Hey!

Enjoy!

"Wow…" Mara whispered, she shook her head, hair swishing softly against her face. It looked so beautiful. Jerome had set it all up, a Halloween candle light dinner, only Jerome, she thought to herself, smiling. She was dressed up like a witch, with a short black dress and orange striped tights, one orange strip in her hair, which Patricia had gladly lent her. "Jerome…"

Jerome stood in front of her, a smile on his face. Everything had been done perfectly. And of course, he was a vampire. What else? The long silk cloak and red waist coast, two fake fangs amongst his real teeth, resting softly on his lower lip. "Happy Halloween," he whispered, Mara shook her head, sitting down, and he sat opposite her swiftly. "You look….beautiful," he whispered, shaking his head. Mara laughed lightly, admiring him, his hair slicked back, eyes glistening.

"You look pretty amazing too, Jerome," she teased, cocking her head slightly "You didn't have to do all this, they're having a party in the main s-"

"I know," Jerome waved her off, placing a spider cupcake on her plate "I didn't want to be around those people, I wanted to be around you,"

"Aw, that's so sweet," Mara said, taking a nibble, it was nice, chocolate. And isn't that what Halloween was all about? She smiled to herself, Mick would never have done this for her, and even though she wondered what on earth she was doing in Australia right now, it didn't make her sad, because she was happy with "Jerome?" she asked frowning, he was pulling at his cloak collar slightly, taking in deep subtle breaths "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." He said through gritted teeth, as if he were commanding himself to be alright. Mara frowned

"Maybe you should remove your cloak," she stood up, walking around the table towards him, but as soon as she laid a hand on his shoulder, he pulled away from her.

"Don't touch me!" he hissed. Mara's eyes widened as she jumped back shock. And she tried to not to look hurt. She stepped back again, so that she was near to the door, so that if he didn't want her hear anymore, she could leave. She had learnt during the course of their relationship, that if Jerome didn't want to talk, then he really didn't want to talk. Jerome had turned away from her, so she couldn't see him. But he turned around, a smile on his face "Sorry, Mara," he said sincerely. He stepped towards her, but something about him made her step back. She couldn't quite figure out what it was. His eyes…seemed different, they were glowing? And the fangs in his mouth looked….sharper? Mara shook her head, no way….she was tired. Had to be. "I have a really bad head ache, you know me, late nights with Alfie, planning pranks," he laughed slightly, running his hand back through his hair.

Mara nodded, finally trusting herself to speak "…Okay," she nodded "Um, why don't you sit down? I'll go…get us some juice?"

Jerome smiled slightly, a half smile…a knowing smile. "Why?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm at the edge of his tone "I have juice,"

"Did I say juice?" Mara lied through her teeth, hand itching up towards the door handle "I meant…spoons,"

"They're cupcakes, Mara."

"I mean-"

"Why don't I save you the misery?" he sighed, cocking his head so that his eyes seemed to go right through her. He looked incredibly sexy in that moment…and dangerous. Mara…didn't know whether she wanted to run or…or what though? That was the problem! "I have everything we need for the night, so why don't you sit down?"

"I need the bathroom!" Mara cried loudly. Jerome rolled his eyes, as she turned around, opening the door. He placed his hand flat on the door, pushing it back, so it closed. Mara turned looking up at him. "What are you doing?" Jerome said nothing, hand trailing down the door, and he turned the lock, pulling out the key, and placing it in his trouser pocket.

Jerome caged his arms around her, and he looked down "Mara, someone might say that you were trying to avoid me? Your boyfriend,"

"No," Mara swallowed bravely, looking up at him. Jerome stared back down at her, unconvinced. He leaned down, his nose touching hers, and Mara relaxed. Okay, this was more Jerome like. This she was familiar with. She leaned up and kissed him softly, Jerome raised his eye brows slightly, and immediately deepened the kiss, pushing her back into the door, forcing her mouth open.

Mara winced slightly, at the feel of his fangs, but she didn't push away. He placed his hands on her hips, keeping her still. Mara's hands clung to his shoulders, just like they always did, as he left her lips, leaving her breathless. He trailed down her neck, pushing her strap of her dress to the right slightly, so that he could clearly see her collar bone.

"Sorry, Jaffray," he whispered. Mara had been about to ask for what, but suddenly Jerome's fangs seemed to have pierced her skin, and a weird numbing effect spread across her body. It only barely seemed to register…Jerome was a vampire. She wanted to laugh, all the times she had mocked Amber for reading that Twilight nonsense…the girl had been a genius.

