I love this fic so much and I can only hope it doesn't die off. It doesn't have as many reads as my other things, I know vampires aren't for everyone and that's why I'm having to have you guys sticking with me on this.
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Frank had been surrounded by vampires once before. A dinner table, all chairs occupied by vampires and their victims, all sadistic in their own way with the exception of the gentle vampire at his side- his vampire, the only one whose human wasn't seated next to him as an appetizer before the main course. He felt terror filling him to the brim watching them feed, wondering if his neck was next to be punctured, before he was swept away from the scene. Nothing could erase it from his memory, but stepping away from the picture of macabre and violence could ease the trauma left inside his head.

He was being surround once more, but not by the smirking fanged creatures he'd seen underground the mansion in Jersey. These vampires were of a kinder coven, gentle expressions set on their angelic faces as they wearily filled the room after Mina had called out for them to join her and her one vampire companion in the room. The room was filled with three couches, red velvet fabric stretched over the cushions with gold, braided material stitched to the cases covering the pillows. A fire crackled warmly in the room, the smell of burning firewood as soothing as the sight of the glistening embers, filling Frank with warmth he hadn't discovered he needed until his body rippled with a chilled shiver.

Frank sat on one of the sofas, perched anxiously on the edge, and Gerard sat close beside him with a slight protective inclination towards him. The sides of their thighs pressed together and it distracted Frank far too much. He cut his attention away from their legs and looked at the vampires standing around the room, some sinking down on the cushions with a grace immortalized into their kind. There were nine others besides Mina and the woman beside her who seemed to be her closest friend, sitting close to her as she observed Frank and Gerard. Her gaze was intense, but not unnerving, for she wasn't making a meal out of Frank in her imagination.

"My dearest friends," Mina spoke up to capture everyone's attention. "I would appreciate it immensely if you'd welcome our newest additions, Gerard and his human, Frank." She smiled warmly, her hand gracefully gesturing to the pair. "They've come a long way to find us. Imprisoned by Lindsey, it seems."

A quiet murmur swept around the room, shared distaste at the mention of her name. It made Frank smile smugly, but only briefly. Gerard caught his eyes when his lips curled up and Frank could see that his vampire held back a smile of his own.

"I have met you once, vampire. Does she still rule the underground of New Jersey?" One of the vampires in the room spoke up. Her hair, so light that it almost appeared white in the glow of the fire, was barely a shade darker than her pale white skin.

"She does, and the vampires she created are also strung along beside her," Gerard informed the woman he recognized. "We rose again to feed recently. However, the tradition of peace of broken, and the fault was all my own."

"Lindsey has inflicted cruelties upon this vampire and his human," Mina nodded once to the vampires gazing at her questionably. "We must protect them from her wrath. I know, as well as you, Nadine, Nicolas, Laila, and Marius, what evil lives in that woman. She may be running in our veins, but her darkness will keep us away from following her in footsteps."

Frank wondered which of the vampires in the room owned the four names she spoke out loud, the ones who were created from the hands of Lindsey. His eyes ran over each of them quickly, his gaze being met from the sharp and quick senses of the vampires in the room, and his face flushed.

"What has she done to make you flee from her?" The woman beside Mina asked the pair sitting on the couch. Her wild red curls spilled over her milky shoulders, the sleeves of her pearl colored dress falling down her arms in layers of frilled lace. She was beautiful, perhaps the most lovely out of all of them, and Frank was fascinated by the silk of her voice.

"She seeks to kill my human as a penalty for his knowledge of vampires, also serving as my punishment for letting a mortal know of our kind for so long without ending his life." Gerard looked down at Frank, warmth in his eyes. "My dearest companion is innocent. Lindsey sent one of her puppets out to slaughter his best friend when she discovered he'd given her word about me. In return, she gave him a shirt stained with his friend's blood, confirming her death."

Murder. Frank wanted to correct him, but he was choked up, dropping his gaze into his lap. Nothing would ever sting as horribly as the mention of Jamia's murder.

"Gods above," The redhead breathed, sharing a glance with the man standing beside her. She clasped his hand tight, clinging as if she may lose him. "Losing a loved one in such a manner is one of the most grueling pains in the world. We mourn her loss as well, young human."

