I know, I know! Ah. As I predicted to myself before, I cannot handle Kinktober and keeping up with my stories, but I promise whenever I get a spare minute this has been my priority. Once October is over we can resume normal flailing about weekly updates hopefully.

-YD-

Sunday lived up to its name, yellow orb in the sky pulsing heat and bright light down in a very un-Welsh way. Vlad got up and dressed, grabbing toast from Renfield on his way to get outside lest his father surprise him by being awake. and waylay Vlad from heading out to enjoy the sunshine.

Spending a lot of time with Ingrid reminded Vlad how his own humanity was going to end far sooner than he would like, though not as soon as Ingrid's would, and so he resolved to appreciate the things he'd lose. He even thought about buying garlic bread, but his father would have lynched him for cooking that in the castle. He diverted around the Branagh house on his way, knowing Robin wouldn't want to amble through the sunshine lest a single bit of his skin show exposure.

The local park was bustling with others enjoying the weather. Even from a distance, Vlad could make out the jet black under a parasol amidst a sea of sunshine-colours. He didn't cross over and interrupt Ingrid's time with her family; she had precious little left, as a human anyway. His lazy stroll took him along the path trodden into grass a thousand times over, though Vlad expected the persevering attitude of nature would fight to regrow there if people left it alone.

He heard it just before it landed, ball hitting him square in the side and shocking an oof! noise out of Vlad. A young boy jogged up near him to retrieve it, apologising profusedly.

"Oh, George! Be careful!"

"Sorry mom! Oh, hey. I know you. You're friends with my sister."

Vlad realised the youth was Ingrid's younger brother, with his mop of curls that didn't look to be inherited from their mother - although Ingrid's straight hair could be from her fathers side, as all they currently knew about her father was species. Curls weren't predominant amongst vampires, though there were some.

"Uh, I know her, yeah."

"You should come tell her to stop hiding from the sunshine!"

Trying to resist, Vlad found the boy had a matching trait to Ingrid - bright blue eyes, and that was enough to break his admittedly weak resolve to leave Ingrid alone. Letting George lead him over, he could smell the vampire sunscreen Ingrid had layered on. This must be uncomfortable at the very least, and his heart ached a little to think Ingrid was putting herself through it for her families sake.

"Sorry about George's ball."

"It's fine. No harm done."

Their mother was pretty, smiled warmly and reached to pat her young son on the arm as he came over clutching his ball. She had paint on her face.

"Are you in Ingrid's year at school?"

"Me? No, below. But Ingrid is friends with the Branagh twins, and I'm friends with their younger brother."

It felt very odd to be meeting Ingrid's mother this way, or any way really. Ingrid was peering up at him curiously from under her parasol, as if silently asking what the blood and garlic he thought he was doing appearing in her life when she hadn't asked for it. But he didn't want to appear rude.

"I'm Vlad by the way."

"Sally. And you've met George, no doubt."

Vlad nodded, smiling before gesturing behind him.

"Well, I'm going to finish my walk. Enjoy your afternoon."

"Wait" Ingrid called out, standing up with an unerring grace rather than that clumsy teetering everybody else would have done "I'll walk with you. I've had quite enough sun for the year."

George hopped over and hugged his sister, grinning unapologetically when Ingrid rolled her eyes and pretended to shove him off.

"See you when we get home."

"Little pest. Bye mum."

Vlad wasn't sure what he thought of the look Sally was giving them, but since Ingrid was volunteering to spend time with him - in public, no less - he saw no real reason to lodge any form of complaint. They fell into step rather quickly, although Vlad had to work a little to keep up with Ingrid's longer legs. Her parasol was as co-ordinated as the rest of her outfit, black with a red lace trim.

"Why did you decide to walk with me, exactly?"

Why was he asking? Vlad really needed to get a reign on the way she shorted his mind, forgetting to shut the hell up whenever Ingrid was around.

"Because my mother will think it's because I'm interested in you, rather than needing to get out of the sun."

He almost asked if she was interested in him; the kissing indicated yes, but Ingrid was presently showing next to no interest in him whatsoever. The good thing about Stokely was its weird, sloping streets and crowded housing areas meant lots of shade, lots of places the sun couldn't reach so Ingrid was less uncomfortable. How she traversed the steep slopes in those heels was anyones guess, though as she was grace personified, he supposed that it was actually quite easy for her. They reached the spot where they would part ways to go to seperate homes in otherwise total silence, and Vlad wondered what he was supposed to make of it. Even now, Ingrid kept him thrown.

"Where are you going?"

Confused, Vlad looked at Ingrid, gesturing lamely toward the castle. She rolled her eyes, indicated with her head to continue walking with her. Bemused, Vlad obeyed. There really was no predicting her. They walked the last few twists and turns to the Giles home, Ingrid letting herself in with a key attached to keyrings shaped like bats, coffins and... a football?

"It was a gift from George. He thought my keys needed more colour."

"Oh. Fair enough."

She looked at Vlad strangely as he hovered at the door, unsure what he was supposed to be thinking.

"What are you doing now? Waiting for an invitation?"

"Uh. Sort of?"

"Come in you idiot."

He didn't strictly need an invite to enter a dwelling, but Vlad knew he would one day and watching his dad need one whenever they went anywhere had sort of ingrained the habit in him. It took weeks before he stopped waiting for it to enter the Branagh house.

"You'll need one soon."

"What? That's for real?"

Vlad nodded, glancing around the home. It was homely, inviting, felt like someone lived in it. It had colour and decorations that weren't once alive. No dust crunched underfoot. No cobwebs lurked in corners. Honestly, Ingrid looked strange against the backdrop, but it was clear she felt at home there all the same as she folded down her parasol.

"Yeah. This is your dwelling, so you won't need one for here. And schools and shops and stuff don't count, but if anyone alive considers it a home then yep, invite-only."

"Running water?"

"Uh-huh. You have to stand under the shower head before you turn it on, but luckily your skin will be much more cold-resistant by then."

Ingrid frowned, leaning against the side in the kitchen and eyeing Vlad as he shuffled awkwardly.

"Why do you look so uncomfortable?"

"Because... I don't know what I am to you."

It came out before he could stop it, but Ingrid didn't seem annoyed thankfully. She considered him for a good minute, silver-blue eyes alluring even then.

"Truthfully, neither do I."

That didn't seem to stop her from grabbing Vlad by the wrist, pulling him along behind her as they headed for a staircase. He saw the sign saying "George's Room" on one door, a couple of unremarkable doors and then one that screamed 'Ingrid' - it was painted black and had yellow tape wrapped around it stating 'Crime Scene - Keep Out'. Heart pounding in his chest, Vlad felt like there was a world of difference between Ingrid letting herself into Vlad's room, and her letting him into her room. Her space. Somewhere he doubted many, if any, other men besides her brother had ever been.

"What are you doing?"

Ingrid turned toward him as he questioned, hand on the doorknob twisting to open it before she began to lead him inside.

"Answering you."

-YD-

Well! I finally got this typed up. I won't promise any more October updates, because besides Kinktober I have other stuff going on over the next fortnight, but I will be back! And... yeah. It'll be fun.