I’ll make you mine

Gerard nodded, thanking for the meal as he got to his feet. Heading outside he led the way, holding the door as well before he followed the vampyre, or rather walked by his side. The sun above was hiding behind clouds, so perhaps it was rather pleasant for him?
"Art? Well I like it, I've read a few books on photo composition and such, but I can't say I'm very familiar with much more than that," he said with a shy smile. Maybe he was out on deep waters now, but he didn't let that stop him. "However I am very interested in artists, their thoughts behind a certain piece or maybe a lack thereof," he said in a pondering tone. Things like that was easier to talk about, as he didn't know too many artists. He much less knew anything about sculptures and statues.
"But I'd like to keep an open mind about everything," he said smiling at the vampyre once more. He felt like he smiled a lot around the vampyre, and it wasn't even forced like how he was with other customers.

What to expect was kept pretty secret, but getting to the art display it felt strange for the nephilim. Looking around almost like a kid in a candystore, he felt overwhelmed by every sense. Eden spoke, and he redirected his attention back to the vampyre. "I'm here with you, why wouldn't I be looking around with you?" He asked, his eyebrow raised as it was a bit confusing to him. Most clients wanted him close right away, but the way Eden was slow was also making Gerard more comfortable.
Walking over, he felt a little bold as he took the vampyre's cold hand, a small shiver running down his spine, but it wasn't an uncomfortable cold. "C'mon, we're in this together," he spoke sweet and rather innocently. Sure it would be nice to run around and look at everything, but he couldn't ignore the fact that he was there for Eden.

At heart Gerard was rather gentle, he cared for those close to him and rarely just opened up, but he had seemed to be quite taken by the vampyre right now. More so than he had thought, a small smile creeping up on his face at the brief chuckle from the vampyre. However it seemed like he went with it, and that to the nephilim's relief. He was afraid he might've been too bold, but walking around, hearing how much information he had, he knew he had chosen the right thing. Fact was that Gerard found himself multiple times wondering if this was an actual date or what it was. Honestly at this point he didn't care to think much about it as he just held the cold hand in his. This was soothing in a way, as if holding his hand removed some of the tension between them.
As they stopped at the accidental statue he frowned slightly, mostly because a mistake was just trash, right? However Gerard had to admit he actually liked this accident. The question made him chuckle. "Isn't the point of abstract that it can be everything and yet nothing at the same time?" he asked, but shook his head as he took a closer look at the statue. It was beautifully glazed, shining a bit in the LED lights that shone on it. "I think it looks different from every angle ... Perhaps it's supposed to look like the idea of a person; How we usually only get to see one side of the person but there are so many other things if one just wants to turn around and look," he noted in a thoughtful voice. It was clear that Gerard was clever, but he just hadn't gotten the means to nurture that brain in his head. "Maybe I'm silly," he quickly dismissed, shaking his head as he felt like he was way out of his comfort zone.
"I don't know ... I think I much more prefer pictures," he said with a small chuckle. He had always had a fascination with pictures and how they seemed to encapsulate moments in time. "It's a still image of something that might've happened yesterday or maybe ten years earlier - But it's real to me," he said, frowning as he didn't know exactly how to describe it without twisting his tongue.

He noticed the frown and it was like he knew what the seraph was thinking. That anything that was deemed accidental was better off being thrown out? Well, he had to see for himself and judge and Eden was a little excited to see that change as he showed Gerard the accident. The question made him chuckle, shrugging as he agreed. "Yes. But I'd like to know what your eyes are seeing, because it cant possibly be the same as what mine are seeing," he explained, to then give Gerard the space he needed to inspect the art piece. The vampyre folded his hands on his back, listening to the seraph as he spoke of the art piece. "I can see what you mean," he said as he tilted himself and adjusted his position till he saw what he thought the young man was seeing. "You're not silly," he protested, looking at him with serious eyes before looking back at the sculpture.
The remark about pictures clearly caught the vampyre's attention as he stepped closer to the other male, smiling softly at his words. "So you're into photography? Well, lets not waste more time on these abstract creations then, you want something real, yes?" he asked, tilting his head. If the seraph agreed, he would lead him away from all the handmade stuff and onto a more closed off, darker section. Small lights lit up spots on a made up black wall of thin wood, were on every lighted spot, different photographs hung. All from different places in the city, others of places far off from this one. "Do you think you would like to join this world some day? The art world," he said as he looked at Gerard with curious eyes.

