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Chapter Text

Kuno

     When I’d gotten the 10 year reunion letter in the mail from my former high school, I did not relish going back. Not that it wouldn’t be a joy to see old friends and rub my success in the face of the people who’d tormented me during some of the most formative years of my life. Holding onto the thought of what their reactions would be finding out that the mysterious masked singer Sykkuno Slaughter of the band Vamp Attack, I packed up my car and got behind the wheel to start the trip back home. The band had hit the top of the charts the week before and it was just the frosting on the cake of things to rub in their faces. Thirteen hours later, I found myself in Santa Cruz, just shy of an hour and a half from my hometown of Carmel Valley, CA. I was far too exhausted to drive another mile without dozing off. So I pulled into the Happy Dreams Hotel and got out. As soon as I was out of the car, I stretched and yawned, my back popping as I stretched my arms up over my head. I brought them down with a long low groan and grabbed my duffle bag.

“Welcome to the Happy Dreams Hotel, where dreams unrealized are revealed. How may I help you on this fabulous day?” The perky receptionist asked, doing a sexy little wiggle. I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Barking up the wrong tree here, toots , I thought to myself as I pulled my wallet from my back pocket.

“I just need a room for the night. Sign says you have vacancies.” I grumbled, projecting every ounce of traveller’s vitriol in my tone. There was no love for me for a slit that’ll flirt with every mildly handsome man that steps into the facility.

“Okie-dokie! I can get you in a room in a jiff. I’ll just need a credit or debit card and an ID.” She said, maintaining her perkiness despite my inhospitable attitude.

“Yeah, yeah. Here. I’m exhausted.” I told her, tossing the cards onto the counter in front of here. Any other day, I would find it in me to be polite, but that day was not today.

“I’m sure. Coming all the way from Washington State. No worries. I can book you in a king size suite for… $26 a night. That work for you?” She asked politely, tapping away at the keys on her keyboard. I balked, sleepiness banished by both surprise and confusion.

“You mean… $226 a night, right? There’s no way it could just be $26.” I pointed out, frowning in confusion.

“Nope. For $26 you can realize your dreams. Nothing is unattainable at the Happy Dreams Hotel.” She replied and I almost groaned at the gimmicky marketing, but at least the price was nice.

“Alright. I’d very much like to head off to dreamland if I could. Here, keep the change.” I told her, tossing a fifty dollar bill on the counter.

“Alrighty, Mr. Klein. Here’s your key, room 413.” She murmured sweetly, tossing me my key with a cheeky smile before pushing my card and ID back across the counter to me.

“Thanks.” I grumbled, enjoying my anonymity when she said my legal last name from my ID.

     Stopping at the elevator proved fruitless when I found the big red ‘out of order’ sign pasted to it. With a little groan, I took the stairs all the way up to the fourth floor. Glad my workout regimen included cardio, I pushed open the door to the fourth floor with a grunt, the door proving both heavy and rusty. Finally making it down to my room, I absently noted that the three was upside down, hanging from the single nail still securing it to the door. Despite knowing that the door opening and shutting would just knock it down again, I slowly put it back into place with a pointer finger before unlocking the door and letting it swing shut behind me. I tossed my duffle bag on the bed and dug out my toiletry kit before heading into the bathroom to wash the grime of travel from my skin.

*****

     A chorus of honks dragged me from sleep with a near violent jerk when my half asleep mind last remembered driving, my heart racing in my chest as I blinked to clear the blur of sleep from my eyes. My disorientation cleared slowly as I remember stopping at this hotel.

“God damn… talk about early morning heart attacks…” I muttered, scrubbing at my eyes to get rid of the last remnants of sleep before swinging my legs over the edge and getting up to use the bathroom. Once I'd returned to the bedroom of the suite, I checked my phone, balking at the time. I had slept nearly 24 hours and my phone's service appeared to be faulty in this area. Great.

     I dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of ripped black jeans, a black band t-shirt, red and black flannel button up, and my worn leather jacket. Stopping in the bathroom to collect up my toiletries and line my eyes with eyeliner, I packed up the last of my things before departing the room to check out. Something told me to check the loose three one last time before leaving and I frowned when I realized that it had been nailed back into place without me even knowing. You’d think I’d have heard it being hammered in place. I must’ve really been out of it, I thought as I made my way down the stairs to the lobby. Instead of Miss Perky, an older lady in a dated but snazzy skirt suit set was standing behind the counter. Everything weirdly looked… newer almost. Cleaner too.

“Hi, I was staying in room 413, I’m checking out.” I said holding up my key.

“What year are you coming from… Mr. Klein?” She asked and I frowned deeply, confused by the strange question.

“What year? Are you high?” I asked her and she groaned.

“Who checked you in? Was it Candice?” She asked and I tried my best to remember the name on the name tag, but I’d been keeping my gaze off her chest because she so badly wanted me to see them. I didn’t like dealing with bimbos on a good day and yesterday wasn’t a good day.

“Um… yeah. I think it was Candice…” I said, wincing at how awkward it sounded, “She was a perky blonde that flounced about as if I was into that sorta thing. Nasty assumption really.”

“Yeah. That’s Candice. She’s new, just finished training. She’s supposed to explain that we aren’t just a hotel. We’re a Djinn hotel. We grant your unrealized dreams. What year do you think it is, Mr. Klein?” She asked me gently.

“20… 2037” I stuttered out, thinking I’d surely gone crazy, or she had, or we both had.

“Well, welcome back to 1987. It’s been awhile since we found a dream so specific that we just had to choose it over all the others you possess. Outside those doors, you’ll find yourself in Santa Carla in 1987. A fictional town, fifty years in your past, overrun with murderous vampires. You must be a hell of a fan. So which side were you on? The badboy vampires or the Frog-Emerson brothers?” She asked and I blinked at her in further confusion.

“Fan of what? Santa Carla, 1987, vampires… Lost Boys?! I’m in Lost Boys?!” I squawked as I put the pieces together.

“Yessir. As soon as you walk out those doors you’ll be in the world of the Lost Boys. You’ll have a week to live in this world and decide if you want to stay forever or go home. We’ll, of course, give you a week to allow you to tie up loose ends in your time if you choose to stay forever. We used to just make it a week only thing and then go home, but too many patrons wished to remain in the world or place they are in that we couldn’t bear to force them to go home that did not wish to go. It took us a while to hammer out the details but we’ve got a good system going on for a decade now.” She explained, smiling gently.

“What if I don’t want to go out there? And… and how do I let you know if I wanna stay or go if I do step out the door? What if I die?” I asked, knowing just how dangerous the world of the Lost Boys was, wondering if I should be ashamed of such a specific and odd dream. It had been years since I’d shaken my obsession for the movie, but apparently I’d just buried it.

“If you don’t want to, you go back up to your room and go back to sleep. If you choose to stay and don’t need to tie up any loose ends in your world and time, you can simply burn the key. Keep the key with you throughout your adventure, don’t lose it, and when you’ve made a decision, you can simply come back here and go home. Now dying is a little tricky. It is just like any vacation, full of risks. We have a rescue team if you call out for help, but you have to call, even if it’s just in your head. This world is a dangerous one but it is your decision to participate. We don’t force our patrons. This is supposed to be for your benefit. A break from the world, a fresh start, a summer fling. Whatever you want to do. So, Mr. Klein, are you feeling adventurous?” She asked and I swallowed, all that information feeling like weights on my ankles, dragging me down.

“Shouldn’t I have signed some sort of waiver for this?” I asked her and she shook her head.

