I guess there's a slight NSFW aspect about this chapter. I mean, there are vampires and the fact they have to bite into a person's neck to drink their blood, but it doesn't get worse than that. Sorry to any sinners that wanted more, but I don't write that stuff.

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*Fate ~ AKA me, the author.

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The blond male smiled as he waved to a small group of young trick-or-treaters. They all called thank you as they ran off to the next few houses, bags still not filled with enough candy. Lukas chuckled at their enthusiasm before closing his front door, placing the empty plastic cauldron of candy on the floor. His fingers flicked a light switch, his porch light turned off as a way to signal to any other kids that he had no more candy left. He turned away from the door and made his way to the living room, sprawling himself out on the couch. The blankets were wrapped around his body as he turned the TV on, preparing to watch a few movies before heading off to bed.

For a few hours, everything was quiet. The blond just sat and watched his movies, munching on some candy he had bought for himself, his blue eyes watching the movie that played intently. The kids had all but disappeared from the streets. Silence ruled the dark night, broken only with the faint calls of bats and hoots of owls and some rowdy teenagers. It was then that he jumped upon hearing a small tap at the glass, turning his wide blue gaze over to the window.

Sitting on the ledge outside was a small black cat. Its emerald green eyes glowed in the dark, having a strange human appearance to them. Upon seeing it had gotten his attention, the cat meowed pleadingly, pawing at the glass with its right front paw. Lukas raised an eyebrow in slight confusion as he stood up from the couch, letting the blankets fall as he made his way over to the window. He opened it, pushing it up to let the black cat step forward and rub against his hand. A loud purr erupted from the tiny thing, only increasing in volume as Lukas picked it up and sat back down on the couch after closing the window. His hand carefully ran through the soft black fur of the cat. "What were you doing outside girl? Are you lost?" he asked. The cat merely looked up at him, blinking her emerald green eyes as her gaze met his.

"You're lucky I love cats."

He stood up from the couch, holding the black cat loosely in his arms. His feet made their way to his room where he plopped down onto the bed, setting the cat down on the soft comforter. The room wasn't very big, but it was big enough for the queen-sized bed with a few bookshelves full of books, a dresser, and a desk with a laptop at it. As a freelance writer, Lukas spent most of his days staring at that laptop, sometimes he was at the desk, other times on the bed, or he might be on the couch. It varied from day to day, depending on how the blond felt.

Lukas slipped his socks and sweater off before hopping into the bed, beginning to drowse off as the cat carefully walked forward to lay beside his head. His drowsy blue eyes were parted ever so slightly to look at the black cat, his hand resting on her side. "I never gave you a name... How about... Twilight?" he yawned. The cat began to purr, her eyes closing in content. A smile crossed the blond's face as his diamond blue eyes began to close. "Yeah... Twilight..."

A pale hand carefully brushed against the blond's cheek. He was fast asleep, diamond blue eyes hidden behind his eyelids. The blond locks of his only contributed to hiding parts of his face, but that same hand brushed the strands away, her touch delicate. The moonlight streamed in through the curtains hanging up at the window, highlighting Lukas' face with soft blue light. His very, very faint freckles were brought out more under the light, the small dots crossing the bridge of his nose from one cheek to the other.

The young woman sat next to the slumbering blond, silent and gentle. Her locks of hair were tied up in a haphazard bun, darker than the night outside. Her skin was pale, almost as pale as snow, greatly contrasting with the ebony color of her hair. A pair of emerald green eyes were looking down at Lukas' face, long eyelashes softly fluttering with every time her eyelids opened and closed. A plain dark red dress hugged her body, the skirt loosening at her waist as it fell to her ankles. A black corset was around her waist, tied with dark red ribbons. A simple black cape hung on her shoulders and reached down to her knees before stopping. Her feet were covered by a pair of black flats. Finally, she smiled, a sweet, soft smile that revealed two especially sharp canines.

She carefully traced her finger along his cheekbone, a soft sigh escaping her blood red lips. Never before had she been so hesitant when around a human. In all her decades of living, if one could call it that, she had never hesitated when it came to finding a suitable human to drink blood from. So why now? What about this specific human made her stop, made her question what she was doing? It couldn't be his looks, she had seen many handsome young men over the course of many decades, none had managed to cause her to act like this. But still, there was something, something about him that only he had done that made her falter. Perhaps it was how he had accepted her into his house so easily, so ignorantly, so happily.