Gerard chuckled softly, shrugging slightly before he got pulled away to the photography section of exhibitions. He looked like a kid in a candy store as his eyes widened, looking around as they walked. He felt overwhelmed, wanting to run around and look at it all, but he stayed by Eden's side, showing his more adult self. He loved everything about it, seeing the different papers that the photos were developed on, seeing the contrast between polaroid and digital was amazing. Then the question came and he sighed with a small shrug. "I've only read about photography, never really studied it and how it works ... And I don't think I'd have anything people would like to see," he replied more rationally as he looked at a rather large picture, digitally enhanced to see all the small detail in the distance. He sighed a bit, because it was clear he loved it, even if he didn't understand much about this art world, it was clear it peaked his interest. He loved all parts of it, even the parts he didn't know yet, because it meant he would get to learn about it.
"And talent, you need talent to capture something like this; Something real," he said, shaking his head as he felt weird stating it like that. He always envied seeing families in the park, the mother or father taking out their camera to snap a shot of the family life. "But it's a fun thought," he just said before moving on to the next photo.

"Now you're just being silly Mr Castell. Obviously its something that's catching your eyes, especially this. What's the harm in trying?" he asked with his eyes narrowed daringly. It was easy to say as some rich man who could pretty much get whatever he pointed at, but he was after all seemingly offering Gerard the same thing. The mention of talent made Eden scoff. "You're just insisting of looking at the reason why not to rather than the reasons to just do it," he remarked before he made a deep sigh. He looked down at their hands before he looked back at the seraph. He seemed to get an idea as he started pulling him with him. "We're gonna go get you a camera," he just said like he had made his mind up on that before the seraph could have a say. They could always come back here, it wasnt running anywhere. But he was sure that Gerard would if he got a moment to think it all through. Eden clearly wasnt much of a bargainer, especially once he had set his mind to something. And with his certainty that Gerard could do something with the right equipment was fueling his will further.

Gerard shrugged, mostly because it wasn't that important what he thought about it. He felt too insecure to try it anyways, it just was the sort of thing that he told himself. What did he even have to offer? He didn't know about perspectives or lighting or anything remotely close to being relevant. Maybe he knew a bit about how a photo could have focus points, but that was about it.
That was the time when the vampyre decided to start pulling him, and being a nephilim made it very hard to just withstand that pull. Then he said something that made him more nervous than anything else in the world, shaking his head no as he tried to stop Eden. "No ... Eden, I ... I don't have the money," he said, pleading with the vampyre as he felt too way out of his comfort zone. "I-I don't want to rush in to this," he confessed, making the vampyre stop his pull, looking at him with serious eyes. "Please; I'll get around to it, I know, but I don't want you to buy it for me ... I want to earn it myself," he confessed, looking down at their hands. Maybe it was just small change for Eden, nothing but a few notes from his back pocket, but it was way more than Gerard even spent on a month of rent, he knew that already. He had looked at advertisements, and even a cheap camera could come with a hefty price tag. "I appreciate it, I really do, but I wouldn't feel right about it," he said, swallowing as he kept looking down.

He had expected some objections, but not as serious as the seraph seemed to be. He thought at first that it was just the regular denial before acceptance, but then Gerard made him stop and turn around as he looked at him with a confused look in his eyes. He did however listen to him as he explained, frowning a little as he somewhat could understand what he meant, but at the same time he couldnt. Was it really that bad to just be given something? He drew in a deep breath, before he lifted a hand to place against the seraph's cheek, lifting his face to make him look at him. "Fine. I dont want to make you do something you dont want to do, even if it wounds my pride a little to not be able to shower you in my wealth," he said with a small sigh, but he wasnt going to stay focused on it. "I guess I ruined the art date," he chuckled a little shameful, scratching the back of his neck as he had been so sure that he could have just pulled him to some store and gotten him a decent camera.

"You didn't ruin anything," Gerard insisted, looking at the vampyre with soft eyes. He felt the cold hand against his cheek, feeling chills run down his back, but in a good way. The fact that he was even listening to him meant something, and in a moment of weakness he turned his head, carefully kissing his palm. Gerard never did this, not even to long term clients, but he felt like he needed to show his gratitude. "I've enjoyed it," he mumbled, feeling that small wave of bravery turn to hesitation once more. He wasn't confident enough to follow through, he knew that, but he at least wanted to try.
"We can just go back inside if you want to? Or we could go somewhere else?" he suggested, not really knowing what Eden had in mind with all of this. Was it just a way to schmooze his way in to his heart someway or another?

