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Jasper smiled to himself as he waited in line in the food court; it was one of his rare nights off that he wasn’t spending at the club, and while he didn’t need to eat, not the kind of food offered in the food court, anyway, he enjoyed the splurge. Jasper smiled at the attendant as he put in his order for some sushi, and a bottle of coke. After paying, Jasper took his prize and idly made his way through the aisles, looking for a table to sit at when he smelled something. Something deliciously familiar.

Jasper paused, subtly sniffing the air as he turned, and finally spotted his quarry. A mischievous smile flittered over his lips, and Jasper made his way across the large eating area, dodging teenagers as he went to stealthily come up behind the young man, leaning in close to breathe in deeply, he smirked as he spoke. “Thought I smelt someone familiar,” he was still smirking as he stepped back, and then invited himself to join Moonlight, heedless of whether the young man was out with friends.

“Been a while,” Jasper said cheerfully, “I think I finally have the taste out of my mouth, though.” Smirking again, Jasper picked up one of his rolls of sushi – cucumber and avocado – and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully as he mulled over the last time he’d seen Moonlight, and all that had entailed. He’d been carefully keeping an eye out for Moonlight ever since, but hadn’t seen him, unfortunately. He was worried about Rafe getting upset with him, but the Master hadn’t spoken to him about it since. Jasper knew that he hadn’t forgotten, though.

Leaning back in his seat, Jasper finished up his first sushi roll, and licked his fingers, before wiping them on a napkin. “So, where’s your hot date?” he asked innocently, having noted that the young man was alone, and didn’t appear to be waiting for anyone.

Nocturne straightened in his chair as his back went rigid and a chill ran down his spine. He knew whoever had stepped up behind him was someone he didn’t want to mess with and the deep inhale of his scent a moment later confirmed it. They were in far too public an area for him to bolt or turn and fight and he hoped whomever it was behind him felt the same way. His Pops would never forgive him for starting a brawl in the mall’s food court.

Thankfully that voice was familiar enough to both relax Nocturne enough that he wouldn’t do something stupid but still keep his guard up. The baby vampire. Fucking winter and its shorter hours of daylight. He was about to give a snarky reply about buying the vampire a bottle of cologne for his birthday but he was already grabbing the other chair and inviting himself to stay. Typical. Can’t get an invite inside so they take what they can get. Other than being clueless about a lot of things, at least this one wasn’t too bad. But it still made Nocturne nervous and wonder if Rafe was finally making a play.

Nocturne quirked a brow at the question and gave a soft snort. He wasn’t going to fully rise to the bait but he still couldn’t let it go by without some sort of reply. “I see you’re flying solo as well. Oh, wait. You’re too young to fly at all.” He didn’t have an exact age but from what he remembered about the night at Indulge, Jasper most certainly wasn’t a master vampire and was willing to bet he was fresh out of vamp diapers.

His thoughts were still on what Jasper could want with him while all he had wanted was to finish his drink from Starbucks before leaving with his few bags of purchases to go home and take advantage of the empty studio since Lyric would still be out. Until he could learn more, Nocturne decided to keep up his usual manner and grinned as he reached for a sushi roll. “Thanks for the snack.”

“Not that one,” Jasper injected, swiftly picking the chosen sushi roll up before Moonlight could reach it. “Eat that one.” And he shoved the avocado roll towards the anti-mage. “This one is roast pork, which happens to be a favourite of mine.” At least he could taste it now, even if it wasn’t – and would never be – the same as when he was human. He enjoyed the process of eating food, though, and took a sip of his coke.

Picking up his roast pork sushi roll, Jasper took a bite of it before replying to Moonlight’s quip, chewing thoughtfully. “I might someday. Not that you’ll live long enough to see it.” Immortality was a strange concept, and one that still gave Jasper hot and cold flushes when he thought about it too much. He could barely imagine making it to fifty, never mind five-hundred! It was an overwhelming concept. But he couldn’t imagine how jarring it would be to be a mage that wouldn’t live to be hundreds of years old. That had to suck, so of course, Jasper poked at it, since they were exchanging jabs and all.

“I’ve learned a lot since we last met,” Jasper said casually, before taking another bite of his sushi roll. He set it down, and took a swig of coke, then set that down. “Lots of interesting things. How is it you didn’t know how you’d taste?” Jasper was genuinely curious, since it was something that Fig had known about, and that Jasper hadn’t had to dig too far to find in his studies. Of course, he had the library of a man over six hundred years old to dig through, and a hundred-and-fifty year old tutor. But still, he was curious.

