The handle on his door squeaked as it turned, and Robin rolled deeper under his blankets, pulling them over his head. "Go away, Chloe."
"It's Vlad."
Robin groaned. Shit. He felt a heavy weight disturb the blankets by his feet.
"If you want to be with my sister, I won't get in your way. She's old enough to decide for herself what she wants."
The weight at his feet snorted. "Aren't you supposed to give me some speech about protecting your younger sister's innocence?"
Under the blanket, Robin groaned. "I have my limits, and talking about my sister's innocence is definitely one of them. You should watch your mouth."
"That's tough talk, coming from a cocoon."
Before Robin could formulate an appropriately scathing response, the blanket covering his scowl was snatched away. He could just barely make out his friend's silhouette in the dark. "Vlad…. It's too early for this shit."
"Just, hear me out?"
Robin sat up stiffly, scooting back and crossing his arms. "Fine. You have five minutes."
"I'm not interested in Chloe. Not even a little bit." The declaration hung heavy in the air.
Robin stared at the sheets between them, and shrugged. "So, what you were doing clutching my sister to your rain-soaked body at 3:30 in the morning, then?"
Vlad choked. "It wasn't like that. I wanted to ask about her progress with the amulet, but then I overheard the two of you talking… so I waited outside the window." He waved his hands. "I was going to leave, I swear, but then I heard my name, and… well."
Robin stiffened, looking at the wall. Carefully not meeting his friend's gaze. "You heard everything, didn't you?" Silence. "I'm not about to be 'blessed' by some damned minister, okay? I'm pretty sure I'm allergic."
Vlad was silent for a moment, then reached for his hand. "Look at me."
Robin's jaw set, and he stared resolutely at the bedspread. "No, Vlad."
"I just want to give you something." Bollocks.
Robin reluctantly met his eyes, blinking back angry tears. So, this was how it was going to end. Say good-bye to your free will, Branaugh.
But before he could say anything else, the other boy had flipped Robin's hand palm-up, and placed something small and hard in the center of it.
Robin stared at the gem in disbelief. Vlad cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry for trying to hypnotize you, earlier. I promise it won't happen again."
Robin's brow furrowed. "You could have just now. Why didn't you?"
"Actually…" Vlad looked embarrassed. He fidgeted. "I couldn't have. Even without the amulet."
Robin squinted at him in the dark. "What, are your powers giving you trouble all of a sudden?"
"No, they work just fine. Just… not on you," he hedged, looking uncomfortable. "It's a vampire thing."
Robin straightened in his seat. "Right, and I wouldn't know the first thing about that. Out with it. Why don't your powers work on me, Vlad?"
Vlad sucked in a deep breath. "I… can't tell you."
Robin threw his hands in the air. "Then why'd you effing bring it up?"
Vlad was quiet for nearly a minute. Robin nearly interrupted him three separate times, but somehow managed to stay silent.
Eventually, his friend took a deep, bracing breath. "Fine. You deserve to know. But remember, you asked for it. And…" He swallowed audibly. "Well, just try not to hate me, okay?"
The hairs at the back of Robin's neck stood on end. Unbidden, Vlad's words to Chloe from earlier floated through his mind. I don't want him to hate me if he finds out. He shook his head. "Christ, Vlad. Of course I won't hate you."
"Just… close your eyes. And no peeking."
"What? Why?"
"Please, just do it."
Robin obeyed with a sigh. "Is this the moment I finally learn that vampires sparkle in the sunlight?"
Vlad apparently didn't think that worth dignifying with a response. Knowing him, he probably just didn't get the reference. Robin stewed in the quiet, practically vibrating in his impatience. What was taking him so long?
Ages later, the bed shifted by his feet, and Robin felt rather than heard Vlad's sudden proximity.
"What…"
But before he could even begin to articulate his question, soft lips captured his own, and the words died in his throat.
Vlad's mouth was eerily cool to the touch; and once his lips began to move, brushing against the chapped skin of Robin's lower lip with tremendous tenderness, the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. VLAD FANCIES ME.
"…Say something?"
For some reason, the other boy's voice was strangely small, as if coming from far away.
Robin blinked rapidly, waiting for his eyes to refocus. Eventually, he spotted Vlad's dark silhouette against the window. At some point, the rain had stopped, and the clouds had parted to reveal a full moon.
"…Can forgive me. I understand if you hate me, now; I just, wanted you to know before you made any life altering decisions. In case… this made you reconsider."
The words didn't make any sense. Robin touched his lips, which were all weird and tingly. "I…."
"Do…" Vlad stood motionless, his expression unreadable in the dark. "Do you want me to leave?"
Did he? Robin's mouth opened and closed several times.
Vlad's head turned toward window. Most of his face was still shrouded in shadow; there was just enough moonlight for Robin to catch the brief look of longing that flashed across his face.
Robin swallowed heavily, covering his face. "I just need to think."
"I understand." Vlad's voice sounded strangely flat. "I'll just go, then."
"No, don't—please stay." Silence. "Vlad?"
When he looked up, he was alone. "I don't hate you," Robin whispered to the air. But the words had come too late.
Vlad was gone.
Robin couldn't sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Vlad's pale, disappointed face, framed by moonlight.
Damn it all to hell.
He should have said something else. Anything would have been better than I just need to think.
Robin rolled over, sending his blankets to the floor with an undignified plop. What would he have said?
His mind reeled with a million questions. How long had it been like this? Had it been obvious to everyone except him?
A small voice inside him sneered. You've seen the way he looks at you when he thinks that you don't see.
Eying the alarm clock by his bed-stand, Robin cringed. It had only been about twenty minutes since Vlad had left, though it felt more like forty. His eyes stung—they were probably bloodshot to hell.
At this rate, he'd never get to sleep.
He rolled over again, hugging his arms and staring out the window. Don't think about Vlad.
