“I see.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“What do you do for a living? I know you’re single, but don’t know why.”
“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”
“Ahh, you’re a secret agent!”
“I come from old money.” Bradon laughed. “Mostly living off my trust fund, but also manage a little of my family’s business every now and then.” Bradon liked the sound of his own lie, and smiled with satisfaction. “But I hate talking about money and work.”
“Fine. Let’s talk boyfriends.”
“I’ve never really had one. There were a couple of guys I really liked a lot, but things didn’t work out. They were both really short-term kinda things. Nothing serious.”
“I don’t get that. You’re really beautiful, you’ve got a head on your shoulders, and you’re filthy stinking rich. Why would anyone let you go?”
“I’m a little bit difficult to live with.”
“Hmph. Who isn’t?”
“No, I mean I am really difficult to live with. But that’s all right. I learned a long time ago that it’s okay to be alone. I like it, actually.”
“Why would anyone want to live alone if they don’t have to?”
“It’s just easier. I don’t get hurt. And more importantly, I don’t hurt anyone else.”
“I find it very difficult to believe you could ever hurt a fly. You’re so nice and gentle. And so easy to make blush.”
“That’s all surface stuff.”
“Well, I like what I see on the surface. And I’d like to get to know more of the layers, if you’ll let me.”
“I don’t think that’s a great idea, Kirk. I like you. You seem very nice. But I really think it’s better if we just stop right here.”
“I really don’t think the eggs were that great. I don’t want them to be the last thing I remember about you.”
Bradon laughed. “I’m not good for you, Kirk. I know I haven’t been up front with you about everything, and so it might be hard to see the reason, but you have to believe me when I tell you that I’m not.”
“Like hell I do. I don’t believe anything strictly because someone tells me to. I look deeper than the words. I look into the eyes to find the truth. And your eyes are telling me that you’re very good for me. Not only that, but you’re good, period.”
“They lie.”
“No they don’t. Eyes never lie. I don’t know why you have such a bad perception of yourself, but I know what I see. I know what I feel.”
Bradon blushed again and looked down at his hands. He glanced at his watch and panicked.
“Oh my god. It’s almost five. I have to go.”
“Why? What’s the rush?”
“I can’t explain right now. But I really do have to go.” Bradon jumped up from the table.
“Wait, slow down, Cinderella.”
“Kirk, I think you’re really great. Thanks for breakfast. But I have to go.”
Kirk grabbed Bradon by the waist and pulled him close. “Not before I get two things from you.”
“Kirk . . .”
“The first is a kiss,” Kirk said, as he leaned into Bradon and kissed him tenderly on the lips.
Bradon’s knees buckled and he began to tremble as Kirk kissed him. His head spun and the high-pitched noise in the back of his head returned. He kissed Kirk back and sucked the warm tongue into his mouth. Bradon could taste a light trace of the orange juice Kirk had finished earlier and the sweet minty tingle from Kirk’s chewing gum. He darted his tongue in and out of Kirk’s tepid and welcoming mouth, trying hard to control his breath. When Kirk returned his kisses and probed his tongue inside Bradon’s mouth, Bradon thought he would faint.
“The second is that I want your phone number,” Kirk said, as he suddenly broke the kiss.
“But I—”
“Neither one of us is leaving until you give me your phone number.”
Bradon grabbed the pen from Kirk’s hand and hastily scratched his number out on one of the paper napkins from their table. “Call me tomorrow. Anytime after eight p.m.”
Kirk took the napkin and folded it into his pocket. He watched as Bradon ran out the door and down the block.
Kirk did call the next evening. And the evening after that, and the evening after that. He and Bradon worked out every morning right after Kirk got off work, and then went to breakfast. Kirk was honest and up front about everything. Every aspect of his life was open to Bradon. And he was equally direct about his feelings for Bradon.
Bradon, on the other hand, was less willing to deal with his feelings for Kirk. He had more to lose, of course, and so was more cautious. When he was with Kirk, he was friendly and polite, but a little reserved. He loved being with Kirk and longed to spend every waking hour with him. But the realities of his vampirism kept him from opening up. The memory of the consequences of his lust and love for Josh still haunted him, and he warned himself not to care too much for Kirk. But as the weeks passed, it became increasingly more difficult to do that.
