Author's Note: A big, hearty thank you to all of my reviewers:

Luis Alfredo Campos Sylvester

Caliwali6

hollycullen5

You guys rock! It's your support that fuels my passion for writing. Three weeks ago, I honestly never expected to reach Chapter 10 this early! Without further ado, enjoy!

Patches' POV

For the first time in so long, I made contact with the human-made streets of a human-established city in a human-infested world, all of them strangers to me. The dimly lit paths showed no sign of life, though I knew the populace would soon wake and fill the stores and avenues. The stars in the sky twinkled faintly at me, winking me good day as they relinquished control of the sky to the dawn and faded from sight. I took a few steps forward and turned around. I almost forgot how incredibly grand and majestic our castle looked from the outside. No wonder so many tourists venture in every day. Standing beside it, I realized just how small I was in comparison to its massive height. I felt two familiar hands touch my shoulders and turn me around. "Come on, Patches. We still have to get there and it's almost daylight," Ethan reminded me, gently moving my arm in one direction near the hills on the countryside of town. His voice was calm, but his movements were anything but. Once I started walking with him, he began to power-walk in lengthy strides, his hold on my hand prompting me to do the same. Once we matched pace, he looked over his shoulder and picked up his speed to a jog. I had to look down at this point to make sure one foot didn't accidentally cross over the over. An old sprained tendon in my right leg that didn't heal properly sometimes came back to haunt me when I ran. My foot would spastically turn inward at a slant and trip the other if I wasn't cautious to mind it. Luckily, he didn't break into a sprint.

We passed several buildings, homes, and marketplaces that looked rather small compared to the Volturi estate. I felt slightly cramped just sliding through the narrow streets between them. A sample breath of fresh air awakened my senses with a start. Somewhere close, a bakery rose out of its dormancy, blooming with the aroma of freshly baked bread and morning pastries. How long had it been since I had one of those cinnamon rolls? Far too long is my guess. A pool of saliva surfaced on my tongue and I wondered how one would taste in my vampire mouth. Sweet with sugary glaze? Warm with golden brown delight? If I could just close my eyes and savor the smell a little longer…

"Oof!" I fell forward with a thud, face planted on the stone path. My extended arm was gently put down followed by a tsking sound. When I raised my head, Ethan was staring intently at me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, helping me up.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," I answered, dusting myself off. A small part of me wanted to tell him about the bakery smell and the physical ailment, but the larger part thought it silly. "I just got distracted, that's all." I smiled and began walking in our intended direction, taking elongated strides to show my enthusiasm. After eight paces, no footsteps followed my lead.

"Your ankle's slightly crooked," he observed before catching up to me. "You should have just said so, silly." With that, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders while his other brushed behind my knees and pulled me straight up into his chest. Surprised, I clung to the back of his neck for balance.

"Ethan, I can walk. Really!" I protested, attempting to swing my outmost leg over his hand; his fingers only locked on my knees with a death grip.

"I know, Patches, but we have to bolt there before sunrise and I don't want you to fall again." I understood that he was being protective, but I didn't want to be carried like a baby. On the contrary, he should see that I can be strong and every amount of man he is. His tone left no patience for argument, so I decided to relax and enjoy the fast-paced ride.

My head pressed into his shoulder the second he took off like a shot, sprinting quicker than the human eye could detect, stopping time as we flew over the rooftops and through the grassy plains on the outskirts of town. I squeezed my eyes shut; the flurry of color started to make me dizzy. Through my eyelids, I could make out glints of something bright. "We're here," Ethan announced, turning my attention to the white villa resort. The sun caught up with us, its brilliance reflecting off Ethan's face and into my line of vision. His soft eyes never looked so dazzling in my living memory.

Ethan's POV

I could have looked at that beautiful baby face all day. Strands of auburn hair cascaded around his heart-shaped head, accenting his large eyes full of wonder and delight. His mouth was slightly agape, showing the smallest sliver of tongue peeking between two pink lips. He still had his arms looped around my neck, probably recovering from my sprinting. When I judged our blissful silence start to turn awkward, I set him back on his feet and we stepped up to the cream colored door. It was a casita compared to home, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a recreational room, a special cellar for blood storage, and a sheltered patio with a quasi-outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi. From my pocket I drew the key and unlocked the door, ushering Patches inside first before flipping on the light switch.

