Wow, I can't believe we're on to Chapter Six already! Thanks to all the people who've been keeping my spirits up with their lovely comments - shame on you if you haven't commented yet! Hahha, enjoy xxxxx :D

p.s. - red shift isn't useless after all - it made a good deeper meaning title - ya know, with the whole 'moving away from eachother' thingy? Look it up! RED SHIFT! woop XD

'Red Shift Love Life"

Claire kept playing the kiss over and over in her mind. She couldn't help it. What scared her was the way her lips tingled whenever she thought of it. The way Myrnin had felt. The way he had kissed her back... That was as far as she got before shaking herself out of it. What was she thinking? Myrnin was her boss. He was a vampire.

And Claire was with Shane.

Guilt ripped through her gut like fire. She couldn't believe that she'd betrayed him like that. Even though she'd been drugged at the time, and wasn't in full control of her actions, she still felt as if she had cheated on him. There was still that tiny part of her that didn't regret what she'd done though. In fact, she was kind of glad she could just blame it on the drugs. She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Claire still hadn't spoken to Shane about it, and so far was ignoring any messages she got from Myrnin summoning her to the lab. She couldn't be around him anymore, she just couldn't. The frustrating thing was that she knew Amelie could just order her to go there if she wanted to. And she knew that she would. Amelie was being nice at the moment, giving Claire time to get things straight. But Claire knew it wouldn't last. Soon she would be forced to face up to what she had done. There was no way she could avoid being around Myrnin forever.

She could hear Eve yelling that dinner was ready. Claire removed her head phones from her ears, and turned off her music, getting up off her bed, and hurrying downstairs. Michael and Shane were already at the table, and Eve was ladling copious amounts of delicious smelling chilli into their bowls. She looked up as Claire entered the room, grinning.

"Hey CB, I was beginning to think you'd died up there or something. Want some chilli?" She said, holdong up the chilli bowl. Eve was dressed normally, for a Goth. She had her hair done up in a messy pigtail, and was wearing a cute black top with (what else?) a skull motif on it, and tight black jeans. In answer to her question, Claire sat down, and held out her bowl. Eve grinned, and spooned chilli into it until it was almost full to the brim. Then she plonked herself down next to Michael and tucked in.

Shane hadn't said a word since Claire had come in. Neither had Michael, but that was probably because he was too busy shovelling food into his mouth. Shane was just sitting there, twiddling his fork in his chilli. Claire sighed.

After dinner, Claire went back upstairs to finish studying. She'd been there for perhaps five minutes before there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." She called, expecting it to be Shane. Instead, the door opened, and in walked Myrnin. She yelped and scrambled off her bed, kicking a stray bra underneath it as she did so. She wasn't sure why she cared what Myrnin thought. Maybe it was because he was so much older than her. "Myrnin?" She said in confusion. "What are you doing here?" She felt herself blushing as she remembered how she'd behaved the last time she'd spoken to him.

Myrnin was standing just inside her door, looking as if he were unsure himself why he was there. He was wearing a blood red button-up shirt, underneath a long black coat with more pockets than she could count. On his feet were his scruffy old vampire bunny slippers, looking out of place at the bottom of tight black pants. His shirt was done up wrong, with half the buttons put through the wrong holes. The rest weren't done up at all. Claire tried to avoid staring at his chest, instead focusing on his face.

Big mistake.

His eyes were soft and dark at the moment, but they had a black hole effect on Claire, dragging her in. She took an unconscious step towards him before she could stop herself. Myrnin smiled. Claire shook herself, tearing her gaze away from him. She took a calming breath, closing her eyes.

"What do you want, Myrnin?" It was much easier to talk to him when they were shut.

"Nothing, really." He said after a while. Claire's eyes snapped open again at the sound of his voice. She wasn't even surprised this time when she opened them to find Myrnin's face barely an inch away from her own. As long as she didn't look into those eyes again.

"Well, why are you here, then?" She asked bluntly. Claire found herself staring at his lips. They looked so sculpted and beautiful. And kissable.

"I thought you might want to talk. About what you did." He leaned backwards slightly, breaking his spell on Claire.