Frank glanced up in surprise, seeing sympathy coming from a kind he learned to fear. The redhead's eyes glistened solemnly as she rose from her seat, crossing over to Frank, offering her hand to him.

"My name is Aura Lanister." She greeted him softly as he hesitantly reached out to take her hand, shaking it softly. "Lindsey forced me to slaughter my own lover when she created me long ago. She urged me to feed, reached into the madness of my thirst, and persuaded me to drain him until there was nothing left."

Frank's chest ached, the thought of loss causing a swell of agony to rush into him at full speed. "I'm so sorry."

Aura smiled softly, sad and sweet, and perched herself on the armrest of the sofa beside him.

"Tell us your full story, how Frank came to discover you." A dark haired man came over to stand beside Aura, the man whose hand she had grasped moments ago, and carded his fingers through her flaming red locks in an act of tenderness. Frank's chest filled with hollowness watching them exchange a romantic look, unknowing of the reasons why.

"Frank was a young child when I met him," Gerard began, digging into his memory as the vampires settled at last and let all tension melt away. "I was scouring the city to feed late at night, and somehow, Frank was alone, wandering the alleyways where I took one of my victims. A rogue vampire driven mad by thirst aimed to attack the poor boy. I couldn't let such innocence be killed in a violent way. I tore the vampire to shreds, assuring the boy's safety, and brought him back home."

"Rogue vampires are nothing short of the scum of the vampire race." The pale blonde woman who spoke once before spoke up as she curled into her seat.

"That they are," Gerard nodded slowly, returning to his train of thought. "My brother knew of my doings, and he told Lindsey of the child I had saved. Under her demand, I was instructed to find and kill Frank despite years passing by. I couldn't bring myself to do it, not when something about him seemed so horribly innocent and familiar. I murdered another, letting Lindsey believed it was his life I took . . ."

Gerard continued to tell the tale in full detail, describing the horrors and the revelations made during his time with Frank. Frank zoned out of the conversation, deciding that living through it was horrible enough. He could see in the shifting of expressions in the ones surrounding him that these vampires carried humanity in them still, despite falling victim to a species that was far from the human race. He thought how wrong he was to think that all vampires were the same sadistic beings that only saw mortals as flesh and blood to feed upon. Gerard couldn't possibly be the only vampire left with a grip on the goodness of his art, acting out of purity even if it caused such a mess. The only thing they could do was keep themselves hidden away from the evil eyes of Lindsey seeking to inflict the worst of pain on them without tools of violence piercing into their skin. Frank feared every second that she would discover their hiding place, that he would be ripped away from Gerard.

Gerard's story and the tale of which Frank's blood shared his true love's cells and scent was told to the vampires willing to listen, each one of them tipped forward with deep intrigue at the complex connection keeping Gerard drawn to Frank. He worried often that his blood was the only reason why Gerard refused to live without him, that his vampire closed his eyes and pretended Charlotte was at his arm instead of Frank, the human coming from her line of blood that the vampire once fell in love with. Frank felt gratitude for being kept safe from a man risking everything for him, but the subconscious doubt lingering in his head had him faltering, wondering if he continued to live for the right reasons.

Frank believed Aura sensed his distressful concern. He met her eyes once while the story of his blood was being told, struggling to keep the frown away from his lips. She smiled subtly down at him, shaking her head, as if she was reassuring him that Charlotte's scent imbedded in his veins was not the single reason why Gerard kept him by his side. He quite liked Aura, her red curls and gentle smile, connecting with Frank's pain at a comforting level as she had years to grieve and find another lover. She was a reassurance to him, letting him know that his wounds would seal on their own, patience was all it took.

At the end of the night, Mina stood from her seat when a period of silence fell over the vampires. Her gown glistened in the fire slowly dying in the room, hair falling across her shoulders like a draping curtain of silk. It reminded Frank of the consistency of Gerard's midnight hair.

"My sweet friends, I trust that you and I will keep Gerard and Frank safe and in the hands of hospitality." Mina glanced around the circle of vampires. "Many of you know how it feels to be in great need of escaping a person capable of taking away all you care for."