The inside, for lack of a better analogy, could be described as the possible rough draft of Heaven. Silver and white. The pictures, furniture, beds, carpet, walls, and appliances were either a brilliant silver or a dazzling white. "Wow," Patches breathed beside me, taking the scenery in.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? A more contemporary style than what you're used to—"

"I love it!" he exclaimed, striding deeper in and locating the closet to store his shoes. I grinned and followed him, stopping to see him pull up his hoodie. The tee attached itself and flipped up, revealing a smooth white tummy. On the side, a large red stripe slicked around his waist; it was a deep cut, a scrape that couldn't have been made by accident. He detected the draft at once and tugged the shirt down protectively. I pretended not to notice and did the same. "I'll take that for you." Before I had time to respond, he was already sliding a hanger into one of my sweatshirt's sleeves. I looked around the place and gave a brief tour.

"So, this is our small getaway lodge. It's mainly built for two couples, but we'll only need the one bedroom unless you'd rather have a room to yourself. There's a bathroom on either side and downstairs is the blood cellar and the entertainment room—which is like a small theatre for films and stuff." He slowly nodded and glanced from one room to the next when a sight outside caught his eye. He wandered to the window and his face lit up with a curious grin.

"What's that?"

"That's the pool," I smiled back. "It's technically outside, but it has an enclosure around it so that the sun doesn't hit our skin in case humans happen to pass by. If you want natural light inside it, the roof can open up." An errant thought crossed my mind at that moment. Just a dirty, little thought. "Want to go swimming?" He thought for a moment and frowned.

"We didn't bring any bathing suits."

"I know," I smirked, probably much wider than socially appropriate. The innocence in his eyes didn't catch on.

"B-But I have to have something on when I swim!" he protested, now looking anxious. I raised an eyebrow, knowing that he was hiding something he didn't want me to see. I recalled our conversations about his "dark days" and the fact that he never seemed to wear one article less than his full outfit. It wasn't hard to deduce his secret.

"No, you don't. We're both guys; we can go naked if we want to." He vigorously shook his head, his eyes widening to their full extent. I shrugged, remembering my promise to stay within his comfort zone. "Maybe later then. Would you rather go downstairs instead?"

"Okay." He followed me down where the nifty chrome machine pumped the fused blood in the corner to keep it from clumping. It was as long as a sofa and had two tap faucets, one on each end. I handed him a glass bottle from the cabinet and demonstrated how to use it by filling up my own. He smacked his lips, the sight and smell of the liquid arousing his thirst and reddening his irises through the contacts. When he acquired a full bottle, we clinked glass to glass and took a swig.

"How is it?" I asked. His eyes rolled up to the ceiling, evaluating the flavor.

"More syrupy, but not as sweet." He told me once that his palate preferred a cherry syrup type of flavor, like Grenadine except with cherries rather than pomegranates. Every vampire tastes blood differently, the flavor that will never turn dull so it could always be craved. Mine personally tastes richly of root beer.

"That's because the added plasma thins out the blood to preserve it. I guess it's decent." We finished our bottles and tossed them in the garbage before I asked him what he wanted to do next.

"I don't really know. W-What do other people do on their vacations?" I felt bad for him. The poor child probably never had a full day off in years. I took his hand and led him back upstairs.

"Anything they want," I told him. "Most of the time, it's all about relaxing. Just get comfortable, you know?" He nodded and glanced at the back window again. "If you want to swim, just say the word," I assured him. He bowed his head and bit his lower lip as if to think it over.

After a while, he muttered something that sounded like, "Yebetwitashurtun".

"What was that, Patches?" I had to ask.

"Y-Yeah…b-but with a shirt on," he repeated, slower this time. I raised an eyebrow but decided not to question his insecurities.

