Being a vampire's sugar daddy wasn't the life that Larry had thought he'd lead as a kid, but he couldn't say he had any complaints. Well, maybe sugar bestie was a better word for it. He hadn't had sex with the vampire, who was named Sevokh; in fact, the topic hadn't come up at all. Neither of them talked about it much.
What had happened was this: A couple of months ago, Larry had gotten turned around while looking for a new restaurant that he wanted to grab lunch at. An androgynous stranger wearing a black Victorian-era dress appeared beside him, offering him directions. He said sure, why not, and they began walking at a brisk pace. They stopped in front of a large, aging house that definitely wasn't a restaurant, but Larry found that he wasn’t concerned at all. In fact, as he looked between the vampire and the house, he felt content. The house was in the general direction he'd been going, anyway. The restaurant was probably in here, and it was so new the employees hadn't put up signage yet. Larry didn't question how the stranger led him inside and locked the door shut behind him, or how the “restaurant” was devoid of customers, a commercial kitchen or employees. He hardly noticed how the air was tinged with a familiar, coppery scent.
He didn't have any questions until the stranger sat him down at the dusty dining room table. It clearly hadn't been cleaned in years, which meant the antique chair he was sitting in likely hadn't been either. Larry found that gross. The idea of dust ruining his red lifeguard’s shorts annoyed him, and that displeasure was enough to snap him out of whatever spell the stranger had put him under.
He looked up at them and found that it was nearly impossible to read their face. They wore armless black goggles that balanced on the bridge of their tiny nose, with lenses dark enough that Larry couldn't see anything through them. Their mouth and nostrils were covered by an equally dark mask that could have been vacuum-sealed on, the way it so tightly adhered to their face. Their black, straight eyebrows didn't budge as they stared down at him. If they'd noticed that he'd broken free of their mind control, they didn’t say anything. Better to keep it them in the dark, so he'd have more time to figure out what was going on.
He decided to play dumb. “So this is the restaurant, huh? You my waiter?”
The stranger nodded after a moment. Would you like anything to drink?
Larry blinked. He could make out the impression of the stranger’s lips beneath the shiny black mask, and they hadn't moved. Their lips hadn't moved this entire time, he realized. “I wanna talk to the manager, actually. I got a thing or two to say about the mess in here.” He ran a finger through the thick dust on the table to prove his point.
Very well. The stranger nodded again and left the room. Now Larry could investigate his surroundings for a bit.
That coppery scent was definitely blood, no doubt about it. There weren't any bloodstains in this room, so it must have been spilled somewhere else. To what end, Larry wasn't sure yet. Every surface was just as dusty as the table, to the point that his footsteps left tracks on the floor. Larry decided to sit back down and see how much information he could glean from his seat. The house didn't seem to have electricity; there was an unlit chandelier above the table and flickering candles and braziers scattered throughout the room, but no lightbulbs or outlets. It probably didn't have running water, either.
On the other hand, the ornate furniture was definitely legitimate: lots of dark oak wood and finely hand-carved details, although the chairs’ cushions hadn't aged quite as well. He wondered how long the telepathic stranger had been living here, and how old they were. It wouldn't surprise him if they were immortal or had an extended lifespan. After all, he and his little brother aged more slowly than regular humans thanks to their mother being the living manifestation of the sun.
There were multiple entrances to the dining room. Larry and the stranger had entered through the one that was on his right, and there was another one ahead of him that seemed to lead to a kitchen. The scent of blood grew a bit stronger, and Larry realized he hadn't paid much attention to what was behind him. He turned around in his seat to see the stranger standing motionless in the third doorway, hands daintily poised in front of them as if they were on a walk. But he could tell that their eyes were fixed on him, and their eyebrows were slightly lowered in annoyance or anger. Of course, there was no manager in sight. They'd probably intended to sneak up on him.
Larry stood up and dusted his shorts and hands off. “Aight, I'm going home. I dunno why you lured me here, but I don't feel like sticking around to find out. Peace.”
