One Boring Person

It had started as an irritating gnawing in his stomach that refused to be sated, no matter what he consumed. Then, the food would come back up despite being in perfect condition. His darling did what they could for him. They consoled him. They sat with him as dinner came back up in the bathroom, rubbing comforting circles on his back. It got concerning quickly when he was unable to keep even coffee or tea down.

Their heartbeat was louder in his ears now. His senses honed in on them whenever he was close, regardless of what he was doing beforehand. A single sound that drowned out all other noise. It didn't annoy or irritate him; it soothed him. It drew him in like a moth to flame. It calmed his nerves faster than any cigarette did, it comforted the discomfort that hung heavy inside his body. There were a few times he found himself lingering behind them when they were distracted.

His hands hovered just above their body, his head slumped down as he listened to that sweet melody of their heartbeat. Steady and calm, the sound of life. An ache would take hold in his mouth, his gums to be precise, followed by the uncomfortable urge to bite into their skin and sink into that sweet melody. He would pull himself away, force his hands down by his side and swallow those urges. He was not an animal.

Zeno knew it was becoming a concern when he found himself growing weaker each day that passed. Unable to keep anything he consumed down for longer than an hour. Food turning to ash in his mouth. Until, it happened.

Five days unable to eat or drink. His body was barely able to stand up by himself, and the pounding of his darling's heartbeat was all he could hear. His vision was obscured, melting away in a vast darkness and grey until the red glow of their heart was all he could see. A light guiding him through the darkness. Salvation...Hope.

It happened so quickly he didn't even realise it. His hands were on them, holding them down firmly as his nails dug into their lovely skin. The scent of their blood took hold of him as the hunger did.

He sunk his teeth deep into them. He was aiming for their neck but their quick movement spared their neck, making his fangs dig deep into their shoulder. At that moment, Zeno didn't care. He could taste their blood on his tongue, and his body screamed for more. The one thing that could finally sustain his body. He could feel his very cells rejuvenating, a surge of euphoria flooding his body in a way he had never felt before.

The moment was shattered by an intense burning pressure against his body, the sudden pain forced Zeno to pull away with a cry of shock. He saw the state of his actions. His beloved darling, clutching their wounded shoulder, their eyes staring at him with an expression he has never seen them give him before.

Confusion. Fear.

He did that to them. And the guilt of it tore him apart. He promised them he would never lay a hand to hurt them and he shattered that promise. The silver bracelet he had given them as a gift had been what saved them from his greedy hunger.

Since then, if Zeno felt his hunger begin to stir, he would leave and not return until he was sated. He wouldn't put them at risk again. It seemed vampirism was far more of a hindrance than he believed it to be.

-

Today was no different. You laid your head on his lap while his fingers combed through your hair. Both of you watching a movie you couldn't even remember the name of right now. It was more background sound than anything at this point. Zeno's body had always run a little colder than most people before but now, his body held a chill to it that never melted away.

The research he had poured into, as well as your own private investigating, resulted in the same information. Zeno, apparently, was the closest thing to a living vampire in this day and age. Something that sounded obscure and make-believe but how can one deny it when the evidence was there plain as day? Since that day, you had shed all the silver in the penthouse, locking it away that Zeno wouldn't come into contact with it. Even though he insisted you kept the bracelet, "Just in case of a incident." he had said

Modifications had been made to the windows to block out as much sunlight as possible, basking the room in warm florescent lighting instead. You had spent several days after the first incident, trying to get Zeno to be remotely close to you again, reassuring him that you knew he didn't mean to hurt you.

A lapse in judgement. A slip-up anyone could have made. He had been starving, after all. How could he be blamed when no one could see it coming?

Right now, all that you cared about was that Zeno was here. Your eyes drifted up from the movie towards Zeno. The man's eyes remained the same molten gold you loved so dearly, but the thin veins that ghosted his pale skin had appeared only after he had tasted your blood. They didn't bother you in the slightest.

"You're supposed to be staring at the screen, not me." Zeno's voice was soft as it always was with you. He never raised his voice to you, no matter what mood he was in.