One night, about three months into their relationship, Kirk finally decided he’d had all of Bradon’s mysteriousness that he could tolerate.
“Bradon,” he said, as he pulled the blankets back to expose Bradon’s naked body, “I want something from you.”
Bradon smiled and leaned down to kiss his lover. His cock was already starting to swell even before their kiss was completed.
Kirk kissed him lightly on the lips, then moved down to lick his chin and nibble playfully on his neck.
Bradon’s body was charged with electricity. Every flicker of Kirk’s tongue across Bradon’s hardened nipples, every kiss of his warm wet lips on Bradon’s taut stomach, caused Bradon’s entire body to quiver. As Kirk’s lips moved down Bradon’s body, Bradon caught his breath and waited anxiously for his cock to be enveloped in the familiar warmth of Kirk’s tight, loving mouth. He closed his eyes and thrust his hips upward to meet Kirk’s always-eager mouth halfway. He felt the cool breath of Kirk’s teasing whistle, the sure sign that, in just a second, he would feel the entire length of his manhood slide slowly into his lover’s warm, wet mouth and deeper into his clutching throat. He waited eagerly, for this was his favorite part of foreplay with Kirk.
“I said I want something from you,” Kirk said, as he stuck his tongue out and licked the length of Bradon’s hardness.
“Go for it,” Bradon panted, “it’s right there. Take it.”
“I want you to be honest with me.”
“I am honest. You can have it.”
Kirk smiled up at Bradon and sucked just the head of Bradon’s engorged cock into his mouth. He sucked on it for a couple of moments, then let it slip from his lips. He blew on it a little to cool it down.
“That’s not what I want,” Kirk said, as he gently squeezed Bradon’s balls between his palms.
“Oh god,” Bradon moaned, “well it sure is what I want.”
Kirk stuck his middle finger in his mouth and sucked on it until it was wet with his saliva. Then he lowered it between Bradon’s legs and slid it slowly into Bradon’s ass. At the same time, he squeezed Bradon’s cock by the base and slowly swallowed it deep into his throat again as his finger slid in and out of Bradon’s clutching ass.
“Oh, Jesus, man. That’s incredible. Don’t stop.”
Kirk continued for a couple of minutes and then stopped. He looked up at Bradon, whose eyes were closed in ecstasy, and smiled.
“Tell me your secrets, Bradon.” He licked the head of Bradon’s cock again as he slid a second finger inside his lover’s hot ass.
“Please, Kirk, suck my cock some more.”
“Will you tell me everything?” Kirk asked, as he licked the circumference of Bradon’s swollen rod.
“Yes, everything. I promise. Just keep sucking my dick.”
Kirk swallowed the entire length in one deep thrust and shoved both fingers deeper inside Bradon’s ass.
/>
Bradon moaned with animal lust, then whispered, “I’m a vampire.”
“What?”
“I’m a vampire, Kirk.”
Kirk pulled his fingers out of Bradon’s quivering ass in one swift move and bit the head of his cock lightly. “That’s not fair, Bradon. You promised you would tell me everything. I was doing my part. You can’t keep joking around with me. I want the truth.”
Bradon sat up in bed with his back against the headboard. “Come here, Kirk. I’ll tell you the truth.”
Kirk slid up and snuggled against Bradon at the head of the bed. Bradon laid him flat on his back on the bed, and lay on top of him. Both men were hard and their bodies ground against one another in sweaty heat. Bradon leaned down and kissed Kirk on the lips, and Kirk moaned loudly into his mouth. Bradon kissed his way across Kirk’s cheek and up to his ear.
“I’m a vampire,” he whispered into Kirk’s ear.
“Okay.”
Bradon kissed and licked his way down Kirk’s face and to his throat. He felt Kirk’s excitement as the jugular vein throbbed more intensely every time Bradon thrust himself against Kirk’s thighs. He took a deep breath before he sank his teeth slowly and deliberately into the side of Kirk’s neck.
