Seduction Above Fear

The crisp autumn night air washed over Frank as he exited the back door of The Gin And Toxin.

He had only clocked out seconds before another wave of exhaustion of the night hit him.
Cutting across the street he fought back another.

Who knew bar tending took so much out of you?

Frank had never minded the late nights and the small mill of people constantly coming in and out of the building. He was always happiest behind his bar.

Frank squinted looking ahead, stuffing his already red from the cold tattooed hands into his red hoodie.

Large shadows blanketed the streets and the only source of light was a street light to his back flickering off and on.

In 70 years when he was on his death bed that light still wouldn't be fixed, he mused.

He doubted it ever would, that's New Jersey for you.

It made everything as creepy as hell though. Wasn't this how horror movies started? The clueless idiot being swallowed by the black endless shadows, each step one more closer to his ever inevitable doom.

How ridiculous.

The familiar thud of his beat up converse made the unbreakable silence a little easier to bear though. Frank doubted he would ever get used to these creepy walks home after work. They made home feel even farther away from home even though that was always his final destination. He had never once been deterred from his route home before. He mentally chided himself for being such a pansy but still longed for the safety and warmth of his run down apartment.

Pulling his hood up and hunching his shoulders at the cold he quickened his pace, head down.

Passing another abandoned alley, Frank suddenly froze and glanced over his shoulder.

Nothing.

Just as expected.

He had a faint idea of what it could've been and kept that in mind. If it wasn't that then his horror movie nightmare would probably come true. He could already see the newspaper headlines proclaiming his death.

"Wow talk about paranoid." Frank muttered to himself.

"Maybe you should be paranoid...BECAUSE I AM ABOUT TO SUCK YOUR BLOOD!" A figure proclaimed loudly as it suddenly appeared in front of Frank. He stood sharp canines bared, hands menacingly held up like claws.

Frank paused for a moment before raising an eyebrow and continued his way around the figure.

The figure stood stunned for a moment before scurrying quickly after Frank, trying to match his quick pace.

"Was it really that bad?" Gerard asked brushing his midnight hair out of his eyes.

Frank gave him a look.

"Oh come on! It was scary! Right? Frankie it wasn't that bad!"

"Oh yes, I was practically trembling in my shoes." Sarcasm practically oozed from Frank's words.

Gerard huffed. "Well I thought it was scary. If I was human I'd be running for the hills."

"There are six year olds that could strike more fear in me. You are no where near 'vampire' level."

Frank had just started working at The Gin and Toxin when he had stumbled across Gerard on one of his first nightly walks home. Needless to say Gerard had tried to scare the living shit out of him.

Unsurprisingly it had yet to work.

It didn't stop him from trying though.

Gerard even right away told Frank he was a vampire and Frank didn't doubt it for a second. The only reason Gerard probably hadn't sucked him dry that first night was because he had been so indifferent to his tactics. Gerard found Frank...curious? And immediately took a liking to him and decided he was worth sticking around. Frank was just glad he wasn't dead in some ditch, drained of all his blood.

Despite his vampiric traits, Gerard continued to be the most nonthreatening vampire.

Maybe he just tried too hard.

"That's not what the lady down the street thought."

"Did you seriously try to scare here like you just did to me?"

"Yes and it worked."

"I don't believe you."

"Well it's true!" Gerard was quiet for a minute before he spoke up again. "Okay...She actually laughed in my face...But she looked pretty shocked at first!"

Frank snorted. "It's not every day you see something like..." Frank searched for the words to describe Gerard. After a second he just gestured to Gerard. "Like you."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

The conversation lapsed into silence and the only sound was Franks converse beating against the sidewalk.

"Well how do you think I should do it then?" Gerard asked.

Frank looked over at him. "Do what then?"

"I dunno...Try and suck someones blood in like a vampire way..." Gerard rubbed the back of his neck.

Franks eyebrows raised. "You're asking me, a human, how you as a vampire should try and suck someones blood?"

