When you’re as cold blooded as a vampire, you find yourself craving the taste of fresh blood. Long to feel that warmth running down the back of your throat. Alternatively, you could find yourself a partner, and chase away the cool by feeling someone else’s warm body against yours.

Not that it’s particularly uncomfortable to be a vampire. You only really notice how cold you are inside until you drink the sweet red liquid.

On the surface, our temperature is the same as your average person. And we look the same too. We should do. We are- of course- formed from them.

When they first see us, people often believe that we’re ghosts. Which are- admittedly- more common in graveyards at night, and since those buggers can make themselves solid too… I dunno. Just for once I’d like to be mistaken for something living.

Or did my death a year ago strip any chances of that ever happening?

*          *          *          *          *

I saw him by accident. The others hanging out in Cordroy’s grave were complaining about my smoking, so I left to have a fag. I mean, why not? I don’t have to worry about it killing me now, do I? And there he was. Perfection. Sitting on a monument, staring at a grave (presumably someone he knew). He didn’t see me crawl out the ground, nor did he see me kick shut the patch of turf I’d had to open to do so. But I saw him straight away. The deep, thoughtful looking light blue eyes, the soft-looking, tousled blond hair with the black patch at the front, the soft sweep of the neck pulsing with blood. I made a decision. I stubbed out my cigarette and began to move towards him, but I stopped after just a step. “I can sense you looking at me disapprovingly, Cordroy… And it’s not going to change anything…”

James Cordroy moved to stand in front of me, his dark eyes narrowed, and his entire face set into a disapproving look. It would’ve been a lot more effective had he not had to keep flicking strands of his dark floppy hair out his eyes. “What happened to your New Years resolution?”

“What resolution?” I asked, not taking my eyes off the blond, for fear that he may disappear.

I heard a sigh. “Stop drinking so much and I think you’ll find you remember a lot more. In my first two years as part of the ‘living dead’, I drank so much that I can’t remember most of those two years. Eighteen years on, and I really regret it. Don’t do the same.”

I kept staring at the beauty across the way. “I want this one, Cordroy. I don’t even want to drink him. Let me have this one and I’ll never ask you for anything again.”

He laughed, “Ooh, intense, Matt. This is a side of you I’ve never seen before.” I sensed him turn to look at the man. “It’s a little scary.”

“Isn’t he gorgeous?” I asked- my voice coming out as a breathy whisper- turning to look at him finally.

He wrinkled his nose. “Meh. He isn’t really my type…” He turned and smiled at me. “But I want you to go for it. We live long lives; you may as well have something good in it. Good luck.” He gave me one last nod and went to check the others hadn’t totally trashed his grave. I took a breath to steady myself before going over and sitting next to the man.

“Any relation?” I asked, motioning to the gravestone. “Not that it’s any of my business, but you looked like you were about to crawl into it.”

He gave me a smile that had my usually immobile heart doing somersaults against my ribcage. “My brother. When I have problems, I just like to sit and think. And he was always a good listener…” He stared at the words etched into the stone in front of him. “I know it sounds stupid, but it’s just somewhat of a comfort to know I can always rely on him…”

I shook my head, “It’s not stupid to be able to talk to someone without them telling you you’re an idiot, or that you did something wrong, or when they can’t be distracted by anyone else.” I was bitter, and I knew it. Never, when I was alive, had I had anyone’s full attention without being put down in some way. But I was dead now; I was allowed to be bitter. I tilted my head to the side, “So, you’re here? Do you mind me asking what the problem is?”

He regarded me closely for a moment before answering. “My boyfriend dumped me is all. Trivial, I know. But you’re never quite expecting it, are you?” he asked, looking straight at me.

I shook my head, “No. Never.” I looked out across the graveyard, partly to make sure that no-one was eavesdropping. “I was with my last guy three years. Then, at a mate’s party, I found him snogging said mate. Hurt me so much that it drove me to what was essentially suicide.” I adjusted my clothes slightly so he could see the two parallel red bite marks.

He recognised them immediately, as many who wandered through here did. A shudder went through him, “You offered yourself to a vampire?!”

“Uh-huh. Quick, virtually painless death. And plus, this way, I was donated my blood to someone who needed it. Problem was, he was stupid enough to take it out my neck, which meant that his saliva connected with my brain, turning me into one of them.” I picked up a small stone and hurled it as far as I could. “So, instead of ending my life for me, he extended it. And now I’m basically trapped between life and death.”

