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The little boy ran through the field, holding a stick up as if it were a sword and laughing. The tall grass was whipping him in the face, and he didn’t seem to notice or mind as he ran towards the copse of trees ahead of him, anxious to get up into the tree house his grandfather built.
As he burst through the edge of the grass into the clearing around the trees, he saw two men bent over a cow, mouths latched over the veins in its neck, drinking it dry.
He watched in silent horror as they finished their meal, then wiped their mouths on some handkerchiefs. He swallowed loudly, and cleared his throat.
“You guys aren’t stayin’ in my treehouse, are ya? Grandpa wouldn’t like that.”
The two vampires whipped around to stare at him. “How long have you been there?” one of them asked.
“Are you stayin’ in my treehouse or not?” The boy put his hands on his hips, trying to be brave.
The other vampire chuckled and shook his head. “No, we’re not staying in your treehouse. We’ve got a cabin in the woods, over there.” He pointed into the trees.
“That’s still Grandpa’s land.” The boy stood on his tiptoes. “That’s my grandpa’s brand on that cow. He’s gonna be mad when I tell him that vampires are on his land eatin’ his stuff.”
“What if we agreed we wouldn’t hunt the cows anymore?” The first vampire was flexing his hands. “We’ll just hunt the deer and the wolves and stuff, and leave the cows alone?”
The boy gasped. “Oh, like guards or somethin’? That’d be cool.”
The second vampire crept closer. “Maybe it should be our secret. You don’t tell Grandpa, and we won’t tell anyone either.”
“Oh oh, it can be our game!” He held up the stick and pointed it at the sky. “We can be the guards of the farm!”
The vampires laughed and nodded, moving away from the dead cow and sitting in the grass near the boy. “I think that’s gonna be a blast,” the first one said.
“Do you guys got names?” the boy asked, sitting down between them.
“I’m Caleb,” said the first one, pointing at himself. “That’s my brother, Jordan.”
“Gosh, vampires AND brothers. I have brothers. They’re jerks.” The boy laughed. “But you guys are all grown up and you live together, you must really like each other.”
“GEOFF! TIME FOR LUNCH, COME HOME!” an old lady’s voice shouted from the direction of the house.
“COMIN’ GRANDMA!” He turned to the vampires. “I’m gonna come play again later, okay?”
“Yeah, we’ll see you then.” Jordan smiled and nodded.
Geoff got up and ran back to the house, and Jordan looked to his brother. “Think we should bail?”
Caleb shook his head. “Nah, I got a good feeling about him. I think we’ll be safe here.”
———
Caleb and Jordan walked into the clearing around the trees and looked up. “Hey Geoff, you in there?” Jordan called out to the tree house.
No answer.
They walked underneath and looked up. “I know you’re up there, I can see your shoes.” Caleb smiled.
The toes crept back from the edge and out of sight. The vampires laughed and sat down under the tree.
“You can come down when you’re ready, we can wait.” Jordan chuckled to himself.
“I’m never coming down. I don’t care. I don’t wanna see anybody.”
The brothers looked at each other and nodded. “Did something happen?” Caleb asked.
“Grandma’s dead. Funeral was today.” Geoff’s blue eyes peeked out over the ladder, and hastily retreated when they met Jordan’s.
The vampires looked at each other and nodded, then Caleb looked up. “Sorry about your grandma. You sure you don’t wanna talk about it?”
There was shuffling overhead, and the ten-year-old’s legs dangled into the hole. He was wearing a suit and dress shoes. “Nothing to talk about I guess. We’re gonna be here for a few days, Mom is helping Grandpa get things in order, whatever that means.”
“Should we be worried?” Jordan asked. Caleb thwacked him in the shoulder and hissed at him.
“No, Grandpa doesn’t want to sell the farm. It’s been in the family for ages. Said he might want to get rid of the cows though.” Geoff peeked over again. “I’m gonna be coming less.”
“Ohhh,” Caleb nodded, understanding why Geoff was upset. “You like hanging out with us.”
“Well yeah. We’re friends, aren’t we?” Geoff climbed down and sat at the base of the tree between the vampires. “And you like hanging out with me?”
