Elizabeth-New Morning

When I woke up in the morning I was alone, though I could smell something cooking in the kitchen. “What the hell…” I got out of bed and walked out into the main room and peeked into the kitchen. Nicholas had his back turned to me, and there was food products laying everywhere. “You barely had anything in the house so I went shopping. I hope you don’t mind.” He didn’t look at me, but already knew I was there. I smiled. He never changes. I thought and walked up behind him to look over his shoulder. Bacon, eggs, and what looked like gravy were all going on the stove. “Biscuits are in the oven, they’ll be ready soon. You still do like Biscuits and gravy, do you not?” He glanced at me to watch my reaction. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was cooking over a hot stove I would’ve tackled him. “You are amazing, Nicholas!” I squealed, the sound odd to me after all these years. I thought a moment. Six years…I’d been sixteen when he left. The thought sobered me and I leaned back against the counter, watching him. My gaze traced over his hair, Profile, and down his body to the floor before making its way back up again. “Do I look that interesting?” He asked suddenly, shocking me out of my thoughts. “Oh no, of course not.” I smiled a little and looked down at my clothes. “I’ll be back.” He nodded. “Alright.”
I walked into my room and headed over to my dresser, where I found a rose and note laying on top. I smiled a little and opened the note.
Elizabeth,
Forgive me?
Nicholas
I felt my eyes sting and blinked back the unexpected tears. Wiping them away I set the note back on top of the dresser and started rummaging through the drawers. I pulled out some torn up jeans and another black tank top and changed into them. Before leaving I grabbed the rose and note and walked out into the kitchen. Nicholas was dishing out the food onto two plates when I walked in and he looked up to see the rose. He smiled a little sadly. “Well, you read the note?” I nodded. He put the food on the table and walked towards me. “Do you?” I looked down at the rose and twirled the stem in my fingers. “Don’t leave again…” “Elizabeth, you know I can’t promise that…” I had to keep my fists from clenching as I looked up at him. “I already forgave you, Nicholas…I never blamed you…” I jumped when he wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. I had to squirm a little to keep the rose from being crushed, and after a moment I settled with my arms around his neck. “Elizabeth…”His voice made me look up and his lips met mine. I melted into the kiss, my arms tightening around his neck to keep me up since my knees had gone weak. His hands explored my body as we kissed, our tongues dancing. After a minute or two we pulled away for breath, but he refused to let go of me. Instead, he pressed his lips against the space between my neck and shoulder. I shivered with pleasure, but after that he was still, just holding me. “You still don’t know…do you my angel…” He whispered in my ear. “What do you mean?” He pulled away and smiled, motioning to the table. “Let’s eat before the food gets cold.” He sat down and started eating. After a moment I sat too and picked up my fork, still confused but not wanting to poke at the subject too much. I started eating and closed my eyes. “This tastes so good!” Nicholas chuckled. “I’m glad you like it.” I gave him a look of almost disbelief. “Like it? I love it!” I ate quickly, almost choking twice. “If you eat too fast you’ll get the hiccups.” “No I won’t- hic!” I covered my mouth and felt my face grow warm. Nicholas stared at me for a moment before he started laughing. I glared at him and downed a glass of orange juice, hoping it would get rid of them. When he finally calmed down he took our dishes and brought them to the sink, rinsing them off. “So, what would be on your agenda for the day?” He asked, turning to me. I looked at the clock on the wall. 9:30 am. Well then… “If I remember right, I have nothing to do until tonight.” “I caught you on a free day? How disappointing…I was hoping to catch you on a busy one so I could watch you.” I looked at him strangely. “Did you plan on seeing me?” He shrugged. “I was walking this way when I saw you walk out of that club. I wasn’t sure it was actually you until I heard your voice.” He smiled and I looked away, smiling a little myself. “How did you get away?” “Get away?” He sounded confused. I looked back at him. “The creatures…how did you get away from them?” The haunting memory of the pale, gorgeous creatures taking him away half dead returned to my mind, making me shiver. The scars on my back and torso were faded, but still an unwelcome reminder. Nicholas sighed. “There’s a lot to explain, Elizabeth…” “Explain.” There was more force in my voice than meant, but it got my point across. He sat again and picked up the rose, looking at it with little interest. “The creatures are called Vampires. You know of them, but only in stories. I didn’t escape, they let me go…When they took me away…they saved my life, Elizabeth. If it wasn’t for them I‘d be dead….” I shook my head. “Those things weren’t vampires, they don’t exist.” Nicholas looked up at me then. “They are real, very real. And you’ve been fighting them all this time. Did you never notice fangs or abilities that made no sense? Did you ever wonder why such creatures could be so beautiful and so hard to kill?” He looked down at his hands then. I chewed on my lip, thinking. “How…how did they save your life?” If what he was saying was true, if there was any way that it could be true, then I already knew the answer. But I couldn’t see it…Not in my beloved Nicholas. “I’m one of them, Kitten…” I flinched at the nickname that he used to give. No one had called me that in years. “Prove it…prove it to me, Nicholas.” As soon as the words left my mouth he pulled back his lips in a snarl, exposing the lengthening fangs there. If it wasn’t for years of practice with hiding my emotions from others I would have run. But I didn’t. I sat there and looked at him with no emotion, letting him show me and prove his truth. “Do you believe me now?” He asked softly, his voice almost a whisper. “Do you drink-“ “Yes.” I frowned. “Can you go out-“ “No.” “Do you sleep-“ “Yes, but not in a coffin, it’s inconvenient now-a-days.” I couldn’t help but smile a little at that. “What happens if you go out in sunlight? I mean, it’s light out now and you seem fine.” He tapped his ear, bringing my attention to four emerald earrings lining his ear. On the other were five. “How do those help?” “Pure stone helps. My skin is still sensitive and the light gives me headaches, but other than that, I can stay outside as long as I’m not in pure sunlight.” “So, hoods and gloves and such?” He nodded and chuckled. “Pretty much.” I stood, my legs a little wobbly. “I think I’m going to go take a long bath…” “May I join you? I mean just for company.” He quickly corrected. I shrugged and walked out, listening closely to see if he moved at all.

