Author's note:
So, here's the first chapter. I think it's a bit unsteady…like, stitched together (badly) from several different patches. And, I'm totally not sure where…no, scratch that. I know where I wanna go with this, just not entirely sure how I'll get there. Shall have to tone it more serious, for starters, that's sure. I mean, I actually have a story planned here! Honest!
Also, thank you for the reviews. I am working on it. Tessie390 - totally agree about the lack of good Ethan/Rory fics, I just hope I can deliver one; your review really made my day when I read it!

– CHAPTER ONE –
V-Day FTW!

'Dude, what happened to your phone? I just got a text saying you're taking Rory to the movies!' Benny freaked out in Ethan's ear when the latter answered the call.
'What ha-…? No, that was me. We are going out to watch a movie,' he confirmed as he put on a new shirt.
'…why would you do that?' The spell master asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
'Because he's a friend and he's been feeling… I think somewhat dejected. Look, I'll explain tomorrow, okay? I gotta go.'
He hung up, but the question echoed in his head as he looked around. "Why would I do that?" He asked himself. Granted, Rory was his friend, and he's been way too much unlike himself, but Ethan still could not figure out where that idea came from. It was spontaneous and seemed about as random as Rory's behaviour. But there was no turning back now, especially when he heard knocks on his door and on his window simultaneously.
'Ugh, just a moment,' he said, struggling to pull on his trousers.
When the last button was done, he flicked his window open, but walked to the door immediately, opening that too.
'Come in, Rory… what's up, Jane?'
'Mom says I'm to drag your butt down to din…ner…' Her voice trailed off as she looked over her brother's clothes and noticed Rory in the room.
'So, what are we gonna watch... er, hi Jane!' The vampire stopped in his tracks.
'Yeah, what are you going to watch, Ethan?' She asked with a smirk on her face.
The brunette yanked his sister in the room, shutting the door behind her. He scratched his head, glancing at Jane, then at Rory and back at Jane again.
'Oooookay, Sis, how much for you telling Mom I've just crashed with a headache and just want to sleep?' He sighed, giving up without a fight, knowing all too well he did not have a chance anyway.
'Wow, you're learning, Ethan!' The girl nodded approvingly. 'But I don't wanna rob you from your date, so let's say twenty bucks?'
'It's not a date, okay?' He objected as he handed her two ten-dollar bills. 'And, you're devious.'
'Whatever you say. Enjoy your night out, boys!' Jane said with a fake sweet smile on her lips, pocketing the money. 'And hey, here's a bonus, because I'm feeling so generous: I'm not commenting on you two,' she added, winking, before exiting the room.
'Gee, family ties run tight around here, huh?' Rory asked, taken aback by the scene that has just played out in front of his eyes.
'You have no idea,' Ethan shook his head. 'Can we go now?'
'Hecks yeah!' The blonde exclaimed, enthusiastic at once. 'Want me to fly us all the way to the theatre?'
Flying.
The few times he was fortunate – or rather, unfortunate – enough to experience it, mostly involuntarily, he always ended up feeling nauseous. He did not mind clinging to Rory for dear life, but that was just it. The height, the speed, the movement itself: he really did feel like his life was in danger, every time, no matter how much he trusted his friend.
'J-just get us a bit away, okay? I prefer my feet on the ground.'
'Aw, you're no fun,' the vampire complained, shrugging.

– x –

'Maaaaaaaaaan, I can't believe we're left with Dusk as the only option!' Rory groaned.
'Yeah, I don't understand it, how is it not full yet?' A girl in the queue chimed in, oblivious to the fact that she was totally opposing the blonde's point.
Their two other choices would have been Unholy Ground, a typical scary movie, already a full house with about ten minutes to start; and a romantic comedy, supposedly perfect for Valentine's day – for couples.
'Would you prefer the chick flick?' Ethan asked. He was not being serious, of course, but still, as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. That just sounded wrong in the given set of circumstances. Luckily, Rory was either too slow to catch on, or too shocked by the wording, so much so that he almost yelled.
'DUUUDE! Dusk is a chick flick! Just that much worsened with the fake-ass vampire-wannabes!'
Ethan could not suppress a chuckle at his friend's incredulity. He was a vampire, but with his general demeanour and with his set of interests, no one would have believed that about Rory. Fortunately for him, because he wasn't particularly good at keeping up any act.
'Right, you should know about all that, Count Dorkula,' he teased with a grin on his face, trying to keep his voice full of faux humility and respect. And obviously failing at it.
'Oi-…'
'So, the movie's a no-go, then…?' He said, still smiling.
'Well, unless you're game to suffer that two-and-a-half hour in there…?'
'Eugh… no, thanks,' Ethan shuddered at the thought. 'We can go grab some pizza?'
Of course, he knew that the blonde had no need for food – but he also knew that it never really mattered much to him. Especially when it was free pizza.