“Silly boy, what legal system would believe that Djinn are running around Cali and sending people on dangerous adventures. We’re a hotel as far as the human world is concerned.” She said with a little laugh. I glanced toward the door, weighing my options. This could be the adventure of a lifetime, they boasted that some chose to stay in their dream world. Did I want to go through it, or go back and just be some singer bragging at his high school reunion?

“One last question… won’t people notice I’ve gone missing? I’m due at my high school reunion tomorrow… they’ll notice if I don’t show up. My manager will be looking for me. How do you account for that?” I asked her hesitantly, finding the more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to go.

“A hundred years could pass in your dream world before a day passes in yours. Time moves differently in dreams. No one will know and, if you come back, you can go right to your reunion like you didn’t just live seven days more than the rest of the world.” She explained easily, leaning forward onto the counter, “So whatdya say, Kuno? Wanna take the plunge?” I looked at her quietly for one long moment before a grin cracked across my face.

“ I’ll do it !” I said, picking my key up off the counter and turning toward the doors. Here I come, 1987.

Chapter Text

Kuno

I stepped out into the glare of a late afternoon, hearing the raucous sounds of laughter and the adrenaline infused screams of the boardwalk customers. Something giddy and excited welled in my guts as I walked through the crowds, an idle hand palming where my ‘room’ key rested in my pocket before double checking that my wallet was in a zipped pocket in my duffle bag, glad I’d packed for over a week when I’d left home what felt like eons ago already. Once I was certain I had everything I’d brought out into this fictional world, I pulled out the page that Mindy had written out for me

Rules and Suggestions:

• Carry the key on you at ALL times, if you lose it, you can’t get back into the hotel.

• To stay permanently, either return to the hotel to wrap up loose ends or burn the key if you just wish to stay. We will know if you burn it.

• You CAN die, don’t be stupid or reckless just because you think you can in this fictional world.

• Changing the story is allowed because the world is fictional, however, the story will go on as it’s written unless you change it.

• Remember the vampire rules for this world: 

• No sunlight

• Pierced Heart = death

• Holy water is like acid

• Your money is finite to what you already own, but we’ve included an ATM card that will give you magical access to your funds and will continue to work if you decide to stay forever.

• Becoming a full vampire is irreversible. You would still be able to tie up loose ends but it puts you in the story forever.

     It was all pretty straightforward for magic, which was a total relief for someone like me with no access to - or even understanding of -  magic. I was still looking down at the page when someone rammed into my shoulder and nearly knocked me over as they moved past me. I lifted my gaze and yelled out a short, ‘ hey! ’ as I turned to glare at the rude person only to lock eyes with the guy who would later steal some comics and get murdered by the boys. He sneered at me and I fought the urge to punch out his lights. Instead, I simply turned away and continued down the boardwalk, looking for something to eat and a place to hunker down to watch for the vampires. Figuring that it would be a best bet to find myself at one of the rails for the best vantage point, I bought a cheap and greasy burger and fries from one of the numerous generic burger joints along the length of the strip and settled down against a rail, eating a fry before tossing one to a rather boisterous seagull standing a few feet down the rail from me. He squawked what I thought might have either been a ‘thank you’ or more likely a ‘I’ll be back with friends’ and flew off. 

     I watched the sun set, watched the people mill about, watched the rides run and listened to the various sounds of joy that weren’t at all discouraged by the setting of the sun. Murder capital of the world but none of the buzzing tourists really seemed to give a shit about that. So I watched and I waited and it was Laddie I spotted first, running just ahead of Star with a carnival game grand prize sized bear. I resisted the urge to sneer at Star when her eyes found mine. I’d always blamed her for all of it. She dragged Michael into it, she begged Michael to save her, and sure Max was still going after Lucy, but the boys did not deserve to die. I would make sure that wouldn’t happen this time. Even if I could just save Marko and Dwayne, I’d be happy. But the goal was all of them.

     It was with this thought in mind that they finally came into my attention with the roar of their motorcycles, screeching to a halt in front of me. I thanked whatever god was rooting for me that it had been this easy to find them. With no real plan after all my time people-watching, I stared. I stared at them like a stupid ignorant tourist. I made myself prey as I sauntered closer, all sneer and sass as I stopped next to David and his bike.

“Nice modded Triumph. Rebuilt on a Triumph Tiger Frame, yes?” I asked him, daring to reach out and stroke the body of it. I bit back a yelp when a cold hand grabbed my wrist in a bruising grip.

“It is. You sure know your bikes. But you definitely don’t know how to keep your hands to yourself.” David replied sharply.

“Come on, David. Let the guy touch it!” Paul exclaimed wildly, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

“What’s your name, dude?” Marko asked, coming around the other two to get all up into my space.

“Sykkuno Slaughter. I’m a rockstar. You’ve probably never heard of me.” I replied, haughty and holier-than-thou.

“A rockstar, huh? A star but yet we’ll have never heard of you?” Dwayne asked, arms crossed over his chest as he eyed me up and down. My heart rate picked up to the point I could feel my own pulse against David’s fingers where he still painfully gripped my arm, my fingertips tingling from the lack of circulation.

“Yeah. If you’re a rockstar, sing for us!” Marko exclaimed and I grinned, yanking my arm until David let it go.

“Sure. I’m always down to show off my skills.” I said, smirking as I pulled my smart phone from my pocket, relishing the weird looks I got. Obviously I still had no service, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t still use the samples I had downloaded for practicing on the go. 

(Spiraling by Vamp Attack)

“They say what doesn’t kill ya

Well it’s supposed to make ya stronger.

I know it all too well.

Layered on scars.

My hands, My head, My heart!

All of it thriving in the trenches.

Watch the blood spill with cold indifference.

Watch me stand on two feet,

When the hurricane wants me on my knees.

Hear me tell the clouds I won’t let ‘em knock me down.

Tell the whole world Sykkuno has your back,

When you think you’ll have a heart attack.

It’s too much, too much, too much.

Some things are just not enough.

Fighting a spiral, watching it go viral.

One break, one mistake,

And the whole world is on your back.

It’s time to toss your hand into the ring.

     The sample music played out and I stopped before the second run of the chorus, grinning with my own self satisfaction. I knew I was good at my job. I wouldn’t have made it as far in the music industry if I wasn’t. But the faces the vampires wore were more or less unreadable and I fought the urge to pout in disappointment.

“Told ya you’d never heard of me. But then again my band, Vamp Attack, didn't release our first single until June 8th, 2029.” I said with a smile, opening the camera app on my phone and lifting it to see if they’d show up on my phone and grinned when they did, “Say cheese!” I added, snapping a photo with the flash on. I was most surprised by the reflective reaction the photo came out with, like using the flash while taking a photo of a cat.

“2029? What, are you a time traveller now?” David asked, back to his smug routine. Marko was still all up in my space looking up at me with a strange, unreadable expression.

“Well sorta… more like I stayed the night in a Djinn hotel and they specialize in granting unrealized dreams and my dream happened to be about a fictional world full of vampires based in 1987. Trust me, man. This is all a blast from a past I never witnessed. I’m 29 in 2037 and Lost Boys came out in 1987. That’s fifty years apart. This thing here? This is a mobile cellular phone. In my time, I can call anyone. Here… it's barely more useful than a brick. I mean, the basic apps are useful. Camera, Calculator, Gallery. But I can’t call or text anyone without a service that won’t be broadly available to the late 90s and early 2000s.” What did it matter if I told them the future? The rules said that it didn’t matter in this fictional world. I wondered what the future looked like here, but I shook that thought off right now. I couldn’t just abandon my life in my world for a fantasy, could I?

