The Long Way

I could have hopped a train. I could have started running. I could have done a lot of things, but I started walking home. The air was crisp – almost too cold without a jacket. I expect the vampire to follow me but when I looked behind me there was nothing but the empty street. Well not empty – regular people. People who knew nothing of the world around them. And I wished I was like them. Like I didn’t know vampires and werewolves existed. Or that I was some freak of nature and no one knew what I was. But what bothered me most of all was that I didn’t know who or what I was. Eleven weeks of hunting for myself, only to find there was a whole world hidden from me that seemed to be my life. 

I could feel it. I could feel the pull and the draw and I knew this life I was living right now was not mine. Alex posed the idea that I was his missing half. Maybe he wasn’t far from wrong. As much as I didn’t want to admit it.

I felt a distinct pull of my eye in front of me. A man standing against the building his arms crossed. If it were daylight I would know who it was by the glower in his ice blue eyes. But in the dark he just looked like an angry shadow.

I almost crossed the street before I got to him, but I figured Alex would just follow me anyway. But I didn’t stop and kept on walking past him. He growled under his breath and turned to follow me, matching pace easily.

“Why didn’t you just let Ant take you home? Now I have to walk you home.”

“You don’t have to do anything, Alex. I’m a big boy I can take care of myself.”

Alex growled again but he didn’t counter my comment with anything smart or demeaning as I expected him too. He knew I was right.

“I didn’t know you were going to fight in the ring.”

“I didn’t tell you.”

“Why?” Alex asked.

“It’s none of your business what I do in my free time.” I stated.

Alex stopped and even though I wanted to keep moving I stopped and turned to look at him. He ran his fingers through his hair. A frustrated move I knew. And my heart ached to see him like that. “So we are nothing?”

“I don’t know what we are.” I said. “You keep giving me weird signals.”

“Me?” Alex growled, “What the fuck about you!”

“I’m sorry.” I sighed and turned to keep walking

Alex caught up to me and grabbed my hand. He wasn’t trying to stop me as he entwined his fingers in mine and pulled me closer to him. He whispered, “I’m not walking you home because you can’t protect yourself.”

I smiled, “I know.”

Despite the words earlier we walked back in relative silence until we were a few blocks from Safe Harbor. Alex smiled, “Would you let Doc take a look at you? I don’t know if we can figure out what you are. Or anything, but maybe.”

“I’m just me. What does it matter what I am?” I sighed. “I don’t need to know what I am. If I’m meant to know it will work itself out.”

“Like it always does.” Alex said. “I still think…”

“I know what you think Alex. But let’s not go there. We obviously have feelings for each other.” I squeezed his fingers between mine. “Let’s just go with it.”

“You aren’t even remotely curious?” Alex asked as he walked me down the steps to my apartment.

“No. Well yes, but I don’t need to go poking the dragons and have them flambe me.” 

Alex chuckled. “Human dragon’s can spew fire.”

I blinked. I somehow knew that. “I don’t know if I want to be part of your world.”

Alex nodded, “Neither did I. But here I am.”

Alex took my keys from my hand and unlocked my door. He pushed it open and stood at the threshold. “Hunter plans on running away tomorrow to see you again. It would be best if he found you in the park instead of here. He’ll do it early.”

“You are going to let him?”

Alex smirked, “Only because he’s not doing it to be mean. He’s doing it because he thinks you are alone and you need a friend. And I agree.”

“But isn’t that setting a bad precedence?”

Alex laughed. “No because Izzy and Ant will punish him when he is found. Hunter never disobeys the rules. Cass usually has to make him do things she wants. He’s taken by you, now that he has found you. He knows things, things he won’t tell me. Things that he says would damage everything if I knew.”

I smiled, “I’ll be in the park in the morning then.” I stepped inside and turned to Alex who didn’t follow me, “Do you want to come in?”

Alex smirked, “I do, Pretty Boy, but that’s why I’m not going to. You need time. I don’t want you to think this is all about great sex.” He grabbed my t-shirt and pressed a long deep kiss to my lips. It turned hungry and passionate and when I took a step back to drag him inside he broke the kiss. “Time, Pretty Boy, give it some time. I’ll see you in your dreams.” 

He pressed his hand to my chest and made me back up as he grabbed the door knob and closed the door in front of me. Fuck! He had me all sorts of twisted up.