#vampirethomas

Her eyes sparkled even under the pulsating lights of the party, like stars in the night giving weary sailors hope and filling them with an unexplained wonder. Her smile was the sun, offering warmth and comfort to those lucky enough to find themselves in its path. His feet carried him nearer, unable to stop himself until he stood before her lost as he drank in her beauty. 

She tucked a strand of her soft brown hair behind her ear, her cheeks warming at his close presence. “Hi, I’m Alex.”

He shook his head, pulling himself from the spell he found himself under. “I’m Thomas.”

“I must admit that I know who you are.” Her gaze shifted nervously to the floor. “I’m not sure how you found your way to me though. I just moved here. I’m no one important. Though, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She extended her hand to him. 

The pads of his fingers lingered on the pulse point of her wrist before lifting her hand. His lips ghosted against her soft, warm flesh. He felt each shift in her breathing and the slight change in temperature brought on by the heat flooding to her cheeks under his touch. His lips curled up in the corners, as he pressed a kiss on the back of her hand. 

Why do I feel as if she might have the power to sway me as she pleases? He fought against himself at the thought. He had never anticipated such a feeling nor had he ever wanted to find himself in such a position. 

His dark eyes shifted up, catching her coy downcast gaze; his thumb brushed over her knuckles once before finally releasing her hand. “The pleasure is entirely mine.”

Somewhere between the rhythm of her heart beating and the steady sound of her breathing, the clamor of noise from the party fell away. The tension in his brow released and soften. “Can I tempt you to a stroll in the gardens?”

Alex glanced around and found her friend engaged in dancing with another partygoer. It didn’t appear he would miss her. “I would like that.”

The gibbous moon shone high in the sky basking them under its soft light, her porcelain skin seemed to shimmer. The cool, refreshing air wrapped around them welcoming them into the night. 

A shiver tingled over her skin as they walked wordlessly across the patio, moving past a few couples entangled with one another, unaware of their presence.

“Here.” Before she could protest his jacket was draped protectively over her shoulders. His hand hovered over her lower back, wanting nothing more than to touch her but not letting himself give in. “I insist.”

“Thank you.” Alex pulled it a little closer, savoring the scent of his cologne on the tweed fabric.

The gardens offered some respite from the party. Alex shared her story of moving to Los Angeles and the hopes she had for her time there. They talked about classic cinema that inspired both of them on this path. She spoke with grace and elegance. He admired her passion for the art of film rather than the allure of the spotlight. Although, he found it didn’t matter what they talked about or if they talked at all. The further they wandered, the closer their bodies seemed to drift and the quieter his mind was until all that was left was her. 

***

“Ooo—” She recoiled for a moment.

“Is everything alright?”

Her hand slipped once more into his. “Your fingers are freezing.”

“Oh, that. My apologies” His free hand threaded nervously through his dark hair. He started to pull his grasp away. “I run cold.”

“We can share my warmth.” Alex guided his hand over her exposed collar bone, letting him warm his skin on her. Her breathing hitched at the sudden change in temperature and the rise and fall of her chest increasing under his intent gaze. 

The gesture caught him by surprise. The heat of her skin felt like a flame against his palm, spreading a blaze throughout his core. He cradled her delicate face with his other hand, letting her fire warm and consume him, until he felt, for the briefest of moments, more like the man he once was.

***

Alex leaned over the siding of the small wooden pier that led into a large lake. The cool water settled around them, while moonlight kissed the surface leaving ripples of sparkling diamonds atop it. The serene scene drew a smile across her face, her joy reflecting in the image below caught her attention. She knew she had never been so happy in her life, but seeing it on her own face while they were together was not something she’d ever noticed before, but it was hard to deny its presence now.

Her gaze shifted beside her hoping to see that same joy in his reflection, but instead, she found more water. She spun quickly around, his arms were there to catch her.  She breathed easier finding him beside her still. “I thought‚—never mind. Come look at how beautiful it is. There is nothing quite like a full moon to alight the dark waters.”

His fingers settled on her hips, drawing her closer to him. “I  would not wish to ruin the beauty of the portrait below. It’s perfect just the way it is,” he admitted, his gaze tracing her features. “Though it owes its allure entirely to you.” 

