Dracula Cosplay

She had met him in his bar a few weeks ago and then in a dark alleyway a few days later. The day she had forgotten the switchblade she kept inside her boot by mistake when leaving for work. The older gentleman had stopped her from being mugged while she was leaving work. Nyx was so shaken up by the whole ordeal that he had walked her a few blocks up the road past her job to his bar/club, Blood and Bourbon. Oddly, she felt safe and comfortable around him that evening. That same night, they just sat in his bar and talked over a cherry pie and non-alcoholic drinks. From that moment on, every chance they got, Zane would meet her at Neon Pie, the diner where she worked, and walk her to his bar, or walk her home. On the nights when they ended up at Blood and Bourbon, she would sit at the bar and chat with him while he worked.

For some reason, she felt drawn to him; strangely, he occupied her mind, even when she didn't want him to. The pair shared the same feelings toward one another, it was as if their souls knew each other. Like they knew each other in another life. 

Tonight was another one of those nights. Zane had picked her up from the diner, and now the two sat at his bar across from each other, laughing. Trying so hard to ignore the buzzing romantic energy flowing between them. Nyx leans on the bar with a smirk.

"So, Zane, quick question. Does the whole 'cold and mysterious' bartender routine work for you? Or is it just a front for an inevitable mid-life crisis you're having at 400 years old?"

Zane says, "Not sure what you're talking about. I'm in my prime.:"

Without looking up, mixing a drink, He flicks his wrist, and the glass he's shaking almost falls, but he catches it effortlessly.

She raises an eyebrow, nearly leaning over the bar.

 "Yeah, sure. If I prime you mean 'I haven't smiled since the Renaissance,'" she joked. After spending so much time with Zane, she believed him to be an old soul. The man talked like he LARPed on the weekends like he was born in the Victorian era or older.

Zane rolled his eyes at her and continued to wipe down the bar, but her curiosity had already been piqued. She started to wonder if there was more to this man than meets the eye because, for some reason, tonight, something felt weird. Zane held his breath slightly as she cleaned. He was frustrated at the fact that she kept questioning and guessing correctly. Zane felt like she knew or remembered, which would work in his favor.

Nyx has been frequenting the bar for months she's just now noticing how unusually cold the air feels around him. But to be fair, she's not wearing her normal long-sleeved shirts or sweatshirts. She's wearing her colorful diner uniform.

"Okay, hold up. Am I the only one getting Arctic air around you, or is the AC in here broken? Because I'm wearing two sweaters, and it's like you've got your subzero temperature thing going on."

Zane barely reacts, still focusing on his work. He turns to her, his usual calm exterior in place.

"I'm just… Hot all the time so I keep it chilly he hind the bar." Zane says dryly

He takes a sip from his glass, and she watches as his fangs flash briefly, too quick for most people to catch, but not quick enough for Nyx, who's already a little suspicious.

Nyx's Eyes begin to narrow as she notices the strange details and begins to put the pieces together. She holds her finger up to him, shaking it ever so slightly.

"Wait! Hold up. You've been, like, a total weirdo from day one, right? But now… you're telling me you're… cold? Your teeth or Fangs just flashed like in the Twilight movies, and your hand—like, are you secretly part ice cube or something? What is this, some sort of Dracula cosplay?"

Zane's face tightens, and for the first time, he looks a little uncomfortable. He avoids her gaze, trying to stay calm.

"It's called being stoic. I don't need to explain myself to anyone, especially not you." He attempts to deflect, unable to meet her gaze. 

Zane swallows dryly, his frustration growing into disbelief and sadness. Nyx didn't remember, she was just making stupid guesses and assumptions that were proving to be true. He goes to reach for another bottle of bourbon, but it slips from his hand, narrowly missing Nyx's glass. She catches it mid-air, completely unfazed.

Nyx stares at him, holding up the bottle with a raised eyebrow.

