Giving Blood at the Danton Bakery

15. Apple Cider

The last hour before the sun went down was a miserable time to be awake.

At least, for a nearly two hundred year old vampire it was.

Theo's phone rang, as he had forgotten to turn it off when he went to bed, and he reached out from under his covers to grab it with a harrumph of dissatisfaction. The itch of the sun just on the other side of his thick curtains and shuttered window, just begging to be let in.

"This is Theo," he answered, pulling his consciousness into something more alert.

"Edith isn't feeling too hot today," Mason's voice came over the phone. "I'm covering for her at the shop, but no blood today obviously. I can run the register though."

"Oh," Theo sat up. "Is she alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just a cold. I told her to stay in bed, even sent her neighbor after her to make sure she stays in."

"What a kind neighbor."

"Oh, nah it's not that. Kiddo hates her neighbor with a burning passion. I just made sure the neighbor hovers in her garden and keeps Edith from leaving the house."

Theo rolled his eyes. "Ah, that seems more like a plan you'd come up with."

"Yup, I'm a genius. But, speaking of helping people out, should I be worried about you?" Mason asked.

"I'd rather you didn't."

"I bet you've been tossing and turning over our cute little freckled angel, haven't you?" Mason teased. "What if she heard us the other day?"

"You're not taking this very seriously," Theo grumbled.

"No, probably not. Realistically, I doubt Bea has it in her to out us to the world. I mean, look at my family who has known for ages and hasn't thrown a fit about it."

"That's different, that's family."

"You're a vampire, Theo. Your family is who you want it to be," Mason said.

Theo paused, Mason's words striking him as surprisingly insightful. No, he may not have any blood relations left, but Mason was found family, and Theo had come to start thinking of Edith and Bea in a similar way. When he would have spent days alone in introspection before, reading or in front of the television until his usual outing on Friday night, he now had reason to come out of his home every day. 

And Bea was special. She was so sweet, and her creativity and drive were admirable. Since meeting the cheerful  baker, she occupied more and more of Theo's wandering thoughts. Mason was right, Bea wouldn't expose them on purpose, but if she truly knew what they were, would she accept them? He wasn't sure he could handle it if Bea started avoiding him. He cared about her far too...

"Theo? You there?"

"Yes, I'm here." Theo ran a hand through his hair as a pang of hunger struck his stomach. "I've been ridiculous lately, thank you for helping me realize that."

"About time you realized it," Mason scoffed. "Wait, what have you realized? That Bea finding out wouldn't be the end of the world?"

"No, I realized how much her rejection would hurt." Theo surprised himself by speaking his new, raw thoughts out loud. He did care for her. He cared for her a lot. More than was safe for either of them. "I... I'll see you at the bakery."

"Alright, goodb-"

Theo ended the call and dropped his phone on the bed. Running a hand down his face, he groaned. "What have I gotten myself into? A human? Really?"

With some effort, Theo got himself off of his bed, dressed, and ready to slip outside the moment the sun began to dip. Bea. His head swam with introspection he hadn't allowed himself about her in a long time, and each answer he came up with made him more and more nervous.