[C] The Worst Idea to Date

Dick fiddled with the rings on his fingers.

This was probably the worst idea he ever had. And he had centuries of experience with bad ideas.

Well, it wasn't his idea. It was Fleck's. He should have expected it with the number of times he has gone around Fleck's house. It soon brought up questions such as "where do you live?" and "maybe I should come over some time?"

There was only so long he could avoid the conversation all together before it was started to look odd. When the conversation did come up he couldn't just not invite him.

He had texted Fleck the address. The old Nokia was beside him on the step. Just in case Fleck was telling him he was late. Or not coming all together.

He really hoped for the latter.

Unfortunately for Dick, Fleck wasn't calling in to cancel.

He was a little late but soon Fleck came walking up the dirt road leading towards the mansion.

He pitched a low whistle, beyond impressed at the sheer size of the building. It was massive!

Dick's shoulders sagged as he saw Fleck walk up the road.

This was a thing that was very much happening now.

With a sigh, he lifted himself up to meet Fleck half way.

"Hey."

He rested a hand on Fleck's forearm and gave him a peck on the lips.

"Hey." He cupped Dick's cheek and returned the kiss.

"Is your family rich or something? This house is massive."

And that was coming from a man that lived in a massive house himself. This place was a frigging palace, and his boyfriend lived here? Holy shit.

"To be honest I wouldn't call it a house."

It seemed kinda ridiculous to call the mansion that. With its sheer size.

"And, unfortunately, it is not mine. It is a friend's and I happen to live here... With a bunch of other people."

People being a bunch of supernatural creatures who could potentially kill Fleck. He was sure some would enjoy doing it.

"You live with friends?" Fleck seemed shocked to hear that.

Why didn't I know that?

They'd been dating for a fair amount of time now. How did he not know that he didn't live alone?

Dick snorted. He began to lead Fleck up towards the entrance. 

"I wouldn't call them friends."

Some he was very keen to wring their necks. Others he didn't even know other than their faces.

Really, he didn't know how to explain his living situation without it being weird.


Now he had to try.

"My friend - Giacinto - kind of lets people stay? Normally people who have nowhere to go."

"Like a homeless shelter?" he guessed, eyeing the large sprawling front yard.

It was beautiful. Like a massive old estate.

And his boyfriend actually lived her.

"Kind of?"

It seemed like the best way to put it.

He smiled at Fleck's awe. When you lived here, you soon got used to its size and charm. When you really stopped to look, it was breathtaking.

He tugged on Fleck's arm.

"Come on, I will show you my favourite room."

His favourite room was, coincidently, one of the least used room. He only ever saw people in there when there was a party. Normally, it would be collecting dust. Or it would if he wasn't constantly cleaning it.

He most definitely won't be mentioning the games room to Fleck. Or even move him in that direction.

"Not going to introduce me to anyone first?"

Or was this one of those 'lets see if we can avoid all signs of life' types of visits?

He definitely tried to play those with some of Dick's visits. His parents were good at wanting to steal away Dick's attention.

Dick shrugged.

"If Giacinto wants to meet you she will make herself known."

He didn't want Fleck meeting anyone else in the mansion. Sure, there were a few nice faces. But he wanted a very clear line between his world and Fleck's

He led Fleck through the hallway. As much as it pained him, he took his time. Allowing Fleck to look around.

"So you've known this Giacinto for a while?" he asked.

Yet he'd never mentioned her. He'd never mentioned living in a house like this, or living with friends. Dick had been pretty tight lipped about most of his private life, actually.

"Oh, sometimes it feels like we've known each other for centuries," a husky voice purred from behind the couple.

Fleck turned a look over his shoulder to see a vaguely familiar face. "Oh! You. You're-"

A wicked little smirk curled Giacinto's lips. "Well, well. I never thought I'd be seeing Chrysanthemum's brother outside of competitions." She licked her lips slowly. "You're the one that's ensnared my little Dickie's heart?"

It was like that Bloody Mary game. You say her name and she bloody appears.

He turned, the words "fuck off" on the tip oh his tongue. He held it. He promised Fleck that he will introduce him to her and here she was. Just a little earlier than he would have liked.

