The List

The Manchild

Arthur smiled over his tea at Vladimir, who was in the middle of explaining his latest favorite TV drama. His small hands were flying through the air and his lips were going at about a hundred miles per hour.

It hadn't taken long for Arthur to get over Kiku. But he did fall for Vladimir hard. His energetic ways and bright smile brought the best out in Arthur, or so he believed.

Vladimir had not been born in Transylvania, though he wished he had been. His grandparents were though, and to honor his grandfather, his mother had named him Vladimir. Since he was young, he had pretended to be a vampire. When he was twenty, he even filed his front teeth into two delicate points. At least, that's what he had told Arthur.

"And she just raised her hand and everything went silent!" Vladimir finished. He took a slurp of his coffee. They were at a cafe near Arthur's apartment. They didn't really go on dates. Just had coffee or went to the other's house to cook or watch Vlad's shows.

"That's... oh." Arthur chuckled. He was never sure how Vlad wanted him to react when he finished telling stories.

"Anyway, did you see my outfit?" Vlad grinned.

"Yes?" Arthur laughed softly. Vlad always seemed to be dressed as something new each day. Sometimes even in outfits so extreme Arthur had to question him.

Vlad stood and placed his hands on his hips. It was subtle, but Arthur could tell he was going for vampire.

He wore a black waist coat, with a red shirt underneath. White pants clad his slim legs and tie up black boots reached his knees.

Arthur smiled and admired Vladimir. "Very fetching." he said.

"Thank you." Vlad sat back down and tossed his legs into Arthur's lap.

Though he wanted to shove Vlad's feet off his pants, Arthur resisted. He had been told his crankiness could be a reason he couldn't keep a man in his life.

"Hey, Arthur?" Vlad asked after a few minutes of quiet.

Arthur brought his gaze from the window and smiled at Vladimir. "Yeah?"

"I want to move in with you."

Silence. Arthur stayed completely silent. Why would Vlad move in with him? They hadn't even had sex. A few sleepovers, sexy sleepovers, but nothing that would suggest living together.

When Vlad continued to stare at Arthur, the blond chuckled and sipped his tea nervously. "Why would we do that?"

"Because we're always together. Might as well save us some money and gas." Vladimir smiled. "Ya know?"

Arthur smiled. "Okay."

He wanted to move in to save money. Not because he loved Arthur, or that he wanted to be together with him. He wanted to save money. Probably for his vampire outfits. Is that all there was to this?

"Which one should we move into?" Vlad asked. He took a large slurp of his drink.

"Mine is closer to both our works." Arthur said. In all honesty, he just didn't want to leave his home. It seemed Vladimir never even went to his apartment.

"But mine is bigger." Vlad replied.

"I thought we wanted to save money?" Arthur asked.

"Hmmmm..." Vlad scrunched his nose. "I dunno. You're so far away from the fabric store." Vlad finished his drink the set it on the table.

Arthur sighed. "Is that the top priority?"

"It kinda is." Vlad said. He swung his legs off Arthur's lap. "I mean, that's what I do. I want to be close to it. Didn't you move close to this cafe for that same reason?"

"I suppose so." Arthur said softly. He hated to admit that Vladimir was right. But wouldn't one only visit a fabric shop once a week versus a coffee shop everyday?

Vlad smirked and glanced at his watch. "Oh. I have to go. I'm in charge of Club today." He stood. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay." Arthur smiled as Vlad pecked his cheek and sauntered out of the cafe.

Once Vladimir was gone, Arthur leaned back in his chair and signed. That man sure was a headache at times. Yet Arthur found him charming and couldn't find it in him to break it off.

Arthur sat by himself for about another hour and people-watched. He never realized how many college students came to the cafe before. A girl with dingy hair and a dirty sweater sat in the corner, staring wide-eyed at her laptop. A strapping boy was obviously supposed to be studying, but was scrolling through his phone. Another young boy was at the counter. Arthur blinked curiously at the strange cowlick the lad had. The boy got a coffee and sat down. He began working on whatever he had.

Arthur threw a few dollars on his table and stood. He was glad to be out of college.

•

"Is all of this really necessary?" Arthur asked as he set the heavy box down.

"Careful with that! It's my sewing machine!" Vlad snapped.

Vladimir had insisted on having his own room for Cosplay purposes. Arthur didn't mind, but that room had originally been his somewhat storage area and Vlad was making Arthur get rid of some stuff.

Arthur found that ridiculous as it was his room and Vlad was the one with all the random stuff. However, as he started to go through his boxes, Arthur did find a lot of it to be garbage.

Vladimir poked his head from his new Cosplay room and grinned. "Wanna come to the store with me?" he asked.

"For what?" Arthur asked. He discreetly shoved his pile of the stuff he wanted to keep behind his back.

"Paint. That white in there is awful." Vlad walked down the hallway, his hands on his hips.

"We can't paint the walls." Arthur said simply. He stood and dusted off his pants.

"Of course we can!" Vlad said.

"No. I mean we literally can't. It's against the apartment lease contract." Arthur explained. He could be fined and kicked out of his home.

Vladimir huffed. "What a stupid rule."

"I know. But we can hang things. We can get a curtain or-"

A beep from Vladimir's phone cut him off. "Wait." Vlad whipped his phone out and tapped it a few times before grinning madly. "A midnight premiere of Dracula is tonight! We have to go!"

"Vlad, the rooms aren't done." Arthur wasn't one to start a project then leave the mess for later.

"We'll do that afterwards! Get your cloak, Arthur! It's vampire time!"

•

Arthur managed to live with Vlad for about a month. But the constant midnight premieres and always running to the craft store after work, Arthur felt that Vlad was beginning to use Arthur for food runs and to show off a 'British Vampire.'

He hated to admit it, but Arthur was becoming increasingly irritated with Vlad. They didn't talk as much anymore and all the lad was interested in was vampires and his various television dramas.

Arthur looked over the kitchen table at Vladimir. He was typing furiously on his phone. They were supposed to be eating dinner together.

"Vlad?" Arthur finally spoke up.

Vladimir looked up from his phone. "Yeah?"

"I want to talk to you about something."

"Oh. Me too." Vlad set his phone on the table. "I think it's time we go our separate ways."

Arthur froze in his seat. That was unexpected.

"I already have the majority of my things packed." Vlad stood. His dinner was untouched. He picked up his phone again. "I'll be gone by the time you get home from work tomorrow. Night." He went into his sewing room.

Arthur blinked confusedly a few times before he began to eat his dinner.

•

Author's note: That was really hard to write. Like... I'm sorry if it sucks.

*Daifukubun says: Nonsense, dear. Vlad is love, Vlad is life.