“Oh Jesus, that feels incredible, Bradon,” Kirk moaned, as Bradon flickered his tongue around the open wound and sucked a small amount of blood into his mouth. “What in Christ’s name are you doing?” He moaned even louder and rubbed his hardness against Bradon’s thrusting hips and abs.
Bradon pulled his mouth from Kirk’s neck and looked up into Kirk’s eyes. Blood dripped from his lips, and his canine teeth protruded slightly from the rest of his natural teeth. His eyes were as red as the blood he’d sucked from Kirk’s neck, and wild with excitement.
“I’m a vampire, Kirk.”
“What the fuck!” Kirk yelled, and jumped out of bed. He felt his neck, and when his hands met with warm, slimy fluid, he screamed and began crying. He pulled his hands away and looked at the blood that stained them. “No. No, this cannot be happening.”
“I’m sorry, Kirk. I wanted to tell you before, really I did,” Bradon said as he leaned back against the headboard. He took a couple of deep breaths and closed his eyes to allow himself to calm down and revert out of the active state. “I can’t help it. I’m a vampire. I was born one. But I would never hurt you. I swear to God, I would never hurt you.”
“Oh yeah? Well, what the hell do you call this?” Kirk screamed and thrust his bloody hands in front of Bradon’s face.
“I know, I know. It looks like I hurt you, but I didn’t. I promise you, I did not hurt you. It’s just a superficial bite, and it will heal with no problem.”
“What?” Kirk screeched in a high-pitched cry. “Are you listening to yourself? You fucking bit my neck and sucked my blood.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to. I never would have done it on my own. I love you, Kirk. I love you with all my heart and soul. I would never have bitten you of my own will. But you begged me to tell you the truth.” Bradon pulled the covers around himself.
“No, no, I didn’t.” Kirk shook his head vigorously.
“Yes, you did. You were sucking my cock and begging me to tell you my deepest secrets. When I told you I was a vampire you didn’t believe me. So I had to show you.”
“You bit me.”
“Yes, I bit you to show you I was being honest with you. Believe me, Kirk, it’s only a superficial wound and it will be all healed by morning. You’ll never know it happened, I promise. Please, come sit down next to me,” Bradon said, as he smoothed out the blankets to make room for Kirk.
“I’ll know,” Kirk moaned and fell limp to the floor. “I’ll know.”
“I’m sorry.”
“So what happens now? How long does it take before I become a vampire?”
“You will never become a vampire, Kirk. I stopped way, way sooner than it would have taken to convert you.”
“Convert me?” Kirk looked into Bradon’s eyes. “Convert me?”
“That’s the proper term for when a mortal loses his soul and begins his eternal life as a vampire.”
“Jesus fucking Christ, I cannot believe I am listening to this.”
“You wanted the truth, Kirk. I’m giving it to you. The whole lock, stock and barrel.”
“You . . . should have . . . told me . . . sooner,” Kirk coughed out between sobs. He stood up slowly and began gathering his clothes.
“Baby, please don’t go. I don’t want you to leave like this.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not really all about what you want right now, is it?”
“Come on, Kirk. I didn’t do anything wrong. I could not have convinced you of the truth without having bitten you. I didn’t hurt you. Please, just stay and talk.”
“No,” Kirk said, as he buttoned his shirt and tucked the tail of it into his jeans. “I’m leaving. I’ll call you in a couple of days, when I’ve had a chance to clear my head a little.”
“Kirk . . .”
“Goodbye, Bradon.”
Bradon watched as his boyfriend left the bedroom and walked down the stairs. He noted that Kirk hadn’t slammed the bedroom door, and neither had he slammed the living room door. He hoped that meant that at least Kirk wasn’t furious with him. Perhaps he might understand just a little bit.
