Tony's breath caught in his throat as the two flew into view of a large rustic castle sitting on the top of a mountain. Its large front walk was clustered with vampires, all murmuring, too deep in conversation to notice the pair hovering above the estate. The rising silver moon cast their faces in an ethereal white glow, dramatically showcasing their thin, bony complexions.
Tony wondered for a second how he and Rookery hadn't found this place sooner, because every vampire for what seemed like miles was gathered in just the roundabout drive.
"Okay," Rudolph said as they came upon the entrance to the large castle. "We're going to go in, but before we do that, are you absolutely sure you want to do this? I'm already late to my own birthday party, I can take you home if you really want to, if you're not up to this, I mean."
"Of course I want to do this, dude!" he said, squeezing the dark haired boy's hand reassuringly. "I want to have a little fun before I gotta go back to school and work and everything. Plus, I get to spend the whole night with you!" Rudolph smiled softly at the boy, flushing a bit as he began to push open the door.
"Okay," he took a shaky breath. "Let's get this over with."
Upon entering through the thick oak doors, Tony was bombarded with a dull classical music that made the Bach they had listened to on the radio in his truck seem light and carefree. He understood immediately why the vampire had settled with that particular music.
They hovered into the front hall, stopping in place when they approached three irritated looking vampires. They each stood stock straight, their arms folded tightly against their chests.
"That's my father, mother and sister," Rudolph whispered softly into Tony's ear. "They don't look happy, but that's okay, they're only angry with me. Just act natural."
Tony gave the vampire a short nod as the man who appeared to be Rudolph's father approached the boys.
"Rudolph? Where have you been? We sent your auntie to her coffin already because you never showed up!" he bellowed, and Tony could have sworn he saw his friend flinch when the man spoke. "Don't you understand how important this celebration is for you? Three hundred and eighteen years, Rudolph! Three hundred and eighteen! And where have you been all this time? Aha! Have you been outside again?"
"Yes- s- sorry... sir, but I wasn't very far away."
"Oh, hell, Rudolph! You know that's not the point," he flew over swiftly, taking the two by surprise when he wrenched Rudolph by the arm, lurching the pair forward. Then the vampire's father caught a glimpse of Tony, stopping in his tracks. "And who might this be?"
"Oh, uhm, yeah! This," the younger vampire gestured towards Tony, "is Tony."
The blond nodded his head curtly at the three, smiling. "Tony Thompson, pleasure to meet you all."
The older vampire only grunted, basically ignoring Tony. He turned to his son again, tightening his grip on his arm. "Where on earth did you find such an odd vampire clan? I've surely never heard of them."
Tony began to panic, looking to Rudolph. He wanted to do something, but he knew that he wouldn't help, and he would probably only be ignored. Just then, though, he felt his friend give his hand a reassuring squeeze before speaking up.
"I- I found him when I was flying through... Norway. Yes, I believe I was, right Tony?" the blond teenager nodded, grinning. "His clan welcomed me in when it was almost dawn. That's where I met him. He was turned into a vampire many centuries ago, and his family stayed in hiding for so long that he... lost the ability to fly."
Tony fought to look somber as he started to smile at Rudolph's quick thinking. He loved how clever Rudolph was. He was so wonderfully calm under pressure. His father looked between the two with suspicion, but he seemed to dismiss it for now.
"Oh, darling," Rudolph's mother gasped, placing a hand on her heart. She walked over to Tony, placing the other on his shoulder, before Rudolph nudged him.
"You must be Rudolph's mother! I never knew that you would be so beautiful!" he took her hand and kissed the top of it, earning a scoff from the vampire beside him, but when he looked up, he was nodding approvingly.
"I bet you don't think I'm beautiful," came an alluring female voice behind Rudolph's mother. A young girl flew into view, her bright purple braid swaying against her back. Tony was entranced by her beauty for a fraction of a second, stammering before his vision blurred.