“Of course we do.” Jordan patted him on the shoulder. “Just because we won’t see each other as much doesn’t mean we’re not friends.”
“Yeah. Even if years ago by and we don’t see you, we’ll still be friends. I promise.” Caleb wrapped an arm around Geoff’s shoulders. “You’re safe with us.”
They sat quietly for a minute, and Caleb could feel his shoulders shake under his arm. He shot a glance over at Jordan, and he nodded.
“You know, if you want to cry, we won’t make fun of you or anything.” Jordan ruffled Geoff’s hair.
“Dad said men don’t cry.” Geoff wiped his nose with his sleeve.
“Well, what your dad doesn’t know won’t hurt him. You can cry here all you want and we won’t tell a single other person. Hell, I won’t even tell Caleb if you don’t want me to.”
Geoff laughed, then sniffed, and then a tear rolled down his cheek. “You promise you won’t tell?” he whispered, looking between both men.
“Not a soul.” Caleb nodded. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”
Geoff pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, pressing his forehead into his kneecaps and freely sobbing. The vampires took turns rubbing his back and humming music, and it was dark before Geoff’s mom called him back inside.
———
Jordan was hunting when he heard the shitty truck driving down the road. “Geoff’s here!” he shouted over his shoulder.
Caleb leaned out the door and smiled. “Race you to the tree house!” he said, taking off.
“Not fair, you’re faster than me!” Jordan laughed and ran after him.
They raced through the field to the copse of trees and sat at the base of the tree, waiting for Geoff to meet them. After a few minutes, the teenager walked up with a beer in one hand and the rest of the six-pack dangling from the other by the empty plastic ring.
“Hey guys,” he said, grinning. “Hear me coming?”
Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Your truck is older than us and missing a muffler, a deaf human could hear you coming.”
Geoff rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I see your point.” He flopped down in the grass between the vampires. “Look, my grandfather’s out of town for the week and asked me to keep an eye on the place.”
“Kegger?” Jordan pursed his lips.
“Kegger. Tomorrow night.” Geoff nodded and took a drink from his beer. “You guys might wanna take off for a couple days.”
“Thanks for the heads up.”
“You know, it’s 1991, vampires haven’t been hunted since I was a kid. Why don’t you guys go out, get jobs, be part of society again?”
“It’s not that simple. Jordan and I… don’t do well around humans.” Caleb looked at Jordan and frowned.
“You do fine around me.” Geoff finished his beer and crunched the can.
“You stumbled on us when we were full, remember? We got used to you.” Jordan wiped his hand across his nose. “I’m not sure what we’d do.”
“How long has it been since you ate someone?”
“Never.”
Geoff’s jaw dropped. “You’re lying.”
Caleb shook his head. “Neither of us has ever tasted human blood. Never wanted to.”
“We took off into the woods when we were turned. Been living on animals since ‘69.” Jordan smiled. “I’m pretty proud of that.”
“They have synthetic blood. When you get hungry just drink that.” Geoff cracked open another beer.
“It’s not like that, Geoff. Vampires are meant to hunt humans. It’d be like walking among filet mignon and then being told to eat tofu because it’s just as good nutritionally.” Jordan winked. “How miserable would you be?”
Geoff frowned. “That’s shitty. I didn’t realize.”
“Of course you didn’t. You’re a human.” The vampires laughed.
“You guys are assholes.” Geoff slurped on his beer and set the can down next to him.
———
“Geoff’s here!” Caleb called to Jordan.
“I didn’t hear the truck,” Jordan called back.
“Mom’s car. He graduated today, must be coming to see his grandpa.”
“Think we should get to the tree house?” Jordan walked out of their cabin and frowned.
“He called for us last time, we’ll just listen for him.” Caleb smirked.
“Jordan? Caleb?” came faintly from the field.
The brothers stared at each other for a moment before running off, smiling and laughing.
Geoff watched the vampires emerge from the treeline and laughed when they started shoving each other over, trying to be the first to get to the tree house.
“He’s wearing a suit!” Caleb shouted.