Getting close enough to someone to drink from had been very difficult for the vampiress. At first, the humans feared her and anything associated with her, including bats and black cats. It had been almost impossible to get close to anyone from how much they detested her no matter what she did or looked like. Many nights she starved from a lack of blood, but it got a little bit easier as the years went on and people began to put down their old superstitions. Especially with the rise of Halloween and with it the crazy parties teenagers and young adults, specifically ones in college, being thrown. Those Halloween parties were easy to infiltrate, hell, it was easy to infiltrate any party, but harder to fit in if people weren't dressed up. Outside of that, people just looked at a black cat with annoyance and chased her away.

This human was one of the first that treated her decently, though he probably would've had a much different reaction if he knew what she was. Perhaps that was what caused her to linger by him for a few minutes more. Maybe she felt guilty that he so willingly accepted her into his house without knowing her true identity. Maybe she wanted to savor a bit more time with the only human that ever nicely spoke to her. Maybe she wished that he could hold her as he had done before. Whatever the cause, she knew deep down in her heart that he would never accept her and that she had to finish what she had started.

So she finally tore her hand away from his cheek. Her green eyes moved from his face to the tanned skin near the base of his neck. She leaned closer to the young man, stopping when her lips were only mere centimeters away from the spot she was focused on. Instead of continuing, the vampiress stopped for a moment, mouth parted ever so slightly as her green gaze looked up to the young man's face. They studied his features for a moment more, her breath very softly blowing against his neck. A part of her silently wished that maybe, maybe she could see his blue eyes one last time. Those blue orbs that glimmered like diamonds, that drew her in, that made a sense of calm wash over her. But, it would be better for them both if her wish wasn't fulfilled.

However, it seemed Fate* was against her.

His eyelids shut tighter, causing the vampiress to instantly freeze. Worries and dreads instantly attacked her as his blue eyes slowly fluttered open, the diamonds he called eyes dull from drowsiness. It took a moment before he began to register his surroundings, specifically the young woman with black hair and green eyes that glimmered like emeralds lying to close to him. Before he could utter a single word, her hand immediately covered his mouth, muffling any sound that attempted to escape him. Lukas looked at her with widened eyes, seeing a flash of guilt and sadness deep in her averted emerald green gaze. "Please, don't say anything," she softly whispered. Even if he wanted to, the blond couldn't speak. There were no words he could say that could begin to make sense of the situation, so he kept quiet.

"I won't hurt you. I just need some blood, just as you need your food."

Lukas wasn't sure if his eyes could get any wider. She was a vampire? But that wasn't possible, vampires were fictional creatures that only ever appeared in stories and myths, they weren't real. But he couldn't deny the fact that somehow this strange woman had appeared in his house, almost replacing Twilight in the spot she sat in. "I'm going to move my hand. Please don't cause a commotion." True to her word, the vampiress lifted her hand from Lukas' mouth, placing it on his chest as if she was attempting to hold him still. Lukas could feel his heart race, as could she, but her emerald gaze was gentle as her touch was soft. "Y-You aren't going to do anything harmful to me?" he carefully asked, unable to control his fear that rose in him. The ebony-haired woman nodded in response. "No, I'm not cruel. I promise it will be all right," her voice whispered.

Even with everything in Lukas screaming to run, to call for help, to do something, he didn't do anything. He only looked into the vampiress' gorgeous emerald eyes as he attempted to calm his fear and racing heart. She seemed sincere enough, and Lukas didn't want to know what would happen if he refused and possibly angered her. That was not a very nice thought. At seeing his seeming acceptance of the situation, a look of surprise crossed her face. "You're all right with this?" "I'd rather not invoke your wrath or anything so..."

She laughed.

She laughed.

It wasn't a very loud laugh, but a soft giggle, which managed to comfort the blond. He cracked a small smile, blue eyes watching her carefully as she leaned closer. The blond shut his eyes as he felt her sharp fangs sink into the sensitive skin at the base of his neck, discomfort and a faint prick of pain coming from the spot. It was only a few moments later that his pain and discomfort began to fade, replaced by a numbing sensation. He breathed a sigh of relief as his body lost its stiffness, thankful that he wouldn't have to deal with any pain, just as she had said.

He attempted to wait patiently as she carefully drank his blood. Barely a minute had passed, yet it felt like a century to Lukas. While she was right, it didn't hurt at all, it wasn't the greatest thought in the world to know vampires were real and one was currently drinking his blood, which he had begun to get lightheaded from. She almost seemed to notice this, as she stopped, pulling herself away from Lukas. "Sorry," she whispered guiltily. "'s fine..." he slurred, darkness creeping at the edges of his vision.

