a first kill, drain a life”
David felt Eurydice tense and he instantly tightened his grip. “We don’t kill innocent people!” he needed him to know, he wasn’t a full monster. “My pack and I, he only feed on bad people; predators, racists, bigots, people causing trouble. We don’t go after kids or anything” David felt Eurydice relax under his grip. “I’m a monster, but I’m not horrible”
“No…” Eurydice started. “My father was a monster, you aren’t one” David eyes darken at that, god he wanted that man dead, he would make a good first kill if Eurydice did take the leap. Speaking off…
“Why did you ask?” David knew the answer, and even if he desperately wanted it, it would be Eurydice’s choice. And for the thoughts he could gather, Eurydice got along well with his mother and brother, becoming a vampire meant either never seeing them again or watching them grow old and die while you never do.
“I spent so long waiting for you” Eurydice wrapped his arms around David’s neck. “And I found you again…” his smile was intoxicating, David tighten his grip. “I’m not going to take the chances of loosing you again, not when we could spend forever together”
David’s breath would have been knocked out of him if he could breathe, he stared at Eurydice in shock. Was he seriously asking to become a vampire? Take the leap so they could spend their eternity together? Was the universe finally allowing them the peace to be together?
“What about-“ “I’ve always struggled with feeling like I belong, especially after I remembered everything” Eurydice looked away for a moment. “I love my family, but I’ve never even told them who I really am, I’m even more of an outsider now than before” Eurydice looked back at Orpheus, there was an overwhelming amount of love swimming in his eyes. “The only time I’ve ever felt like I belonged was when I was with you”
David would burn down the world for his husband, never in his lifetimes had he experienced such intense loved as the one they shared. David wanted to cry again just from the declaration, such pure love it busted out of Eurydice in rays that could make even the cruelest monster weak to the knees.
“Can I-“
David barely got the words out before soft lips were on his. The world exploded around them, time running its course around them, the music and sounds grew louder once more, people moved around them but neither of them cared. Sparks exploded around them, they clung to each in desperation and want, years of waiting, looking for each other, loosing and finding themselves once more. David could die in that moment but he would die happy, because his husband returned to him, his Eurydice.
They broke the kiss after a bit because Eurydice needed to breathe, but they giggled and rested their foreheads against each other, acting like two teenagers (technically Michael was a teenager) on their first date.
“You know…” David rose an eyebrow at the coming question. “You never told me your name”
Right, He’d been calling Eurydice, well, Eurydice this entire time. He didn’t know the name his husband had now in this body.
“David, David Powers” David saw Eurydice’s eyes light up. “David” he tested and David could melt at the sound of his name on Eurydice’s tongue. “Michael Emerson”
Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael-
“Michael” he tested out, stretching out the name. Michael shuddered in his hold and David couldn’t help but grin. “It suits you Michael” he loved the name, he loved everything about Michael, loved the way his cheeks flushed red and he looked away embarrassed. David cupped his cheek and made him look back, similar to what Michael had done before.
“Yours suits you as well David” Michael giggled and David wanted to capture the sound forever. He leaned for another kiss when
“DAVID!”
David audibly groaned and Michael laughed in his arms. They both turned to the sound of the voice and saw Dwayne coming up to them, stopping a few feet away, glancing at the both of them with confusion.
“Uh-“
“Michael, meet Dwayne, one of my oldest friends and brother” David had released his hold on Michael but kept an arm around him as he gestured to the tall man with long brown hair who had called David’s name. “Dwayne, meet Michael” he began. “Eurydice”
Michael saw Dwayne actually freeze in shock, starring at Michael in awe before glancing between the two of them again. Michael guessed David had told his family about them. “Oh my god” Dwayne finally said and Michael couldn’t helped but laugh, but then he saw the look of joy that seemed to paint Dwayne’s face as he looked at David with a huge smile “you found-“ He glanced again at Michael “him”
David smiled sheepishly, love adorned his face “yea..” he looked at Michael again “I did” Michael felt himself blushing hard again.
“This is a really sweet reunion but” Dwayne glanced somewhere behind him “we have a show in ten minutes” he reminded David, who cursed under his breath. Michael rose an eyebrow “a show?” He asked.
“Yea- we’re a band” David explained, looking towards the same direction Dwayne had a moment ago. Michael grinned at that “of course his poet was in a band”
“Come on” David grabbed Michael’s hand as they started making their way through the crowd, Michael didn’t even glance back where he left Sam at the comic book store, he’d be fine anyway. “You can meet the others and watch the show” David winked at him and Michael rolled his eyes, but still laughed as they kept pushing through.
Halfway, David started a humming a familiar melody Michael had only heard in his dreams recently, yet one he knew from long before. The humming was soft despite David’s deep voice, almost a lullaby. But as they neared a flower bed by the pier, Michael gasped as a familiar flower sprouted, one he hadn’t seen again since that day.
David stopped his humming and plucked the flower, twirling the stem around his finger with a smile before turning to Michael and slipping the flower behind his ear. “There we go…” Michael reached slightly to touch the flower, the same flowers David had been able to summon with his song back when he was Orpheus.
“Guys-“
If Dwayne wasn’t already dead, Michael was sure the glare David gave him would have killed him on the spot. Grinning, he tugged David forward “Come one Lover, you said I could watch a show” David followed him easily, he face melting into the love sick puppy look Michael had fallen for so long ago. “You don’t even know where you’re going” David reminded him, but Michael just shrugged “Dwayne knows” Dwayne laughed at that
“David I like your husband” he cackled, David rolled his eyes, mumbling “of course you do” under his breath as he walked hand in hand with Michael, glancing at him every few minutes, making sure to stay by his side, maybe afraid that if he walked a little forward, if he let go of Michael’s hand and glanced back he’d be gone.
Orpheus already lost Eurydice once,
David wouldn’t lose Michael again.