Chapter 55:

Note: the chapter about Erin's birthday night with Larten was meant to be Chapter 26 (in my weird chapter numbering) but FF glitched and I lost it and then got a new laptop and I couldn't find the chapter on my old hard drive. It was one of my favorites, too, so it's a major personal loss to me. But I'll try to recount some of it in the next chapter from what I can remember.

Enjoy!

"Tell me something."

"What do you mean?"

Larten twirled his fingers through her hair.

"Anything."

"I do not know what to say."

"Hmm…let's see." Erin turned to lay on her back, Larten's arm under her head as he continued playing with her hair.

"Tell me about the time you tried to steal some sort of vat of wine and change it for another. Or something like that? Someone switched it before you and you got sick? Tell me about that." She turned her head to smile at him.

Larten frowned. He did not want to talk about it. It was embarrassing. He had been young and did not know any better.

"Oh, come on. Those are the only small parts I've seen. I want to know the whole story. Please?" Erin batted her eyelashes at him.

Larten grunted. "Are you sure that's all you picked up on?"

"Yes. Now stop being coy about it. If it's a private matter I never mention it to you because it's your business. I can't help having mental insights or flashes. You've known this from the very beginning." Erin frowned at him.

Larten paused.

"What else have you seen?" He asked as if on the defense.

Erin let out an exasperated sigh. "You already know! I've told you! Do vampires really have that terrible of a memory? Recognition, precognition, empath, blah blah blah. You know the extent of my gifts. They're not super powers. I can't do anything but "see" things that blip into my head. Just like Brigid can only work with math. You know what, never mind." She said turning away from him obviously irritated.

Erin sat up quickly and moved to swing her legs out of the bed. Larten was taken aback. He had really upset her. (He didn't know how or why exactly. But that's the fault of his Y-chromosome.)

Larten reached for her and pulled her back next to him.

"Stay. I will tell you the story." He saw her eyes forgive him slightly.

"My mentor discovered that I had made a plan to switch a vat of a very fine wine to that of a lesser vintage. However, he got to the vat first and switched it to vinegar." Here he blushed. "I began drinking it and ended up sick the whole night. The end." He muttered displeased that he had to recount that embarrassing episode.

Erin laughed causing Larten to stop playing with her hair.

"No, don't stop. I like it when you play with my hair. But it really is a funny story." She giggled.

Larten returned to running his fingers through her hair not at all thinking the story was funny.

"Once again, I was young and stupid." He said gruffly.

"We're all young and stupid, Larten. But how did you not know it was vinegar right away? I thought you had heightened senses? And to start drinking it without realizing?" Erin tried to contain her amusement to not upset him.

Larten huffed. "I will say it one last time: I was young and stupid."

"You really do have issues with wine, don't you?" Erin teased. "Want to know something I did when I was young and stupid? I went out drinking with some friends when I first started my nursing degree. Well, I ended up drinking way too much way too fast and ended up puking on the hood of my friend's car. So, there I am, throwing up in the parking lot and dying of embarrassment because I threw up on the car! I told my friend to take it to the closest car wash and I would wash it for them. None of the automatic car washes were opened so we did the old school kind where you stick quarters in and can spray wash it. There I am, early hours of the morning, in high-heels and a mini dress, and I'm washing my friend's car. I ended up getting myself soaked. The car was perfectly clean when I was dropped off at the apartment I had at the time. I barely managed to get my dress off but I ended up falling into bed still wet and woke up in the morning sick and with wet sheets. I think my story beats yours in the realm of 'young and stupid.'" Erin laughed as she rolled onto his chest to look down at him, still laughing.

"Perhaps that is worse." Larten said, humor in his eyes and a half-cocked grin.

"Live and learn."

Larten raised a hand to the side of her face. His thumb rubbed her cheek as she leaned against it closing her eyes. Slowly she opened her eyes, deep and dark. Her eyes were the deepest shade of brown he had ever seen. They could be cold, unreadable, he didn't like to see them that way. He preferred them now: warm, tender, and playful. There was always a spark behind them in everyday life. He didn't want to think about how they would look when that spark would be gone, clouded over, and would never see anything again.

Erin placed a kiss into the palm of his hand before landing a sweet one on his lips.

"No worrying." She whispered as she gave feather-light kisses around his face.

They nuzzled their faces together gently, enjoying the feeling of each other's proximity. They kissed gently before their kisses began to be deeper and more voracious. Larten flipped Erin onto her back, her legs wrapping around him immediately, holding him against her. Larten pulled away to angle himself. Erin let out a sharp gasp as he pushed inside beginning to move inside of her with a steady rhythm. She still had her legs around him, head tilted back against the pillow, deep breathing and moaning as she lost herself to the sensation. Larten was breathing steadily out of his nose, "mmm-ing" as he felt Erin's legs squeeze tighter around him. Her breasts moved against him as he increased his tempo. Larten was now beginning to breathe quickly out of his mouth as Erin moaned more. He wanted to continue longer but he felt himself release, Erin arching her hips against his.

"Ah-mmf." He panted moving inside of Erin a few more times before gently sliding out.

Erin took deep breaths before opening her eyes, giving a satisfactory sigh. She turned her head to look at him next to her.

"I wish we could stay in bed all night but there's New Years to prep for."

He tilted his head towards hers on the pillow, eyes wide.

"New Years?"

The next couple of days involved taking down and packing away Christmas decorations. Larten had been in charge of the Christmas tree and, of course, Erin and Brigid made him carry everything into the attic. Brigid poked fun at him trying to get a rise out of him but Larten managed to bite his tongue every time although he desperately wanted to stuff Brigid into the attic.

It was the 27th and only three days remained until the new year. Typically, Brigid spent some time with Erin on New Year's Eve before leaving to go out with friends. (Which was not far nor was there alcohol and if there was Brigid knew better than to partake unless she wanted to "never see the light of day ever again" according to Erin.)

