Aeriin was finally ready to crash into her bed after a long day of school. But the moment she opened her front door, she was reminded she didn't live alone.
Her not-so-lovable companion was sprawled out on the couch watching TV, and as soon as Aeriin walked into the room, the girl jumped to her feet with a smile.
"Aeriin! How was school today?" The vampire asked as she made her way over, taking Aeriin's book bag politely and slinging it over her own shoulder.
Although Aeriin was tired, the vampire always made her smile. "My day was pretty good actually. Other than being boring as hell." She answered. "But you're supposed to be in the basement Ani." She sat on the couch only to have the vampire sprawl out on her lap like a playful younger sister.
"But then I'd be bored! Can you please take me out tomorrow? Its the weekend!" Ani asked.
Aeriin laughed. "I'll think about it."
"That's all I ask." Ani smiled.
"But you really have to stay in the basemement when I'm not home."
"Aeriin, I'm a Stargazer." She said as her bronze eyes narrowed. "I can't be killed."
"I'm not worried about you being killed, I'm worried about a mortal finding out about you."
"That's why you don't bring people home." Ani said in monotone. "I follow all your rules to the letter Aeriin. Cut me some slack. Everyone else let me go out and play."
"Just my parents did, you mean?"
"I had the most fun with them, because you weren't such a bossy cranky-pants." Ani sighed. "But I do what you ask, hoping one day you'll love me."
Aeriin laughed and ran her fingers through Ani's brown hair. "I do love you. I just worry."
"You worry? Jesus, if I wasn't your bain buddy you'd forget your pants everyday." Ani laughed. The two continued to watch TV, even as Aeriin did her homework, using Ani's stomach as a table.
Then a phone call. Aeriin picked it up, and turned the TV down to hear. However Ani didn't even flinch, maybe not even noticing the difference in volume.
"Hey girl!" Stella called from the other end of the line. "How much of your English homework is done? I need a copy."
"Its pretty muched finished. But I'm not going to lend it to you because you need to do it yourself."
"Uhgg! How do you get your work done with that boy of yours?" Stella complained.
"Boy?" Aeriin questioned with a laugh.
"Duh! Someone put that hickey on your neck!"
"Hickey? Ani!" Aeriin growled.
"You're telling me you just noticed? Jeez you're terrible at your job." Ani rolled her eyes. Recently, Aeriin had volunteered to donate blood every week so Ani wouldn't have to hunt. She didn't expect hickies.
"'She'? I didn't know you swang that way girl! And she's there now? Let me talk to her!"
"Why would I do that?"
"So I can threaten her? No one is gonna mess with my Aeriin and live to tell about it, so I have to warn her about what she's getting into."
Aeriin offered Ani the phone, getting the vampire to raise an eyebrow. "Just go with whatever she says." Aeriin told her.
Ani smirked and held it to her ear "Heyo!"
"Oh you sound cute! Listen up woman, if you hurt my girl, I'll break every bone in your body ten times over."
"Honey!" Ani called, getting Aeriin to have to hold her mouth closed to keep her from laughing. "Why is this woman threatening me?"
"I don't know, she's strange." Aeriin answered.
"Strange lady, your harassment will not be tollerated." Ani told her. "If you keep threatening me, I'll just have sex with her."
"Ooo! A take charge girl! Well played. But we'll see who wins later. I gotta go eat. T-t-y-l!" And the phone went out.
"'Honey?'" Aeriin asked as she took the phone back and set it on the side table.
"You said go with it." Ani shrugged before turning her head back to the TV.
"By the way, if you keep giving me hickey's I'm going to stop letting you drink from me." Aeriin narrowed her eyes.
"No you won't." Ani smiled. "You don't want me drinking from other people, so you satisfy me yourself."
"I don't think you'd bite other people."
"What makes you say that?" Ani raised her eyebrow as she looked back up at Aeriin.
"You need to feed every four days to keep your strength up, but you let me feed you once a week because you don't like to drink blood." She smirked.
Ani sat up with a glare. "That's not true!"
"Admit it."
"I just don't want to over-feed on you!"
"Sure. Then why haven't you been drinking other people?"
"You asked me not to!"
"Just tell me the truth hun." Aeriin told her as she brought her hands up to the vampire's face.
Ani's eyes seemed to glaze over, but then she shook her head and turned away. "That's cheating!" She complained.
"Oh?" Aeriin asked. "What's cheating?"
"You know perfectly well what's cheating." Ani glared back up at Aeriin. "My emotions are not something you can exploit!"
"But you make it so easy." Aeriin added with a smile.
"You're just a bully." Ani growled, for a second, not even Aeriin could deny that she looked threatening. But Aeriin knew the vampire was harmless, unless facing another demon. Then, Ani was a deadly demon herself, her only goal protecting Aeriin. Just another reason why she loved the vampire.
After a while, Ani returned to laying on the couch, and Aeriin finished her homework. The two watched TV together for a couple hours, before darkness reined in through the windows. When Aeriin looked down at her vampire, she caught sight of the tattoo again. It was a spider on the left side of her neck, but the web stretched down to her shoulder and covered most of it.
"A black widow?" Aeriin asked.
"Hmm?"
"The spider on your neck. It looks like a black widow."
"Where are those eyes when I put hickies on your neck?" Ani laughed. "Yeah, it is."
"Why'd you get it?"
"I was thinking about a praying mantis, but it wouldn't have been as cool."
Aeriin's eyes widened at the unspoken words, hidden by Ani's playfulness.
I'll always end up alone one way or another.
Aeriin sighed and touched the tattoo with her finger. It was done in great detail, but not enough to make it seem scary realistic.
"I'm sorry." She found herself saying.
"Don't be. I'm used to it." She shrugged. "I get to have fun with your kids, and their kids, and I can watch you grow up, and make sure you don't do anything stupid before you die happily of old age."
"Has anyone ever asked you to give them immortality?" Aeriin questioned.
"Duh. Every time, except from your parents. 'Please! Make me immortal so I can stay the greatest demon hunter ever! So we can hunt side by side for eternity!' Blah blah blah. Selfish reasons."
"I don't think I'd want to be a hunter for eternity." Aeriin answered. "I'd get bored."
"Eh, each person so far has had a different personality. Most of them are infuriatingly stricked, like 'the fate of the world depends on me, so I can never smile or have any fun, ever!'"
Aeriin couldn't hold back her laugh. "I think my reasons would be different."
"Oh? You want to be immortal?"
"I haven't decided yet. Plus, it doesn't matter what I want, its about what you want."
"What I want huh?" Ani asked, getting Aeriin to nod. "Uhg... just thinking about it makes me cringe. You'll be like 'Ani! You have to stay in the basement forever because I'm never going to die I'm always going to be your master! Get back in the basement Ani! Stop sleeping on the couch Ani! Stop lighting my homework on fire Ani!"
"You did what?"
"It was one time."
Aeriin rolled her eyes. By that Ani meant she would think about it, but she was already tilting towards yes.
It didn't take much longer for Aeriin to fall asleep. Ani could only smile at her hunter, before getting up, then picking her up, and carrying her to her bed. She set the hunter down and tucked her in before heading down to the basement, where she would sleep till Aeriin woke her up to do something.