***

“Hi, you.” She threw her arms around him as soon as she opened her front door. His own greeting was quieted by her lips on his. Her bare feet shifted up on her tiptoes, as he pulled her closer, lifting her up into his arms. The slow, gentle kisses deepened until nothing separated them. She pulled away breathless, biting her lip. “Hi… again.”

The watercolor sunset that painted the sky not long before had faded into a deep blue, stars just beginning to twinkle above them.

His fingers glided across her cheek until he cradled her face in his hand. “You’re absolutely stunning.”

Alex took a step back, brushing back the strands of hair falling in her face from the messy bun atop her head. “We’re already together, you don’t have to flatter me. I’m wearing yoga pants and an old tee. This isn’t even in the same realm as stunning.”

“When you wear it it is,” Thomas stated as if it were a fact everyone was aware of. 

Her face wrinkled under a spreading grin. She turned and walked back into her house. Stopping on the other side of the door, watching as Thomas lingered on the porch as if waiting for an invitation. “Seriously? You really are a gentleman, aren’t you?” She laughed softly to herself. “Please come in, dear sir. You have my permission to enter the premises of this young lady.”

***

His careful fingers caressed her skin as he laid beside her. “Back in my day, things were different. There wasn’t this need for more. Less was more and things were simpler. There weren’t so many distractions pulling focus and demanding our attention.” 

Alex chuckled to herself, leaning up onto her elbows to meet him. “Back in my day,” she teased, slightly mocking his tone.

His brow furrowed in confusion.

“You’re not that much older than me, Thomas. We’re not all that different, are we?”

His eyes closed, and the confusion gave way to dismay.

“What’s wrong? What did I do?” She shifted up, noting how his body tensed beside her. “Talk to me.”

He sighed heavily as if emptying out every part of himself. “This was a mistake. I’m sorry.” He turned from her bed and swiftly redressed.

“What just happened?” She pulled the sheet around herself leaving the warmth of the bed to follow him. “What did I do?”

“It’s not you. I promise it’s not you. This was just a mistake. I shouldn’t have— I knew better—I can’t.” He continued on, without turning back to her. He knew if he faced her, he wouldn’t be strong enough to do what he had to do. “I’m sorry, Alex. You deserve better. You deserve someone who can give you what I’ll never be able to. Truly. I’m sorry.”

“Thomas! Thomas!!” She almost tripped on the sheet as she chased after him down the stairs, giving him time to move further away from her. 

“I’m sorry.” He repeated once more, his hand on the doorknob. “Please forgive me.” 

“Thomas, wait!” The door was more than half-closed when all the pieces finally came together, the puzzle that had been forming over the past few weeks was now complete. “I know what you are!”

The words caused him to stop in his tracks. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

Alex caught up, opening the door wider to meet him once more. The cool night air seeped through the house. “I know what you are.” She repeated softly, her fingers grazing his cool skin. “I think I’ve always known.”

“What do you think you know?” He questioned, his troubled gaze refusing to meet her eyes. 

“You’re a vampire, aren’t you?”

He squeezed his eyes shut at the word. “Then you should know to stay away from me.”

She stepped forward, closing the gap between them. 

Her warmth washed over him even in the cool air, intoxicating him. “Alex, stop. It’s too dangerous.”

“Why? You’ve given me no cause for concern. In fact, I’ve never felt safer than I am with you.”

“Alex—” He took a step back, putting distance between him and the humming of her heartbeat pumping in her chest, pulling him back in. He shook his head. That sound had once quieted his mind when they had first met but now it overwhelmed his senses. It beat as if it were a part of him now. “I’ve spent a long time honing my patience, fighting my instincts, and controlling my thirst. But with you, you make me forget myself. You make me feel like the man I once was, like I could be him again, like I could be human. But I’m not, and I’ll never be.”

“Thomas.” 

He held up his hand quieting her. 

“If I let myself forget, even for a moment. If I lose control. If anything happened to you— if I ever hurt you. I could never forgive myself.” 

She took his hand, offering a gentle squeeze. “I trust you with all that I am.” She placed his hand over her heart, it’s drumming echoed in his ears like a beautiful symphony. “Now, trust me. I’ve seen you, the real you. I can’t begin to understand what it’s like for you, but I know you and I’m willing to take the risk. You’re worth it.”

