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Chance smiled to himself as he left his babysitters behind with the usual promise he would behave and his nightly glass of blood had sated him enough to be left alone with someone. Truthfully, Lyric had a way of making him hungry that he couldn’t quite explain and while he knew he should point that out to Marco and Ricky, he didn’t want to risk them freaking out and terminating the friendship. Lyric was special to him as not only his first friend outside of the Family but someone he genuinely looked forward to seeing.

Somehow they had managed to schedule a time where they could get together weekly—or near enough to it that it was still counted as a regular thing. Thanks to the time of year, Chance was able to rise and go out earlier which made making plans a lot easier. Lyric believed him when he said he worked nights and slept a vast portion of the day and while it was technically true, Chance still felt like he was always lying to the sweet young woman that called him friend.

The old Royal Cinema with the amazing architecture wasn’t just a staple of the downtown core that houses memories of the early days of the city—it also showed old movies that were deemed classics or even cult classics on its two screens. Once he had learned about it, Chance knew that was where he would spend his free time and may have made a sound similar to a squee of joy when Lyric said she’d love to check it out as well. So Tuesdays at seven in the evening were theirs to enjoy together. He bought the tickets and Lyric got the snacks, though they were mostly for her as Chance worried about his tolerance of food and only took a few kernels of popcorn or a sip of the large pop (from his own straw! Lyric loved jamming at least two into the lid every time).

This would be their first movie of the year and he hoped the tradition would continue as long as the sun allowed it to. Currently Lyric didn’t have any extra activities on that night but she was busy and popular so her schedule could change their plans long before the summer did. If they managed to keep it up, maybe they could see the later showing by then since Lyric wouldn’t have classes by that point. But that was in the future. For now, Chance headed inside to buy the tickets. They had made a promise to never look ahead to see what was playing, finding it fun to just show up and enjoy whatever was on at seven.

He was smiling again as he went back outside to wait, eyes sharp for the Jeep Lyric would be dropped off from. She had told him a few weeks ago that her brother had to finally admit it was too cold and the roads to slippery to risk taking his motorcycle out again. When it pulled up along the curb, Chance’s smile faltered and he gave Nocturne a little wave as the man gave him the usual glare. He was always so nervous when the big brother was around and it didn’t help that he had no idea what Nocturne thought about him. Sure, he had powers that would help with that but Chance was too young and too flustered to even attempt trying and was always left with a slight tremble until Nocturne left.

“Hi! Guess what’s on tonight?” Chance held the door to the building open for Lyric and followed her inside a moment later. With a flourish, he presented her ticket that showed ‘Dirty Dancing’ along the top. “Have you seen it? I saw it years ago but I was pretty sick at the time so I’m not sure how much I remember and how much was a part of a fever dream,” he laughed, the comfort of movies easing away some of his awkwardness he was normally drowning in.

Lyric beamed when her gaze finally found Chance, and she quickly unbuckled herself and promised Nocturne that she’d text him as soon as she was ready to be picked up. Lyric kissed her brother on the cheek with a giggle, and then climbed out of the jeep, waving cheerfully at Chance. Turning back to the car, Lyric pulled out her small backpack, and slung it over one shoulder. Inside was a flurry of chocolates, some gum, her phone, and her wallet. Lyric closed the car door with a click and a cheerful wave to Nocturne. Her attention was back on Chance before Nocturne had even put the car back into drive.

“Hi!” Lyric chirped, flashing a smile as the door was held open for her, and playfully snatched at the tickets so she could look at the title, letting out a soft ‘Ooh!’ as she read it. “Awesome! I’ve seen it before,” she said, after snorting in amusement at Chance’s comment. “Sometimes we get to watch dance movies at dance, but I bet its going to be so much better on the big screen compared to the little box of a tv they have!”

Handing the tickets back to Chance, Lyric got into line for snacks, and returned to his side shortly thereafter with an oversized box of popcorn, and a giant drink with its dual straws. A bright smile and a decided skip to her steps gave away how excited Lyric was for the movie, and the time she got to spend with her new friend. Entering the cinema room, the pair found their way to their seats, sitting towards the back and in the centre of the line. Lyric chittered happily as she settled into her seat, picking at her popcorn.