"I know. But you're more interesting to look at." Try as he might to hide it, you saw the way his eyes flickered aside when you said that. He always did that when your words made his ego swell a touch. But it wasn't just that anymore. Zeno had fallen in love with your ability to read him, when he refused to speak words or admit anything aloud, you knew what he was asking for.

The slight twitch of his corner lip. Refusing to meet your eyes. The stiffness in his shoulders.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" The man stiffened to stone as those words left your lips which only confirmed it. His fingers stilled in your hair. "You don't have to be quiet about it, darling." You shifted yourself so you were sitting upright on the couch, giving him your full attention.

"I will leave at the end of the movie to sustain myself." You shook your head at that. Zeno had always tiptoed around you in terms of his strength before, but now, he outright refused to be around you at times.

"Zeno, why do you treat me like I'm fragile?" You moved your hand and grabbed the remote, pausing the movie and forcing the man to look at you. He let out a low sigh, the tips of his fangs hidden behind his lips.

"Dear heart, this is not something to take lightly." He said, his words calm but his shoulders stiff again, "When I first... when I attacked you, I didn't want to stop. It was only by the grace that your bracelet protected you from me. I will not put your life at such risk again." The weight of his words were soaked with guilt. You could never forget the look in his face when he realised what he had done.

You never wanted to see him like that again.

You reached out and took his hand into yours, sliding your fingers between his. "You won't. I trust you." His hand tightened slightly against your hand and you smiled. You weren't lying. Even after the incident, you didn't fear him. Not your Zeno.

Zeno looked at you, watching as you brought his hand up to your chest and pressed it over your heart. You saw his pupils constrict a touch as he felt your heartbeat steadily against his palm, the sound singing to his senses.

"I trust you, love." You repeated, your other hand coming up and pulling your shirt down enough to expose the column of your neck to him in silent invite. His breath hitched a touch at the sight. How you trusted him so blindly even after what happened still baffled him. He hated it but he loved it at the same time.

"Fine then. Have it your way." He caved though his attempt to sound unbothered failed. "Here, lay down. Get comfortable."

Zeno moved on the couch, giving you more space as you laid down on the leather furniture and relaxed against the material. Slowly, Zeno moved on top of you, his movements fluid and steady as he settled between your legs. One hand came to rest by your head while the other caressed your cheek in a gentle touch like you were the most precious thing in the world.

To him, you were.

"Push me back if it hurts too much, okay?" He waited for you to confirm that before he slowly leaned down to your neck. The man was almost vibrating with hunger as his lips brushed along your neck, settling over the junction just above the base of your neck.

Then, he slowly bit down. His fangs sinking in slower, more gently, than the first time. It didn't hurt nearly as much this time. It felt like two shards of ice piercing your flesh that soon melted into a throbbing numbness. Your hand came up and cradled Zeno's head against you, your fingers tangling in his hair.

A soft noise slipped his lips as he drank deeply, his body pressing against you more, seeking that delicious warmth your body radiated. He could taste every bit of you. Your joy. Your warmth. Your love. Every little emotion you felt in that moment, he could taste it as if it was his own.

He felt your blood flow through his body, igniting every vein and nerve with your essence, breathing rejuvenated life into his body. He felt the hitch of your breath, the pulse of your heart in his own dead chest. It was invigorating.

"Zeno..." Your voice whispered by his ear and he felt you gently tug at him. He, sadly, pulled himself away from you with a soft gasping sound, his eyes rolled back lightly in something close to pleasure as he slowly came back to reality. The taste of your blood hummed in his body. A thin trickle of it slipped the corner of his lips, his hand came up and quickly claimed it, ensuring no drop went to waste.

"You taste amazing, darling." He confessed, his voice heavy and low, but the smile on his lips was undeniable. "Here, let me." Zeno moved off you, almost stumbling for a moment as he regained his footing and fetched you a towel from the kitchen. The wound was shallow, your blood already clotting to seal it slowly. He pressed the towel against the punctures and settled beside you once again.

His mind felt clear, void of the foggy hunger that filled the corners of his head. He let out a small sigh of relief as you looked up at him. Your eyes still holding that softness to them.

The love he tasted from you.