He could have lied to me, I would have believed every single word. I didn't even know the reason for this unconditional trust. I never wanted to admit it, thought he was just a good friend. However, I also remembered the feeling before the bite. It was like ... it was indescribable. Like a long unconscious longing that flared up the moment his warm whisper brushed my ear.

"Hey, don't cry. I know I screwed up. I'm so damn sorry Katie. I'm the biggest asshole there is," he said, looking away. Didn't look me in the eye. I looked at his muscular back, his chocolate-brown hair falling over his forehead. His eyes were different, but somehow not either, at least the expression in them has remained. He was still him. There was no doubt about that. I got up and went to the door, turning around to him again. He sat with his head bowed, his gaze fixed on the parquet. There was a tiny stitch in my heart at the sight of it. I turned around resolutely.

The hot water relaxed me. I took my time to organize my thoughts. When I stepped back into the living room he was still sitting there. He hadn't moved a bit.
I kneel before him and looked up, forcing him to look into my eyes. He finally looked at me, looking for signs of fear in my eyes. His fingers brushed my neck, the place where a large plaster was stuck. "I'm really really sorry, little one," he said meekly and looked at me with such a sorry look that I involuntarily straightened up and wrapped my arms around his neck.
He was startled, but then hugged me tighter and buried his face in my damp hair. He kept mumbling an apology, but I didn't hear it.
I inhaled its scent, tried to memorize it. I felt his breaths. And his heart. It hit. I listened to him.
I focused on this new, unknown feeling. It was exciting and scary at the same time.

We sat like that for a while, then he got up and pulled me along. He led me into the kitchen by the hand. I only felt his hand in mine. His warm big hand that had closed around mine to protect it. When I got to the kitchen, I sat down on the table, he rummaged in the fridge and made us a few rolls.

"You are eating?", I broke the long silence that had formed in amazement. I heard him laugh softly. That was answer enough for me. I looked at his back, watched the muscles move under the shirt. Again I felt this need. I wanted to go to him, touch him, feel his warmth and hug him.
I had gone to the dining table and was sitting there on the table when he slowly turned around and bit into his bun with relish.It looked like he was trying to tease me and prove something to me.
I smiled and took my bun that he handed me. He leaned against the refrigerator again.
I wondered if he'd moved that far away from me. He eyed me carefully, looking for signs of fear in my eyes again.
My heart skipped when he looked me up and down again, but not out of fear. I didn't want to admit it, but I liked every move he made, the way his chest rose when he took a breath, the way his arm kept moving towards his mouth. I liked it. I wanted, no, I just couldn't admit it to myself.

He put his plate in the sink, took a sip of Coke, and came over to me. I took the cola from his hand and drank too. I was really thirsty, so half the bottle was gone when I closed it.

He stood in front of me, then put his hands on my left and right, leaned down to me and said softly: "You should actually be afraid of me."

Part of me was scared to death as well, but the other was speechless when his warm breath hit my face. I closed my eyes to let that moment pass again. I became aware of his proximity and quickly opened my eyes.

My heart started beating. I was afraid he would hear it.
It seemed, unfortunately for me, that it was the same. He had to suppress a smile and smirked a little. Hmmm vampires had a really unfair advantage.
I hadn't really thought that now, did I? Yes, I hadn't wanted to admit it to myself, but my brain was just thinking too fast. Even part of my body knew it, it was afraid of it, but there was something about it, something that tells you it wasn't dangerous. He just couldn't be.

My eyes stayed on his lips.
I felt like she was screaming at me to touch her. So inviting.
And already my imagination answered. I saw how I took his face in my hands, how our lips came closer together. How they touched.

I shook my head, pulled myself together, and looked back into his eyes. Hopefully he couldn't read minds too. I lost myself in his gaze, just stopped thinking. My muscles relaxed. A little restlessness built up inside me. I sat there hypnotized and looked into his beautiful eyes. Brown eyes. I felt it rumbling in my stomach, it felt uncomfortable and yet somehow exciting.

And so I sat there. He was bent over to me. Time passed, no, it literally flew away. In my innermost being, something pressed towards him, wanted to feel him, to feel his energy, which he radiated.

Stomping footsteps and loud laughter could be heard from the stairs.Jake reluctantly straightened up and peered out the door. He then took long strides back to the refrigerator and sat down on the counter next to it. Again he had gone to the other end of the room.

Mike stepped inside, gave Jake a long, suspicious look, then looked down at me. He smiled at me, involuntarily I smiled back.
I got up and looked at him and unconsciously put a hand on his heart. I didn't notice it until I felt his pulse.
"Shane is downstairs," he said quietly to me, his face taking on a serious expression.

I looked over my shoulder at Jake. Our eyes met and that something urged me to go back to him.
I turned and stomped down the stairs.
Shane was sitting in Jake's rocking chair. I smiled involuntarily. The tension that had spread in me because of earlier relaxed at the sight of him.
He looked up at me. Gingerly grinned at me.
"How are you so little one?"
"Great!" I said with a big smile on my face.
He looked at me worried.
"Actually, scared to death, you should run up to me and ask me to hit Jake."
"Why should you hit him?" I asked.
"Hmmm let me think. So when I walked in the door yesterday, I smelled blood. As I stormed up the stairs, I saw you curled up in a corner and whimpering. Fear was in your eyes and they were focused on Jake. He. He was full of blood and couldn't control himself, besides, there was nothing human in his gaze. He was in a hunting mood. You had two huge holes in your throat and you were also smeared with blood. Hmm, I still don't know why I should beat him up. Want to Don't you tell me? "he said this with so much sarcasm and irony. It just gave me goose bumps.
Did I really look that bad? Wow.

He put Jake's guitar aside and held out his hand to me. I grabbed it and he pulled me onto his lap. It was comforting, at least for the fearful part of me who kept saying "Shit man, I'm scared! Get out and crawl. As far away from him as possible!".
The other part was just happy to be hugged again.
I put my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

Soft guitar sounds woke me up. Hmm, I must have fallen asleep. I was still sitting on Shane's lap.

Not finished yet people ...