Not too many chapters left now!

I had planned to finish this story this summer but literally a week after I got home from exams my whole life went shit sideways. My Dad left my Mom and my brother got a girl pregnant(who then miscarried) and I ended up in a love triangle where nobody won and it just all turned out horribly and chewed up all of my time. So I apologize.

Weekly update schedule (set in stone, have literally written it into my academic calendar) until this is done. WHICH WILL BE THIS SEMESTER.

Thanks for your continued support

~Belle

I woke slowly, disoriented again, feeling the tickle of blonde wisps of hair around my neck. I looked down and saw Aido with his face nestled against my collar bone, still breathing evenly. I tried not to move, but the change in tempo of my breath had probably alerted him that I was awake. He looked up at me sleepily.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay." I noted the dull crimson hue to his eyes. "You're hungry."

He looked ashamed. "I'm sorry."

I pulled my hair away from my neck. "You can drink again."

Aido steeled himself and got out of bed. I feared I'd made him angry. "If you can get out of bed and stand, I'll drink and order some food. If not, I can... do without." His tone was tight.

I wanted him to feel better, so I scooted to the edge of the bed. I glanced out the window before standing up, noting that it was night time, longer than we meant to have slept. We probably had just enough time for dinner and I had to head home. It was around the time that vampires were active. It was only Saturday evening, after all. I forced myself to my feet and Aido assessed me carefully, checking for any signs of unsteadiness.

I spun in a circle. "Standing up and completely fine." I walked toward Aido slowly, and he looked like he was fighting the urge to run out of the room. I steeled my resolve. Aido was going to drink whether he wanted to or not.

"Drinking volume isn't the problem, right?" I asked him quietly. "It's frequency?"

He nodded tightly. "A bit of both, but more frequency, yes. The longer I go, the more I'd have to drink. So it's safer for you if I drink less more frequently."

I nodded, pensive. Aido looked frightened, but needy. His eyes went red and I reinforced the idea in my own mind that it was my blood he was after, not me. Something rattled around in my chest and settled in my stomach. I fought the urge to wrap my arms around my middle and hold myself together.

Aido drew toward me carefully, gauging my face for any hesitation I guessed.

"I'm only going to drink a little." He said carefully, looking into my eyes. "You will stay standing. You will stay conscious." Aido sounded like he was trying to reassure himself as much as me.

After the maintained eye contact made me realize Aido was simply stalling, I put my hands on his shoulders and gently squeezed, trying to relax him. "It's going to be fine. Just drink what you need. I'm sure we'll figure this out and get you out of needing my blood."

Aido looked at me wearily, like I'd just stated I was going to prove the existence of Santa Claus. I noted how his face suddenly looked so much older, and I realized there was probably even more to this that I didn't know. More than I'd previously thought.

"You say that like it's going to be an easy thing." Aido sighed, looking up to the ceiling.

"Well I wouldn't know would I." There wasn't enough expression in my voice to make it a question. I was getting irritated now.

Aido looked at me again briefly before putting his right hand on my right cheek and his left hand on the small of my back. He bent down and I steeled myself, desperate not to flinch. His teeth sunk into me, and I focused on the sensation of having my blood taken. It was strange; it didn't feel like a needle or like someone was sucking blood out of your body with a straw. I would compare it to the blood being coaxed out of you, and your blood willingly going because it has no other choice.

I was brought out of my thoughts by Aido pressing his hand against my cheek insistently, trying to get my attention.

"Are you going to faint?" He asked me nervously, voice quiet.

I shook my head. I was steady enough.

"Speak to me, please." Aido's voice was tight.

"I'm alright." I replied, part of me just relishing the feel of him caressing my face.

"Will you permit me to walk you home?" He asked quietly. "I understand if you don't want me to but I'd be more comfortable knowing you got home safely."

"I'll permit it." I squared my shoulders. Aido took a step back. I poked him in the chest. "IF, you go back to behaving the way you were before."

"Before...?"

"Before you realized you needed my blood due to the blood tablets not working." I reminded him. "You don't have to treat me like glass or be on edge or revert to this super polite..." I gestured up and down at him with my hands, "... super timid... person." I finished my sentence awkwardly, never knowing how to accurately describe Aido when I talked about him, let alone to him.

"Vampire." He amended. "And alright."

"You're a person too." I went to grab my bag. "I'm just going to fix my hair in case we see anyone on the way out."

"You better! Any girlfriend of mine better not look like a mess."

Finally, something that sounded like him. I turned around to face him and a full-on grin spread across my face. "There you are."

Aido's mouth turned up at one corner before he turned to go and sit on his bed.

I quickly fixed my hair and changed in the bathroom and when I opened the bathroom door Aido had changed into black dress pants and a teal collared shirt. He offered his hand to me.

"Shall we?"

Remembering we needed to keep up appearances I took his hand and let him lead me from the room.

Aido slowed his stride in order for me to walk at a comfortable speed, and after a few steps he pulled me closer to his side by the hand he was holding. "Walk closer to me." He reminded. I fought down the urge to blush.

"Weeeeeell what do we have here?" The voice that came from behind us made me feel like Aido had turned my insides to ice.