The booming music and the alcohol coursing through my blood made it all the easier for the red-haired man to get me into bed.

I can't quite remember the name of the club where we met, the only hint being that it existed in a part of town I wasn't too familiar with. Friday night was hitting me harder than the alcohol in my body, begging me to lose myself among the masses of sweat-slicked bodies in motion.

I was alone that night, my two best friends having their own date night. I couldn't remember the last time I had been tangled up in someone else's limbs, the feeling of bedsheets on my back, my hands, my knees...

The man spotted me from across the dance floor, poison-green eyes flashing among the colored strobes. He approached me like an animal closing in on its prey; my fight-or-flight response dulled, deciding I would do neither. Closer up now, I could see the red eyeliner framing his sharp eyes, like blood smeared over his lids. He swept his fingers through his mane, and pursed his lips as he drank me in.

"Hey," I couldn't hear myself too well underneath the music - something that made my heartbeat faster, anticipating the stranger's every move - but I hoped I wasn't shouting.

"'Hey' yourself," the stranger challenged, lifting his head and studying me at a different angle. "You taken?"

"Nope; haven't been for a while." I responded, perhaps letting a bit too much on. I pressed my hand against the bar, pushing myself a little closer to the man. "Wanna change that?"

The man's lips turned to a smile-bearing smirk. "I like the way you think. What's your name?"

The song changed, something a little smoother, but louder to the point where I had to shout above it. "Riku; yours?"

"Lea."

I glanced over Lea's slender shoulders at the chameleon-esque dancefloor.

"Wanna dance, Lea?"

"The pleasure would be all mine."

Within seconds, his body was pressed against mine, rolling hips against ass to the heart-rattling bass. I couldn't distinguish myself from my surroundings, blending into the background with Lea sliding his hands over me. A place where everyone could see, but no one was watching. With every touch, my desire grew like the flames in Lea's hair.

I pressed my lips to his ear and murmured the magic words: "Wanna get out of here?"

His answer came out as half a groan. "Yeah. Where?"

"My place."

Flashing lights became more distant as I hailed the Uber and Lea pushed me into the backseat. His lips practically assaulted mine, and I let him pin me to the seat.

The car stopped at the three-story apartment complex. Disoriented from one drink too many and one kiss not enough, I led Lea up the stairs to the second floor. I fumbled with my key, the click of the tumblers unlocking a night with one of the sexiest people I'd ever seen igniting my desire further.

Lea's fingers clenched my shirt, and I dragged him through the dark apartment to the bedroom. I crashed into the sheets, his fevered lips on my skin.

He tugged at my shirt, the fabric becoming damp from perspiration. "May I?"

"Please..."

Two layers later, were we both stripped down, sweaty back on my sheets, skin-on-skin as his hands slid over me.

His hot, wet tongue caressed the skin on my neck.

"Mind if I take a little bite, baby?" He purred.

The answer was breathy. "Go ahead."

Lea growled in satisfaction, sinking his teeth into my skin. He bit me harder than I had expected, and I could feel a warm, sticky stream trailing down my neck. He distracted me from the pain as his hand slipped down...

"Lea..." I gasped, arching into him.

His green eyes glittered in the darkness, my lips parted to utter his name. I liked the way his name sounded as it came rolling off my tongue in desperation.

I didn't want to stop screaming it, even when the last time it escaped as a hoarse cry.

"Lea..."


"Hey, what time is it?"

The shades were drawn, which meant I'd have to check my phone.

Brain still fogged, I fumbled for my phone on the nightstand. It took me a few seconds of exposure to the sun-like screen for my brain and eyes to connect the time. "4:26."

"Shit, I gotta go; but I had such a good time last night," Lea murmured, throwing off the covers.

"So early...? Stay, I'll make you breakfast..." I begged quietly.

"I'm sorry, baby, I gotta get ready for work." Shuffling as Lea slipped on his jeans and t-shirt from the previous night. "I work the night shift at the hospital."

Stubbornly, I came up with a compromise. "At least give me your number so I can call you up again..."

Lea chuckled. "Again? You really enjoyed last night?"

Though it's early, I still felt a bit hurt by Lea's nonchalance. "Yeah...didn't you?"

"'Course I did, baby," Lea assured. "Here, give me your phone."

I pressed my thumb to the home button, giving him access to every secret I hold in the device.

"Who's this in the background?" Lea wondered, his deft fingers tapping lightly against the screen.

"Sora, Kairi, and Naminé, my best friends from college," I answered. He handed me back my phone, which I let slip through my fingers and thud against the carpet.

"Goodbye, Riku. May we meet again someday - or rather, some night." Lea decided.

I agreed with a sleepy mumble. I secretly waited for him to kiss me on the forehead, but his footsteps disappeared behind the sound of a door closing.

How stupid of me...


I finish waking at a more suitable time, when the sun is actually visible. Yawning, I stumble into the bathroom. Luckily, the hangover isn't too bad today.

Flicking on the lights and meeting my reflection in the mirror, my eyes drift over to the evidence of our encounter. Among normal-looking hickeys, there's the place where he bit me. There's still blood, but it's caked on at this point, and the puncture wounds are bruising.

I lightly brush my fingertips over it, pressing softly until the ache comes - it happens almost immediately.

"Fuck," I seethe, deciding not to touch it again anytime soon. I turn the faucet on, wetting a paper towel and bringing it to the bite marks, softly wiping away the caked-on blood.

