Nate hadn't really realized what a recluse he'd become lately to a point, he'd apparently hadn't even left his apartment for two whole weeks. To be honest, he didn't really notice not when Caroline was there to keep him company, be it day or night. His apartment had become hers too and her clothes and things were scattered everywhere, her scent was on his things and he'd become accustomed to being her teddy bear at night.

A part of him realized how domestic they looked but he couldn't really get himself to care or even try to reevaluate his situation. He was actually happy and he hadn't felt that in a very long while.

Nate hadn't noticed – or at least he pretended not to– just when he and Caroline had crossed the line of casual to exclusive. Maybe because he hadn't really bothered with any romances since his change despite the numerous fan mail he received (his vampirism was Gossip Girl's most favorite topic nowadays, blogging about how he would be New York's Edward Cullen and speculating on who would be his Bella), he just wasn't interested.

That and Caroline had the amazing ability to make him laugh whenever she opened her mouth, her blunt and almost childish running commentary about anything and anyone was refreshing. Just the complete honesty of her and how everything about her just felt real made her more tangible to him, more lasting.

He also liked her company, he really did because she was infectious with her bright smiles and how she enjoys going about his apartment half-naked, being such a distraction sometimes, he usually would forget his train of thought.

And there she was again wearing nothing but pink lacy lingerie and man, did he love Victoria's Secret. His eyes were completely trained on her as she waltzed over to where he was seated on the couch, her long fair skin oh-so-tempting and he had to stop himself from just using his super speed to grab her and carry her off to the bedroom. But he stayed exactly where he was, he knew that patience was always rewarding when it came to Caroline.

She smiled at him temptingly when she reached him, straddling his lap on the couch, her knees on either side of his thighs. His hands were quick to slide up the smooth skin of her thighs and he rejoiced in the shudder it caused her at the contact. In response, she leaned closer until he can feel her breath fan his face. He reached up to kiss her but she avoided him, her lips going to his ear and he shivered as her teeth start nibbling on the sensitive flesh.

"I'm bored." She murmured out when he felt like he could almost die.

It was okay, he could easily remedy that.

"Let's go out."

"Okay."

But first thing was first.

He flipped her over until she was on her back on the couch, her blue eyes wide and lovely and he drunk in her laughter between kisses.

Caroline had friends she was meeting up with and he'd found himself in a dark less than comforting apartment building near Chinatown, the place packed with vampires and humans alike, loud, gothic music playing in the background and the smell of sex, booze and…blood heavy in the air. He felt like he just stepped into a modernized Anne Rice novel.

Caroline kept her hand in his as they waded through the crowd and they searched for her friends. Nate actually wanted nothing better but to go home and just have a House marathon or something (his latest guilty pleasure) but Caroline had been having cabin fever lately and he didn't want to upset her by forcing her to go home.

Still, Caroline looked especially good that night, all dolled-up and sexy in her blood red dress. He'd been resisting breaking bones of lecherous guys ever since they stepped out their apartment building. No guy had made a move yet but he was waiting and ready just in case. He's never ripped out a spinal cord with his bare hands after all and he'd like to try.

Caroline finally seemed to find who she was looking for as she dragged him running forward with vampire speed and enveloped a blue-haired Asian girl in a hug. The two women squealed in excitement for a few seconds, jumping up and down in their excitement. Nate could only watch in awe.

After the two detangled from each other, more words in high notes were exchanged and he didn't bother trying to even understand even a modicum of what they said and chose to be unknowing.

"Oh I have to introduce you to someone," Caroline's hand was on him again, grasping her arm and smiling at her friend widely. She was obviously showing him off. "Lily, this is Nate. Nate, this is Lily."

"Nice to meet you." He extended his hand for a handshake and she only raised her also blue eyebrows at him before accepting. Her grip was like python's.

"And he's a gentleman." She remarked with a smirk. "Nice to meet you, Nate."

After all the niceties were over and done with, Lily led them to a backroom where they lounged on the leather sofas and drank straight vodka. Lily had asked him a few questions about himself, about his past life, his vampire life and mostly, his relationship with Caroline.

"So, how long have you been together?" The Asian vampire asked, lighting a cigarette and offering them one. They both declined.

He didn't really know how to answer her question, turning to Caroline for her say on the matter. They hadn't really talked about it, hadn't really declared that they were an item but it had felt like it these past few weeks and damn him if he hadn't started to feel something for her in that time.

"Just a few weeks." Nate finally answered, keeping his eyes on hers. "I met her at one of those fledling meetings. You could've called it love at first sight."

He had the pleasure of seeing her blush bright red before smiling to himself and turning back to Lily who laughed at his sappiness. "Well, you're certainly better than the last one. And whew, was that dramatic or what?"

"Lily!" Caroline suddenly shrieked looking immensely uncomfortable. Nate only saw Lily frown at the other vampire girl before shaking her head and smoking another puff of her cigarette. The exchange was small and confused him but he knew that there was something there….something they were hiding.

