The Bloody Romance

Chapter One

Leonardo watched the humans as he crept across the rooftops. He hung there for a few seconds, his almost violet eyes watching every move the humans made – one human in particular caught his 'special attention', that look of his, the look very rarely found in anything but a vampire. He flew down, using his speed to grab the blonde but she didn't look frightened but instead she looked happy.

Her beautiful ash blonde hair was so beautiful, straight and hanging down. Her eyes were like rare diamonds, beautiful and sparkly in the moonlight. He hugged her from behind as he kissed her neck and asked "were you expecting me?"

"Leo, I know you, I know what you're like. Yes I was expecting you" she joked playfully. He kissed her neck again passionately and asked "aren't you scared I'll hurt you?"

She giggled and whispered "no, not really. You're sweet, very sweet, Leo"

"I love you" he whispered as he stroked her neck.

She smiled and whispered "I love you too but that doesn't mean I'm a free snack"

"Oh and I thought I was getting somewhere" he joked playfully. His long black hair blew in the wind, almost twisting and turning with hers as he turned her around and kissed her. He held her hand as he passionately kissed her; she ran her fingers through his hair as she asked "can we go out somewhere?"

"Sure, name a place and I'll take you, I promise you" he whispered romantically.

"What about you, what are you eating?"

"Not you for a start. I'll pick something up from work" he promised as he held her hand gently. She smiled softly and whispered "you do realise the age difference, right?"

"Yes, I know. I can just see it now in the newspapers; 'Italian 16th century immortal falls for twenty three year old ex-art student, turned police officer' I can see how that'll go down"

She giggled and whispered "thankfully you don't look your age and I don't care about your age"

"Or my secret" he whispered before he kissed her gently.

She was like Heaven, like the sun had reached into him and grasped him. Charlotte was what he'd been searching for all his life, the woman he wanted to be with all his life. She was his, he was hers and that was to be the way forever, if she so chose but until she asked, Leo wasn't going to force her to become a vampire just so they could be together, he didn't want her to hate him and for her to be alive. He loved her a lot, she was his world, his everything and if she wanted to be with him forever then he'd let her but until she said the words, he couldn't do it, not to her... anyone but her.

She was perfect, even as she aged slowly, even as her youth changed she'd be beautiful and yet he did admit to having worries for he was a vampire with a small coven, a coven he left, just upped and left, cut all ties just to be with her, be with his Charlotte. He hugged her and asked "where were you thinking of going?"

"Are you coming with me?" she asked playfully as she kissed his nose playfully.

"Honey, I would follow you to the ends of the earth and maybe even beyond that if I had to. I think a dinner date would be fine, more than fine even... if you will let me of course"

"I don't mind having a vampire stalker" she joked as they held hands, walking down the street. The world seemed normal, happy. They walked to a nearby restaurant, one that Charlotte had eaten at and Leonardo had avoided eating at, just sat by her, watching her when she asked him to.

"You are going to get sick of watching me eat" she stated as she munched on a chip.

"You know what? I doubt that somehow. I love you, Charlotte; I always have and always will" he whispered as he held her hand but she'd come to recognise the ways he'd act, when he was fine, his blood thirst was... manageable and when it was on the edge, when he was on edge. He was begging for blood, even if he avoided the subject, she could see it in his beautiful eyes, hidden behind his strands of silky hair.

"I think you need a drink" she commented quietly.

"Don't... don't worry about me, I don't need help"

"Yes you do... I don't mean professional help but you do, you need help. I can see it in your eyes and in your movements"

"I'll be back later" he promised as he put enough money on the table to pay the bill. She sighed and whispered "you don't need to do this, not to others. You let me into your world; let me be a part of it"

"Charlotte, you are a part of it. Drinking isn't part of being in my world, being near me is... being close to me, knowing my secret... that's how you are a part of this and if something happened to you, if I lost control, I would blame myself... I would never be able to live with myself, Charlotte"

"I know what you're like... you wouldn't do anything to hurt me"

"No so I am not going to start"

He left before she could talk to him, apologise but she still felt it wasn't up to her but still she needed to put things right. She loved him more than she could admit to herself; she adored him and his lifestyle was just a part of him, a small part of him. She could understand him perfectly, love him and care about him even after she found out the truth, what he was. She found out he was a vampire and all those problems they had, the so-called 'secrets' he was sharing, it all vanished, she realised he was trying to protect her... not hurt her, he could never hurt her even if he wanted to, he just couldn't.

Anyone else... easily but not Charlotte, not the secret he kept hidden from his coven, knowing exactly what they'd do if they knew. If they found out about Charlotte, she'd be dead and buried, literally drained until death, beyond the point of him doing anything about it, beyond being able to save her before it was too late. Charlotte was his life, the love of it, without her he was nothing more than a puppet but she made him something else, she made him find another part of himself, another piece of his soul.