Gerard smiled, looking down as the vampyre removed his hand from his cheek. It left a small burning feeling, the cold lingering in a way that was hard to describe. The seraph had never felt affection like this; Was this what falling in love was like? He just kept his gaze down, looking at the packet of cigarettes as the vampyre spoke once again, making him chuckle a bit nervously. He guessed there would always be that voice inside of him, telling him he was making stuff up, that people didn't enjoy his company. That the only worth he had was that of aesthetic reasonings.
The mention of him coming back here made him frown, returning his gaze to Eden as a small smile crept up on his face. Of course he would like to go here again, but would it even bear the same meaning if the vampyre wasn't there by his side? "I think it would be awfully lonely to go here by myself - Without you," he admitted, smiling softly, looking back briefly at the building. He liked it here, liked being surrounded by art and inspiration like that, but he didn't know if he could just go here without being reminded of who had introduced him to it.
"I like photography ... But what do you like in there?" he asked. He longed to just hear and see the vampyre light up and be happy, because he could tell he was very much in his own mind.

Gerard couldn't help but smile. It was just so comfortable being here with the vampyre, it was just calming in a way. He watched the bud getting flicked away, thinking about the words he had said about being too old to have favorites. Perhaps it was just something you lost with immortality, but Gerard hoped he would never lose the passion he knew was in his heart. He might've not found it or understood it yet, but one day it would, and he would flourish.
Walking inside once more he shuddered a bit, mostly from switching from cold to warm surroundings. However it didn't bother him too much. He walked with the vampyre, not really following him, just moving at the same calm pace, watching a few painting that they passed before Eden stopped at an abstract one. It was strange, something about it made the hairs on the nephilim's neck stand on edge. It was that same feeling he got when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror; Something weird and unappealing. Perhaps he just had to work on his self image, but it seemed far too much work at this point. "Things like that creep me out ... It's the same tingly feeling you get from watching a horror movie or a car crash," he shook his head, frowning to himself. Did he just insult the vampyre? "Not that I disregard it as art; It's just not for me," he quickly added, walking over to look at a sculpture that was more realistic. It looked like a small bonsai tree, but it was carved and molded in clay, painted and decorated with strange shiny stones.

He looked at the painting with a rather analyzing look, not really realizing that the nephilim next to him didnt quite seem to feel the same intrigue as him. It was only when he spoke that Eden was pulled from his mind and watched him in the corner of his eye. "Sorry," he mumbled, scratching the side of his neck, chuckling a little as Gerard seemed more concerned about insulting him. He raised an eyebrow, watching the young man walk away before he promptly followed him. "Why do you still worry if something you say will bother me?" he chuckled, mostly because it was a little confusing to him. Hadnt he shown that it didnt matter to him if Gerard had a different opinion than he might have? He sighed and looked at the sculpture, tilting his head to the side. "I want to hear what's on your mind, that unfiltered honesty," he explained, smiling softly while he kept his eyes on the sculpture. "Without it, I wont be able to tell what kind of person you are. You'll just become someone who's trying to fit my standards and I find that... depressing, so to say," he said with a small frown, but then he looked at Gerard with serious eyes. "I want to get to know you," he pointed out with a soft smile gliding over his lips.

He didn't really know what to answer at first, but he knew he had to explain himself. Perhaps it rooted in that sense of being essentially alone in this world, the fact that he tried so hard to keep people in his life, but he ended up failing them; Hell even his parents hadn't wanted him, so who really would? Surely it was a toxic way of thinking, not just about himself but also the world. Frankly he didn't know the circumstances of his birth, and he never would, but something in him had always felt off. "I guess I'm trying not to disappoint you; Not a lot of people take interest in someone like me, and part of me is just waiting for you to realize that I'm actually not very interesting," he said, looking at the sculpture, feeling a bit nervous to look at the vampyre while he explained himself. It just wasn't easy for him to keep people close that were genuine, he was just lucky to have someone like Xalvador, but he had his fears that some day he would mean nothing to the hybrid - no matter what strong bond they had right now. "I don't feel like I'm worth getting to know, there's nothing special about me and frankly my personality is dull at best," he chuckled shaking his head a little. He wanted to be better, wanted to work on becoming confident, but how could he when he kept putting himself down like this? "But on the other hand, me actually saying all of this is in a way me opening up to you - even though it might feel like the complete opposite."
He turned his head, lifting his gaze carefully as he looked at the vampyre. How could he ever compare to him? And what in the world did Eden even see in him? "I like being around you, but with that comes the fear of you going away; Leaving me with a handful of what-ifs that is never going to amount to anything," he sighed, smiling at the vampyre quite sadly.

