Chapter Text
“Tyler, we need to leave,” Mark said, watching the younger vampire.
“I’m still getting ready” Tyler pursed his lips, sliding his hair back.
“We’re going on a hunt, not to fuck a human” the other snapped, pulling Tyler’s arm and rushing him out of their apartment.
“Why not both?” Tyler asked innocently, jerking his arm out of Mark’s hold.
They walked down the stairs of the building, teasing each other and getting ready for a feast. Friday was the best day to eat, because clubs were full of young,
intoxicated people that were an easy target to bite. Of course, vampires drank until the human lost consciousness, but their teeth released endorphins into the victim’s blood, that made the whole experience pleasant and not a blatant attack. City vampires usually left the humans alive but abandoned. They ran away before the victim woke up, leaving only the half-moon mark behind. There were stories of relationships between humans and vampires, but they rarely worked out. It wasn’t possible for a vampire to have children, and many humans didn’t like that in the long run. Vampires also felt less, their bodies were cold, but so were their hearts. They couldn’t love like a human or get attached. Many myths were, of course, bullshit. But vampires’ nature was a complex matter that no one apart from a vampire itself could understand.
“Tyler, last time you fucked the one you bit, it ended up in murder” Mark reminded, putting his hood on as they walked down the street.
“I got carried away” Tyler rolled his eyes “You have a high body count too”
“I didn’t know any better” Mark clicked his tongue. “My previous” he paused “friend, was a psychopath that got turned into a vampire. I was simply his experiment and ended up a vamp like him, getting taught all those habits. That has nothing to do with you just being an idiot and accidentally killing”
Tyler gasped, offended and answered “Fine. I’ll fuck someone that I won’t bite”
Mark nodded and followed down the street, knowing Tyler was right next to him. The two lived together, finding it easier to go through daily struggles that way. They had regular lives with jobs, hiding who they really were. Vampires' appearances were different from humans, but they learned to mask it with darker face foundation and powder and by always wearing long clothes, staying out of the sun that burned them, which was just some inconvenient pain. Vampires didn’t sleep. Or eat regular food. So, whenever lunch break happened, they would just go out and wander around, pretending to have a meal. At night, vampires got hungry. When the sun went down, it was their prime time to go hunt. Truth was, vampires didn’t need to drink blood every day, so they went out whenever their eyes began turning crimson and the contact lenses wouldn’t hide it well enough anymore. Humans knew vampires existed between them, but they could never differentiate them, because the creatures knew how to blend in and not raise suspicions. However, drunk people were the easiest to feed on. Their reflexes were slower and seducing them was a piece of cake for a vampire with an alluring aura.
“Ty, remember to behave” Mark warned “Last time we had to move because of you”
Tyler sighed, reminding himself how he accidentally revealed who he was. He began biting down on a young woman’s neck, when someone walked by and saw it, instantly making a scene. The two changed clubs often, and especially if they made anyone around aware of who they were.
“I know. I’ll bite only in the bathroom when the door is locked”
“Good boy” Mark winked, entering the club. They bought an all-city pass, always getting in, no matter how packed the inside was. It was pricey, but the vampires didn’t spend money on regular food… they could eat it, but it made their body achy and a little feverish, so they avoided human meals as much as possible.
The two vampires entered the main dancefloor and looked around, spotting so many victims at the palms of their hands. Wonderful. Mark separated himself and walked down towards the other room, that was packed as well. Fridays were truly perfect.
Tyler was left to feed on his own and moved further in, right between all the dancing people. Human bodies were so warm, it was nearly disgusting to the vampire. He much preferred being between his own kind or hooking up with a vampire. But humans were easier to deceive and catch.
Tyler looked around, finding someone alone. It was always the easiest target. No one would search for them once they went missing. Tyler put on his best smile and narrowed his eyes, knowing he was extremely captivating once he approached a human. The loner was a girl, who already seemed like she had a few too many drinks. Perfect, she wouldn’t even register what was going to happen to her.
Tyler stood in front of her and began dancing, seeming as natural as a stranger at the club could. He knew the tricks, since he had hunted for the past five years. It was a piece of cake for him and he would be fed within the next couple minutes.
The girl seemed happy about the beautiful man that approached her and let Tyler come closer. The vampire danced with her for what seemed like too long and eventually leaned in, only to whisper into her ear “Follow me, darling”.
