Cliche

Once Gavin and Aspen had established that they were going to take another stab at friendship, things went well.

Gavin was obviously looking for companionship and he used Aspen as the perfect excuse to go out and do things that the albino was positive he wouldn't have if he were alone.

None of it was too strange, and it seemed like Gavin really liked to go out and explore the city. Aspen was happy to be his guide and show him the in and outs Chicago had to offer, including the many nightclubs.

"Do you go dancing often?" Gavin inquired one night as he and Aspen approached a club, the music holding a jazzy tone.

Aspen shrugged, taking a second to fix his shirt. Clubs were too hot to stay covered up in, especially in summer. He chose to go short sleeved for this endeavour. "I used to, when I was in college. I was a party hound, I guess you could say."

The vampire smiled, nudging his shorter friend as they stood in line. "Frats?"

Aspen puffed. "No. My brother."

Gavin laughed, amused by Aspen and his reaponse. The vampire had grown to like his new friend quite a lot. Aspen wasn't nearly as prickly as everyone else thought. Sure, he was grouchy sometimes, but so far he hadn't done anything that Gavin couldn't forgive.

They waited to get in, the line .oving relatively fast. Soon enough they were stepping foot into the bar and we're swallowed up by the sultry crowd and it's unique following.

Aspen had figured out that Gavin wasn't really much for the types of bars he usually frequented, which were loud and, more than not, drug fueled. He had been trying to steer towards more appropriate places, and the Blue Bull was just the spot.

It was a swanky space and seemed pretty upbeat without being obnoxious or distasteful. Gavin seemed to like it so far so Aspen gave himself a pat on the back for his good work.

"What first?" Gavin asked, making Aspen peer up. The vampire's eyes were lit up like Christmas, trying to take everything in.

"Shots," was Aspen's reply.

He disappeared into the crowd, towards the bar.

______

A few shots and some good music later, Gavin and Aspen were dancing on the dance floor.  Aspen found that he preferred a little buzz before he let his moves out. Not that he was bad or anything, cause he certainly wasnt. It did, however, take a lot of courage to join a crowd of "normals" when you were blanche white with red eyes.

He swayed with the beat, Gavin in front of him. He was doing his own little thing, but Aspen would give him props. He didn't dance back. He was just a tiny bit awkward.

Aspen looked up a little further, finding Gavin was a bit preoccupied. He was glancing to somewhere over his head, and, after a quick glance himself to find out what, Aspen discovered wit was a gaggle of girls who's eyes screamed predator.

Hm. Seemed he was about to be the odd one out.

Oh well.

Aspen kept dancing, waiting for Gavin to drift off towards his lady admirers. He kind of blanked out, the music catching his attention, but he came back to when he felt someone brush up very close to him.

"We're about to be sandwhiched."

Huh?

Aspen blinked, realizing it was Gavin talking, and he barely had a second to comprehend before he was being smooshed from behind.

It was one of the girls. Apparently she had decided she was tired of waiting for Gavin to make a move himself and had come to crash the party. Aspen's eyes got big as she grinded on him for a second, then pushed him out of the way with her shoulder and a slick side step.

"Hey sexy. Wanna dance?"

Aspen righted himself, apologizing to whomever it was he had run into when he had been shoved, and watched at the claws came out, Gavin's admirer going in for the kill.

Well, that hadn't been how he thought it would happen.

He smoothed his hair again, feeling a little awkward at his displacement. Guess he was going back to the bar. Gavin was probably going to spend the rest of the evening with her.

He moved to walk away, slightly disappointed, but didn't get very far.

A hand had grabbed his wrist before he could fully walked away and he glanced behind him just as Gavin dismissed his intruder.

"Can't you see I'm here with my friend?" the vampire said, gesturing to Aspen. The girl looked caught off guard, mouth slightly open and eyebrows raised. "You rudely interrupted. If I had wanted to talk to you, I would've approached. But I didnt, so please take your little girl games somewhere else."

It was Aspen's turn to gawk, the girl pursing her lips and stomping away shortly after. Gavin waited until she had fully left before he turned back to Aspen and offered an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that. Can we continue?"

As he picked back up from where he left off, as though nothing had happened, Aspen had a take a second to comprehend what had just happened.

"Did you just...?"

"Do what?"

"Reject her." Aspen looked at Gavin, clearly confused. "I thought for sure you were gonna, like, talk to her or something." He scratched his head.

Gavin snorted. "Not in the least. I don't have time for petty things like that. She just wanted to prove to her friends she was queen bee or something." He rolled his eyes.