Then he couldn't see anything. It was like blacking out, only he knew for a fact that he was still very much conscious. He could hear muffled voices and could faintly feel Rudolph's strong hand holding his. When he came to, he heard Rudolph speaking in a harsh but hushed tone.
"Anna, you can't do that to Tony, he... his clan might get... offended by your conduct and they may never let me see him again," the dark haired boy had flown the two into a corner of the hall, and the vampire named Anna was holding Tony's hand firmly, stroking his fingertips. Tony squirmed under her grasp, pulling his hand away. Why didn't Rudolph want her doing... whatever it was that just happened? What just happened, anyway?
"Just relax brother, and let me do it," she turned back to Tony and beamed at him, batting her eyelashes. His vision started to blur again when he heard Rudolph cry out in protest.
"Stop experimenting on him! Try it on our cousins or something. Whatever gross person you can find. But don't do that. Not to Tony. If you try to charm him again, I won't have you anywhere near him. He's my friend. You will not be messing him up or manipulating him into doing what you want just so he has no clue what he's done when he's back to his normal self."
The girl huffed, glaring at Rudolph before turning and looking up sweetly at the blond teenager. "Well Tony," Anna cooed, taking his free hand once more. "It was lovely meeting you, and I hope we can find each other again some time, maybe even in Norway. I'll talk to you later!" she waved absently, then turned in midair, letting her braid swing as she flew away. Tony watched her go with mixed thoughts, mostly confusion, jumbling about. He shook his head, trying to make sense of it, but could only just look at Rudolph, frowning.
"What... what was that? Can you please explain to me what just happened?"
Rudolph sighed, running a hand through his inky hair, letting it fall back into place as he swept through it. "I... there's this thing my sister can do... it's like a thrall... do you know what a thrall is?" Tony nodded, growing worried. "Okay, yeah. It's like that, but it's more of a girl thing. She's learned all these spells from our mother, and the one she uses the most makes any creature or human fall in love with her. I personally hate it, it's so very annoying when she tries it on our relatives, because it's just disgusting. So whenever my brother Gregory or I bring someone from another clan, she does her charming practice on them instead. She's gotten quite good at it, and she can do it almost too easily, like she can bat her eyelashes, and you're suddenly under her control. She got me to scrub the floors once."
Tony chuckled, and saw that Rudolph was looking back at him, smiling softly. Tony started to blush all over again, his gaze flicking to his friend's lips quickly before darting back up to gaze into his soft eyes. "I can normally put up with it, but it's- it's different with you," the vampire appeared to panic at what he just said, his eyes skimming Tony's mouth as well. "M- more dangerous for you, I mean, since you- your... identity would be compromised if she successfully charmed you."
The blond teenager grinned up at Rudolph, squeezing his hand. "Thanks dude!"
"You're quite welcome Tony," the vampire practically beamed at him, then he set themselves down on the pale stone floor. They each walked into the large ballroom-like area where countless vampires were dancing to the morose tune. "And that would be my brother walking over now. Try to be cool."
Rudolph winked at him as an older looking vampire flew over to the pair, grinning wildly as he slammed onto the floor, swaying. The handsome immortal clutched a thick chalice in his hands. "Hic- 'ello, laddies. Ah!- hic- the birthday boy! And his friend! You must try this wine!" he pushed the cup towards the two, who shook their heads with mild discomfort. "It's almost- hic- like blood, but far better! I feel- hic- alive again!"
Tony snorted, bursting into giggles, clutching his stomach as he doubled over with laughter. Rudolph joined in too, his baritone voice chuckling deeply along with the blond boy. When the laughter had subsided, Rudolph took away Gregory's chalice, earning an indignant shout from the drunken brother. "Okay, bro. I think you need to rest a bit before you have any more of... this."
"Bro...? What kind of- hic- modern term is that? Have you been learning from morta-"
Rudolph quickly pushed Gregory aside, shushing him and making sure no other guests had heard what he said. "Alright!" he hissed, pressing the cup into his brother's hand. "We'll leave you alone, but don't drink anymore, you're being idiotic."
