Vampire Days

Chapter 43.2: Double Suicide Is A Trust Exercise

Our university, among several other universities and shopping malls, sat in the middle of this city. You would find it funny, but the city was called Metro. Naturally, Uptown was up north, where all the tall buildings, business centers and the biggest and trendiest shopping malls in the whole province. Austin's subdivision was a little further north, the hilly residential part of Uptown. They were in it for the view and the higher up a property on those hills, the more expensive it was. Downtown was southeast, near the harbor. It's gritty and dangerous, but it bustles like a huge monstrous being on a fun, Christmas night.

No warning came when Austin suddenly bit my shoulder just as I propelled myself from roof after roof. Nope, not the cute, itty bitty bite of a cute creature but a mouthful of skin and muscles, like he was trying to rip off a huge chunk of me. I shouldn't have told him to keep quiet. Luckily, we managed to get out from the subdivision without tripping anyone up.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, there's nothing romantic about this. I'll trade you with a flying carpet! Shit, Magno, don't you dare fucking stumble--- watch where you're going you lunkhead! Stop grinning and focus right in front of you or else I'll--- Whoooooooh!!"

And then we reached the skies.

It was hard on my ears and it was harder on my brain because: I wasn't wishing for us to reach heaven this way. What I had in mind was something more lewd, with lots of shouting, less bugs and more naked.

But hey, he was having fun.

The view opened up right in front of us like a pop-up storybook and he gasped, loosening his grip from my shoulder so he could wrap his arms on the vast, smog-filled sky as if he owned it. When we entered the labyrinth of the Uptown skyscrapers, he even asked me if I could toss him as far as I could and I did, with my fingers crossed, and he was laughing and crying hysterically when I caught him.

And then he had another crazy thought as we sat on top of a tall building that was still in construction. On the front side of the building were wooden scaffolding and what looked like mosquito nets for catching falling objects(maybe) to avoid accidents(I guess). We were on the other side to avoid being spotted by the pedestrian. There were no lights below us and it was like staring at the abyss.

His face was all smiles when he turned to me, his feet playfully dangling off the ledge. He wasn't all that afraid of heights. I stood by his side, leaning forward on the short wall he was sitting on.

"I wanna experience jumping off a tall building and surviving the fall without any injury."

I stared at him dryly. He was having too much fun at my expense.

"Oh come on, Magno. I trust you."

"If it's like that, I'd prefer if you don't trust me at all. Especially when your life's on the line."

"Tsk. Chicken."

"Hey. Who was it that told me he doesn't wanna make me a criminal?"

He pouted, glaring at me like I was the meanest person he had ever known. The pout was still in place, reinforced with the saddest puppy eyes, when he said: "I will let you put it in."

Now hold up.

Y'all know I am a gentleman so you should expect me to be cool about it and smoothly decline the offer while taking care not to embarrass him.

And then there's a different bunch of other people who think I'm crass and that I would immediately jump up to accept his offer because finally, the restriction had been lifted.

But I am a predictable person so I sighed like a good gentleman, squeezed his arms and looked him directly in the eyes as I declined his offer.

And that was me being sarcastic for 0.001 second.

Because I laughed out loud in obvious delight, jumped up to the wall of the rooftop he was sitting on and while looking back at him I shouted against the wind: "Let me see you jump, Austin!" before I plummeted to the ground like a rotten apple from a tree.

It was a familiar feeling.

And it all seemed to stretch forever- the length of the building, the space, the skies and even my own body seemed to warp - until I saw Austin's small, weak human body falling down from the same spot I jumped off from. He had his face to the sky, his arms outstretched like wings but were too tired, too broken to flutter. I smiled to myself, thinking that even in death's door he was still so vain, refusing to let me see his messed up pretty face for the jealous wind would surely claw at it and attempt to peel it off its skull.

I landed on my feet and only had a blink to spare until he was within reach and I jumped up to catch him before he could touch the ground and be gone forever. He was shivering. Still in protective mode, I crouched over his body while adjusting to the sudden deafening protest of my instinct. For a moment there I had a weird thought of watching my dead body and my broken skull, admiring my blood taking root on the concrete ground.

I pressed my cheek on his. We were safely on the ground. His skin was freezing. It must have been Death's lingering touch. He had his eyes tightly closed, his knuckles white as he clutched my shirt so tight.

"It's alright. It's alright. . ." I whispered, clearing away the swirling fog off my brain.

This mad suicide exercise shouldn't be romanticized (and please even if you find your own vampire boyfriend you shouldn't be doing this kind of recklessness) but there's something about Death and the taste of it that kept humanity craving, just like a rare jewel or a treasure chest full of golden coins. If Death wasn't a one way trip, people would no doubt indulge in the experience.

"Am I on the ground now?" he asked, his eyes still tightly closed, crunching his nose in a way that made me want him even more. I've never been this fascinated with cuteness before.

"You're crazy," I whispered and hugged him so tight. It was fun but I admit I was traumatized. Even my goosebumps hadn't receded yet.

What if I didn't catch him?

"I realized," he answered in a hoarse voice, opening one eye to take a peek and confirm that he was indeed still alive. Reflected in his eyes were the blinking lights of the city beyond us and his chest heaved, catching his breath. "You moron. I can't believe you didn't try to talk me out of it. You know I wouldn't listen, but at least try?"

We stared at each other and started laughing like two drunk guys on a pretty great night.

"We needed the experience," I said with a wide smile. He pushed himself off me, standing on his feet like an unsure little kid. I straightened up too, stretching my arms and cracking my neck while I watched him fix his hair.

And then he sighed.

"We better get a taxi."

Note:

This city is modeled after Cebu City. If you're from Cebu you might see that it makes sense, although not accurately because it's still fictional.