Don't own Twilight. Don't own the idea of vampires. But I DO own this fluff-tastic story. Teehee.

I couldn't believe it when I opened my eyes and saw him standing over me. He reached a hand down and covered my mouth, then grabbed my shoulder and yanked me to my feet. I stumbled against the wall that he forced me into, and tried to no avail to punch his jaw, kick his shins. I had to do something to get away from him. I knew why he wanted me. I knew what I had done. And I also knew, without a doubt, that he was dangerous, and that I was in trouble.

"Come on! You're supposed to catch it, not dodge it!" my boyfriend Geoff called out as he stepped up next to me with a football in his hands. "When they throw it, you catch it, alright? Man, you're lucky I'm your partner," he laughed, placing the ball in my hands. I laughed and stretched up on my tiptoes, kissing his cheek softly and discreetly.

"I'm lucky you're a whole lot more," I whispered. At six feet, Geoff dwarfed my petite frame, in height and muscularity. With nine inches on me, I always felt like a doll around him. And he treated me like I was just as fragile. "But you know I can't catch to save my life."

"Well then, let's hope you never have to. Now, let's go over this again. You throw like this…" he murmured, turning to align his body with mine and covering my hands with his, moving me through the throw I was supposed to make. When the ball sailed from my hands and past the opposing group, I cheered and pressed myself back into his chest. "Congratulations," he whispered as the gym teacher gestured for us to go to the changing rooms, "You've survived yet another gym class."

"With you here, it's all too easy," I replied before we parted ways and I headed into the locker room with my friends. Stepping into our corner of the room, we began to strip off our gym clothes and trade them for our normal school clothes. Gym was first hour for Kelsey, Kaitlyn, Madi, and me, so we had to get ourselves ready for the rest of our day. After pulling on a pair of low-rise, light wash skinny jeans, I laced my knee-high suede boots over them and stuffed my gym bottoms into my bag. Next, I slipped my soft, silky cream-colored camisole over my head, smoothing it over my hips and stomach. Over this I put on a blue low-necked, knit sweater with ¾ length sleeves that went down around my hips. After fastening a pewter heart locket around my neck (the first Christmas present Geoff had given me, in the eighth grade one year ago), I put in a pair of pewter hoops and went into the bathroom to fix up my make-up. I checked over my blue mascara, gold shadow, coral blush, golden pink lips, and powder, then brushed my thick golden red hair to the side and put it partially back in a pewter colored hair clip. After running a finger down the side of my china doll white skin, I packed up my gym bag again just as the bell rang. All the girls rushed from the locker room with a flurry of chatter. I stepped outside, parting ways with my friends and falling into stride with Geoff.

Looking me up and down, he said, "See, now that looks suits you much better than gym clothes. Though, those aren't bad either…" I responded by punching him playfully on the arm. "Hey, watch it, you're not as weak as you think!" he cried, rubbing his arm. I threaded my arm though his as we walked, squeezing it in response.

"Who ever said I thought I was weak?" I teased him, "You seem to forget I'm a black belt."

"How very stupid of me." Geoff ducked his head down and placed a soft kiss on the top of my hair. I giggled, and then parted ways with him to go to my locker.

After putting my books into my locker, I grabbed my math textbook and a pencil, and then hurried down the hall to Advanced Mathematics, my books clutched against my chest. As much as I like to think of myself as confident, without a friend around, I tended to wrap myself up, make myself small, and try to disappear. But with Geoff around, and with my friends, I was a completely different person. Anyway, I ducked into my classroom and put my books down at my seat next to Geoff, who came in right after me. I turned my head and smiled at him as he slipped into his seat, and he smiled back, taking my hand and holding it to his lips for a moment as the bell rang. My friend Katherine, sitting at the table in front of us, turned around and made a face.

"Has there ever been a moment when the two of you weren't being grossly adorable?" she asked teasingly.