Before he could take a step, the stranger sent a message directly into his mind: Sit down and be at peace. You are at the restaurant, and the manager will be on their way shortly.
Just like that, Larry relaxed again. There was nothing for him to worry about. He fell to his knees and gazed at the creature, entranced by how they gracefully kneeled in front of him. Their mask seamlessly split open, and Larry got the impression it was actually a part of their face. Behind it were twelve shark-like fangs that were bared in aggression — not that he cared. Most people didn't expect lifeguards like himself to like sharks, but he did. Now he could compare this creature to them up-close. Their teeth were more gray than white, and covered in irregular red stains. That was pretty cool, he decided.
The creature made no sound as they clamped strong fingers around his arms and leaned towards his neck. Then Larry felt a sharp, blaring pain as they sunk their fangs into his neck and tore out a small chunk of flesh. His heartbeat quickened, but he remained calm. He healed way faster than regular humans, and an injury like this wasn't enough to take him out. Instead he focused on the fleshy black tube that snaked out of the creature's mouth, wide enough to make their throat bulge and their jaw unhinge. It looked strong, oft-used, and it latched right on to the hole in his neck and began to suck the blood out.
Larry gasped, and the creature's — no, the vampire’s — hold on him broke once again. A small hole in his neck wouldn’t kill him, sure, but severe blood loss definitely would. Not to mention, the sound of his blood being drained was a disgusting, aggravating slurp. He needed to get out of here, ASAP. He concentrated on the magical energy in the air around him, willing it to shift into moisture that he could bend to his will. He summoned a small wave that crashed into the creature with enough force to push them onto their back. They quickly recovered and lunged at him, but he caught their arms and kneed them in the stomach with enough force to make them cough up the blood they’d sucked all over him. He flipped them off and hurriedly assessed his outfit. Thankfully most of the blood had landed on his pristine, freckled abs, but his unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt had some large drops on it. His shorts were probably stained too, but with this dim lighting it was hard to tell.
He’d meant to return to work after getting lunch, but now it seemed wiser to call out sick and go home so he could clean up. He speedwalked out of the house, feeling a bit too light-headed from the blood loss to run, and summoned Justin the second he got outside. He was an odd sight, a blood-covered surfer sitting on a floating surfboard that cruised through the city streets, but he didn’t care. The second he got home he would put some ice on the wound, which would be a lot smaller by then, and lie down.
---
Larry had the vampiric encounter on his mind for the rest of the day, and then some.
Most people would never step foot near that strange mansion again. Instead they’d call the police, warn their friends, maybe try to kill the vampire themselves. Larry didn’t intend to do any of that. He’d kill the vampire if he didn’t have a choice, but what he really wanted to do was go back to the mansion and talk to them again. Curiosity kills the cat, as they say, but Larry was tough to kill. Something about the vampire intrigued him, and he just had to learn more about them. So, on the following evening after work, he knocked obnoxiously loud on the vampire’s door until they had no choice but to answer.
They were about half a foot shorter than him and very slender, but by now he knew not to underestimate them. They stared up at him with that characteristic blank look, but he could feel a pulse of confusion emanate from them, followed by anger.
“Great, you remember me! I’m Larry, the lifeguard you tried to kill yesterday. What’s your deal?”
The vampire bared its fangs, but Larry wasn’t dancing that tango again. He socked them in the jaw, then forced them onto their stomach and pressed down on the back of their head. With his left hand he raised their arm so he could break it if necessary — not that he wanted to, but it made for a good threat — and with a free leg, just managed to push the front door closed. “I said, what’s your deal, dude? Or dudette?”
The vampire strained and struggled under his grip, but their mouth was pressed against the dusty floor, keeping their strongest weapons from reaching him. I hunger. I must finish my meal. Let me go. Larry could sense a psychic command for him to fear them, to let them go and cower in the corner, but he just laughed at that. Surfers like him didn’t feel fear, ever.
“I already know that. I’m trying to get to know you, dude. Like, what’s your name? Why’d you try to eat me specifically?”