“Cinema popcorn is always so good!” she declared dramatically, giggling as she ate some more popcorn, and the previews started as the room went darker. “Ooh!” Lyric wriggled, and settled in to watch the movie, eyes bright.

The declaration of love for cinema popcorn wasn’t a new one but it still made Chance smile. Lyric’s eternal chipper attitude was contagious but in this case, he had to agree—even if it didn’t taste right at the moment. “I don’t think I told you that Gram got me my own popcorn machine like the ones out in the lobby years ago.” He knew he told her early on that he’d never been to the cinema before moving to Greenbrooke so he skipped that portion of the reasoning behind the gift. “She wanted to make movies even better for me since I loved them so much.” It probably didn’t hurt that he had pestered everyone in the manor relentlessly for three days about what it was like going to the movies and if it was really like what he saw on their TV.

Chance also left off the part where Rafe had granted permission to turn a portion of the basement level into a private theatre with three rows of six reclining seats. He didn’t always use it as gathering around the TV, sprawled on couches fit certain viewings, like doing a marathon of an old show. Still, Lyric didn’t need to know about that room as Chance already worried she viewed him as a spoiled brat.

Once the previews started, Chance fell silent. Even if they were just ads, he hated talking too much during them and treated them like the actual movie. That didn’t stop him from sometimes leaning over to share whisper an observation or remark on a scene that was truly spectacular in one way or another but for the most part, he stayed silent, falling into the world laid out before him.

When the movie ended, they stayed in their seats, letting the crowd go first. Since it was an old movie and the idea of putting extra scenes after the credits hadn’t taken off yet, there wasn’t a reason to wait but it also gave them a chance to express any dire thoughts about what they just saw. “So, good news—it wasn’t a fever dream and I remembered most of the movie,” Chance chuckled, though he was also relieved that he hadn’t made up what he thought the movie was about. “The last dance is still iconic and I promise I won’t ask to re-enact it once we head outside.” Even with his complete lack of dance experience and what he used to think of as his noodle arms, his vampire strength would at least be able to hold Lyric in that lift but he didn’t want to risk it all the same.

“Oh! Maybe Papa will get me one for me!” Lyric mused, excited by the prospect but disappointed that her birthday was so far away from that moment. A whole year away, nearly! Maybe she could buy her own if she saved up her allowance. She’d have to look into it! It would be wonderful to have popcorn on hand whenever she wanted without having to go to the cinema, and the microwave stuff just didn’t hit the spot the cinema stuff created!

“I think I love your gram,” Lyric grinned, mischievous but honest. Every time Chance told her something new about the woman, Lyric fell more in love. She was just such a wonderful woman and it didn’t occur to her that Chance might be overselling her. Grandparents were either awesome, or horrible. There wasn’t any room for in between in her experience and Chance seemed to really love his Gram! He had yet to say anything about the woman that would make Lyric feel any other way.

Lyric nibbled on some more popcorn as they waited for the cinema to empty so they could leave with ease, and less jostling. She still had nearly half the box full of popcorn to eat, and Lyric was not interested in someone knocking it from her salt and butter fingers. The drink was long gone, though. Chance’s comment caused Lyric to snort out a laugh, and then cough into her elbow. “Oh gosh!” she giggled. “That’s good!” The promise not to re-enact the dance caused her to burst into peals of laughter, and then Lyric stood up, and led the way out of the empty theatre.

“I think we could do it,” she said, picking up the conversation as they left the cinema, after she’d ducked into the bathroom to pee, of course. She reclaimed her popcorn with a thankful smile. “But I really like how they practise for it.” She waved her free hand absently. “In the lake. A lot easier on the body when you fall on your face!” Dance floors were hard, and Lyric had fallen face first on more than one occasion. Chance was kind of skinny, but Lyric had danced with more waifish guys, so she wasn’t worried about that.

