by Aidan Wayne
Vlad nodded again. “Before they didn’t want to confront her, but since she created an international incident, it made the Ukrainian council look very bad. They’ll—they’ll keep her controlled, now, even if they don’t want to. To save face.”
“O… kay,” Darren said. He did not think so much of the Ukrainian council right about now, but the important thing was, “So that’s it, then, huh? She’s fully taken care of?” Vlad nodded, actually smiling a little bit.
“Oh god, that’s awesome,” Darren managed, around a really inconvenient yawn. “I mean that. I really do. I would be way more enthusiastic right now if I didn’t feel like I was made of jelly.”
“I know,” Vlad said, lips quirked.
“And hey, look at that,” Darren said, idly waving a hand. “She is defeated. You triumph victorious. Vampire Vlad conquers the big bad. Look, it rhymes even.”
“I could still bite you,” Vlad threatened. And he was in a good mood, to joke about that.
Darren snickered weakly. “Yeah right. According to a certain unnamed someone, I taste like grass. No one wants to eat grass.”
“Maybe I’d make an exception.”
“Pft, empty threat,” Darren said. He yawned again, eyes drifting shut. “Sorry, I want to see you, I do, and it’s really dumb how often I end up asleep whenever we hang out. I just….”
“I understand,” Vlad said immediately, getting up. “Why don’t you call me when you are up to it?”
“Mmkay,” Darren mumbled, setting his bouquet on the nightstand. He reached out to Vlad. “Hey, c’mere.”
“Hm?”
Darren made grabby hands. “G’night kiss.”
“It’s the middle of the day,” Vlad said, sounding amused.
“Don’t care. I totally deserve it.”
“I suppose,” Vlad said, huffing out a laugh. He bent down and pressed a cool kiss to Darren’s forehead. “Okay?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Good night, Darren.”
Darren was already asleep again.
DARREN FINALLY felt back to himself the next morning. He devoured a huge breakfast, checked in with his parents, replied to Beth and Trish’s frantic text messages, promising to meet up with them later, and then called Vlad, asking to meet in the clearing. Vlad was waiting for him when he got there.
“You’re up!” Vlad said, greeting him with a smile. “Feeling better?”
“Oh yeah,” Darren said, pulling Vlad down next to him. “Loads. I feel like a person again. A person who needed to be out of bed immediately. How are you doing?”
“I’m… all right,” Vlad said. “Still processing some things. Talking more things over with Charlie and Tabitha. Um. I’m… I’m going to be getting a dog.”
“What, really?” Darren said. “That’s fantastic! Do you know when? Or what kind?”
“We’re going to the shelter this weekend,” Vlad said. “I would like an older dog that has less chance to be adopted. I don’t really care what kind. But a big one would be nice.”
“That’s really great,” Darren enthused. “What made you finally decide to get one?”
Vlad shrugged a shoulder. “I’m less, ah, worried about things now. With… with her taken care of, and my powers more under control.”
“I’m really happy to hear that,” Darren said. “That you’re, you know, comfortable enough to do that. You’re probably fantastic with dogs.”
“I was,” Vlad said. “I’m not really sure how well that will carry over now. That’s another reason why Tabitha and Charlie think it’s a good idea. It will help me interact with living things better. I mean, without fright or thrall.”
“Also, you get something that will basically force you to go outside a lot, as well as a loyal cuddle-friend,” Darren said.
Vlad smiled. “Yes, that too. Another one, anyway.”
“You just compared me to a dog. Really, Vlad? I am feeling so betrayed right now.”
Vlad huffed a laugh, and Darren grinned, scooting a little closer.
“So,” Darren said, twining their fingers together. “It’s been a doozy of a few months, huh? You learned how to be a vampire, helped me power through finals, defeated the crazy vampire lady who turned you in the first place, you’re getting a dog….”
“I suppose so,” Vlad said. “And you learned how to summon lightning, apparently,” he added.
Darren winced. “Not so much learned as forced, and probably not something I’m going to try again for a while, but, yeah.”
“Mm.”
“Oh, and let’s not forget,” Darren said. “You gained an awesome, hand-holding boyfriend! And so did I.”
Vlad chuckled. “That’s true.”
Darren caught Vlad’s eye. “With all that in mind, uh, maybe… going out to a movie or something doesn’t sound so scary?”
Vlad looked at him, wide-eyed, and then, quietly, “I could be convinced.”
“Cool.” Darren grinned. “It’s a date.”
AIDAN WAYNE has been a jeweler, paralegal, neurofeedback technician, and martial arts instructor, and that’s not even the whole list. They’ve been in constant motion since before they were born (pity Aidan’s mom)—and being born didn’t change anything. When not moving, Aidan is usually writing, so things tend to balance out. They primarily write character-driven stories with happy endings, because, dammit, queer people deserve happy endings too.
Aidan lives with altogether too many houseplants on the seventh floor of an apartment building. The building has an elevator, but Aidan refuses to acknowledge its existence.
Social media:
Twitter: @aidanwayne
Facebook: facebook.com/AidanWayneWrites/
Website: aidanwayne.com
By Aidan Wayne
Showers, Flowers, and Fangs
Published by HARMONY INK PRESS
www.harmonyinkpress.com
Published by
HARMONY INK PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
[email protected] • harmonyinkpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Showers, Flowers, and Fangs
© 2018 Aidan Wayne.
Cover Art
© 2018 Tiferet Design.
http://www.tiferetdesign.com/
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Harmony Ink Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or [email protected].
Digital ISBN: 978-1-64080-435-7
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64080-436-4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018902533
Digital published December 2018
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America
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