Once in the bathroom I made my way over to the large bath tub and turned on the water, the faucet all the way on hot. I pinned up my hair and undressed, ignoring the feel of my fingers over my scars. Once undressed I stepped into the tub, hissing quietly at the heat of the water but settling into it quickly. Once in I laid my head back and closed my eyes, thinking over what Nicholas had said. I’d been fighting for years, between annoying humans and the creatures that had taken him. My mind drifted to the memories of that night.


“Kitten! Follow me, this way!” Nicholas called as we made our way through the night. We ran through the forest, stopping at a waterfall that we had claimed as ours when we were children. I sat on a large, flat rock and he walked over to me, pulling me close and kissing me, my lips, neck, hair, shoulders… We had gotten my shirt off and his when we were attacked. He hunched over me, protecting me from the worst of the wolves. They tore at skin and clothes, blood spraying. A screech sent them running, leaving Nicholas bleeding on the ground. His arms and legs were gashed and torn, his torso shining with his blood. His throat ravaged. My own torso was torn with pieces of my skin missing from my back and stomach and legs. I made my way to him, crawling and whimpering. “N-Nicholas…” I screamed as seven figures made their way out of the bushes and trees, pulling me away and attacking Nicholas. He screamed and flailed. They pulled him away before I could reach them and I didn’t see him after that.


“That was a horrible night…wasn’t it…” I jumped and glared up at Nicholas, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed across his chest. His gaze made its way over my body under the water. He chewed on his lip a moment, thoughtful, then stepped forward. “I never did see what the wolves did to you…” His words made me wince. “It’s been six years, they’re mostly faded now.” But midway through the sentence he was shaking his head, crouched beside the tub now. He stuck his hand in the water and touched my stomach, making me jump. His fingertips slowly glided over the still sensitive, risen scars that played across my stomach and sides. I leaned my head back and moaned softly, then blushed when I realized what I did. Nicholas didn’t seem to mind, he just continued to touch the scars. “I didn’t protect you after all…” He whispered. The sadness in his voice made me open my eyes and look at him. “That isn’t true…I’m still alive…” “Were you treated?” I shrugged. “No one found me for two days. I had cleaned the wounds and wrapped them by then with our shirts…” I bit my lip at the memory. Nicholas’ thumb touched my lips, making me stop chewing on them. “Don’t ruin your pretty lips.” He said with a small smile. I giggled and splashed a little water at him. “I will if I want to.” I expected him to splash back, but he didn’t. He just looked at me with this amazed look, making me feel shy and more…naked than I obviously was. “Why are you loo-…” He put his hands on my face and pulled me close, kissing me with a ferocity I hadn’t seen in him before. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let him pull me out of the bath tub and onto the floor with him. I shivered a little on the tile floor, but he pulled me up onto his lap, not breaking the kiss. He didn’t seem to care that I was soaking wet and drenching his clothes, he only seemed to care about bringing me as close as he could. But there was a gentleness behind his actions, like he was afraid to hurt me if he was too forceful.