The Taste of Home

Chapter 19

"I am so sorry," Alejandro said as he led Miguel inside his apartment after a trip to the batting cages. "I should have warned you to keep your eye on the ball."

"It's alright," Miguel said with a wince. His arms ached from all the unfamiliar, repetitive swinging, and the pitching machine had shot a ball straight into his stomach after he'd gotten distracted by his first successful hit. He was still grateful for the break from worrying about the upcoming debut of The Crimson Goat's new menu, but that didn't make him any less sore.

Alejandro had made it look so easy, his whole body flowing in and out of each swing so gracefully it would make even the most skilled hunters jealous. By the end of their time at the batting cages, he had barely started sweating while Miguel had been left panting for breath.

For once, Miguel was immensely grateful for the air conditioning as he collapsed onto Alejandro's couch, gently massaging his aching muscles while Alejandro put his baseball bat away. Their date was far from over, but fortunately they'd both agreed to spend the rest of their time together doing something less physically taxing.

"There's a shitload more on Netflix if none of these look good," Alejandro said as he spread a heap of DVDs over the coffee table. Aside from a handful of Disney movies, all of them were romance movies of one kind or another.

Miguel's gaze drifted from one DVD to the next, but all the romantic ones looked the same to him. Two people, usually a man and a woman, staring at each other with their faces nearly touching. He couldn't bring himself to dwell on the Disney movies even though he knew they'd be much more appealing than their far more homogenous brethren.

An accidental glance at The Fox and the Hound was enough to make his throat close up. That had been one of Andy's favorites. It had been heartbreaking enough when he was a hatchling. If he tried to watch it now, Miguel knew he'd end up sobbing.

"Why don't we watch your favorite one tonight?" he said.

Alejandro rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. "You're going to think it's silly."

"I promise I won't."

Digging through the pile of DVDs, Alejandro finally pulled out one showing an unusually tall, pale man sharing a longing look with the much shorter man leaning against his chest. "Eventide is about this super introverted vampire who ends up falling in love with a fisherman who washes ashore right outside his lighthouse. It's a really unusual take on paranormal romance, but these two are so adorable that it's impossible not to root for them to get together." The words poured out of Alejandro in a rush, each one broadening his smile until it stretched all the way to his dimples. "Sorry, am I rambling too much?"

"Not at all!" Miguel could listen to him gush about stuff he loved all day. "It must be amazing if you like it so much."

"Me and a few million teenagers. You would not believe how hard it was to get tickets on opening weekend!"

Within the first few minutes, Miguel could easily see why. Lit only by the lighthouse's beacon cutting through the night, the opening scene depicted the vampire finding a mysterious stranger battered by the waves. Each time the light swung back over them, it illuminated the vampire's frantic attempts to resuscitate him.

Miguel was hooked.

But not nearly as much as Alejandro.

"Look at how strong Archibald is, carrying him like that," Alejandro whispered as the vampire scooped the fisherman into his arms as if he weighed less than a seashell. Alejandro squealed, putting a hand on his heart. "Just you wait until Dennis— wait, no, that's a spoiler!"

Despite how sweet the movie was, Miguel could barely focus on it with Alejandro next to him. Everything on screen elicited a reaction from him, whether he leaned forward slightly to drink in particularly flirtatious dialogue or let out a little gasp when the vampire offered to share his parasol even though the tiniest ray of sunlight was painful for him.

That was fine with Miguel. He'd rather watch Alejandro than a movie any day.

"Here comes the best part!" Alejandro said, lightly shaking Miguel's shoulder.

Miguel returned his attention to the movie for the first time in over an hour to see the human struggling to carry the unconscious vampire to the lighthouse. Sweat rolled down his face as he fled from the sunrise, the light inching ever closer to them.

Even when they escaped the sun's rays, their struggle wasn't over. The human fumbled through the vampire's fridge until he found a long-forgotten packet of blood in the back, pierced it with the vampire's fangs, and squeezed it down his throat.

"Looks like it's his turn to save him," Miguel said, thrumming quietly. Seeing how determined the human was to save what was not and could never be like him sent warmth radiating through his chest.

"Sh, you're going to miss it!"

The vampire awoke, fangs unhidden as he smiled up at the human who had saved him. Many tearful words were exchanged as the human confessed he'd been afraid he might lose him.

That's when it happened.

Their mouths met as bloodlust gave way to something else entirely. It was then Miguel understood what Ralph had meant about kissing. This was not the quick brush of lips on a cheek he'd seen Mr. Miller exchange with his wife. No, this was something deeper. Hungrier.

Something warm wrapped around Miguel's shoulder. He glanced over to see Alejandro smiling up at him, his arm resting on the back of the couch. "Told you they're adorable together."

Stars, did Alejandro expect him to do that to him? His mouth full of venom and fangs on Alejandro's delicate lips? He wouldn't. Couldn't. Not now. Not ever. It wasn't safe.

But he knew something that was.

Miguel scooted closer to Alejandro and nuzzled the top of his head. "Not as adorable as you."

Alejandro chuckled, leaning over so his back pressed against Miguel's chest. "Right back at you."

Breathing in the familiar scent of lavender wafting off of Alejandro's soft curls, Miguel's worries about what their relationship should be faded like a ship sailing off into the sunrise.