A Reason To Stay {THE LITTLE VAMPIRE) RUDONY [COMPLETED]

Chapter 5

“Hello mortal!” Rudolph cried, dropping in from the window ledge. 

“You’re back,” Tony breathed, gazing up into his deep, gorgeous eyes.

“I told you I’d be back, didn’t I?” the vampire replied, not skipping a beat. He beamed down at the blond, holding out his hands gingerly, brushing Tony’s chest. “Ready to fly?”

He smiled at the vampire in return, his heart beating excitedly as they clasped hands, nearly interlocking fingers. “I was born ready, man,” Rudolph looked a bit bewildered for a moment at the strange phrase, but realized it was only one of his modern sayings, lifting them off the floor, out the open window. 

With a lurch of his stomach, they were leaping from the ledge, soaring out into the night. Tony hoped that none of his neighbors could see them flying off together at night, because that would be a nightmare if they came knocking at the door, scared out of their minds that he had been floating out of his house with a strange boy each evening. The blond boy felt all the breath leave his body as the two dipped down to fly just above a serene blue lake. The water rippled in their wake, parting for the odd pair. Tony dared to reach out and touch the dark waves, and he heard Rudolph chuckle when he shivered at the icy burn of the water.

“Hey! Haven’t you ever done that before?” he yelled, the wind screaming in his ears.

“Yes, but I’m a vampire, not a mortal! I wouldn’t be able to feel that, I don’t think.” Rudolph gave a sad expression out of the corner of Tony’s eyes, then switching to a more cheerful one. “Let’s land somewhere. I know a great place.”

With a curt nod of Tony’s head, the dark haired teenager rushed upwards, the blond gasping at the rush of air pushing against them.  

Suddenly, he was slipping. Tony felt himself slide out of Rudolph’s grasp, letting go of his secure hands. Then he was falling, yelling for him, screaming for his friend. The wind whipped at his back, his hair flying in all directions. This is it, he thought. This must be it. I was finally getting my life together, and now I’m going to lose it all because I couldn’t hold on to a vampire I just met. He closed his eyes as he got closer and closer to the ground. Tears stung his eyes when he braced for impact. 

He felt warm arms circle around his body. They caught him, dragging down a bit from the sudden weight, but he was floating some fifteen feet above the ground, safe; alive. Tony clutched Rudolph so tightly, taking deep breaths, wiping tears clinging to his eyelashes. He buried his face into Rudolph’s shoulder, too scared to look down again. The vampire stayed with him in the embrace, allowing Tony to hug him tighter and tighter, flying somewhere: the blond teenager didn’t care. 

“Shh… It’s alright. I’m so sorry, I didn’t expect to drop you… I should have caught you sooner. Please don’t be angry with me… I… I’ll just set you down where we were going to sit before. Here,” he put the blond down on a large smooth rock in a clearing concealed by large oak trees leaning their branches across, shading the moonlight.

“No, it’s totally okay. Just… that scared me,” Tony said quickly, putting his hands anxiously in his lap when the vampire left his arms. He felt empty and cold without the teenager with him. “I’m sorry I overreacted. I should have known you would be right there.”

Rudolph sat on the stone next to Tony, staring at him attentively. “Are you hurt?”

This caused him to look at the vampire oddly; he didn’t even hit the ground, and Rudolph was wondering if he was hurt? “Yeah… I’m totally fine. A little shocked maybe, but you got to me before I could actually hit the ground or anything else.”

The dark haired boy flushed slightly with embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck. “My apologies… I guess… I haven’t felt anything in so long. I can’t feel anymore, at least maybe I feel, but I don’t know what feeling is, to be completely honest with you.”