Late Tuesday night, 12:21 AM

I pumped my arms hard at my sides, racing down the street as fast and as far as my legs could take me. My lungs were raging with cold screams and I could feel the warm sting of tears behind my eyes. I didn't know why I was crying, but I didn't try to stop it either. Why bother? There wasn't much going on around me. Only a few people came out onto the sidewalks or drove past and gave me strange looks for running. But I didn't pay them any mind or care. Why should I? I didn't know these people and I had no intention of slowing down and apologizing for acting like a fucking freak. Fucking hell, it was Los Angeles— everyone was a freak.

'Adam just so happens to be the uber freak.' I shook my head, slowing to a pained walk, my hands on the back of my hand as I breathed deeply through my nose and out my mouth. My sides felt like they were ripping open at invisible seams; I was afraid for a moment that my lungs were going to crash in on me and I would suffocate on the cold pavement. But then I reminded myself to calm down and not fall prey to anxiety attacks— something that happened often when I was a kid. I had been fortunate for years in dodging their bullets, but I could feel the edginess in my breath and the dark, fuzzy lining rimming my vision. I closed my eyes, breathing slowly and walking straight. Instinct kept me moving forward even though I couldn't see anything now.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do, either. Part of me said that I would be fine, that I should stay. Adam wouldn't hurt me, right? He was a nice guy, and he didn't seem like the kind of person to intentionally— 'Think about what you've just witnessed, Tommy! Adam killed an innocent person! He killed that poor kid! That's not hurting someone?' I whimpered, trying to breathe as best I could and still put ground between myself and wherever Adam might be. I didn't think that I would find myself running away from him, but what other choice did I have? So many thoughts were running through my head, and hundreds of little things that I should have realized before were suddenly dawning upon me and making everything worse. I felt the sting of tears behind my eyes and fought hard to keep them back. No, I would not cry.

But fuck I wanted to.

'Calm down, Tommy. Just calm down, you'll be able to sort all of this madness out soon.' I wanted to believe that. I really did, but it was becoming increasingly difficult with each step that I took. I didn't know where I was going, but I hoped it was in the general direction of the condo. I needed to go back and get money. I needed to figure out what the hell I was going to do. Would I stay? Would I leave? Adam would be upset if I left. The band would be upset. I'd be upset with myself if I left. 'But can you put your life on the line for the love of a monster?' I paused for a second, my heart finally calming itself as I glanced up at the heavy moon hanging in the polluted sky.

Adam wasn't a monster. He was just different. That's all.

I walked forward again, my head spinning. I cared about Adam, that was true. I cared deeply for him, and I really liked him. But he was a fucking vampire. An inhuman creature that drank human blood for survival. What if I became his next necessary meal? 'Tommy, honestly— if Adam didn't care for you as much as he obviously does, you would have been his first meal.' I sighed heavily, reaching up and rubbing the back of my neck gently. My head hurt and everything began to ache. The stress and the shock from… what had happened, were obviously taking a physical toll on my body and leaving me in discomfort. God, I hated this.

I must've walked a ways, because when I looked up I didn't know where I was. None of the surrounding areas were familiar and the streets were dark. I felt panic rising in the back of my throat, but I told myself to stay calm. There was no one around but me, and all I had to do was look for the brighter distances. I looked left and right, turning in circles where I stood, feeling my heart beginning to race when it had just started to calm itself down again. I looked again and again, hoping that my eyes were tricking me and that my surroundings weren't as bad as I was fearing.

I couldn't find the brightness of the city. It was as if I walked into a shadow zone.

I sighed heavily, feeling my breath coming quickly after the exhale, and I turned again. This wasn't cool, like, at all. I was lost and I had a vampire trying to hunt me down. My only solace was that he wasn't hunting me down to eat me. At least, I hoped not.

I turned to my left, hoping that I was going the right direction. Walking forward, it seemed like the shadows just got thicker around me. The air was cold and the moon was fighting to stay in front of a cloud. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself as I walked. The buildings seemed nice, but the darkness was eerie and making them loom over me like disapproving ministers of hell. I trembled, breathing hard as my pace quickened. Why couldn't I find light? Why was it so dark all of a sudden? Fuck, for once I wish I hadn't run away from Adam… He'd keep me safe, right… He'd protect me…

'If he didn't eat you first.' I winced, closing my eyes as I walked. No, not the time and place to be thinking about something like that. Especially the place. A lump formed in the back of my throat as I walked; paranoia gripping my shoulders, forcing me to look over them after every corner I passed. It was like waiting for that really cheesy monster jump-out in a sucky horror film, and it's just not quite there yet. 'Good to hear you still use horrible analogies even when you're paranoid and freaked as fuck.' I sighed, tightening my hold on myself as I walked just a little faster, stepping around a corner and walker deeper into the darkness.