There was silence for a moment. “I’m sorry. I got no stories that match up to that in the slightest.” He grinned at me; my heart ran into my ribs again. “I’m James, by the way. James Bourne.”

“Matt. Matt Willis.”

*          *          *          *          *

A week later, there was a banging within my grave. Under every grave in the Rediunyn-Dananic graveyard, there was a kind of three roomed flat, with a main room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. How they managed to fit it all in, I had no idea. I’d just gotten out the shower when the banging started, so I just pulled on some boxers and trousers, assuming it was just one of the guys. I swung my grave open and almost jumped out my skin. “Christ! James! What’re you doing here?”

He was nodding appreciatively, and I couldn’t work out why. “Well, you said I could stop by and see you if I wanted. And I was here anyway, so I thought I’d take you up on your offer.” He bit his lip in a manner that almost caused my head to explode. “By the way, I’m loving the topless look… Is this a bad time?”

I looked down. “Oh, crap!” I’d totally forgotten that I was still half naked. “I’m so sorry! It’s not a bad time. Come in. Can you close the grave behind you? Thanks.” I pulled on a t-shirt. “So why were you here anyway? I thought you were getting back together with thingie.” It brought a sour taste to my tongue to say it.

He grinned at my non-use of his name and perched on the edge of my bed. I sat next to him. “We did. It didn’t work out. We called it off for good this time.”

“I’m sorry.”

He smiled coyly at me, “Don’t be. And besides, now he’s out of the picture, I’m all yours…” He burst out laughing, “Don’t look so terrified, Matt. I’m joking! We-” He broke off as I leaned in and quickly pressed a kiss to his lips. It was just a peck, but he started. His hand flew to his lips. “Well… Who can hide his emotions well…?” He looked thoughtful, “Let’s see now… You can catch me on the rebound and we can have wild, crazy, hot sex right now. Or… We can take it slow, and when we get to the sex, you’ll be so glad you waited…”

I grinned at him. “Don’t worry,” I murmured. “I’ve got my whole death…” I leaned forward again and allowed my lips to brush his slightly before biting down on his bottom lip tauntingly. “I can wait.”

*          *          *          *          *

I hauled him up out my grave easily. He was surprisingly light, even though he didn’t look terribly heavy. He laughed as I set him down. “Thanks. It would’ve wrecked my trousers to crawl out of that.”

I smiled at him. “You better go. I’ll see you later. Try not to get sucked dry on your way out.” I bit my lip, “Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you?”

“I’ll be fine. Stop worrying.” He rose up on his toes and briefly pressed his lips to mine. “Bye.” He turned and walked off round the corner. I turned back to my grave, only to find someone sitting on the stone.

“Get off. And go away,” I said simply, sitting on the edge of the hole and getting ready to jump inside and close it behind me.

He tutted lightly, putting a foot in the hole so I couldn’t shut it without amputating it. Not that that was such a bad thing… “Now, now. Should you really be talking to me like that when I just found out that you’re still functioning after a year of torturous guilt?”

“You don’t feel guilt, Chris.”

He nodded slowly, “That’s as it may be. But it was still a little mean not to tell me, don’t you think.”

“I didn’t lie. I’m still dead.”

“True. And yet you still neglected to tell me that you were up and moving.” He ran a critical eye over me. “With the same raw, sexy thing going on. Death didn’t wreck that for you…”

I forced a smile, standing up again, “I’m flattered. How’s Pete? You two together for long after I left or was he just your random drunken kiss at a party where, let me guess, you were seeing someone else that wasn’t me?!”

“Aw, Will… You’re jealous… That’s so sweet.” He moved closer to me, and pressed his lean frame up against me, a strand of his spiked chestnut coloured hair hanging in one of his bright green eyes. “What about your bimbo…?”

I shoved back away from him. “He’s not a bimbo! And I’m not jealous! I pity whoever ends up stuck with you.” I jolted as he grabbed my wrist in a firm grip.

“Oh, come on, Will,” he said softly, staring me straight in the eye. “Don’t play with the poor boy. Don’t trick him into thinking you care about him. Just blood him and get it over with. That’s what you want to do. You see the veins throbbing within the soft flesh of his neck as blood runs through them. You crave that blood. He can give you that. But you also crave love. Kind of typical of a dead guy, ain’t it? You want the warmth. I can give you that.”

