The cigarette was burning at his finger.

But he didn't notice.

The midnight blue eyes were fixed on the ceiling, clearly indicating he wasn't in the present.

Head laid on the couch, legs slightly apart , cigarette burning between his fingers. .he was lost.

All he could think from the past few hours was to get back to her. Get back and talk to her.

Mouth to mouth.

"A human, Damien?!"

Damien shut his eyes and sighed deeply.

"Elliot, shut the fuck up." Damien said his voice tired.

The couch dipped down letting him know his companion had occupied the space beside him.

"A human Damien! What the hell is wrong with— how can you do this to her? Why are you doing this to her? To us! You know what it can ruin!" Elliot seemed frustrated with the lack of response.

"I'm not doing anything. To anyone. It's . . complicated. You won't understand, puppet."

Elliot ignored his jibe.

"Enlighten me then what I don't understand." Elliot's voice lit up sarcastically.

There was silence and then—

"Since the day I met her, I haven't, " he stopped for a moment ," killed . Killing have . .lost its thrill. I get thrill only by looking at her." Damien chuckled softly , surprising Elliot.

"What? You haven't—i don't believe it!"

"It's not a matter of your belief . It's mine. Mine alone . I have no idea why I haven't beheaded you yet for ratting me out . " Damien said sitting up a little straight now.

Elliot kept looking at his side profile and even he had to accept that for the first time Damien wasn't . . fighting back. With him.

Or himself.

He just seemed. . tired and worn out.

Miserable.

Which was a rare sight.

"Damien, do you know what you just said?" Elliot's said slowly.

"What?" Damien took a deep swig of the nicotine.

"You fancy her."

To his surprise Damien didn't even react. He just nodded slightly.  Puffs of smoke swirling in the air.

"I do. There is no escaping that. I fucking kissed her." Damien grinned darkly.

"You did what? You idiot! You're sealing her to yourself! A human Damien!" Elliot wailed again.

"I don't give a shit about sealing. All I know is . .one wrong look at her and I can kill anyone. " Damien said calmly but anyone with eyes could see he meant what he said.

"Darsana will—"

Damien cut him off.

"The whole world can know and it still won't matter , Elliot. Nothing matters right now. . but her. "

×××××××××××××××××××

Sarah must have imagined all that.

She touched her lips again .

It was right here his skin met hers.

Seeing herself in the mirror , she could see the reddened cheeks , the small smile on her lips that just won't go away . .the thud thud of her heart every time she recalled yesterday.

No. .

She didn't imagine anything.

It really was her first kiss.

Way to go, Sarah!

Well, it wasn't tongue to tongue.  It was more of a caress. .a gentle touch of skin to skin. .a soft whisper against her skin. .

Damien . .

A vampire.

And how come it didn't surprise her even a bit? How come it didn't affect her? Because maybe deep down she knew. .knew his inhumane beauty wasn't normal.

A normal person don't look like that.

Sarah felt like she had to be brutally honest to herself on this.

Does him being a vampire affected anything? Her heart or her feelings?

And she knew the answer.

No.

Absolutely not.

He could have been a genome and it still wouldn't have mattered.

Because love don't look at backgrounds—

Brown eyes widened in the mirror.

She clapped a hand on her mouth.

Woah! She really needs to slow down. It was like she was diving in too deep right on the first leap.

Careful. .

She had to be careful.

But the swirling feelings in her heart were something she had never experienced before. Ever.

Whenever  he was around , her emotions would answer to his presence so strongly that it would overwhelm her nerves hence aggravating her anxiety.

No words were exchange after the kiss.

No oh my God; you a vampire?!

Nothing at all.

He had backed off slightly. .and she had looked in his dark eyes.  Her lips parted. .his gaze slipping from her eyes to her lips as if he would devour her right now but then he really backed off.

Taking a few steps back, pushing his hand in his hair and messing them up.

"I have to leave." He had muttered to himself and just as she watched like a frozen statue. .he had spun around towards the door and moved a step—then he had cursed a colorful word.

"Fuck !"

Damien had turned towards her again , his eyes flashing and like a storm he had descended on her.

Eating up the distance .

Sarah had thought he was going in for another kiss but—his arms went around her shoulders. Engulfing her in his arms.

His cheek squished against hers.

He had crushed her to his hard chest.

And Sarah had instantly responded.

She was embarrassed to accept that indeed she had deepened the embrace by slipping her arms around his waist and melting into his chest.

Just breathing him in.

Time had stopped.

Both of them wanting to crush the other.

It was the most earth shattering feeling because Sarah felt like—like all the cracks in her heart had mended. All the hurt all the longing all the pain . . the jags in her heart had filled with just an embrace.

For a horrific moment she felt like she would cry.

Crumble in his arms.

Cry and tell him just how greatful she was for him . No one had ever pulled her close .

Not even her mother.

Sarah had bit her lower lip hard to stop herself from saying anything at the moment.

It would have been so magical to stay locked in his arms.

Then Damien had broken the spell and slowly, he had pulled back . His large hands had cupped her face , his eyes searching her rosy face .

"I'll be back tomorrow."

"Promise?"

A smile had dawned on his face.

"On my life."

×××××××××××××××××××