Creek was ecstatic. The way his eyes lit up when he looked around Fred and Cal's garden was honestly worth all the work we had put into the decorations. Liza had baked a whole peacock cake. Abel had been in charge of the cupcakes, and they too had peacock feathers on them, courtesy of me at five am that same morning.

The whole garden was lit up by fairy lights and soft music was playing from speakers placed all over the yard.

"Hi! Welcome!" Creek almost squealed when they saw us step into the garden, me, Abel, and Tasha.

"Thanks," I said with a bit of a chuckle and gave my friend a hug. "Here, we've brought presents. Also, I brought Tasha. So be nice."

He barely had time to look up at Tasha as they rummaged through the gift bag, but they stopped when they realised who I had brought with me.

"Oh, hi! Welcome. So happy you could make it. Been itching to meet all of Gael's new friends." They held their hand out and Tasha hesitantly took it in hers and shook it.

"I got you something. Didn't feel right to show up at a birthday party without a present." Tasha handed Creek a small box and it looked like they wanted to just crumble into their smile.

"Oh, you absolutely didn't have to! I'm just happy you came! That's present enough."

"Fine, we'll take it back then," Abel said and was about the grab the box, but Creek snatched it out of his reach.

"I didn't say, I didn't want it. I just said it wasn't necessary but now that I've gotten it, I'm keeping it." They scowled at the vampire, but Abel was already over by the bar, getting a cocktail and talking to Cal.

Creek rolled his eyes and turned back towards us. "Enjoy. And don't let the Creek clan freak you out. They just really wanna be welcoming."

"Right," Tasha said with a bit of a nervous expression on her face. Edges of her mouth turned downwards, brows furrowed, and her hands fidgeting a little.

"You want a drink?" I asked and nodded towards the bar.

"Ehm, yeah. Why not." Tasha waited for me to show the way and then followed closely behind me. I made a mental note to not leave her alone unless she became comfortable enough for it. Right now though, she didn't seem comfortable at all.

"Tasha, this is Cal and Fred. They own the place," I said and motioned towards my friends.

"Hi! Welcome! Cocktails?" Fred asked with an entirely too pitchy voice. It cracked too. I sent her a look and she grimaced back.

"Uh yeah, sure." Tasha looked over the bottles lining the fence behind the bar, looking a little overwhelmed.

"Listen, I make really good... Rum and cokes," Cal said and pulled up a glass. "You'd think it's just mixing two drinks together, but there's so much more to it."

I think we all had the same thought: what the fuck is Cal on about?

She mixed the drink with a finessed flair I hadn't seen from the gentle giant before. Then she put it on the bar, in front of Tasha, and squeezed a slice of lime into to the glass, popping a straw in and slapped a towel over her shoulder.

Tasha hesitantly took the glass, wrapping her lips around the metal straw and then widened her eyes. "I've underestimated how to make rum and coke, it seems."

"The secret is coconut rum." Cal smirked and seemingly produced one out of thin air for me too.

I took a sip and yeah. She was right. She was good at making these. I never really demanded something complicated, so this drink didn't bother me.

I sipped happily on my drink, watching the different people who had showed up so far. Lots of Creek's family obviously and then a lot of Fred's family too. The two families had basically been the cornerstone of this whole community, and for a good while, they had been the whole community. It was getting better though. Cal's brothers had showed up with some nice gifts too. Like genuinely nice. They had found this shirt with peacock patterns on it with a matching cap too. Creek was dying over all the peacocks. It was definitely their newest obsession, and it was cute how everyone decided to just support that.

The party went on and at one point the older guests went home. We continued on with more drinks, more music and just more fun. Genuinely one of the most fun parties I had been to. Walking home with Abel's hand in mine was such a huge contrast to how I used to leave parties. It was sometimes with some nice boy's hand in mine, but it usually wasn't someone I had been with for almost a year. It usually wasn't with someone I loved.

Walking down the small streets I had come to know and love so well, I realised this was the life I had always dreamt of. Being in a place with people who loved me. A place I could properly call home. A place that was mine. It felt so incredibly satisfying. Especially as we walked up the small stony path to the front porch of my house. My little yellow house. Abel had the keys and opened the door for me, the kids greeting us at the door. Gary meowing loudly and Dave jumping up and down, whining as if we had left him for years and not just a few hours. We made our way to the bedroom, changing into our sleeping clothes and ending up in front of the bathroom mirror. I didn't know why he always joined me when I was brushing my teeth, considering he couldn't see his own reflection.

"Abel," I said with my mouth full of toothpaste, spitting it into the sink.

"Hm?" he muttered, toothbrush still in his mouth.

"Do you even need to brush your teeth? Can you get cavities?"

He snorted and spat. "Yeah, I can get cavities. Which is funny because you'd reckon my healing would kick in with my teeth, but I reckon it's same with my hair and nails. I can cut that, and it won't instantly grow back. It'll grow back in its own pace. I also had baby teeth that I lost before getting my grown-up teeth. Here's the kicker though," he said, taking a sip of water from his own personal glass with an axolotl on it, probably halting for dramatic effect. "If I lose one of my teeth now, a new will grow out. But they won't heal a cavity."

I couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Your body is a marvel, Abel."

"Oh, you're just saying that because I'm not wearing a shirt." He winked at me in that dorky way that also looked really hot.

"Maybe..." I said with a sly smirk in return. "But in all seriousness, I do like hearing about your body."
"Do you now," he murmured and grabbed the front of my t-shirt, pulling me close. "How about learning more about it?"

I let my hands slide down his ribs and down to his ass. "Sounds good," I whispered as he bent down and kissed me.