Moon squealed and hugged Night’s arm. “I’m so excited you’re coming with me for once!”

Night grunted as she tried to keep walking with her sister hanging on her arm. “Don’t expect me to do so often.”

Moon pouted. “What did I get a twin sister for if she doesn’t want to come to parties with me?”

“To make you seem more sociable in comparison.”

Moon sighed and let her arm go. “I suppose that works.”

Lullaby had died a month ago. There hadn’t been any incidents since. Rune had agreed they could go to a party to have some fun again, after some persuasion from Thomas. As long as they stayed together, in public, well-lit places.

It was dark and cold outside, around 8pm.

They both wore winter coats for now, but under that, Moon wore a nice, cute dress and Night wore jeans, a shirt and a leather jacket. Moon’s long, black hair laid over her shoulders in elegant waves. Night’s shoulder length, white hair was tucked behind one ear, the other side hung loosely around her face.

The location of the party was in sight, there was a small crowd of people around the building. Moon jumped in front of Night and walked backwards as she rambled, “What should we do first? Grab some drinks, or food? Or should we go dance? Or talk to people? Or—” She yelped as she walked into someone so hard she nearly fell over.

“Fuck—!” the man swore, stumbling after the impact, too.

Moon turned to look at the man, he had composed himself. He stared at them. Moon stared back as she said, “Sorry.” She couldn’t see much of his face, he had his hood up, despite there being no sunlight, rain or snow.

Everything about him gave away he was a vampire. The grey tone in his light skin; the white hair sticking out from under his hood; the light, white stubble on his chin, lip and jaw; and lastly, his raspberry red eyes glowing through the shade of his hood.

“Excuse me,” he spat and walked off.

Moon and Night watched him go for a moment.

“Rude,” Night complained.

Moon shrugged. “Must be tired or something. Anyway.” She grabbed Night’s hand to drag her to the party. “Let’s go!”

Rune sat on the dining table, slurping up an evening snack. Thomas sat on a chair at the table like a normal person while he read a book he fetched from his house last week. Hyde stood in the kitchen, grabbing his own snack. Hyde raised his eyebrow at Rune. “You only ever do that here.”

Rune turned to him. “Do what?”

“Sit on tables.”

“I won’t sit on other people’s tables, that’s rude.”

“You sit on mine,” Thomas commented without looking up from his book.

“You never scolded me for that as a kid. If you didn’t want me sitting on your table, then you shouldn’t have let me.”

Thomas glanced up at Rune, unimpressed. He poked his side, making Rune squirm away.

Hyde came to sit next to Rune, leaning on the table. He pushed their shoulders together with a smile. Rune smiled too and leaned his face closer. The chair scraped over the floor as Thomas stood up. Rune hummed at him.

“I’ll be off to bed early, tonight,” Thomas explained. He began to walk off, but then turned back to Rune with a smirk. “I’m sure you’d fancy an evening to yourselves.” Rune’s cheeks warmed as Thomas walked off.

He glanced back at Hyde. “I suppose I would fancy that,” he said and wrapped an arm around Hyde’s waist.

Hyde grinned. “Did you have anything in mind?”

“There is one thing I’ve been thinking about.” Rune placed his chin on Hyde’s shoulder.

Hyde blushed. “What?”

“I fancy you,” Rune muttered into his ear. He slid his hand under Hyde’s sweater onto his bare waist, feeling him flinch at his touch. He chuckled. “So tense, right away,” he teased.

Hyde turned his head away. “Your hand is cold.”

Rune took a hold of his chin with his other hand and turned his face back to him. He pressed their lips together. He let his hand explore more of Hyde’s side, Hyde grabbed Rune’s hoodie. Rune broke the kiss. “Question is,” he breathed, “are you ready for it?”

Hyde stared at him, his lips slightly parted. He pushed his forehead against Runes’s and caressed his bottom lip. “I do want to,” he whispered. “I’m just a little—I don’t know—worried?”

“About what?”

“I’ve never done it with a guy. And only one girl before, which I don’t count, cause I hated it.”

Rune snickered. “Don’t worry.” He pulled his face closer. “I know what I’m doing.” He kissed him again.

Hyde pulled away. “Won’t your grandad hear us?”

“His room is on the other side of the hall from ours. As long as we’re not super loud, it should be fine. Plus, I’m sure he already knows what we’re doing.” He pressed a kiss on Hyde’s neck.

Hyde shivered and took a deep breath. “Okay.”

Rune smiled. “Let’s go upstairs.”

Rune sat on their bed with Hyde laid in his arms, both under the covers, catching their breaths. He stroked Hyde’s hair with a smile. Hyde looked up and gave him a tired smile back. Rune kissed his head. “Seems like you’re tired,” Rune commented.

“Yeah,” Hyde groaned.

“I’m not, though.”

“Okay?”

“I’m going downstairs for a bit.”

Hyde sat up in his arms. “What? Why?”

“I want to play piano.”

“You can’t leave me after fucking me. Especially the first time.”

“You’re welcome to join me.”

Hyde groaned. “I’m tired.”

Rune rubbed his cheek. “Then sleep.”