The two teenagers walked past Gregory, heading towards the dance floor. "I'll see you around brother! And friend!" Rudolph glanced at Tony, scoffing, but the blond could only smile up at him.
They came to a stop as the song ended, applauding the band before a new composition started. As a new, somehow slower tune began to play, Rudolph grinned at the vampires dancing in circles and turned to face Tony.
The dark haired teenager held his hand out to Tony. "May I have this dance?" Rudolph smiled so softly that it made the blond's thoughts and fears lift away. He had such a loving expression on his face that all Tony could do was blush and nod eagerly. He placed his own hand gently on Rudolph's palm. The vampire's fingers curled around his hand, causing his blush to deepen.
Rudolph looked into his eyes, and a smirk flickered across his face as he dipped his head down. He brought his lips to Tony's hand, all the while looking deeply into the human's eyes. His lips were soft and smooth, pressed against his hand, causing Tony to redden even more even when he thought it wasn't possible.
Then the vampire straightened and took the boy's other hand, placing it on his shoulder. Tony gasped, his mouth popping open as his friend snaked his hand around his waist. The boys fit together, chest to chest as the music began to pick up ever so slightly.
"Follow my lead," Rudolph whispered into his ear. "You're already doing so great."
The two swayed along to the beat, following the movement of the other vampires in a circle. Tony grew so comfortable dancing like this, he couldn't get enough of gazing up into the pale boy's eyes once he stopped looking at his feet.
He felt his heartbeat slow in his chest, finally growing calm in the presence of such a charming vampire. His blush still continued to show through, and he just knew that Rudolph could tell. They gazed at one another, becoming lost in their own world as they glided across the dance floor. Tony laid his head down on the vampire's shoulder. The immortal sighed happily, leaning his head on the blond's.
Tony wondered then if Rudolph actually wished to be with him like Tony desired. He wondered if they could ever be more than just friends; if they could be so much more.
But that was something for another time; all he wanted now was to have someone to rely on. He wanted someone to feel safe with. And in that moment, Tony felt safe. Even with all the vampires in the room who could probably smell the human on him, he felt safe in his friend's arms. He was so happy. Tony felt good about everything for the first time in his life. He didn't need to worry about a thing.
The pair stayed like this, still holding onto one another as the music slowed to a stop. They broke away, taking each other in as they clasped hands once more.
Rudolph spent the rest of the evening talking with relatives wishing him a happy birthday, and with Tony always by his side. They told the blond's story almost robotically, every relative asking why they held hands. Some had tried to offer Tony blood to drink, but he always managed to brush them off, claiming to have already had some.
By the time the clock struck 4 am, most of the guests had either gone to bed or left to fly back home in time before dawn. This left Rudolph to decide they should sneak out before sunrise. Tony had been yawning constantly for the last half hour anyway, and was ready to get all the sticky makeup off his skin. They made their way down a back hallway and out of sight, flying off into the darkness before anyone could see them leave.
Arriving home, they touched down onto the prussian carpet and let go of each other's hands. Tony immediately shrugged off his jacket, letting dirt fall out of it as he heaped it onto the floor. He turned around to see Rudolph staring out the window intently.
"Uhm... Rudolph? What's wrong?"
The vampire turned from the window and gazed at Tony for a moment. "The sun is already coming out."
The blond's heartbeat began to erratically rise. He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, staring at the floor as he flushed once more. "Y- you can stay... here for the day if you'd like to. I don't mind."
"Really?"
"Of course," he smiled at the vampire as he floated back down to the floor, looking around the blond's room. "Uh... I'm- I'm gonna go take a shower really quick 'n get all this stuff off me. Just... make yourself comfortable."