“And you expect us to believe you?” David asked, looking like he could care less, but I think I could hear a tad bit of interest in his voice.

“Well, I know you four are vampires and Star and Laddie are halves. David, Marko, Dwayne, and Paul. I know you. Grew up watching you on the big screen and always dreading the end of it all. You all die, Max dies, and Star and Laddie end up human again. I want to stop your deaths and help you get rid of Max. Star and Laddie will be human again and can fuck off and you four will all be alive. I have a week to do it before I have to decide if I go home or stay here.” I told them, making it impossible to deny that I knew who they were and what was going on.

“We die ?” Marko asked, his hand reaching out and gripping my sleeve, pulling me closer, “How do I die?”

“Marko, he’s full of shit. Don’t listen to him.” Paul said, putting an arm around Marko’s shoulders and pulling the smaller vampire in protectively against his side.

“You need more proof?” I asked, before clearing my throat and quoting the iconic speech about the crumbling hotel nest before continuing on, “I want to help you all. I’m not sure how you feel about Max, but his obsession with a suburban mother from Phoenix and Star’s desperation for humanity will get you killed unless you let me help you. I adored the four of you throughout my childhood and apparently you remained within the deepest depths of my subconscious for the djinn to have dug it up. I may have… had a crush on a handful of you too, but that’s neither here nor there. First and foremost is making sure you survive Star, the Emerson and the Frog brothers.” I told them insistently. The whole time I spoke, David had sauntered closer and closer, until he was less than a half a foot from me, a gloved hand coming up to grip my chin and turn my head side to side like one would inspect a show dog. 

“Whatdya say, boys? Wanna take in a stray?” He asked, his hand sliding down to my throat and gripping it tight enough that, when I swallowed, my adam’s apple bobbed roughly against the leather clad palm.

“Yeah! I’ve always wanted a pet!” Paul exclaimed excitedly and I absently wondered if vampires could have ADHD.

“What do you call Laddie then?” Marko asked and dodged a heavy handed swat from Dwayne.

“He’s almost one of us.” Dwayne corrected gruffly before looking me over, “Pets usually aren’t edible, David.”

“I wouldn’t be against a bite or two, just don’t kill me. The djinn were very adamant that that was as irreversible as going full vamp.” I interjected but was swiftly ignored.

“We’re not going to eat him. But I think we should keep him for a bit. Might be fun.” David said, grinning as he squeezed my throat until my eyes watered and I coughed.

“Might save our lives too.” Marko added, still seeming shaken by the idea of dying.

“Dwayne? All or nothing.” David said and I looked at Dwayne with pleading and sincere eyes.

“Dwayne… you were always one of my favorites. Quiet, strong, smart. I don’t want to see any of you die. But least of all you.” I told him, voice ragged from David’s roughness.

“Fine. We can always kill him later.” Dwayne huffed out and David grinned.

“Alright! Let’s take our new pet home, boys!” David exclaimed, mounting his bike and swinging me up behind him by my arm as if I weighed nothing at all and wasn’t two inches shy of 6 feet tall. 

Chapter Text

     Kuno

     I gripped tight around David’s waist as he and the other boys raced down the sandy beaches toward the sunken hotel. The thrum of the engine was near deafening as a turn nearly dumped us, or at least I thought we would’ve dumped. But David’s laugh vibrated against my chest at my little terrified yelp and I wished he could see my irritated glare. It was entirely terrifying in a way I would never admit aloud to anyone, ever. The relief I felt when we came to a stop at the cliff’s edge was immense. Don’t get me wrong. I had my own motorcycle. A beautiful 2022 Harley with a custom Vamp Attack branded paint job that was just generic enough to pass for a civilian’s bike. I liked the rush of going fast and the risk of a long held wheelie, but there was something all the more dangerous about the way the four rode that made me dismount like a man that hadn’t seen stable ground in months, to the raucous chorus of howling laughter, of course. The assholes.

“Wa’s the matter, Sykkuno? Scared?” Marko teased me and I was quick to flip him off from my place kissing the sandy ground. I spat the sand from my mouth, wiping it vigorously from my tongue.

“You all drive like you’re already dead. That might be true for you, but I am a living breathing die-able man!” I squawked indignantly, climbing to my feet when Dwayne offered me a hand up, “Thank you.” I said to Dwayne.

“Alright, boys. Let’s give the pet a tour and find him a place to sleep.” David said, dismounting and kicking out the kickstand.

“I can just get a hotel room for the daytime and meet up with you all at night. I don’t need to stay in your lair.” I said quickly, looking down the rickety staircase and walkway with an uneasy trepidation. 

“You’re our pet and pets stay with their masters.” David said, leaving no room for argument before he started down the steps with the thunk of his heavy boots.

“Dwayne can carry you if you’re scared, kitten.” Paul teased and I growled at him.

“No. I’m not a kitten or baby or honey. Most just call me Kuno. It’s my real name. Sykkuno is my stage name. It’s supposed to be play on Psycho mixed with my actual name. I’m Kuno Klein. Born in Jersey, raised there till I was two and moved to Cali after. Santa Cruz.” I said simply, figuring it would help to familiarize us if I shared some of myself.

“Kitten has some bite, David!” Paul called and started down the steps with Marko fast on his tail. I yelped when arms came around my waist and tossed me up on a broad muscular shoulder.

“Warn a guy, Dwayne!” I exclaimed to the accompaniment of his deep laughter.

“You had your warning when Paul suggested it. You’re going to make sure we survive and I’ll make sure you’ll survive. It’s the least I can do.” He muttered as he descended the stairs after the three varying blondes.

“Aww, Dwayne’s already soft on our kitten.” Paul called over his shoulder and I groaned. Seemed like the undesired nickname was going to stick, much to my chagrin. 

“Shut it, Paul, or I’ll bite you .” I threatened, arms crossed to pretend my head wasn’t spinning from gazing down at them and subsequently the dark frothing ocean below the precarious catwalk we were trapezing across like it was a solid marble floor.

“Ooo, kinky kitten.” Paul purred in response and I sighed in frustration.

“Sometimes the best response is no response with Paul.” Dwayne grunted, ducking after them down into the ruins of the old hotel.

“I’m not a kitten.” I grumbled, making an oomph sound as he unceremoniously dumped me on one of the various couches.

“With those wild black curls of yours, I think of you as more of a wolf.” Dwayne said before leaving me alone on the couch. Right, just drop that tidbit and walk away.

“Come with me, Kuno.” David said, gesturing for me to follow him deeper into the ruins. It was the first time he’d used my name instead of “pet”. At least he wasn’t calling me kitten. I had a feeling if he did, they all would. He was the leader that Max controlled like a marionette. I would fix that. But, for now, I scrambled up from the couch and caught up with him.

“Where we going, boss?” I asked playfully as he carefully led the way back through the rubble to a semi-intact room.

“You will stay here. Our nesting place is not far from here. Put your things here and we’ll go back to discuss your plan.” David told me simply. His expression was still unreadable and he clearly didn’t trust me enough to tell me where their nesting place was. But I already knew, of course.

“I know where the nesting place is, David. But that’s a good thing. That’s where… that’s where Marko dies. The Frog brother’s stake him while you’re all sleeping.” I told him plainly, hoping the transparency would earn me some trust.

