When Blindfolds Fall

20: Feeder of Cycles

"What happened?! Is everything okay Viktor?! Are we in trouble?! Are we fired?!" Josiah quickly rambled as soon he saw Viktor step out into the night.

"We're fine love. Everything is fine." Viktor shushed him and hugged him. "Don't get so worked up. The king was just upset I caused a ruckus last night, but I've apologized and it certainly won't ever happen again."

"Oh dear, okay. That's better than what I imagined. S-So, can we still--?"

"Of course we can. Now come on, relax, and let's enjoy our date."

Josiah did so, and smiled as he laced his hand with Viktor's. He truly felt just as jittery as a teenager on their first date.

In reality, maybe it was because this was actually Josiah's first date in his life.

"Okay, what do we do now?" Josiah asked excited as they walked towards the center of town.

"You're asking that really broadly, love. You've been on a date before, right?" Viktor side glanced suspiciously at him.

"Of course I have!"

Josiah went quiet and quickly turned away so Viktor couldn't see him nervously bite his bottom lip. The doctor saw him anyway, so he asked again:

"Josiah . . . Have you ever gone on a date with anyone?"

The ambassador didn't look at him still, but he couldn't hold the secret in anymore, so he blurted:

"Okay fine you win! I've never been on a date before! There, I admit it!"

"Goddamn Josiah, how sheltered were you??" Viktor laughed.

"Well I never liked women, but I was always afraid to approach men! Then I got arranged to Gwyneth, but I already knew her by then. We didn't have to date before marrying. It's not my fault!"

"I'm surprised though, even if it isn't anything serious, most vampires have a pre-mate dating history. Or at least, a pre-mate sex partner history. How did you deal with heats?"

"That is a very personal question Viktor. That's only for me and my past self to know."

"What? You hiding some secret sex partner who had your virginity before I did? Another man, maybe?" Viktor raised his eyebrows at him.

"No." Josiah replied. "My experiences were just different, you wouldn't understand them."

"I'm a doctor Josiah, trust me, there's nothing you can tell me you've experienced I haven't heard of yet."

"If you would be so kind Viktor, I'd rather not say."

Viktor found it a bit weird, and maybe annoying, that Josiah wasn't budging. But, a boundary was a boundary, and Josiah seemed pretty adamant about keeping this one.

"Fine. I'll stop asking." Viktor said.

"Thank you." Josiah nodded. "But what about you? What's your dating history then?"

"Now that's not fair. I didn't get to hear yours."

"If you tell me to stop prying I will."

Viktor moved his mouth to the side and rolled his eyes before saying:

"Alright. I never really had girlfriends or boyfriends before my first mate, so technically, I have no dating history."

"And sex partner history?"

"That I did have."

"Viktor!" Josiah gasped in surprise.

"You asked." Viktor shrugged. "That's how I dealt with my heats. I never believed in saving myself for my mate. It's not like she did either, and neither did you."