Picky Eater

Ch 12: This might suck

Ben frowned. "Don't pick a fight with me."

"I'm not. Take it as a compliment." He brought Ben's wrist up to his lips and pressed a kiss over his fluttering heartbeat. He warned Ben again, ever so gently. "I'm still in shock. I can't believe you're alive. I..." With a small headshake, Nino pressed his forehead against Ben's wrist. "I just need a second to accept that you're okay. I'm still coming down."

"Okay," Ben whispered.

After a beat, Nino let Ben's arm go and gathered himself up, his face serious again. "This will only hurt a second." Extending his fangs, Nino pricked Ben's skin, and he flinched. Ben's arm tensed up as the spike of pain shot through. All the pain, the soreness, and ache melted and just felt like extra weight sitting on his muscles.

Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Don't watch," Nino warned him again.

Once he could feel the pressure pricking the skin around his cut, Ben squeezed his eyes and gripped a handful of sweatpants. Upstairs, Ben could hear Anthony's laugh and some music. Apart from the rumble of the city, the downstairs of Ben's apartment was dead quiet.

"It wasn't luck."

Ben opened his eyes, trying to focus only on Nino's studious face. "What?"

"It wasn't luck," Nino said. "That party, where we met—"

"On Halloween?"

"On Halloween." Nino nodded, breaking his long stint of angst to smirk. His honey brown eyes flickered up, trapping Ben's soul in place. Nino smirked, "You wore my favorite outfit of yours."

"Capes do it for you, huh?"

"Don't kink shame me."

Ben snorted when he caught the brief crumb of blood and closed his eyes again. "Go on."

Nino chuckled through his nose and shook his head. He went back to work on Ben's arm and explained, "I saw you at the party way before you saw me. You were having fun with Lincoln and being silly. I thought you were cute."

Dressed up as a vampire, Ben was sure he had amused Nino. Ben blushed for his former self, so thrilled he couldn't remember what he was doing between taking shots, playing games, and eventually meeting Nino outside the bathroom.

Nino said, "I caught your scent briefly, so I knew you smelled good, but I didn't come to that party to eat. I wanted to surround myself with normal people. Normal, happy people at a party. I had to come over and help you when I saw you with that guy who was obviously bothering you because I couldn't leave the party without seeing you smile again."

Ben was speechless.

It was debunking almost everything about that night, about their historic meeting. All this time, he assumed it was a planned vampiric attack, but no, Nino found a Feast out of pure dumb luck.

Nino wrapped Ben's arm, securing the bandage tight. Not too tight. Just right. Ben couldn't take his eyes off Nino's face, his voice and expression so steady. Nino's gaze felt like a piercing look ripping right through Ben. He said, "I met you on purpose. I approached you on purpose. So, blame me for..." Nino dropped his eyes, his shoulders, and his truth. "Well, everything."

Ben didn't know what to say. Too stunned to even move. Nino stood up, running his hand through Ben's hair as he passed. "Stay here," Nino gave an easy instruction.

Ben looked towards the window, at the blinds concealing them. Five years suddenly felt like a lifetime. He had been so focused on the bigger details. Between sleeping with Nino and that first bite, Ben forgot all about the little things in-between. He just remembered that Nino and Ben talked and talked beforehand. Nino went to the kitchen with him and made him a drink, flaunting his bartending skills. Then, they went up to the roof. The night made Ben laugh harder than ever before.