The girl agreed, thinking they would go hook up in the club bathroom. Humans were so simple and naive. If Tyler could feel, he’d be endeared.
The vampire led the girl towards an empty bathroom and shut the door closed behind them, locking it. The girl frowned when she noticed how straight and focused Tyler’s face was. His eyes turned crimson, because he was about to bite and he quickly covered her mouth with his palm, whispering “Don’t scream. I promise it won’t hurt”.
The girl looked terrified, but Tyler didn’t have the time or desire to wait and comfort her. She’d pass out soon anyway. He sunk his teeth into her neck, resting her body against the wall to make it easier for them. He heard her small moan and smirked, loving how, despite their unwillingness, humans were so easy. And dirty. They claimed to be afraid of vampires, but the truth was they were hooked to the feeling of being bitten and sometimes begged for it when they noticed the vampire captured them with that purpose.
Tyler sucked on the neck and drank for a few minutes, realizing the girl’s body was weakening quickly. Why did he have to find someone this frail? It had to be enough for a few days, though. So Tyler let go, setting her body onto the floor. There was a thin line of blood dripping down her neck, but he ignored it, knowing it was nothing out of the ordinary. She would definitely survive the minor blood loss.
The vampire sighed and licked his lips, finally sated. Human blood was the sweetest treat for their kind. He wasn’t quite done with having fun, though.
Especially when he left the bathroom and noticed Jenna, who was his and Mark’s friend. She was a vampire as well and the three learned the city life together, always helping each other out but not interrupting their individual hunts.
“You were quick,” Jenna said, catching Tyler between her arms.
“You saw me?”
“Yeah, we’ve been here for the past two hours. Jenna wants to go for a second round, though”
“So” Tyler hummed lowly “You’re sated, and so am I-”
“Let’s go fuck” Jenna replied simply, pulling the other behind himself. “Mark won’t be back at our place for the next hours”
Tyler smirked, following the taller one out. Perfect. He got blood and vampire sex in one night. Wasn’t he insanely lucky?
####
Tyler cracked his neck, walking down the street. It was around four am and he wanted to go back home and shower to get the human scents off him. He felt good after the hook up, almost reenergized. It wasn’t unusual of him to sleep with Jenna or even Mark. It was just sex and vampires genuinely didn’t have feelings that would complicate that.
Tyler was near his apartment when he noticed some movement on the other side of the street. Cleveland was usually a perfect place to hide for a vampire. It was a large, lively city and people were bound to get hurt or go missing. So, a vampire was impossible to locate. Tyler didn’t really care about what humans found dangerous and what not. There was no way a person could hurt a vampire anyway, so he was free to walk around at the most bizarre hours. But whatever was on the other side of the street, didn’t smell human.
Tyler squinted his eyes, watching the man. He was tall and broad, radiated warmth. The vampire suspected what it could mean. Possibly a werewolf. But why would there be one in the heart of the city? They were pack creatures, so a lonely one made no sense.
The man turned his head, clearly bothered by an unusual smell as well. Their gazes locked and Tyler’s breath hitched, recognizing the doe eyes he remembered so clearly for the past five years. No fucking way.
The vampire hurried and turned right on a different street, getting into his building and heading upstairs. There was no way he just saw Josh Dun, the werewolf that he was friends with as a child. Absolutely not.
###
“Your eyes are changing again” Mark said, watching his roommate.
Tyler sighed and answered “I know, the girl I had a few days ago didn’t give me enough. I have to go out again”
“Maybe a park this time?”
“Mark, it’s not my first hunt. I’ve been a vampire for five years”
“And I’m one for the past hundred, I think I can offer you advice” Mark scoffed, grabbing his laptop to head back to his bedroom.
“You’re babying me” Tyler huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Because you’re a baby vamp,” the older said endearingly.
“By the way, I invited Jenna over tomorrow” Tyler changed the subject.
“What for?” Mark asked, scrunching his nose, completely unamused.
“To hang out” Tyler complained “You’re so antisocial, what the fuck”
“Of course, I am, I have eternity ahead of me. I want to be left the fuck alone”
“Just because we don’t naturally die, doesn’t mean that someone can’t kill you” Tyler retorted.
“And what would that someone be? Another vampire?” Mark mocked “Or what? A werewolf?”
