Beauty and the Beast
Age 13
"What does this say, Kei?" Sho asked with a children's book in hand, pointing to the Japanese characters.
"Let's see," Kei answered patiently, waving the boy over.
"This one," the kid indicated again.
The vampire locked in on the character. "Happy," he said automatically.
Sho repeated the word as if it was the first time he said it.
Kei's eyes wandered to the other things on the page. A woman and a man were holding hands. There was a bright yellow sun on the right of the page, a rosebush in the far left, butterflies were everywhere. "They were happy. They were together at last," Kei read the only two sentences on the page. Kei's heart felt warmer, the simple words touched him in a way desiring for the very thing the words promised.
"Where did you get this?" the vampire asked curiously, noticing the book itself for the first time. It was a little hard cover book that he had never seen before, well-kept and looked as if new, definitely not something they could get their hands on.
"I met a girl today at the park. She let me borrow it," Sho answered innocently.
"Really?" Kei was somewhat afraid, cautious, and protective of the safety of his only treasure.
"Her name's Yi-Che. She can't talk. She doesn't smile much either but she's nice," the boy stated proudly.
"I see..." responded the man, dismissing his apprehension. What could happen to Sho anyway? He was a tough boy, even with his expression of innocence.
"Would you teach me how to read, Kei?" Sho requested gingerly.
Kei smiled and picked the boy up. /Wow, he's getting heavy.../ "Of course," he accepted happily, walking to the small room they called a kitchen. /How could I refuse you.../ "Now, I made some cookies for you."
"Yay!" was the immediate response. Sho granted the man a glorious smile that being exactly what Kei wished for.
The vampire put Sho down. "I'll teach you some things while you eat."
Sho ran to the small round table that was faded in color. He sat. As Kei followed soon after, the boy picked up a cookie and bit it. It was soft and sweet but not that sweet, that being because sugar was low in the house. There were no chocolate or anything special in them either, just plain cookies that Kei made all the while thinking of the cute little boy. But, in fact, they were the best cookies, the best they could get at the time and the best because Kei made them.
"Ok," Kei pulled out a piece of paper and pen. He wrote down the character 'A' in kanji the way he was taught. Sho watched smiling, jumping up and down his seat which was not very stable considering all four of the legs were of different wood. "You try writing it, this is 'A'." Sho popped the rest of the cookie in his mouth. But before he focused entirely on the paper he chose another cookie and offered it to Kei. The vampire stopped a second, registering. He smiled inwardly and opened his mouth for the cookie to go in half way. Sho let go and finally concentrated on his new study. Even though the cookie in his mouth was not very good to him, blood being his only need, it was his heart that was fluttering with incredible sweetness.
Kei watched the boy, his cute cheeks puffy, his mouth still chewing. He looked so adorable. When Sho stuffed another cookie in his mouth, Kei was a bit amazed how big the small boy's mouth was. But he looked extra lovable. /You're my happiness, Sho.../