"What I did?" She almost shouted, enraged. "What about what you did? This is your fault!"

Myrnin frowned. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you are saying, Claire."

"What?" Claire said, exasperated. "You- you drugged me! And then you kissed me!"

Myrnin raised a thick eyebrow. "That's quite an accusation, Claire. I did nothing of the sort."

Claire just stared at him incredulously, and he continued, "You kissed me. I merely...reacted to that. I do not, however, deny drugging you. It was an accident, though."

Claire didn't know what to say to that. This was Myrnin's great masterplan to get out of Amelie's bad books? Deny everything, and blame it all on Claire?

Myrnin was watching her intently. His face took up her entire line of vision as he leaned forwards slowly. Claire desperately looked anywhere other then into his eyes, but eventually she couldn't help herself. She locked gazes with him. Myrnin's eyes were like windows into his soul, showing his emotions even when his face showed none. Right now they told Claire that he was hungry. A different kind of hungry then she was used to seeing in him, though. This looked almost like...desire?

Myrnin's cold fingers brushed down the side of her face and she shivered, leaning into his touch slightly. Claire knew, deep down, that she should step back now. But she couldn't. She was rooted to the spot, transfixed there by his eyes. Claire placed a hand on Myrnin's chest, meaning to push him away, but somehow it just stayed there. She felt lightheaded again, and leant into Myrnin to stop herself from falling.

He chuckled softly. His fingers trailed softly along her jaw and down her neck, lingering where her pulse beat strongest. His other hand was at the back of her head, preventing her from running should she try and escape. But Claire didn't feel scared. She knew that Myrnin wouldn't hurt her tonight.

Their lips were almost touching again as Myrnin lowered his head slowly. Giving her time to say no. Giving her time to scream. Claire raised herself just as slowly onto her tiptoes. There was less than a centimeter of air between them now, but Claire stopped at the last moment, waiting for him to come the rest of the way. They hadn't looked away from eachother's eyes the whole time, but now she saw his gaze flicker down to her neck, then up to her lips. Claire closed her eyes, helpless now to do anything other then wait and see what he would do. Just as Myrnin's lips touched hers, there was a knock on the door.

It pulled Claire back to reality and she froze, eyes snapping open. What the hell had she been doing? She gave Myrnin a shove and he stumbled back, looking shocked. And confused. He raised a pale hand to his lips, then looked at Claire. He opened his mouth to say something, but Claire made a silent shushing gesture, putting a finger to her lips. Myrnin nodded, and shut his mouth again without saying anything. He'd actually listened to her for once. Someone knocked again, and Shane's voice said,

"Claire?"

Oh my God, he almost walked in on me and Myrnin kissing!

The door started to open.

"No!" Claire shrieked. The last thing she needed right now was for Shane to come in an find her alone with Myrnin. She jumped forwards and slammed the door shut before he could enter.

"I'm...I'm naked!" She shouted, using the first excuse that came into her head. Myrnin snorted, and she glared at him.

"All the more reason for me to come in!" Shane joked, and Claire flushed beet red. The corners of Myrnin's mouth twitched, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you'll have to wait a sec whilst I get changed!" Claire replied. She didn't hear Shane leaving. Damn. How was she going to get Myrnin out without anyone noticing now? She looked wildly around her room for somewhere he could hide. Just as she was about to tell him he'd have to hide in the cupboard, Myrnin opened a portal. She rolled her eyes. Of course, she would forget the obvious option. His shoulder brushed her as he walked past, sending an electric jolt through Claire's body where he touched her. Myrnin glanced back as he left, and she waved awkwardly at him. Myrnin saluted her as he stepped through the portal, chuckling as he went. His laughter seemed to linger in the air even after the portal shut. All the tension in the room drained away as soon as he was gone, and Claire breathed a sigh of relief.

She jumped guiltily as Shane opened the door and walked in.

"Damn." He grumbled. "I was hoping you'd still be naked."

He didn't, thankfully, notice that she was still wearing the same clothes she'd been wearing at dinner.

Or that there was a lone vampire bunny slipper lying discarded on the floor.