Vampire Boyfriend: Pidge (special preview)

September 1986

There’s a chill in the air as I leave the bar. I smell like cigarette smoke and bad beer. It had been a raucous night, and I was ready to get home, get a shower, wash that bar smell off me, and collapse into bed. It was still dark out, and at a cross walk I had two choices. I could go home, or I could go to Raul’s apartment. I’d been spending a lot of time there anyways, but I didn’t want to impose upon them. Still, I couldn’t deny my search for comfort was stronger than my need for home.

The door was unlocked, so I let myself into the building. Three flights up and I came across Pidge sitting in the stairwell. 

“What are you doing here?” He sounds exhausted, even beaten.

“I was about to ask you the same thing. You look rough.” I sit down beside him, noticing him nursing on what looks like a juice pouch. 

“So do you.” He leans against my shoulder. “Looking for Raul?”

I shake my head. “My feet brought me here. I don’t know who I’m looking for.”

Pidge nuzzles to my neck and breathes deep.

He tickles and I giggle. “I’m exhausted, Pidge, and I could really use a shower.”

“Just sniffing the cork. So to speak.” He squeezes off the bag and red stains his teeth. “I’ll get you that shower.”

Pidge takes hold of my hand and we go up together and, to my surprise, the apartment is quiet. Usually, there is some sort of noise going on.

“Raul is at work, so is Gabby. Amon is in his room.” Pidge goes with me into the bathroom. The shower is tricky, so he gets it started for me.

“Why not join me?” I offer. “Like the old days?”

Pidge looks me over. “How’d you know I didn’t want to be alone?”

“Drinking black blood in the stairwell? Pretty big tip off.” I strip off my top and bra. Pidge’s eyes linger before he stands.

“What makes you think it’s black?” He asks.

Black blood was blood sold under the radar. There were several variations of it, including blood taken from people who had just taken drugs so the vampires could experience a ‘contact high’. 

“I know you, Pidge.”

He scoffs, stripping away his clothes. I come up behind him, touching his bare back. Pidge flinches but doesn’t move away. “Are you okay?” I ask him.

“I just need a shower, Lucy.” His deep red eyes focus on me and the pupil is very dilated.

I step into the shower, rinsing my hair off as Pidge stands behind me. “Any plans today?” I ask.

“Not really. No work from the garage is coming in at the moment. So I’m just kicking the can.” Pidge scoffs and rolls his neck. “You?”

I turn around as I reach for the shampoo. “I have a session with Raul this evening at the clinic.”

Pidge’s eyes slowly look me over. “Just stay here then. I’ll walk you over.”

“I’ll take you up on that.” I look at Pidge, he certainly has put on more muscle than when I knew him. Pidge was always self conscious about his body, but I never understood the reason why until that first night after I had moved. Pidge was staying with me for the time being, and we were talking while in bed. Talking led to kissing, kissing led to touching, and Pidge confided in me his secret. Pidge was Trans.