And he wanted to find out what.

"What was Lily talking about?" He later asked her when they arrived back home at the apartment. She'd only just removed her jacket and was off to go freshen up but he'd been thinking about this ever since they left the party and the curiosity was gnawing at him.

She doesn't say anything for a moment, her eyes not meeting his and he had to say her name for her even look at him.

"Nothing." She finally replied, her eyes blue empty shells conveying no emotion.

"You don't really expect me to believe that do you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Caroline–"

"Please."

She was pleading with him now, her face forlorn like she was about to break. He instantly felt like a jerk.

"Okay."

The issue was ignored for the next couple of days and at first it's almost unnoticeable and they skirt around the rising tension between them, invading every space in their apartment until it felt like he was drowning from the anticipation of something that was to come.

She still won't say anything to him though and most of the time, she escaped into daydreams, staring off into space until he felt like he was going mad from wondering what was going through her head. Also, the liquor cabinet was quickly getting depleted and he wasn't sure who was more responsible between the two of them.

She was nursing her third glass of whiskey when he cracked.

"Tell me." His voice was strong, forceful and even. His grandfather would've been proud.

Her eyes stared up at him at where she was seated on the couch, not at all intimidated as he stood over her. She scowled and shook her head. "No."

"Tell me!" He half-shouted this time. God, what was she hiding? What was so horrible that she wouldn't tell him? He was Nate Archibald for Christ's sakes! All she needed to do was check the Gossip Girl website to see all the shit he'd pulled in the last few years. He bet she couldn't beat his track record.

Her eyes remain defiant and his jaw tightened as he fought the urge to not pull his hair out. "Please." He resorted to begging but the request sounded forced from his frustration.

She continued to stare at him in stony silence, obviously not giving in and he was about to turn away to retreat into the bedroom to break something when she finally spoke.

"His name was Matt."

He turned back to her and she stood up from the couch, leaving her glass on the carpet as she walked closer to him until he could see the specks of green in her eyes.

"I killed him."

He didn't get the whole story he could see clearly how painful it was for her to even divulge what little she did. All she knew that Matt had been her boyfriend since before her turning and she'd ended up killing him one night after she lost control.

He tried comforting her but she turned him away.

Things had gotten awkward for them since he forced her to confess about Matt and the apartment was enveloped in silence for days. Talking had suddenly become such a challenge that suddenly being in each other's presence felt like torture for them both.

Things had drastically been changed between them and he didn't know what to do about it.

"Do you still love him?" He asked one night as they both lay awake in bed, both of them with thoughts running through their heads and making sleep impossible.

She was quiet for a moment and he thought she might've fallen asleep before she replied. "No, not anymore."

He wondered if it made him a terrible person for feeling happy about that but he was.

"I feel guilty though."

His hand reached for hers hesitantly and she accepted.

"I attended his funeral." She told him as they lay in a tangle of sheets, her head on his chest as he stroked her blonde hair. "I watched from a distance. His mother was there, crying over him. Everyone else was because Matt was a nice guy like that."

He didn't say anything, just trailed his fingertips over the flawless skin of her back as she continued.

"I left town the next day and stayed with the primary vampire coven here in New York for a while. That's how I met Lily." She sighed in pleasure as his fingers reached the sensitive skin at the small of her back. He knew he could make her mewl the neediest noises when he kissed her there. "That feels nice."

All talking immediately ceased.

It happened one afternoon, the weather was perfect and he was in such a good mood and enjoying a Family Guy on TV. Then Caroline walked out the bathroom, looking rather vulnerable, her eyes wide and her mouth in a frown. He wordlessly turned off the TV.

"What are we doing, Nate?" She asked him, a strange emotion glinting in her eyes he couldn't place. "I mean, really?"

He struggled to find the right words before he stepped forward until he could envelope her in his arms. She stiffened first at the contact before relaxing, his hands cupping her face and his eyes staring into those sky blue eyes and he smiled warmly at her before kissing her, her lips of hers forever soft and lush.

She looked a bit lightheaded as they parted, her eyes staring up at him in question. And the words come easier now, as if he'd been waiting to say them to her for ages but he'd never been sure until now.

"We're living," He told her. "And we're in love."

Her lips travel over the length his neck, leaving butterfly kisses in her wake until she reached that sweet vein and he swore he saw stars as she bit unto it and lapped at the blood that flowed out. In the next second, he's flipping her over and maneuvering her until they were one and she was screaming his name.

Nate, Nate, Nate and I love you, I love you, I love you…

In the next fledgling meeting, he shared three things to the group.

His name was Nathaniel Archibald.

He was a vampire.

And he was happy.

I adored writing this fic. The characters, the setting, the storyline, the relationship between Nate and Caroline, the entire universe. I loved the whole thing so much I might write more in this universe.

Lily is taken from the Mortal Instruments, one of the vampires under Raphael. She only made a small appearance in CoB but I decided to use her for kicks and I like the back story of Caroline staying with Raphael and all the other NY vamps for a while.