𝐈𝐥𝐥-𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 ✔️

26

V A L E R I A

I wasn't sure if this was considered a date or not. I hadn't been on a date, not in a long time, so I had nearly forgotten the feeling. I look at my reflection, I once again wear red, and I begin picking my appearance apart in the mirror. Questioning my lipstick choice, how my hair looks, even things I cannot change. I question what a vampire may think of me, and feel guilty that I do not feel guilty about it. 

He knocks on my door, it's the only thing that finally makes my eyes leave the mirror. 

I open the door. He stands, wearing black pants and a white button-up satin shirt, I see him wear a necklace with a cross on it. Vampires typically mocked religion. I knew he wore it for me.

As his eyes looked me up and down, I said, "I know I look ridiculous."

"Far from," he says. "Do you not recognize your beauty, Valeria?"

Beauty is subjective. And I don't believe that I am, yet for some reason, he does. He moves his hand from behind his back to be in front of him. I look at the flowers, at the red roses, I smile at them. 

"Those are my favorite," I say. 

As I take them from him, he leans against my doorway. I feel his eyes follow me as I put them in a vase with water. 

"Flowers for a first date," his words make me pause for a moment. "I believe you do not deserve any less."

"Date?" I repeat as I turn around. 

"Yes, date," he says. "Is it really so hard to believe I want to go on a date with you?"

When I didn't respond, he walked over to me, I knew he felt some way for me, but he had never really voiced it openly. He tells me, "I find you beautiful, Valeria. When I look at you, I know it's forbidden, but I will take the punishment for it."

His hand moves to my jawline, tilting my head up at him. He nearly whispers, "I had never dreamed until I met you. It had made me want to sleep for the first time when I do not need it."

"But now," he continues. "I don't want to sleep. When I sleep, I waste time not seeing you."

His face, close to mine, his words, poetic. A vampire, an evil one, confesses feelings to an angel, I question if it makes me equally as evil that I also wish to break the rules when I'm supposed to hate him. 

My lips want to touch his, and I think they would've if he did not pull away. But he does. 

He says while his hand runs through my hair, "I'll wait for you to feel the same. I have centuries to spare." 

𓆩♡𓆪

The art gallery is beautiful. But there was one painting I found more beautiful than the rest. I stand in front of it, looking at the painting titled, "An endless sky."

Adonis stands behind me. He says, "There you are."

I keep looking at the painting. He moves to stand beside me. 

"It's beautiful," I say. I have always loved art. We had been here for hours, looking at paintings, statues, but at the end of the night, I returned to this one painting. 

"The museum is now closed," the speaker says. "Please find your way to the exit."

I forced myself to leave it, although I wanted to look at it for longer. I exit with Adonis, we have to sneak back into the school, but we both had experience with that. We made it to my room without being seen, I stood in front of the flowers, touching the rose petals.