Dark Moon (ManxMan)

Colson doesn't notice it till two days after Halloween. He walks out of the shower, naked as the day he was born and made his way to the full length mirror and stared at himself. He used to do this all the time but for some reason he stopped a while ago. He takes in his chest, his thighs, then turns to the side and smirks when he sees his ass. The curve and how pert they were. Damn.

He looked good.

He was about to walk away from the mirror when he sees it. There were black patches along his back, close to his right side. He turns over, eyes checking, fingers poking and heart beating. Oh shit. What the hell was happening?

It didn't hurt. It was just there. Like someone had splashed black water color on one side of his body. Colson doesn't know what to do. He stared at himself for a few more seconds before grabbing his bathrobe, pulling it on as he walked out of the bathroom.

He had a date with Aetos today. It was their first and Colson was already nervous. Scratch that, he had been nervous since he woke up a few hours ago and now the black spots on his body has heightened it. He checks the time to see how many minutes he had left and let's put s relieved sigh when he sees it was just eleven thirty five. He had twenty minutes to dress up and five to calm himself down.

For the date Colson had decided to go in a blood red jumper, dark jeans with no rips and black sneakers, he added a little gel to his hair and styled it off his face, his blonde hair looking even more shiny today. He had been told to dress casual. Colson slips on his watch and adds a little spray of perfume. Cologne doesn't do it for him. He finishes in time with a couple minutes to spare so he searched for his phone and wallet and had just slipped them into his pocket when there was a knock on the door.

Colson almost let out a yelp when he hears the knock. He ran his hands down his clothes and took deep breaths before walking to the door, pulling it open. He almost swallows his tongue when he sees Aetos. The vampire looked amazing dressed in a white round neck T-shirt tucked into black jeans and white sneakers, his dark hair was styled off his face and his pink lips were stretched in a dazzling smile.

Damn.

And to think this man is interested in dating me, Colson thinks to himself as he stared at Aetos who was equally staring at him in awe. It made Colson's cheeks heat up and he shyly smiles.

"Colson... you look... your hair..." Aetos stutters. His gaze going up and down Colson's body like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You look so fucking good."

Colson lets out a small laugh. "You look so fucking good too. I was thinking you'd wear your chiffon shirt but this..." Colson reaches out to touch Aetos' shirt. "You look great."

Aetos laughs and shakes his head fondly at the man in front of him. "Shall we?" He asks, hand stretched out towards Colson. Colson stared at Aetos' hand and then at the man's face. He slowly slid his hand into it, exhaling slowly as their fingers laced together.

Aetos raised their locked hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to it, his gaze never leaving Colson's face. They both walk out of the house hand in hand.

"You aren't a fan of crowded restaurants, so I prepared a little something." Aetos said as they walked. Colson turns his head to the vampire, smiling softly. It still shocked him how Aetos remembered little details about him that he had either said once in passing or had heard from Cobie or even observed.

It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue, the streets were not that crowded, after all it was past twelve in the afternoon mid week.

"So... tell me something about you I don't know." Colson said as they walked.

"I have a degree in literature." The vampire says and it so wasn't what Colson was expecting that it startles a laugh out of him. "When did you get it?"

"In 1990. I wanted to do something besides real estate." Aetos says with a small chuckle.

"Real estate?"

"Yeah. Pytor and I invested in a lot of places and in different countries, that's where we get most of our money." Aetos said with a small shrug. "How about you? Tell me something I don't know about you." Colson bit his bottom lip as he thought about it. There were lots of things Aetos didn't know about Colson and he didn't want to drop the heavy stuff just yet, so he settles for...

"I took tap dancing lessons."

Aetos stops walking, laughter trilling out his lips as he thinks about Colson tapping his feet rhythmically. Colson smacks the vampire in the chest, lips pulled into a pout. "It's not that funny. I was really good."

"I'm sure you were."

Colson rolled his eyes at the vampire as they continued walking. "I moved a lot as you know and one of the safe houses was above a dance studio. I used to sneak out whenever my guardian fell asleep."

"You said one day you woke up and she was gone?"

"Yeah." Colson moves closer, moving his hand from Aetos' and wrapping the around the vampire's arm instead and moved closer. He tries not to remember how he had felt back then. "How did you meet pa?"

"I stayed where I was for a week and finally called the pack." Colson starts. "They told me to stay there for two more days, that they'd send someone to get me and that's how I met Pa. we couldn't return to the pack because the same day Pa got to me, they were slaughtered by Abbadon."

