Page 72 of How to Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wager
KendallCanoodles
As you should be.
Vincent snorted and slipped his phone onto the nightstand. He stared at the ceiling, listening distantly to the clatter of a dish and Wesley cursing.A bit terrifiedhad been an overstatement, but to say he wasn’t scared at all was a lie; the butterflies in his stomach and the elevated beat of his heart proved that well enough. Scared, yes, and giddy. And determined to let Wesley have his fun.
He laid there for another ten minutes, then made the bed. They’d moved Wes’s queen into the master suite a few days after he’d come home, and with most of the old furniture and décor gone, it looked like a brand-new room, save for the little dragon plushie that still sat on the shelf and a couple of Jessica Garcia-Serrano’s old pillows on the recliner by the corner table. Some days Vincent would still catch Wesley staring at them, but he’d wrap his arm around his boyfriend and Wes would lean into him and sigh, and it would feel like, despite all the pain Vitalis-Barron continued to cause, for that moment everything was alright.
Vincent showered and shaved, then changed into something nice but nottoonice—a pair of black jeans he’d bought new off the shelf for once and a deep red long-sleeve that he left the top three buttons of open as payback for the blood hearts—and pulled the longer pieces of his hair into a little nubby ponytail. His slippers went on over a pair of dragon-covered socks he’d stolen from Wesley, and he settled into the puzzle he’d been working through all that week. The three video game characters were already coming together, leaving the space to their right a weird empty mass that didn’t make sense with the majorly red and blue pieces he had left, but he’d wagered Wesley for the pick of their next takeout that he could finish it by tomorrow without ever seeing the front of the box, and damn was he going to win himself an impressive amount of Sunday night sushi.
Half an hour later he still had a dozen pieces of sparkly water magic that all looked the same. His phone buzzed.
VampireBait
You up?
Vincent sent back a picture of the nearly finished puzzle.
VampireBait
Well fuck that and come down.
Please check that our new roommate is gone on your way. I know she said she had work tonight but let’s not traumatize her again, thanks.
HotMouth
You sound pretty confident in your seduction abilities.
VampireBait
I’m terrified actually.
That made two of them, at least. But it felt right like this. It was scary, because it was real, and because they both wanted it so badly that it was making Vincent lightheaded.
He gave a quick knock to Wesley’s old room until he was satisfied that Sydney was gone for the night. When he’d first suggested they take in a vampire who didn’t have a permanent residence to fill the space, he’d worried Wesley would be too cautious to let strangers into their house, but the man had jumped on the idea with an almost obsessive ferocity. It had taken a bit of searching before they’d finally run into a vampire named Diego in one of the inner-city neighborhoods who had enough connections to direct them toward others in need. So far they’d had five guests, and Vincent was building an online charity fund to help their current one get back on her feet.
But that was work for tomorrow.
Tonight, it was just him and Wesley.
Vincent took a deep breath and descended the stairs. The lights were dim at the bottom. Dozens of electric candles flickered on every surface. Red streamers hung from the curtains and flower petals formed a slightly lopsided heart in the foyer. Chocolates and fake vampire teeth were scattered between the fine dishware on the dining room table. Two portions of—was thatcompletelyhomemade—mac-n-cheese had been laid out with little emoji name-cards beside them, extra bacon bits and a salad in their own bowls to the side.
Wesley stepped out from the kitchen, clearing his throat. He wore his best gray t-shirt with dark pants and a pair of fishnet gloves he’d bought at the Fishnettery on a dare, then decided were his new favorite accessory. His hair was neatly cut, his smile bright but nervous, pushing against the smear of melted cheese on his cheek.
One look at him, and all of Vincent’s fears fled, only warmth and joy remaining.
He gave his boyfriend a smile. “I thought Valentine’s Day wasnextweek?”
“Oh shit, it is.” Wesley pressed his hands to his cheeks, crumpling off a piece of the cheese. He didn’t seem to notice. “Maybe I should have done this then? Is that more romantic? You can just pretend you didn’t see it.”
“It’s amazing, Wes.” He stepped around the flower heart, scooping up a couple of petals in the process and brushing them against his lips as he made his way across the living room.
Wes watched him, more flushed and flustered than Vincent had seen him since what they counted as their first date—the one that had accidentally ended in the lake. He pulled out Vincent’s chair for him. His throat bobbed. He turned toward his own chair. Instead of sitting, he scooped up a movie case and spun back. His fingers twisted around its edges. “This is for you.”
Vincent accepted the old DVD, admiring the corny representation of a vampire on the front with the terrible animated effects swirling through the background. “I thought you couldn’t find this one?”
“Yeah, no, I did later, but…” He swallowed again. “Open it, please.”
Vincent’s heart skipped. Knowing it was coming didn’t make it any less unreal, somehow. He carefully popped the case open, staring at a little black band on a bed of velvet. Wes must have remembered him mentioning it: no gemstones, just the metal. Cheap but beautiful. It would be sized perfectly for his ring finger.