“Not without you.”

“Then come downstairs with me.”

“You’re annoying.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Rune chuckled. “I won’t stay downstairs too long, alright?”

Hyde sighed. “Fine.” He got off Rune and laid next to him. Rune left the bed. He grabbed some clean pants from a drawer, then took a pair of sweatpants off the floor. He pulled it all on, then grabbed the sweater Hyde wore and pulled that on, too.

Hyde raised his eyebrow. “That’s mine.”

“Not after sex, it isn’t.” Rune went back to the bed and climbed on it. He sat on his knees beside Hyde and leaned down to kiss him. He pulled away.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Hyde’s eyes widened, Rune chuckled. “Say it whenever you’re ready.” He kissed his cheek. He pushed himself up and got off the bed again. He went to the door, then turned back. “I’ll be downstairs if you want me.” He winked at him, then walked through the door.

Rune entered the empty living room, he went to the piano. He pulled the fallboard up and sat on the bench, he began to play melodies with both hands.

He’d been playing more often again. Now with Lullaby gone, someone had to keep it in use. Plus, he knew his grandad liked to hear him play, it reminded him of his son. It reminded Rune of him, too. He wished he could hear him play again, he was so much more skilled than Rune. He did also have about twenty years more experience, but that was beside the point. It had always felt wrong that this piano wasn’t being played by him anymore. It was his piano, after all. Bought to spite his mother. Rune smiled at himself. He loved that little anecdote, it represented his dad so well.

He stopped and turned around at a noise behind him. Nothing was there. He squinted, then looked back at the piano keys and continued playing.

Weird moments like this had been happening quite frequently lately; a disembodied noise, small things being moved. Rune felt like he was being watched sometimes.

Footsteps came down the stairs. Rune didn’t look away from the keys again, confident what and who it was this time. Hyde took a seat on the bench next to him, he wrapped his arms around Rune’s waist and laid his cheek on his shoulder.

Rune rubbed his head against Hyde’s. “Changed your mind?”

“I can’t sleep with you playing music down here, anyway.”

Rune chuckled and glanced at him. He wore Rune’s hoodie and had his eyes closed.

“You know,” Rune said as he looked back at the keys.

“Hm?”

“I’ve only lived in this house without my parents for about a year.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. First, we were at the orphanage for five years. Then we moved back here, then I had to leave less than a year later.”

Hyde hummed again while he nuzzled his cheek against his shoulder. “Does it still feel weird, them not being here?”

“It always will.”

----------------------------------------

Rune continued to play with Hyde clinging to him. Hyde only listened to his music, dozing off. Rune smiled and kissed his head.

The knob of the front door turned.

Hyde moved to lean his chin on Rune’s shoulder to look.

Rune scratched the side of Hyde’s head. “Probably the girls.”

“So soon?”

“Maybe it sucked.”

The front door opened, someone walked inside and closed it again behind them. Rune felt Hyde tense.

“Doesn’t sound like them,” Hyde mumbled.

Rune frowned with a concerned hum but kept playing, not that concerned. Maybe they were tired.

The door to the living room opened, someone walked in. Now Rune stopped playing. He squinted his eyes. No one said anything, no one moved, Hyde held his breath.

“Who is that?” Hyde whispered.

Rune turned around, confused. He audibly gasped and tensed every muscle in his body.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell!

How was this possible? It wasn’t possible!

Where had he—

Had he been—

All this time?

The man in front of them stared at Rune. He pulled his hood down, revealing his short, fluffy, white hair. “Rune?” the man hesitantly spoke up.

Rune hissed in a breath as anger flooded his mind. He jumped from the bench, out of Hyde’s arms. “Have you been alive all this time?!” Rune shouted. “And you never bothered to say anything?!” He got into the man’s face with tears in his eyes. “Eleven years, you let us think you were dead?!”

The man put his hands up in defence and lowered himself away from him, startled. “Wait—”

“And now you show up out of nowhere?!”

“Eh—”

“Where the hell have you been?!”

“I…” the man hesitated, unsure if he was going to let him answer this time. “I wasn’t alive. At least, I don’t think so.”

Rune backed away slightly with his eyebrow raised, giving the man room to stand straight again.

“I have no idea what’s going on. My thirteen-year-old boy is now an adult man shouting at me!” He grabbed the sides of his head and paced back and forth in front of Rune. “One moment, I get a stake rammed into my chest and my wife is dying right next to me; the next, I wake up in the middle of a forest, somewhat buried into the ground, all alone, naked, and with a pile of clothes beside me!” He looked at Rune and shouted, “What the hell am I supposed to make of that?! It’s bollocks!”

Rune stared at him, tears threatening to fall. He glanced down at the man’s chest. “Like you woke up from a nap?”

The man froze for a moment, squinting. “I suppose.”

“Do you have a scar?”

The man raised his eyebrow. “Why would I have a scar?”

Rune pulled the collar of his sweater down. “Like this?”

The man’s eyes widened. “What—what happened to you?”

“Do you have one?” Rune pressed.