“You sound choked up… like it matters to you that Marko dies.” David said quietly, looking at me with those deep blue unreadable eyes.

“Of course it does. It matters to me that all of you die. Why else would I want to save you when you could kill me just for looking at you?” I asked him, reaching out and touching his hand to get him to look at me, “I haven’t lied to you yet, David. To any of you. You were a cornerstone to my childhood and were the inspiration for my band name and even some of my songs. I want to save you all before I go home. It was accidental that I ended up here, but I’ll utilize this opportunity to do what I’ve always wanted to do.” I told him sincerely when he met my own pale green eyes.

“You are a very strange human, but your thoughts are pure and I do not see a lie. Come. Let’s discuss how you will come to save us .” David said, looking away again and breaking eye contact. My heart skipped a beat, delighted that I’d won over the only head vampire that mattered to me.

“Lead the way, boss.” I said with a smirk that widened when he met it with a little smile, as if he’d forgotten how to smile genuinely. 

*****

     I followed him back through the twisting ruins to the main lobby where Marko sat on the edge of the fountain petting a pigeon in his lap while Paul and Dwayne shared a joint on the couch I’d previously occupied. They didn’t move from where they were settled but you could see when their attention immediately went to us - to David . I stood back, letting David command the room like a young warlord.

“Alright, boys. Listen up. Kuno has a plan to keep us from meeting an untimely demise. Give him your undivided attention.” David ordered and I squirmed a bit when they all turned to look at me, still but for Paul passing the blunt back to Dwayne. I cleared my throat and nodded.

“Star is the reason you die, but Michael’s appearance is your downfall. That doesn’t mean you should avoid Michael. I think… he’s meant to be a lost boy too. I just know it. So here’s what we’ll do…”

*****

     It was 3 am, a little while before sunrise when I woke to a nudge against my side. Too tired to acknowledge it at first, I grunted and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep. This time a hand slapped down on my forehead and I yelped lowly, blinking my eyes open and squinting through the dimness to find Marko kneeling over me. I made a startled cry, jerking back in surprise.

“You can’t do that, man! You’re going to give me a heart attack!” I whisper shouted, shoving his arm, “What is it, Marko?” I asked him, seeing the little scrunch on his face.

“How do I die, Kuno? I have to know.” He asked, grabbing my arm and squeezing it tight and desperately.

“You’re staked while you’re sleeping. The first to die. But, Marko… I won’t let that happen to you . I swear it upon my own life that I won’t let you die.” I told him, propping myself up on an elbow and rubbing at my eyes with my other hand.

“And…And the others? How do they die?” He asked me, eyes sad and afraid, at their most human. I pushed myself up and wrapped my arms around him in a gentle hug. 

“It doesn’t matter because it won’t happen. Now go on to your perch. It’s almost sunrise and we both need our sleep.” I told him as I let him go, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

“Could I… sleep in here with you?” He asked quietly and I blinked a bit in surprise before nodding and laying back down. He lay down in front of me, wiggling until his back was against my chest. I slowly wrapped my arm around his middle and pulled him close, snuggling in automatically. I felt he really needed to be held.

“Get some sleep, Marko. It’s my turn to protect you.” I promised him. He cuddled in close, pressing a kiss to my arm gently.

“Honeysuckle.” He said, seemingly randomly.

“What?” I asked him.

“You smell like honeysuckle and leather. Sweet and savory.” He murmured idly and I didn’t respond. Didn’t know how to. So, instead, I held him closely and let sleep claim me again, this time with the smallest of the lost boys entombed in the coffin of my arms.

Chapter Text

Kuno     

     I woke the next evening to shouting and felt Marko stir in my arms. It took me a minute to really wake up and understand what was being yelled. The boys were yelling for Marko, sounding almost panicked. I blinked my eyes open and nudged Marko who appeared to still be asleep despite squirming at the noise.

“Hey, Marko, man. They’re looking for you.” I said, unwrapping my arms from around him.

“Mmph… I know, but you’re so warm. I’m used to being cold before feeding, but you’re just so warm.” Marko whined, seeming to not want to get up.

“I’ll hug you more later, then. Come on, they sound worried.” I insisted just as Paul burst into the room and looked around wildly until his eyes landed on Marko and relief filled his expression. I blurted the first thing that came to mind, “I didn’t eat him,” and Paul blinked before bursting into laughter.

“Not what I was worried about, Kitten.” Paul told me before turning and shouting out behind him, “Found him!”

“Paul, come here! Kuno is sooo warm and he smells sooo good.” Marko said, curling in closer against my chest and I sighed softly, wrapping an arm back around him because apparently we weren’t moving yet. It was made all the more clear when Paul flopped into the creaky bed and half crawled over us to spoon in against my back and bury his face in my neck under my hair, his breath raising goosebumps on my skin. The Frog brother’s were nuts, he didn’t have bad breath. There was the underlying metallic smell of blood but it was otherwise unoffending.

“Paul, darling, honeybun… do you think, maybe, you should’ve asked me if I wanted to be spooned?” I asked him. Two can play the pet names game after all.

“Pets don’t get asked if they wanna be cuddled. So shh.” Paul shushed me as he wrapped his arms around me and Marko, making me the meat of a vampire-human sandwich.

“How does Paul die, Kuno?” Marko asked worriedly and I groaned.

“Don’t start that again, Marko. I told you, it doesn’t matter if I don’t let it happen.” I told him firmly, rubbing his arm gently.

“What if I want to know, Kitten? If I know, maybe I can help avoid it.” Paul asked, sticking to the stupid pet man that made me want to strangle him. I was a 5’11” goth man, not a barely 5 foot something pastel girl, damn it.

“I don’t want to tell everyone how they die. It makes me sad.” I said softly, a part of me was scared I wouldn’t be able to save them no matter how hard I tried. But I couldn’t let doubt dissuade me. They were all counting on me to save them from their future deaths that I had witnessed a hundred times or so in the entirety of my short lifetime.

“Please, please, please. I really wanna know, kitten.” He pleaded just as there was a scuffing sound near the door as both Dwayne and David stepped past what used to be the door into the room.

“So this is where you’ve made off to, Marko. After Kuno’s warning we were worried something had happened to you.” Dwayne said calmly, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed, a little worry still in his eyes.

“No worries. He was just disturbing my sleep.” I said simply, trapped between the two vampires and unable to move, “Do you happen to have a crowbar? I’m a little stuck here.” 

“What made you disturb our little pet, Marko?” David asked, leaning back against one of the support beams that had salvaged the room when the hotel had sunk into the ground all those years ago.

“I wanted to know how I died and Kuno was just about to tell us how Paul died.” Marko replied simply, shifting to look at David while remaining snuggled in against my chest. He was warm where he touched me, his cooler skin absorbing my warmth.

“Actually, I said I didn’t want to tell anyone how they died. You asked when I was half asleep. I keep saying that it doesn’t matter because I’m going to stop all of your deaths.” I said firmly, frowning deeply.

“I sorta wanted to know too. If it’s not gonna happen, why does it matter if we know or not, xatkuli .” Dwayne said, looking at Marko and Paul with something almost akin to jealousy.

“Zat-koolie? What’s that mean?” I asked, the stranger word throwing me off guard.

“ Xatkuli . It means wolf. You remind me of a wolf with his fluffy winter pelt.” Dwayne explained and I smiled in surprise. Now that was a pet name I could get behind.

“Tell us how we die, Kuno. Dwayne is right. It won’t matter if it doesn’t happen and we can prevent it if it does.” David said in that sort of end-all-be-all sort of tone and I sighed with the sort of tiredness that only came with stress.

