CHAPTER ONE
In the middle of a crowded town square stood James, talking to a couple of girls as the wave of people around them moved and danced as the moon was full in the sky. He scanned the crowd before a feeling of familiarity filled him, his eyes darted wildly around them trying to find the source of the feeling. He couldn’t help the feeling of uncertainty that racked his nerves as he tried to find it with no avail until a voice filled his head.
“You're a young one aren’t you? I can sense it.” The voice sounded sharp yet smooth, filling his head with honey. James broke off from the girl, saying he was going for a walk as he tried to track down the sense. The feeling led him to a bookstore as he tried to think of what to say back.
“Define young, I'm 113. That's old for mortals.” James sends the message back to the man, walking into the bookstore and scouring the people trying to figure out who it is. The sound of laughter fills his head as the man shoots another message.
“Try being 462.” He answers and James finally locks onto the man who was talking to the cashier with a stack of books in hand.
“What are you doing in the area?” James tries to make himself blend in, pretending to browse one of the shelves. “Just stopping through?”
The man glanced at him, shaking his head before talking with the cashier again as his voice filled his head. “Moved here, staying for a while.”
James frowns to himself, “Why? Our kind usually stays away from each other.” He replies and barely notices the man leaving and hurries after him.
“I didn’t have a choice, I was being bothered by another vampire.”
“A stalker vampire?” James scoffs to himself, “First I ever heard of one.” He keeps a few paces between him and the man in front.
“Trust me, a stalker vampire is putting it lightly.” He moves to sit at a bench and James slows his pace, trying to decide the right time to talk to him properly.
“How about you join me for dinner tonight?” James asks as the man opens one of his books, simply glancing towards james.
“I left to avoid vampires, why would I agree to have dinner with one?” He retorts and James decides that's his cue to walk over but whatever he was about to say dies in his throat.
The man before him was absolutely breathtaking, dark curls that framed his face perfectly and those piercing grey eyes. Sharp cheekbones that look like they could cut glass and a perfect straight nose, he looked like he was made by god. If God existed.
“You need something?” the man asks, looking up at him as he adjusts his posture.
“Would you believe me if I said I'm not like the other vampires?”
“Oh please, I wasn't born yesterday.” He scoffs and James is almost desperate for this.
“Cmon, dinner never hurts anybody.”
“I’ve been alive long enough to know that it does, i’m fine on my own thank you.”
“Well if you change your mind, you’ll be able to find me. See you around, Regulus.”
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The next day, James left as soon as the sun set, eager to find Regulus again even if they didn’t talk. He decided to sit at a coffee shop, sipping on a black coffee sitting outside as he looked around hoping to see his mystery man. Just as he’d given up hope he saw the familiar head of curls pass by him, just looking at him as he kept on walking clearly not wanting to talk to him.
A few days after he saw Regulus, the honey filled voice came into his head again. “Coffee?” was all he said and that was enough for James to rush out to the nearest coffee shop to see him again.
“How come you changed your mind?” James asks as he sits across from him, sipping another coffee.
“Really? You’ve been on my back about meeting up, why do you want to meet so badly?” Regulus answers, a cup of tea in hand but not drinking it.
“It’s lonely being a vampire, thought it might be nice to be friends with another. Especially one so much older.” he replies and looks around them.
“You into older men?” Regulus asks with an irritatingly straight face, like what he said was casual.
“What?” James looks horrified which only makes the other grin smugly at him, “I’m not gay.”
“You act like it's such a bad thing, are you against it?”
“Well no but I don't want you getting the wrong idea.” Regulus scoffs at the response, shaking his head. “What?” James asks.
“You’ve just met me and your only worry is that I think you’re gay?”
“What's that supposed to mean?” James looks at him, obviously confused as he tilts his head like a dog.
“It means you need to get your priorities straight, the least of your worries should be if vampires think you’re gay.”
“Well what should be my worry then? I mean you don't seem like you’re going to kill me or anything.”
“I’m not going to but the rest aren’t as nice as me.”
“I know, I'm not young or stupid. I can tell I've not got nothing to be afraid of as long as I'm good to you.”
“You think if you get on my bad side I'm going to do something bad to you?” Regulus leans in closer causing James to squirm a little, “For all you know I could do something bad to you whenever I want.”
“You seem like a good guy and it’ll take more than a bit of posturing to scare me off.” James retorts, going to take a sip of his coffee before he involuntarily tips it off to the side. He frowns and looks across as Regulus who is just smiling to himself.
“That was neat, think you could teach me that?” James replies, simply setting the cup down which causes Regulus’s smile to falter but not disappear.
“I’d rather not, not everyone can possess the gift.” He finally takes a sip of his tea as he looks at James.
“Is it like an older vampire gift? Like levitating?” James asks as he sits there like Regulus hadn’t just taken control of his body.
Regulus nods as he sets the cup back down, “Only old blood can possess certain gifts.”
James huffs and rests his head on his hand, “Well that’s not fair is it? I turned just the same as you.”
“Only three hundred years later.” Regulus has the same smug look on, “Who's your maker anyway?”
“Why’d you wanna know?” James locks eyes with him unable to help the butterflies in his stomach.
“Just because,” He shrugs, “You’re not going to tell me then?” He asks, sounding a little exasperated.
“Lily Evans, she was a noble woman. When she was alive that is.” James answers, crossing his legs.
“You’re not from France,” Regulus looks a little confused, “Why were you over there?”
“My dad sent me to go live with my aunt and uncle in the South of France, they had a vacation home there and one night I was out and met a pretty woman at the bar and boom I was eternally living." James shrugs simply.
“Fair enough, I don't really remember my maker. Four hundred years was a long time ago.”
“I feel like that isn’t something you forget.” James replies, running a hand over where he was bitten.
“Trust me, four centuries is a long time.” Regulus says, looking down in his tea.
James decides to leave the topic and just looks at him, “So, circling back. What do you say? Friends?”
Regulus looks back up at him but James isn’t able to read him, “Acquaintances.” He reaches his hand out to James.
“Future friends then.” James reaches and shakes his hand, unable to help a smile that crosses his face. “Have you been shown around the city?”
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“So what's your type?” James asks without even thinking about how his words could be interpreted, “I prefer them a bit older, tastes sweeter to me.”
“Young men,” Regulus replies simply as they walk along the river side, “Women don’t taste nearly as good, plus you can usually fuck them first.”
James’s eyebrows raise, “You fuck them first?” He thinks that if vampires could blush he absolutely would be right now.
“No fun otherwise. Meet at a bar, go home with them, fuck them then eat them.” He shrugs like it's not a big deal.
“I keep my relationships separate from who I eat, it’s hard to find a real connection when you’re like us.” James looks to Regulus whose eyes are scanning the crowd next to them.
“That’s why I kill them, no strings attached.”
“I swear I'm the only vampire in the world that doesn’t like being alone.”
“It’s natural,” Regulus shrugs and looks back at him, “I see a lot of guys though so i’m not really alone.”
“It’s not the same though, don’t you miss dating or i guess it would’ve been courting in your time. Wasn’t that the whole thrill of it all?”
“Don’t need dates, one night stands are enough for me.” Regulus moves to dump the cup of tea he was carrying and turns to face James.
“Just like I said, I'm the only vampire alive who’s a romantic.” James huffs and looks at him.
“I guess,” Regulus glances around, “I’ll see you around?”
“Sounds good, yeah, I'll be around if you need me.” James replies and they both walk away.