Chapter 10: Alone at Last

Verity, looking anywhere but at him, spoke first. "What are you doing here?" She was clearly embarrassed about being caught dancing to a video by Britney. She stopped the music and plopped onto the window seat, closing the robe around herself tightly.

Warren set down his book bag by the desk and sat on the desk chair; he was straddling it backwards so he could watch her and not have to move the chair around. "I thought I'd be nice and bring you some homework." He was trying not to think about the little amount of clothing she was currently wearing, or the fact that the door to the room was closed. He needed to stay focused and be a nice guy…or at least try to be.

Verity smiled at him, the first time her eyes were on him since seeing him in the doorway a few moments ago. "That was nice of you." She looked at him expectantly, as if she wanted him to put the books on the desk and leave.

Warren's wolfish smile returned. "Your mom invited me to stay for dinner."

Verity's smile faltered just a little. "Oh? And are you?"

Warren nodded. He stood up abruptly and walked over to her. Sitting down next to her, he took one of her hands in his. "You know, you don't have to be embarrassed. So what if you dance around in your underwear to Britney Spears? Who cares?" He felt the familiar urge he had to pounce, but pushed it reluctantly down. "I don't care. Exercise is good for you, regardless of your bad taste in music."

Verity laughed softly and smacked at him with her free hand. "Hey! Britney used to be good."

"Right."

Verity, faking shock at his comment, slugged him again, this time pulling her hand from his and hitting him with it. It left her robe loose, so it fell back, revealing once again how little she had on. Warren's stomach lurched as he tried not to look, but he couldn't resist. After a quick peek, he glanced back up into her eyes. Her eyes were narrowed slightly and her lips were parted. She was so close to him, he could feel her breath on his cheek. Just as he was getting ready to make his move, he remembered Mrs. James calling him a nice boy, and he turned away.

They sat there in silence for a while, Verity confused and Warren flustered. Finally, she cleared her throat. "I think I'm going to take a quick shower down the hall. Then, if you don't mind, you can help me with my homework?"

Warren nodded and tried to swallow. The thought of Verity, naked and wet a few feet away was almost too much. "Yeah," he said in his husky voice. "That sounds fine."

Verity stood and grabbed some clothes. Then she headed out the door. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back."

Warren stood up and looked around the room again. He walked over to the bookcases and looked over the titles. Wuthering Heights, Grendel, Pride and Prejudice, ghost stories, love stories, plays, non-fiction, all kinds of things stared back at him. One entire shelf was devoted to vampire books: the Twilight series, the House of Night series, Dracula, Reinfield, the Vampire Academy series, Blade comics, the Vampire Diaries series, even some Anne Rice stuff. "Someone likes their bloodsuckers," he murmured. It made sense though. From the looks of her collection, she liked books with suspense, action, romance, and a little bit of the supernatural. Basically all the things offered in various vampire novels.

Warren moved on to her DVDs. Again, a nice assortment of different genres. Lots of stupid teen comedies, some horror flicks, some Disney stuff, the complete series of Charmed and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and a few musicals and black-and-white flicks, like Guys and Dolls and Casablanca. Warren was surprised; he liked that she had varying tastes because it would make it easy for them to decide on movies and such together. He was very much a guy and loved action movies, so if Verity was cool with a little of everything, he wouldn't always have to sit through chick-flicks with her. He would of course, but knowing he wouldn't have to made him feel better.

He noticed her music taste was also eclectic and so he moved on to the decoration in the room. A Rat Pack poster grazed part of one wall. Another wall held a giant poster of Mark Wahlberg; Warren felt his jealous side flare, but pushed it down. Like she would really ever meet Mark Wahlberg? A painting of Roger Rabbit was nearby and various sketches of other cartoon characters hung around it. You could tell the sketches weren't by the original artist, but if they were Verity's they were pretty good. The only framed photo sat on the desk; Verity and her mom were standing there with a man Warren thought must be her dad. It looked to be a few years old.

About that time Verity walked back in. Her hair was still damp, but she had brushed it back out of her face and clipped it up, the tips barely grazing her skin. She smiled at Warren. "I feel tons better."