The vampire stilled for a moment, considering their options. I am Sevokh. Please let me go.
“You didn’t answer the second question.”
You claim you want to make conversation while restricting my freedom. Release me, and I shall tell you everything you wish to know.
Larry tut-tutted. “You’re not slick, Sevokh. I bet the second I release my grip, you’ll try to sink your teeth into my neck again. So, how about this: I do let you feed on me, since you’re so intent on doing it anyway. You won’t kill me, and you’ll stop feeding when I tell you to. In exchange, you tell me everything I wanna know. Deal?”
Larry was hit with a wave of shock this time. You would give me permission to feed? Why?
“Because I wanna be friends, dude. You ever heard of someone being friends with a vampire before? It sounds cool, right?”
I do not understand, Sevokh said plainly.
“You don’t have to,” Larry assured them. “Just lemme know if you promise or not.”
After a few more moments of deep thought, Sevokh transmitted a wave of assent. Larry took that as a promise and slowly let them go. If he turned out to be wrong, he could just punch them and bolt again.
Both of them stood up and brushed the dust off their clothes. Sevokh eyed Larry suspiciously, head cocked slightly, but commanded, Stay still, that I may properly feed—
“You don’t need to boss me around, dudette,” Larry said with a nonchalant wave. “I’m giving you permission this time, remember?” He sat down cross-legged on the grimy floor and motioned for Sevokh to sit down next to him. The vampire cautiously did so and bared their fangs again. Just as their teeth pierced Larry’s skin, he leaned away a bit. “Before I forget, don't rip out a chunk of my flesh like last time. Just make some cuts and suck the blood out of those.”
To Larry’s mild surprise they did as he obliged. The pain was much milder than it was yesterday, and he hardly even flinched. He wasn’t nearly as bothered by the tube tongue, either. It sucked his blood with much more force than pop culture depictions of vampires would suggest, with their small fangs and human-looking tongues. But there was a slight rhythm to it, and he always liked a good rhythm.
He told Sevokh to stop feeding after about fifteen seconds. The vampire reluctantly withdrew their tongue back into their mouth and stared at him for a moment more, then promptly took a few steps back and watched him from the end of the short hallway. He noticed that their stomach was distended somewhat, as if they were pregnant. Did the blood that they drank pool there until it was digested?
Larry stood up and dug a protein bar out of his pocket. Eating always helped him recover from injuries faster. He could feel the incisions on his neck closing up as he took a bite. “That wasn’t so bad, right?”
The vampire didn’t answer. As they stood there Larry watched their stomach gradually flatten, and their paper-white skin faintly flushed with color. A slight blush stuck to their cheeks, making him wonder if they were flustered or nervous. They definitely stared at him like a deer in headlights. He took a step forward and they mirrored it, taking an equal-sized step back. “You scared of me now? I know I attacked you, but that was just self-defense. I ain’t gonna hurt you any further, promise.”
When Sevokh continued to remain silent, Larry stepped forward again, taking another bite of his chewy protein bar. “Wait, are you thrown off by how I healed so quickly? My mama’s the sun, so she passed down some sweet powers to me and my lil’ bro. Did that affect how my blood tastes? The sun DNA, I mean?”
Sevokh nodded almost imperceptibly, but they still kept their distance. I require a full meal. You offered me a partial one, yet you attacked me and block the exit — mixed signals. I do not understand, they repeated.
Larry looked behind him. He was definitely blocking the door, but eating a protein bar was probably the least scary thing one could do. Then again, this vampire was probably very used to killing weaker prey within minutes, and limiting their interactions with humans outside of that. They didn’t know what to do when someone spoke to them casually or bested them in combat, twice. Larry was reminded of a video he’d seen online once, of a mountain lion spotting a human on a hiking trail. The animal easily could’ve killed the hikers, but it chose to flee after a few seconds. After all, humans are predators too.
“Let’s make things clearer, then.” Larry finished off his protein bar and stuffed the shiny wrapper into his pocket. “I already said I attacked you outta self-defense. You get why I’d do that, right?”
