I jumped about ten feet in the air and looked around.

There were at least half a dozen vampires I didn't recognize in the clearing, who had entered without Gerard's or my notice, all male, surrounding a seventh whom I knew to be none other than-

"Devin!" Gerard growled, shielding me protectively as much as he could.

"Gerard," Devin acknowledged lazily. "Hello again, Frank. Gerard, why don't you step aside so we can kill him?"

"Gerard, please, don't get hurt trying to protect me," I whimpered.

"I won't. I have a plan," he whispered so quietly only I could hear, then shouted to the rest of the group. "What did he ever do to you?"

Devin sneered. "He helped you, befriended you, and ended up loving you. You don't deserve any of that. How could anyone love a sickening faggot like you?"

Gerard looked uncertain, so I pressed my lips discreetly to the back to reassure him. His eyes immediately cleared.

"On the count of three," he breathed, barely moving his lips, his voice melting in the wind, "we run. Run back to the house."

I lightly nudged his back to let him know I was ready.

"Just play along."

Gerard raised his hands in mock-defeat. "Alright. We give in. You've won."

Clever.

Devin smirked. "Good."

"Frank's coming too, you know."

Devin nodded. "I know. Would you like to say anything else before we take you?"

Gerard paused, pursing his lips. "Just one last thing."

"What is it?"

"Three!" he shouted, and we both sprinted through the bushes at the exact same time before the others could react. That gave us a four second head start, but it was enough.

I heard Devin swear loudly and run after us, but we were already halfway back to the house.

We made it there first, but I could hear their footfalls down the street.

I locked the door and turned to Gerard.

His eyes were wild. "Where's the crucifix?"

I tossed him the gloves before adding, "Upstairs," and running to get the wooden stakes.

He came back in less than five seconds, making sure no part of the cross touched his skin or mine. There was a moment of star-crossed anticipation before the door was smashed open and the others ran into the house. I quickly stabbed one through the chest, and he fell to the floor.

Then something horrifying happened. The body of the man I had just speared writhed on its own, eyes glassy and limbs convulsing. And, before my very eyes, his skin started peeling away like paper.

When all the paper skin was shredded, there was nothing left but a skeleton.

My momentary distraction almost cost me my existence, but luckily Gerard shoved the crucifix down the throat of the vampire who had lunged at me.

He choked, and I watched as his neck began to blister.

I don't think I'll ever erase these images from my eyes.

The rest of them backed off, leaving Devin standing alone.

He growled, baring his teeth, but you could see in his eyes he knew he had lost.

"Devin," Gerard asked softly, "why did you really want to kill Frank?"

He hesitated. "I told you the truth."

"You told me half of it, then."

Devin huffed. "Fine! You want the whole truth?"

Then he grabbed Gerard by the back of the neck and kissed him.

My jaw hit the ground.

Devin pulled away. "You know why I said all those things? You know why I burned that into you? While you were off seducing another guy for his blood, I was sitting there waiting for you to come back, knowing you hated me, but not able to stop loving you!"

Gerard's mouth joined mine on the floor.

"And then this guy comes along after Eric kicked you out! And I'm left here all alone, wanting you to come back and love me."

Before either of us could say anything, Devin mashed his lips against Gerard's again.

Right before my horror-struck, disbelieving eyes, Gerard began to kiss him back.

I almost sighed in relief when I saw him mime "I love you" again, holding his free hand out behind his back, asking me silently to put something in it.

I handed him a wooden stake, hoping it was what he was asking for.

Gerard eventually pulled away. "You know what?"

Devin looked at him. "What?"

"I only have three words to say right now."

Devin smiled. "What are they?"

Gerard smiled back. "Fuck you, fag."

He stabbed Devin in the chest.

As I watched, his eyes glazed over and his skin peeled away like the other's had.

Wordlessly, Gerard dropped the stake, turned to me and pulled me into a deep kiss.

"Sorry you had to see that," he murmured against my lips.

"S'ok. I know it didn't mean anything. And you did what you had to."

He pulled me closer.

Suddenly, the door banged open and we jumped apart.

There stood the girl from the department store.

"What the fuck?"

Gerard spoke my thoughts aloud.

She leaned on the edge of the doorway, panting. She looked like she had run all the way here.

"I just saw," she gasped, clutching her side. "An entire mob of…I'm guessing they were vampires, too?"

I nodded, clinging to Gerard. "And you care why?"

"Well," she said, looking slightly embarrassed. "I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"You know you could have gotten killed if the other vampires were still here, or if we had no self-control," Gerard added.

She shrugged. "It's not like anyone would miss me, anyway."

"What about your parents?"

"My mom's dead. My dad's in prison."

"Oh."

She shifted uncomfortably.

"By the way, I never got your name," Gerard said, breaking the silence.

"It's Thalia."

I grinned, finally letting go of Gerard. "Won't you come in?"

Both of them looked slightly surprised, but Gerard nodded his agreement and Thalia stepped warily through the door.

"It's a bit of a mess," I admitted, when suddenly I noticed another figure on the ground.

I groaned. "Gerard, we missed one."

Gerard slapped a hand over Thalia's eyes.

