The following day passed into evening. When I awoke, I noticed that for the first time since being together with Lucious, I was the first one to open my eyes. It was normal for Lucious to be the first up and out to seize the night, leaving me to awaken alone.

I looked at him as he lay comfortably under the plush, crimson blankets. He appeared peaceful, happy to enjoy a night unlike what he was accustomed to: a soft mattress underneath him and the security that the comforter provided us as we slept the day away. I felt the urgent need to wrap my arm around his motionless form and pull myself closer to him. But I brushed away the feeling as not to disturb his rest.

It was then that I questioned those feelings that had been creeping up on me since I met him. He'd never shown real affection towards me, besides for the odd kiss we shared in Serena's mansion, yet why was I feeling such enchantment... devotion towards him? I embraced that word in my head, that word  that was so short with its four letters yet meant so much... love.

Was it love I felt for him? Was it possible?

Our situation was going to change, I felt it as I watched him sleeping. He had finally shared a day sleep together with me, although not held together in each others arms, I was blessed to have him next to me. I wondered what the rest of the night would bring. Certainly it would be much better than the last few days, or the last two months.

Just then, Lucious turned over to his stomach and I adjusted myself preparing for him to awaken at last.

He pushed himself up off the mattress and looked at me, his eyes squint and bloodshot from the day sleep. I sat up and shared the same attention to him.

“Did you sleep well?”

He didn't answer for a second, instead he twisted his head around to look towards his left and then returned his gaze to me. I took his silence for the notion that he was unaware of where he was, and allowed him the time to regain his presence.

“I did,” he answered in amazement.

“It's not so bad, is it?” I moved the blanket away from him so he could sit up.

“I suppose it's not.” He turned and swung his legs off the bed and onto the floor.

I continued to pull away the comforter in order to crawl out of the bed when he turned and looked at me.

“It's... too warm.” The words came from his lips and I froze.

“Does this mean--”

“It is something I'll need to get used to.”

He sat up on the edge of the bed and pulled himself into a stand. His legs appeared a bit shaky but he was able to steady himself, finally swinging around to look at me while I crawled off the bed.

Without a word I stood in front of him peering into his silvery eyes, still wondering if someday I could see past that shell of his and into his thoughts. I still had questions, yet was afraid to ask. His constant silence constructed that nervousness in me, a reluctance I hoped I could be rid of soon now that we had our promises to keep.

“Well, so what do we do on this fine evening?” he wondered.

Overcome by his words I stood silent.

Was he allowing me to choose our activities for the night?

This for sure wasn't typical of Lucious, who never would pass the reins so lightly. Even under the circumstances when I felt in control, he would take his crown back and lead the way. Surely, I was delighted to have the say in our entertainment, yet I wasn't sure what to choose.

It was then when my hunger started to sneak its way up into my throat. I hadn't fed in close to a week's time. I was too fearful to venture into the night without Lucious; too fearful that he would be upset that I went without his consent.

“Well, I am hungry.” I choked down that feeling.

“Of course, you are. I can go see what Chris has,” he said, and without another word, made his way for the bedroom door and disappeared on the other side.

I stood there silent, grasping at my throat, swallowing the hunger that now was beginning to overtake me. A roaring from my stomach induced a grunt from my lips as I held tightly to my neck. I was weak, unsteady upon my feet as I crouched down as if to faint.

This sudden feeling hadn't affected me until now, why was this? True, I hadn't gone for so long without a drop of precious life, but I thought I could control my hunger much better since I had not reacted like this before.

I desperately tried to compose myself before Lucious made his way back to the room. I hadn't wanted him to see me this way. Weak, hunger overcoming me, soon to fall to my knees and beg for him to allow me to feed if that truly was his purpose at all.

The sound of footsteps approaching the door caused me to snap back upright, still trying to choke down that hunger as the door opened. Lucious stepped in with a small wine glass in hand.

It was filled with that crimson stained fluid I had been longing for. I knew it's color, knew its metallic smell as it wafted through the room causing my hunger to flourish.

But why did he bring me so little?

“I'm sorry it took so long, here.” He handed me the glass, a disappointed look on his face.

He folded his arms against his chest and stared down at the floor.

“This is all?” I questioned.

I had hoped for much more to settle this feeling that now rumbled furiously as I could smell that scent rising from the glass. A pleasant woman, perhaps, such as those he would acquire at the tavern when we stayed there. Why in a glass—growing colder by the minute as I reluctantly held it up to my lips in preparation to drink?

“That is it, Mikael,” he answered.

“Why do you torture me?”

“I'm not.” His jaw tensed.

“You starve me--”

“That's not it!”

