Tony and his friends go to junior prom. Tony's sad that he's alone. Or is he?
"Oh, Tony! You look so handsome!"
"Thanks, mom, but you're biased, I'm your son."
Tony's mom laughs and tucks a dark red pocket square into his gray sports jacket, smoothing the collar and lapel. "Maybe, a little." His mom winks and he rolls his eyes.
His father steps forward after getting up from the couch with excessive dad noises.
"I know this is hard for you, Tony. But it's a long trip to and from Germany, and we don't have the money to fly him here, even if he would or could."
His dad pauses, reflecting on his words. "Fly. Isn't that ironic? Vampire on an airplane?" He laughs, and Tony can't help laughing with him.
"I know, dad. It just won't be the same."
"Make the best of it, Tony." His mom encourages and pulls her car keys from her purse, a gentle smile on her face that adds to her beautiful smile lines.
Tony nods reluctantly and they pile into the car, Tony and his dad in the back telling bad prom jokes as his mom drives. They thankfully arrive quickly, and Tony almost chickens out when he sees all of the couples walking in together; holding hands with flowers on their lapels and wrists. Tears heat his eyes and he looks away sharply.
"You deserve this, Tony. Have a good time, text us when you get to Sam's house."
He nods to his mom, giving them both a peck on the cheek and tight hug before making his way out of the back seat and joining the crowd of peers and hormones. After a few minutes of roaming around in the cool night, he finds familiar faces.
"Tony!" Sam calls to him, a hand up and waving happily. Tony can't help but smile back with a returning wave. She's one of those people.
"Sam," He greets with a bow that he perfected with Rudolph, "You look ravishing."
"Save the romance for when you see your man, Tony. We're here to dance and drink illegally, I will not fall for flattery."
Tony chuckles and they do an elaborate high-five routine before walking into the building the school rented out for the prom. It's an aquarium, and everywhere he looks there is a blue glow and beautiful schools of fish. He nerds out with Sam for a few minutes in front of the shark tank until Jeremy shows up, clapping a hand on both of their shoulders.
"What is up my dudes?" Clearly drunk already.
"We were having an intellectual discussion about pufferfish until you showed up." Sam snarks, folding her arms as Jeremy gives Tony an eyeroll.
"Yeah, yeah," Jeremy starts, a hand up to have Sam pause, "I have something better than a stupid fish." He pulls out three small water bottles, all filled with a clear liquid that Tony knows in his gut isn't water.
"Please tell me this isn't straight-up vodka?" Tony cringes.
"Psh," Jeremy tosses a bottle to each of them, "I wouldn't do that to you guys. It's tequila!"
Tony and Sam look at the bottles apprehensively before shrugging to one another and taking a swig, coughing morphing into laughter. Over the giddy-happiness of the next few hours, they sip their drinks, go to tanks as Tony narrates like the host of Planet Earth, and dance to bad music. While Tony is in the middle of his narration about the stingray a voice comes over the PA system.
Dancing has started in the main area of the Aquarium, and Tony's heart sinks. Before he realizes it, Sam and Jeremy have made their way to the dance floor and are slow dancing to some awful pop song, and Tony...feels alone.
He sits on the outskirts of the dance floor and watches until he feels nauseous with it and continues his search around the aquarium alone. He finds the sea turtles, passes the sharks again, and stops at the octopus tank. No one is around and his buzz has him craving fresh air, he looks for the nearest exit, finding none, he looks for the closest window. After a few awkward minutes of walking around and hiding from staff poorly, he sees a balcony door. He makes his way there and tosses the door open. He's on the third floor, bubble lights and crisp white tables line the back lawn of the Aquarium. He leans over the balcony edge and watches as people eat and dance to the thrum of music even he can hear a story up.
"I thought this was a mortal ball, a place to dance, not brood."
Tony is instantly turning around as he gets to his feet, startled at how close Rudolph is, hovering upside down. Tony wipes his eyes and smiles, closing the gap between them and gives him a bone-crushing hug, a little awkward, but the feeling is there.
"I never thought you'd be here," Tony mumbles as Ruldoph pulls away to set his feet beside Tony's.
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world, darling." Rudolph extends a hand to Tony and he takes it without hesitation, his feet lifting from the floor, guided higher and higher until they are floating above the angled roof, out of sight. Ruldoph pulls him in and they embrace again, months of being apart and longing finally releasing in a shaky breath. It is long, long moments before they untangle arms and legs, foreheads pressed together.
"Oh!" Rudolph perks up, rummaging around the inside of his jacket, "I have a gift for you." He pulls out a set of matching flowers, dried and devoid of color, graveyard flowers. Probably from back in Germany.
"They're perfect," Tony says, eyes shifting from the flower to Rudolph, he's looking at Tony with a familiar intensity.
"I'm glad you like them, Tony." Ruldoph tucks one into Tony's pocket next to the red square and then into his own, and for the first time tonight, Tony takes a moment to look away from Ruldoph's face and to the rest of him; Rudolph seems to do the same.