"What do you do, then, once Brigid leaves?" Larten asked curiously. He wouldn't admit it but in the back of his mind he didn't think it quite fair that Erin was left completely alone.

Erin shrugged. "I drink some champagne and just do little things to amuse myself until midnight and then I go to bed."

"Why do you not go out as well? Isn't that what humans typically do?" He pressed.

"Yes, most humans. I'm going to go ahead and guess that vampires also don't celebrate New Year's either?" She teased.

"Time is different for us." He sniffed.

Brigid made a gun with her fingers and pretended to shoot herself in the head, dramatically falling to the floor.

"I'm done. I can't do this superior vampire bullshit anymore, sis. Bluuugh!" Brigid "died" melodramatically.

"Get up!" Larten hissed before he could stop himself.

Brigid opened one eye to look at him. "You forgot to say 'please.'"

Larten started to puff up. Brigid's antics always eventually wore his nerves down.

Erin nudged Brigid with her foot, shaking her head.

"Get up. You've tortured Larten plenty enough today. You'll give him a stroke."

Brigid raised her eyebrows.

"PLEASE, get up, Brigid."

Brigid smiled and flipped herself up.

"You guys really need to work on your manners."

"And you need to work on cleaning your room and bathroom. Oh, and vacuuming the stairs." Erin matched her smile.

Brigid scrunched her face.

"Not cool." She muttered under her breath as she slowly went up the stairs.

Larten felt himself decompress. One more thing and he really would throw her into the attic. He returned his attention to Erin who was making a grocery list. He wanted more information on why she spent New Year's Eve alone when it seemed like every single human on the planet went out to celebrate the New Year. Surely, she had had male suitors to accompany her. (Larten felt a fleeting twinge of jealousy.)

He fidgeted, unsure of what to say. He finally cleared his throat to speak.

"This year you will not be alone. I would be honored to spend New Year's Eve with you." He gave a small bow.

Erin looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Of course, you're spending New Year's Eve with me. Where else would you spend it? Just don't get all melancholic about the passage of time and that nonsense, okay?"

Larten pursed his lips, his feelings slightly hurt for some reason.

Erin sensed the change in him. She encircled his waist with her arms, squeezing him tightly, smiling up into his face.

"Thank you for offering to spend the evening with me. It would be my honor as well if you joined me."

"But of course. Who else would you be spending it with?" He smirked.

Erin chuckled as she craned her neck for a kiss.

"LAAAARTEN! LARTEN, CAN YOU COME UP HERE, PLEASE!" Brigid yelled from upstairs ending their kiss quickly.

Larten began to puff up again. He was not a dog to command!

Erin sighed and gave him a small push towards the staircase.

"It's better if you go the first time or she won't stop. Especially since it's you. Please don't throw her out of a window."

Larten had anger written all over his face as he turned and stomped up the stairs. Erin had been right to warn him against throwing Brigid out of a window.

He found her in her room organizing notebooks, textbooks, and finally putting her dirty clothes into her dirty clothes basket. She looked up at him from the floor.

"Sit." She said patting the ground.

"I prefer to stand, thank you."

"Quit being so pompous. Sit so I can tell you something without Erin overhearing us." She whispered through gritted teeth.

It took a few seconds but Larten did finally acquiesce and sat on the floor.

"Well?" Larten snapped when Brigid didn't say anything.

"I know you and Erin are going to be together on New Year's Eve— "

"Yes. I thought that I made that very clear." He whispered back forcefully.

"You did and I'm glad but this is something different. I think you should take Erin out on a date again like you did back in October for her birthday. She still deserves to be treated special. She had fun on her birthday, well, until you ruined it after a couple of days."

Larten felt the jab sharply in his gut. It was a low blow but not untrue.

"So, take her out. Not New Year's Eve. Too much. She likes being home, but take her out on a different night."

"And when should that be? There are only a couple of days left before New Year's." Larten grunted.

"Yeah, so, take her out tomorrow night." Brigid smiled.

"What? Tomorrow night?!"

"Hey! Keep your voice down!" Brigid hissed at him.

"But it is such short notice."

"No, it's not, it's called spontaneity. Ask her tonight when she gets back from getting groceries."

"How?" Larten fidgeted.

Brigid gave him the worst 'you-really-are-thick' look.

"You just say, 'hey, so I was thinking we should go out to eat tomorrow night.' Easy."

Larten ran a hand over his face and through his hair. Their last night out had been wonderful. It only made sense to be a gentleman and take her out again. Courting in today's culture was difficult for Larten to fully grasp. But, it had been fun. He accidentally let a small smile come to his lips until he looked up and saw Brigid staring at him smirking. He immediately changed his face back to a scowl. He gave his scar a quick scratch before nodding to himself.

"You are right. You had a plan last time, though. What do I do?"

"Something spontaneous. Duh."

Larten clenched his jaw. "I am not good at spontaneity."

Brigid shrugged, moving her stack of textbooks over to begin rifling through notebooks.

"Think of it as a vampire challenge and you're set. Besides, Erin can think of stuff. Just go with the flow."

Larten gave an exasperated huff. Brigid looked up at him, a challenge in her eyes. Larten took a deep breath and nodded.

"I will ask her."

Brigid beamed.

"Just don't fuck it up after, like, two days later or whatever."

"I will not." Larten snapped before growing quiet.

Brigid patted his knee before shooing him out of her room.

"Now beat it. I've got stuff to do. Go." She pushed him with her foot.

Larten gave her a severe look as he stood and went to exit.

"Hey! Shut the door!" Brigid called out.

Larten turned his head to look back at her, a snide smirk on his face.

"You forgot to say 'please.'"