“Fine… but I don’t like it…” I muttered before going on, “Paul, you die when the Emerson’s dog, Nanook, knocks you into a bathtub full of holy water. Dwayne… I really don’t like this… you die when the younger Emerson, Sam, shoots you with an arrow that throws you back into a stereo. The electricity… makes you explode. And David… Michael impales you on a pair of antlers in his grandfather’s taxidermy lab.”

     Silence fell once I’d finished speaking and I couldn’t find it in me to look at any of them until someone spoke, my heart aching at just the thought of their deaths. They all had meant so much to me when they were just pixels on a screen. But now, with them physically here… it was all the more painful. There was something real for me to lose and I suddenly couldn’t bear that. It wasn’t fair. I had to save them no matter what happened. Even if it was the last thing I did. It was then that I realized I would die here if it meant saving them, and that scared me just a bit. I’d not been this invested in something since I’d chosen my career as a singer.

“That wasn’t that bad, now, was it?” David said, giving me a cocky smile. I made a face and he laughed, “Besides, like you said, Kuno. It won’t matter when it doesn’t happen.”

“I know… but I don’t like it. Don’t like even thinking about it. Especially with Marko all bundled up against my chest and… and Paul pressed against my back… hey!” I squawked when something hard poked me in the back suddenly.

“Sorry. You just feel and smell really really good.” Paul apologized almost sincerely, shifting back a bit, “Go back to being all morose now.” He added and I snorted.

“No. Mood ruined. You jabbed me and now the sad is gone.” I joked, blushing deeply when my stomach suddenly rumbled rather loudly.

“And hungry too. Come on, boys. Let’s take our pet to the boardwalk and let him loose. He can find himself a meal and so shall we.” David said and Paul groaned, leaning into me and something sharp scraped against the thin skin of my neck.

“But I wanted a taste. He smells sooo good, David. Irresistible.” Paul insisted and my heartrate ratcheted up in both excitement and fright.

“Not now, Paul. After you’ve fed. I know how good he smells. He rode the whole way here clutched tight to my back. We’re not going to risk you draining him simply because you were impatient.” David told him firmly.

“Fi-ine.” Paul grumbled, but I felt he truly understood the risks of it. I tamped down on the disappointment that welled in me as Paul pulled away and got up. I unwound my arms and got up when Marko too slid out of the bed. My stomach grumbled loudly again and Marko laughed softly.

“He’s really hungry.” He said, “We better get him to the boardwalk before he tries to eat us .” He warned and I shook my head at the antics.

“Nah. You’re old and moldy. I’d eat something fresher.” I teased, following when David wordlessly ducks out of the room. Marko laughed, throwing an arm around my waist with a laugh, keeping close as we walked out of my room and picked our way out to the lobby. Star and Laddie were just sitting on the couches in the lobby playing with a small stack of blocks. With a wordless gesture from David, Star took Laddie’s hand in her own and followed us up to the bikes. The walk back out was less frightening on my own two feet and standing on the side closest to the cliffside, Marko between me and the ocean.

“Dwayne, take Kuno with you. Laddie can ride with Paul” David said and Star looked up in surprise, as if she were too caught up in her woes to even notice me until I was mentioned aloud.

“Whatever you say, boss.” I replied with a grin, mounting the bike behind Dwayne gracefully, remembering his promise to make sure I would survive. 

“Who are you? Are you… one of them?” She asked me, looking me over from head to toe.

“None of your business, Star.” I replied, barely able to keep the vitriol from my voice. I really did hate her so very much. I supposed it really wasn’t her fault. She just wanted to be human again and the Emersons and Frogs didn’t know that none of the boys were the head vampire. I could only hope that my plan would play out like I’d hoped.

“Yeah, none of your damn business, Star.” Paul said, looking at her angrily.

“That’s enough boys. Let’s go. It’s feeding time.” David said with a grin that bared fangs, his features and eyes changing. A little thrill went through me that was rather unfamiliar to me. I’d never found the vampire faces hot in all the times I’d watched the movie. What were these boys doing to me?

Chapter Text

Kuno

“Behave. We’ll find you when we’re done.” David told me and I nodded, dismounting Dwayne’s bike.

“I’ll get some ‘breakfast’ and probably just wander about. I’m sorta curious how much like Santa Cruz this place really is.” I admitted, smiling and ignoring Star and Laddie as they too dismounted and went off on their own without any preamble.

“Just… be careful. We’re not the only dangerous things here.” Paul warned me and nodded again.

“I know, I know, and stay away from the video store. I’m not going to confront him on my own, I promise. I really don’t have a death wish despite how I approached you.” I promised them before they finally rode off and left me to my own devices.

     With no real destination in mind and the knowledge that anything I could get to eat would be more dinner than breakfast, I wandered into the thick of the crowd. Not wanting another greasy burger, I wandered past the booths and farther into town until I found a quaint little diner boasting a cup of coffee for a dollar and stepped inside. The scent of fresh baked apple pie hit me first and my stomach rumbled once more, somehow managing to sound irritable that I had not yet fed myself yet. A little chalkboard had “Please Seat Yourself” written in beautiful yellow calligraphy. This time of night most of the seats were empty and I found myself a seat at the long bar. A tired looking woman with bleach blonde hair and cherry red lipstick came over and handed me an apron with a smile.

“What can I getcha to drink, hon.” She asked, popping her chewing gum and clicking her crimson manicured nails on the counter. Her little nametag said ‘Sally’ in black block lettering.

“I’ll take a cup of coffee, please. Black.” I said politely, picking up the two sided laminated menu. She turned behind her and grabbed a worn and chipped brown mug and an orange handled coffee pot. Placing the cup down in front of me, she filled it quietly, “This the sorta place I avoid the seafood at?” I asked playfully, smiling when she laughed softly.

“Yessir. If you’d stopped at the diner on Maple street, I’d have said only if you didn’t value your life. But here? My favorite is the baked salmon, beans, and taters with gravy. But if you’re looking for something a little more exciting, the Monkfish Piccata is to die for.” She replied easily and I nodded, greatly enjoying her personality.

“I think I’ll get the monkfish then. Oh, but hold any garlic. I’m visiting friends and one of them is allergic.” I said nonchalantly, handing back the menu once she was done jotting it down on the stereotypical waitress notepad and tucked the pen behind her ear. She turned and hung the page in the window to the kitchen where I could glimpse a man in a stained white apron from time to time. Then she turned back to me and leaned on the counter next to me, seeming to purposely set herself so she wasn’t flashing too much cleavage over the top of her low cut uniform button up.

“So, you’re a tourist. I figured as much. How long you plannin’ on staying in town?” She asked, friendly conversation without an ounce of flirting and it was like she knew I was gay.

“A week from yesterday. I don’t see these friends usually, so it’s nice to be able to visit for so long before I have to go home.” I said, and even to my own ears it sounded reluctant, a part of me already wanted to stay, but I couldn’t. There might not be a lot of people who really knew me for me, but my band would miss me. Ichabod and Crane, Kratos, Marrick and Mona would panic if I went missing without a word.

“You sound like you don’t want’a, hon. Got a lil crush or is it somethin’ else?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. My cheeks reddened faintly, feeling caught out by an utter stranger.

“Well… It’s not really like that. They’re just my friends and I’m trying to help ‘em out of a tight spot… but it’d be a lie if I said emotions weren’t involved in it.” I replied, scratching the back of my head with a sheepish smile.

