"And that's really all I can remember before I woke up," Frank finished, sighing.
Gerard had listened, utterly capitivated, as Frank recounted the story of what he'd experienced while being turned, on the brink of death. Frank vividly described how he'd been enveloped in white light, unable to perceive his physical form, and the way Ray's faraway voice had come to him, encouraging him to return to Gerard.
"So, do you think that means there's some sort of afterlife?" Gerard wondered. "Or do you reckon it was just your brain fighting to keep yourself alive."
"I'm not sure," Frank said, shrugging softly. "Maybe there is a heaven up there of some sorts. Surely there isn't just nothing, right?"
"Right."
Frank paused for a moment, pondering this further.
"If there is a heaven," he said tenderly, "then Mikey would be up there too. Maybe he and Ray could meet each other."
Gerard smiled warmly, patting Frank's back.
"I think they'd both be pretty proud of how far we've come."
Frank nodded, glancing at Gerard from underneath his hair.
"Perhaps I ought to visit Ray's family. Ray's mom especially," he mused, tucking his fringe behind his ear. "Just to say 'Happy New Year.'"
"We can do that later today, if you want," Gerard suggested. "We don't have to be at the train station until around four."
"Yeah," Frank agreed. "I think that might be nice, even if I just drop in to say a quick hello, see how they've been doing."
✽
Frank climbed the steps to the Toro family's front door, tapping on the hardwood gently. He glanced around the street; the neighbourhood hadn't changed one bit since he'd last been there, roughly ten months ago. He didn't have to wait long before the door swung open.
A stout, motherly-looking woman gazed at Frank with kind eyes. Her curly brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun, the streaks of grey at her temples shining through. She adjusted her reading glasses on her nose.
"Frank," she said breathily. "This is a nice surprise."
"Hi, Mrs Toro," Frank said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.
"Where have you been?" She wondered, reaching out to take his hand. "I haven't heard from you in ages. Come inside"
"I've had a lot going on, Mrs Toro," Frank said respectfully. "I'm sorry, I can't stay long. I have to go get ready, I'm seeing the ball drop in Times Square tonight."
"Oh really?" Mrs Toro asked. "That's lovely, are you going with anyone?"
"My boyfriend," Frank said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Oh, how wonderful! How long have you two been together?"
Frank paused for a moment, counting the months in his head. It was hard to remember; his and Gerard's relationship was complicated, after all.
"We've been seeing each other since late October," he settled on, "but we didn't make it official until November. So just over a month."
"That's nice," Mrs Toro said with a smile. She left Frank in the comfortable living room while she disappeared into the kitchen. Frank felt a little taken aback by his own words; had he and Gerard really only been officially dating since November? Even if he rounded it back to October, that was barely two months. He felt like he'd known the vampire for much longer.
"Oh, thank you, but I'm not too thirsty," Frank said awkwardly when Ray's mother returned with a tall glass of water. "I'll have a sip."
He raised the glass to his lips, barely taking in any water. He didn't want to upset his stomach, or risk diluting the blood he'd consumed earlier.
"So where have you been, Frank?" Mrs Toro reiterated. "We missed you at Thanksgiving."
"You did?" Frank asked, his eyebrows raising with surprise. He felt his face split into a grin, his heart warming with pride. Someone had missed him, after all. His absence had been noticed.
"Of course we did," Mrs Toro scoffed. "And who's this boyfriend of yours?"
"His name's Gerard," Frank said, his smile still lingering from hearing the news. "He's twenty-six, and he's really kind. Artsy sort of guy."
"That's so lovely, you'll have to bring him 'round some time."
Frank nodded, setting his glass down on the countertop.
"And how have you been, Mrs T?" He asked softly. He already knew what she was going to say, the same thing she always answered with:
"Just plodding along," Ray's mom said, as if on cue. "Jamie's graduating high school next year, and Louis has finished his apprenticeship. Going on to a proper trade now."
"That's great," Frank beamed, thinking of the two Toro brothers. "And Mr Toro?"
"He's out buying a newspaper. We went out this morning and forgot to get one."
Frank nodded, glancing around the living room some more. It hadn't changed a bit; the family photos still adorned the mantlepiece, Ray's high school picture in the centre of it all like a shrine. He smiled warmly, the home reminding him of every reason why he loved the Toro family.
"Mrs Toro," he said bashfully, scratching the back of his neck, "I hate to leave you so soon, but I have to get on the train to New York. You know how it is, traffic and all."
