There were mysteries in the world that would never be solved, like whether or not Duke Damon Hellfire's mother was really Queen Basterina 'the Fallen' Rahman or not, or the timeline of Fright Nights At Teddy's, or if the ship that crashed in New Mexico was actually in Area 51, or what the Hell happened in the final episode of Lost, but if there was one thing Draco needed to know, was if Alex felt the same way as he did.
"I knew you'd be out here when I didn't see you by my side," Alex said, crossing the empty street. Draco was sitting on a bench at the foot of Clyde and Jeyk Hill's roundabout fountain across the street from the hotel, right next to a lamppost, thinking about the fragility of life.
"I needed some air," Draco said.
"But we only got here ten minutes ago and you, Draquito, don't even breathe."
"Yeah, yeah. But I'm also doing a favour for a stranger," Draco said, pointing to a yellow motorbike parked next to the bench he was sitting on. "A blonde girl asked me to look after her motorbike while she went to visit Jade at the hotel."
"Jade?"
"Ajam. She said she knows Jade from college and I told her she was staying with Evie in Room 310-A. I actually saw her at the club last night."
"A blonde girl who knows Jade from college? Surely it was Brooke, Zedrick's girlfriend. But, I mean, she left you in charge of this beauty?! Wow! This is a Ducati Panigale V4 R! That's racing, baby!" Alex whistled, "Anyway. Zeth just called me on the phone. He's on his way, he's already finished his weird ritual."
"How is Paul's mum?" Draco asked as Alex sat next to him on this stone bench.
"She's better now. Zeth told me that Paul is taking his mum for a check-up, but obviously it's over now," Alex said. "Paul and his mother are moving to Lyonfort too. And there's more. Zeth asked Paul to call the Fifth Octave guys. Anus Openhole and his slaves are on their way here."
"And what will happen to Paul and his contract?"
"No idea." Alex snorted, "I don't know what Zeth is planning but, I don't like it. I think Paul is not so fragile now so, if there is a legal confrontation, he won't break."
Draco just nodded but couldn't think of anything else to say. There wasn't much more he could offer at the moment.
Now that they were actually sitting, it felt awkward.
"I've thought a lot about the fragility of life," Draco whispered. "About enjoying life without fears, and I've decided to face my own in order to be happy."
"You don't need to face your fears," Alex said immediately. "You're immortal. You have time to figure things out."
"No, I know what I want. And I want to face my fears bravely." Draco looked up to get lost in Alex's golden eyes, and Alex's smile transformed his whole face into one big, brilliant sun, lighting up a world that had been in darkness for far too long for Draco. The vampire wanted to hold onto this memory forever.
"Hey. At the club you told me about a guy you love, so..." Alex rubbed the back of his neck. "Is that what you wanna talk about?"
Draco nodded, his heart pounding. It took all his strength not to lean forward and kiss Alex right there. Instead, he settled for looking at him intently, hoping he would understand everything he needed to say.
"It's hard to keep secrets, huh?" Alex laughed nervously, "I mean, you are never sure if it's right or not but, I don't know."
"Do you have a secret too?" Draco asked, his sweet eyes shining.
"I mean, there's a reason I proposed the poly relationship. This love I feel, it's not very discreet but I've always disguised it as friendship, I guess," Alex whispered with a nervous laugh.
They sat in silence for a while after that. Draco's heart raced, adrenaline rushed through him. He didn't know whether to hug Alex or ask him why he wouldn't tell his crush. But Alex was conflicted, and the silence grew heavier as it stretched longer.
Draco didn't even realise he was shaking until Alex put an arm around his shoulders.
Alex leaned against him and sighed.
"Are you going to tell me? I mean, your secret?" Draco played dumb.
"Well, I think it's time to let it out if my chest," Alex said. "I don't want to tell anyone yet, but it's important to do so at some point for the sake of the poly relationship, and since you are my best friend, I want you to know it before anyone else."
"Oh," Draco's heart was beating fast again.
Alex liked Draco, and maybe Draco could be good enough for Alex. He wanted to love him, make him happy, and let him feel comfortable with himself. If Draco told him what he really wanted, then they could go from being friends to dating.
A relationship with Alex would make Draco happier than he had ever been before. It would give him a reason to live freely, and he couldn't wait to start.
He had waited so many years for someone to finally notice him.
He had always thought that he was destined to be alone, that he would never find someone who liked him for him and not for being in a boyband.
Draco was completely sure now: Alex felt the same way as he did.
"Are you going to tell me who you love, Draquito?" Alex asked, and Draco realised that he had been sitting there silently for several minutes. "It's alright if you don't..."
"I do. I really want to tell you. I love someone madly," he admitted. Draco was largely afraid that Alex would react violently, with his typical Lycan fury.
Alex sometimes reminded Draco of Duke Sigmundo Alfaro, a man with a very bad temper and little patience who wanted to convince Duke Vinsane Hill of The Madlands and Duke Anton O'Pry of New Shacklesack to declare war on the Von Strokers, Nosferatts and Rubinsteins for having supported King Anuber Rahman during the Clash of the Rahmans. Obviously the dukes flatly refused. It wasn't that Sigmundo wanted to avenge Queen for a Day Elizekhmet Rahman, rather it was a personal revenge for the death of his uncle Elyas Alfaro.
