"You're a vampire aren't you?" Tim politely enquired as they walked through the cool darkness of the graveyard.
Dante looked at him all his sense alert. Was this a trick? Had the Boy been sent as a lure by his enemies? Was he walking into a trap?
Tim indicated his outfit with a waive of his hand.
"You know …for the party. You're dressed as a vampire."
Dante suddenly smiled at his own foolishness. After all these years the Boy had shown him that he might be immortal but he could still be taken by surprise.
"Yes" He replied simply
"It suits you"
Dante looked at the Boy and curiosity overwhelmed him. He touched his mind briefly then withdrew. Interesting. The Boy seemed to feel much the same way about him as Dante did about the Boy. There was confusion, curiosity and a desire to understand but there was no fear.
Tim wondered just exactly what he was doing taking a walk with a stranger…a man in the middle of the night in a graveyard. He should be dancing badly and laughing at some stupid drunk jokes back at the party. But for some reason it felt right to be here.
Dante paused and climbed nimbly up onto a large square crypt and then reached down to pull Tim up beside him.
"Ummm I don't know if that is a very good idea" Tim bit his lip hesitantly
"Come…Timothy. The dead do not mind that we sit here. Would you have us walk around in the dark forever?" Dante used his voice to compel the Boy and images of him falling over in the dark, falling into open graves, spraining his ankle suddenly filled Tim's head.
"Uh ok"
Dante reached down and pulled him up and they sat on the edge with their legs hanging over the edge. It really was a magnificent view with the party and its bright bonfire to the far side of them and the silent weeping stone angels and ancient trees spreading out before them.
"It is a beautiful night is it not?"
Dante smiled, sat his cane and top hat beside him and lay back along the flat top of the crypt and looked at the stars. For some reason he felt positively chatty tonight.
"Yes it is really" Tim lay back himself and for the first time in a long time he relaxed and looked up at the huge open sky and its carpet of twinkling stars. They used to evoke such wonder in him. But these days he worked long into the night either on cases or at his type writer and he had forgotten how beautiful and majestic they could be with their cold fire.
Dante could feel the Boys smile through the darkness and heard his slight sigh.
"What are you thinking when you smile like that?" Dante knew what he was thinking but wanted to know if the Boy would tell him.
Tim didn't think to ask how Dante could see him smiling in the darkness.
"Oh I was just thinking how much I missed looking at the stars. But also the way they feel…you know? The majesty of them all. I know the stars, I know the constellations, why they look like they are burning, how far away they really are, how they were created, everything.
But looking at them like this all of that doesn't matter. The science is simply overwhelmed by the feeling they create inside me, the feeling that if I just reach out far enough I might just be able to touch them. After all these years it is still like I am a child when I am looking at stars."
Tim fell silent and Dante could see him reach his arm up to the stars almost to prove his point and then laugh softly at himself.
"Sorry sounds all a bit gushy doesn't it." Tim was embarrassed at talking this way to a stranger.
Dante's voice came soothingly out of the dark. Pleased with his answer.
"Not at all. Timothy. Thank you for sharing that with me. I had forgotten you see. Forgotten how the stars feel"
Tim thought that was a slightly odd thing to say but then again it seemed like they were both being a bit out of character tonight.
"Tell me more Timothy. You said you know many things about the stars. Tell me about them"
Dante sighed out his ancient loneliness as he lay on his back on the crypt with a boy only a few decades old who told him all about his stars.
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
"Where the hell is McGee?" Tony yawned. It was going to be morning soon and he really needed to go home and hit the hay and get some sleep.
Abby looked nervously around the departing stragglers. It had been hours since she had seen him disappear into the dark with the stranger. She had figured whatever he was up to he would have been back well before now.
"Well the last time I saw him he was disappearing off into the graveyard…with a man. But that was hours ago."
Tony screwed his nose up "Really? That doesn't sound like McGee behavior. I mean if it was a girl I would think he might have picked up. You sure it was a guy?"
Abby nodded "Definitely. Tall, handsome, top hat and cape. Should we go look for him?"
"Look for who?" McGee suddenly appeared at Abby's elbow and she whirled around and hugged him
"McGee don't do that! You gave me a fright. And don't go wandering off like that. I was getting worried"
"So what have you been up to Probie?" Tony looked at him suspiciously.
Tim shrugged "I got talking with some guy. Ended up having this big conversation about String Theory. He was really interested. I didn't realize how much time had passed and then when I said morning was nearly here he said goodbye and I don't know …..took off I suppose?"
Tony rolled his eyes and swung an arm around McGee's shoulders.
"Probie you are such a geek! We are at a totally hot party with lots of eager woman. Even you might have had a chance to score and instead you spend the night talking about String theory with some guy?"
Tim shrugged. He had actually enjoyed himself. It wasn't often he could talk about these things with someone who was actually interested. And there was something about Dante. Something different.
Abby gave him a thoughtful look. "He was very cute"
Tim frowned and blushed at the same time "Abby! I did not disappear into the bushes to go have sex with him."
Tony laughed and drunkenly ruffled his hair "She's just teasing you McGeek. Come on lets get you home."
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
Dante watched from the shadows as Tony threw an arm around the Boy and the three of them headed off. He couldn't linger long, it was getting dangerous.
Later as Dante lay down in his coffin to sleep he found himself regretting the missed chance to meet Tony. Still he had time. Time was something he had lots of.
But still when he closed his eyes it was the Boys face with his joyful expressive green eyes that lingered before him. Filled with the hot cold fire of the stars.
(Thanks for the reviews and for those alerting. This is a bit different for me and Im hoping to keep it quite dark. I do tend to get funny but hopefully I can maintain the intensity. Thanks Precious)