“I don’t want your love! And, believe it or not, I’m not with James simply because I want to blood him. I’m not even sure I want to blood him! I don’t! I want him for other reasons. Reasons you could never understand. I’ve known him and week, and already I want him far more than I’ve ever wanted you!!” By this point we were practically nose to nose. I sounded really fierce. It was like I could hear myself from the outside all of a sudden, and it was a little frightening.

Someone cleared their throat nervously behind me. “Matt?” I turned to see James standing there with wide eyes.

“Oh, God…” I muttered. “James! What are you doing here?!”

Chris was looking triumphant. I could sense that James had noticed this with distaste. His face relaxed and he smiled lightly at me, but there was something missing. “I don’t have my phone. I think I might’ve left it here. Sorry to interrupt your…whatever this was. I’ll just go look.” He slid into the grave and out of sight.

Chris tutted disapproving, an evil glint his eye, “You’ve never been very good at holding on to them, have you? Poor thing looked terrified! It will blow up in your face. And when it does, I promise I’ll be here to pick up the pieces.”

“Well, how very noble of you…” I snarled. “You’ll be wait-”

“Matt?” James’ head appeared above the ground again. “Sorry about this. I feel so rude… But I’m having trouble finding it. Can you come help me look? I’ll be gone quicker if you do.” I nodded and slipped down into the grave, I began to search but he stopped me, holding up his phone before slipping it into his pocket. “If that’s who I think it is, and you want me more than you ever wanted him, then…wow.” I made no move to correct him. He let a breath out, “Matt, you loved him. You dated him for three years. We’ve not even been together a day!”

I looked at the ground, “It’s stupid, I know. But I felt we had some sort of connection. I’ve never been able to talk to someone like this before. And I know I said I could wait… but I can’t. I just can’t.”

Silence. Then a whisper: “Me neither…” Two minutes later, my grave was closed on Chris.

*          *          *          *          *

A voice broke through my thoughts, “Matt? Are you okay? What are you doing?”

It occurred to me that I hadn’t moved in a while, despite the fact that I was still lying on top of James. I looked down at him; saw his blue eyes looking at me questionably. “I’m taking a mental image. Do not disturb the process.” He grinned up at me. I smiled lightly back, but my heart wasn’t in it, “Not that I want to put a downer on anything, but you know you’re gonna die someday, right? You know it’s gonna happen, you know it’s going to end. I don’t. And I may never be this happy again. I want to clearly remember all the good points, so they get me through the bad.”

James stared at me thoughtfully for a moment, never once breaking eye contact. It wasn’t awkward. It never was between us. “Bite me.”

I stared at him, “What? Did I miss that out? I thought I did…”

It took him a moment to work out what I was talking about. “Huh? No! God, no! You didn’t forget! It was perfect.” He ran a hand along my cheek, “No, I mean: ‘Blood me’. Make me a vampire.”

I couldn’t hide my shock, “What? Why- Why would you want to do that to yourself?”

“I want to be with you. Permanently. I don’t care if I have to die to do it.” He smiled up at me, “I know we only just met and all, but I feel like I know you better than I’ve ever known a guy- minus my family, no offence.” His hand was on the back of my neck, and he lowered my head gently and gave me a soft, longing kiss.

“I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer, Matt. If you don’t blood me, I’ll just get someone else to do it. Your friend James’ quite hot… Good strong name, too…” he added, making me grin despite my shock at what he was saying. He grinned back. “Please?” he asked sweetly, a pout forming on his lips.

“What happens if we break up, further down the line?”

“Why? D’you think James’ hot, too?” He giggled as I gave him a cold look. He pressed his lips to mine. “Do you see that happening anytime soon?” I shook my head and he shifted so the right hand side of his neck was more easily accessible. “Okay then, gorgeous. Bite me.”

“One question first:” I told him. He rolled his eyes. “Do you want to be conscious when I do it?”

He considered this carefully, “I dunno… Does it hurt?”

“It’s more of an overwhelming numbness…”

“I’ll stay awake then.” He pulled me down for one last sweet kiss before whispering: “Go for it.”

“Okay.” I bent down and kissed his neck softly, causing him to moan, before I went into vamp mode- meaning that I elongated my canines- and sunk my fangs into the soft skin of his neck. I felt a shudder of pleasure go through him. I placed my mouth over the puncture wounds, and began to drink slowly, savouring every mouthful.

This feels right. This is right.

We’ll be connected for an eternity.

The kiss of the vampire has sealed your fate.