“You never fucking know” Tyler replied, pouting. He still couldn’t get the image of the werewolf out of his head. The smell matched and those pretty eyes were too cute to forget. The vampire shook his head and added “Anyway, this is also my place so those two are coming over”
“Whatever, Tyler” Mark dismissed, disappearing in his bedroom. Of course, they had beds, but they only used them for rest, not actual sleep. Besides, they had to behave normally in front of the landlord.
“So boring” Tyler muttered, putting his head back on the couch. He had to go feed himself, but he was feeling lazy. Home was nice and comfortable, looking for a victim wasn’t. But it gave him a thrill and he loved the chase. So, he checked the clock and got up. Surely there was still someone wandering around the park at midnight.
“I’m heading out, Mark,” Tyler yelled, closing the door behind himself. His roommate never cared much anyway. Unless Tyler was gone for a long time and Mark would get concerned. Mark found Tyler only a few weeks after the younger got turned. The vampire was hungry, afraid and lonely, so the older felt bad and took him in, knowing that he could teach Tyler how to survive without being noticed. They ended up liking each other, though and stayed roommates and friends.
Tyler walked down the familiar street. There was a busy park just a few blocks away and he headed towards it, planning to catch his victim and quickly return back home. He wasn’t in the mood for anything crazy. He just needed a meal.
The vampire found his target without an issue. It was a jogger, a man a few inches taller and broader than him, which meant he had a strong body and would be able to give out more blood than the girl a few days ago. And it would be so deliciously warm since he was energized from the run. Tyler had no issue with handling a larger body and throwing it onto the grass behind some bushes. Vampires had a lot of strength, they were physically ready to fight a werewolf, so obviously no human was tough to defeat.
Tyler leaned down and sunk his teeth into the man’s pulsating vein, closing his eyes with how tasty the blood rushing down his throat was. The man stopped writhing and Tyler could even remove his hand from his mouth, knowing he wouldn’t be able to scream anymore.
The vampire sucked out more blood and eventually, with a heavy heart, let go. The man was so tasty, Tyler wouldn’t mind finishing him. But he knew it was wrong and unnecessary, so he stepped back from the body and got back to the empty park path. Tyler walked down for a few minutes and the odd smell hit his nostrils again. Here? Really?
The vampire quickly looked around, trying not to raise any suspicion. But no werewolf would be dumb enough to attack a vampire that had just eaten. Tyler was strong, so he wasn’t afraid. But he didn’t feel in the mood for a fight. And here, it would definitely be caught by some human passerby who Tyler would have to end up killing.
“Ty?” a soft voice spoke.
Tyler’s lips parted and his body shivered. His childhood nickname? He turned around, only to stand face to face with the werewolf from last time. It was definitely him, those eyes would always give him away, betraying his identity. Even if it had been five years.
“Josh Dun” Tyler said stoically.
The werewolf smiled slightly and continued “You recognized me”
“I lost my beating heart, not memories” Tyler answered.
Josh’s eyes scrunched at that and he muttered “I was wondering what happened to you, when you suddenly disappeared. Now I know”
Tyler wanted to have this conversation. He was curious about the younger too. But he wasn’t stupid and knew that werewolves lived in packs, so the rest of them must’ve been near. And the vampire wouldn’t be able to take a few of them at the same time.
“Don’t leave” Josh said gently, seeing how the older took a step back “I’m here alone. Let me look at you for a little bit more”
“There’s nothing to see” Tyler answered coldly. “We shouldn’t interact. Ever”
“Why? I’ve been a werewolf ever since we met. I don’t care that you’re a vampire”
Tyler scoffed and chuckled darkly “Baby, don’t be stupid. Our kinds don’t hang out together. Leave me alone before I make you”
“But you’re my Tyler”
“That Tyler died five years ago. I was reborn as a vampire, I’m nothing like that pathetic human” Tyler said, fixing his hair and watching the man whose eyes never left the vampire’s body.
“You’re lying” Josh replied, his gaze saddening “You’d attack me if you were nothing like my Tyler. But here we are, talking and staring at each other”
Tyler’s lips curled up and he said “Stay away for your own safety”
The vampire hissed, exposing his fangs that haven’t retreated from the feeding yet and turned around, leaving the park. He needed to get back home, so he could calmly process whatever just happened. Out of all the creatures in the world, Tyler’s paths had to cross with Josh’s? His childhood best friend that was a werewolf. Unbelievable. Fate must hate Tyler.