Warren smiled back and pointed at the photo. "Your dad?"

Verity's face darkened slightly as she nodded. "Yeah, before he went crazy and went to prison." She noticed the look of shock on Warren's face and she sighed. "My dad was bipolar too. And a neutralizer. We didn't realize it until he tried to rob a bunch of banks a few years ago. My mom and I turned him in to the authorities and returned all the money. He's locked up in a prison that specializes in mental patients. So like a mix of the loony bin with a jail cell. I get letters from him once in a while, but he's the reason I freak out about the voices." She looked sad. "I don't want to be like him."

Warren knew that feeling all too well, thanks to his own father. After a few minutes of awkward silence, he cleared his throat. "Got a thing for vampires, huh?"

Verity smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "I don't know why. I just understand them, you know? They're monsters, yet they have feelings. They're misunderstood." She shrugged and plopped onto the bed. "You were snooping, weren't you?"

Warren held his hands up in surrender. "I was trying to behave myself." He walked over to the bed and sat down next to her, pulling his book-bag to him.

Verity laughed. "You? Behave? Right…" Her eyes were sparkling happily. "I'm really glad you came to visit, even if you caught me dancing in my underwear, which I'm sure you didn't mind." She nudged him playfully.

Warren shrugged. "Not really." He opened his bag, trying desperately to ignore the heat of her body next to him and focus on their assignments. "Shall we?" He handed her her books and the list of assignments she had.

Verity groaned, but agreed and they began working on the numerous exercises she missed. Warren could tell she was insanely smart and shouldn't have been so far behind to begin with. He looked at her and said as much after about an hour of working.

Verity sighed. "I know, right? If I actually sat and did my work instead of constantly worrying about my condition, I could be valedictorian." She put her notebook down and stretched out on the bed, turning her body toward his. "I just get sidetracked too easily." She let the hand she wasn't leaning onto graze against Warren's arm. "How do you stay focused?"

Warren bit back frustration, trying not to take the bait. He came here to help with her homework; granted, he hoped they would get sidetracked, but he hadn't counted on wanting her mom to like him. He sighed heavily and sank back on the bed, relaxing for only a few moments of brief flirting before he'd make her get back to work. "It's not easy, believe me. Especially when you're touching me like that." He gestured to her hand. "But I want your mom to like me and approve of me, so I'm trying to be a good boy."

Verity inched closer, her voice lowering. "Mom's preoccupied cooking dinner." She let her free arm wrap slowly around Warren's neck. "Besides, she already approves of you. I told her all about your concern for me and accepting me, craziness and all. Plus, anyone who's not Speed is great in her book."

Warren scowled at the mention of the other boy. "He says he wasn't supposed to fall for you…that it wasn't part of the plan."

Verity wrinkled her nose. "What plan?"

Warren shrugged. "I have no idea. He wouldn't say."

Verity's coy smile returned. "Let's not talk about him." She let her fingers run wildly through Warren's hair, forcing the last of his resolve to dissolve. "I know we can find something more interesting to do."

Verity's lips met his for the briefest of moments before slowly going toward his neck. She trailed kisses up to his earlobe, where she let her teeth graze his skin softly. Warren stifled a moan, trying desperately to regain his composure. "We really need to…"

Verity shushed him and rolled him onto his back, straddling his lap. Her hair, which had dried and she'd taken down in a moment of frustration, was loose around her shoulders. As she leaned down, her upper body lining up with his, all of her brunette curls fell to one side of her face so it wouldn't get into their way. She moved his hands to her waist, wrapping her long arms around his neck.

"Don't think. Don't say no. Just go on instinct," she murmured into his ear.

Her words made his heart pound desperately in his chest. He wanted to let go and just give into his feelings, but not with her mother right downstairs. "I don't think-"

She insistently pressed her lips onto his to shut him up. "We don't need to have sex," she muttered against his swollen mouth. "We can make out until dinner time."

Warren, knowing he was slowly losing this battle, finally gave in, not wanting to fight it anymore. "Fine. You win the battle, missy," he growled into her ear, copying her words from weeks ago at lunchtime, "but you won't win the war."

She smiled down at him. "Oh, but I already have."