“Forget the suit, what’s wrong with his hair?!” Jordan shouted back.
They stopped short of Geoff and pulled him in for a three-way hug. “Don’t be dicks, Mom made me wear the suit.”
“Yeah, but who made you shave your head?” Caleb rubbed the short hair and Geoff tried to duck out of his grip.
“My, uh, my C.O.” Geoff coughed awkwardly.
“C.O.? Commanding officer?” Jordan jaw dropped.
“You never told us you were going into the army.” Caleb took a step back.
“Well, I don’t really want to go to college, and I don’t know anything else I could do.” He shrugged. “I’m leaving next week, but my mom wanted to come out to see my grandfather tonight. I don’t think I’ll be back before I ship out.”
Jordan’s face fell. “But that’s only boot camp. You’ll be home after that, right? You can stop by before you get assigned?”
“I don’t know. Depends how much leave I get.” Geoff looked up at Caleb. “Don’t be mad.”
Caleb scoffed. “Geoff, I would never be mad at you for living your life. You’re a human, you have things to do.”
“We’ll be here when you get back. Promise.” Jordan smiled. “Like we told you when you were ten, we’ll always be friends.”
Geoff smiled. “Someday I’m gonna repay you guys for being awesome.”
“I don’t possibly know what a human could do for a vampire.” Caleb laughed. “But alright, we’ll see what you come up with.”
“Look, guys, I gotta get back inside before my mom starts to wonder where I went. Keep watch here for me, okay? I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He shook their hands and jogged back to the house.
Caleb and Jordan looked at each other. “Gonna be a while before we see him again.”
“I know.” Caleb sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Come on, let’s get back to the cabin.”
———
Geoff walked through the field slowly. The grass was tall and uneven, he could barely see where he was going, but he managed to make it to the copse of trees.
“Guys?” he called out. “I know you’re around. Please come out.”
“You don’t smell like you.” Caleb’s voice rang out.
“Yeah, you stink. What happened?” Jordan’s voice was behind him.
“I work with vampires. They marked me. Come here, I’ll show you.”
Caleb peeked his head around a tree. “I’m sorry, Geoff. It’s instincts. I’m afraid.”
“I know. I’ve learned a lot about how vampires work. It’s alright, I’m alone.” He shrugged his suit jacket off his shoulders and laid it on the ground carefully.
Jordan walked around him as he rolled up his sleeve. “The fuck is that?” he asked, pointing.
“It’s a venom mark. The vampires I work with marked me so no other vampires would eat me. I’m safe.” Geoff rubbed his hand over it. “I can’t see it, but I know you guys can.”
Caleb tiptoed to him. “You swear it’s alright?”
“Yes.”
A slow smile crept across Caleb’s face. “I am so happy to see you.” He pulled in Geoff for a hug and squeezed him tight.
“Don’t hog him!” Jordan pulled Caleb off and hugged Geoff too. “Three years.”
“Tell me about it.” Geoff pushed him back. “I wanted to say thank you for calling the ambulance.”
“I was cleaning the leaves out of the treehouse when I saw your grandpa fall. Jordan and I ran to check on him, he was really hurt.” Caleb swallowed.
“I called while Caleb talked to him.” Jordan nodded. “We left when we heard the ambulance drive up.”
Geoff sighed and wiped a hand across his face. “I made it back before he died. He told me about you guys, said it was my imaginary friends from when I was a kid that saved him. Called you angels.”
The vampires nodded. “If we could’ve done anything else, we would have.”
Geoff’s jaw dropped. “Caleb, you risked your instincts to make sure Grandpa didn’t die alone in his driveway. I will never be able to thank you for that.” He turned to Jordan. “Either of you.”
The three men sat down at the base of the tree and were quiet for some time before Geoff coughed. “My uncle inherited the farm. He said he doesn’t plan on selling it or anything, but I don’t think he’s gonna move out here either. Might be quiet for a while.”
“We don’t mind the quiet.” Caleb smirked.
“Never have,” Jordan added.
———
“I’m visiting my ma,” Geoff said to the vampires. “Asked my uncle if he minded if I checked on the place. He handed me the keys and told me to come by whenever I wanted.”