Chance chuckled as he handed back the popcorn. He was used to her routine of heading straight to the bathroom as soon as they were in the lobby but didn’t mind waiting for her or holding anything handed to him. Sometimes he even snuck a few more bites, trying to savour the moment and find the pleasure it used to bring him before Lyric came back and could quiz him about any expressions he made. Of course other people were around but they could assume he simply didn’t like popcorn or it was stale.

“I was going to say that,” he replied with a smile as they fell onto the same wave length. “Since I’d be the one catching you and I have no experience, I think a softer landing for you would be needed.” He was faster and more coordinated now but with his young age, Chance still felt clumsy and knew he wasn’t entirely in control of his strength. What if he moved to catch her and hurt Lyric? He could squeeze too tightly when he caught her before hitting the ground and snap a limb or her spine. A shiver ran down his spine and Chance was thankful it was cold enough outside to pass it off as adjusting to the new temperature.

“Is your brother on his way or already here?” Chance scanned the parking lot when he didn’t see their Jeep along the curb waiting. Sometimes he was already there, other times he waited to be texted and they could hang out a bit longer. With the colder weather, it was harder to justify hanging out on the large rocks that Chance still hadn’t decided if that was an artistic decoration or a garden. “We can go get some fries if you’re still hungry,” he pointed at the fast food place next door, though he had a feeling Lyric would decline. She seemed strict for following her dancing diet and it was late on a school night. It was odd having to track that sort of thing now that he had a friend with a normal human life.

Lyric dug out her phone, and the screen lit up as she peered at it. “No word from him yet,” she said, not bothering to text her brother for the moment. She wasn’t ready to go home yet, and was glad Nocturne wasn’t already waiting for her. “Bit cold for it,” she giggled, going back to the topic of dancing and water. “We could go to the pool though,” she grinned playfully, looking up at Chance from under her lashes.

Lyric loved the water, and swimming was a fun pastime that she took part in during the summer months, and occasionally during the wintertime; swimming was an excellent way to keep fit, but more than that, it was fun, and she loved playing in the water with her friends. “I love swimming,” she said as she linked arms with Chance, and they headed in the direction of the fast food. Lyric wasn’t really hungry, but figured they could nibble on chips as an excuse to hang out longer.

A grin appeared on her face when Chance opened the door for her, and she slipped inside. Lyric lined up and ordered a medium fries when it was her turn, waited, and then glanced around to find Chance. She joined him, setting the fries between them in an open invitation. “When I was little, before mom left, we used to go camping by the lake in the summer.” Lyric smiled wistfully. She missed those days, but didn’t think about them often. She hated her mother for abandoning them all; most people who knew Lyric wouldn’t think she had the capacity to hate, but her mother was a special circumstance.

Chance smiled as Lyric joined him at their table and eyed the fries. This was always the downside to getting something to eat after the movie. Sometimes he could get away with not eating anything but if he did that every time, Lyric might become suspicious or at least put out. So this time was one of the ones where he grabbed a fry and nibbled on it, trying to recall what it tasted like when he was human. It was better to do that than ponder over whether the food item tasted odd because his buds were more attuned to blood now or if it was because his senses were too sharp and he was tasting every ingredient that made up the food.

“That sounds like it would be fun,” Chance commented, enjoying how it seemed to make Lyric happy to recall such memories. “We never did anything like that because of my health but one year my parents got us a tent and Dare and I spent a few days camping on the edge of the lawn where it met the forested area.” They were even allowed to have a campfire and cooked hot dogs and made s’mores! He told a couple of stories associated with that before asking Lyric for some of her own as he was genuinely curious. A part of his interest came from a desire to learn more about what a normal life was like—one that didn’t involve living with vampires or having health issues that ruined everything.

Near the end of one of her stories, Chance started to feel cramps, the tell-tale sign that he was reaching the point of hunger along with the delightful combined effect of sensation overload. He really had to stop suggesting eating after the movie until it was warm enough to eat outdoors once again. The smells of the theatre were always present but just like eating it, popcorn didn’t seem to bother him that much. But sitting in a burger joint was different. Meat and chicken constantly on the grill stirred his primal side, the side that grew increasingly hungry as the night wore on. And while his Gram always made him eat a variety of vegetables, onions had never been a favourite and their strong scent didn’t mingle well with the meat sizzling on the grill.