"Right this way, please." I crossed over to the back door and held it open for him. "The towels are out there between the pool and the Jacuzzi." He gave a small smile and headed toward the pool, smoothing his hair back as he went. Sensing his nervousness, I began to strip down, my pants unzipped and my shirt over my arm before I reached the enclosure. He threw me a quizzical look when he saw what I was doing. "Your turn," I prompted as I dumped my clothes on a cabana lounge chair, now only in my boxers. He pressed his lips into a pout, silently asking that I turn around. I grudgingly nodded and faced the villa, placing a hand over my eyes for good measure. A moment passed when I heard him step into the shallow end. "Can I look now?"

"Yes," came his small voice. His longer tee shirt was rolled up past his elbows, the bottom passing the length of his briefs. His hands were clasped in front of him, fidgeting slightly. I jumped on the shallow step beside him.

"Awesome! You know how to swim, right?" I inquired, semi-serious. He chuckled and gave the affirmative. I loved the sound of his laugh—melodious, modest, and oh, so boyish. I waded into the water; the cool fluid refreshing to the touch. "Come on in, then!" One step at a time, he ventured deeper in until the water level came to his shoulders. He wiggled around to keep himself afloat, smiling happily as he did so.

"I-I haven't done this…i-in years!" he took off breaststroke to the other side of the pool, reminding me of an excited jellyfish. I chased after him underwater, taking advantage of being undead. Breathing, for vampires, is entirely optional. I looked up at his worried face as he stopped swimming and looked around for me. Just as a joke, I seized his ankles and tugged him under to wet his whole head. He yelped in surprise and began to kick frantically, twisting violently in my grip until I let go and surfaced. I was met with a cold glare and crossed arms. "That wasn't funny." I disagreed, though it was evident I touched a nerve.

"Okay, it wasn't. I'm sorry." He didn't seem to hear me, his gaze fixated on the bobbing ripples ebbing away. He was having another 'nightmare' moment. I touched him comfortingly on the shoulder; I would never give up on him.

"What's a Jacuzzi?" he asked suddenly, lifting his stare to look directly at me.

"It's kind of like a smaller pool, except it's box-shaped, has seats in it, heats up…know what? Why don't I just show you?" I offered, deciding that showing him would be more effective than explaining the technicalities.

"Sure." I swam back to the shallow end, motioning for him to follow. I leapt out of the pool and moved to the large, cube-like structure. I rolled back the protective top covering and waited for Patches to come close enough to see the buttons before I turned it on. A whirring sound of a generator caused the water inside to vibrate. He looked on in wonder; a magical gleam arose in his eyes.

"Stick your finger in. Tell me when it's warm," I said quietly, walking off to collect some towels. I wanted him so badly, to be happy, to be with me, and to be happily with me. Friends could never be enough anymore, for a friendly relationship barely suggested the feelings I had for him. I plucked a couple of towels from the storage chest and set them on the lounge chair next to our clothes.

"It's warm," he announced, turning in my direction. I smiled and swirled my hand in the water. Sure enough, the temperature leveled at one hundred-three degrees. "Like a bathtub." He swung a leg over the edge and climbed in, sighing softly as he sank in one of the corner seats. A soothing purr escaped his throat and I knew he finally found his peaceful spot. I settled in beside him, drumming my fingers lightly on the dry surface. "This is nice," he hummed, tilting his head to meet my eyes.

"It gets better," I grinned, running my hand over the controls. He drifted closer to see what I was doing, his handsome face mere inches from mine. I flicked the switch that activated the jets. Bubbles burst to the center from all directions at once, emitting only a small rumble. I watched Patches' waist as some of the bubbles found their way under his shirt, scooping it up until it bunched between his shoulder blades. He caught me staring and struggled to pull it back down, but it was too late. I saw it all and realized in an instant just how much torture and suffering he endured, what baggage he bore, the reason behind his nightmares and his insecurity, why he was so sensitive…everything.

Author's Note: What did you think of this chapter? Any thoughts or suggestions on where it should go next?