A small frown crossed her face as she carefully reached her hand to his face, pushing aside some of his blond locks to see his features more clearly. Now came the final part of her visit. She then began to focus on another of her powers, small sparkles beginning to form around her hand that she held against Lukas' cheek. This part she had done more times than she could count, and she no longer felt the deep grief or guilt she had felt many years ago. Now, those emotions surfaced once again. She didn't want to do this to the blond, he was much too kind to her, but she knew it would be better for them both. And so she concentrated on the swirling pictures she saw in his head, erasing them and changing them when necessary.

"Twi... ligh'..."

She stopped for a moment, turning her saddened emerald gaze to the hazy diamond eyes of the blond. His eyes were nearly closed, he was almost about to let the black wave of sleep take over him. "See... you a... a'ain...?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper. The vampiress choked back her tears as she looked into his diamond orbs, knowing fully well what the answer would be. "Yeah... Y-Yeah, I'll see yo-you again..." she lied quietly. A small, delirious smile crossed his lips. "Pr... 'romise?" he mumbled, almost like he was a little kid asking his parents for something he really truly wanted. The vampiress felt her guilt swirl more harshly than before as she sent him a strained smile.

"I promise."

Satisfied with her response, the blond let his smile fall as his eyes closed. The sparkles surrounding her hand slowly but surely disappeared, the pictures of the last few hours having been altered or permanently destroyed from Lukas' memory. It was done. There was no going back on it.

Tears began to slip down the vampiress' face. She pressed her hand to her mouth as she began to silently sob, closing her eyes tight to try and prevent the salty water droplets from falling down her reddened cheeks. A few more minutes passed, yet she stayed. Her heart was telling her to stay, to try again, but her mind was telling her to get back to where she belonged. A deep sense of longing filled her entire being, more powerful than ever. She had finally felt like she belonged somewhere, with someone, at a place where she wasn't turned or chased away or having to hide. He didn't run or scream, he accepted her presence, and he had wanted to see her again. She wanted nothing more than to stay, but with one final goodbye, she fled into the night.

The blond looked around the party with a dull, blue gaze. Everyone was dressed up in costumes (many of which were over-sexualized, thanks a lot internet) dancing to the beat of the music the DJ played. Halloween had crept up again before announcing its arrival with a spook that launched everyone in a frenzy to buy candy, set up parties, and get a costume. Lukas had originally planned on staying home again and handing out candy, but his friends had managed to convince him to come to a party that they had been invited to.

It was either go to a party or stay at home alone so it wasn't a very difficult choice.

And so that was how Lukas had ended up in a vampire costume at a large party yet he was standing in the corner alone.

Multiple girls had come up to ask him to dance or to grab a drink with them, yet he refused every time. He didn't know what caused him to act in such a way, but it felt like accepting an invitation like that from any girl (particularly on this day, much to his surprise) was wrong. It felt like there was someone that had already managed to capture his heart, and Halloween was like a special day to the person and him.

So he just politely rejected them.

Some got all huffy and stomped off to go find some other guy, others simply accepted it and walked off, and a few tried to press (these ones ended up being a bit more drunk than the others) which only ended in Lukas ignoring them until they left. He felt like a wallflower, which was the complete opposite of his friendly, easygoing personality. Yet, at the same time, he felt like he was betraying someone if he said yes.

A deep sigh escaped him as he let his diamond blue eyes travel the dance floor, not looking for anyone in particular, but stopping on a specific person. It was a young woman who appeared to be roughly his age. She had pale skin that contrasted against her ebony-black hair that was tied back in a haphazard bun. A dark red dress hugged her body (loosening at her waist) down to her ankles. A black cape was draped over her shoulders and a pair of black flats were on her feet. Lukas could see her deep red lips from where he stood.

As if she knew he was watching her, she turned her emerald green gaze to meet his diamond one. For a second, they didn't move. The world around them faded into the background as they met each other's gazes through the dozens of people between them, but even with the music blaring, everyone singing and laughing and talking, all they could focus on was the other.

Finally, the young woman turned and she began to walk away from the dance floor.

Lukas moved from his place at the lonely corner of the room, pushing by people as he muttered apologies to them. He kept his gaze trained on the ebony-haired woman, who occasionally stopped to look over her shoulder at him before she kept on walking. The blond followed as she began to make her way through the empty halls of the house where there was practically no one besides the occasional drunk group of friends/couple. After roughly a minute or so of this endeavor, he came to a stop in a guest room. It was empty, yet there was only one door in or out of the room, and he clearly remembered seeing the young woman duck into the room he stood in. Thoroughly confused, Lukas turned around to walk out and check a few other rooms when the door slammed shut.