We looked at each other for a second, our faces scrunched in mirror concentration. "Nope," we laughing pronounced in unison. Geoff leaned over and pressed his lips against my neck while Katherine just shook her head and turned around. I giggled and pushed him away, twisting my fingers through his.

"We don't want to get caught, now do we?" I murmured, resting our hands on his knee.

"Eh, it'd be no worse than last month," he replied mischievously, running his warm thumb over my delicate, porcelain-like fingers, completely dwarfed within his rough hands. We turned towards the front of the room as the class began.

The day flew by, like it always did when I was with him. Soon, it was lunchtime, and I was nestled alongside him at our usual table. We ate off of a shared tray of French fries (both of us), fruit (me), and a slice of pizza (him), along with soy milk for me and water for him. I'm a veggie-head, in case you couldn't tell already.

I basically ate my fruit and soy milk, maybe a couple of fries, and a bite or two of ice cream. Apparently, Carly noticed.

"Lizzie, come on, you have to eat more than that. Geoff, tell your tiny girlfriend to eat something," she urged, looking at me questioningly.

"Well, Carly, I would love to tell her that, but unfortunately we appear to be all out of food. Maybe next time," he replied, wrapping his arm around my shoulders protectively. I smiled at him gratefully, tucking myself into his warmth. It really bothered me how much my friends commented on what I ate. So I didn't need to eat that much. No big deal. I ate enough. They should have seen the way I pigged out when they weren't around…

I looked up when I heard somebody say my name. "What? Sorry, I zoned out, you were saying?"

Kelsey shook her head. "I was just saying that your hair's sticking up a little bit." I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Geoff laughed and reached around to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. "And that's better. Thank you Geoff," she sighed.

"What? Getting sick of us?" I teased her, reaching up and grasping Geoff's hand in mine. She rolled her eyes and looked back down at her pizza.

"Well, in that case…Lizzie, I think we have a date with the library. You done eating?" I nodded, and he picked up our tray and went to dump it, promising "I'll be right back."

The moment he was out of earshot, my friends all turned towards me. They started chattering at me, giggling about his protectiveness, commenting on his appetite, the difference in our sizes, dissecting everything in the minute it took him to get back. I smiled and nodded at the appropriate times, wrapping my arms around myself and looking towards Geoff as often as I could chance, willing him back faster. He seemed to take the hint, coming up behind me and putting his hands on my shoulders. "Well ladies, if you don't mind, I'm going to steal Lizzie here away for a while," he proposed dramatically.

"Go ahead, take her. She's not very responsive without you," my friends cooed, shooing me away. I took the hand he offered me, and walked out of the cafeteria.

As soon as we stepped through the doors, I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed into him, taking a deep breath of Axe shower gel and clothes detergent. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "Miss me that much already?" he murmured as we walked the path to the library, all by ourselves.

"You obviously have no idea how much. It's like…it's like I'm addicted to you," I whispered huskily, nestling in closer.

"Well then, I suppose that makes two of us. I missed you too." He steered us off the trail and to a picnic table underneath some trees, currently unoccupied. Putting his hands on my waist, he lifted me up like I weighed nothing and settled me onto the table, my feet on the bench. "You know, I always feel like I'm going to break you," he muttered, pressing his lips to the hollow of my throat. I giggled, twisting my fingers into his hair.

"Don't worry, I'm not quite that fragile," I breathed into his ear, pulling him closer.

"Are you sure? Because it feels that way…" he trailed off, running his fingers down my cheek. I breathed shakily, keeping my hands clasped behind his neck.

"I promise. Besides, I don't think you have it in you to hurt me." I looked up into his eyes, and he smiled, but then his face grew guilty, contemplative.

