Room & Board

Part 5

"It was supposed to become an international language, so all could communicate." Tabaeus gives an amused hum. Their gaze travels down your throat and the air in your lungs seize, memories of the last feeding razing over your nerves. Realizing themself, Tabaeus's attention flicks back to your face and their smile takes on an impish angle, "I called you a little blood bag."

Your eyes widen as heat bleeds hotter in your cheeks, embarrassment twining with the anticipation of the moment. Before you can even think it, your hands have planted against Tabaeus's chest and pushed against them. "Oh! You are awful!"

Infuriatingly, the vampire doesn't even budge. Instead, Tabaeus looks at your arms, head tilted to the side like a cat surveying a bug with interest. "Yes, well you knew what I meant when I said I was hungry."

You clap your hands around your neck, ignoring the slight ache from where Tabaeus had previously fed. "Well good fucking luck getting a snack off me now! Calling me a bloodbag... geez."

That curious look returns to your face. A smile tilts at their lips, an easy delight dancing in their eyes. "I am good at waiting."

"Tabaeus." Your eyebrows dip as the stern word manages to break free from your tightly pressed lips. As easy-going as Tabaeus is taking the moment, you cannot do the same. Such a casual reminder of how you were a food source reignited some lingering fear from that first night. It's joined with the apprehension from being enthralled and the uncertainty of trusting a vampire who, allegedly, has lost their memories.

Reading your body language, Tabaeus's eyes widen and their pointed ears droop. They push themself away from the wall and take a couple steps back, giving you a wide berth of space. Their hands remain at their shoulder height, lightly curled into fists in an attempt to hide their claws. "My apologies, I was only teasing."

"Yeah, well," you mumble, still feeling the burn of mortification on your cheeks and still keeping your hands tightly locked around your throat. "Try not to be so convincing next time."

"Duly noted." Tabaeus's fingers start to shift against their palm. One arm lowers as the other reaches toward you, slowly and carefully. You stare as Tabaeus holds out their hand to you. Despite yourself, the earnest look in their eye has you reaching for their hand.

Once your palm grazes theirs, their fingers curl under yours and they lift your hand. They press your bent knuckles to their cheek, leaning their face against your fingers. Tabaeus closes their eyes, a sad crease between their brows as their voice dips softly, "It was not my intention to frighten you. I am so sorry."

A blush crawls over your cheeks at the touch of Tabaeus's cheek against your hand. You frown, agitated with yourself as you gently pull your hand from the vampire's grasp. Their eyes crack open, a pouty frown forming on their lips, but they release you.

"Other than making yourself hungry, have you learned anything new?" The question comes with an edge, reminding Tabaeus of the line they overstepped while trying to maintain a measure of politeness.

"Quite a lot, actually." Tabaeus straightens, their eyes warming with jubilation. Their guilt over their mistake completely forgotten. If you had known, you would have braced yourself for an array of information that would have satisfied a five-year-old's curiosity. Soon, you forget how Tabaeus had reignited your concerns and fear, under their onslaught of knowledge.

Did you know that the Japanese have made square watermelons? Or that there are spiders that keep tiny frogs as pets, to keep pests from eating the spider's eggs? Oh, or that Earth used to be purple and, speaking of the color, there's only two countries that have it in their flag? And on the historical note, did you know more photos were taken in the past seven years than in all of previous history?