I'll Be Here All Life | ✓ | ONC 2021

[5] Since I Was Human

Neil sits up the whole night with me. I'm not tired, and Neil says he takes a potion to help him stay awake, but I do wonder if he's just saying that. Either way, I'm happy to spend the night talking with someone who isn't Abby. It makes everything feel a little less lonely.

When the sun peeks in through the windows, Neil does me a courtesy by shutting the curtains. He starts brewing coffee, and the scent overwhelms my nostrils in a good way. Yes, as a human I drank coffee like no tomorrow. As a vampire fledgling, I've avoided it. I think I did that because I was scared of it inducing my sleepless state. Well, seeing as that is unavoidable now, I allow Neil to pour me a nice French press coffee, and its bitter taste lingers in my mouth. "That's nice, thank you."

"Oh yeah, French press is the way to go." He smiles; I find myself really liking his smile, his bright white teeth, and his lips—

"Vick? You good?"

"S-sorry." The touch sensors in my cheeks pinch, but I don't think they can redden anymore due to my vampirism. I opt for a giant gulp of coffee in distraction.

"So," he says, stretching, and I see the tiniest peek of his abdomen as his shirt slides up before he returns to his normal sitting position. The blush threatens to break through my vampirism. "What are you up to today?"

"Mmm, I don't know." Just then, my cell phone vibrates, and I check it.

Abby: Can you say "I got laaaaaaaaaaaaaid"? ;)

I quickly text back.

Vick: I can't, but I'm sure you can.

Abby: I'll spare you the dirty deets... for now

Abby is such a millennial, I swear... or maybe she was born a millennium ago? Har har, I should add that to my comedy set.

"Well, looks like my vampire friend got laid," I say as I put my phone facedown on the tabletop.

Neil chuckles. "That's... nice to know."

The air gets awkward. Now that the love potion has worn off, I feel more awkwardness and nervousness around him. I bite my lip and prick it, tasting blood. Great. Good one, Vick. As if to emphasize my blunder, Neil's eyes widen and he says, "Oh, you're bleeding."

It's not that what gets me, but rather when he leans across the table and uses his thumb to wipe the spot of blood from my lip. His thumb lingers there, and he brings his eyes up to mine.

Oh god. I haven't kissed anyone since I was human—is it different? How do I do this?!

Well, all the panicking in the world can't stop me from surging forward and meeting Neil's lips with my own.

He gasps but reaches around the back of my head and pulls me closer, our noses smushed on either side of each other. The sensation of him against my mouth is too much, and I let out a low... hiss?!

I pull away, bringing a hand up to my mouth, mortified. "I'm... so sorry. I've never done that before—"

"I liked it," he says breathlessly, and when he reaches for me again, I oblige, my eyes fluttering closed. God, his French press coffee breath is sending my senses into overdrive. A ringing fills my ears, then replaced by the sound of coursing liquid—oh. His bloodstream.

Damn, his bloodstream sounds so enticing... but the thought of bringing my mouth to his neck or wrist or anywhere with a throbbing vein and biting into it... It makes me pull away again, and I force the small lump in my throat to disappear before it threatens to grow. "Sorry," I whisper.