Work Text:
Lucy picked Sam up from the comic book store. She knew he was old enough to get home on his own, but she hadn’t been able to let him go since that night. It had been two years since Michael had left. She missed him. Sure, she saw him on the occasional Friday night at VideoMax. He made it a point to drop in when she was working late. But, it wasn’t the same. He wasn’t the same. Normally, she’d blame it on growing up. He wasn’t going to do that, though. Sam was going to catch up to him soon.
She was thankful that Sam didn’t put up a fuss about her needing him close. He knew how dangerous Santa Carla was at night just as much as she did. To be fair, they were probably the safest two people in the entire town. She didn’t want to put too much thought into what would happen to the poor idiot who tried to hurt either of them.
Lucy smiled at Sam and bumped his shoulder with hers. He gave her a smile and showed her his newest addition to his collection. She wasn’t sure what was so special about this one, she was just relieved it wasn’t a new vampire comic. Then again, Sam knew better than to share those with her. Every time she saw one, she thought about Michael. Michael hurting someone. Michael who didn’t show up in mirrors. Michael who could only pass for human if he got an invitation into the house. An invitation that she couldn’t bring herself to extend. Michael with a stake through his heart. Michael burning to ash in the sun.
She had to stop for a moment and remind herself that he was fine. She hadn’t seen him tonight, but that was okay. She leaned against the railing and stared out at the ocean. The sea breeze was refreshing and helped ease her mind. The crowd was lively. Teenagers were causing a general ruckus down by the pier. It was a typical late summer night.
That’s when she spotted them. She held her breath for just a moment and scanned the rest of the beach. It was only Michael and David. None of the other boys were with them. That was unusual.
Sam noticed them shortly after she did. “Mom, let’s go.”
Lucy ignored him. She never got to see Michael so unguarded. She couldn’t remember the last time he looked so relaxed. He was smiling at something David said. Open. Honest. It had to have been back in Phoenix, before things got bad. His first tee-ball game when he hit the ball and ran to first base. He was so little. That changed after the first year. He didn’t smile anymore when he played. He looked determined. When the team lost he would shut down. Six years old and he stopped smiling.
“Mom –” Sam tugged on her arm.
“Wait.”
“I really don’t want to know what those two get up to on the boardwalk at night. It’s nothing good.”
Lucy hated that Sam was probably right. It didn’t matter. She just wanted this moment. If she could just memorize Michael happy, maybe she could chase her fears away when they got to her.
David ran his fingers through one of Michael’s unruly curls, down the shell of his ear and lingered on the earring. She knew David was very old. But he looked at Michael like he was something he had never seen before. Something exceptional. Whatever he said had Michael flustered. She couldn’t tell if he was blushing or not. Could he even blush anymore?
He guided Michael with the barest touch on his shoulder.
Sam clearly wasn’t seeing what she was seeing. “Please. If they are out –”
“Sam. Stop. Just watch.” Lucy didn’t really know what she was waiting for. Something about their interplay seemed so authentic. Two souls on a beach orbiting around each other, entranced with the other’s mere existence.
He huffed and finally gave in.
David steered Michael gently away from him and took a step back. If Lucy hadn’t seen it for herself, she never would have believed that he could look anything other than cool, calm, and quintessentially in control. She wished she had supernatural hearing to listen in on whatever he was saying. Whatever it was had him twirling his bracelets around his wrist.
Michael was clearly confused. She knew that look like the back of her hand. He was trying so desperately to put puzzle pieces together, but couldn’t manage to get them rotated correctly to lock into place. Her boy was so earnest, but he wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box.
And then David knelt down on one knee.
Lucy held her breath.
“What are they doing.”
“Shhhhh.”
David fumbled with something in his pocket and held it out. She couldn’t figure out whose face to look at. Michael seemed stunned. David kept talking. It looked like he was rambling when Michael didn’t respond right away.
Lucy nearly started laughing when Michael grabbed the ring and slammed his lips to David’s. David wrapped his arms around Michael and hoisted him up, spectators be damned. Then again, no one was stupid enough to say anything to them.
“Can they do that?”
“What?”
“Did they just get engaged?”
“Yes. Yes, they did.”
“But, two guys can’t get married.”
Lucy refused to look away from the couple lost in their own universe on the beach. “I don’t think they care about little things like laws.”
“Well. No. I guess not.” Sam grew still.
She gave him a small glance to see how he was handling it. “Some day, maybe they can. Not today. Maybe not for a long time. It’s not like they are going to get any older. What’s a few decades for them?”
Sam was now staring at Michael and David. His face was doing something complicated as he tried to work out his thoughts. Lucy waited him out. “I never thought I’d be jealous of a vampire.”
Lucy laughed. True enough. She never thought she’d be thankful her son had left them behind. David only had eyes for Michael. She didn’t know the whole story, but she had heard enough to know that he had been alone for a very long time. And all Michael had ever wanted was to be loved. Completely and totally. David certainly did that. She hoped Michael stopped in tomorrow night. She wanted to get a look at that ring. It was probably old, rare, unique. Something so perfectly them.
“Come on, Sam. Let’s go home.”
Sam shuddered for a moment. “Oh, ugh. My brother-in-law is going to be David.”
Lucy giggled and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “That was always going to happen. It was love at first sight with those two.”
“Love at first something, that’s for sure.” Sam kept stride with Lucy as they made it to the parking lot. Before they broke apart to get in the car, he paused. “Do you think I’ll fall in love like that one day?”
“I’m sure of it. Hopefully, with a very nice human boy. But, I suppose if you find a lovely werewolf or something –”
“Mom! That’s not funny.”
Lucy kissed his cheek. “It’s kind of funny. Honestly, whomever you bring home, as long as they treat you right, will always be welcome.”
“Will they?”
“Of course.”
Sam sighed. “I guess the no inviting vampires into the house rule should probably change, then.”
“Yes. Yes, I think so.” Lucy felt a tiny part of her aching heart heal to hear Sam relax his opinions on Michael. She wanted to know the man that brought out that sweet smile in her son again. He had healed something that had been broken for well over a decade. Anyone that could do that had her blessing and undying gratitude.