"Yes, but what if I forget myself? I'm not lying when I say that I do have to restrain myself around you. You're just so…it's just so easy to be myself when I'm with you." He emphasized this fact with a low growl that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Well, maybe that's exactly what I want." To make my point, I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him, gently at first. I could feel his shoulders tense up, his hand on my face freezing. Deep down, I knew this went past the boundaries we had set at the beginning of our relationship, but I didn't care. Instead, I could feel myself loosening up, grasping him tighter, pulling his whole body closer to me. I didn't want to let go. If I did, I just knew I was going to fall apart. He seemed to sense this, how much I needed him. He moved a step closer, wrapping his arms around me and pressing me to him. His lips shaped to mine, soft and responsive. One of his hands, warm and rough, found its way to the side of my neck, found its spot over my pulse, beating out a rhythm that, under any other circumstances, would have embarrassed me. Here, it only punctuated what he already knew: that I wanted this, that I needed this, but that I, like him, was scared.

I could have gone on like this forever, but unfortunately, I needed to breathe. I pulled back, gasping raggedly, my heart threatening to break out of my chest. Geoff's arms fixed themselves back around my body, pulling me into him, covering me, protecting me.

"Well, now we know that works…I suppose," he managed to say through clenched teeth.

"It was too much for you, wasn't it? Oh Geoff, I'm so sorry," I breathed, still trying to gain my composure. I never could seem to remember the boundaries of our relationship, but for the first time, I had really done something that could harm us.

"No Lizzie, just, give me a moment. You must remember that I don't have nearly as much self-control as other guys you may know." He ran a shaking hand over my hair, still surrounding me, cocooning me in his warmth, his strength.

"On the contrary, you have much more than all of them put together. You just...don't test it enough." I pulled my head up, and he pulled back. Looking into his gold eyes, I could see he wanted to try the 'experiment' again. I leaned forward, closing my eyes and kissing first one of his lips, then the other. I could feel his ragged breath against my skin, his splayed fingertips shaking across my cheek. I kissed him fully just once more, quickly and forcefully, running my fingers down to rest on his broad chest. Then I pulled away, looking up into his eyes.

"See? No harm done," I whispered, stroking his cheek with my cool fingertips. He reached up and clasped my hand in his, and I could feel him shaking with some sort of effort. Pulling it down to his mouth, he kissed each finger delicately. I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"I suppose not." Geoff leaned down towards me, taking one hand and resting it on the base of my neck. I took a deep breath, and he laughed silently.

"Close your eyes," he whispered, his voice thick and warm. I did as I was told, letting my hands fall down as I caught my last glimpse of him leaning towards me. I could feel his breath on my face, warm and sweet, a mixture of mint and sugar. Without my expecting it, his lips pressed against my temple, shocking warmth in the cool air of fall. With deliberate slowness, he kissed me all the way down my jaw bone, stopping at the bottom of my chin. He paused, taking a deep breath, and then pulled back up, kissing me fully on the lips. I gasped, and his other hand moved to my neck, his thumb rubbing a circle over my pulse. My lips parted, and his breath swirled into my mouth, filling my head and making me dizzy. I reached up to him and grasped his shirt, pulling him closer. He let me, taking one more step forward and balancing one knee on the bench between us. All at once, I could feel myself getting a little too dizzy, a little too lightheaded, and I pulled back, gasping. Geoff stayed close, bringing his arms around my back and supporting me as I felt my body collapse.

"Lizzie? Lizzie, can you hear me? What's wrong?" Geoff's voice sounded so worried, full of guilt and fear; I wished I could answer him, but I was busy focusing on breathing.

"You…made me…faint…" I whispered breathily, still clinging to his shirt as though I might fall. I was just starting to pull myself together, but I still didn't feel quite right, my breathing ragged and my heart palpitating. My body started shaking, and I slipped forward into his chest.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry. Come here," he murmured apologetically, lifting me straight into his arms, cradling me like a baby against his chest as he walked towards the office. "Don't worry, love, I've got you. I'm here," he cooed into my ear, his arms tightening around me and pulling me in closer. I leaned my head against his chest, my fingertips splaying across the expanse of it. "Now, I know I'm a good kisser, but are you sure that's all this is?" he whispered in a questioning voice as he backed through the door into the main building.

