I swung my legs over the edge, looking up at the stars that dotted the night sky. The conversation felt heavy, and I wanted to lighten it again, if only a little. I let out a small laugh and said, "You know, my mom was freaking out about this whole trip. She practically envisioned the plot of Taken."

Dimitri tilted his head, giving me a confused look. "Taken?" he echoed, clearly not understanding the reference.

"Yeah," I said, smiling at his genuine confusion. "It's a movie. Basically, this girl goes on a trip to Europe and gets kidnapped by some really bad guys. And her dad, who's this retired CIA agent, has to track down her captors and save her. He has this whole iconic speech about finding them and… well, killing them."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but a little skeptical. "And your mother thought that would happen to you?"

I shrugged, rolling my eyes slightly. "Yeah, she was convinced that I'd be taken, and that the Cullens would have to go full Liam Neeson to get me back." I couldn't help but grin at the absurdity of it.

Little did they know a vampire would be sitting beside me on the ledge of a tall building, having a casual chat under the stars. My grin lingered as I let that irony settle in, but there was still one question gnawing at the back of my mind.

"So," I began, turning to face him again, "how are you able to be around me, you know, with all this blood pumping through my veins?"

Dimitri didn't flinch. Instead, he took a deep breath, as if considering how to answer. "It's a matter of control," he replied, his voice steady. "Over the years, we learn to suppress the… instinct. Some of us are better at it than others."

He paused for a moment, his gaze shifting to my face. "And there's something about you," he continued, "something that dulls those instincts even more. It's… unusual. It's as if your presence alone mutes the usual pull."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just nodded, letting his words sink in. It was strange—stranger than anything I could have ever imagined—but somehow, it made a twisted sort of sense.

Little did they know a vampire would be sitting beside me on the ledge of a tall building, having a casual chat under the stars. My grin lingered as I let that irony settle in, but there was still one question gnawing at the back of my mind.

"So," I began, turning to face him again, "how are you able to be around me, you know, with all this blood pumping through my veins?"

Dimitri didn't flinch. Instead, he took a deep breath, as if considering how to answer. "It's a matter of control," he replied, his voice steady. "Over the years, we learn to suppress the… instinct. Some of us are better at it than others."

He paused for a moment, his gaze shifting to my face. "And there's something about you," he continued, "something that dulls those instincts even more. It's… unusual."

I raised an eyebrow. "You think thats how the Cullens can be around me so easily?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Dimitri nodded. "Yes. It's as if your presence alone mutes the usual pull."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just nodded, letting his words sink in. It was strange—stranger than anything I could have ever imagined—but somehow, it made a twisted sort of sense.

I crossed my arms, giving him a mock-offended look. "Wait a second," I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "Are you saying that I taste bad?"

Dimitri's expression flickered with surprise before a slow, amused smile spread across his lips. "Not at all," he replied, the corners of his mouth twitching as if holding back laughter. "It's more like… you're harder to read. Less predictable."

I raised an eyebrow, trying to hide my relief behind a teasing grin. "Well, that's one way to dodge the question."

Dimitri chuckled softly, the sound low and almost melodic. "Consider it a compliment," he said, leaning back slightly as if enjoying the playful exchange. "Most humans are quite… ordinary."

I smirked, shrugging as if this was no big deal. "Well, if being 'hard to read' means not getting eaten, I'll take it."

Dimitri's smile lingered, but there was a hint of uncertainty behind it. "Am I doing the date thing right?" he asked, almost cautiously.

I couldn't help but laugh at the sincerity of his question. "Well," I began, still chuckling, "let's just say the last guy I dated took me to the beach and admitted it was because he wanted to ogle me in a bikini."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Charming," he said dryly.

"Yeah, real charmer," I replied with a sarcastic grin. "So, trust me, you're ahead of the curve."

He seemed to consider this for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "Good to know," he murmured, as if filing the information away for future use.

I motioned to the dizzying height beneath us and gave a small, amused shake of my head. "This is definitely new," I said, smiling at the sheer absurdity of our situation. "Most guys just take a girl to dinner or drinks. They might flirt a little, maybe hold hands… Then, at the end of the night, he drops her off at her door and they kiss goodnight."

Dimitri glanced down at the city below, then back at me with a smirk playing on his lips. "And yet, here we are," he said softly, a slight hint of pride in his voice.

"Yeah, here we are," I echoed, almost in disbelief myself. "You've really set the bar pretty high, you know. Quite literally."

He tilted his head, an almost boyish curiosity in his eyes. "Is that a good thing?"

I grinned, feeling the tension between us ease even further. "Well, I've got to admit, it's going to be hard for any other date to compete with this."