"Yes, a few years," he emphasised.

His furrowed eyebrows shot up in surprise at the look of recognition on Fleck's face, and the mention of Chrys' name.

"Wait, you already know each other?"

"Ignicio and I financially backed Chrysanthemum at the beginning of his ice skating career," Giacinto explained as she prowled forwards. "When Ignicio returned to Spain, I took it upon myself to back him alone. I attend his competitions, and naturally, so does his family."

By this point she was very close to Fleck, eyeing him with her hooded red gaze. Her gaze was focused mostly on his neck. "Not even a scratch. Does he feed from other places?"

Her eyes trailed purposefully down to his thighs.

"Feed?" Fleck repeated, confused and a little uncomfortable with the obvious eye-fucking.

"I see."

The frown returned. He didn't exactly want his name being thrown around Fleck either.

He clasped Fleck's hand as her eyes wondered. He could kill her for even bringing feeding up.

"She is just being gross," he replied, hoping that will imply other things.

"I'll never understand your aversion to feeding. What's a little blood to a vampire?"

Fleck blinked slowly. "Vampire?" That had to be the strangest expression he'd ever heard. Who talked about Vampires unless they were Twilight-obsessed nowadays?

That question had Giainto blinking. "Oh, he hasn't told you? Well, now he's got a lot of explaining to do." She shrugged, holding both palms up. Totally not her problem.

"I'll check in later. Bye bye Dickie-bird. See you around, Hank."

If he could do it before he most definitely could kill her now.

Then he could kiss Fleck for his look of perplexion. Hopefully, he will just think she is some oddball. 

Then back to killing Giacinto again. He mouthed "I fucking hate you," to her as she spoke.

"I would rather you didn't," he then called out to her as she left.

That meeting went as terribly as he thought. Giacinto turns up, create a mess, then leaves him trying to clean it up. It was the first time he wished it was literal. 

He turned his attention back to Fleck, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Please ignore everything she said."

Giacinto just laughed as she disappeared down the hallway.

"Right," Fleck murmured.

Forget everything she said.

That would be- "Sorry, why do you have a lot of explaining to do? I don't get it."

He opened his mouth. Then closed it again. What the fuck was he going to say?

He was caught again between not wanting to lie to him, but also not telling him the truth. Again.

In hindsight, He should have just laughed it off. Telling him to forget everything just added to the oddness of it all. 

He began to roll his ring around his little finger with his thumb.

"Honestly, she just likes to mess with me. There is nothing to worry about."

His eyes dropped when Dick began messing around with his right.

"Yeah, I would have believed that if you hadn't started messing around with your ring."

Fleck had picked up on that nervous twitch very quickly, and things were never good in Dick's head when he started playing with it.

"What's wrong? Is she trying to kink-shame a weird vampire fetish or something?"

He formed stopped to form his hand into a ball.

Well, shit.

He couldn't help but let out a strained laugh. In a way, it was close to the truth.

"No."

He scrapped his mind for anything that he could give for an answer. Anything. Yet he found nothing. Other than telling the truth.

His shoulders sagged.

Fleck gave a crooked smile. "Great. I was worried there. I mean, the bitings great, obviously, but I couldn't do the whole gothic gloom thing that comes with vampire fetishes. I couldn't see you as a goth."

He gave a light laugh.

He was trying to make light of the situation to stop Dick from worrying so much.

His shoulders shook as he let out a small laugh of his own.

Fleck was joking. He may be able to wriggle his way out of this one yet.

"I promise you, there is none of that." He waved his hand. Well the vampire thing, maybe. But he was a real vampire, not a human with some weird fetish. 

Why the hell would someone wanted to pretend they were one, he didn't understand.

"Also, I think I would make a fantastic goth."

"If there's none of that, what're you so worried for?"

Dick had almost looked like he was going to have a panic attack at one point.

He snorted. "Not so much."

He squeezed Fleck's hand.

"I just worry."

For a completely valid reason this time round. 

He gently nudged Fleck side.

"In all honesty, I can't exactly imagine you in a suit."