No, Adam wasn't going to eat me. I had to convince myself that something like that wasn't going to happen. I exhaled a heavy breath, but my grip on myself refused to let up. I was shaking, though not from the temperature, although it was a little chillier than normal. Stupid L.A. weather, always shifting. Though not as bad as some places; I'd heard horror stories of Florida and Oregon weather (where the fuck is a place like Oregon located?!), and L.A. was pretty chill—

'Why are you arguing with yourself about the fucking weather?! You've got a mother fucking vampire trying to hunt you down!!' Okay, so I wasn't the most logical person in the entire world, but sometimes thinking about other things kept my mind off of the bigger issue. Like thinking of the weather instead of a sexy, glam vampire trying to hunt me down in the middle of a darkened L.A. street. Fantastic.

I turned another corner, stepping out onto a more well lit street. It was still dark compared to where I had been when I left Adam, but it was better than the back alley areas. I sighed softly, rubbing my arms to keep some warmth in them. I didn't know what time it was, where I was at, or even if Adam was still following me. Part of me hoped that he was, simply because, even though he was a blood sucking creature of the night, I missed him. I felt so comfortable and safe around him, and I wanted to be with him. But then there was the logical side of me that prayed he'd given up, and that I wouldn't have to deal with the fear that he would kill m—

"Tommy!"

I was at a cross between two thoughts: "PRAISE JESUS" and "Shit".

I glanced over my shoulder, seeing his oceanic eyes full of worry and also relief. I spun quickly, walking faster. Why was I still running? I shouldn't be running away, I should be running to him! What was I doing?! But I didn't have time to answer myself as I felt his icy hands on my shoulders, spinning me around. I shivered slightly, but that was more or less just a natural reaction now. I kept my head down, not wanting to look at him. How could I? I'd just run from him. How could I look him in the eye now? God, my thoughts were a mess.

"Tommy— Tommy, baby, look at me." I didn't move. Adam was silent for a moment, before sighing softly. His hands slid from my shoulders, down to my biceps. He gripped them tightly, his hands cold against my skin as he pulled me towards his car. I didn't struggle, I didn't scream or shout, I didn't say a word. I was silent and I followed him, not making a notion of resistance as he shoved me into the passenger seat of the car. I kept my head down, staring at the floor of his Porsche. Adam opened the door of the driver's side and slid in, closing the door and restarting the engine. It purred to life and he pulled forward, driving easily along the road.

"Look… I'm sorry that you learned the way you did. I wish— I wish I could have told you sooner but I wasn't sure how you would handle the situation." He said slowly, choosing his words carefully. His voice was strained, though because of what I wasn't sure. His hands were tight on the steering wheel, the skin over his knuckles stretched thin and firm. I kept my hands on my lap, wanting to reach out and take one of his hands in mine, but also not wanting to move.

"But… being unaware of my surroundings wasn't any better. I should have… I'm sorry— I'm sorry that you…" He stuttered. He couldn't apologize to me. I didn't want apologies, I wanted… fuck, what did I want?!

The road stretched on, straight and empty. We were leaving the city lights and heading towards a darker, calmer area. Though where I didn't know. "Tommy? Tommy, please say something." He said, half begging me. What could I say? There wasn't much coming to mind to make for intelligent conversation. And nor was there anything for unintelligent conversation. I pulled my hands together, clasping them firmly in my lap. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Adam look over at me briefly, his eyes pleading and desperate. I frowned slightly, trying to think of anything to say. But I couldn't…

"Tommy…" He whispered; one of his hands slid from the steering wheel, and he reached over to me, unclasping my hands and gripping my left hand gently. I felt a breath escape my lips. I didn't have to move, and I was holding his hand. Win-win situation for me!

"Pull over." I said softly, surprised at how calm my voice sounded. Adam nodded once, easing the Porsche off to the side of the road, which was slightly covered in curling bushes and overgrown trees. We had gone farther out of the city than I had originally thought before, and now we were closer to being in the middle of nowhere, almost. It was quiet and dark, a perfect place to talk to a vampire, right? Out of the city, away from other people.

Fuck.

There was silence between us for a long moment, though in reality it was just short of a minute. I knew this because I was staring at the clock. My fingers tightened around Adam's, and I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He glanced over at me, his eyes still pleading and wanting me to speak. What did he want from me, though? I was just a little human man of twenty-fucking-two. My birthday had been just a little over a month ago. And Adam— fuck, Adam was a gorgeous, talented, and amazing… vampire. I cringed lightly at the word. A vampire meant he wasn't normal. He wasn't human.

