Vampire Days

Chapter 39: Wild Geese

Before I had the chance to see Nurgis, Dalton gave me a really great bear hug, easily lifting me off the floor. Champion grinned, shaking his head. I couldn't tell if he was in the mood to find Totoro cute or if he's just happy to see the food that they brought in with them.

"If I had known that you'd throw yourself into danger, I should have just brought you home with me," Totoro said, as if he was trying to absorb me into his own huge body. Which surprised me, because he's not as fluffy as he looked.

"Don't kid yourself, Totoro. I am a fucking introvert!" I answered. Even I couldn't explain what went on in my head yesterday. That was the kind of confidence that I get whenever I'm drunk. Instead of trying to get away from the hug, I just went along with it and wrapped my arms around his torso.

"Were you crying?" he asked in his usual soothing voice. 

"I did cry. And it was scary, you know. Super scary," I answered him in a pouty way, playing it just like a child. Surprisingly, when I closed my eye I had a fleeting recollection of my fat father and the way he would defend me from my brother just because I was younger. Somehow I felt good after admitting my feelings. "They stole my eye."

"Owie. There, there, boy. Want to go live with Uncle Dalton?"

"No thanks, I don't taste good," I answered normally and he laughed his weirdly mild laugh that went "hee hee heee" like he was too shy to actually let his belly produce a booming laughter. He put me down and patted my head but my eye was already glued to a tall person by the door, his hands inside his jean pockets. I glanced at Champion but he was already stuffing himself with rice and chicken from a famous Filipino fastfood chain. "You're kidding me, Nurgis."

"Mind your manners, Genesis Magno, and put 'kuya' where it belongs," the man said, giving me a lopsided grin. He was unmistakably Nurgis, but also a fully grown man Nurgis. He's only slightly taller than me but he's wiry, maybe kind of willowy, reminding me of a cheetah. Only his deep voice was the same, which made me wonder whether his voice was the only thing he couldn't change or he just didn't bother even in a teenager's body. "You would never figure it out by yourself so. . ."

"Holy shit, man. You even have a beard! That is unfair. I want a beard!" I said, pointing at him.

"I also have a beard you know," Champion butted in, scowling at his chicken. His fans said that you know the food was good when Champion looked angry while devouring it.

"Holy shit, you can be any age that you want?"

Nurgis was literally that disappointed fan meme when he stared at me like I was the biggest idiot, who speaks, he ever found on land. I'm glad he's here.

"Genesis, I've been wondering. Maybe when you spilled some of your brain that night, you also lost a big chunk of your common sense? Did I accidentally turn you into a dumbass?"

"Shut up, Nurgis. You're a shapeshifter."

"I am. That is my gift." He smiled and held my cheeks with both hands, pressing his cold palms on each side of my face. His forehead against mine as he stared at me intently.

His feline eyes were glinting like marbles and I found myself staring back with my left eye. You know, the only one that's left, because I lost my right eye. Huh. The sensation of his thumb brushing gently on my left eyelashes almost made me jump by surprise but I slowly calmed down after convincing my brain that Nurgis would never hurt me.

"No human gesture could express how relieved I am to be able to touch you right now. I thought I lost you for good."

"Nurgis the kid was utterly devastated he was bawling. He's trying to act cool and composed but in reality he's mentally weak," Totoro whispered to Champion while they ate. I heard it, so did Nurgis whose lip twitched but chose to ignore the obvious teasing. "Oh Christ, I could drown in this gravy and be happy as a bumblebee."