“I thought as much. So what’s holding ya’ back, darling? Why not follow your heart?” She asked, snapping her gum again and watching my expression.

“Obligation and career. I can’t leave things back home and… even if I tie up loose ends, I can’t stay. I don’t belong here. This isn’t my home no matter how much I wish it was. I have to make peace with a week.” I explained as vaguely as possibly, shocking myself with how much it made my heart hurt to say out loud. I would only ever have a week here. I’d save them and go home, back to 2037. There was no question of it, but damn did it hurt.

“That’s tough, hon. Savor every minute with them then.” She advised just as a little counter bell rang and the cook placed a plate in the window. She turned and retrieved it, placing it on the counter in front of me, “I’ve gotta take a smoke break. You enjoy your meal, sweetie.” She said before taking off her apron and ducking out the door.

     Once I was alone, I sighed softly, tamping down on the sadness in my heart and digging into my meal. The fish was tender, the sauce rich and cut perfectly by the brine of the capers. As I was finishing the last bite, Sally returned, grabbing her apron and tying it back around her slender waist before coming back behind the counter. She smiled gently and gestured as if to ask if I was done and I nodded. She swiped it up and set it in a dirty dish bin before topping up my coffee for me.

“Now, how's about some dessert, kiddo?” She asked me and I nodded.

“I can smell that apple pie, I’d love a slice.” I replied quickly, grinning when she gave a little laugh.

“Giddy as a kiddy at Christmas! Ricky’ll be delighted to know you’re so excited to try his handy work.” She said, leaning in and shouting to the cook in what sounded like Spanish. A few minutes later the short hispanic cook came out with a plate holding a large slice of pie piled high with whip cream.

“Cinnamon roll apple pie!” He proclaimed excitedly and I grinned, delighted.

“Sounds delicious, Ricky.” I told him as he placed the plate in front of me and waited there. I laughed softly, picking up my fork, cutting off a bite and putting it in my mouth. I groaned lowly as the crust melted in my mouth, the cinnamon and apple deliciously, “This is amazing, man. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. ‘Cuz it’s perfect.” I insisted, smiling when he lit up like I’d told him he’d won the lottery.

“Thank you, Señor, thank you.” He said, his voice thickly accented.

“Don’t thank me, man. I should be thanking you. This is the best apple pie I’ve ever had.” I told him before he nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen.

“He’s been working on that recipe for months.” Sally said, smiling lovingly at the little man in the window.

“Seems like someone else here has a crush.” I murmured nonchalantly as I ate the pie slowly, savoring each bite.

“I better. We’re getting married this fall.” She replied with a giggle and I laughed softly, glad I hadn’t misstepped there.

“You two make a cute couple.” I told her, finishing the last bite of my pie and digging into my wallet. I’d seen the prices on the menu. The tab was barely fifteen bucks. I dropped two hundred dollar bills on the counter, “Put that toward your honeymoon then, darling.”

“Oh, honey, I can’t take that much!” She exclaimed, looking utterly shocked.

“You can. I’m not hurting for cash in the slightest. Please. The food is delicious and you’re both good people.” I told her, taking the cash and pressing it into her hand.

“Only on one condition, then.” She said, giving me a pointed expression, “You promise me you’ll seriously consider going with your heart on things. Life is far too short to collect regrets.” I swallowed, looking into her pale blue eyes that looked so much like David and Marko’s eyes and I couldn’t deny here the promise she’d asked for.

“Yes, ma’am. I promise I’ll consider it. It hurts to think about leaving but I’m… I’m so torn. So I promise I’ll consider it with everything in me.” I told her, patting her hands before letting go and leaving the money there, “Have a good night.”

“You too, sweetie. I wish you the very best no matter what you decide.” She told me, smiling almost sadly.

“Thank you.” I whispered before walking out the door and leaving her behind me. There was so much more to it than I dared to tell her. She wouldn’t understand vampires and time travel. But I’d gotten advice where I hadn’t gone looking and that struck a chord in me. She was a fictional woman in a fictional world. But she was someone to me. An NPC made human in my mind’s eye. 

     With my mind a whirlwind of thought, I found myself at the beach as I often did when I had a lot on my mind. I supposed that was the good thing about moving to Astoria, OR. It was close enough to the coast that I could go to any one of the local beaches to think. Sand got in my shoes as I walked but I didn’t care, running my fingers through my hair as I rolled things through my head. Round and round like the iconic merry-go-round at the beginning of the movie. I thought of what the boys and ladies in my band would tell me to do, what they would say and want, what I wanted, and still didn’t have an answer. Soon I found myself sitting just out of reach of the lapping surf, a little fire flickering at my side, and I did what I always did when my mind was in turmoil. I sang. Not one of my songs this time, but an old favorite by Kailee Morgue.

“There's a bright side

To every wrong thing

If you're looking at me through the right eyes

Darkness in my name

Don't you wanna come and play on the cool side?

Don't be so shy

And there's a pleasure in hiding from the sun

No, I was never one for pretty weather

I'd rather be creep, baby follow me into the water

I'll take you to the darker

This could be perfection

Or venom dripping in your mouth

Singing like a siren

Love me while your wrists are bound

You've been seeing me in your dreams

But I'll be there when your reality drowns

You can pretend

That when you hear my voice

Darling, it's your choice not to fall in

But it's all an act, 'cause I know exactly what you wanting

You know it's what I'm wanting

Boy, I know what you desire

Oh, you're such a bad bad liar

This could be perfection

Or venom dripping in your mouth

Singing like a siren

Love me while your wrists are bound

You've been seeing me in your dreams

But I'll be there when your reality drowns

I'll be there when your reality drowns

Boy, I know what you desire

Oh, you're such a bad bad liar

I want you and I just can't take it

So listen to me when I say it

This could be perfection

Or venom dripping in your mouth

Singing like a siren

Love me while your wrists are bound

You've been seeing me in your dreams

But I'll be there when your reality drowns

I'll be there when your reality drowns.”

As I fell silent, a round of applause started and I jumped, whipping around in surprise and a little bit of fright. Behind me, all four of the boys stood. I blushed deeply, pushing myself up from the ground and dusting the sand from my pants. I made sure the shove my uncertain thoughts to the side to keep the others from reading it from my head and smiled.

“That wasn’t one of my songs, by the way. It’s just one I like. Originally sung by a woman.” I explained as I walked up to them.

“It was still beautiful, Kitten.” Paul said simply, smiling wildly, blood still smeared on his face.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell ya not to make a mess of your food?” I asked him, pulling the black and red bandana I always carried from my pocket to wipe the blood from his face. He scrunched his nose up, squirming like a toddler after meal time.

“Cmon, Kitten. I’m not a baby.” He whined, catching my wrists in his hands.

“We did tell you to clean up, Paul.” David pointed out, grinning in amusement when I kicked Paul in the shin, making him yelp and let me go.

“Are we heading home or has you-know-who spotted future-lost-boy?” I asked, falling into step between Dwayne and Marko as we walked back toward the boardwalk where I could see the bikes parked. I must have been really lost in thought and the song to not have heard the roar of their approach.

“Home. He’s not been spotted and Star is waiting for us over there with Laddie. That concert isn’t scheduled until tomorrow night.” David said, gesturing to one of the games near the bikes where Laddie was trying to win a prize.

“Ugh, I wish we didn’t have to bring them back with us. How did they get back last night?” I asked, squeaking in surprise when Marko slid an arm around my waist and tucked his fingers into my back pocket. My cheeks warmed and my heart quickened and I had to fight back the thoughts that were tormenting me again.