“You still doing army stuff?” Jordan leaned back on his hands and stretched his legs out in front of him.
“Sort of. I’m stationed in Fort Hood, but I’m going to Kuwait to take pictures for a while. No active duty stuff though.” Geoff shrugged. “Something to do until I decide what I’m gonna do.”
“Makes sense.” Caleb sighed. “It’s been quiet out here. Scared off some teenagers last summer but otherwise it’s just been… this.” Caleb pointed to the field around him.
Geoff pulled a beer out of the cooler and cracked it open. “You guys sure are taking that guards of the farm game seriously.”
“What else are we gonna do while waiting for you to get back?” Jordan smirked.
“You could head into town. They have rehab for vampires like you now. You could do all those things you say you miss by being isolated.” Geoff smiled weakly. “You could learn about the world and what’s happened in the last thirty years.”
Jordan and Caleb looked at each other and shook their heads. “We don’t want to risk hurting anyone,” Caleb said quietly. “It’s really better this way.”
Geoff frowned. “You two are some of my best friends and I’ve had to pretend you didn’t exist for my whole life. What am I gonna do if I get married? How am I going to explain to my kids what I do out here?”
The vampires were silent, and Geoff stared at the ground. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t make you do anything you don’t want to. I understand it’s hard.”
“We know you only want to help.” Jordan sighed. “I wouldn’t mind getting out though.”
Caleb stared at his brother. “You’ve never told me this.”
Jordan shrugged. “Thirty years is a long time to talk to only two people.”
“Look, guys, I don’t want you to fight, okay? I’m gonna be gone for a while, you can talk about it after I leave.” Geoff laughed. “You’ll have plenty of time.”
“I just wish you weren’t gone for so long.” Caleb frowned.
“Yeah, man, we miss you.”
“If I could get back more often, I would. You know that. My mom’s got the fucking monopoly on me right now - I get home and she just wants me all to herself. Haven’t even been able to get out to see my human friends.” Geoff sighed. “Once I’m out of the army it’ll be easier.”
———
The two vampires watched the unfamiliar car drive up to the house. “Texas license plate,” Caleb murmured. “Think it’s a buyer?”
“Geoff would have warned us if his uncle was going to sell the farm. He said that last time he was here.” Jordan shook his head.
They watched a little longer as two people got out of the car and walked around the house. Some time went by, and one of them began walking toward the tree house.
The wind shifted, and Caleb grinned widely as a familiar scent crossed his nose. “Geoff’s unmarked,” he nearly shouted, and both men shouted for him as they ran into the field.
The human tried to play it cool for a while, but got caught up in the excitement and started laughing, throwing his arms around the guys as they ran to him and squeezed him in a large hug.
“Goddamn, have I missed you guys.”
“You’re driving a Texas vehicle.” Caleb raised an eyebrow. “And you’re not alone.”
“I actually can’t stay very long, I’m bringing the wife home to meet the family. We just stopped so she could use the outhouse.” Geoff snickered.
Jaws dropped. “Wife?!” Jordan laughed. “Come on, don’t leave us hanging.”
“I moved to Austin, bought a house, and met a girl. She met my mom and shit but she’s never met the extended family, so we’re going on a road trip.”
“Geoff? Where are you?” a woman’s voice called from the house. “We gotta go or we’re gonna be late!”
“Just a minute!” he called over his shoulder, then turned back to the vampires. “Listen, if you ever want to leave the farm, come to my house. I have plenty of room for both of you, okay?” He slipped Caleb a piece of paper and watched him pocket it. “I mean it. You’ll be safe with me, okay?”
“You’re unmarked.” Jordan pointed at his wrist.
“Yeah, I left the army and they burned it off. I’m a free man once again.” Geoff laughed. “Well, except for the ball and chain.”
“GEOFF!” the woman’s voice called and, and they all frowned.
“I gotta go. Listen, I’ll be back soon, okay? Think about what I said.” He hugged the boys again and walked off, and the vampires watched the car drive off.