"What are you thinking?" He asked above a whisper. I blinked once, before chuckling. His question humored me, but it wasn't what I was expecting.

"What am I thinking? What am I supposed to think, Adam?" I retorted. I felt the need to shout beginning to rise in the back of my throat, my heart beginning to race. I exhaled a heavy breath, leaning my head against the headrest of my seat. "You're… You're a vampire Adam, how am I supposed to react to something like that?" I turned my head to face him, staring deeply into his shadowed eyes. He blinked once, glancing down in defeat. He didn't know how I was meant to react either. I guess he never told Drake his secret.

"I'm sorry—" he began to say, but I raised my free hand to stop him.

"Don't apologize to me, Adam. Sorry isn't going to fix what you are. It's not going to fix what I saw. I'm not going to lie to you, seeing you at the club like that… it frightens me. It frightens me like you would not believe." I sighed, turning my head away and staring down at my shoes. My right hand lifted, the tips of my fingers pressing against the cool, scarred crescent in the side of my neck. I shivered lightly at the memory of his mouth against my skin, his teeth digging in, and Adam squeezed my hand. I had no doubt in my mind that he knew what I was thinking with my fingers pressed to the side of my neck.

"If I could start over and know, I would do anything. I wish I could have told you…" I shook my head.

"If I hadn't found out the way I did, we wouldn't be here. I probably wouldn't have believed you. And if you tried to show me, I probably wouldn't have stayed." Adam winced, his hand tightening painfully around mine. But I didn't make a sound to stop him, nor did I pull my hand away. He needed to know that I wasn't going anywhere.

'So, you've made up your mind, then? You're staying with him, even though he's a blood-sucking leech?' I growled mentally, hating my own subconscious from time to time. Adam wasn't a leech. He was just as humane as I was; he just needed a different type of food to survive. I lifted my head, looking back over at him, though he refused to meet my gaze.

"But we're learning right here and now, and that's the best way. Because I saw it first hand, there's not trying to convince myself that it's not true. And the fact that we're here, talking about this, makes me even surer that I want to stay with you, and that I trust you." His head snapped in my direction, his eyes alight with joy and hope. I smiled slightly at him, giving his hand another squeeze, even though mine was turning blue with lack of blood flow. His grip lightened a little, and he leaned over, kissing my lips gently. I kissed back, reaching up and cupping his face in my right hand.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me that you want to stay." He said softly.

"I think I do. Because it would kill me inside to leave you. I can't change who you are, but that doesn't mean I have to be afraid of you, either." I replied, kissing him again. His tongue, icy and tingling against my lips, slipped inside, roaming the warm caverns of my mouth, brushing against mine. The familiar burn of his saliva gliding down my throat forced a moan to emerge, and Adam smiled against me. His left hand wound itself deep into my hair, shoving the headband and feathers into a messy array. He pulled hard on my hair, and I moaned again, fighting his tongue back into his mouth. We battled for a moment, before something sharp scraped the tip of my tongue, and I tasted blood.

I pulled away, groaning in pain for a moment, before locking my tongue in my mouth and staring wildly at Adam. His eyes were glazed with a light blood lust, but he didn't advance on me. He stayed calm despite his desires being clear in his purple-ish eyes— purple?! 'Remember, Tommy, he's a vampire. His eyes are probably normally red.' Then why, whenever I saw him, they were blue? An electrifying, beautiful blue? 'A cover, most likely.'

Ah.

"Sorry." He said softly, before studying my face. "Here, stick out your tongue." I leaned away, my eyes widening slightly. He chuckled, and sighed.

"I'm not going to hurt you, just do it. You're faith in my control offends me, Thomas." I exhaled, sticking my tongue out slowly. It was still bleeding, my pulse pounding against the open wound. He leaned over, gently licking the small wound on my tongue. His saliva burned against the opening, but it eventually cooled to nothing, and the blood stopped pouring. I slipped my tongue back into my mouth, pressing it to the roof of my mouth. There was a small patch that was cooler than the rest, and I chuckled.

"Now I've got a vampire's tongue?" Adam blinked, and laughed.

"To a degree." He wiggled his eyebrows, and I laughed at the horrible attempt of a pun. Wow, Adam, wow. He leaned over and kissed me again, still holding onto my hand as he put the car into reverse, heading back into town.

"So, we're okay?" He asked. I smiled.

"Yeah. We're okay."

"…Does this mean we're… like, officially…" I knew what he was trying to say, and I lifted our clasped hands, kissing the back of his palm.

"Yeah. We're official." I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.