Vin silently thanked Jenson as he chucked a blood bag at his chest for dinner.

          “You said that you have a sibling?” Vin asks, raising an eyebrow. Jenson nodded. “Yeah, she was too young to remember me when I was around her, and you were in the process of being tamed,” Jenson answers, nodding along as he explained.

          Vin scoffed with surprise. “This is news to me.” Jenson chuckles, shaking his head. “I hardly bring my sister into a conversation.”

          “She’s on the corner of First street,” Asberri suddenly stated, staring down at the floor. “She homeless.” Jenson looks at his mother with worry evident in his eyes.

          “He kicked her out again?”

          Asberri nodded her head before looking at Vin. “I am trusting you to protect her, do not, under any circumstances let her go with Marti. It’s bad news if she does,” Asberri explains to him.

          Vin nodded his head. “I’ll keep her safe,” he promises Asberri.

          “Now, off you go.”

          She wanted to know why she found herself wanting to leave her father behind like he was nothing but a distant thought in her clouded mind. She would have never thought she would put herself on this kind of predicament, leaving her to discover how rough life could be, how one little thing can change her life in an instant. Things where she discovers that not even blood can be trusted.

          Blakelei Vance Avan Paxton stood at the corner of First Street, taking a long drag of her cigarette, letting the toxic smoke fill her expanded lungs.

          She sighs as she pollutes the air. She was leaning her weight against the pole with red lights attached to the end of the horizontal pole that was connected. The roads were dead with no traffic, and the red light hardly ever changed colors to direct said traffic.

          “It’s too late for you to be out here.”

          Vance jerked her head towards the direction of where the voice came from with a scowl prominent on her face. “I’m twenty years old, I believe I can handle myself.” Her harsh tone made the man chuckle, but a part of her believed that he was chuckling at the strong Russian accent.

          “Just because you’re grown does not mean that you won’t get touched inappropriately,” he argued, raising his eyebrows as if he was questioning her stubbornness. Vance scoffed, laughing menacingly as she shook her head. “I don’t have a family that would care if I was alive or dead.”

          She spoke so lightly about the subject that it raised curiosity in the man standing in front of her, shadowed by the dark. He couldn’t help but wonder what was in her past that made her like this. He wanted to get to know her.

          “Say,” Vance breaks the eerie silence, yanking the man’s attention from the ground back to her. He hummed in response. “Tell me your name, and for the love of all things holy, let me see your face,” she demanded sternly, tilting her head back as she pinched the bridge of her nose, slightly annoyed.

          The man chuckled, stepping into the light, shoving his hands into the pockets of his skin tight jeans. “My name is Tino-Vilijami Vanhala, call me Vin, what’s yours?”

          Vin had blonde hair that was almost looked white as snow that was neatly tucked into a black beanie, some of his bangs poking out underneath the hat.

          He was dressed in all black, even his lip ring on the right side of his full lips was black, making his perfect set of teeth appear whiter than they actually are, and topped it off with a black pair of slightly worn out vans.

          “Blakelei Vance Avan Paxton, and I go by Vance,” Vance replied. Vin nodded with a small smile.

          “Pardon me if this is too forward but, what made you take a nightly stroll so late in this fine evening?” Vin tugged his lip ring in between his teeth as if it was a nervous habit that he had obtained in his years of life.

          “You’re not being too forward,” she instantly replies, “the reason why I’m out this late is because I got into a disagreement with my папа, and long story short; he kicked me out of his house.”

          “Well that’ll not a great way to end the day,” Vin told her rather sarcastically. “Why don’t you stay with me?” Vance’s eyes almost popped out of its sockets and onto the concrete ground that they stood on at Vin’s excruciating nice gesture. “Are you sure?” she asks him, genuinely shocked at his kindness towards a complete stranger. Vin nodded his head to assure her uncertainty. “I don’t mind it.”

          Vance smiled for the first time that night since her and her dad, Wes had gotten into that disagreement.

“Thank you,” she whispers, wrapping Vin in a hug. Vin returns her hug, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his body.

          Vance couldn’t help but notice how cold his skin felt when her skin made contact with his pale skin. She couldn’t decide if he was abnormally cold or he was that kind of person that’s cold natured.

          Vin thought she fit perfectly in his embrace. He liked the thought of doing this more times than he can count in a day. Embracing her felt like he was protecting her from all of the evil trying to steal her away.

          She buried her face into his chest, inhaling his captivating scent. She felt so safe and secure in his arms. It was like Vin was a addictive drug that she couldn’t quit abusing even if she tried her hardest like no rehabilitation would fix it.

          Vin takes a step back to break the embrace that he believed he enjoyed too much of. “Shall I show you your new home?” he insists, his left arm stretched out in the direction of his home as he raised his eyebrows. Vance chuckles, nodding her head.

          The two spent the little walk to Vin’s place getting know each other. Vance hadn’t known Vin for no more than a hour tops, and she already felt like she could trust him with her life in his hands. 

          Vance wonders what is his deepest and darkest secrets that he hugs to his chest so dearly. All of the possibilities raced in her mind as she tried to place her concentration on the conversation that they were having and on her racing thoughts.

          Vin chuckles, smiling at Vance. “I find it funny that you’re trying to make it seem like you’re comprehending what I say when really whatever it is that you’re thinking of has most of your concentration,” Vin proclaimed. Vance turns her head away from Vin as she began to blush.

          “You just seem like a mystery to me,” Vance chuckles lightly. “A mystery?” Vin cocked an eyebrow. He never heard that one in a while. Vance nodded, an awkward smile tugging at her lips.