Sevokh nodded again, more visibly this time.
“I let you feed on me because it made the most sense. It wasn’t a trick, I was just making sure we both got something we wanted. Get it?”
Yes.
“So which part is confusing you?”
Sevokh bowed their head slightly in thought. I know not what to do with the rest of you. I should kill and devour you — keep you from revealing my existence to others. But…
“But killing me ain’t on the table,” Larry surmised. “Lucky for you, I ain’t a snitch, and I’m down to help you find something else to eat. That’s what friends are for, yeah?”
A jumbled wave of confusion and curiosity floated towards Larry. Something else?
“Totally. Like, I noticed how your teeth look like a shark’s and it got me thinking. You ever eaten a shark before?”
Shark? Sevokh cocked their head, eyebrows raised in confusion. A type of human?
“What? No, it’s a fish, dudette. You’ve never—” Larry paused and considered who he was talking to. This vampire struggled to navigate unfamiliar situations; they clearly didn’t get out much. Maybe they’d never gone to the beach. Maybe they’d never flicked on a nature documentary, or flipped through a book about the ocean. Maybe they’d never left this house except to hunt. It was hard for Larry, a highly extroverted lifeguard to comprehend, but it seemed to be the truth. He whipped out his phone, looked up shark images, and motioned for Sevokh to come closer. “C’mere, dude. You gotta see what they look like!”
Sevokh hesitantly stepped forward and peered down at Larry’s phone. He was hit by pulses of fascination, bewilderment, and curiosity as the vampire admired photographs of great white and black-tipped fin sharks.
“Dope, right? Humans be eating the meat and the fins, but I bet you could drink all their blood like it’s nothing. We can go and catch one right now. The beach is only ten minutes away by surfboard.”
Just like that, Sevokh’s good vibes shrunk away, replaced by nervous apprehension.
“Relax, dude. I work there, so if anyone gets on your case I’ll tell ‘em it’s official lifeguard business. Or you can just hypnotize ‘em ‘til they stop bothering you. Whaddaya say?”
Sevokh pursed their thin, shiny lips. Then, to Larry’s surprise, they hurried up a nearby flight of nearby, creaking stairs, hiking up their long dress so they didn’t trip. Larry sucked his teeth, disappointed that they’d chosen to run away. But then, they returned holding a black parasol. When Larry raised an eyebrow they replied, Protection and privacy.
“I like how you think!” Larry held out a hand to dap them up, but they just looked at it blankly. “Okay, we can work on that later. For now, on to the shark!”
Catching that shark turned out to be one of the best decisions Larry had ever made. Sevokh was awestruck by its appearance, and they thought it tasted great too, although human blood was still their favorite. Somehow, the act of feeding on the animal in front of him was enough to let their guard down, and when he promised to swing by within the next day or two they had no complaints.
Fast forward to a couple of months later, and the two had become fast friends. Something had clicked inside of Larry when he dragged the shark’s bruised corpse out of the water. He wanted to get to know Sevokh better, yeah, but he also wanted to provide for them — to help them clean up their house and feed more efficiently, to take them to new places and let them try new things. He wanted to pour sugar into their bland-tasting life. It was an urge he hadn't before, but it felt good, and Sevokh liked it too.
To be clear, he wasn't stacked like most sugar daddies tended to be. His job as a lifeguard paid the third of the bills that he was responsible for — his dad and brother paid the rest — and he had money saved up for emergencies and some splurging. But buying Sevokh nice jewelry and flying them across the country wasn't in the cards, not that it needed to be. His sugar was simpler and sweeter: spending a weekend deep-cleaning the kitchen; dumpster-diving for a television and showing Sevokh how to use it. In return, they gave him one of the only friendships he actually felt invested in. Something about having their emotions directly transmitted to his brain, without any worry of them reading his mind, made it easier for him to care about them. It felt like, for the first time in his life, he had someone besides his little brother that he could call his best friend.