"Anna?"
Anna looked up. She was lying on her bed, half asleep. Gabriel was at the door.
"Hmm?" she breathed.
"Carl and I are going to hunt for Dracula's lair, where he is this time," Gabriel said, walking over to her.
"I'll come with you," Anna said, sitting up.
"No," said Gabriel, sitting down beside her. "Stay here, sleep, rest."
She sighed. Part of her was annoyed that Gabriel was treating her like an incapable invalid. She wasn't weak, he knew that. Part of her was glad that he was being so sweet towards her, but she did feel like he was making her into a weak little girl.
"I'd rather come out," she said.
"No, stay," insisted Gabriel, stroking her cheek fondly.
"Fine," she muttered.
His lips were on her lips then, kissing passionately. How could she resist him? How could she stay mad at him? She gave into his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and for a long time they sat on the bed, completely entwined.
"I love you," he whispered as he finally pulled away.
"I love you too," she replied, resting her cheek on his shoulder, trying to blink back the hot tears in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't want to lose you," she whimpered.
He sighed heavily. "You won't. I promise, Anna. Since when were you a pessimist?"
"Since I died. It does have the habit of bringing your optimism down a notch or two," she smiled weakly.
He chuckled. "My Anna..."
He kissed her nose gently. She snuggled closer to him, and for a brief few moments they relaxed in silence together, bathed in the late afternoon sunlight drifting through her window.
"Gabriel!"
They sprang apart as Carl entered. He looked peeved.
"Carl," scolded Anna, "we were busy!"
Carl seemed serious. "I didn't realise it took so much out of you, Gabriel, you look very pale."
Gabriel glared. It was true he looked pale, and Anna wondered why she had not noticed before.
"Are you ill?" she asked.
"I'm fine," he said. "Honestly."
"Shall we go?" asked Carl.
"Okay," said Gabriel. He reached into one of his deep pockets and produced a pistol. "This is loaded with Carl's pods," he told Anna. "Keep it with you at all times."
Anna took it and nodded. Gabriel kissed her gently.
"Godspeed," whispered Anna.
"Vivo hoy," Gabriel replied in Spanish.
With that, he and Carl left.
Anna looked up. She was lying on her bed, half asleep. Gabriel was at the door.
"Hmm?" she breathed.
"Carl and I are going to hunt for Dracula's lair, where he is this time," Gabriel said, walking over to her.
"I'll come with you," Anna said, sitting up.
"No," said Gabriel, sitting down beside her. "Stay here, sleep, rest."
She sighed. Part of her was annoyed that Gabriel was treating her like an incapable invalid. She wasn't weak, he knew that. Part of her was glad that he was being so sweet towards her, but she did feel like he was making her into a weak little girl.
"I'd rather come out," she said.
"No, stay," insisted Gabriel, stroking her cheek fondly.
"Fine," she muttered.
His lips were on her lips then, kissing passionately. How could she resist him? How could she stay mad at him? She gave into his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and for a long time they sat on the bed, completely entwined.
"I love you," he whispered as he finally pulled away.
"I love you too," she replied, resting her cheek on his shoulder, trying to blink back the hot tears in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't want to lose you," she whimpered.
He sighed heavily. "You won't. I promise, Anna. Since when were you a pessimist?"
"Since I died. It does have the habit of bringing your optimism down a notch or two," she smiled weakly.
He chuckled. "My Anna..."
He kissed her nose gently. She snuggled closer to him, and for a brief few moments they relaxed in silence together, bathed in the late afternoon sunlight drifting through her window.
"Gabriel!"
They sprang apart as Carl entered. He looked peeved.
"Carl," scolded Anna, "we were busy!"
Carl seemed serious. "I didn't realise it took so much out of you, Gabriel, you look very pale."
Gabriel glared. It was true he looked pale, and Anna wondered why she had not noticed before.
"Are you ill?" she asked.
"I'm fine," he said. "Honestly."
"Shall we go?" asked Carl.
"Okay," said Gabriel. He reached into one of his deep pockets and produced a pistol. "This is loaded with Carl's pods," he told Anna. "Keep it with you at all times."
Anna took it and nodded. Gabriel kissed her gently.
"Godspeed," whispered Anna.
"Vivo hoy," Gabriel replied in Spanish.
With that, he and Carl left.