          Vin chuckles again, fishing his keys from his pocket of his jeans to unlock the door. Vance apologizes, her cheeks still red as a shiny fire truck.

          “It’s okay,” he laughs, pushing the door open. “After you,” he intones a posh accents as he bowed slightly towards the ground to add a dramatic affect. Vance courtesies with a suppressed giggle before walking into his home.

           Vance’s eyes darted around, gawking at the beauty of Vin’s living room. The walls were a champagne color with white baseboards, and black furniture. Pictures and paintings were hanging on the walls.

          “It’s not much,” Vin starts to say, his hand reaching to scratch the back of his neck, “but it’s something to call home.”  Vance gasped, her eyes landing on Vin. “Not much?” she recites Vin’s words in disbelief. “It’s like everything I ever dreamed of!”

          Vin laughs, tilting his head back at her adoration that she held for the place.

          Changing the subject quickly, he says, “you must be exhausted after today. Take my bed tonight, I’ll take the couch. Do you want me to lend you a shirt or something of the sorts?”

          Vance yawned as she nods her head. “Please,” she responds, tiredness lacing her words as she spoke.

Vance woke up with a cold sweat, screaming at the top of her lungs. Her chest heaves as she tries catching her breath, her eyes darting around every inch of Vin’s bedroom to ensure herself that she was safe.

          Vin’s thundering footsteps startles her as he reaches the room’s entrance. “Vance!” He ran towards her, embracing her with his chest heaving with worry as the sound of Vance petrified scream echo in his mind.

          “Vin,” Vance whimpers, burying her damp face into the crook of Vin’s neck. “Are you alright? What happened?”

          “I was standing in a open field, wondering how exactly I got there then you appeared behind me, and whispered something along with ‘it’s too bad my hunger for human blood doesn’t stop when I notice your beauty.’ Then, I think your fangs pierced into my neck and the last thing I remember was screaming, pleading for you to stop but you never did,” she explains in vivid detail.

          Vin comforted Vance with assuring words, running his fingertips through her silky, red hair. Vin could sense how much fear Vance grasped tightly while Vance could feel the rapid beating of his heart through the thin material of his black V-neck

          Vin debated whether to tell her the truth, but he didn’t want to tell her too soon, and terrify her more. He eventually decides that he’ll tell her when he feels that both of them are ready on either of their parts.

          “Vin,” Vance sleepily mumbles, rubbing her eyes with her left hand that was clenched into a fist. He hums in reply, pulling away slightly to look at her in the eyes.

          “Can you sleep with me for the rest of tonight?” she asks, laying her head on his chest, “I don’t want to sleep alone anymore.”

          “Of course,” he replies, shuffling underneath the comforters after he had pulled his shirt off and tossing it on the floor. He pulls her into his side as she snuggled into his side. Her breathing was already evening out as she slowly fell back into a deep slumber.

          Vin closed his eyes. Even though vampires can’t fall asleep, every now then he loves to enjoy a blank mind and the peacefulness that comes with it. Vin liked to think it relaxes him. It was similar to sleeping, a blank mind that’s oblivious to it’s current surroundings. It was paradise; Vin’s paradise.

          When Vin comes back into reality, the sun began to rise in a array of orange and red colors. Vance was still in his arms, clinging to him tightly. Vin laid on his side with his arms around Vance’s waist.

          “Better get Vance some breakfast,” Vin mumbles lowly, slowly removing his arms from around Vance. Vance tossed and turn before finally finding a comfortable position.

          Vin stumbles into the kitchen, raiding his cabinets and fridge to see what he had stocked up on, forgetting that it had been years since he paid a visit to a grocery store. He sighs, quietly shutting the fridge. Going to a restaurant sounded like the best idea he could come up with for now, but he didn’t know she liked and didn’t like to eat.

          Vin shook his head with annoyance. It was like fate picked the right moment in time to piss him off with him accustomed to only fulfilling his vampire needs. For the first time he forgot how to act human.

          Vin padded back in the bedroom, stopping to adore Vance while she’s sleeping. He shook himself out of his daze and lightly shook her side, forcing himself to stay on task.

          Vance fluttered her eyes open. “Yeah?” Her voice was raspy with sleep lacing around her words like a vine growing around a tree.

          “I was going to cook you breakfast, but I quickly raided my kitchen to come up dry on groceries,” he explains, “and I come up this idea to go and buy you breakfast while you slept and realized I had no clue what you like and dislike.”

          Vance chuckles, throwing the bed sheets off of her. “Yes, I’ll go, but I am not changing shirts,” she bribed him with a smile. Vin laughs, nodding his head.

          “Deal! We probably need to get your essentials while we’re out.” Vance nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we probably should.”

          Vin grabbed his car keys after he threw a hoodie over his head and his only pair of shoes on.

          Vin lead Vance to his ebony black 2016 5.0 Mustang GT. Vance shook her head. Vin smiled at her. “I just keep surprising you,” Vin chuckles, fastening his seatbelt just as Vance copied his actions.

          Vin pulled up in the parking lot of I-Hop, eyeing the place suspiciously as he unfastened his seatbelt and jumped out of the car.

          Vance thought he was amazed at the business they were currently getting. The parking lot was packed. It took them a couple of minutes to find a vacant spot.

          Vin cursed under his breath, growing irritated with ways of a human already. He couldn’t understand how he did it when he was a human. Vance chuckled, shaking her head. “You still got a lot to learn.”