He listened to him as he explained how he felt, frowning a little as he seemed to think that this was some sort of waiting game? Not that he could blame him if that was what he was used to. He just didnt know if there was some way he could convince him that it was different with him, beside giving it time. He folded his hands on his back and let him speak, looking at him with curious eyes. Once he had finished, Eden nodded a few times, looking down before looking back at Gerard. "I understand your worry and if you arent used to much else than experiencing people who leave you, it's only fair that you have your precautions," he said, just to let him know that he wasnt disregarding his feelings completely. But there was one thing that seemed to irk him a little and he just couldnt let it go. He moved his hand out to gently grab the nephilim's hand, holding it in his as he felt his warmth against his cold hand. "But how about you let me be the judge of what I think of you?" he asked, lifting his hand to carefully kiss his knuckles. "So far, I've liked every part I've seen of you. Even this worrisome and insecure part of you that you think will scare me off," he smiled against his skin.

Gerard nodded, swallowing as he felt nervous to talk about all of this, perhaps even terrified. He wanted Eden to like him, not just because he could earn some pretty decent cash, but because he had very few real friends in this world. The vampyre stepped closer, taking his hand, and he felt that same rush in his stomach as when they were standing outside. The question made him gulp, watching in disbelief as Eden's cold lips moved over his knuckles. While they were cold, they didn't seem to make him freeze, rather it was like getting warm in a different way. "I guess we're both trying to impress each other," he chuckled, but he couldn't help but feeling like they were getting more intimate. This kissing and soft touch, it couldn't just mean nothing, right?
"I-I guess I'll try letting you be the judge, but I don't know how I'll feel about it," he confessed. Letting other people judge him freely was a different matter. Of course he knew that some people found his looks appealing, but all he could see what the things that were wrong with him. How skinny and frail he was, how pale his skin was and how his face sometimes looked almost sunken in. "Just try and give me a fair trial?" he asked, despite what Eden had said, it wouldn't surprise him if the vampyre just up and left one day.

It felt reassuring in a way, that he could trust the vampyre, despite knowing very little about each other. It gave a feeling of comfort or perhaps rather the feeling of being in a safe environment, not really something that the nephilim had a lot of experience with. "You call it versatility, however I think other people might call it undecidedness," he shrugged, but not to discredit the words he had said. It was more that it could look different depending on who saw him.
Gerard felt a sense of wanting to be more selfish as Eden let go of his hand. He wanted to grab his, hold it and just let himself feel good by the touch. But he wasn't quite as bold as he would become in the years to follow. Still he found the thought of it a little exciting. He frowned at the words about falling in love, blushing slightly as he looked down and away from the vampyre. He didn't know how he felt about those words, even if it had been to describe the situation they were in. "Please don't flatter me like that," he pleaded softly. It was clear he didn't feel deserving of that. Pushing his hands in his pockets, more to keep track of them, he felt like he regained a bit of control over himself. "I wanna go in and look at some more of the photographs," he said a little shyly, but it was clear he was trying to let his wishes be known, opening up to Eden and showing that he could also choose something he wanted. He hoped the vampyre followed, looking at the photos as they reached them. There were so many of them, some just tiny polaroids and others giant posters. He didn't know what he preferred to look at most, but he liked just being around Eden.
"So, how did your business decision go?" he asked, referring to the night they met and the question he had been asked. To be fair he had been rather curious, but just jumping straight in to his work might be boring if he was using Gerard as a distraction from that.

"I'm afraid that stocks aren't really my expertise," he said with an apologetic tone to his voice. Perhaps to cover up the fact that he had tried so hard to impress Eden that night. He didn't really know why, except for the fact that he found him attractive. And of course it didn't hurt that he was rich, but Gerard was not so vain as to focus on material gains. "I of course could speak my mind when you ask it of me, as much as I appreciate the sentiment, I am far too anxious to be the judge of any amount of decision regarding money," he confessed. Eden was already paying him, but if he were to fail in giving advice, would that cause him harm?
"I think I'd much rather take your mind away from stocks while we spend time together, although I must admit I was nervous to bring it up - I don't always trust my gut," he confessed with a small shrug. It wasn't that big of a deal in his eyes, but for other's trusting their instincts were all they had. "However there is something else that seems to worry my mind right now," he said, smiling a bit to himself. "And that is whether you have more plans for today ... Or perhaps tonight?" he asked. He just had to face the elephant in the room, and that was if Eden was expecting something more. Not that Gerard wouldn't be able to, it was more a talk of aligning their individual expectations.