It also meant he was at the point where Lyric started to look and smell delicious and that always frightened him. Chance had no desire to feed from her and definitely never wanted to hurt her. Lyric had been kind to him from the moment they met yet it became a struggle to remember that when the hunger grew. Where was Nocturne when you really needed him? Chance didn’t want to suddenly rush out on Lyric nor did he want to leave her alone given the hour but how much longer did he have before he lost control? ”Marco? Ricky? I might need your help soon.”

Lyric enjoyed a new audience for her various tales, and he was such a good listener! Lyric enjoyed her time with Chance; he was fresh and interesting and different from her other friends, most of whom she went to school with. They walked in magical circles, mages and shifters. While she wouldn’t change her friends, such as Cody, for anything in the world, it was nice to talk to someone who she hadn’t spent all day with, all week.

Picking at the chips, Lyric looked up when Chance went quiet, and studied him for a few moments; he looked like he’d been taken by a thought train, and she smiled to herself as she looked away, eating another fry. She was interrupted when her phone buzzed, loudly roaring like a motorcycle. Lyric sighed, and picked it up, reading the text from Nocturne. He’d be there in a few minutes, and she knew he appreciated it when she was actively ready to be picked up when he arrived, rather than watching her finish up and linger while he watched.

“Noct will be here in a few minutes,” she said, pouting playfully as she glanced at Chance. He looked worried, which caused her to frown slightly, and she twirled a chip absently. Lyric looked up when the doors opened, and tilted her head, casting a mischievous glance at Chance. “Looks like your babysitters arrived before mine.” Not really giving him a chance to reply, Lyric stood up, and swooped in swiftly to place a light kiss on Chance’s cheek. “I’ll see you next week!” It wasn’t a question; she enjoyed their weekly dates, and he wasn’t going to be getting out of them any time soon.

Slipping out of the building, Lyric had time to put her gloves on before Nocturne pulled up, and she waved, making her way carefully across the cold parking lot to climb into the vehicle, chirping cheerful replies to her brother’s questions about her evening.

Just as Chance was thanking anyone who would listen that Nocturne was about to rescue them, Lyric pointed out Ricky and Marco. “I, uh,” words failed him as it felt like he was about to die all over again. What did Lyric know about him and his guardians? Did she just kiss him? Could vampires blush? Chance knew he still had blood in his body and imagined he could blush and swore his cool cheeks felt warmer than usual when he slowly lifted a hand and placed it over where the peck had happened. It was just a kiss to the cheek but it was the first one he’d been given by someone he wasn’t related to and he didn’t know what to do about that.

He tracked Lyric with his gaze as she left and bounded over to the vehicle and climbed in. Once they were pulling onto the road, he felt his guardians approach and slide into the vacant seats though he kept staring outside and held his cheek. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Chance tried to gather his thoughts. There couldn’t be any way Lyric knew he was a vampire simply because two strange men were often seen in the area, right? But what did she think? He never spoke of them but maybe she assumed they were friends who kept an eye on him since he had poor health and was still new to the city after a sheltered life? Was that better or worse?

For the first time in his life, he wasn’t being looked at with pity or being judged. He felt fit and healthy, though still out of his depths and a weak mess but it was still better than before. He didn’t like lying to Lyric but he’d never be allowed to tell her what he was even if she was a mage like Marco told him after their first meeting. He explained mages often smelled like a favourite sweet treat which explained a lot but Chance also knew not everyone liked vampires even if they were preternatural themselves.

“So I guess I tell her you’re my shadows in case I have an episode?” Chance sighed, still far too young to forget how to breathe and let go of silly human traits. Another cramp hit, though the desire to feed wasn’t as strong now that Lyric wasn’t two feet from him but he knew he had to go before it returned. He had practiced feeding from humans but he still mostly drank from a bag and Chance’s mind was whirling too much to make a clean bite and release his donor without injury or memory. Which was another reason why he had guardians but he didn’t want to be a failure that night. He just wanted to go home and think about the kiss and how best to explain the two vampires that were silently getting up, ready to escort him home.

Which movie was he currently living in, he wondered as they left the building.