The man tried to pull his collar down too, but his shirt was too tight. He pulled it up from the bottom. “Oh, shit,” he mumbled. “I do.” He rubbed the circle in the centre of his chest. He pulled his shirt down. “Do you know what happened?”

“Maybe?” Rune turned his shoulder to him and hugged himself. “I was killed too, a little while ago. But someone managed to bring me back with a potion she created. Seems like you were brought back with the same potion, but I have no idea how it got here or how it found your body. No one had found your body for eleven years!”

“Eleven years? That’s how long I’ve been dead?”

Rune nodded, his tears fell. The man frowned. He reached out to touch his shoulder, Rune flinched. Rune’s face trembled, he sobbed. The man gently pulled him against himself in a hug. Rune laid his cheek on his shoulder and let himself cry. The man rubbed his back with a sigh. “It’s alright, little one. I’m not going anywhere again,” he whispered.

Rune put his arms around him and nuzzled into his shoulder. He took a deep breath to calm down, then remembered something. He turned his head to Hyde, who was giving them a very confused look. “Oh, fuck, right,” he mumbled. He let the man go. He stepped towards Hyde and grabbed his hand to pull him up. “Hyde”—he gestured to the man—“this is my dad.”

“Yeah, I guessed as much,” Hyde told him without glancing away from his dad.

“And you are?” Rune’s dad asked.

“Hyde Walker, Rune’s boyfriend.”

His dad gestured at himself. “Severn Brightbold.” He smiled. “Pleasure.”

Hyde awkwardly smiled back with tense shoulders. He looked at Rune. “I’ll go to bed, give you some time alone.”

Rune smiled a little. “Okay.” He rubbed the small of Hyde’s back. “Good night.”

Hyde smiled again too and left.

Severn looked at the piano as Rune watched Hyde leave. “Who taught you how to play?”

Rune glanced at the piano, too. “Oh, a friend from the orphanage.”

“I’m sorry—” Severn shook his head for a moment. “Orphanage?”

Rune frowned. “Yeah.”

“Why were you at an orphanage? How long?”

“Five years, until I was eighteen.”

“Wha-” Severn got upset. “Why didn’t you live with your grandad?” His eyes widened. “Did he die?”

“No!” Rune grabbed his arm with both hands. “No, no, he’s fine.”

“Then why? Surely, he would’ve wanted you?”

“He did, but”—Rune sighed—“it’s complicated. You should ask him about it. But, basically, social services decided he wasn’t suited to raise two five-year-olds on his own because of his knee. And then I had to decide if I wanted to live with him and leave the girls alone at the orphanage, or stay there too. I chose to stay. He still visited us as much as he could.”

Severn grunted. “Ridiculous. They’d rather have you grow up at an orphanage than with your grandfather? Just because one of his knees doesn’t work well?”

“They argued he couldn’t run after them or carry them if he had to.”

Severn pinched the bridge of his nose with a groan.

Rune looked towards the hallway. “Honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t come downstairs yet.”

Severn perked up. “He’s here?”

“Yeah. He said he’d go to sleep.”

“Well, he’s always been a heavy sleeper. I can wake him up.”

Severn wanted to go upstairs, but Rune grabbed his wrist. “No, wait!”

“What?”

“He’ll have a heart attack if he wakes up with your face looming over him all of a sudden. He should at least get a warning.”

Severn bit the inside of his cheek and sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He squinted. “Hang on.” He looked around as if searching for something. “Where are the girls?”

“At a party.”

“Right, they’re sixteen now.” Severn’s eyes widened. “Oh, fuck, wait—” He tensed up and began pacing again. “Shit, shit,” he mumbled.

Rune raised a brow. “What?”

“I ran into two girls on my way here, I was a bit rude to them. They seemed familiar, but I thought there’d be no way they were that old already!”

“You didn’t recognise your own daughters?”

Severn snapped around to him. “They were five when I last saw them!”

“And they didn’t recognise you?”

Severn shook his head. “I had my hood up.”

“I mean, I recognised you right away.”

“Well yeah, but you have a better memory of my face.”

Rune frowned. “Yeah.” He looked at his dad pacing around, he sighed. He grabbed his wrist again. “Let’s sit on the couch and calm down for a bit, okay?” He dragged him to the couch.

They sat. Severn leaned his elbows on his knees and rubbed his face. Rune wasn’t sure what to say. There was something he wanted to talk about with him, but now didn’t seem like the best time. He hesitantly put his hand on his dad’s back. “Will you be okay?”

Severn sighed, he took his hands off his face. “It’s a lot to take in.”

Rune rubbed his back, then let his hand slide off and leaned his head on his shoulder. Severn put an arm around him and sat up to lean into the couch. He hugged him as he rubbed his cheek against Rune’s head.

“This all feels so surreal,” Rune whispered. “Like I’ll wake up from a dream any moment.”

Severn rubbed his arm. “It’s hard to believe I died and came back, but I can’t deny the time skip.” He caressed Rune’s cheek with his thumb. “But I’m glad I can be here for you again. Better late than never.”

Rune closed his eyes and smiled.

Severn hugged him again. “I love you, son.”

“Love you,” Rune mumbled as sleep washed over him.