Gerard shrugged. "Apparently this scare thing isn't working. I'm not a very good vampire anyway...So why not?"

"Okay..." Frank said loosing himself in his thoughts.

It felt like hours before he spoke up. "Seduction."

Gerard cocked his head to the side in slight confusion. "Seduction?"

Frank nodded. "You know like use your vampire powers of attraction to try and seduce them and make them putty in your hands."

"My vampire powers of attraction?" Now it was Gerard's turn to raise an eyebrow.

Frank nodded again slightly embarrassed trying to fight the blush that was trying to make its way onto his face. For once he was grateful for the darkness.

"Putty in my hands..." Gerard mused.

Frank's face felt like it was on fire.

"Huh...Well thanks Frankie..." Gerard said looking lost in his thoughts.

Frank sighed. "I knew it sounded stupid."

Gerard snapped out of whatever trance he was in for a moment. "Oh no! No no no. It's a great idea Frankie!"

Gerard stopped walking and Frank paused from his stride to look over at him.

"...Yeah...yeah..." Gerard started backing away, he looked distracted again. "I'll talk to you later Frankie...maybe figure out my vampire powers of seduction." Gerard smirked playfully at him and walked away.

Frank blushed again.

Frank watched as Gerard walked back, his hands in his pockets. "Seduction..." He heard Gerard murmur faintly to himself.

Frank started trudging back home and wondered why seduction seemed like such a shock to Gerard.

Wasn't that some part of being a vampire?

***

It was another cold night of wandering back home after a late night at the Gin and Toxin.

Frank hadn't actually seen Gerard in a few days but it wasn't completely uncommon for him to just randomly appear and disappear for days on end.

In the back of his mind he wondered what Gerard was up to.

Probably failing at scaring some little old lady. Frank chuckled at the thought.

His relationship with Gerard was a strange one.

Frank felt like he knew everything about Gerard but at the same time he didn't. He knew they had common interests...It had been good to know the night creature didn't have a bad taste in music. He knew Gerard had a brother, Mikey. But Gerard had never told him how he became what he was...a vampire. The only time Frank talked to Gerard was his late nights home and each and every one of those nights the topic had managed to be averted. Frank never pushed it though but some nights he couldn't help but lie in bed and wonder.

He passed the usual dark alleyways only sparing them glances when he stopped short.

There stood...Gerard?

Another flickering streetlight stood feet away casting shadows into the alleyway where he stood.

Gerard stood leaning against the alleyway wall his hands in pockets...of the tightest jeans imaginable. He wore a black dress shirt with a blood red tie and the light bounced off his shiny black dress shoes.

Frank had never seen Gerard dressed like...this.

Unconsciously Frank slowly made his way toward Gerard completely forgetting whatever had been on his mind before.

Frank walked to stand in front of Gerard. He could see the thick black eyeliner accentuating his hazel eyes and his hair for once actually looked clean.

This Gerard was a completely alien species to Frank.

"Frankie..." Gerard whispered raising his hand to cup Frank's cheek.

Without a thought Frank leaned into the touch.

Gerard took a step closer to Frank leaving him no room. He moved his hands to run down his chest, his hands finally resting on Frank's hips, again Frank leaned into the touch, pressing himself closer to Gerard.

"Frankie..." He whispered again and Frank could feel Gerard's warm breathe against his skin.

Frank couldn't breathe, he could feel his heart beating uncontrollably in his chest.

Gerard leaned in flicking his tongue against Franks ear and nibbled on it lightly.

"Frankie..." He breathed.

Frank moaned.

Lightly Gerard left a trail of kisses across Frank's jaw and stopped, lips pressed against where his jinx remover tattoo lay.

Gerard ever so slightly brushed his fangs against Franks throat...

Frank froze, stilling completely at the action.

Gerard pulled back suddenly and grinned baring all his small teeth including fangs.

"It looks like my vampire powers of attraction had you completely putty in my hands."