“I will give you as much blood as you need soon,” he said as his frustration cooled and he ran his hand through my hair. “Until then, this will have to do.”

As he put his hand down, I took a long welcoming sip of the liquid, letting it run across the back of my tongue until it dripped into my throat. I wanted to enjoy it, take pleasure in it just enough to allow my hunger to subside for the moment.

That feeling did not take to such kindness. Pressuring myself to enjoy the blood was difficult, my interior motives were to down the glass and find a victim, taking him or her down as well, savoring every drop that stained my fangs. But I calmly set my mind at ease, erasing those thoughts and continued to enjoy what Lucious had given me.

Just then, I tasted familiarity in the blood.

“Where did this come from?” I wondered before taking another sip.

He looked down at the floor again, his arms folded as they were before. “You wouldn't care to know. Just finish up.”

I took the last sip, enjoying that sweet and bitter flavor, questioning where it was from. I finally handed him the glass, and he walked over to the small table in the corner of the room to set it down.

“So what do we do next?” He asked as I wiped my lips.

I shrugged, as I really didn't know what I wanted to do tonight.

“Hmm, well the house it empty. Why don't we explore?” Lucious presented. “Let's see what he keeps in his attic.”

It was a strange proposal. Like a child home alone, searching the house for hidden Christmas presents but I nodded in agreement, knowing all too well to venture outside would mean to be found by Serena and possibly lose him again.

In our investigation of Chris's home, I found the house not like a house at all but more like a mansion such as Serena's. He owned a fanciful three story building, each wall decorated in fanciful designs, especially in one of the small rooms of the attic.

There he kept a small workbench, flasks half filled with liquids of green and red topped with a cork. Beside the flasks, several small pill bottles, some spilled onto their sides allowing the small capsules such as those CiCi had shown me to tumble across the wooden bench.

I knew this couldn't be all to his science experiment, but wherever the rest was hiding, we didn't discover it that night.

Lucious stood beside me as we stared down at the bench.

“What does he do here?” I wondered.

“I'm not for sure, really?”

“Look at this.” I began to walk into the room but Lucious grabbed tightly to my arm allowing me to go no further. “How long have you known Chris? And you don't know what he's doing at all?”

“I've been like a brother to Chris for over fifty years but this... this is something new.”

We left the room, leaving it the way we found it and continued exploring Chris's manor.

 The hours passed by and we found ourselves outdoors stepping out onto the second floor balcony overlooking the waters of the pond just above the deck.

Lucious was the first to walk out to the railing. He leaned over to look down at the waterfall below. I stepped out behind him and stood quietly watching his static figure.

He was strangely silent now after our exploration of Chris's home. During so he was almost bouncy like a child indeed. Talking aloud about what he found in this room and that room all over the house but now his lips were reserved again as he took in the calming rush of the water falling over the rocks.

“Mikael.” Hearing my name breeze past his fangs in the quiet night sparked my interest.

“Yes?”

“If you ever...” He paused for a moment as if trying to find the best words to say. “had to leave, for some reason beyond our control, would you forget me?”

I was astounded by his question and stood silently thinking about it. What would possibly happen to cause me to leave? I had left his side before but never forgot him. His words, his eyes, and his form were all constant memories to me when I was alone. I could never let go those haunting feelings for him, never fail to remember the way his eyes glared at me with such distorted concern even in uncontrollable situations.

I could never imagine again leaving of my own accord. He was here now beside me, to help me with my condition while I shared with him an affection he had never owned before.

“How could I forget you?” I asked.

He turned away from his spot at the railing and fixed his eyes upon me.

“It could happen.”

“But I would never forget about you!”

He stood silent again, his eyes gazing into mine.

“I can't see a reason why I would leave anyway,” I said.

“Thank you.” He nodded, causing my voice to trail like it had so many times on this night. “I had wanted to make sure that would never happen.”

Quickly, he drew near and wrapped his arms around my torso, squeezing me tightly. The sudden display of affection caught me off guard, and I was just as surprised as when he planted a kiss on my lips in Serena's mansion.

Just then we heard the sound of a piano coming from the first floor of Chris's manor. We both turned in the direction it came from, looked at each other in wonder, and dashed through the door, down the stairs. There we spotted Chris, who must have arrived home earlier, sat in front of his grand piano, playing the keys beautifully.

No one else was in sight. It was just him who took care to not miss a note or play a wrong key. The music rising out of the piano filled the entire house.

Lucious peered over at me while I watched Chris play, and I caught sight of his outstretched hand.

“Would you care to dance?” he asked.

I accepted, and we came together hand in hand next to Chris who didn't seem to mind us slowly encircling each other to the tune of his song.