"Wow." Tony mumbles. Ruldoph looks amazing, like something out of a crappy teen fantasy novel. Dressed in an all-black suit and a full-length black and red cloak. Surprisingly, he's wearing black sneakers; it makes Tony's heart sing. So much about Rudolph has stayed the same, but so many things have changed.
Rudolph preens under the gaze and lifts them off the roof and back into the air, a gentle hand coming to rest under Tony's chin.
"You look ravishing my darling," Rudolph says as Tony returns his gaze to the vampire's, his face heating into a dark pink flush.
"Good enough to eat."
Tony chuckles, knowing the truth behind the statement and the absolute irony of it.
"So do you, Rudolph," Tony's heart swells with emotion, "I was so worried about today, I kept telling my parents that I didn't wanna go, it's not the same without the person you love. But I'm glad I came."
Rudolph's smile is warming, and before Tony could say more the rumble of the music slows and Tony looks to the ground below; a large group of couples slow dancing on the lawn surrounded by lights and small heaters.
"May I have this dance?" Rudolph quips, pulling back a bit from Tony and tucking his free hand behind his back in a formal gesture.
"It would be your pleasure," Tony replies, alcohol making him snarky, switching hands to face in the opposite direction.
This is a practiced routine for them. Tony leads on the ground, and Rudolph leads in the air. They have danced so many times and in so many ways, to so many different kinds of music. But it's always been alone; in the privacy of a home, the darkness of a graveyard at night, or a quiet night on the rooftops in Germany. This is totally different.
Rudolph leads a gentle, swaying waltz to the slow song barely heard below them, relishing in the warmth of Tony and the beating of his heart. They're pressed close, tangling legs occasionally and foreheads touching when one of them gets close enough. Surrounded by the lights below and seeing the crescent moon and bright stars in the sky makes the moment still and quiet, special.
They dance until the song is long over and the crowd of people migrate inside, Tony's buzz is gone from the cold and movement, all that remains is the sweet taste that lingers. The music suddenly starts again from inside, some loud upbeat dance song that has girls screaming. They pull away from one another with a genuine smile and snicker.
They float back down to the roof and then back down to the balcony, Tony's feet making contact with stone as Rudolph remains hovering in the air beside him, staying in Tony's orbit.
"Thank you," Tony whispers, voice thick.
"No," Rudolph starts, leaning forward and further into Tony's space, "Thank you. I was dead before I met you, and I now feel I've been brought back to life. You've changed everything, Tony. For the better, for all of us."
Tony leans into it when Rudolph closes the gap between them and kisses him, years of confessions and love and friendship accumulating to this moment in time. And though it's not even close to their first kiss, their first anything, it feels significant.
The perfect eclipse.
Tony's hand comes to the side of Rudolph's face, tracing a cool jawline until it tangles in dark hair. Tony vows he will remember this moment for as long as he lives.
After a moment in time, Rudolph pulls back, eyes flaring bright red and half-lidded. Tony knows he doesn't fare much better, cheeks burning hot and lips cool from the kiss. He meant to say something to Rudolph, but all he does is lean back in for another kiss, a little firmer and deeper, a little more raw emotion.
When Tony finally pulls back he takes a shaking, laughing breath and yanks Rudolph down to the ground with him.
"I think I love you." Tony confesses, like it's not a word they said years ago.
Rudolph laughs, voice a little hoarse as he retorts, "I thought we've made our feelings clear many times before, Tony. Or we're all those kisses between friends?"
"No. Definitely not. But, hm...it's hard to explain, Rudd."
"Try for me, darling." Rudolph purrs, coming in close.
Tony takes a breath and tries again, "It started out as friendship. And that turned into love. But it felt like love of someone close, like family or a best friend. But now-it feels like more. Like romantic love."
Rudolph is suddenly lifting him into a spin, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips before replying. "Oh, Tony! I've always hoped my love would be requited, but I was content with your kind of love, I had to be. But this is so much more, so much better ."
Tony leans up and presses in for one more chaste kiss before smiling like a doofus, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've always hoped too, but it was so confusing at first. You vampires are so open with emotions and affection that I thought it was just normal...I'm-"
"One condition."
Tony's heart skips, condition?
"You'll shave that awful monstrosity off your face if we're going to continue to do this." Rudolph tugs at the cropped beard and mustache on Tony's face, "It makes you look too much like your father."
Tony's laugh is deep and reverberating when it bubbles from his chest, "Fine, fine. I'll shave most of it off. Unlike you with your perfect, hairless face, mine takes a lot of maintenance to make it look good."
"You're right, not everyone is as gifted as I am with good looks, charm, and wit. You're lucky to have me."
Tony rolls his eyes and pulls Rudolph into a hug before kissing the side of his neck and pulling back to look him in the eyes.
"So, what are the plans for the rest of the night? You came all the way here, I'm sure it wasn't just for a dance and a kiss."
"Hm," Rudolph ponders with a fake, amused expression, "Well, I did pull some strings with a clan here in America. I have a room in a small castle on the East coast if you'd like to join me for another adventure?"
"There is nothing I'd rather be doing."