He raced forward to the door, finding it somehow locked despite no lock clearly visible on the door handle. The blond tugged the handle multiple times, each with no result. Right as he opened his mouth to call for someone to help him get out, a hand was placed over his mouth, muffling any sound he might have made. Lukas' blue eyes widened as multiple scenarios as to what was happening began playing out in his mind. Being an author, it wasn't that hard to imagine quite a few in incredible detail.

"Please, don't say anything."

The words were softly whispered in his ear. Her breath tickled his ear, causing shivers to run down his spine as goosebumps began to form on his arms. For some reason, her words sounded strangely familiar. 

"I'm not going to hurt you. I just need something."

Her other hand was placed over Lukas' eyes, preventing him from seeing anything. He remained tensed. The blond was turned around by the woman, her hand over his mouth slowly falling away to rest on his chest over his heart. Not a single word escaped his throat. A few moments passed in silence, Lukas waiting silently as his heart began to race. She probably could feel his heartbeat, and trying to help alleviate his fear, removed her hand obscuring his vision. Lukas met her emerald green gaze with his diamond blue one. Nothing was said, and they remained still. He took in every single one of her features, and he came to the surprising realization that he knew her.

Memories began to alter in his head. What he had thought had happened last Halloween was changed, and instead of nothing really happening after running out of candy for the trick-or-treaters, he let a black cat with emerald green eyes into his house and he woke up to find a gorgeous young woman lying next to him in bed who had extremely sharp canines who had ended up biting his neck, where he shortly after passed out.

It was the same woman.

The same vampiress.

Her breath hitched as she met his diamond blue gaze. The gaze she hadn't seen in a year, the one that had captivated her, made her hesitate when she had to drink his blood, the one she had desperately longed to see again.

"I-It's you..."

Their voices were in unison, soft and careful. Nothing was said for a few moments, their minds rushing to comprehend what was happening in front of them. Jessica had never expected to see Lukas ever again, yet here he was, right in front of her. Her fingers traced the barely noticeable scars she had left a year ago, as if she was making sure this was the real man in front of her. Lukas' breath hitched at her soft touch against his sensitive skin, and his blue eyes moved down to her deep red lips. Those lips hid the sharp fangs that had caused the scars (and some heartattacks from his friends upon seeing the dark purple bruises). Yet, his mind didn't focus on the fact her fangs were hidden behind her lips.

Jessica finally looked up from the scars to Lukas' face. Her emerald green gaze filled with confusion as to why he wasn't meeting her gaze, but then she noticed he seemed to be paying attention to her lips. Slight guilt filled her as she realized he was most likely thinking about her fangs, but as she averted her gaze to the ground, Lukas softly whispered a few words that made her heart stop.

"Can I kiss you?"

The ebony-haired vampiress looked up at the blond with wide eyes. Her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. Never before had she ever been so close to anyone, especially a human, before. It was strange. But not a bad strange. A good one. One that made her curious about if a future knowing him was possible, and maybe if the possibility of them being together being more real than fantasy. He had been on her mind for a large amount of time the past year, and her swirling feelings had only confused her as she attempted to sort them out. Now, Jessica could finally figure out what kept swirling inside her, and she didn't want to shy away from it.

"Yes..."

Lukas' diamond blue eyes began to close, as did Jessica's emerald green ones. They leaned closer, the vampiress having to tilt her head back and stand on her tiptoes as the human was forced to lean down. Jessica inwardly cursed their height difference, but didn't focus much on it as Lukas' lips met hers, forcing all other thoughts out of her mind. Her arms wrapped around the back of his neck, her hands finding their place in his loose, soft blond locks. Lukas wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer and holding her up so she wouldn't fall. Their only thoughts circulated around each other and the kiss they were locked in, which only grew deeper and more passionate with every passing second.

The two were eventually forced to pull away, leaning their foreheads against each other as they tried to catch their breath back. Blond and ebony locks carefully tangled together as their blue and green eyes met, their minds still rushing to catch up to the program. They were silent for a few moments more, hearing nothing but the distant sound of the party and their own breathing. After managing to steady their breaths, one of Lukas' hands tilted Jessica's chin up as he leaned down again. Their lips were caught in another kiss, a smile crossing Jessica's face as she ran her fingers through his soft hair.

Her longing for a place to belong was fulfilled.

Her place was with Lukas.