"Another Lonely Day (Live From Mars Version)", Ben Harper

James stayed on my couch in silence for hours. I took a novel by Chloe Delaume from my bookshelf, sat on an armchair on the other side of the living room, and let the vampire be how he had to be. I felt a lot of affection for this man and, as a consequence, the responsibility implied in the fact he had come to me was something which I did not take lightly. His loneliness broke my heart.

I was almost at the end of the book when he finally stood up, took his leather jacket off, and sat at the piano. He improvised some shy chords at first and then something stronger. Something angrier. "Sorry for that," he said after a moment.

"No, it is fine. I love to listen to you play."

He stared at me as if trying to figure out who I was. "Why are you so nice to me?" He said.

"I understand you."

He laughed. "Can you, really?"

I paused for a second and sat on the piano bench next to him. I started to play a few chords myself, very softly, and I said: "I am an addict."

He looked at me utterly surprised. "What do you mean? I thought old immortals were immune to drugs or alcohol."

"We are. But there are some products which are made specially for us. Magic."

I kept on playing.

"How long have you been clean?" He asked while joining me on a four-hand tune.

"Centuries. But I am still an addict."

"Does Aidan know?"

"Yes. We have not talked about it but I showed him some pieces of my past."

He tried a new melodic line and I followed him. "How did you get out of it?" He asked.

"Same as you. With help and support."

He stopped playing for a second and then started back again. "I don't wanna be alone."

"You are not."

I put my hand on his shoulder and went to the kitchen to prepare something to eat, while he kept on playing. A beautiful sad melody, with far less anger than before but with more melancholy.