Chapter Text
David rarely enjoyed taking on tasks for his sire. Max was a pretentious man who demanded absolute loyalty and perfection. It was something that the Lost Boys were expected to follow without questioning his authority. They already despised the man. Doing chores and errands like a bunch of lackeys didn’t exactly make them like him more.
Still, as the man’s childe, David had to follow his orders lest he wanted to be at the receiving end of punishment. Behind that dopey smile and nerdy set of glasses was a rather sadistic monster when it came to discipline. All of the Lost Boys knew that quite well.
They were ordered to turn two kids into one of them. Max gave their names and descriptions. A freckle-faced boy who had barely begun puberty and his older brother, a tall boy with brown curls and blue eyes. Sam and Michael were their names. Why Max wanted more sons that he’d just end up neglecting, David didn’t know. He didn’t ask any more questions than he had to.
Besides, he was open to the idea of having more friends to take under his wing. To help shape them into becoming fellow creatures of the night. Maybe it would go a lot better than expected.
When Star confirmed that she found the eldest boy, David was fully prepared to take on the challenge. Once she met up with him on the boardwalk again, he and the others would swoop in and take it from there. They could all be quite charming when they wanted to, and it would be easy to manipulate Michael.
At least, that’s what he initially thought.
When the next night came the Lost Boys were parked by a small area on the boardwalk designated for smoke breaks. David had been finishing the last few puffs of one of his cigarettes when he caught sight of Star. She was further down the path but he could see someone walking next to her. With a flick of the cigarette butt and a signal to his boys, David gunned his bike and rode over to the two of them so he could get a better look at their new "friend".
Paul and Marko boxed them in on one side while Dwayne took the other side with Laddie holding on behind him. That allowed David to be front and center, just the way he liked it.
When he got a better look at the guy, he was caught a little off guard. Sure, Michael looked just how Max described him to be, but he wasn't expecting to be face-to-face with someone dressed as a cowboy.
Michael had a worn-out, brown suede cowboy hat perched on top of his head of curly hair. He wore a rather tight, white t-shirt under a gray-colored flannel, which was not something David had expected to see in the middle of summer. A large, golden buckle shined in the center of the belt that wrapped around his pants. His jeans were thick, dark denim and the cuffs were tucked inside boots.
Cowboy boots, of course. They were the same shade of brown as his hat and had seen many a day of wear and work. Scuffed and stained with mud on the toes. The boots David always wore were more of a fashionable pair, not the best for actual labor like Michael's were.
It was a little confusing taking in such an appearance. Maybe the guy had just come from a costume party and had worked extra hard on his outfit for it? The idea sat in the back of his mind as he spoke to the lady of their gang.
"Where ya going, Star?" David asked, an amused smirk on his face.
"For a ride," Star explained. They must have been walking to his bike somewhere in the mass collection of parked vehicles on the side. He wondered which one belonged to the human boy.
"This is Michael," she said, gesturing to the boy. Her cheeks were flushed a soft pink color at the sound of his name.
Michael was certainly a good-looking guy, but it took a bit more than a pretty face to get Star a little flustered. David couldn't help but wonder if he had said or done something to their only lost girl.
David opened his mouth to greet the human boy, but he didn't get a word out. Michael himself made the first move, and boy was it a shock.
"Well Howdy there!" the boy cheerfully said, reaching a hand out to David. The vampire barely had a moment to comprehend the words before a hand was wrapped around his own. Michael had the strongest grip he ever felt on a human, energetically pumping his arm up and down for an enthusiastic shake.
Paul, Dwayne, and Marko all perked up, worried about this guy putting his hands on their leader. Nobody ever got to touch David without his consent and live to tell the tale.
But David wasn't threatened. Just utterly dumbfounded. If it wasn't the greeting that caught him off guard, it was the megawatt smile on Michael's face. He couldn't recall the last time someone was actually excited to meet him.
"The little lady mentioned she had some pals I could meet. I reckoned I was in for a treat and it's sure nice to meet ya!"