"No, I shoved the crucifix down his throat, remember? And Thalia, there's a good reason you shouldn't see this," he added.

She huffed.

I took a step forwards, grimacing. "Is it still there?"

"Not sure."

"Where are the gloves?"

"Um…I think they're still where I dropped them before…Devin happened."

I spotted them on the floor off in a corner. I put them on and bent over the figure huddled on the ground.

I turned him over and shuddered. "Gross…and yes, it's still there."

Gerard choked. "Thalia, face the wall for a minute."

She sighed. "You know, I'm tougher than you think."

Gerard and I looked at each other, and then finally he shrugged. "Suit yourself."

He dropped his hand from her eyes. The injured vampire had flopped back over so you couldn't see his neck.

"It's not bad. What are you talking about?" she asked.

I sighed and pulled him up by the hair, showing her the red, raw burns and the patches of holes in his neck.

Her eyes grew wide and for a moment, her skin and Gerard's matched. Then she shook her head and muttered, "I'm fine."

I grinned. "Told you."

Gerard picked up a stray wooden stake from the ground, handing it to me.

"This," I said to Thalia, "you might want to look away for."

She shook her head. "I want to see."

"Alright, but prepare to have nightmares for the next ten years."

I turned him over onto his back and placed my foot on the top of his head. Gerard gulped and looked away, but Thalia was transfixed.

Then I placed my other foot on his chin and stepped down, hard.

There was a sickening crack as his jaw detached from his mouth.

I knelt down, put on the gloves, and ripped my way down his throat to get the cross. When I finally felt it, I pulled it out and set it on the ground, then stood up.

I stuck the spike down into his heart, and the same process of tearing skin began. When all that was left were bones, I took the skeleton and tossed it out the window, dusting off my hands.

I looked back at Thalia.

We made eye contact for all of two seconds before she passed out clean on the floor.

Gerard looked up when he heard the thud, but it was kind of strange because his eyes were still closed. "Are you finished?"

"Yep."

He chuckled when he saw that she had fainted. "What are we going to do with her?"

"I don't know. I kind of like her."

"Me too."

Suddenly, she murmured something, stirring a little.

"Wow, she is tough. She was only knocked out for like, a minute."

She groaned loudly, and I heaved her over to the couch.

I laughed. "Well, Gerard, it looks like we're going to have company."

"We're not exactly burned by the sun, it's just really, really hot, like standing in an oven. And we don't sleep in coffins, or are warded away by garlic, but yes- a stake through the heart will kill a vampire. A crucifix, to us, is like touching a white-hot knife. It burns like hell and actually leaves a mark."

"Did you memorize that whole thing?" Gerard said teasingly, poking me in the stomach.

"Maybe," I smiled back.

"So when you came to where I was working, you were human, but Gerard changed you?" Thalia asked, looking intrigued.

"That's about right."

"Why'd he decide to change you?"

We both fell silent.

"I, uh," I said awkwardly, "I don't think Gerard wants to talk about i-"

"No, it's fine," he interrupted.

"Right after we came home, from the department store, actually, Frank got a phone call. It was Devin, of course, sounding like a fucking stalker saying 'You think you're safe, but you're not,' or something like that. I was really scared, cause, well…"

He took off his shirt and showed her the scar. She gasped.

"Devin did that. And I was positive he would do it again. Not the same exact thing, of course, but still.

"I was not going to leave him after that. I stayed in the house for a week straight, and I admit, it was hard. Really hard. Frank eventually made me go 'hunt,' and the only reason I agreed was because I was afraid I'd lose control around him. Pain is one thing I can take, but hurting him is a whole different story."

"Aw," Thalia said under her breath, but then realized we had heard her and blushed. "Go on."

"Frank?" he said, turning to me. "I was gone for the part Devin came. Can you tell it?"

I nodded. "After Gerard left, I heard voices downstairs. I was like, 'Shit, I have to get the crucifix,' and ran down the stairs, only to remember I'm a total idiot and it was right by the bed, but before I could go get it, I saw Devin, Eric and Randy, and from there I was pretty much screwed. When Devin gave the order, the other two jumped at me and clawed me to death…literally. Had Gerard not come home in time…"

I heard Gerard gulp. "I'm eternally grateful I did. I saw him lying there, torn and bleeding, on the rug, and I swear I died a second time. Frank told me to change him, which really was the only way out, and here we are," he finished, smiling and wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

She beamed. "You guys are so cute together!"

I grinned. "Thanks."

"I'm wondering one thing, though," Gerard added. "What was the real reason you came here?"

She shrugged for what seemed to be the millionth time that day. "You guys are just…special. And not just because you're vampires. But I really have to go home and sleep- work first thing in the morning."

"Well, I hope to see you again sometime," I smiled, and I meant it.

"Me, too. You guys are something else," she chuckled.

"Bye, Thalia!" Gerard called as she walked down the driveway.

"You think she'll be alright?" I asked when she had vanished from view.

"Of course she will. She just witnessed all of that. But I feel like I know her from somewhere…" Gerard's brow furrowed.

"Well, just sleep on it for now…wait a minute," I laughed. Gerard snorted and lay down next to me.

I curled into his arms and stayed there the whole night.