Parting is such a sweet sorrow {THE LITTLE VAMPIRE}

Do you know how to waltz, Tony?

Tony took Rudolph's hand and followed him to the dance floor, and his heart fluttered against his ribcage. None of the other couples seemed to pay them much attention, which was a relief to Tony, but he remained on high alert, convinced that at any moment, someone was going to hurl homophobic slurs at them. Rudolph took Tony's other hand and placed it on his shoulder.

"Do you know how to waltz, Tony?"

"Not really. We learned how to polka in gym class one time?"

"That's okay." Rudolph placed a hand on Tony's waist and pulled him closer. "I do."

"Wwwoooah!"

Rudolph led Tony in whirling zig-zags across the dance floor. The adrenaline rush was comparable to when they were flying. Whenever Tony stumbled, Rudolph simply lifted him a few inches off the ground. With such a talented dance partner leading him, Tony felt as though he'd been waltzing all his life.

"You're really good at this!" Tony beamed, completely forgetting to be anxious.

"I've had a few hundred years of practice." Rudolph spun Tony under his arm without breaking his box-step pattern. "And we haven't even gotten to the best part yet."

"Huh?"

Tony thought Rudolph was about to lift him, but instead he tossed him way up into the air, high above the fountain.

"Waaaa!!!"

Just as gravity began to pull Tony back down, Rudolph caught him in the air, in waltz position. Tony gripped Rudolph's shoulder for dear life.

"Jesus Christ! You really think you can just yeet me whenever you want, don't you?" He panted.

"Yes, I do." Rudolph continued leading their dance, only a few feet below the glistening chandeliers, all while staying in time with the music. Tony kicked like he was treading water.

"I don't know what to do with my feet."

"Just imagine you're stepping on several little platforms scattered all throughout the air."

"Um, okay?" Tony's attempt to follow instructions only led to more flailing.

"We can work on that later." Rudolph chuckled. "For now, just put your feet on top of my feet."

Intentionally stepping on Rudolph's shiny, black dress shoes brought the pair closer together, and the vampire pressed his cool cheek against Tony's as they danced. Well, Rudolph danced, and Tony went along for the ride, feeling like the protagonist in a fairytale.

"Are you having fun, Tony?"

Feeling Rudolph's cheek move against his own made Tony blush, and he wondered if Rudolph could feel the warmth.

"I'm having the time of my life."

Rudolph stepped onto the top tier of the fountain, expertly dancing around the perimeter.

"A little less nervous now, I hope?" He asked softly, and his cool breath tickled his mortal's ear. Tony gulped.

"I'm just . . . I'm a little nervous that someone's gonna, you know, say something rude."

Rudolph stopped dancing and leaned back to search Tony's eyes, and Tony stepped off onto the fountain ledge.

"Don't worry, Tony, everyone starts learning to waltz sometime. No one's judging you."

"Rudolph." Tony looked down at his feet, gawked at how far up they were, and looked back up into Rudolph's eyes. "That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried because you're a boy, and I'm a boy, and . . . and . . ."

"Oh, I'm such an imbecile." Rudolph released Tony's hand and waist to cradle his face in his palms, and Tony's cheeks burned under his vampire's cool touch. Rudolph looked at him like he was the most precious treasure in all the world.

"I forget that mortals aren't as accepting as vampires. I've been so insensitive. I hope you can forgive me, my darling, my angel."

"W—what do you mean by, 'aren't as accepting as vampires'?" Tony asked.

"Look there." Rudolph released Tony's face to gesture at a vampire couple waltzing with their faces so close they were almost kissing. As far as Tony could tell, they were both women wearing lavish, steampunk ballgowns. One had curly black hair and a lot of tattoos, and the other was a brunette with one side of her head shaved.

"And there." Rudolph nodded towards a short, bald man in a purple suit dipping a much taller man wearing a top hat and a green suit. Why hadn't Tony noticed them before? He must have been too focused on not being noticed himself.

"Ah, and also there." Rudolph gestured to a couple leaning over their table and gazing into each other's eyes. One was a woman with wavy purple hair, and the other had glasses and short brown hair. Tony didn't have a good guess of the latter's gender. Perhaps they were nonbinary.

"You see, vampires generally aren't—er . . . what do mortals call it? Home of . . . ?"

"Homophobic?"

"That's right! Vampires generally aren't home of phobic. It's never been a part of our culture to hate healthy, consensual love."

Tony's eyes widened. A whole world of people—well, not people exactly, but—a whole world in which homophobia just wasn't a thing? He could hardly believe it.

"Really?"

"We're not as strict with gender roles either. There are still some antiquated ideas about which spells male and female vampires can and cannot cast, but we've come a long way."

"I uuhh . . . I actually didn't totally know I was bi until . . . well, until today. Until you were about to back out of our date—which I didn't know was supposed to be our date—and then I had, like, a second to stop that from happening, because I really, really did want to go on a date with you. And and I really like you. Like like you. Like, a lot. I don't know why I didn't realize it was a crush before. But, it was! I mean, it is." Tony realized how much he'd been word-vomiting and covered his mouth with his hand.

"Like like. What does that mean?" Rudolph rest his hands on Tony's shoulders and then ran them down his arms until he was holding both of his mortal's hands. Tony sucked in his lips and took a deep breath through his nose. Coming out of the closet and confessing his feelings to his crush at the same time was a lot.

"It means I more than like you." Tony exhaled.

Rudolph tilted his head to the side.

"More than like me . . . That's love, then. So you love me, Tony?" Rudolph brought Tony's hands to his cool lips and kissed his knuckles.

Tony's head swam, and he felt dizzy. Oh, god. Love? Who said anything about love? He didn't mean . . . Or, did he? Did he love Rudolph? They'd only known each other a few weeks, and already Tony was calling him his best friend. And he never felt happier than he did when he was with Rudolph. But love was a big word. A huge word. And Tony had only just admitted he wasn't straight.

"I . . . I . . ."

Rudolph noticed something over Tony's shoulder, and his eyes sparkled.

"Ah, your dinner's arrived! They got here early. Shall we?