They nodded, some of the vampires reaching out for each other and clinging to their sides, others standing close as Frank remained close to his vampire. He raised his eyes and met Gerard's eyes, watching the vampire smile at him in relief, but Frank couldn't find it in himself to smile back when so many worries and lingering pain tainted the single shred of happiness buried deep under the dark layers of his haunted memories. Gerard's eyes twinkled with concern, but he spoke no longer, and Mina rose her voice again.

"I would like to welcome you properly to our family." Mina smiled at the pair, gesturing to the vampires who went without introduction. "These are Nadine, Elora, Nicolas, Laila, Raveena, Alexander, and Marius." One of her gesturing hands moved to the man standing beside Aura-- Marius, her mate, it seemed. The pale blonde woman was Laila, the set of twins with hair as black of Gerard's being Raveena and Alexander, two a pair of brunettes with an olive touch to their pale skin -- Elora, and Nicolas. Frank was overwhelmed by the beauty he drank in with his tired, burning eyes, blinking away to clear his vision as they practically glowed with the quality of their flawless skin and enchanting eyes gazing at him with interest.

"It's a honor to meet you all, and I am very thankful of you all opening your home to Frank and I," Gerard paused, glancing down at Frank who was too exhausted to speak or move another limb to express his gratitude beside Gerard's. "But I do ask if we may retire for the night. My human needs rest, all of the events taking place seemed to have taken a grand toll on him."

"Of course." Mina nodded, a movement of her hand letting the vampires in the room know they were allowed to disperse. They disappeared one by one in flashes of color, eventually leaking out of the room until it was only Frank and Gerard with Mina. Aura lingered for a moment, touching Frank's hand softly.

"I wish to speak with you soon, human. Sleep well." She whispered to him, fading into a streak of red and white as she sped towards her own bedroom to possibly meet with her lover.

"I suppose you want separate chambers?" Mina asked them, briefly hesitating.

Frank blushed, hidden behind Gerard. The vampire quietly agreed to her question, tucking Frank into his side and leading him behind Mina who rhythmically walked towards the steps and the separate wings of the mansion holding rows of bedrooms for them to occupy.

Frank's room was chosen first. The room was darkened by the curtains keeping the moonlight out, but the dark wooden floors still glistened from the light of the halls seeping in, also covering the wide bed centered against the wall and the deep colored blankets spread over the mattress. The rugs on the ground were threaded with intricate designs of red and black, rolling across the patch of ground at the foot of the bed and both of the sides. A tall vanity table sat at the corner of the room, thin glass framed with thick dark wood carved to fit around the rounded shape of the mirror. A trunk, possibly made to hold clothes, sat pressed against one of the walls, and Frank was pleased to see this room also had a fireplace prepared for warming flames to fill it. They stepped inside with the bags Gerard had grabbed from the foot of the stairs, leaving them by the door.

"I expect that you will sleep just fine here, Frank. You live in luxury just as the rest of us." Mina smiled kindly at him, pulling the thick black curtains over the windows to let in the pale moonlight, giving him a view of the glittering night sky and the tree outside the paned glass with curved branches dripping with glistening drops of rain.

"Thank you." Frank meekly spoke, hoping he didn't seem rude with his subtle weariness of vampires lingering in his blood on instinct. Mina smiled, as if she understood, and softly touched his shoulder with her elegant hand.

"Gerard will be just across from your room for easy access." Mina consoled him, ghosting over to Gerard who stood at the doorway. "That said, the room here is yours, Gerard. I didn't think either of your would want to be so far apart in a house you've never stayed in before." She pointed to the door across from Frank's. Gliding over the space of the hallway between them, she twisted the handle and opened the door, gesturing for Gerard to follow her.

While they set up, Frank wandered over to the window in the room. He saw his own reflection in the glass, messy hair and dropping lids over exhausted, lifeless eyes. He could have counted as a corpse if he wasn't still breathing, darting his tongue out over his lips to wet and rid them of their dryness. He felt like the life had been drained out of him, and if he compared the way he lived now to the normal life he had back home only weeks ago, the difference would have been comical if he had any mind or energy to force a laugh out of himself. Frank felt his fair share of depression throughout his life, but nothing could compare to the still emptiness of this.