"Mm…I don't know…need…food…sleep…you…kiss…definitely major…sorry…" I could feel that I was rambling, slipping away again. I felt a laugh rumble in his chest.

"Well, I guess it's good to know I'm in you somewhere." By now I could tell we were in the halls, and I let my eyes close, relaxing in his embrace. He pushed into the office, and I heard the tinny voice of the secretary.

"My goodness, what happened to you dear?" I couldn't bring myself to answer her; my body was just so drained.

"I think, Ms. Phillips, that Lizzie here might just be a little bit exhausted. Since we do only have one more hour of the day, is it alright if she stays in here and I drive her home?" I had to smile a little at this, knowing he'd find his way back into the nurse's office as soon as Ms. Phillips head was turned. He just…had his ways.

"Of course dear. Just take her straight back and to the left. There's a little bed in there. Could you sign her in on your way out?" Ms. Phillips, like most teachers, was completely charmed by my boyfriend, a quality I couldn't help but appreciate in times like these.

"No problem, Ms. Phillips, and thank you." I could picture his answering smile in my head, showing off two years worth of braces and a great dentist. Remind me to thank that dentist…As you can tell, my mind is just not working.

Geoff walked quickly into the sleeping room, which was dark and a little cool. He moved to lay me down onto the bed, but I clung to him tighter, twisting my fingers into his shirt. "Please don't go. I don't want to be here alone." I could feel myself panicking, and apparently he did too, because he sat down on the bed with me on his lap. I twisted my body so I was looking up into his face. "I don't want to be alone back here. Please…" My voice trailed off, and he leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"Don't even worry; I'll be back before you know it. Now, please just lie down. You need to rest." His beautiful voice, just a whisper, lulled me deeper into my unconsciousness. Still, I didn't know what was happening. Not enough food? Perhaps…Once again, his voice penetrated my thoughts. "There, just lay back, and I promise I'll be here in no time at all. Here, take my jacket, you must be freezing." I felt him wrap his coat around my body, my arms slipping into the sleeves, my hands engulfed in black fabric. He pulled a blanket over my body, shifted a few pillows, and kissed me lightly on the forehead again. "Now, relax. I love you." I watched as he turned towards the room, wrapping myself tighter into his jacket.

"Geoff, wait…"

He turned around quickly. "Yes love?"

"I love you too." I curled myself up into a ball.

"Good to know. Now, sleep, I'll be back shortly." And with that, he was gone.

I suppose I fell asleep, if only for a few moments, because suddenly I opened my eyes to find Geoff sitting lightly on the bed next to where I lay. His hand was stroking my hair, and I shivered.

"You doing alright?" he asked, running the back of his hand down my cheek. I smiled feebly.

"I'm doing…oddly, actually. What's wrong with me?" I shivered again, surprised by my sudden onset of illness. Or, at least, it seemed like I was ill. He rested his hand on my forehead, checking my temperature, then onto my neck, feeling my pulse.

"Well, the way I see it, there are two possibilities: one, you didn't have enough to eat the past couple days and you're shutting down, or two, you're sick. If it's the former, then you're coming with me after school to Don's, and if it's the latter, then I'll stay with you until your parents are home. Either way, though, you really need your rest. Don't worry, if they come in here I'll find a place to hide. Now, sleep."

He lay down next to me, wrapping me into his arms. I had started shivering again without even realizing it, and his warmth was well-received. I rolled to face him, pressing closer and breathing deeply. He breathed into my hair, and the sensation was strangely and overwhelmingly comforting. I shifted into him, and my shivering slowed to the occasional shake. I fell asleep quickly, all of my thoughts on him, only him.

