lionhearted.

" i'm sure everything you need is there. " the words came out confident, cool, and as nonchalant as someone asking about the weather. internally, he was exuding an immense amount of effort. he had allowed himself one single bag of human blood this morning to ensure he had the strength to compel everyone he would need to compel to settle into college. hey, at least it wasn't high school. his thoughts were elsewhere as he walked out of the office, not noticing anything or anyone around him until -- it was the scent first. it hit his nostrils with such a force it almost made him jump. it was soft, sweet, and so... alive. vanilla? maybe? if he was human, he probably would've blushed. of course it was her. why would it be anyone else? the face he saw when he closed his eyelids at night, the face (faces?) that haunted his dreams... and there she was. right in front of him. and he couldn't even think of anything to say, so all he said was -- " uh, pardon me -- "