Aspen nodded, slowly. "Wow... um. Ok."

Gavin nodded. "Besides," he started. "I came here to spend time with you."

________


"And then he, like, basically told her to fuck off and when I asked why he said it was because he had come there to spend time with me." Aspen relayed to his brother, the shock of the party from the day prior still fresh in his memory.

The two twins were on their balcony, their apartment one of the nice ones that could afford to give each unit their out outdoor space. It was good for when they wanted to eat out doors, or, more commonly, smoke.

Dante took a drag of his cigarette, his blonde hair and normal skin a stark contrast to his pale brother. It was hard to believe that they were indeed twins, but they weren't trying to impress anyone.

"I don't know bro. Sounds gay to me." Dante mused, exhaling through his nose. The smoke curled around in the air briefly before it was blown away by a light breeze.

Aspen nudged him."I told you he's not like that. He's straight, just a little weird."

Dante snorted. "Gay."

Aspen rolled his eyes, putting his cigarette to his lips and taking a drag as well. His brother was a bit of a duntz sometimes. It aggravated him on his bad days.

Dante puffed on his square a few more times before he was nudging his twin in turn, questioning. "So, does that mean you like him or something?" He asked. "Cause the way you've been talking about him makes me think you are."

The albino frowned. "You're fucking stupid."

"What?" Dante defended. "You don't talk about anyone as much as you do this Gavin dude. Are you sure you don't like him?"

"No! Why would you say that? Just cause I think he's nice, and kinda hot, and well... different... it doesn't mean I like him."

Dante smirked and waggled his eyebrows.

"Hot huh?"

Aspen growled, glaring at his sibling. "Trust me, if there is a prize for rotten judgement, I've already won that. No man is worth the aggravation." He shook his head, turning away. "That's ancient history. Been there, done that."

Dante cackled. He put a hand on Aspen's shoulder, leaning in. "Come on. Who do you think you're kidding? He's probably earth and heaven to you. Why, ever since Vienne, you haven't said that about anyone. I can see right through you."

"No chance, no way." Aspen said, puffing angrily on his cigarette. "I'm not going to say it. No. No!"

"You're swooning. Sighing!"

"It's too cliché. I won't say I'm in love!"

Aspen refused to grant his brother any eye contact, face flaming. Did he really like Gavin like that? No, he couldnt. He didn't feel that way about anyone. Vienne had ruined him. He lost the ability to love when that bastard had taken his heart out and stomped on it.

Yet, there was a tickling inside, somewhere, that made him nervous.

I thought my heart had learned its lesson. It feels so good when you start out... But I know better. My head is telling me to get a grip, boy, unless you're dying to cry your heart out...

He scowled as his brother nudged him, not dropping the subject.

"You can keep on denying, but I'm not gonna buy it. Just own up that you've got it bad." Dante mused, smiling like a shark. Aspen shrugged him off.

"No chance, no way. I won't say it. No!"

Dante cackled, not getting his brothers distress. "Give up!" he mocked pleaded. "Give in!"

Aspen balled his hands into fists, face hot with embarrasment and fear that Dante might be right. He felt... different when they talked about Gavin, and when he spent time with the vampire it was almost surreal.

He didn't want to feel this way, and he most certainly didn't want to admit it to Dante. Besides, whenever he felt like this it never ended well. He just couldn't be in love. It just wasn't possible.

"This scene won't play." he barked, his voice indicating he was in for no more nonsense. He turned on Dante and flashed him a death glare, ready to tear him to pieces. "I won't say I'm in love, now get off my case!"

Aspen raised his voice, the anger he struggled with nowadays coming out and setting down the law. Dante blinked as the mood suddenly shifted and he realized that he may have overstepped a boundary.

Aspen looked furious and all at once he felt terrible. He knew better. He knew that somwthing like this wasnt something he was suppose to poke fun at. He hadnt meant to make his twin so upset.

"Hey... it's okay." he said, putting his hands up in a sign of surrender, his brother pratically shaking with rage. "I Was just kidding..."

"Well it's not funny!" Aspen snapped. "You know it's not!"

Dante nodded, not saying anything more as Aspen turned away from him, too upset to bear looking at him.

"I'm sorry..."

"Whatever."

Aspen took the last drag his cigarette had to offer before stomping it out and re-entering the apartment. He didn't even look over his shoulder as he made his way to his room, slamming the door shut and leaving Dante to feel bad by himself.