I remember very little after that. He never had to leave me; apparently, the nurse wasn't in today. I slept amazingly, feeling safer than ever before. Too soon, however, it was time for him to "pick me up." He kissed me gently on the cheek, brushing my hair away from my forehead and pressing his hand against it for a moment. "Yeah, you're definitely sick. I'll be back soon; I promise." He slipped out of the door, and I couldn't hear him at all as he slipped out of the office. Soon enough, though, I heard him proclaiming loudly, "Well, Ms. Phillips, if it's all right, I'll just go get Lizzie and get her home and into bed."

"Of course dear, go right on ahead. Have a nice night alright?" I heard him say thank you, then his deliberate footsteps echoed down the hallway and to my room. He knocked on the door lightly, and I listened as it creaked open.

"Lizzie, you ready to go?" he whispered, stepping softly into the darkened room. I opened my eyes slightly, saw his soft face, backlit from the hallway, and managed a feeble nod. I could feel myself growing weaker by the minute. He stepped quickly over to me, holding my jacket in one hand and his bag in the other. He slung his bag over his shoulders and wrapped my coat around me like a blanket, then lifted me off the bed in one fluid movement, cradling me into his arms effortlessly. My head flopped against him like a rag dolls', and he leaned down to kiss it. "Come on, I'll take you home."

He carried me out of the office and to his car, settling me into the front seat and buckling me in before reclining it and tucking a spare blanket around my shoulders. He closed my door then and stepped around the truck, climbing into the seat next to me and reaching across the car to hold onto my free hand. I smiled feebly at him, then closed my eyes and pressed back into the seat as the heating system warmed the car. Soon, I was fast asleep again.

Somehow, I knew I was dreaming. I knew that what was happening wasn't…happening. But I didn't care. I let my dream capture me, pull me in, surround me.

I was with Geoff. I knew that for a fact. What I didn't understand, however, was what he was doing. We were together in a field. I was dressed casually, wearing jeans and a black wool coat, my hair cascading over my shoulders. Looking around, I spotted him standing underneath the trees at the edge of the woods. The sun was setting, the moon rising opposite, till both glowed in the sky in a strange moment. I started to get scared; it was just getting so dark! Why was he standing apart from me? I looked at him longingly, taking a step forward. His eyes seemed to glint when I moved closer, and I stopped in my tracks. There was something sinister about him, about my rock that I didn't like at all. The sun continued to lower, until it was gone and the sky was black as coal.

I took a step forward and stumbled, falling to my knees. Looking up, I saw Geoff take a step out of the darkness, yet his face still scared me. It was more animalistic than I had ever seen before, as if he was about to crouch down and leap at me. I fell back and sat down, wrapping my arms around my knees and starting to cry. It wasn't Geoff, it couldn't be. He never looked at me like that. Never like…like I was something eat. I tucked my head into my body, shaking with each painful sob.

Sneaking a glance at him, I saw his face suddenly contort into anger, and he crouched down before breaking into a flat-out sprint. I screamed, but he wasn't running at me. Instead, he was focusing on a point beyond me, a roar breaking out of his mouth as he leapt into the air over my head. A loud crash followed, and I felt a horrible crack as something heavy fell to the ground. I leapt up and spun around to find Geoff being attacked by somebody. They were on the ground, snarls and growls erupting out of their throats. I could tell I was screaming uncontrollably, and I reached my hand up to cover my mouth; biting down hard on my lip to stop myself, I tasted blood. Suddenly, everything was a flurry of activity. Geoff and his attacker both snapped their heads around to look at me. There is only one word I can think of to describe their faces: hungry. But where the monster's face was elated and anticipating, Geoff's was horrified and cautious. The monster's eyes became a bright, horrible red, and Geoff's turned a brilliant yellow. I cried out in terror as the monster tried to fight his way towards me, but Geoff knocked him down and into the earth, then ran to shield me with his body. I shrunk back from him, but suddenly he was speaking.