It silent between them for a while, the two of them walking, their footsteps in sync. Colson had a lot of questions to ask Aetos and now he could finally ask them but one at a time. But the thing is, he was a little bit scared. He has always wanted what Cobie and Erik have, the love and the trust but to get there he must be open in a way he hasn't been in a long time.

That kind of trust and love doesn't just happen overnight, some things have to be shared. What if Colson wouldn't be able to share something's? Aetos can't be the only one sharing and it seemed like the vampire was willing to answer any question Colson would throw his way.

"What are you worrying about?"

Colson frowns a bit as he looks up at the vampire. "I'm not worried about anything."

"You do this thing where you frown a little bit and bite your bottom lip. It's your worry face."

Colson lets out a huff. What the bloody fuck was this man saying? "My what face?"

"Your worry face."

"Do you watch me all the time? How many other faces do I have, Mr. Aetos Ayama?" Colson asked, his gaze never moving from Aetos' face. He watched in amusement as Aetos' cheeks turn a sweet shade of pink and almost teases him about it. "I don't watch you." Aetos says and Colson stares him down until he relents. "I don't watch you all the time."

Colson giggles. "It's alright. I do it too."

This time Aetos almost trips, he is saved from falling face first into the ground by Colson.

"Are you alright?" Colson asked, staring at the vampire in concern.

"I'm good. I just wasn't expecting-"

"You were expecting me to say I watch you too?" Colson asks. They resumed their walk, just a couple minutes shy of the restaurant. It wasn't a lie. He hadn't watched Aetos from the beginning. He had fought the urge to do so but ever since the vampire made his breakfast all those weeks ago, it's like Colson doesn't want to look at anyone else. All he wants to see is Aetos. He wants to notice the little things, he wants to see the little things that most people miss out. It was nice to know he wasn't alone.

"We are going to be that gross couple aren't we?" Colson tuts as they walked, hands still wrapped around Aetos' arm.

"No doubt but we'll also be the cutest." Aetos replies automatically. "It's... nice to know you see us that way." "What way?"

"As a couple. Like a couple with a future."

"Is that not something you want? Am I reading this wrong?" Colson asked, looking up from where his gaze was on the road ahead of them. Aetos was also staring at him too, a little twink in his eyes.

"You aren't. I'm in this for a long long time."

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"We don't even know what this is though." Colson said. "I don't know what this is but I do know that I like you, I see us having a future together as a cavity inducing couple."

Aetos laughs softly at that. He silently agrees to what Colson said and again they fall into a comfortable silence. They were already close to the restaurant. Colson started humming Doom Days by Bastille, moving from humming to lightly singing.

As I watch the world burn All I think about is you

The restaurant Aetos had chosen was one of the newly acquired ones. Ever since the different creatures had moved to Astir more businesses were popping up and this restaurant catered to everyone from fairies to humans. It was small, like a diner, with just a couple of seats. However, instead of taking a seat, Aetos led him through a back door where a private room was. The two of them flagged by a waitress with pointy ears pushing past her hair. Her eyes were a bright orange and hair brown. "What is going on?"

"It's a restaurant, they have only one private booth and you have to book it to get here." Aetos said as he pulls out Colson seat for him.

The room was small, wooden walls with pictures of forests and flowers and waterfalls. It smelt like vanilla and was the perfect warm temperature. Soft folksy music was playing through speakers and Colson loved it.

"Here are your menus." The waitress says as she placed two on the table. "When you're ready to order, just ring the bell." She said with a smile and then she was gone.

"How did you find this place?"

"A couple of my kids work here." Aetos said and Colson almost chokes. "The vampire kids, the recently bitten. I just call them all kids."

"Don't they go to school?"

"Some of them do, some don't." Aetos replies with a shrug. Colson nods and picks up his menu, going through the various food listed, scrunching his nose up in distaste when he sees snake soup for witches to burgers for humans and that's what Colson settles for. A triple bacon cheeseburger and an extra extra large sized Mountain Dew.

"What are you getting?" Colson asked Aetos.

"The red soup." The vampire replied.

They ring the bell and the fairy waitress comes in to take their order before going back out. Once she was gone, Colson relaxes into his seat.

"Thank you for bringing me here." Colson said to Aetos.

"You deserve to be treated like the special gem you are." Aetos says, reaching out to take Colson's hand in his. Colson's small hand fit in perfectly in Aetos' big hand, his warm hard resting against the cold hand of the vampire. They were different in so many ways, yet, they fit perfectly in many different ways too.

"You're such a sweet talker."

Aetos huffs. "I only say the truth."

"I just hope I'm the only person you talk to like this." Colson pours a bit. Aetos smirked and leaned closer a bit.

"Why? Would that make you jealous?"