Rudolph nodded, pressing his lips tightly together. He sat down on the bed, folding his hands neatly in his lap while Tony drew the curtains so that no sunlight would enter through. He felt Rudolph's gaze on him as he walked across the hall into the tiny bathroom, feeling his ears burning scarlett.
Struggling out of his clothes, Tony turned the shower on, a cold spray hissing at his skin. As the water became warmer, he covered his body in suds, watching as gray and purple makeup ran down the drain. He felt his hand, brushing the spot with his thumb where the vampire had kissed it slowly, remembering the soft caress of lips. He recalled how Rudolph had looked at him with the tenderest gaze, really wondering if he actually had feelings for him. He had to. He just had to. There was no other way to explain it. Right?
But Tony was too scared to start anything. He was afraid he'd mess things up between them if it turned out that his friend was just having fun. Oh, Tony would give anything to know. He couldn't keep senselessly wishing and waiting.
Tony let the water drip down him, trying to clear his head of thoughts about Rudolph. Leaning his head against the wall, he closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before he washed his hair. Dirt and dust turned the water stream brown, running down the drain like a whirlpool leading to blackness and despair. Tony was free of Rookery now, but he still felt like he was drowning.
But nothing the teenager pondered could steer his thoughts away from the vampire sitting in his room.
Tony sighed and turned the tap off, grabbing a fresh towel from the hook just outside the shower curtain. He stepped out of the tub, drying himself off. The blond looked into the clouded mirror, hating what he saw; a skimpy, awkward, miserable teenager who couldn't do anything right except for repressing his true feelings. He ruffled his sandy blond hair, scrubbing his face with a towel before wrapping it around his waist. He turned the doorknob, shivering as he stepped out into the freezing hallway.
Walking into the room to find pajamas to change into, he heard a soft gasp. Tony stopped in his tracks with a hand on the closet door. He hadn't thought about the fact that Rudolph had just seen him half naked in his room. He slowly turned his head to see the vampire gawking at him, his eyes blown wide open, looking him up and down with a purple tint flying across his cheeks.
"Oh... ehm- uhh, I- sorry. I'll just-"
He grabbed the first shirt and pants he saw, and dashed to the bathroom, hearing a whisper in his wake, "It's fine."
He changed quickly, cursing himself for being so stupid. Taking another deep breath, he creaked open the door, keeping his eyes on the floor as he got out an extra blanket and pillow, setting them down as his ears burned. "You can sleep on my bed, and I'll be here on the floor, if that's alright with you."
The vampire stood up, his cheeks still flushed lilac. "Y- you're letting me stay in your room?"
Tony smiled up at him, trying not to feel so embarrassed. "Sure. You're my friend, that's what friends do. We call it a sleepover."
The vampire screwed up his face so adorably that the blond couldn't help but breathe out a laugh. "I can hardly believe this," he chuckled, running a hand through his jet black hair. "You- you're sure that you want me to sleep in your own bed? Aren't you worried it'll smell like... death or something?"
Tony chuckled again, sitting down on his makeshift cot. "It's totally fine, dude. Just get some sleep. You look exhausted."
The vampire sighed, then reluctantly kicked off his boots and climbed into the bed, nestling under the covers.
Tony settled down under the blanket before a thought popped into his head. "Uh... Rudolph? Do you want some pajamas to change into instead of sleeping in that jacket and those jeans?"
The vampire craned his neck to peer at Tony over the bed with a surprised look on his face. "Really?" he said hopefully, sitting up in bed. The blond got up and walked to the closet, pulling out a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants for the dark haired teenager. He tossed them to Rudolph, who caught them, getting up and flying to the bathroom. When he came back, Tony couldn't help but smile at the baggy clothes on him. He could never imagine the vampire in something that didn't make him look stiff and mysterious. Rudolph grinned at him before floating back to the bed.
"Good day, mortal," he yawned.
"Good day," Tony murmured, turning over onto his side when the vampire's head disappeared from view. He quickly fell asleep as he listened to the shifting of his friend under the covers.