“Dwayne and I had to go out and get 'em before dawn.” Paul scoffed, looking over at me and noting that Marko was wrapped around me. A little spark of jealousy passed through his eyes, much to my surprise.

“Oh. Well I don’t want you to have to do that again, I guess.” I murmured, wrapping my arm around Marko and pulling him into my side gently. I hadn’t made any decisions, but if I was going to leave after all was said and done, I wanted to have all the experiences with them that I could get before I did, “Let’s go home.”

Chapter Text

Kuno

     I rode back with Dwayne again, cuddling close to his back as the chilly night air whipped passed us. I wasn’t as frightened this time, starting to get used to their speed and reckless turns. I noted that Dwayne was warm now, feeling the warmth through his leather jacket as I clung to him. I thought about where the warmth came from, trying to see if it bothered me that people had died, but it didn’t. It was no different to me than the fish that had died to feed me tonight and I wondered if it was because there was something fundamentally wrong with me or if it was simply because I’d not witnessed the murder myself. I supposed I wouldn’t know unless I did and didn’t know if I was willing to try that out or not. There was a reason people said ignorance was bliss. I was so lost in this new line of thinking that when we came to a stop, it surprised me, the whole trip already completed before I knew it and Marko was pulling me from the bike and across the path before I’d even had a chance to ask what he was doing.

“Marko, slow down, man! Human, remember?” I exclaimed as we got into the hotel ruins in record time.

“I want to cuddle again, Kuno. I’m warm now… and I wanted to… taste you now that I won’t risk hurting you badly.” He admitted and I blushed deeply, surprised enough to let him drag me the rest of the way to my room without answering. I heard a scuffle behind me and tilted my head back to see Paul stepping into the room behind us, surprisingly quietly.

“Okay.” I managed to say, my face feeling like it was on fire as I pulled off my leather jacket and let Marko pull me down into the bed. He tucked himself in against my chest, his head tucked up underneath my chin as the bed dipped and Paul’s arms came around my waist, our positions similar to earlier in the night. But this time it was Marko who’s head dipped down and his fangs scraped against my throat, right where my pulse beat like a trapped thing, anticipation and just a little bit of fear making my heart race.

“Can I?” He asked, as if my little ‘okay’ wasn’t enough of an assent.

“Act like a fucking vampire and take what you want.” I croaked in reply and he jerked in surprise before chuckling lowly. A split second later the searing burn of fangs cut into my skin and my breath caught in my chest for a moment as the pain sang through my neck, worsening as he sealed his lips around the wound and sucked light, fire singing in veins. I huffed out a breath as I ran a hand up his back to knot my fingers in his hair. I squeezed tightly and he moaned against my neck, reacting by biting down hard.

“Holy fucking hell! You’re a masochist.” Paul gasped, wrapping an arm around my body to palm me through my jeans.

“Tried and true.” I affirmed, moaning lowly as my hips bucked forward to grind my growing hard on into his hand, “Underappreciated hyper-masochist.” 

“That is so fucking hot.” He groaned, his hand pulling away. I whined lowly at its loss, hips twitching in search of fiction, “Want more?” He asked, fingers sliding the strap of my tank top down my shoulder.

“Always.” I breathed, trembling with anticipation, any ounce of fear removed. Marko pulled back from the wound, tongue laving roughly over the wound he’d left, tongue dipping into the neat holes his fangs left behind in a way that could only be defined as sexual. Then lifted his head, his pupils dilated to the point his pale blue eyes were almost black. I’m not sure which one of us moved first, but our mouths met in a clack of teeth and the distinct metallic taste of blood just as Paul bit down on my shoulder, fangs dragging painfully against my collar bone inside of my skin that had me moaning into Marko’s mouth.

“You were made for us.” Marko purred, biting hard on my lower lip, fangs carelessly slicing the thin skin.

“Please. Please.” I begged, entirely unsure what it was I was pleading for as the pain overloaded my senses, my pants too tight for my achingly hard cock. A hand slid up under my tank top and sinfully sharp nails dragged down my belly, making me cry out and break away from Marko’s mouth, a blood tinged string of saliva stretching and snapping between us.

“Ours.” Marko growled, his hands finding my belt and deftly undoing it, pulling it free in one hard jerk that made my hips jump. Before I could think, it was wound tight around my wrists, securing them together and I moaned at just the idea of being at their mercy. Paul pulled back from my shoulder only to move over and bury his fangs back into my skin again roughly, making me cry out again. I was panting like one of Pavlov’s dogs hearing the damned bell, my cock leaking in my boxers as Marko deftly undid the button and drew down the zipper.

“Kitten, you taste so damn good. This is what you’ve done to me.” Paul grunted, grinding against my ass, his hands gripping my hips hard enough I could feel his sharp nails through the denim of my jeans.

“Let go, Paul.” Marko said, shoving at his hands as he tried to jerk my pants down my hips.

“Do not rip my clothes! I only brought just so many outfits!” I managed to gasp through the lust filled haze, lost in the stinging of the wounds on my neck and shoulder, the warm, slow trickle of blood down my shoulder from the last wound Paul had left in my skin. 

     Neither man responded to my warning as Paul’s hands left my hips and my pants and boxers were dragged halfway down my thighs. I hissed lowly as the cool air hit my cock as it bobbed free of my boxers, a whine going through me when I heard another zipper slide down. I had no idea what the two vampires had in store for me but I wasn’t going to protest. Not when I was already so worked up, the wounds throbbing in time with my cock. Marko’s mouth was on mine again, his tongue delving forcefully past my lips and teeth as he pressed his body closer to me. His cock slid against mine and his slender fingers wrapped around us both, just this side of being human warm. I moaned as he slowly stroked our cocks while nibbling on my tongue, fangs cutting carelessly. I knew I’d probably regret it later when my mouth was sore, but right now I was too lost in the moment, greedily taking what I could get.

“Part your thighs.” Paul whispered in my ear before his mouth sealed around the lapis lazuli stud in my ear and sucked hard, pulling another breathless moan from my lungs. I followed his instructions without question. He made a spitting sound and I groaned when I felt him slide his spit-slick cock between my legs, his hands finding my hips as he settled himself right in under my balls. I felt like I was going to lose my mind as the two men found a rhythm together, using me for their pleasure. I whined breathlessly when Marko squeezed our cocks before stroking faster.

“Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop!” I cried like a mantra, hips moving in tandem with them as the pleasure built. Marko leaned in and bit down hard on my shoulder, not quite over Paul’s mark and I screamed as I came suddenly, spilling over Markos hand and cock.

“Gorgeous.” He hummed against my skin, still stroking us as Paul worked his cock quickly between my thighs, panting with his face buried in my hair.

“You’re so warm .” Paul moaned, nails digging into my hips to hold me in place as the two kept going. I shuddered, nearly sobbing as the pleasure started to bridge into overstimulation. Then Marko cried out, spilling hotly over us both, “Almost, almost.” Paul gasped.

“Bite… bite me again, Paul.” I gasped out, knowing it would be too much for me but would likely push him over the edge. 

“Mine!” He snarled and bit down on my neck. The pain was grating, making my limp cock twitch painfully, but it did its job as he snarled against my skin and coated my thighs. He fucked himself through his climax and I trembled, overwhelmed tears rolling down my cheeks as everything overloaded for a second and I blacked out.