After what seemed a life time, Jerome pulled away, a crazed look in his eyes, hair slightly mussed, but no sign of what he had done. Mara stared at him in horror, her hand reaching up gently to touch her neck. She pulled it down, and saw it…blood, she hadn't imagined it.

"What was that?" she whispered quietly. Jerome stared at her darkly, but his face was serious, etched with a certain sadness…not the sadness of when he found out who his dad was, not the sadness when Mick came back, not the sadness when Poppy got injured…it was a completely different type of sadness

"You're clever, Jaffray," he shook his head slightly, keeping his distance from her "Surely you've figured it out,"

"B-but…that's impossible, vampires don't exist,"

"Yeah, tell that to my fangs,"

"But…you've never had them before! This doesn't make sense!-"

"Let me explain then," Jerome sighed. But Mara was having a panic attack.

"Explain? You think you can just explain and then everything will be…explained? Don't be crazy! This isn't real! Is this a prank? Is this a prank by you and Alfie? That's sick! I don't like jokes like that Jerome! I've told you before!" she stormed over to the door, bashing on it with her fists "Let me out!" she screamed. Jerome was pulling her away from the door, shaking his head.

"We can't have you doing that, thank you," he sighed, placing her on the bed. He crouched in front of her, looking up. "What did I go as for Halloween last year?" he asked her. Mara just stared down at him in shock, staring at his fangs, then his eyes, then his fangs again. "Jaffray?" he placed his pale hands on either side of her face "Focus, what did I go as for Halloween last year?"

Mara thought about, before answering confidently "Um…a vampire,"

"And the year before?"

"A….vampire…"

"And the year before?"

"You were a….vampire," she raised his eye brows, realising. "So you're telling me," she licked her lips, as if this whole thing was crazy "That you're a vampire, only on Halloween?"

"That's when the fangs come out, and every year, I've managed to control myself…but you smell, delicious," he looked at her seriously. Mara blushed

"Thanks, it's Amber's though, you should be saying that to he-"

"Not, perfume, Mara. You're scent," he took a deep breath in, and again, his fangs got sharper right before her. "See? Hard to control?" He removed his hands, moving to sit on the bed beside her, happy that she didn't scream and runaway.

Mara paused… "So…is it like in all those books? You don't age, can't go out in the sun…super speed-"

"No," he shook his head "I need blood once a year, and this year…thanks," he grinned sheepishly. And Mara realised…the fangs suited him. "I can be out in the sun, but not for too long, otherwise I start to burn up. I look…awesome," he shrugged "Naturally,"

"Feed every year?" Mara whispered to herself "So who have you been feeding off?"

"Hmm? Oh, Alfie,"

"You bite Alfie?" she asked in disbelief

"No no no!" he shook his head, laughing slightly "Alfie cuts his finger," he sighed "He's a good mate,"

"Yeah," Mara nodded, wondering if she would be able to do that for someone…or if she would ever have the guts to ask someone to do it for her. "Well," she sighed, she stood up, smoothing down her costume. She pressed her hand against her neck, but no blood came. She frowned, looking into their mirror…not even a scar. "Wow…" she stayed looking at her reflection. Jerome came and stood behind her, arms wrapping around the front of her waist.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again, meeting her eyes through the glass "I…I should have guessed I wouldn't have been able to control myself. I was stupid, I'm sorry."

Mara looked at him, and her eyes kept drifting down to his fangs…he actually was…. "But how? Your dad's not, your sisters not-"

"My mum is," he whispered to her. Mara turned, looking up at him in shock. "My mum is, that's why she's not around anymore. She was afraid…"

"But…" Mara was still confused "How come Poppy isn't?"

"First born," Jerome shrugged. He looked down at her "You realise, that if we tried to have a kid, they would be a vampire,"

Mara whacked him on the arm "Jerome! We're in school! Don't talk about having kids!" but she smiled, happy that he was in fact thinking about it. And so what if their first born was a vamp- No. Stop. She didn't even know if they would last the rest of the year, so how could she count on the rest of her life?

"Alright," Jerome grinned, flashing his fangs. And the two of them kissed, once more.

Really weird and off topic and very….fantasy like, but it's Monday tomorrow, that's obviously messing with my brain….

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