"Stoic? Sure, buddy. And I'm a reformed pirate. Look! I'm not saying you're Ted Bundy, but there's a lot of… weird stuff happening around you. Also, you never really drink or eat. You keep your alcohol in your fridge like a hoarder but never touch it. You get moody when the sun's up. Seriously, how old are you, anyway? If you tell me you're 500 years old, I'm out." She joked with a serious tone.

Zane finally looks at her, his eyes briefly glowing red in the dim light of the bar. He's not trying to hide it anymore.

"You want an explanation? Fine. Yes, I'm… not human. But not in the way you think. No garlic, no wooden stakes. I do drink blood, which are those bottles of alcohol you swear I'm hoarding. Just for the love of what's holy, don't ask me about the sunlight thing." He murmurs through gritted teeth.

Nyx leans back, stunned but, of course, not too shocked. It's been a weird week already. She puts the bottle down and looks at Zane with a raised eyebrow.

Her eyes grow big with realization and sheer excitement.

"Wait! Wait! Wait, are you a vampire? You, Mr., 'I'm too cool for sunlight' with the fangs and the blood cravings? What, don't tell me you sparkle in the daylight, too? Do you mind reading? Do you see people's futures? And, like, what about the whole 'can't look at yourself in mirrors' thing, or is that a myth? Do you drink out of a goblet like Dracula? Or are you a badass like Blade? Kicking ass and taking names, like the night you saved me"

Zane shakes his head, trying to remain calm, though irritated.:

"No, I don't sparkle. Yes, I can see myself in mirrors. I don't see the future or mind-read per se. I don't drink by blood like Dracula. No goblet. And before you ask, I don't drink blood out of wine glasses, either. Nor do I need to sleep in a coffin. Sometimes, I do a warm mug, preferably the SpongeBob one you gave me, And I sleep on a California King. But geez, you have an imagination. I'm not a movie vampire, Nyx."

He runs a hand through his hair in frustration.

Nyx snickers behind her hand.

"So, you're telling me you're just an average, brooding guy with fangs and a 'dark past?" If I knew this was a vampire bar, I would've brought my emotional baggage and trauma to match the vibe."

She pauses and glances around, then leans in closer, lowering her voice as though sharing a big secret. "Hey, tell me something. If I break out some garlic bread and ravioli, is that a dealbreaker for you?"

Zane stares at her, expressionless.

Zane rolls his eyes. "Garlic bread? Really? Especially when you look like you let toddlers rub cotton candy and highlighter fluid all over you. Please relax, take a chill pill or something."

"Just trying to keep it casual, you know? I'm a snack kinda girl. Please talk to me, nice." She grins brightly, batting her eyelashes. Her cuteness made him yearn for her more. It had to be her.

There's a long pause as Zane's lips twitch, betraying the tiniest flicker of a smile.

Zane grumbled at her, tossing her a bag of her favorite snack from behind the counter, "You're impossible. But yeah, I'm a vampire. And you're going to have to start accepting that you've been hanging out with an immortal bloodsucker."

Nyx slaps her hand on the bar in realization.

"Well, at least now it all makes sense! First of all, the name of the bar! Blood and Bourbon just thought it was a freaky, kinky thing or something. I knew you were acting like you were too good for everyone, but I didn't know it was because you were immortal. So, what's next, Zane? Are you going to ask me to join your army of the undead and take over the world with you? Should I just keep getting used to you talking like you were here before the first iPhone existed? Also, why can't I ask you what the sun does to you?"

"Honestly?" he chuckles.

" I've been trying to avoid world domination for a few hundred years now. But I am long overdue for some new clothes. So, maybe you can take me shopping? I hear these 'mortal jeans' are all the rage." Zane says with a shy smile.

Nyx smirks and mocks him. "Vampires in skinny jeans... honestly, that's a bit too much to handle. But fine."