"No, that's okay sweetie!" Ray's mom insisted, pulling Frank in for a tight hug. "Thank you so much for stopping by, it really is so lovely to see you. Such a nice surprise."
Frank smiled, returning the hug. He let Mrs Toro pat him on the back, and he gently placed his hand on the back of her hair bun.
"And you're getting too skinny!" She said playfully. Frank chuckled; he doubted that she could feel any of his body parts under the many layers he was wearing, it was just the typical mom thing to say. He let her walk him to the door. "Come again soon, Frank!" She beamed.
"I will," Frank grinned. "Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year, Frankie."
He waved goodbye, walking away from the house with a wide smile on his face. Frank met Gerard at the end of the street, wrapping his arm around the other vampire's waist.
"She remembered me," was all he said, a faint smile in his tone.
"Of course she would remember you," Gerard said kindly. "What makes you think she would've forgotten?"
"No, I mean she even noticed when I disappeared."
Gerard smiled softly, patting Frank's hair.
"I knew that there'd be people that missed you."
They walked to the train station in Newark in comfortable silence, the wintery air blowing around them in strong gusts. The ride to New York City was mostly uneventful; Frank and Gerard stood cramped among dozens of people on the carriage. They emerged from the subway, weaving in and out of the population. A slight drizzle fell from the overcast sky, but it didn't seem to dampen the crowds one bit. They spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Manhattan, gazing in shop windows and sightseeing. As the sun began to set, they scouted out good viewing positions for when the New Years celebrations officially commenced. They passed an eclectic mix of people in costumes, likely on their way to New Years Eve parties. Banners hung from the buildings, the numbers 2-0-0-5 spelling out a bright future everywhere they looked. Frank even noticed a few people wearing cheap sunglasses with the new year on them, the zeroes forming the lenses.
"I've actually never been to see the ball drop, only on TV," Frank explained excitedly. Gerard smiled, wrapping his arm around the shorter man's shoulders.
"I'll be honest, I've always found the ball itself pretty anticlimactic," Gerard said, "'cuz it just falls behind the screen. But it is pretty special."
He turned to face Frank fully, planting a light kiss on his lips. They stood huddled together as the crowd grew exponentially, faint music travelling through the air. The people wielded streamers, glowsticks and the like, each excitedly chattering to one another about the event that was to come.
By eleven-thirty, the crowd was a circus, buzzing with excitement. Frank and Gerard looked on with wonder as the six-foot-wide ball glimmered with colourful lights that flashed and twinkled as the countdown went on. They held each other close, the lights pulsating on the count of each second - one mississippi, two mississippi - on and on until people were screaming and chanting:
"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!"
Gerard wrapped his arms around Frank's waist, lifting him off the ground slightly. Frank's toes trailed on the concrete, and he clung to Gerard's neck for support.
"Happy New Year!"
They locked lips as the fireworks went off, thousands of pounds of confetti fluttering around their smiling faces, more alive and incandescent than before. The crowd screamed and cheered as choruses of Auld Lang Syne went around, signalling the end of 2004 and welcoming new beginnings into the world.
"I love you," Gerard said in a low voice, gazing into Frank's shiny hazel eyes. "So much."
Frank beamed back at Gerard, and he felt that familiar warmth blossom behind his eyes as he grinned.
"I love you too."
✽
Once Gerard and Frank were back in Newark, they ran home together, taking advantage of the silent, still night that surrounded them. They barrelled through the forest that backed onto Belleville, coming to a stop outside of their home. Frank held onto Gerard as he unlocked the door and, after washing their hands, they made their way upstairs to the bedroom.
Gerard pulled Frank onto the bed, peppering his face and neck with dozens of open-mouthed kisses. Frank shrugged out of his coat, tugging his sweater over his head. He returned his attention to Gerard, helping the other vampire out of his clothes.
"Now that I'm a vampire too," Frank suggested, "would you like to try it the other way around?"
Gerard nodded, biting his lip and shimmying up to lean against the headboard. Frank unzipped his jeans and tugged down his underwear, retrieving the lube from the bedside drawer.
"I shouldn't need prep," Gerard whispered. Frank nodded, squeezing some of the liquid onto his hand and spreading it over the length of his dick. He rubbed the residue over Gerard, his cool fingers ghosting over the vampire's hole.