It was like hearing someone talk in a different language. Michael's voice was quite loud and powerful, but what really made it stand out was the accent attached to it. The accent was a smooth, southern drawl. The kind you'd hear in an old western film.
So the getup wasn't just for show. Whoever this guy was, he had come a long way from somewhere in the deep south. It made him stick out like a sore thumb against all the surfers and punks of California. Michael finally let go of his hand, yet David still felt the aftereffects of the shaking. If they did end up turning him, Michael would probably be as strong a vampire as David himself.
"Shoot, don't y'all know howta greet a new friend 'round here?" Michael asked with a soft chuckle. "What's your name, Hoss?"
David was finally able to snap out of his confused state. He couldn't let himself get caught off guard again if this was going to go right.
"Oh! I'm uh…David," he managed to get out. "These are my friends. Paul, Dwayne, and Marko. The little guy is Laddie"
Laddie gave an adorable smile and an eager wave while the three other vampires simply shot Michael a small nod when they were named. Though they all remained casual, they still traded looks of curiosity with one another. Apparently, they also weren't expecting someone so bold and brash as a possible addition to the family.
Michael took no notice of it, instead tilting the brim of his hat and giving a nod to them.
"Mighty nice to meet y'all!" he smiled. "I ain't ever seen any folk like you back home. All the flashy clothes and makeup. Y’all are more decked out than a pine tree on Christmas!"
The Lost Boys exchanged looks and snickers with one another. It was painfully obvious Michael was from somewhere that was the exact opposite of Santa Carla. They'd probably be just as caught off guard if the roles were reversed.
"Oh yeah? Where's 'back home' for you, Cowboy?" Paul teased, leaning forward on his bike. Star was pouting at his question, no doubt from worry they were going to start making fun of him. Thankfully, Michael didn't mind the question or the nickname.
"Lone Star State!" he chirped. When the others looked back at him in confusion Michael just let out an amused laugh. "That's Texas, y'all! Born and raised smack dab in the middle o' the Bible belt"
They weren't surprised to hear that. If Texas looked like a person, Michael would be the spitting image. While the others were still giggling at their potential friend, David just stared in curiosity.
He hadn't expected Michael to be like this at all. When he first met Dwayne, Marko, and Paul they were all quite different than how they were now. Scared, miserable, and desperate for a reason to keep living. David gave them a reason and a purpose, helping them all be reborn into their true selves.
Michael was far from that. He was practically bursting with life and joy, that charming smile not fading for even a second. After being surrounded by the worst kind of people in Santa Carla for so long, David was a little taken aback by someone so genuine and happy.
It made him wonder if this would prove to be a challenge for him. He had to be a bit cautious.
"You know where Hudson's Bluff is? Overlooking the point?" David asked, giving a small rev of his engine. If there was one thing he was sure of it was his ability to intimidate others. Challenging Michael to a race would be the perfect way to catch him off guard.
At least, that's what he thought until Michael threw his head back and let out the biggest laugh he'd ever heard. David raised an eyebrow in curiosity. What the hell was so funny?
"Oh buddy, if you're lookin' for a race, ya ain't gonna get far against a ride like mine"
Michael stepped away for a second to grab said ride from the parking section. When he came back to their spot it was while riding a massive ATV.
David had seen a few before, but nothing quite like this. It was as big as his Triumph and was fitted with bulky tires built for the toughest terrain. The paint job was red but was covered in layers of dust and dirt, no doubt from years of joy rides. The engine roared powerfully with every rev Michael gave it.
If it had been a much smaller ride he would have just told Michael to keep up and have fun watching him struggle to beat his bike. Now, there could be an actual sense of competition between the two of them. It was the perfect chance to see just what the human was capable of. A test of power, nothing more. The others must have also thought about Michael posing a threat to their leader because they tried to downplay the actual power his ATV had.
“Ha! Four wheels? You afraid of falling over on a two-wheel ride or something?” Marko asked, playfully biting his nail.
Once again, Michael wasn’t bothered one bit by the teasing. He simply smiled and shook his head.
