"Emily? Is that you?"
Emily groaned wearily, kicking the door shut behind her and leaning heavily against it. She'd rather been hoping Alex had gone home to wait for news of her safe return. She was really in no mood to deal with navigating this particular minefield when her own emotions were so raw.
"Yeah... Umm... I thought you would have gone home by now," she said, trying not to let on just how not ready she was for this situation.
"I couldn't leave without knowing you're safe," Alex said, her footsteps audible across the hardwood as she approached from the living room.
Panic coursed through Emily. "Don't come in here!" she very nearly shouted. She knew that once Alex laid eyes on her, she wouldn't be able to hide the truth of what she now was.
"Emily, what are you..."
When the approaching footsteps didn't stop, Emily said more urgently, "I don't want you to see me like this!"
Alarm was audible in Alex's voice now where before there had been relief. "Em, you're scaring me."
She heaved a sigh. "Please, just... Don't," she begged.
"O-okay," she stammered, then paused, frowning. "Emily, you don't have a heartbeat."
Internally, she cursed upon realizing she'd been given away by Alex's vampire super senses. "Alex, before you say anything..."
"I'd smell if you had been reanimated from death," Alex said, "And I'd hear your gears if you were an android, which can only mean..."
"Don't say it!" Emily begged.
Alex had to see it for herself and came rushing into the foyer...only to come to a sudden stop several feet away. "Oh, God, Em..." she breathed, clapping a hand over her mouth as she laid eyes upon her sallow skin and sharpened fangs.
Emily felt tears well in her eyes in spite of herself. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. She wasn't entirely sure why she was apologizing, only knowing that she felt she needed to.
"What happened?" she asked, clearly struggling to comprehend how exactly this had happened.
"James happened."
Alex blinked in stunned silence for what felt like ages. "James?" she repeated. "James did this to you?" A moment or two passed in which Alex's temper visibly flared, anger flashing in her eyes. "He has to pay."
"No!" Emily snapped. "You can't..." She blocked the doorway, prepared for a fight if need be. "Alex, he'd kill you with a flick of his wrist. He's too strong. As much as I hate that this happened, I won't let you die for me." She shook her head slowly, sadly. "I love you too much to let that happen."
Alex seemed like she would have liked to argue, but before she could, Emily had thrown herself at her, lips seeking out hers in a frenzied fit of passion. It was all Alex could do to get swept up in the passion, wrapping her arm around Emily's neck, nails scraping across her bare shoulder.
After a moment, though, Emily's new fangs nicked her lip, causing her to gasp and back away from the kiss in surprise.
Emily's eyes went wide with shock and embarrassment. "Oh, God, Alex! I'm so sorry... I can't... I don't..." She shook her head frantically. Tears welled in her eyes once again, her breath coming in shuddering gasps as she felt guilt swell in her chest.
"Emily," Alex said gently, "Emily, listen... There's nothing to be embarrassed about. This happens." When Emily shook her head, still seeming absolutely mortified, Alex offered her a reassuring smile. "I promise, the fangs can be really hard to control at first. In fact, I'm pretty sure I still have a scar from my first week with new fangs."
Emily nodded slowly, teeth scraping across her bottom lip (and nicking herself in the process). "Maybe you should leave."
Her brows knit in confusion. "Why?"
"Because it's hard enough knowing you and I are over, I just don't want to make it harder with a long drawn-out goodbye," she mumbled.
Alex seemed even more confused at that. "Why can't we be together? I thought you said you wanted us to..."
"You said you don't want to be with another vampire..." she interrupted to remind.
"Actually, what I said was..." she started, then trailed off, shaking her head. It didn't matter what her exact words were. What mattered was that Emily needed reassurance in that moment, a reminder that she was committed to her and their relationship. "Nevermind. I'm not leaving you, Emily. So, I suggest you get used to having me around because it could be awhile, now that we're both immortal."
Emily didn't seem to know how to respond to such open affection and, if she'd been capable of blushing, she would've.
"Now," Alex said, "Tomorrow, we'll need to take you to the DMV and get you registered."
She frowned. "The DMV?"
"Department of Merfolk and Vampires," she explained. "They control the supply of donated blood, which you'll need access to, in order to...well, survive." She must've noticed the expression on Emily's face because she reached out to rest a comforting hand on her upper arm. "I know it all seems really confusing and overwhelming right now, but it does get easier, okay? And I'll help you."
"You really don't have to do this," Emily insisted, though she very much wanted the help...she was just really good at pushing people away.
"Emily, I love you and I'm not going to let you stand in the way of our happiness because I don't for one single second believe you really want me to go."
Emily sighed and, rather reluctantly, nodded; Alex was right, but that didn't mean she liked admitting that. "What I really want is a really rare steak..."
Alex laughed softly, remembering quite clearly what those first few hours were like. "I think I have a spare emergency blood pack in my purse. It tastes absolutely awful, but it will satisfy that craving."
"Thank you..."
Alex waved away the words. "It's nothing. I almost never need the emergency packs anyway and..."
"I mean for understanding and accepting and, well, everything. I don't think I could do this alone."