When Gerard returned, Mina retired to her own chambers, leaving the vampire alone with Frank. Frank had already been changed into his sleeping clothes, bare feet padding over the wooden floor to get to the fireplace prepared with wood and a lighter upon the shelf nailed above it.

"Let me." Gerard told him softly, taking the lighter from Frank's shaking hands. Frank let him, watching him open the small gate concealing the pit and reaching in with his hand to touch the flaming tip of the lighter to the wood. It caught fire quickly, crackling loudly at first, until it calmed down and became a steady pit of flames.

Frank sat at the side of his bed, watching the fire come alive. The orange glow bled over Frank's skin, draining the rest of his color, versus the way it filled Gerard's white skin with vibrancy. The vampire slid onto the bed beside him, legs hanging off the edge. Neither one of them said anything for a while, the silence breaking moments later.

"She won't find us here." Gerard told him. Attempting to soothe the worries going through Frank's head.

"Even if she does, you say these vampires will protect us." Frank cleared his throat to rid of the thickness rasping in his voice. "But how can you trust them so easily? I like them, they seem kind. But how can we rely on them without giving a second thought?"

"I have thought this through." Gerard said. "If these vampires thirsted for blood and betrayal, they would have stayed with Lindsey instead of running from her. Vampires sense the good and the evil in one another, and nothing but kindness radiates off of Mina and her clan. They will keep you safe here, I can promise you as much."

Frank couldn't fight with the senses coming along with the breed of vampires. He couldn't deny anything he didn't understand, making vampires more and more unique to him as the time passed, but he was weary to break through his fear of them. He only trusted one vampire, the one beside him.

"I keep having nightmares." Frank whispered. "Nightmares of blood and death and the place where your coven is staying. I don't dream of other people dying, I keep seeing myself getting killed."

Gerard turned to him with gentle concern. His lips parted slightly while he thought of words to say. "You know I will do everything in my ability to keep you alive."

Frank shook his head, tingles breaking out over the back of his skull. "I . . . I don't dream of other vampires killing me. I dream of--I dream of you killing me."

Gerard fell into shocked silence. Frank hated saying it, realizing it sounded like he was afraid of Gerard being the death of him. He fleetingly feared that Gerard would kill him only once, the time where he went for his throat, but it wasn't done without hesitation, humanity making him tear away from him.

"I would never hurt you." Gerard sounded wounded. He rose to his feet, looking Frank in the eye. "I couldn't ever dream of killing you, Frank, I . . . "

"I know." Frank swallowed hard, guilty for stinging Gerard with his confession. "But these dreams take a turn from something that isn't cruel. I . . . I can't tell you exactly what that means, but I can tell you that the only reason why these nightmares keep happening is because I don't want to be like Charlotte."

Gerard flinched slightly, painful and lasting only a second. His eyes begged Frank to explain and the vampire took one step closer. Frank released his gaze from the grip of Gerard's, his chest hurting dully.

"We aren't in love with each other, but we have a strong connection that obviously keeps us from staying away. Now that I know who I really am to you and after everything's happened, I can only see it going in one direction. You'll end up killing me just like you had to kill her." He was haunted, haunted by the paintings of nightmares he couldn't forget. Joining Gerard in a kiss that lead to the vampire bedding him, being soaked in blood before either one of them had a chance to breathe. It seemed so far fetched, knowing they would never kiss, let alone escalate to sex, but the possibility of being killed after hitting a dead end was the most realistic ending for the two of them. As much as Frank hated to say it, he knew Gerard would end up having to live without him at some point.

"You aren't Charlotte." Gerard reminded him. Frank thought it was humorous for Gerard to say that when he so often felt like Gerard looked into Charlotte's blood instead of Frank's eyes when their gazes locked. "I brought us here so you wouldn't end up like her. I'll remind you of that as many times as I need to."