“Aw hell, you ain’t ever been four-wheelin’ before, have ya?” he asked. “I been through every kinda mess on this baby! Hills, woods, ditches, mud, even snow. Ridin’ down the beach would be a cakewalk for me”
David glanced at the others, curiosity rising more and more by the second. If Michael had been through some tough obstacles, that meant he had strength and dexterity. Not to mention a bit of a wild streak. That was definitely something the Lost Boys would love to have in a friend. Now things seemed interesting.
“Well then,” the bleach-blond smirked, giving his Triumph another rev. “Show us whatcha got, Cowboy”
David kept his eyes locked on Michael as he watched him smile and reach a hand out for Star to take. He normally wouldn’t let someone try to make a move on their ‘sister’, but he couldn’t deny that she looked quite intrigued by Michael’s 4-wheeled ride. She looked quite bashful as he slipped his hat off and carefully put it over her mass of wavy hair.
He gunned the engine one last time, not wanting Michael to be distracted by Star. If he was a little less stubborn he would have admitted it to be jealousy. Of course, pride was stronger than his better judgment.
Michael shot him a wink and a playful smile before zipping off down the boardwalk. It was a miracle David was able to keep his focus and do the same, speeding behind the human boy. All three of the other Lost Boys followed their leader, eager to see what the fresh meat was capable of.
The Lost Boys were no strangers to racing down the beaches of Santa Carla. One of their favorite things to do on a nice night like this was to cause a ruckus on their bikes, shouting as loud as they could while steering in between couples and families splayed out on the sand. They didn’t care what kind of trouble they caused because nobody could stop them.
Tonight was no different. David led his boys down the stretch of the beach, cheering them on as they kept formation. While his focus was on his own bike, he let his gaze fall on Michael’s again.
David thought he and his boys were wild riders. Michael was an absolute madman on his ATV. He was pushing the ride to an insane speed, yet he maneuvered the thing like he was born to use it. Even with its bulky size, he was able to slip between crowds and dodge obstacles perfectly. That itself was impressive, but what was even more surprising was that he was doing it while barely watching where he was going. Star was holding him tightly as she watched ahead, but Michael had his eyes closed most of the time.
“WOOO! YEEE!!” Michael hollered. The boys were all known to be loud with their calls when they rode their motorcycles, but with the power behind his voice, Michael was far louder with his whoops and calls.
It made David want to keep watching him. He’d never seen someone so eager to do something so dangerous before. Even when he pushed forward and led them all to more tricky terrain, Michael never once lost his focus. Down and up hills, around sharp corners, through thickly wooded areas, it didn’t matter to the human boy. He handled it all like a champ and was still able to push ahead of David.
The more they rode, the more David felt intrigued by him. He was a true wild child. Fearless and fun. It took the other boys some adjusting to let themselves be carefree as they were now, but Michael already had that sense of freedom. Truly curious as to how reckless he could truly be, David pushed his bike forward, getting ahead of Michael and signaling to follow him to where the bluff was. Once they cleared out of the tree-filled area, David drove down the rocky path to where the cliff connected with the ocean.
He knew this trick well. Play a game of chicken with Michael to see how far he'd go before pulling off to the side. How badly did he want to show off his bravery? No matter how far he went, David had the upper hand with his powers. He'd never be in any kind of danger, but it was fun to see where the stopping point was for Michael.
Only one way to find out.
Michael had driven his ATV up to be side-by-side with David's Triumph. They were perfectly matched in speed, their hair whipping in the wind as they rode on.
Star held one hand around Michael's waist and the other over the hat so I wouldn't go flying off. Her eyes were wide with a mix of fear and excitement. David could tell her adrenaline must have been sky-high. She had learned to love wild rides like this after her first time on the back of his motorcycle. Now Michael was giving her a whole new sense of thrill with his ride.
Still, David would show who truly was the braver one of them.
"C'mon, Michael!" he called out to him, encouraging his recklessness. Star's expression morphed into worry from how eager David was to push Michael. She of all people knew how much David enjoyed testing others to see what they were capable of. They were speeding faster and faster to the edge of the cliff and neither boy showed signs of stopping.