Colson huffs then rolled his eyes at Aetos. "As if." Colson looks awaybfrom he vampire, teeth worrying his bottom lip for a couple seconds before he spoke again. "Just... don't talk to other people like this."

"You are the only one I talk to like this. You bring out the poet in me."

This startles a laugh out of Colson who looks back at the vampire. "Poet, my ass."

Aetos simply winks in reply. And there was no better response to that than laughter. Colson doesn't think he had ever laughed this much, nor did he think he'd ever find someone who would make him laugh this much. He felt happy and content.

He gets up from his chair, their hands still somehow locked as settles on Aetos' lap, he finally let go of the vampire's hand and cuppedbhis cheeks instead, moving close enough that their nose brush. His heart was about to straight up beat out of his chest.

"You are kind of ridiculous." Colson whispers.

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Aetos' hands find their home on his waist and they held tight as he replies. "You like it anyway." He says and closes the distance between them. It started out soft, just the soft press of lips and no tongue, both of them moving slowly. Well, that was until Aetos' grip tightened and he pulls Colson more towards him, teeth nipping at his lush bottom lip, earning a gasp from the other man.

They kissed hard and deep, tongue meeting, tasting and taking. Colson was letting out these little sounds that were just going south. The kiss slows and they pull apart, panting and their lips swollen a bit.

They just stare at each other for a while, Colson's hands still on Aetos' face. Colson wondered how every kiss, every touch sent tingles down his body, every time he kissed Aetos felt like their first kiss, he wondered how long he was going to keep feeling like this. Pressed this close to Aetos with the vampire's hands grounding him, he felt safe and content.

They snapped out of their trance when the door was pushed open and their waitress walks back in, two trays of food floating beside her.

She stops and stared at them, her eyes comically wide. Colson just smirks at her as she places their plate of food on the table before going back out. He gives Aetos one small kiss to his cheek before getting up and moving back to his seat, snickering at the small pout on Aetos' lips.

"I... uh..." Aetos stops to clear his throat and Colson just grins. "Stop smiling like that."

"Like what?" Colson feigns innocence. He grabs his burger and took a bite, groaning when the rich flavor of the food burst on his tongue. He hadn't even known when he had closed his eyes but damn, this had to be the best burger he had ever eaten.

When he opens his eyes, he finds Aetos staring at him with a brow raised.

"Should I leave the room for you two?" The vampire asked as he points at the burger and Colson.

"Nah. I'd miss you a little bit." Colson said and Aetos just smiles. He has never met anyone who could just say what they had on the top of their tongue.

Colson watched as Aetos lifts the lid off his plate and grabs his spoon. Colson leaned over a bit so he could see the soup and he just pauses. It looked like tomato soup with bits of beef in it as well as diced vegetables but Colson knee better. He watched Aetos take one spoon, then another before asking.

"Is it good?" "Yeah it is."

They both eat, occasionally talking about something they saw on the internet somewhere. Aetos tells Colson his favorite tv show was The Golden Girls and Colson giggles, hand reaching up to rest on his mouth to keep back the sound bit Aetos still heard it anyway and it had to be the best sound he's ever heard.

Once Colson was done with his burger, he takes one large sip of his Mountain Dew before leaning back onto his seat, hand resting on his stomach.

"This was awesome."

"I'm glad you think so." Aetos says as he takes his final spoon of soup and then drinks water.

"The next date will be on me. I want to take you to somewhere you'd like." Colson said, looking at Aetos who was watching him. Today had felt like the best they, they had talked, they had laughed, they had shared little things about each other. "You're also a sweet talker, you know?"

"That is because I learnt front the best." Colson says, giving Aetos a mock bow. Everything felt so easy between them and it made Colson wonder. Was this normal? He hasn't gone on dates nor had he been in relationships, so he wasn't sure how this was meant to go or feel like it. All he knew was that he felt comfortable around Aetos and he liked it.

"Do you want to leave now?" The vampire asks.

"I'm not sure I can move. The burger took a toll on me." Colson replies, patting his tummy playfully.

"And here I was thinking you'd like some ice cream." Aetos tuts as he gets up from his seat. Colson doesn't hesitate to stand up. He could go for some ice cream. He follows Aetos out and waited as the vampire paid for their meals with his card. Once they were outside, Colson wraps his hands around Aetos' arm.

"I want an ice cream cone."

"What else?"

"Maybe with cookie dough, Oreo sprinkles or a salted caramel flavor." Colson sighs and moved closer to Aetos.

"Anything for you, baby."

They both walk down the streets, the worry about the black patches Colson noticed this morning pushed to the back of his mind as he talked to Aetos and argue about the worst ice cream flavors they've had. Both of them insanely happy.