He lifted himself from the bed and walked over to the sink. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. A small trickle of dried blood caked around his lips. His canine teeth were just finally starting to recede back into his gum cavity. His eyes now had only a pinkish tint to them, but were changing back to their bright turquoise blue. His skin had felt flushed while he was in the throes of lovemaking with Kirk, and even more so when he’d sunk his teeth into his lover’s supple neck. Now, as he looked in the mirror, he noticed it was turning pale again and beginning to feel cold and damp.
He began to cry as he stared at his own reflection staring back at him. Huge, salty tears streamed down his cheeks and onto the counter below him. He cried for several minutes, and when the tears dried up, he rinsed his mouth with warm water and mouthwash.
Then he walked downstairs into his real bedroom, crawled into his casket, and closed the lid.
A week passed with no word from Kirk. Bradon woke up every evening and spent the next several hours watching the mindless late-night TV shows that did little to comfort him. He was depressed and didn’t even try to deny the fact. But he was also growing weak. He hadn’t fed in over a month, and that was too long to go without fresh blood, even for his limited needs. The tiny copperish taste of Kirk’s blood he’d sampled was enough to fuel his hunger and remind him of his need to feed. But he’d refused to indulge. In fact, he’d promised himself that he would never again feed. He knew quite well the significance of the decision, and decided not to participate in any activity that might tempt him to change his mind.
Night after night and morning after morning Bradon sat lifelessly in front of the television set, watching Nick at Night. The old rerun shows of Let’s Make A Deal, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Gilligan’s Island were just the remedy he needed to commit to his decision of allowing himself to die. Bradon sprawled across the sofa and turned the volume up almost as high as the television set allowed. Even without the high volume, though, he would never have heard the knocks on the front door. He was beyond hearing anything anymore.
“What the hell is that smell?” Kirk asked, as he walked into the living room.
Bradon stared unblinkingly at the bluish tinged pictures on the television.
“Bradon?” Kirk asked, as he noticed the blank stare and the white, pasty expression on his lover’s face. “Bradon, what’s going on? Why are you sitting alone in the dark?”
Bradon looked away from the television set and let his eyes wander onto the face of the one guy he’d loved enough to be completely open and honest with.
“Jesus Christ, Bradon,” Kirk yelled. He ran over to the sofa past discarded bags of
potato chips and TV dinner cartons. “Where’s the light switch in here, Bradon?”
Bradon looked over his shoulder to the switchplate on the wall behind him.
Kirk rushed over to the switch and flipped it on. Once the room filled with filtered light, it was easy to identify the retched smell he’d first been assaulted with when he’d let himself into the house after not receiving an answer to his increasingly louder knocks. Most of the TV dinner cartons were still half-full of old, molding food. Glasses were overturned and their contents spilled over onto the carpet, sticking to it like glue. Cigarette butts spilled over the sides of overfilled ashtrays and littered the floor area immediately around the coffee table. Kirk didn’t even know that Bradon smoked.
“What the hell happened in here?” he asked, as he kicked some trash out of his way and walked back over to where Bradon lay sprawled on the sofa. When there was no response, he sat next to his lover and picked up his hand. “Shit, Bradon, you’re as cold as ice. What’s wrong, Bradon? What’s going on here?”
“I haven’t fed,” Bradon whispered, as his unseeing eyes glazed past Kirk’s own.
“Fuck!” Kirk yelled. He laid Bradon backward onto the sofa. “Are you dying, Bradon? Tell me the truth. Are you dying?”
Bradon nodded his head. “Just leave,” he groaned. “Leave and don’t ever look back, Kirk.”
“Like hell I will,” Kirk said. He leaned down closer to Bradon’s face and ripped the neck of his shirt open. “Feed,” he said through gritted teeth.
“No,” Bradon moaned. He turned his face to the side, away from the temptation of the soft, sweet smell of his lover’s neck.
“Goddammit, Bradon, bite me. I just went through a week of the most intense soul searching I’ve ever undergone, and I finally accepted the fact that I love you and I need you in my life. I’m not about to let you die now. So open your goddamn mouth and feed on me.”
A giant tear rolled down Bradon’s face and he began to cry softly. He shook his head back and forth, trying not to look at Kirk’s face.