"Lizzie, please, I'm not here to hurt you. I promise. Just, please try to hold on to me. This will all soon be over." His voice was the same, and yet not how I had ever heard it. Instead, it was clenched, tight, controlled. "Oh, and whatever you do, try to keep your lip inside your mouth." I sucked my lip in, and he wrapped his arms backward, pulling me against him, and I jumped up to hold onto his back, tucking my chin into his shoulder. His warmth was the same, his scent the same, and my unease subsided as five or six large figures stepped out of the woods, their eyes yellow like Geoff's and their stances protective, on my side. The monster's eyes widened, and his face suddenly filled with fear. He turned to run, and the figures chased him away into the forest opposite us. I pressed my face into Geoff's shoulder, kissing him lightly and squeezing his chest. "Glad to know you still trust me," he whispered.

Now, I knew I was waking up. I could feel myself shivering again, my body convulsing violently with cold. I moaned and rolled over in my sleep, straight into something very solid and very warm. My eyes fluttered open, and in my fevered delirium I saw Geoff as he was in my dream: eyes glowing, teeth glinting, body contorted. I think I screamed, though I'm not sure, because his eyes opened and his arms loosened. He had evidently been asleep; I could see it in the way he blinked hard several times, how his neck tensed, and for a moment he looked truly alarmed. "What's wrong? Lizzie?"

"Geoff? Sorry…nightmare…not now, I mean, before…I am awake, right? Because see, this is more of a dream." I snuggled in closer to his body, and he tightened his arms again.

"Yes, you are very much awake. Now, you were saying something about a nightmare?" His voice was heavily piqued with curiosity, and I fought back another shiver.

"Yeah, just a scary…Ah, wait. You're here, lying in a bed with me. At…where are we? What time is it? Do my parents know I'm here?" I was suddenly panicking, my heart beating like mad.

"Okay, in order. Yes, I'm lying down with you. You were shaking so hard, I just couldn't stand it. We are at my house, in my room. It's 4:00 in the afternoon, and your parents know that you weren't feeling very well, and they're picking you up at 6:00. Those answer your questions?" He pressed into me, breathing deeply into my hair and holding me against him.

"Yes, yes it does."

"Good. Now, back to your nightmare. Was I there?"

"Well…not you, exactly. It's really hard to explain, but I think you were a vampire…and so was your family. Then, well, there was something trying to attack me, and he was a vampire too. Not a good one though. You were protecting me, he was trying to, well, kill me, I suppose. But it was just a silly dream, right?" I could tell that my explanation was overly simple, slightly dismantled, and not at all coherent. But I really didn't care. I was just so warm here.

"Yes, of course, just a dream. Now, do you need anything? Or would you rather just go back to sleep?" There was something wrong with his voice again, something tight and scared, something I didn't want to hear again.

"Wait, what's wrong? Did I say something?" I asked, my heart jolting with worry.

"No, it's…it's nothing, really. Just, something you said. Something you said about vampires, and about me being one. There's, um, something I need to tell you, Lizzie, but I'm not sure you'll believe me." I felt him shift next to me, and I sat up. He did the same, leaning against the wall next to me and wrapping his arm around me.

"Let me guess: you're going to tell me you're actually a vampire? Well, I've believed far crazier."

"Have you, have you really? Well then, I suppose you're not exactly surprised." His voice was pleasant now, relieved.

"Not completely. I always wondered about your issues with 'self-control' and your fascination with my neck. Though now, I guess I have to admit it wasn't just because I was so appealing…" I drew my bottom lip into a pout as I said this, and Geoff chuckled, leaning over to whisper into my ear.

"Trust me; you're more appealing to me than you'll ever know." His voice was husky and appealing, and I shivered again. "Are you cold?" his whispered again.

"No, you just give me chills," I murmured, cuddling up into him, pulling my knees in. "Now, okay, so you're a vampire. That's not a big deal, really. Are you getting older?"