     When I came to, I was lying on my back and Marko was shaking me, both men looking panicked down at me. I blinked up at them before managing a lazy, satisfied smile. No one had ever pushed me far enough to make me black out before. It had always been my biggest grouse with my partners. I liked to be hurt. Really, really hurt. But no man had ever dared hurt me like that. Given, normal human men didn’t have the strength and fangs that vampires had. I was more satisfied than I’d ever been outside of masturbation and I couldn’t seem to grasp why both vampires looked so afraid .

“Guys, m’fine. You did perfectly.” I slurred, snuggling down into the dusty sheets. Something crinkled on my neck and shoulder and I lifted a hand to feel the rough texture of bandages, “How long w’s I out?” 

“Fifteen minutes. If your heart hadn’t been beating so strongly, I’d have thought you’d died.” I heard David’s voice say and turned my head to find him sitting in his wheelchair throne beside the bed.

“I just blacked out. It’s a compliment. No man has ever managed that before… they’ve all been too afraid of hurting me the way I want to be hurt.” I said, slowly pushing myself up, “God, if that was just frottage and intercrural sex, I can’t wait until one of you actually fucks me.” I admitted, and maybe my head wasn’t quite back to normal yet because that was not something I would’ve admitted aloud yet.

“We can’t do that again, Kuno! We thought we killed you somehow or broke you.” Marko exclaimed and his eyes glittered like he might cry.

“Don’t you dare say that! I’m fine. You just overwhelmed my circuits. It wasn’t even blood loss or pain that did me in, it was the overstimulation!” I cried, throwing myself at the smaller man and wrapping him up in a hug. 

“I told you that’s was.” Dwayne said calmly and I finally noticed him at the end of the bed. I looked at him over Marko’s shoulder and I saw the knowledge in his eyes. He was experienced in BDSM, I could tell by the look in his eyes, “Paul said you’re a hyper-masochist. Is it pain-pleasure you enjoy or is it just the pain?” He asked me, his brown eyes boring into mine.

“Pain. I like deep, deep pain. Paul’s fangs dragging against my shoulder bones and Marko damn near biting through my lip was… god, it was stuff out of my greatest dreams. I was on cloud nine.” I replied easily, shivering just at the memory of such exquisite pains.

“Think you could take lashes from a studded flog?” He asked, eyes lighting up as I rubbed Marko’s back, the smaller vampire holding me tightly as if he were afraid I’d disappear on him. Just thinking about Dwayne’s question had my cock twitching again.

“Fuck yes… please?” I gasped out with a little laugh.

“I didn’t think you could be any more fun, Xatkuli , but here you are surprising me.” He said with a chuckle.

“You’re surprised? If there was anything to convince me to stay, it’d be this.” I said and froze, shocked I’d said it. I couldn’t stay, shouldn’t get their hopes up. What was wrong with me? It had only been a day and I was already forgetting this was just a vacation, not my new home. I had to get back and I had to say that, “I can’t stay, of course. But if I could, this would be my deciding point. Turns out I didn’t need a man, I just needed a vampire.” I added quickly.

“Of course you can’t stay. This isn’t your home and your friends and family will miss you.” David murmured and I nodded, letting go when Marko finally pulled back from my arms, looking like he felt better now, much to my relief. I really didn’t want him to feel bad for making me feel so damn good.

“Well…  I don’t have any family. I’ve been an orphan since I was thirteen. But my friends are sort of my family. Hang on.” I said, getting up from the bed and going to where I’d left my duffle bag, digging around until I found the photos of my band and I. There were two. Back when there were seven of us, before we lost Reaper, and after. Once I found them I came back over to the bed and climbed back up into it, holding up the photo with Reaper in it, “This was all of my band. We all go by different horror or supernatural themed stage names. This first one here, his name was Reaper. Reaper… he had his demons and we lost him to an overdose last year. We all carry a tiny urn of his ashes because he wanted us to always have him with us. It was in his suicide note and his will. He played the drums.” I explained.

     Reaper had been a tall man, standing at an impressive 6’5” with big green eyes and wild ocean blue dyed curly hair that was naturally blond when he wasn’t dying it some random color. He had a scar on his chin from a car accident when he was two and he was missing a finger from playing pinfinger with a real knife. Losing him had hurt all of us.

“Then there’s the guy twins, Ichabod and Crane. Our guitarist and bassist. I met them when I first moved to Santa Cruz. The first year I never had a class with them both in it, so I thought they were one whole person until I invited them to my birthday and got both twins. They thought it was strange I only gave Crane an invite but both came anyway and we still laugh about it to this day.” I went on explaining, pointing out the two to my left in the photo. Ichabod and Crane were the opposite description of the man from The Headless Horseman that they were nicknamed after. They were short and dark skinned, both muscular. Paul gasped out a laugh.

“Seriously? You couldn’t tell the difference?” He asked, laughing near hysterically.

“They’re identical! What do you want from me!” I said defensively.

“Shut up, Paul. I wanna hear about all of them.” Marko said, pushing Paul off the bed. Paul landed with a thump and a growl before crawling back up on the bed and pinning Marko with an if-looks-could-kill expression. I shook my head at their antics and went on.

“Mona and Marrick are the gal twins. They met Crane, Ichabod and I at a horror convention when we were 18 and we kept in touch until we all graduated and then we all moved in together in a huge house we rented from a landlord in Astoria, OR. Reaper came later when we advertised for a drummer and he was the only one to apply. We all became instant friends and quickly started to garner attention in the music world with our short music videos on various forms of social media… you don’t know what that is yet. You won’t have social media until 1997 with a website called SixDegrees. I… don’t really know how to explain it.” I explained, partly glad I’d toured the Computer History Museum somewhat recently and had a pretty good memory as I pointed out the two redhead twin women standing to Reaper’s right, “Anyways, when we lost Reaper, we needed a new drummer and met Kratos when our agent at the time introduced us. He was a pretty cool dude and we quickly became friends. It helped that he and I are both masochists and I felt I could really talk to him about things I’d never said to another person in my life.” I finished and put down the photo with Reaper, picking up the second to show them the photo of the band with Kratos in Reaper’s place. The drummer looked exactly like the game character he chose for his stage name, pale and bald. He’d even gotten the blood red tattoo to match the character of the game.

“They all sound like really good friends. I can understand why you wouldn’t want to leave them behind.” David said, looking over at me and his nestmates with a strange expression. Like he was thinking something he didn’t want to share with anyone.

“They are. They’re my best friends and my family. We’ve traveled the world together and made it to the top of the music charts in my time and world. I’d be lost without them. They’re like… I guess they’re like my wolf pack. My pack.” I said, feeling a little ache in my heart. They weren’t here with me and I knew they’d have loved it as much as I did. I should have insisted they come with me to the reunion. Then, maybe, they’d have been here with me too.

“We’ll make sure you get back to them, Xatkuli . We won’t let you die saving us.” Dwayne said and the others nodded in agreement, even David.

“We won’t. In the end, we are fictional, Pet. We can’t let you die for us. If it comes down to us or you, it’ll be you.” David agreed, getting up from his chair and dragging it toward the door, “Marko, go get some food so he can recharge after all you and Paul put him through. Dwayne, carry him out to the main room.” David ordered and I huffed.

“I can walk, you know? I’m not an invalid.” I grumbled.

“You heard me!” He called over his shoulder as he disappeared out of the room. I squeaked in surprise when Dwayne swept me up into his arms like a princess and followed Marko and Paul out of the room, the three vampires snickering at my pout.