"You need to be reminded of it, too, Gerard." Frank's eyes unexpectedly filled with tears, and he wasn't sure why this stung him so badly. "I don't want you to look for her when you look at me. I want to be here because you see your best friend when your eyes are looking at mine. Not because I'm the last piece of Charlotte that you have left."

Gerard's lips opened and shut, and he was also stunned by the pain exhibited in Frank's tears. Frank wanted to stop crying, his tears burned his tired eyes and he was sick of being weak, so fragile, so human. He wanted to know why it hurt when he wondered if Charlotte was the only reason why Gerard even bothered to look at him with warm, caring eyes, why he risked it all to protect him. He could console Frank all he wanted, but the truth would always be buried deep within.

"You are my greatest companion." Gerard whispered to him. He came forward, touching Frank's hand lightly to gain his attention. "I sense her in your veins, smell her, but you overtake your own body, and your scent has become its own as well as your mind that I've come to care about."

Frank looked up at him with watery eyes, clinging to Gerard's eyes. His vampire smiled at him sweetly, fangs barely making an appearance in the careful and practiced way he tucked his lips over them.

"She was my lover, and you are my human. I still see the child I met fourteen years ago in your eyes, and I will do anything to protect him, along with the grown version of you." Gerard touched Frank's chin lightly, affectionately.

Frank didn't know how to respond. He was done with words, so he replied with actions. He swung his arms around Gerard's waist and hugged him tightly, his heart swelling in his chest with deep gratitude. He lost Jamia, his freedom, but he had Gerard to assure him that he still lived and breathed, he hadn't been knocked over by the blow of loss as he thought he might have.

Gerard stroked his hair lightly, feeling Frank shudder against him. His head rested on Gerard's chest, hearing a curious heartbeat inside, and he realized Gerard still partially functioned like a human. It made him feel closer to his vampire, oddly. The heartbeat strongly beating in Gerard's chest stopped his crying instantly.

"Rest now." Gerard pulled away from Frank, eyes swimming with warmth. "In the morning, we can acquaint ourselves better with our new friends. I know Aura has taken a friendly liking to you."

Frank nodded and wiped the tears that went cold on his cheeks away. Gerard was turning to walk away and somehow, it made Frank panic.

"Don't go." Frank blurted out. He blushed deeply as Gerard turned around questioningly, arching one perfect eyebrow at him.

Frank pulled the thick comforter away from the top of the bed slowly, peeling it back as he moved to slide underneath it. "Can . . . can you stay? I don't want to be alone." He was beginning to grow dependent on the presence of his vampire. It would have been negative if Gerard's heart was rotten, but he was the only shred of goodness left in Frank's life. He needed to nourish it if Gerard would be the only light he saw for the years that came.

Gerard hesitated. Frank wondered what he was thinking as it was so clear the vampire was contemplating in his spot. Frank slid under the covers, feeling how truly mentally and physically exhausted he was the moment his back glided over one of the plump pillows smelling of clean cotton and faintly of cherries.

Gerard decided he would stay. He walked around the side of the bed, toeing his shoes off, careful with the way he moved as he kneeled on the bed and settled beside Frank. He slid over the covers, not climbing inside of them, and laid back against one of the pillows with his hands folded across his stomach. Frank got comfortable in the nest of warm blankets and pillows, turning onto his side and looking at Gerard with sleepy, half open eyes. Gerard gazed back at him for a long moment, eyes a swirling olive green with dancing pupils, Frank could have sworn the specks of brown in them floated around the ring of his irises like snow falling over a sweet landscape of grass.

"I care for you so deeply, my human." Gerard whispered, but Frank was already gone, blackness falling around him as he lost all consciousness to sleep.

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A/N; I'm actually making a dying animal noise, building up relationships slowly like this fills me with so much happiness and pain that it makes me slowly die.

How are you liking this so far? There's so many OC's in this book, oh my god, I'm proud of myself for actually taking notes about every single one so I won't mention a name and completely forget about them.

Hey, also, my new smut challenge is up and running now if you guys want to give that a shot, hopefully it stays up this time.

Hope you're enjoying this as much as I am!

"You were meant for this love, you're my flesh and blood."

-aprilxo

Also, spoof, here's Mina and Aura :')