Jordan looked at Caleb. “Austin. Geoff’s told us before it’s a vampire friendly city. Could be worth it, Caleb.”
“I don’t want to decide tonight.” Caleb turned and walked back to the cabin slowly. Jordan stared at the tree house a little longer before following.
———
Geoff’s Texas car rolled up, and for the first time, Caleb and Jordan walked up to the house to meet him.
“Weird to see you two this close to the house,” Geoff said quietly.
Caleb frowned. “You look like shit, Geoff. Everything okay?”
He shook his head and unlocked the front door. “I got your letter. Told the wife you wanted to come stay with us for a while, and she threw a fit. Said it was bad enough that I roomed with vampires in the army, now I wanted to bring them into her house like an asshole, and I would have to choose.”
Jordan coughed. “And you picked us?”
Geoff stared at the man like he was crazy. “I’m closer to you two than my real brothers. You were there for me when a lot of people in my life weren’t. I owe you a lot more than I owe her.” He gingerly sat down on the ancient couch. “And I don’t want to be married to a bigot.”
Caleb and Jordan looked at each other, then to Geoff’s wrist. “You’re marked again,” Caleb said quietly.
“Yeah, I’m working with a vampire again. Joel. I told you about him, he was friends with Burnie in college.”
“Oh, he moved back to Austin?” Caleb smiled. “Things must be going really well for you guys then.”
“Things are going great. And I’ve got the house all ready for you to move in, Joel gave me a lead on some rehab places, we’re gonna get you on your feet and ready to go!” Geoff smiled. “You guys ready?”
Jordan thumbed over his shoulder. “Got our bags on the porch.”
Geoff nodded and stood up. “Look, um, my uncle is selling the property. If you come with me and don’t like it, you won’t be able to come back. Part of the reason I came today was because he’s having the place inspected next week. Two vampires hiding on the back lot isn’t going to look good for him.”
Caleb and Jordan nodded. “We understand.”
“So you got everything you need?”
They nodded again.
Geoff walked towards the kitchen and stared out the back door at the copse of trees with the old tree house. “Could you guys give me a minute? I’ll meet you in the car.”
“Take all the time you need,” Caleb said quietly, and the vampires left him alone.
———
“You’re offering me a job?” Caleb’s mouth dropped open.
“Yes. You’ve come a long way with your rehab, you’re incredibly gifted with computers, you’re polite and you’re friendly, and I could really use a guy like you.”
“But what about the office? You don’t think—”
“If you’re not comfortable working in the office with me and Jack and the other humans, we can set you up at your place.” Geoff grinned. “What do you think?”
“Would I… would Joel have to mark me?” Caleb’s eyes flicked down to Geoff’s wrist.
Geoff reached for his hand. “Caleb, only coven members get marked. Hiring you doesn’t mean you’re automatically in it. And if you don’t want to get marked because it would bother Jordan then—”
“No, it’s not that.” Caleb cleared his throat. “I think it’s better this way. That way I can come into the office and not be tempted. I just never adapted the way Jordan did.”
“Jordan has an advantage over you - he’s a tease. You’re a stealth. His instincts draw him to humans, yours tell you to hide and sneak and shit.” He rested a hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “I trust your judgement. If this is better, then this is how we’re gonna do it.”
———
Caleb walked into the office. “Hey guys.”
Gavin looked up from his computer. “Hey Caleb! Long time no see.”
He smirked at him, then turned to Geoff. “Here’s your USB stick.”
“Hey, thanks man.” He pocketed the small device. “You gonna be home later? We should record Game Night tonight because I’m going out of town this weekend.”
“Yeah, I’ll be around. Jordan’s working, too, so the place will be quiet. What time?”
“After dinner?”
“Sounds great, see you then.” He walked out and was promptly stopped by Kara to chitchat.
“Hey Geoff? Why doesn’t Caleb like to work in the office?” Ray asked over his shoulder.
Geoff stared out at his friend in the hallway. “He doesn’t do well with humans.”
“He does well with you.”
Caleb met Geoff’s eyes briefly and nodded once before walking out the front door.
“It’s because he’s used to me.”