Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries nor its characters. They belong to L.J. Smith, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, The CW Network, and whoever else.

Note/Warning: Written during the summer hiatus this year. Set somewhere post 1x19, possibly during 1x20.

Feels a Little Like Home

He's tangy and rich and sweet; like warm cider on a cold day. She clutches his shoulders as she feeds, and his skin is like a hot mug cupped between her palms. There's a feeling she gets every time she drinks from him. Something both foreign and comfortingly familiar that makes her melt into him.

Anna knows she needs to leave. She's already been here way too long; his uncle could barge in, her mother could come looking. Her brain continually reminds her of these possibilities and countless more, but she doesn't stop. Her grip doesn't loosen.

Jeremy is holding her, arms wrapped around her so that his body heat envelopes her. He somehow makes her feel safe when he couldn't do a damn thing to protect her if anything happened. He's like a puppy dog, eager and happy to make her feel wanted and cared for - cute and cuddly and something to lavish affection on. Big, brown eyes that make her feel guilty every time she stops.

Like a dog wagging his tail, he silently begs her, 'More, more, more?'

But it's after midnight, and she has to get home. He needs sleep. She thinks of surprising him at school tomorrow while he strokes her hair, and she finally removes her teeth from his flesh. Blood begins to spill, but she places one hand over the wound and bites her other wrist open for him.

"You didn't have to stop," he tells her. His cheeks are flushed, and he smiles bashfully. Those big, brown eyes are a little glazed over and silently pleading. 'More, more, more.' But he gently holds her arm and suckles from the already closing wound. His tongue tickles at the pierced flesh of her wrist, and she tries not to shudder in a dead giveaway of how much she likes that feeling. His neck wound is closing, the blood no longer easily seeping out.

"It's a school night," she reminds him with a cheeky grin as he licks the residue of her blood from his skin, both of their wounds perfectly healed up. She places a light kiss on his crimson red lips. "Besides, we could be in big trouble if we're caught."

Jeremy sighs and slumps backwards, fully onto his bed. There's a frustrated look in his eyes, but he smiles good-naturedly up at her. "I know, I know. Still think it's kind of ridiculous how normal you act even after sucking my blood." He licks his lips clean, almost as if for emphasis on the whole blood sucking part. He looks adorable and pretty hot, and suddenly Anna is all teenage hormones multiplied by ten.

But she reigns in it and somehow holds off the blood from rushing straight to her eyes. "Because this is normal. As normal as it can get for us, anyway," she reminds him. There's a contented feeling in her gut despite her unfulfilled lust. Something about the normalacy between them makes her toes curl. It's like the pleasant, satisfied sensation after a good stretch. It's not huge or stimulating or orgasmic, yet it's just as gratifying.

He's staring up at her with those big, brown eyes though. 'More, more, more?'

And she does want more.

"Is your uncle going to be here tomorrow afternoon?" she casually asks him while standing and smoothing out her clothes.

"I don't think so. He's got council stuff," Jeremy replies, and at first warning bells go off in her head - but Jeremy's so oblivious (for now) of what that could really mean for her that she ignores it and grins.

"Then how about I come over tomorrow afternoon?"

Jeremy's grin lights up his face, his big, brown eyes included. Like a dog happily wagging his tail, 'More, more, more!' "Cool." He gets up and looks like he's going to cup her face and kiss her - really kiss her, like that night in the woods before she almost lost control. But then he just brushes her hair behind her ears and smiles sheepishly with ruddy cheeks. "Night, Anna," he offers sweetly, and she grins.

She's gone from sucking blood out of his hand to sucking blood out of his neck, but normal intimacy is still an awkward thing between them. She likes it that way though. There's something reassuringly normal about it all. "Night, Jeremy," she whispers. And then she's out the window, flying back home with hot need in the pit of her belly and warm contentment running through her veins.