David barely glanced at the area, perfectly entertained enough by Michael. A goofy smile still stretched across his face and nothing but shouts of joy came from his mouth.
Even from across the space David could hear how fast his heart was pounding. It certainly wasn't from fear because Michael was still pushing himself. The tires of the ATV bumped and rattled over the rocks and ditches, yet he took the danger with a look of excitement.
Only then did the vampire realize Michael wasn't going to back down. He had zero intentions of slowing down just a bit, even with the available stretch of path getting smaller and smaller by the second. This guy was either stupid or crazy. So David did the one thing he didn't ever want to do.
He chickened out first.
With a screech and a sharp turn of his Triumph, David pulled off to the side, almost going over the front from the sheer force of the abrupt stop. He nervously watched Michael, mentally preparing to fly off of the cliff to catch him and Star if they went over the side.
But they didn't. Miraculously, Michael was able to pull his ATV off to the side at the very last second, sharply turning and kicking up a massive cloud of dirt in its path. He revved the engine of his ride several times as he drove in a celebratory circle, shouting up into the night sky with pure joy.
“YEEEAHAWWW!” he hollered, finally screeching to a halt. Both he and Star were breathing heavily, finally beginning to calm down after that intense rush of a ride.
The others had stopped their motorcycles much sooner, clearly just as worried as their leader had been. They each had gone through similar tests in the past but hadn’t made it as far as Michael had. As they ran up to the edge of the bluff they exchanged surprised expressions with one another, sharing a sense of mutual shock. Marko stood beside David while Dwayne scooped up Laddie from the back of his own bike. Paul ran up to the ATV, holding out a hand to Star to help her down.
“Holy shit, that was crazy!” Paul chuckled, letting Star hold onto him so she could regain her balance and focus. “You okay, Starlight?”
Thankfully, she managed to calm down enough to start laughing. The others settled their nerves down a bit too as she smiled warmly at Michael and handed him back his hat.
“Are you kidding? That was incredible!” she chirped. “I’ve never done anything like that before! Thanks for the ride, Michael!”
The Lost Boys finally pulled back on their fight to show off their own joy. Grins painted their faces as they glanced at one another, utterly impressed by how great a rider Michael was. The human returned a smile of his own, tipping the brim of his hat again as a gesture of ‘thanks’ to Star. She giggled softly, clearly smitten with his southern charms.
“Aww shucks, it was nothin’,” he said. Once she was off to the side with the others, Michael turned his attention to the bleach-blond vampire. “David! That was some impressive ridin’ on your part too! I ain’t ‘ave that much fun since a got here!”
David had to force himself to stop staring at the southern boy. He had to admit, he was pretty impressed himself. He’d never met someone so reckless yet so skilled with a joy ride like that. Humans were usually so cautious and scared when it came to danger, yet Michael looked it head-on with a smile on his face.
The more David interacted with him the more he was interested in getting to know him better. Maybe their punk gang could benefit from having a bit of a southern twist with Michael on their side.
“That was quite a stunt, Michael,” David complimented him, gracefully stepping off of his Triumph before walking over to the human. The others watched carefully, ready to back up their leader with whatever he wanted to do next. “I have to say, we’d love to hang out with you more. See if you can join our little club”
Michael raised an eyebrow, curiosity flashing over his bright, blue eyes. The more David was around him the more he could see what a danger junkie he truly was. Just what he wanted in a potential vampire companion.
“Hell, if y’all have fun like this, you bet your ass I’d love to spend a little more time with ya!” he chuckled. David couldn’t deny that accent suited him so well. A slow, sweet drawl for such an intense guy.
“Oh yeah?” David asked, stepping closer. He and Michael couldn’t have been more than a foot apart from one another now. The others were watching closely, intrigued by where things were going. “How far are you willin’ to go, Michael?”
A devilish smirk formed on the brunet’s face as he closely gazed at David. He was matching the energy quite nicely.
“I dunno…how far can ya take me, David~?”
If David wasn’t so sure of his vampiric nature, he would have sworn he felt the once-forgotten sensation of a sharp beat in his dead heart.
Holy shit, this was going to be interesting.