I tilted my head, curiosity getting the best of me. "What about during your time?" I asked, leaning slightly toward him. "How would you go about it if you were interested in someone?"

Dimitri's eyes widened just slightly, and then he seemed to consider my question, as if reaching back through centuries to a distant memory. "In my time, courtship was… quite different," he began, his voice taking on a more formal tone, almost like he was slipping into an old role. "For one, everything was highly structured. Any expression of interest had to be discreet and respectful. Meetings were always chaperoned, and propriety was paramount."

I tried to imagine Dimitri in that setting, the dark and imposing vampire following strict societal rules, and couldn't quite reconcile the two images. "So, no rooftop chats, then?" I teased.

"Hardly," he replied. "If a man was interested, he would first approach the family of the woman. And only if they approved could he proceed with formal meetings. These were brief and carefully managed. It was… restrained, by your standards, I'm sure."

"Sounds like a lot of effort," I said, trying to picture it all.

"It was," he admitted. "But if the family permitted, there might be more private walks in a garden or invitations to events. We were expected to be reserved, careful with words and gestures."

"And if you weren't?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity.

He glanced at me with a slight smirk. "Then, I imagine, one risked being labeled dishonourable or… far worse."

"Wow," I muttered, shaking my head slightly. "And here I thought high school was complicated."

Dimitri's eyes softened, and he tilted his head slightly. "It was different," he admitted, "but not without its charms. In a way, the restraint heightened every glance, every touch."

I blinked, suddenly seeing a different side to him—something almost wistful, as if he was speaking from old memories rather than just explaining history. "So, if you liked someone," I said, "you'd have to play by all those rules?"

"Precisely," he replied, his voice holding a note of nostalgia. "And yet, there was something thrilling about finding subtle ways to express what couldn't be spoken."

"Like secret notes?" I guessed, grinning.

"Among other things," he said with a slight chuckle. "But it's a stark contrast to today's… casual methods of courtship."

"Yeah, casual like scaling rooftops and chatting under the stars," I quipped.

Dimitri chuckled again, the sound warmer than before. "I suppose we've forged our own version of a date," he remarked, his voice lighter now.

"Well, at least we didn't have to invite a chaperone," I replied with a grin, and he laughed quietly, the formality of his past mingling with the absurdity of our present.

I stifled a yawn, the weight of the night catching up to me. Dimitri noticed immediately, his eyes softening slightly. "Perhaps it's time I take you back to your doorstep," he said, his voice almost teasing, echoing the conversation from earlier.

I didn't argue, realising that the adrenaline from our rooftop adventure had started to fade. He offered his hand, and I took it, letting him guide me away from the ledge. As I stepped back, his grip shifted to my hips, steadying me until I was on solid ground.

When I turned to face him, I was suddenly very aware of how close we were. His hands rested gently on my waist, his fingers cool against the thin fabric of my dress. The proximity made my breath catch, and for a moment, I could feel the tension between us shift into something charged and unspoken.

"Thanks," I murmured, barely audible, as if speaking any louder would shatter whatever fragile balance we were holding onto.

Dimitri's gaze lingered on mine, his expression unreadable. "It's my pleasure," he replied softly, his voice low and steady, yet carrying a weight that felt almost intimate. Neither of us moved, the night air around us feeling thick with the possibility of something neither of us wanted to name.

I glanced up at him, letting a small, teasing smile play on my lips. "You look good without the Volturi cape," I said softly, trying to lighten the heavy air between us. "Like… underneath all that, there's someone worth trusting."

Dimitri's expression shifted, a faint flicker of something like regret crossing his eyes. He shook his head slightly, his voice low and almost resigned. "You shouldn't trust me," he murmured, the words feeling more like a warning than an admission.

"Maybe," I replied, tilting my head to study his face. "But I've always been a terrible listener."

Dimitri's grip on my waist tightened slightly, and I could see the battle playing out behind his eyes—the familiar struggle between instinct and control. I decided to push the boundary just a little further. "Besides," I continued, my voice dropping into a more flirtatious tone, "if you were really that dangerous, wouldn't you have done something by now?"

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though his eyes stayed cautious. "Perhaps I'm simply enjoying the unpredictability of this situation," he said, his voice almost a whisper.

"Unpredictable?" I raised an eyebrow, leaning in just enough to close the gap between us slightly. "Is that another word for exciting?"

Dimitri's eyes darkened slightly, and his grip shifted subtly, his thumb brushing lightly against my hip. "You're making a dangerous assumption," he warned.

"I think I like danger," I whispered back, smiling up at him, feeling the tension crackling between us like electricity.

I let out a nervous laugh, feeling the weight of the moment settling heavily around us. "What am I doing? Why am I flirting with you?" I muttered, almost to myself. "My parents will become undead all over again."