"Hey! You got lost again," Alex said, waving his hand in front of Draco.
"I'm going to tell you, but don't be mad," Draco whispered.
"Do it then!" Alex grinned, looking a little brighter than usual.
"Yeah," Draco lowered his gaze. They weren't supposed to keep secrets from each other anyway. They had promised they wouldn't, but Draco was starting to wonder where that rule ended. "But how about you tell me your secret first, Alex?"
"Of course," Alex agreed. "But you have to promise not to say anything, not until the poly relationship is official."
"Tell me your secret!" Draco insisted.
The idea of being the man Alex liked made him excited, anxious, scared, and nervous...
"Yeah... You first," Alex laughed.
Draco felt the warmth in his chest grow as he watched Alex's face turn redder by the second. He was blushing, but that was fine. It meant he was interested. He was interested in Draco!
After a few seconds, Alex spoke, and he sounded breathless.
"I'll take a guess if you don't tell me," Alex put a finger to his chin. "I still think you like Zeth! You have known him for thousands of years and have always been close!"
"Gross! He is like my brother! Ew! No! What if we just say out secrets at the same time?" Draco suggested, and Alex nodded.
"On the count of three," Alex said, holding up three fingers. "One..." Draco went cold inside, and Alex was grinning at him in such a way that the vampire began to tremble. "Two..." he continued, moving closer. The world around Draco went silent, like an echo, his vision went black and there was only him and the wolf in infinity, with nothing else existing around them, "Three!"
"I love you, Alex!" Draco shouted with his eyes closed.
"When we were in Vegas..." Alex said, but his smile faded. "What?!"
The world around Draco spun, the blood boiling in his veins freezing.
It was the same feeling he felt when he saw someone die. He could taste copper in his mouth, and tears threatened to stream down his face.
"Ãmi pare rÄu!" Draco covered his mouth quickly with wide eyes. "I shouldn't have said that." He turned his head away and got up, but Alex grabbed his wrist, pulling it towards him.
"You're not going to run away now, Von Stroker," Alex said, his golden eyes full of fury, his breathing heavy.
That look of hate was the same one he gave the vampire when they were in college.
"Let go of me," Draco yanked his hand away and tried to escape, but Alex stood up and blocked him.
"Tell me you were joking," Alex sounded like a soldier giving orders. Or a teacher telling his student to write essays. Something terrifying and unforgiving.
"Alex, please," Draco huffed. His entire face felt hot, burning with shame, anger, and frustration. "We, we, we can pretend you didn't hear that!"
"I heard you," Alex snapped, and Draco's knees shook, but he forced himself to remain standing. "Why would you do that? Why would you say that?"
"Because I like you! I love you, Alex!"
"No you don't!" Alex yelled, "It must be my pheromones or something! You don't love me! You don't love me, you never have... Fuck, Draco! I'm straight! I can't reciprocate and I can't... Fuck!" Alex muttered, sticking out his claws and growling.
"But..." Draco's heart broke upon staring at Alex's face. He had seen it before, he could recognise the expression anywhere. Alex was angry, sad, and beyond gone. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Alex! It was just a joke!"
"Just a joke? Just a joke?! You don't joke about that! Don't you know that this can ruin our friendship?! My pheromones have ruined everything! You don't love me but, you know something? I think it's better if you and I... Argh! Forget it!" Alex roared, and then headed for the hotel. "I'm going to the bar for a drink. I need to talk to a bartender or something."
"Alex," Draco's eyes were glassy, his mouth threatening to let out a cry.
Alex looked at him from across the street, but then avoided his gaze and entered the hotel.
"Am I venomous or just very unlucky?" Draco whispered a part of 'Pit Full Of Vipers' with a lump in his throat, clenching his fists and sobbing, barely able to continue. "My heart is full of dirty liars... Pit full of vipers... Loving and detaching... I shed my skin often," Draco then collapsed to his knees, and the first tear fell to the asphalt right between his knees.
Then the sound of a car and its door slamming shut made Draco look up.
"What the fuck just happened?" Zeth asked, crossing the street quickly while his chauffer took his car to the underground parking, "Why are you crying?" Zeth knelt down next to Draco, giving him a big hug.
"It's nothing," Draco said, wiping a tear with his forearm, "I'm fine, I think. I... It's nothing."
"You sure?" Zeth asked, and Draco nodded with a somewhat fake smile. "Draco, did something happen with Alfaro? I saw him running to the hotel as I was turning the corner in my car." Zeth helped the vampire to his feet.
"Everything's okay," Draco lied. He knew well that if he told what had happened, Alex would get in trouble and Zeth would probably kick him out of the band, "Where's Paul? Alex told me everything went well."
"He is going to hospital with his mum for a check-up," Zeth said, "I know people, so they will check Mrs. Gheist asap. Then he will join us here. But are you okay?"
"Seriously, I'm fine," Draco lied again with another fake smile, "I don't want to get Alex in trouble, okay? Let's leave it at that."
"Fine. Let's go to the suite then," Zeth said, turning to see the yellow motorcycle parked next to the bench. "Wow! That Ducati is a beauty!"