Robin x Vlad Oneshots (Young Dracula)

Robin's friends

Unconnected Short Stories
falsteloj
Ao3
1824 words

"We've still got time," Robin told him, glancing at his watch, "it won't take you that long to get changed."

Vlad schooled his face into what he hoped was a nonchalant expression. Not a look of horror. Of all the things he didn't want to do right now, getting changed into his costume was up there with feeding on the blood of an innocent. Robin, as usual, was completely oblivious to his discomfort. He shrugged,

"It's alright, I'll do it there."

"Suit yourself."

Robin had been his best friend ever since he had moved to Stokely, and Vlad felt guilty for hoping the other people at the train station didn't realise they were together. The cape, he could have coped with. For the first year of their friendship Robin had insisted on wearing a cape to school everyday.

In truth he had worn it everywhere. On one memorable occasion – not memories Vlad liked to look back on, but memorable all the same – Robin had even worn a cape swimming.

The point was that he'd had plenty of time to get used to it.

No, it was the face paint that was causing the problem. The horribly realistic blood smeared down the other boy's chin and across his pale throat.

Robin flashed a grin at an old lady shuffling past, plastic fangs glinting in the morning sunlight, and Vlad cringed. What had he let himself in for?

The train was only twenty minutes late, punctual by Stokely standards, and Robin finally spat the fangs into his hand and shoved them in his pocket as it pulled into the station. Vlad dared to hope the day wouldn't be too bad. Once they got to Cardiff it wasn't a long walk to the convention centre.

It's always a bad idea to get complacent, Vlad had learned.

As they were clambering onto the train someone shoved between them, nearly sending Vlad face first into the carriage wall.

"It's not Halloween yet, Branagh!"

Vlad regained his balance and glared at first the owner of the voice, then the two boys sniggering either side of him. Richard Price, Andrew Davis and Tommo Watson. They were in the same registration class as he and Robin. Now everybody would know.

It wasn't a nice thought.

"This do it for you, does it, Count?" Price smirked, jerking his head in Robin's direction. "Bit of nephrophilia, eh?"

The term was 'necrophilia', but Vlad didn't think this was the time to point it out. Instead he squared his shoulders, wishing his own cape weren't weighing down his backpack, like a millstone around his neck. "Shove off, Price."

"Yeah," Robin joined in, brow creasing in distaste, "shove off."

There was a click and a flash, Watson grinning all over his face as he waved the phone in front of their faces on his way past.

"Gladly."

"This is going to be so awesome, Vlad!" Robin told him the instant they stepped off the train. "Do you want to go and get changed now?"

"No."

"You're not still upset about Price, are you?" Robin gave him a sly smile, "It was true anyway. Vampires are dead."

Vlad scowled. Undead. There was a world of difference. Besides, vampiresses were just as bad as human girls. Sticking their noses up in the air as soon as they clapped eyes on him. At least the humans sometimes felt guilty about it.