I've been rotating vampire au in my head for days now, I can't stop thinking about it
Mariana was once human and was turned by his ex, maybe he confided in Charlie about this when he asked if he's ever turned someone else into a vampire. The thought's maybe crossed his mind once, twice, when Mariana fed on him, fangs sinking into his skin and draining him, how living as a vampire must be tough albeit interesting. Charlie would never ask him to, though
Charlie's handsy when Mariana feeds on him, grabbing him all over, because getting your blood sucked isn't always comfortable, but the euphoric rush of emotions also overwhelm him a lot. Mariana doesn't tell him he feels exactly the same way, because it's the taste of his blood, but Charlie's also his human and seeing him squirm and writhe under him sends him to heaven and pulls him down to hell. He doesn't know what that means
Mariana also has vampire friends (because why not). He ended up introducing Charlie to Roier (another vampire who thought him all he knows about being one), who tried flirting with him and ultimately realised Charlie was Mariana's human (he thought bloodsoulmates were a myth, he's pretty jealous actually).
And Mariana is so protective it's ridiculous. He didn't know he was being protective, snarling at every vampire who dared look Charlie's way. He was just tall, dark, mysterious, he thought others feared him for his size. He never realised he was making such an expression on his face. And all this time he thinks it's because Charlie is his walking bloodbag, and not that he actually grew feelings for the human. Charlie just thinks Mariana hated people.
Aw, yeahh!! The vampire AU is one of my favorites :D
I do think Mariana is very protective of his history, especially how he got turned into a vampire. Because he’s ashamed and regretful of how he actually pleaded and begged to be turned into one, thinking he wanted to devote forever to his boyfriend. It’s where he built his rule of feeding only once on strangers to avoid building a connection. Until he met Charlie, of course…
When he first fed on Charlie, he obviously didn’t understand how much it would affect him, same goes for Charlie. So, the more they do it, they didn’t account for attraction soon coming into play. Charlie didn’t expect that being fed on would also feel good on his end, it’s just arousing to them both. Heavy petting just becomes something they can’t avoid which soon develops into something more overtime.
And the addition of Roier being Mariana’s vampire friend and also becoming friends with Charlie is a good showmanship of a vampire and a human getting along without blood, turning and hunting being involved for once. I like it!!
Mariana being unknowingly overprotective of Charlie just comes with being his blood soulmate. But when Charlie is faced with real danger, he realizes that there’s a difference between his protective instincts and falling head over heels for someone.
In addition, Charlie does wonder about vampirism. When they are at the point of them being romantically acquainted, he would ask Mariana questions what it’s like, if it would hurt to turn, etc. Obviously, Mariana is suspicious of his questions but he’d answer attentively, thinking his boyfriend is just curious.
But then, it turns into an issue when during feedings, Charlie would come to beg for him to turn him, which honestly just reminded him of Mariana and his ex, so he doesn’t and refuses his request. Although, Charlie is out of it, he knows he was also being honest.
In Charlie’s head, he doesn’t want to grow old knowing Mariana will be left alone, because time does pass by like too fast for immortals. He wants to spend forever with him, that he becomes certain of.
On the other hand, Mariana has unresolved issues of trusting to that degree again when he got left behind. He couldn’t handle his blood soulmate leaving him in the end if it doesn’t work out. To him, it’s much better for Charlie to live his life to the fullest instead of risking an eternal life where Charlie would have no limit to figuring out that maybe Mariana isn’t worth it, maybe he’ll leave him too. It’s a matter of will he ever turn Charlie into a vampire to risk eternity with him or not?🤫