Sweet Blood (boyxboy)

Chapter 13: Who are you?

"So you're telling me I am a fine wine and you can tell if I'm horny?"
☆

John walks into the cafe where he and Toby had enjoyed their brunch a few weeks back.

It's early evening and the atmosphere seems different. More of a wine bar, chill kind of feel. John looks across the fairly busy room to see if Toby is here. Yes he did agree to meet, but would he even show? John wanted somewhere more private to have this conversation, but Toby explained over the phone that he wasn't comfortable being on his own with John right now and in all honesty, John couldn't blame him.

John eventually sees Toby tucked away in a corner, with two bottles of beer sat in front of him. It looks quiet enough to chat. John's heart sinks. Toby looks pale, ghostly even. He has on a large roll neck jumper keeping the bite hidden. John swallows hard as he slowly approaches the table. This was going to be difficult.

Toby looks up to see John and instantly has a wave of apprehension wash over him. He grabs his beer and takes a few gulps, then breathes out slow as John sits opposite him.

Toby pushes the other beer bottle towards John. "I don't know if you drink beer..." Toby looks at John with a look of underlying sarcasm.

John accepts the dig and the beer. He probably asked for that. "I do actually" he smiles, trying to sound appreciative and genuine.

There is a brief moment of silence. John doesn't know whether to speak first, or wait for Toby to ask questions. He looks again at Toby's pale complexion. The guilt inside him was intense. "Toby....I'm sorry I hurt you."

Toby doesn't say anything. He seems guarded, John tries to get a response again. "It was never my intention to...."

"Who are you?"

"What?" John stops.

"Here's the thing John. I thought I knew you, but you're keeping something from me and I can probably guess what it is but I want to hear it from your mouth. You owe me that at least." Toby's words are direct, to the point.

John looks at Toby a little speechless but knew he owed Toby the truth. He takes in some more beer before he starts.

"Ok Toby. I'll tell you the truth," Toby folds his arms and leans back in his seat. His lips tense, eyes concentrating on John.

"I'm...I'm a 'being'...my mum is human, my dad....a vampire." John stops and waits for some kind of response from Toby, but he stays still, poker faced. So John continues. "You know that my dad left when I was a baby, so me and my brother were raised by my mum. We were just like any normal family but things changed when my brother and I hit puberty. That's when we started to crave the blood."

"Where do you get the blood from?" Toby wriggles in his seat when he asks, did he really want to know the answer? The articles of the murders flashing through his mind.

"My mum worked at the hospital, so she would sneak blood bags home for us. My brother works there now, so he does the same."

Toby unfolds his arms taking in the words. He looks up at the ceiling as if to process it all. "So if you drink prepackaged blood, what the hell is this?" Toby now points to the rolled up collar of his neck.

John's heart begins to race. "It doesn't always go smoothly....Toby when you surprised me today, I hadn't taken any blood....I was about to when you showed. I could smell you before I saw you...your aroma."

"My what?" Toby is confused.

John leans in and speaks in a quieter voice. "When you are around me,  I can sense your arousal. I can smell it, it tells me you want to ...you know, and that your blood will taste good...like a fine wine." John continues. "Taking the blood before I see you dulls that sense, just enough that I can control my vampire instincts anyway.  "If I've not had any blood before I see you, I can't turn that urge off. The urge to get close to you, to feed."

Toby begins to glow a shade of red, highlighted evermore so in his pale cheeks. "So you're telling me I am a fine wine and you can tell if I'm horny?"

"Yeah." John half chuckles. But soon clears his throat. He nearly killed Toby. He can't forget that.

"But also with you, just you, your blood. If you cut yourself or anything, it has the same effect. That doesn't usually happen Toby."

"What do you mean?" Toby asks.

"Well, when I first started needing blood, the sight of anyone's blood got me into a frenzy. You know, like when you get a boner for going over a speed bump on the bus, when you were 13, or something stupid like that. But that doesn't really happen now, but with you Toby... you've got something in your blood that seems to pull me towards you."

Toby takes the time to digest what John was telling him. Was this a vampire's way of saying he was special? "What about now?" Toby asks. "What am I feeling now?"

John looks at Toby. "You don't need a sixth sense to tell that you are upset, scared maybe, angry and I don't blame you.

Toby looks down at his beer.

"Toby I'm so sorry. I completely understand if you don't want to see me again. But please... please don't tell anyone about me or my brother. We are trying so hard to live normal lives. That's why I was at the library. I wanted to try to learn more about myself."

Toby grabs his beer, tapping his fingers on the bottle neck. "You're trying to manage it." Toby says, almost as if he's repeating it to himself.

John's eyes light up slightly. Did this hint of optimism in Toby's voice mean there was still a chance for them. "I really am Toby. I swear!"

Toby sighs. "I'm glad you're finally honest with me John, but I might just need a bit of time...this isn't a normal situation for me to be in!"

John smiles. "Yes I understand completely." His heart is beating fast. He goes to reach a hand out to Toby, but he retracts it.

"Like I said John...just give me time"

---*---

Later that night, John is laying in bed. As he gazes up at the ceiling, he thinks about the day. It still cut him up to know that he could have killed another person and this time, someone very precious to him. Maybe he should have been honest from the start, when things started to get more than friendly.

John looks at the clock. Jamie should be home from work by now.

He pulls his phone from the night stand and starts to type.

Jamie where are you? Are you ok?

John then looks at his last message from 'The librarian'. He bites his lips inwards. He begins to type...

Good night😘

He hovers over the send button, then closes his eyes and taps the screen. John looks nervously at the quiet phone for a short while....no reply. He lays it back on the side and turns over to go to sleep. As he starts to drift away, his phone vibrates. John pulls the phone towards him to read...

Sweet dreams😴

John smiles to himself. There's still hope!