While he wasn’t about to thank Jasper, Nocturne did appreciate the hand that saved from eating pork. He was mostly a vegetarian but did enjoy fish on occasion and even chicken when options were limited but pork and red meat were off the table. He had a friend in high school that knew of the nicknames he and Lyric had as Tigger and Piglet and would often tease him about that being the reason he didn’t eat pork. In truth, it was just the diet they grew up on thanks to their mom and Nocturne continued it after she left them.

The roll was delicious when he first popped it into his mouth but Jasper’s next words turned it to ash and he had trouble swallowing. He accepted a lot in life but realising he would age normally and possibly even die younger than the average human thanks to the way his body cycled magic was something he still hadn’t come to terms with. He never told anyone, but it was kind of why he had so many odd hobbies and tried his hand at everything he could and even the way he sometimes dove into the wild side—like going to a vampire club. He had to live his short life to the fullest. He knew there wasn’t time for regrets or moping around but the latter at least was hard not to do at times.

With a bit of effort, the sushi roll was swallowed and Nocturne took a drink of his chai latte. It gave him enough time to compose himself and try for his usual nonchalant vibe. “You’re right about that. I’m hoping for another thirty years but I’ll be happy with twenty.” It was true, too. He still didn’t like his short life expectancy but twenty years seemed like a good amount to ensure Lyric was strong enough to watch out for herself and have a good support system when he was no longer there to protect her.

“You probably already know that if, as you say, you’ve studied my condition,” Nocturne added with a slight shrug as if to say being a null wasn’t that big of deal and neither was dying. “You should know the answer to your question as well but, I’m rare and it’s not like we go around offering our veins to everyone. I imagine the ones that do get nibbled end up with a snapped neck out of punishment for daring to be misleading with the buffet advertisement so reports never made the rounds.” He did believe that idea but he also knew the guardians weren’t big on sharing secrets so some likely knew but didn’t need it getting out. They probably plotted to weaponize his blood somehow.

“So you’ve studied me in the broad sense but nothing specific?” It didn’t feel like Jasper knew anything personal about him but Nocturne knew he wasn’t the best reader of vampires and could be surprised any moment when his name, birthday, and address were recited back to him.

Jasper raised an eyebrow at Moonlight’s comment. In twenty years, he would be fifty, but still look like his twenty-something year old self. He’d always look twenty-nine, for the rest of eternity or until someone shoved a stake through his heart, whichever came first. Jasper grimaced slightly, but wasn’t really sure what to say to the young man across from him. He himself was still coming to terms with his elongated lifespan, his lack of ever aging, and all the other mojo that came with being a vampire. Like would he have to move around, or could he just compel the humans around him so he could stay forever? How long before his friends and family started to notice the fact that he hadn’t aged?

A soft laugh was wrangled free from Jasper at Moonlight’s comment, enjoying the young man’s way with words. “Something like that,” he said mildly, taking another swig of his coke and finishing his sushi roll, munching on it thoughtfully, studying Moonlight with frankness before smiling mischievously. “Why? Wanna exchange numbers?” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully, “I could study you up close,” His expression heated with his suggestion, a half-smile on his lips. That would make Rafe very happy with him, too, which was always a bonus. But aside from the fact that the kid tasted vile, he smelled divine and while Jasper had bed ‘more considerate lovers’ (as he’d said to Fig) he felt like Moonlight had a lot of promise. He wanted to tap into that.

It was only a matter of time before his Master had the information he desired about the anti-mage, and Jasper desperately wanted to be the one to bring that information to Rafe, to earn his Master’s praise and feel less like the lost fledgeling floundering and causing issues. Not that he thought Moonlight would make his job any easier, but flirting was fun, and maybe they could fuck in a changeroom. Jasper’s half smile grew into a wicked little smirk, looking up at Moonlight from under his lashes.

Nocturne laughed, his mood swinging back and away from the doom and gloom that had threatened to ruin his night. He gave his head a little shake and sipped his drink. “If I wanted your number, I would have left with it that night. Not to mention you already had your chance to study me up close.” He’d had a couple of chances if Nocturne recalled the night correctly. Honestly, from what he did remember, Nocturne was glad he got out alive and was able to keep his wits sharp and snark sharper. It did make him come to the conclusion that he didn’t want to be nibbled on again and that master vampires had an excellent private stock of liquor. He still had the bottle he’d taken when he left, doing his best to spread it out and savour a small drink when he wanted to be a fancy fuck again.