Having not bothered to put my clothes back on, I examine the other hickeys in the stranger places: one beneath my navel, another on my inner thigh. The memory of the night warms me, though I realize now Lea's body had been kind of cold...

Dismissing the thought, I run the shower and step in. Shaking my hair under the shower head, I watch the water drip off the silver strands. I take the soap and wash away the remnants of the night.

After my shower, I slip on a clean pair of boxers and a new shirt, deciding I can wear last night's jeans just one more time before it was wash time.

Turning to the kitchen now, I rip open the fridge and reach for the day-old pizza box. Munching on cold pepperoni, I scroll through my recent notifications. I note that there's nothing from Lea, but there is a message from Sora.

Wanna grab lunch today at Kenny's? Naminé and Kairi are coming, too.

I answer him: Sure, what time?

The gray "pending" bubble appears almost instantaneously.

12:30 sound good?

Yeah, see you soon.

I glance at the time on the top of my screen: 11:58, and Kenny's Diner is almost a half hour drive from my apartment.

"SHIT!" I jump to my feet and scramble out my door.


Sora, Kairi, and Naminé are waiting for me when I arrive.

Kairi is the first to notice the marks on my skin. "Damn, you're all chewed up. You look like a fairy used you as a punching bag..."

"Yeah, sorry about that," I take my seat across from Naminé, "I had a bit of a crazy night..."

Naminé catches my drift the second I finish my sentence. "Who was he? I demand all the details right now!"

The three of them lean closer like teenagers begging for gossip; I don't hesitate around them. "Well, his name was Lea, and he was so sexy..."

The waiter comes and asks us if we're ready to order. I'm craving a little more meat than just cold pepperoni, so I order a burger and fries.

Sora interrupts me just before I can continue my recollection of the one-night stand. "What's this?" His fingers trace the puncture wounds on my neck.

"Careful, it hurts!" I recoil from him.

Sora settles into his seat. "Sorry...it looks like a bite mark."

"Oh yeah," I recall casually, "he bit me during foreplay."

"Kinky," Kairi mumbles, sipping her iced tea.

"That's a deep bite mark..." Naminé observes.

"Even kinkier," Kairi adds.

"What if he's a vampire?" Sora suggests.

A brief note on Sora: Sora believes in all the spooky mumbo-jumbo: ghosts, specters, vampires, werewolves - if it doesn't exist, he believes it does. There's no way he didn't suggest that as a mere joke.

"He's not a vampire." I assure him. "Anyway, he left at like four in the morning, said he had to work the night shift at the hospital."

Sora's eyes widen as if I'm telling him Santa isn't real. "He woke up before the sun came up? He works the graveyard shift?"

"Oh my God, Sora, he's not a vampire!" It comes out a little too loudly. Sora sinks into his seat.

"I mean, Sora does have a point..." Naminé pipes up. "Today is the Summer Solstice, and things might be a little more restless..."

By "things", Naminé also meant spirits. Naminé's a practicing Wiccan, has been for at least three years. According to Wiccan belief, the Summer Solstice is a holiday.

"Okay, but if it's the Summer Solstice, doesn't that mean vampires won't really be out because they can't be in the sun and it doesn't get dark till really late?" Sora mentions.

I scoff. "Vampires won't be out because they're not real. Anyway, back to the real world: anything new with you guys?"

"Since the past twenty-four hours? Not with Kai and me," Sora shrugs.

"Naminé?" I offer.

A sly smile appears on her face, and her cheeks turn pink. "Okay, so...this girl on Instagram commented on one of my witch posts, and we started talking in the comments, then it went to the DMs...and then it went to Snapchat...and it turns out she lives really close by and she's also into girls..."

I drop her a skeptical glance. "How do you know she isn't some weirdo who's trying to kidnap you? That's more plausible than me banging a vampire."

"Her posts are that of a girl's in her early 20's who likes indie bands and goth stuff." Naminé pulls up the girl's Instagram and scrolls through the first few pictures.

"Did she send any face pics?" Kairi asks.

"Yeah, but..." Naminé's face suddenly drops.

"What?" I press.

"She sent a few, and I know she was cute but...I can't remember what she looks like now..." Naminé wrinkles her brow and stares pensively at her chicken strips.

"Did you save any of the pictures?" Sora points a fry at Naminé thoughtfully.

"No, I forgot to, and she sent them on Snapchat so they're gone now." Naminé answers. "I can't even remember her hair or eye color..."

"That's weird, and you have a crazy photographic memory..." I point out.

"Yeah...oh well..." Naminé says, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I guess if I ever meet up with her, I'll remember what she looks like, then."

"If you meet her, I'm coming with you," I decide, "you know, just in case she really is some creep."

Sora beams at my initiative, adding, "I'll come too! We can both take him, right, Riku?"

"Okay, Small Fry," I tease, "maybe you and Ven together can take him."

I glance at my friends around the table. "Hey, where is Ven?"

Kairi's hands fly to her mouth. "Shit, we forgot to tell you..."

Sora and Naminé shift in their seats, looking away.

"Is something wrong with Ven?" I ask softly.

Kairi shakes her head. "Not Ven, his brother, Roxas."

I briefly recall Roxas, almost a mirror-image to Ven, just slightly younger and still boyish-looking.

"What happened to him?" I demand firmly.

"Ven called Sora this morning," Kairi explains, "Roxas went missing two days ago and hasn't been home."


I hope you enjoyed chapter one! I'll try to update this semi-regularly, just be on the lookout for new chapters