Soon, our arms were wrapped around one another, gazing deeply into each others eyes and down into our hearts... our souls. We slowed now to the beat of the music, stepping in time with each other, crossing around the same few feet of the floor we had been before.

Those feelings for Lucious crept up in me again as we danced quietly. It was funny how I could feel this way for another vampire, particularly for a man, and I could accept it without question to myself. I always saw him to possess a dignity, an alluring form, like a spectacular glow surrounding him and I wanted to be wrapped up in his arms forever.

Just then I felt the urge to mention those thoughts I had and started slowly, clearing the lingering hunger from my throat before beginning to speak.

“Would you believe... ” I paused and looked over in the direction of Chris who continued to play his perfect song.

“What is it?”

“... I think I'm falling in love.” I finished my sentence looking back into his eyes, my heart fluttering deep within my chest.

He suddenly stopped moving his feet along with the tune and I froze in place, our arms still wrapped around each other.

Had I said the wrong thing?

“A tenacious word to use,” he started, “among vampires.”

“Is it wrong of me to feel this way?”

Stopped in place while the song continued, Lucious unwrapped himself from me and stood still, taking his eyes away from mine and setting them on the floor.

“The feeling is never wrong. Just the word you use,” he answered.

“And how else should I describe it?” I longed for him to hold me once more.

“Is that truly how you feel for me?”

I stood still for a second. I couldn't think and question any longer if that was my true desire. I knew it all along: I wanted him, to stay with him, to caress him... I wanted it all in the name of that word he said was too strong for use among us vampires.

“Yes,” I simply said.

Suddenly he grasped onto my hand and lead me back up the stairs, leaving Chris to enjoy his song alone again. We could still hear the music upstairs, buffered by the walls and floor below us.

He pulled me into the bedroom, letting go of my arm as we approached the bed.

“Sit down,” he ordered, and I obliged.

I sat back ready to listen to whatever he had to say. “What is it?” I reflected on the strange conversation we had downstairs just a second before he dragged me up here.

“Truly, we have been through a lot. You say you have fallen for me and wish to stay with me... to never forget me,” he said. “I want to be together with you forever. But first, I owe you something I should have given to you a long time ago, Mikael.”

My curiosity peeked, as well as that demanding feeling of hunger. Was this it, finally time?

He leaned over me, cupping my shoulder.

“Chris told me he explained the kiss to you.” A look of desire glazed over his eyes as I'd never seen before.

“Yes.” I realized what he was talking about immediately, remembering my quick day dream as Chris explained it to me.

“Then, share with me on this night a vampire's kiss.” Lucious delivered to me his true motives of tonight's plans.

I couldn't say no to what he wanted to give to me. A chance to finally be rid of my denial was all too overwhelming but the intended intimacy of the kiss that I had only heard about sent shivers down my spine.

I had longed for this, for it all... in one shot it would come tonight. My affection towards Lucious, my riddance of denial, a kiss that could go on for a lifetime.

We wrapped ourselves in each others arms, embracing that kiss we began to share. Puckered lips soon became tongues mingling with each others without that strange biting Chris had mentioned. I had relinquished the thought of using my fangs to draw Lucious's blood while together in this motion.

For once in my life of denial, my mind was silent. I wasn't dreading anything to come or anything that had passed us by. It was finally quiet besides for the insisting desire to continue this satisfying display. I had been with him for months now, wondering and waiting for answers—not a care of it now passed through my thoughts.

However, through our kiss and my desire, I was reluctant to feel the cool sensation of blood running slowly down the sides of our lips. That sanguine fluid had come from Lucious's mouth, yet while enjoying our affection for each other, I had not cared to wonder how it came to be.

It drifted slowly from his mouth into mine. Finally a taste of him, cool yet sweet. I wanted to savor that taste since I had found he was my dark maker. It pooled onto my tongue and dripped down my hungry throat all the while we never let go of our hold on each other.

Slowly, he leaned over me more, burying my back deeper into the sheets while we kept a firm lock on our embraces. Much more than a blood exchange, this was passionate. Deep in affection we lay there lips locked and moving in time with the music echoing through the walls from downstairs.

It had been that Lucious was the one who pierced through his own tongue shortly before our affectionate engagement, it prevented me from doing such work on him when I undeniably felt odd given such a task.

But it was as that. The last remaining drips of liquid spilled into my hungry throat before his wound closed and I tasted that bitterness that was of him, taking in that gratification that he finally released me of my horrid denial in such an intense technique that made my weak heart thump against his body. Surely he could feel my shaking, my senses overwhelmed throughout my body as he held me against him. If he was afraid I would forget him, in some condition I nor he could control, he was absolutely mistaken. How could I forget this moment in time, our time, the best moment with him?