"Yes, I'm getting older. Don't believe everything from Dracula."

"Do you want to eat me?" This was the one question I really needed answered. As soon as I knew what he would say, we could either move forward, or I could move on.

"Do I…want…to eat you? No, Lizzie; you smell…good, I'll admit that. Very good, to be perfectly honest with you. But I don't want to cause you any harm, and as long as I live, I won't. Still, you smell almost unfairly good." I shook slightly again, and he looked down at me. "You doing alright here?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. So, anyway. You're a vampire. Question has been answered. And now, care to tell me what's happening to me?"

"Right. Well, basically, I'm sorry, but it's my fault. Now I guess you know why we've never kissed before. See, vampires, which by the way I really hate that word, but, we have a special sort of…venom, I suppose? So, when you kissed me, you tasted it. Now, don't worry, you won't be turning into a vampire any time soon. But you've never experienced that, or at least I hope not, and your body is just trying to get used to it. You'll probably be sick for the rest of the weekend, and I'm really sorry about that." Here, his voice dropped lower, as if he were blaming himself for what was happening.

"Geoff, don't even start. I wanted to kiss you. I needed to. So who cares if I'm sick for a few days? Just being around you makes me feel instantly better." To emphasize my point, I twisted around and onto my knees, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him close. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, then lowered back down to his face and kissed him on the lips as strongly as I could, given my current physical state. He pulled me into his arms, placing his hands on my lower back and pulling me upwards into him. I let my lips slip apart, and he breathed into me again, filling me with his irresistible scent and taste. I breathed in deeply, and felt the familiar swirling in my mind again, but I didn't care. If I was already sick, I could only go up.

Soon, though, too soon, he pulled back from me. "Lizzie, please, as much as I would like to continue, I don't want to make you any worse. Come on; let's go find you something to eat." He slipped his arms underneath my body and lifted me up into his arms, then stood up and walked down the hall. I curled my arms around myself and tried to press deeper into him. My eyes slipped closed again; apparently my second try at kissing him had put me into the same state as the first. I felt him go down a couple flights of stairs, and then I was laid down on a soft, fluffy couch and wrapped in a warm afghan. With a kiss on the cheek, Geoff set a remote control and a glass of water at my side and then stepped into the kitchen behind me. I heard cabinets being opened, stoves being lit, something being sliced; before I knew it, he was coming into the room with a tray holding a cup of steaming tomato soup, a tray of crackers and cheese, and a piece of pie. I sat up slightly, pulling the soup off the tray and resting it lightly on my stomach, and Geoff sat down next to me. I rested my back against him, and he turned on the television, flipping to a rerun of The Matrix. I wolfed down all of my food, and then fell asleep again on Geoff's shoulder, warm, safe, and well-adjusted.

I woke up slightly, incredibly drowsy. Geoff was no longer by my side, but there was a heated pillow tucked under my head and multiple blankets wrapped around me. The lights were dimmed, and I could hear classical music playing somewhere around me. There was a window in the corner of the room, and I looked up to find that it was completely dark; and I panicked. I sat up quickly, twisting around in the covers over me and trying to get out of bed. Suddenly, Geoff's large frame filled the doorframe.

"Lizzie. Lizzie! Lizzie, calm down. You're fine, you're not in trouble, and I'm here."

"Geoff? Geoff, what time is it? I'm supposed to be at home!" I could feel my voice raising an octave or two, but I was too terrified to care.

"No, Lizzie, you're not. There's a massive blizzard going on outside, your parents called, and you're spending the night here. It's not safe to be on the roads. This is our guest room, you'll be staying in here for the night, and I'm right next door. However, if you want me closer, I can set up camp on the floor…" his voice trailed off, almost as if he were uncertain.