– x –

Benny let out a heavy, frustrated sigh he didn't even realise he had been holding in. "I might as well leave you to rot, stupid algebra homework", he thought.
Ever since that phone call a few hours earlier, he was having trouble concentrating. He sat down to play a videogame, but he really couldn't get into it. Then he tried watching a movie, but for once, the fact that he could basically narrate everything, annoyed him to no end. Finally, after settling for actually reading his history textbook, he was falling asleep when he heard a knock on his door.
'Come in, Grandma!'
'I'm going to bed, Benny, dear,' the woman's head popped in. 'Just thought I'd let you know. Shouldn't you be over at Ethan's, by the way?'
'Uh, yeah, well, change of plans, apparently,' Benny groaned, frowning, as got off his bed to pack his bag for the next day. 'He's taken Rory to the movies. Something about him being odd and feeling down… told me he'd explain tomorrow.'
'I see… I'm sure he will, then. I hope you're not being jealous or something?'
'Wha-… jealous? Whatever gave you that idea? I've just been struggling with the homework, okay? You know I have a hard time figuring numbers out, even with Ethan around. … Seriously!' He added as he met his grandmother's stern gaze.
'Hm. Goodnight, Benny,' the woman nodded and closed the door.
'…g'night, Grandma.'
"Jealous… where the heck did that come from?"
In all honesty, Benny really was far from being jealous – he was miffed. He spent all day in excitement about the solution he had found last night to clear the level they have been stuck on in Zombie Headhunter. Now he had to wait another day, and to top it all off, he could not finish any of his homework either.
"What a bummer…"

– x –

The restaurant was surprisingly empty, with only a few guests scattered around the place. The amount of Valentine's Day decoration was deemed insignificant by the boys, as they entered, joking about how it would not have any adverse effect on their appetite at least. They did not have to wait extra minutes for their orders either, and they tucked in just as quickly too. With random chatter about the movie-situation and the latest games, they did not even realise when the huge pizza became history.
'So,' Ethan broke the silence of being more than comfortably full, as he sipped his milkshake, 'you still haven't really told me what made you all gloomy today? I mean, specifically.'
'Um, E… d'you think we could just call this day V-Day from now on? Turn it into one you spend with your vampire friends… that'd be so much cooler,' the vampire said instead of answering, scratching his nose.
'Er…uh, sure, why not? But you're avoiding my question.'
'Probably… just the contrasts, you know? They make realisations hit home that much harder,' he admitted, looking at the floor through half-closed eyes.
Ethan nodded slowly and put his glass down, leaning back and looking serious.
'That makes sense… Guess I've never really looked at it that way.'
'Well, of course you wouldn't,' Rory said, shrugging, but suddenly seeming much more relaxed about the issue than his words suggested. 'If I had someone to spend all my time with, it probably wouldn't occur to me either…' He was happy for the chance to steer the conversation away from himself. 'Besides… you barely look at girls, that way…' He teased, smirking. 'One would think-…'
'Shut UP or I swear I'll never talk to you again!' Ethan hissed immediately as his brain registered the message, glancing left and right nervously.
'Oh, but you couldn't resist me… see, even now you're with me…' The blonde went on, laughing loud now, until a crumpled up napkin hit his forehead. 'Ow… Sorry, E, you should've seen your face…'
'I guess, mission accomplished, at least,' Ethan muttered, raising an eyebrow at his friend's behaviour. 'One undead creature back to his pre-death goofball self again… Now my death won't be pointless if I get caught sneaking in my room.'
Regardless of his disapproval of himself being the subject of jokes, he felt happy seeing Rory laughing again. It suited him much more.
'You'd get killed?' Rory asked, when his hysterics subsided. 'Sweet! I'd bring you back and I'd have an immortal buddy to hang out with!'
The brunette could not help a sigh escape his lips: the whole idea was completely absurd, the question stupid – both way too typical of the vampire. Together with the fact that he could genuinely be completely serious about such, too.
'You know that just sounds wrong, right?'
'No… why?' Rory blinked.
'Uh, never mind. Shall I escort the fair maiden home?' Ethan asked, using the blonde's own joke against him, making him frown.
'I'm quite sure I don't know who you're on about. I am, after all, the mighty vampire ninja.'
'Yeah, right,' the seer chuckled as he paid for their dinner. 'About as mighty as one of the seven dwarves, and about as dumb as Naruto,' he joked.
'OI! You'll be sorry for such insults, y'know! I'm not leaving it-…'
Ethan pocketed his wallet and turned around to face his friend again.
'Knock, knock.'
'…huh?'
'Knock, knock, Rory. Answer the door.'
'…who…is it?' He asked back, just as the actual door of the restaurant was opened for him.
'Boo.'
'Boo…who?'
'Aw, don't cry, fairy princess, at least you're not sparkling!'
The laughter would have made Ethan literally roll on the floor, had they been not exiting the restaurant, seeing the blonde's indignant face. Caught up in their banter, they failed to notice the few guests all watching them in silence as they left.
'Yeah, y'know what, I was gonna offer flying you up your room so you don't get killed, but I think Se-er Knight may very well look after himself. But thanks for the evening, I had fun.'
With that, Rory took off, leaving Ethan stranded in the street.
'See ya tomorrow, Ror,' he mumbled under his breath, still smiling.
The words might have meant trouble again, but Rory was a bad actor, he could not mask his tone, which was as amused as ever. And he had to admit: he had fun as well.
Just how much though, he did not realise however, until he was in his bed, trying to fall asleep. The stray thoughts and memories coming to claim his mind for dreams made him remember how long ago the last time was, when he felt so filled with joy. Sure, they always made fun of most everything with Benny, and hanging out with him always meant a good time, but somehow it all felt so different…