Forbidden Feast

Ch. 2: brown eyes and pretty boys

"I hope you're not talking about me," a voice beside Mathew said and Mathew snapped his head to the side. Elijah smiled at him, studying his face. "Is there someone bothering you, Matty?"

Mathew let out a shaky sigh. "What gave you that impression? I talk to myself all the time."

That made Elijah's smile break into a full grin. Despite the dreary fall weather, Elijah was bright in his lavender sweatshirt and light jeans. Paired with his fluffy brown hair and freckles, he looked boyish and bright. A breath of fresh hair.

"It's dumb," Mathew said, hoping for someone at this school to take him seriously. Elijah just smiled more while Mathew said, "I'm getting myself worked up."

"Well, welcome to my office," Elijah said, setting his chin on the palm of his hand. He looked at Anthony the way normal people looked at puppies. "I happen to love everything dumb."

There was an air to Elijah like Mathew could tell him anything, like they've known each other for years. The surrounding air was as warm and cozy as a crackling fire in the middle of winter. Mathew wanted to sit as close to it as possible.

Mathew sat up, glancing around at the other students. They were chatting as they all waited for the professor to arrive. Thankfully, this class didn't include Jace. Mathew knew he was safe. He whispered, "Do you know anything about Jace Wright?"

Elijah threw his head back with laughter. "I'm so glad you asked. You know, it truly wouldn't be a fair world if someone was that hot, smart, athletic, and charming, so the universe had to make sure Jace was an absolute pill to keep things balanced."

Raising his brow, Mathew asked, "He's that rude to you, too?"

"Oh, yeah." Elijah relaxed back into his seat, crossing his arms. "I think Jace actively avoids making friends like he's allergic to having a good time."

Mathew smiled. "I'm glad I'm not special."

Elijah laughed again just as the professor walked inside, but even though class started, Elijah and Mathew still whispered to each other. Elijah slid over his phone number. Mathew stared at the number, a coil in his chest tied into another knot. It had been a long time since Mathew met someone. He actually wanted to share his number with and not worry about whether or not he could keep it.

A few years ago, Mathew met a man in passing at a hotel bar. He had been tagging along with his brother, Anthony, on one of his business trips and spent one evening by himself. Joseph had other plans. Joseph was Mathew's first boyfriend and ex.

Well.

Ex-boyfriend was being kind, giving Mathew more credit than he deserved. They went on a date. A simple walk around the park downtown with the promise of an actual romantic sit-down date. It would've happened if Dante hadn't intervened, if Dante hadn't given him a wad of cash to act like Mathew never existed. It would've been silly for him to be invited here... but it was also silly for Mathew to get nervous in big crowds of strangers. It was silly that he was still afraid of the storms and of the rain. Mathew Ventura: the silliest vampire alive.

Mathew added Elijah's number to his phone and sent a little smiley face to confirm. Despite shaking his head, Elijah's smile matched the icon. The lecture ended with a homework assignment that Mathew had to add to the pile and Mathew had to take a breath. As a vampire, finishing college wasn't ever a pressing matter. He had plenty of time to go, if he even wanted to do it... and yet, if Mathew was actually here to learn and not investigate his parent's murder, he didn't know where he'd find the time.

"Hey, what are you doing after this?" Elijah asked, standing from his desk and swinging his bag over his back.

"Um," Mathew mumbled, checking his phone for the time. That was his last class of the day, and it was encroaching late afternoon. "I'm probably going to study," Mathew said, something not too far from the truth. His plan was to infiltrate the records office and find more about Beatrix.