“Alex, if something—” 

His words were cut off as her finger pressed against his lips. “I see you, Thomas. I see all that you are and all that we can be. Come back to bed.”

***

He brushed a soft kiss on her forehead, then her nose, and each cheek, before settling on her red lips. “Are you sure?”  

Her eyes darkened with desire at the sharp sensation of his fangs pulling out her lower lips. “Yes. I’m sure.”

Thomas left a string of hot kisses down her throat to the side of her neck where her pulse vibrated loudly in his ear. He swallowed hard, focusing on the flow of her precious blood hidden by such a fragile covering of skin.

She saw the hesitation in his eyes. “I trust you. You’ll be able to stop.”

His fingers entwined with hers, bringing them closer but also pinning her to the bed. “I love you, Alex.”

“I love you, too.” She gasped as his fangs sank into her neck, puncturing her flesh allowing him to feed. Her eyes closed, letting her body focus on the sensation. She felt both weak and empowered at the same time. Her head fell back into the pillow, her heart beating faster. His groans of satisfaction and delight drew her gaze to him. 

Her body tensed and tightened in confusion. “Thomas? Why are you sparkling?”

His lips never left her skin, his attention to her neck only deepening, drawing out a whimpering moan that left her eyes fluttering closed once more. 

***

Alex gasped for air as her eyes popped up. She blinked several times, letting her gaze adjust and giving her mind time to catch up. 

Thomas’s fingers softly stroked her hair, as she rested her head in his lap. Her favorite blanket was pulled up over her. 

She tried shifting but found it more difficult than she had anticipated. It wasn’t her neck causing her discomfort, it was something else. Her fingers slid over her swollen stomach. Her babies kicked at her touch, filling her with joy as her memories of earlier in the evening came back to her. 

“I settled on staying in for Halloween because some self-proclaimed hermit of the hills didn’t want to attend a party.” Alex teased, her fingers dancing up his chest. “So I should choose the movie!”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “But must it be that one?”

“Yes, it must!” She insisted. 

His hands cradled her stomach, his focus shifting to the twins. “I apologize that you must suffer through this.”

Alex rolled her eyes, unamused. 

Thomas cringed as the film played; his eyes continuously closing in an attempt to block out the external stimuli that left his skin crawling. “Alex, please. This is torture.”

She laughed, enjoying his suffering more than she should. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Twilight is a great film. A work of art, actually.”

“I know you’re kidding, but even still! How did vampires fall so far? Vampires may not be an area I particularly find inspiring. Nevertheless, this is an atrocity.” 

“What would you suggest then?”

“Well at the moment, I think you and the twins need a bit of education to help stop the decay of your brain cells after this.” Thomas turned off Twilight and switched to Vincent Price's Dracula.  

Alex placed a pillow in his lap, curling into him, her focus on the screen watching the history of the vampire genre. Somewhere into the documentary, shortly after the history of Vlad Dracul and Vlad Dracula’s reign of terror she drifted to sleep. 

Her fingers pressed to her neck. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been having crazy pregnancy dreams, but this one had felt so real. 

The credits of the film were paused on the screen, firmly reminding her of what was real and what wasn’t. She felt a kick in her abdomen, as her eyes settled on the screen. “Hmm. Vincent?” The words on her lips barely made a sound. “Do you like that?” The babies shifted again as if in agreement. 

She shifted in his lap, looking up at him. “Hi.”

Thomas’s mouth pulled up at the corner. He brushed her hair away from her face. “Hello, Sleeping Beauty. Welcome back.”

Alex reached up, the pads of her fingers caressing his beard before her thumb pulled at his chin begging his mouth open. “Just checking.”

“Do I even want to know?”

“Well,” she shifted up, batting her eyelashes coyly. “I could tell you about my dream. Or you could just kiss me.”

A low laugh vibrated on his lips. “How could I deny my beautiful wife, a kiss?”

“You can’t.” Her lips met his, closing the gap between them. 

That dream may have been more vivid than any other she had ever had, but nothing would ever come close to challenging the perfect dream that was her reality. He was more than she ever could have imagined needing and soon their family would be even more perfect. She had everything she could ever want right there in front of her.

☆  ☆   ☆   ☆   ☆

A/N2: I did proof read it but at like 4am so if there are mistakes, I’m sorry. I will reread/edit in the morning.