"Geoff, I won't be able to get any sleep without you here." I reached my arms up towards him, almost like a child, and he stepped forward to lift me up into his arms. I curled into his body, and he sat back down on the guest double bed, lifting up the covers and pulling them around both of us. Resting against his chest, I breathed in deeply and pressed closer, closing my eyes. "See, this is really why I'm with you. You're scary warm."

"Scary? So, you're saying that my being a vampire is just fine, but my warmth is scary? Great…"

"Geoff, I really don't care about the whole blood thing. But yes, your warmth is very, very nice."

"I knew there was a reason I loved you," he whispered, kissing my head and leaning back further. "But wait, the only reason you like me is because I'm warm? And here I was thinking it had something to do with my charm, intelligence, and good looks."

"Nah, you're warm," I giggled, and then added, "And you're cute too." He growled at that; I felt his chest vibrating, and I tucked in closer, resting my head close to his neck. I pressed my lips softly to his skin, noticing how smooth it was and how it smelled rich and deep, like warm lake water and cinnamon, if that makes any sense. My hands pressed against his chest, sensing his strength. His muscles seemed tighter than usual, so I pulled away and shifted on his lap until I was level with his face. I pressed my forehead to his, looking into his eyes.

"What's wrong Geoff? Did I do something?"

"It's nothing, just…" I could feel him trying to find the right words, and put my hands on his shoulders gently, tenderly. "It's just…it's weird, having you know about me. I feel like you should have freaked, run away, at least screamed. You didn't react at all. It's like this is normal for you. Lizzie, this isn't normal. I'm not normal. Doesn't that...doesn't that bother you at all?"

"Geoff, listen to me. I loved you before I knew, and I love you now. Just because you're not what I thought, that doesn't mean you aren't who I thought. Geoff, I've always loved you, I always will. Your being…not human, I suppose…doesn't change the way I feel. You know that, right?"

"I suppose I do now. God, Lizzie, I love you."

Our heads were still together, and in one small movement, our lips were, too. He kissed me, so soft, so gentle. I closed my eyes softly, felt his eyelashes against my skin, and shivered. In response his arms wrapped around me tighter, holding me closer to his warmth. It was at this exact moment that I wondered how I had ever gone so long without kissing him. I was already feeling better, to tell you the truth. He was just so warm, so gentle, but I could tell that if necessary, he would be stronger than anybody I had ever known. I leaned back, pulling his lip into my mouth; he moaned, the sound filling my soul, flooding my heart. In response, it started to thud even harder against my ribs; I ignored it. Instead, I leaned back in and kissed him fully again, pressing against him, hoping he could feel my heart thud against him. Evidently, he did. He pulled back from me, his breath rasping and harsh.

"You have really got to learn to control that. Much, much too desirable…" his voice trailed off as he pressed his lips against my throat, my pulse. I gasped in surprise, twisting my fingers into his hair. His chest rumbled in laughter at my shock, and his lips found their way to my collarbone, kissing softly. My breathing was heavy, my pulse crazed, and my body shaking. Too soon, he pulled away.

I groaned in protest, and he brought his finger up against my lips. "Lizzie, we have to know when to stop, alright? Neither of us wants to, I'm sure. But now, you need sleep. Sleep, relax. In the morning, we'll still be together. I'll still be here." His voice was lulling me to sleep, so warm and rich, drenching me in comfort. "I'll make you breakfast, would you like that? And we can go sit upstairs and look out at the world, at the snow. The world will be so soft, so cold. I'll be here, I'll keep you warm. I'll always be here to do that, I promise. We can stay inside, I'll hold you, and we can just watch the world. Together; we'll be together. Sleep, my love, just sleep. I'll be here when you need me."

I sighed in contentment, feeling myself drifting to sleep. But before I let that happen, I kissed his shoulder and whispered, "I love you Geoff."

"I love you too Lizzie. Goodnight my dear."

And a good night it was.

- To be continued . . . duh duh duh

- Is it too fluffy? Any ideas for conflict? Please, let me know.

- Thank you.