It Started With A Vampire

Between the lines

Filming was slow that day, the kind of quiet set energy that made everything feel a little dreamy. Eva had a couple solo scenes in the morning, light lines and reaction shots, while Malachi filmed a short training montage with Milo and MK. Nothing too demanding — just enough to keep them all in costume, hair done, and lingering around the trailers.

By the time the afternoon rolled in, Eva was in her trailer, flipping through the choreography sheet for her duet with Malachi. They had to perform it in full later that week — a romantic, emotionally charged dance sequence for their characters that would lead right up to a near kiss in the movie. Fitting.

A light knock tapped on her trailer door.

"Come in," she called without looking.

Malachi's curls were slightly damp from sweat and his hoodie was half-zipped. "You said you wanted to go over the duet?"

Her stomach flipped. "Yeah. Just to get the steps into our bodies before blocking tomorrow."

He closed the door behind him, tossing his water bottle on the couch and walking up beside her. "You sure you don't just like making me come over here?"

"Shut up," she said, rolling her eyes and laughing.

But her heart was racing. The last time they were alone had ended with that almost-kiss during a voiceover read. Since then, they'd kept it playful in public, careful not to cross a line.

But now? The air between them was laced with something heavier.

They cleared some space in the trailer, her phone playing the rehearsal track from a Bluetooth speaker.

They moved slowly at first, feet shuffling over the beat, him counting softly under his breath as they nailed the turns. But when they got to the final lift — the one where he would cradle her by the waist and lower her gently to the ground — everything slowed.

Their bodies were closer than they should've been.

Her hand slipped behind his neck, his fingers brushing the bare skin under her top where her hoodie had ridden up.

"Do we hold here?" she asked, voice low.

"Yeah," he murmured, not moving.

Neither of them did. They just stared. Her lips parted, his gaze flicking from her mouth to her eyes and back. Her heart hammered.

One more second, and they would've kissed.

But a loud knock on the trailer door made them jolt apart.

"Yo, choreography rehearsal's been pushed — they need you guys on set in an hour!" MK's voice called from outside.

Eva and Malachi stepped back, breathing hard. She turned off the speaker, brushing her hoodie down. He ran a hand through his hair.

"That was... intense," she whispered.

He looked at her with something between a smirk and a dare. "Yeah. We should probably keep practicing."

Before she could answer, he was already heading out the door.

⸻

Later that evening, they found themselves in Meg's trailer — a quiet group hangout with Ariana, MK, Malachi, and Eva curled up in cozy spots around the room. Milo had stopped by earlier but left to finish some lines.

"Anyone else feel like today's been weirdly... tension-filled?" Ariana asked, side-eyeing Eva with a smirk.

Eva blushed, glancing down at her tea.

"Everything okay?" MK added, nudging Malachi with his elbow.

"Totally fine," Malachi replied too quickly.

Meg raised a brow but didn't push. "Okay, who's down for a game?"

They landed on charades, laughter echoing through the trailer as Ariana acted out dramatic movie scenes and MK guessed them wrong on purpose.

But there was a subtle energy under it all — Eva and Malachi sitting a little too close on the couch, their pinkies brushing occasionally, the stolen glances when no one else was watching.

After the game ended, Ariana pulled Eva aside into the kitchenette area.

"You've got it bad," she said.

"I know," Eva groaned, covering her face. "We almost kissed. Again. In my trailer."

"You guys need a plan," Ariana whispered. "Because if anyone catches on..."

"I know. We're not going public. But I don't know how much longer I can pretend we're just friends."

⸻

Outside the trailer, MK was giving Malachi a very similar speech.

"Dude. You've got that 'I want to throw hands' look every time someone else looks at her."

"I'm fine," Malachi muttered.

MK gave him a look.

"I just... I like her. And I hate hiding it," Malachi said finally. "But I'll wait for her. I'll wait as long as I have to. Doesn't mean I won't fight for her too."

MK nodded slowly. "Then you better hold on tight. Because you're not the only one who's looking at her like that."

Malachi's jaw tensed. He didn't say anything — but the storm in his eyes said enough