When Frank first pushed his cock into Gerard's entrance, Gerard inhaled sharply at the intrusion, breathing deeply to let his body become adjusted to Frank's presence. They remained like that for some time, until Gerard was fully relaxed around Frank's dick.
"Can I move now?" Frank offered. Gerard nodded, reaching up to wrap his arms around Frank's neck.
"Fuck," Gerard sputtered as Frank thrusted in and out of him. He bit his lip, feeling a little flustered. If he were a human, his cheeks would be heating up right now. "Feels so good," he breathed. "It's been so long."
Frank smirked as he slid into Gerard again. He snapped his hips forward, muffling Gerard's moans with a kiss. He steadied himself with one hand, wrapping his free fingers around Gerard's cock.
"You like it when I do this?" He asked, trying to emulate the cocky, confident tone that Gerard always used when he was topping. Gerard moaned in response, nodding furiously. He tipped his head back against the headboard, his hips bucking upwards into Frank's touch.
"Gonna cum," he whispered, and Frank took that as a sign to pick up the pace. Gerard's mouth hung open as his dick strained, cum spurting out of his body. Frank pulled out so he could get down to Gerard's level, taking his cock into his mouth and swallowing it all. He replaced his dick with his fingers, pumping them in and out of the vampire's hole as he came.
Gerard was still hard after he finished, and Frank looked up at him hopefully.
"Come back up here," Gerard said, reaching out to pull Frank on top of him again. Frank hovered above Gerard's hard cock, lining himself up.
"Gonna ride you," he said breathily, wincing as he slid down onto Gerard's length. He didn't feel tired at all; that must have been something new about being a vampire. Frank rocked his hips back and forth, grinding on Gerard's dick.
"Feels good," Gerard said, his voice sounding a little higher than ordinary. Frank bounced up and down, fucking himself on Gerard's cock. Their synchronised moans echoed around the dimly-lit room, a chorus of soft little ah-ah-ah's from Gerard and higher, whinier whimpers from Frank.
"Fuck, Gerard," Frank sighed, his breathing sounding laboured from the up-and-down motion he was practising. "Fuck, I love you, feels so good..."
Gerard gripped Frank's hips, digging his short nails into the flesh and leaving little crescent-shaped indents.
"Come on baby," he said encouragingly, his voice sounding hoarse. "Keep bouncing like that, wanna feel you cum."
Frank moaned as his walls clenched around Gerard's cock, a string of expletives escaping his parted lips as he came. Gerard winced, too, finishing inside of Frank for the second time. Frank leaned forward onto Gerard's body, feeling his soft skin on his own. He rolled his hips upwards, sliding out with a hiss.
"Felt so good," he mumbled into Gerard's neck. "Could keep going like this all night."
"We can," Gerard suggested, "but let's warm up in the shower first."
Together, they staggered to the bathroom, letting the hot spray wash over their bodies. Gerard sank down onto his knees, taking Frank's cock into his mouth while they showered. Frank groaned, running a hand through his wet hair to slick his fringe out of his face. There was something so paradoxically satisfying about sex as a vampire. He felt like his sensitivity had been amplified tenfold, as if he could cum from the slightest action. But, at the same time, he never got tired, and was always hungry for more. Frank felt like he could finish ten times that night and it still wouldn't feel like enough.
"Oh, fuck," he sputtered, his legs nearly buckling as he came in Gerard's mouth. Gerard locked his hands around Frank's thighs, holding him steady as he swallowed every drop of his seed. He stood up slowly, trailing kisses all the way up Frank's body until he reached his slim face.
"Hi," Gerard smiled softly when he reached Frank's eye level. He kissed his nose.
"Hi yourself," Frank chuckled. He batted his eyelashes against Gerard's cheek, tickling the vampire with his feather-light touch.
"Let's go back to bed."
They shut off the water, towel-drying their bodies lazily before returning to the bedroom. Frank pressed himself against Gerard, their damp skin still radiating the heat from the shower.
"Happy New Year, Frankie," Gerard said warmly, planting another kiss on Frank's soft lips. "I'm so happy to be going into this year with you."
They sank onto the bed, spoke in kisses, and Gerard glowed with the knowledge that he'd never feel alone again.
"Happy New Year, Gerard," Frank whispered back. "I can't wait to spend forever with you."
And so they held each other, audacious, supernatural and glorified, nuzzling together in their own little piece of forever.