Chapter 75About Heating Hearts

I was still staring at the lovely pictures. I could hardly believe it was me, but it was me. Undeniably me. I had changed since I'd been turned. Not much but I could see the changes as one of those 'spot the mistakes' picture sets. I knew my reflection very well, and the change it had gone through in my seventeen years. But with all I had gone through lately I'd become a lot more mature. And it showed.

Becoming a vampire had changed me slightly as well. My eyes seemed to glow from within with every bit of light in the room. My skin smooth and flawless, no acne, scars or anything. It wasn't so smooth it was shiny though, in fact it looked soft and strong, as if you wanted to caress it but never feared to break it. I guess my lips got the best part of the deal though. I've always been fascinated by my own lips. They were so expressive, my smiles, my talking, even when I'm sad. Despite my eyes obviously telling a whole story, my lips complemented them brilliantly.

I had never seen myself like that.

But I liked it.

I liked me.

It was a strange sensation. Not being so self-absorbed that you think you're the best and most beautiful. Just the feeling 'I'm beautiful' without every comparing it to the rest of the world. Just the thought that there is nothing really wrong with yourself.

Still in the glow of that realization I heard Hitori's voice.

"Amy?"

I mentally switched on again. "Eh... What?"

Hitori laughed. "I was asking you if you liked the picture."

A blush, lovingly spreading on my cheeks. "Eh.. yes. I do, a lot. I mean I like the picture." I was making such a fool of myself.

He laughed a bit more. "I see. Well you'll like this then." He gave me a long tube of sorts that was made of cardboard. Wasn't this used for drawings and posters?

I opened the tube on one side, a plastic cap, and pulled out a rough piece of paper. I pulled it out very gently, afraid that I might rip it, and unfolded it. It was a drawing. A simple pencil drawing on a large sheet of paper. Of me.

"How did you make this? Did you make this?" I couldn't get my eyes of the drawing. It was very well done.

"If only." He winked. "I asked a friend of mine that does fantastic drawings to draw this from a large print I made of your picture." He rummaged next to the couch and got another roll. "I'm keeping the print, but if you want you can have the drawing."

"Are you serious?" It was lovely! Why wouldn't I want it?

"Yes, you can have it." He smiled.

Very carefully I put the drawing back into the tube, using all my self-control to do it and waited until I replaced the cap on the end. Then I put it away gently, still holding myself back until finally it was resting on the table. Suddenly I jumped Hitori and gave him a big hug, my arms wrapped around him and just pressing him against me as hard as I could. Well not really as hard as I could, as my strength was probably enough to break a lot of ribs, but firmly. Quite firmly.

He, after the initial shock and surprise hugged me back. His smile emanating from his whole body like a warm, gentle glow. It felt incredibly good to be this close to him even though my thoughts were cast back a little to a few moments with Khuna. It was confusing but not that bad. I liked feeling Hitori this close. It was warm and welcome and sweet. He just held me, didn't try anything weird or ruin the moment.

I kissed him in his neck.

It was just a reflex but I bit him as well. Very very gently I bit him and tasted his blood. Immediatly everything became stronger, his feelings for me laid out like a clock taken apart. Every part just in plain sight. And it was too much. I could hardly grasp everything I saw. But what I saw was clear. He loved me. Even though he sensed strongly I was not who I appeared to be he loved who I was, not who I appeared. I even saw dreams in which I featured faceless. Like he knew in his dreams who he loved, but had never met her. He would know when he saw her, and he did.

The only problem was... I wasn't so sure about myself. And his intensity, his love scared me. I wished I could look inside myself as I looked inside of him. Every heartbeat more blood. More intensity. I didn't want to continue. I didn't want to stop.

And it was almost too late. Warning bells went off inside my head as I felt his heart weaken. I stopped immediately, almost too fast but held myself back. I had to finish up properly. I couldn't rip his throat open with my teeth. So I scratched my tongue and let a drop of my blood heal his skin. I gave another kiss, pure reflex, and sat back. I didn't want to look in his eyes, but I forced myself to do it. What I saw was wonder, surprise, awe and fear.

He spoke very softly. "What just happened?"