It wasn’t that he no longer found Jasper attractive but Nocturne hadn’t decided if he wanted to tango with a vampire again—especially one he didn’t know the motivation for. Not that vampires ever gave away their motivations and intentions but it was hard to tell if Jasper was being casual or was looking for a way to lure him into Rafe’s clutches again. His fingers played with the lid of his drink as he continued to stare at Jasper, taking his measure. He wasn’t worried about the vampire seeing his name on the cup since he not only continued to use his Tigger nickname but also always aligned the lid so his name was towards him.

“Anyway, I have my doubts about your self-control,” Nocturne decided to continue with the trading of jabs since that was safe and comfortable ground for him, even when the other person had the high possibility of destroying him in a blink of the eye. “I’d get you all hot and bothered again and you would give in to the need for more and bite me.” And then he’d be left in a sorry state and without a master vampire to come swooping in and fix everything this time. The baby vampire might not have training wheels anymore, but Nocturne suspected Jasper could still crash and burn on occasion.

Jasper rolled his eyes as he was laughed at, tapping a finger against the side of his nose with a slight smile. “Who says I don’t have your number already?” He was bluffing, but he also knew it wasn’t that hard to get his hands on numbers that weren’t wanted to be given. All he had to do was find the right person to compel when Mr. Moonlight wasn’t expecting it. Or, more likely, he would steal the other young man’s phone when he wasn’t expecting it. Jasper needed to exercise his speed and agility anyway.

“My self-control is exquisite.” Jasper said regally, shifting his head to look down his nose at Moonlight, sniffing at the insult. It wasn’t entirely a lie, so long as feeding wasn’t involved and honestly, Jasper was getting much better at it. He raised an eyebrow at Moonlight, though, and snorted at him. “You really have no idea how vile your blood is, do you?” Jasper asked lowly, easily heard by Moonlight but not the average bystander. “There is nothing you could do to get me that hot and bothered.” He assured him. “I would much rather starve.”

Jasper shrugged, and sat back in his seat, taking another swig of his coke with a placid expression. He probably would choke down Moonlight’s blood if it came between feeding or starving, but considering the number of people that existed, he wasn’t worried about being put in that position. Besides, he’d had sex plenty of times without drinking. Biting, but that was fun, even when his partner was another vamp. He didn’t need to drink just because he got a bit nippy!

Pulling out his phone, Jasper glanced at the time, before looking back at Moonlight. “Well, it’s been a delight, but I have things to do and places to be.” Not work, but that wasn’t the point. He was thirsty, and the talk of sex had him feeling that itch spiking up. Maybe he’d drop by the club after all, and pick up a meatbag for a feed and a fuck. “Here,” he said, reaching into his wallet and sliding a card across the table. “Call me.” It didn’t say much; his first name, and the Indulge logo with his cell number. Tossing Moonlight a wink, he picked up his stuff and turned to leave; home first, for a shower, and then the club.

Nocturne had a brief moment of satisfaction as he watched Jasper leave. The vampire had caved first and ran away. But that was just him trying to contort the facts to make himself feel better and he knew it. The truth was, Jasper had had control of the situation the entire time. From the moment he approached, Nocturne had been left trying to keep up. He had been put on his guard, even with relaxing a bit when he knew who was standing behind him, and it had left him not at his best.

And the way Jasper left? It was such a power move and Nocturne hated it and respected it in equal parts. The damned vampire had come in, rattled him, said what he wanted, put the ball in his court so to speak, and then left without giving him a chance to even give a snarky reply. He knew he could have said one anyway and Jasper would have still heard him but that would have given him even more power in the moment and Nocturne decided sitting in silence was the better option.

He picked up the card and rolled his eyes at it. There was no way Jasper expected him to actually call and it was tempting to rip up the card and prove him right. However, the idea to reach out and perhaps return the favour of being caught off guard was appealing. He’d have to get some prepaid phone or find one of the few pay phones left out in the wild to make the call. Nocturne wasn’t about to hand Jasper a way to track him down since he hoped the fledgling had been lying and he didn’t have any information on him. Still, Nocturne did add Jasper’s name and number to his phone after unlocking it with a fingerprint scan and passcode. Being affiliated with the Guardians did have some perks, he supposed.

He finished his drink, tossing out the cup a moment later as he headed for an exit. He was definitely done with being out in the public for the night and thought back to his original plan of going home and taking advantage of the empty studio since his sister would still be out. The idea had extra appeal now that he had some issues to work out. Aggression, frustration, maybe even attraction. Fucking vampires.