"I'll help you avoid the whole 'human blood' craving if you promise to wear something other than Grey, Brown, and black. Especially the black. Like, maybe try a style that doesn't scream I haven't updated my wardrobe since Grease. Stop deflecting and tell me what's with the sun." She smiles, looking Zane up and down, motioning to his current wardrobe. Zane was wearing black pants and a black knit Henley, with black boots.

"First, I've been wearing similar styles for centuries, and I'm still alive. I think it's working. Secondly, don't laugh."

"Yeah, but maybe it's time for a lifestyle change. Besides, you look like you belong in a 2000s emo band. I love the music, but a girl can only handle so much tragic backstory and dark eyeliner. I'll try my hardest not to"

"It makes me itchy," he whispers lowly, trailing off.

She busts out laughing knocking over her drink onto the ground, "bitch what? Itchy!" she yells before she bends to pick up the broken glass.

"Leave it, Nyx. Yes, itchy," Zane says with a lisp, trying to usher her hands out of the way of the glass. The scent of blood fills the air, and Zane's eyes glow redder instead of their normal gray. She notices his fangs showing slightly through his plump and parted lips. Frantically, Nyx stuffs her cut finger in her mouth. "Nyx, I wouldn't dare," he says as his fangs retract into his mouth and his irises become his normal pretty grey. "It's no biggie, look," she says, showing him her finger. She laughs, "Don't eat me, itchy."

Zane lets out a sigh of irritation. He grabbed a nearby towel and the first aid kit. "I shouldn't have said anything," he says, sitting on a bar stool next to her. He began cleaning her wound and wrapping it in a bandage. He could smell her blood; it smelt sweeter than a normal human with a hint of something else. There was a scent he smelled that triggered a sense of nostalgia for him. From her behavior alone, he knew it was her, but her smell confirmed it for him. 

Nyx leaned into him as he cleaned and bandaged her up. Despite his cool skin, it felt amazing. Her mouth watered as his natural musk filled her senses. " Your secret is safe with me," she whispered, leaning up to kiss his cheek. Zane had turned his head to look into her eyes at the same time, causing their lips to touch. It was just a sweet little kiss, but it caused the dog to have a huge reaction. Zane felt like he was alive and on fire, whilst Nyx felt butterflies and a strange wave of deja vu. 

And right when they needed the distraction, Zane's phone buzzed. Nyx's cab had arrived right on time as it did almost every night.

Nyx, still in disbelief but amused, gets up to leave promptly, thanking Zane as she rushes out the front door, forgetting about her spilled drink. Her mind was preoccupied with what had just transpired and what she had just learned, but she desperately tried not to let it freak her out.

She rode in science, wrapped in her thoughts. Soon, the cab was pulling up to her Apartment. She thanked the driver and wandered into her space, her mind still contemplating. 

She knows Zane isn't the average guy, and now she has the perfect material for her next sarcastic comment. But, deep down, a small part of her feels a strange pull—partly because of the mystery and partly because, even with all the weirdness, Zane's still the hottest thing she's ever seen and still the most breathtaking being she's ever met. 

She sighed heavily, sending Zane a 'home safe, goodnight Bill' before removing her shoes and clothes and getting ready for bed.

Back at Blood and Bourbon, Zane wandered up to his loft as soon as Nyx had gotten into his driver's car, confused and intrigued about the day's events. Promptly warming some blood in his mug and grabbing the codex from his safe. Zane sat at his desk, mug in one hand and The Bloodstone Codex in the other. He desperately wanted to figure out if the legend was true and if Nyx could be her. He knew it was but had to be a hundred percent certain. Right on cue, his phone buzzed. Nyx had sent him a message. It read, 'Home safe, goodnight Bill.' Zane chuckled loudly, knowing what vampire-related piece of pop culture she was alluding to before replying with a simple 'goodnight, Sookie'.

Zane smiled as he dove back into his research. Three more mugs of blood, two phone calls to the elders, a text to his right hand, Jax, and a sunrise later, he still wasn't satisfied. He needed to know.