Nikolo
“Fuck! Finn! Someone’s broken into the apartment! Call the cops!” Kai’s screeching scares the shit out of me. Considering I’m balanced on my hands, with my back curved and legs bent so my pointed toes are almost touching my head, I end up in a painful heap on the floor.
“Ow! Fucksake!” I curse, scowling up from the floor to catch Kai still clutching the hallway door frame dramatically. “You’re a fucking dick.”
Finn shuffles up behind him, gently headbutting my dickhead friend between the shoulder blades to get him to move. Finn’s not always great when he wakes up.
Laughing happily, Kai sweeps to the side to let Finn continue his half-dazed crawl to the kitchen.
“Long time no see, broskilina.” He launches himself on the couch, settling in comfortably.
Giving up on the more advanced stretches, I settle into some more basic moves on the floor, knowing that Finn will join me after he’s had enough blood.
“Broskilina?” I question the new nickname with a raised eyebrow and sweep my body around and folding myself in half to grab my toes.
“I’m trying it out.” Kai shrugs carelessly. “What are we up to tonight? We’ve got a few hours to kill before heading in for close and it feels like we haven’t hung out in ages.”
I don’t point out that we basically have the same work schedule so we spend most nights at work together, because we both know it’s not the same.
If we take away the hours at the bar, he’s right.
We’ve barely seen each other lately. Between him spending all his time with Finn, either at Finn’s or here at ours, and me spending every night I can at Willan’s—especially in the last three weeks since he was sick—it’s getting hard to believe we still live together.
I mean, my sewing machine still hasn’t made its way back from Willan’s. In fact, more of my stuff seems to have made a semi-permanent relocation to his. Including half my clothes and my toy collection.
Finn returns from the kitchen with three bottles of blood, putting mine on the coffee table for me before settling onto the couch with Kai, snuggling in as hard as he can under Kai’s arm.
“Thanks, Finn.” I get a little hand wave in acknowledgment. “And I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been busy.”
“Yeah, with Willan.” Kai sings the name, following it up with lip smacking air smooches.
“Oh, fuck off.” I laugh, giving up on stretching to snatch up a nearby cushion to peg at Kai’s head. I completely miss and it goes sailing over his hair, which only makes Kai cackle harder.
“You two are idiots.” Finn grumbles, lifting his blood to his lips to suck on the straw he’s slipped in there. Kai forgets about me for a second to dote on Finn, stroking his hair back from his face and kissing the crown of Finn’s head. Kai must’ve really drained him this morning.
Warmth spreads through my chest watching them together. I never realised how much I wanted something like that—that easy affection and care—until I found it for myself.
“‘Idiots in love.” The tender moment passes, and he’s right back to being his usual self. I can see the exact second Kai realises what he’s implied, his handsome face screwing up like he’s just licked rancid blood. “Ew. No. In love with other people. Not each other. Gross.”
“Ouch, Kai.” I clutch my chest dramatically. “You don’t need to be that harsh about it.”
“Oh, fuck off.” The lightest of blushes creeps over his tanned cheeks as he rolls his eyes and waves his hand. “You know what I mean.”
If I wasn’t a vampire, and my body locked in for the next couple of hundred years, my laughter would be a solid ab workout.
“Yeah, yeah. I get what you mean.”
“Huh.” Finn perks up from the nest he’s created against Kai, looking at me curiously with his big green eyes. “You didn’t deny it.”
“Deny what?” I’m confused, because why would I deny Kai and I being in love? The idea is just absurd.
“That you love Willan. Do you?”
Kai’s face lights up like a neon fucking beacon. Turning to me open-mouthed, he goes to say something, but I can see the slight flex of Finn’s hand on his side, squeezing tightly to restrain him.
I kinda wish someone would restrain me. Only because I somehow feel like I’m rooted to the ground and yet still floating out of my body.
If this were a movie, this would be where they play the montage of us, and the moments we’ve shared in these past months.
The night at Hearts Gate.
Coffee at that horrible fucking cafe.
Him showing me the candles at the shop.
The vampire updates.
The first time he braided my hair.
The smile on his face when I held his magic in the palm of my hand.
The fear I felt when he was sick.
Holding him through his fever, feeding him. Braiding his hair.
Every time he gently coaxed me forward, showing me things I didn’t know were possible.
The way he’s taken the separate pieces of my life—like two separate timelines—and sewn them together, all with asking nothing in return. Except for me. Like just that, just me is enough.