Dimitri's expression didn't change, but I could see the way his eyes held onto mine, unwavering and intense. His hands remained firm on my waist, steadying me as if he wasn't sure I wouldn't change my mind and bolt at any second.

The laugh faded, and I found myself caught in that moment, in the charged space between us. "You know," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper, "on some dates, the kiss doesn't have to wait until the doorstep."

His grip tightened just slightly, and I could feel his breath against my skin, the closeness making it impossible to ignore the unspoken pull between us. My heart pounded in my chest, the adrenaline of the rooftop and the sheer absurdity of our situation combining into something I couldn't quite describe.

"Is that right?" Dimitri's voice was low, almost like a murmur, as if he was testing the words to see if they fit.

"Yep," I breathed, feeling the tension in the air grow almost unbearable. The rational part of me screamed that this was reckless, but something deeper—something that thrived on unpredictability—urged me forward.

Neither of us moved, waiting to see who would close the gap first, the electric tension hanging in the air like a challenge waiting to be accepted.

Dimitri's eyes searched mine, a mix of desire and hesitation in their depths. For a moment, I thought he might pull away, but then his hand moved, fingers trailing up my arm to cup my cheek. The coolness of his touch sent a shiver down my spine.

"You're trembling," he observed, his voice barely above a whisper.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my nerves. "Good trembling," I assured him, leaning into his touch.

His thumb brushed across my cheekbone, and I felt my breath catch. Slowly, achingly slowly, he leaned in, giving me every opportunity to back away. But I didn't. I couldn't. Instead, I tilted my chin up, meeting him halfway.

Our lips met, and it was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. His kiss was gentle at first, almost tentative, as if he was worried I'd shatter beneath his touch. My hands move to his waist, pulling him toward me communicating that I'm fine.

As our lips met, the world seemed to fall away. Dimitri's kiss was cool yet electrifying, sending tingles through my entire body. His hand on my cheek held me steady, while his other arm wrapped around my waist, drawing me closer. I melted into him, my fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt.

The kiss deepened, and I felt a low growl rumble in Dimitri's chest. It should have frightened me, but instead, it sent a thrill down my spine. My heart raced, and I knew he could hear it, feel it pounding against his own chest.

Suddenly, Dimitri tensed. In a flash, he pulled away, putting several feet between us. His eyes were dark, conflicted, as he stared at me.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice rough. "That was... unwise."

I stood there, breathless. I want to relive it. I want more. No kiss I'd ever experienced had been like THAT!

Dimitri looks me over, as if checking to make sure I'm in tact. "I'll remember that moment," he whispered softly, "for the rest of my eternity."

A smile spread across my face, and I felt my heart flutter in response. I couldn't help the blush that crept up my cheeks, and before I could gather myself, he continued. His reassurance welcome amongst a movement that felt like rejection.

"There's something about you," he murmured, his voice carrying a strange mix of awe and sincerity. "You make this endless life feel… new."

Before I could fully process his words, Dimitri moved close again, effortlessly lifting me into his arms in a graceful, almost bridal style. I let out a breathy laugh, wrapping my arms around his neck instinctively. There was something so surreal, so unexpectedly intimate about the whole moment.

In a blur, he moved across the city until we reached my hotel. Dimitri set me down just outside the entrance, still keeping his hands on my waist to steady me. We stood there for a moment, and I realised I didn't want to say goodbye just yet.

"I actually really enjoyed myself," I said, trying to keep my voice casual despite the nerves bubbling up inside me.

He nodded, his eyes softening. "Don't sound so surprised. So did I," he replied, his tone laced with something almost tender.

We lingered there, exchanging playful smiles and teasing words. There was something so unexpected and genuine about the way we flirted—it felt like a normal date, despite all the impossibilities between us. Then, just as I thought the night might be over, Dimitri leaned in once more. This time, the kiss was sweet and slow, a gentle promise rather than a challenge. It left me feeling light-headed and more than a little dazzled.

"Goodnight, Avery," he said softly, pulling away but keeping his gaze locked with mine for a moment longer.

"Goodnight, Dimitri," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady even though my heart was racing.

And just like that, he was gone, vanishing into the night as effortlessly as he had appeared. I stood there for a moment, almost in disbelief, before heading upstairs to my room. I was buzzing with excitement, my mind replaying every detail of the evening.

It wasn't until I collapsed onto my bed, grinning like an idiot, that a sudden realisation hit me—I didn't get his phone number. In fact, I wasn't even sure if he had a phone. I stared at the ceiling, laughing softly to myself at the absurdity of it all. How was I supposed to contact a centuries-old vampire?