My Vampire Bromance

Chapter 37: A Walk in the Park

I stood at the park, waiting for Thomas to come so that I could get this awkward situation done and over with. I wanted to be with Victor tonight, not him. But then again, Thomas had no idea I was with Victor. If he had known, he wouldn't have barged into my house, ranted like a maniac, and come to my room to confess his love to me! Why couldn't he just wait until next Wednesday to see me? What was so pressing that he had to meet me today? On Christmas Eve?!

Checking my phone, I noted that he was late. "Figures," I said. It was early evening, the sun just starting to go down over the horizon.

I watched Victor play as a cat less than a few yards away from me, chewing on a twig that had fallen to the ground. I laughed as he threw it up in the air, then bounded after it. Victor was stunning, even in tiny furry form. Even his sense of humor was not lost.

"Cute cat, right?" I heard a gentle male voice say from behind me. I turned to see Thomas, gift in hand behind me.

I bit my lip, looking over Thomas's dark blond hair and deep blue eyes. He wore a grey scarf, a grey wool peacoat with jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes. "Yeah, the cat's adorable. I see you made it," I said, gesturing to him.

Thomas shifted, his grin turning into a slight frown. He readjusted what I assumed was the gift he got for me in his hands. "You want to...um...find a place to sit?" His voice trembled as he asked. The wells of his eyes grew ever glassier as he looked at me.

"Sure, can I help you carry anything?" I held out my hands to relieve him of his burden.

"No, no. I uh, I got it," Thomas hiked his shoulders, shivering a bit as he did. The air was cold, and I could see his breath's movement as he concentrated on his task. He clung to the wrapped package tightly. I noted the wrapping was done well, the edges crisp and clean. Exactly what did he have in there for me? I smiled at him.

"Alright, Thomas," I clapped him on the back, which stopped him in his tracks. He looked at me, seeming startled that I had thought to touch him. I really didn't know what had possessed me, but one look at the tiny black cat across the way told me everything that I needed to know. Victor had compelled me. I shot him a glare, shaking my head. "Let's go find somewhere to sit." Though I tried to move my hand away from his back, I could not. It was stuck to the small of his waist, too intimate a gesture for my liking. Let my hand go! I snapped mentally at Victor, but he just kept strolling along the path of the trees. You've got to be kidding me! Do you want me to go out with him?!

The cat shot me an evil glance and continued bounding after its toy. Victor and I were going to talk about this later, but my hand remained solid on Thomas's back for now. People at the park started to shoot the two of us odd looks. I cringed inside.

At last, we found a bench to sit across from a playground. Snow blanketing our feet. I instantly regretted the location choice. A coffee shop would have been better than out here where the metal bench burned my ass. My feet and hands turned to stone from the biting cold.

"Thanks for coming out on such short notice," Thomas said, twisting his fingers together.

"No problem," I said. I scrunched my hands together, happy that Victor had finally set me free. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Thomas sucked in a breath, then locked eyes with me. "I wanted to say I'm sorry, Phillip. It was wrong of me to kiss you. You told me no. I should have listened."

I thought for a moment about not accepting his apology, but the look on his face made me think otherwise. "It's fine. I accept your apology. You were drunk. I forgive you. Just don't..." I stared into his deep blue eyes. "Just don't do it again, okay? I'm not ready to be with anyone."

Thomas wrung his hands, "I'm not really either. It was a mistake, Phillip. I won't do it again." When he looked at me, I could see that he meant it, but there was another meaning behind his words, I won't do it again unless you want me to. I could tell that Thomas did still want to kiss me. It was written clearly across his face.

"I'm glad we cleared that up," I said, shaking my foot. It was so damn cold outside that my brain was starting to fog.

Thomas opened his mouth, then shut it again quickly. He moved the package wrapped in silver wrapping paper onto his lap. "I uh, I got you something." He gingerly handed it to me.

"Thank you." I didn't know what else to say. To deny his gift might upset him, making him go off and kill someone. Undermining it was also a bad idea. So, I took the elegantly wrapped package and held it in my hands.

"You can open it now if you want, or you can wait until you get home." Thomas pulled in his lips as he looked at me. He was failing miserably at keeping the lines of stress off his face. His face was more human than Victor's, exposing his lack of confidence.

I sat a moment, contemplating whether or not to open the gift. If I had taken the time to meet someone and give them a present, I'd want them to open it. I wriggled my mouth before speaking. "I'll open it. You've gone to the trouble to get me something and meet me here, so that's the least I can do."

Keeping my fingers from shaking, I gently lifted up the sides of the package. Once the paper fell off to the sides, I looked at what I held in my hands. Not one but two picture frames, the size of the ones he had broken. "I closed my eyes, trying to hide the welling emotion inside me. I looked up at him.

"I know it's a weird gift," he said. "But I see how you are with your friends. Maybe they could hold some good memories for you. You said you live alone, so maybe having their faces around you will help you not feel so isolated."

I laughed, choking on what might have been a sob. Victor balanced on a branch looking down at the two of us. "Thanks," I managed. "I really like them."

I could tell by the make of them that they were expensive. Handmade with hardwood. It was a kind gesture, and while it wouldn't bring my parents back, it would help restore them to their place in their bedroom and in the hall. I looked up at the boy sitting next to me, "This was really thoughtful of you."

"I'm glad you like them," Thomas replied, rubbing his hands together from the cold. "I made them myself. I, uh, enjoy carpentry." This small admission about his personal life came as a shock to me. I smiled at him, the first honest smile I'd ever given him.

"Thanks, I will cherish them," Perhaps that was the wrong thing to say. Thomas's eyes widened with hope, and my body moved closer to his. I looked up at Victor, idly licking his paw in a tree. Don't you dare! I shouted telepathically at him. But the cat turned, tail towards me, and my body slid towards Thomas's again, causing me to nearly smack into him on the bench. I was too close for comfort. "Sorry, the bench is slippery."

Thomas wrung his hands, "Yeah, it is. But, hey, are you in a rush to get home, or do you have time to get a cup of coffee? It's super cold out here, and I don't know about you, but I could really use something warm for the drive home."

I wanted to say no, but the word that came out was "Yes." Again I glared up at the black cat licking its paw. Dammit, Victor! Stop it!

But my body stood before I had a chance to disobey Victor's compulsion. Thomas stood as well, waiting for me to make the next move. "I want to drop these off first." I pointed to the picture frames in my hand.

"Sounds good," Thomas said. "The coffee shop is not too far away. Maybe a five-minute walk. Do you mind walking?"

"No, I said. "Not at all."