The highlight reel flashing through my mind ends with the memory of his face, only the other day at the shop.
I came downstairs after waking to find him.
He was talking to a customer, explaining some magical doodad or whatever.
I couldn’t have said even then what the customer looked like, or who else was in the store.
There was only Willan. The colourful lanterns overhead lit him up like a spotlight, showcasing his brilliant intensity as he talked.
Then, he turned to me. The moment his eyes found mine, his face transformed from his professional mask into tender affection. All for me. And only for a single, fleeting second—over before I could snap my fingers.
It hit me with the power of a thousand suns, and I stumbled on the steps. I think Egbert caught the whole thing because he gave me a knowing smile before he disappeared into the storeroom. Apparently, he knew before I did.
Or maybe more correctly, before I let myself acknowledge.
I’m deeply, spirit shatteringly, ass backwards in love with Willan.
“Is he only just catching on?” Finn whispers, though not at all quietly.
“I think so?” Kai whispers back just as loud. “And after all the shit he gave me, too.”
The scene in my mind clears, my eyes focusing again on the pair of them on the couch, snickering away like they weren’t the world's biggest dumbasses before they got over their shit.
“You okay there, bud?” Dislodging Finn from his side, Kai leans forward to pat my hair condescendingly.
Batting his hand away, I scowl half heartedly up at his gloating smile.
“Knock it off. I’m fine. I just…” I grapple to put it into words. “I think I knew, but didn’t understand?”
Finn, much perkier and awake now that he’s got some blood in his system, nods like he understands what I’m trying to say. Kai nods too, but somehow, I think the subtlety has been lost on him.
“You know what this calls for, right?” Like usual, his effervescent smile is contagious and I find myself smiling back at him.
“I have no idea.”
Kai smacks his hand on his thigh, and nods. “We gotta go shopping.”
Finn uncurls himself from Kai’s side, pulling back to give him the full effect of his ‘what the fuck?’ face.
“Why are we going shopping?” I might be questioning him, but I’m definitely not saying no.
“Uh, because you need new clothes to look hot for your lover.” Kai scoffs like it’s obvious.
“That makes no sense.”
“Fan-fucking-tastic idea.”
Finn and I say at the same time. He turns to look at me, cocking his head like I’ve grown two of them. But I mean, what about my extensive, sexy as fuck wardrobe suggests I don’t love a good shopping trip?
“Done.” Kai leaps to his feet, holding out his hand. “Finn, come on. Let’s go shower and get ready.” He leads his boyfriend to the bathroom.
“Don’t use up all the hot fucking water!”
All I see is him flipping me the bird as the door swings shut.
Standing on the steps of The Magnifitestique Mage with my duffel bag slung over my back and the early morning fog rolling through the dark street, I have an eerie sense of déjà vu.
It’s been one of those nights, what with the mammoth revelation about my feelings and all.
Okay. That’s an exaggeration. It’s not like when they rip the mask off the villain in cartoons.
I knew my feelings were there. I knew they were growing.
I just didn't realise how big they’ve gotten.
Like a plant that you water every day and then you’re like, ‘Fuck, there’s a fucking tree in my backyard. When did that happen?’.
Thankfully, Kai was determined to cram as much make-up bonding time as he could before our shift, which meant I didn’t have time to over analyse things and send myself into a tailspin. I swear he dragged us to every shop in town before we made it to Bloody Temptations.
After we clocked out for the night we parted ways, him heading off to Finn’s place and me heading back to our apartment—but only to get my bag, shower, change, and pretend like we both still live there.
With the next couple of nights off, there’s only a slim chance I’ll head back until I need to get my shit for work.
We really are growing up, moving on to the next stages of our lives.
It’s really fucking cool. So long as I don’t think about it—or what comes next—too hard.
I hold my hand against the doorknob, the locks clicking open loudly in the otherwise silent street. I’ve been added to the ward, specifically for nights like this, so I can come in without disrupting Willan’s sleep.
The door seals itself shut behind me. Without anyone around to witness it, I stare at the door, wondering if it will really sink in this time—that I, Nikolo, the one the parents would tut about and warn their kids to stay away from, have the metaphorical, magical keys to the Mazheri clan shop.
Apparently, today is not the day, a lump of emotion settling in my chest. I rub at the spot, like I can massage it away, but it stays right there.