My Guardian Vampire

I frowned at this, and Mike went to pour himself more coffee.
I then smirked.

"Mike, can I have a hug? Billie doesn't give me hugs..." I said. Mike turned back around once he was finish pouring, and I caught his eyes flicker briefly to Billie's before back to me. "Please?" Mike hesitantly went around the corner and gave me a warm hug.

"Yay!" I exclaimed happily. "Mike is actually nice to me."

I think Mike caught on to what I was doing, although I had to keep my mind from my plan so Billie wouldn’t be able to tell. We hugged a moment longer than is usually comfortable and then broke apart, but he left his arm around me.

"Hey kiddo, you want something to eat? I got some of your food while we were out the other day," he said, smirking. I did the same.

"I'd love something to eat Mike, thank you for offering." Mike nodded and flirtingly winked at me, making me giggle. We detached and he walked over to the fridge, opening it and bending over as he examined its contents.

"Hmm... We have bologna, cheese, pizza, strawberries-"

"Ooh Strawberries!" I chimed. I hadn't had strawberries in forever. Mike nodded, laughing to himself, and took out the carton of strawberries and quickly washed them for me. He set the carton in front of me, and leaned on the counter, resting his elbows on the surface. He picked out a strawberry, letting it lazily lie in the center of his hand.

"Bon appetite," he said, smirking. "It's all in the presentation."

I giggled again and took it out of his hand.

I bit into it, some of the blood-red juices running in a small trail down the side of my mouth. I swallowed and laughed, brushing it off with my index finger. I then put the finger into my mouth, trying to suck on my finger as sexily as I could manage, staring intently at Mike, and trying not to laugh. He tried to look back at me seriously, but I could see the small smile at the edge of his lips.

I did not have to look at Billie to tell he was not as amused. He coughed once, and I looked at him with a surprised mask on my face.

"Oh Billie, you're still here?" I asked, letting a smirk betray the act. I heard Mike give a low chuckle. Billie frowned, but then smirked back.
I then got a flash of Billie, sexily standing there in his towel, smirking at me. He then walked toward me, taking my face in one of his hands as his other held the towel in place. His lips brushed mine, and let his hand took leave of his hold of the towel...

And then I was back in the kitchen.

"Fucker!" I yelled, grabbing the counter for support.

"Ali, you ok?" Mike asked, tilting his head, concerned.

"I'm fine," I said, and Billie Joe turned around and left silently, his smile speaking for him:

"I win."

"Maybe I will just do Mike!" I yelled after him, making Billie Joe laugh before he left down his hallway. Mike stood there beside me awkwardly.

"Uh, what was that about?" he asked. I sighed, blushing slightly.

"Nothing..." I mumbled. "Billie Joe is infuriating."

"Well, he just never loses," Mike said, shrugging. I looked at him.

"What do you mean 'Never loses?' I've beaten him."

"But didn't he really win in the end?" Mike asked, walking out.

I had stood there, thoughtful, until Tré came bouncing in.

"Ali!" he yelled, hugging me and throwing me onto the couch.

"Tré!" I yelled back, laughing.

"Sup beaver?" he said, making me laugh again.

"Nothin`. Do you know how much I hate Billie?"

"Aww sugar don't spread the hate, spread the looovveee," he said, jumping on the couch and hugging me again.

"Haha, Tré I love you, you're like a squirrelmonkey on jolt," he grinned and sat up.

"You're right, I should calm down," he said, taking out a joint.

"Nooo," I whined, staring at the joint. "I love my hyper squirrelmonkey..." He lit it regardless, and took a drag, blowing out the smoke slowly.

"Don't worry love, it takes me about five of these to slow me down," he said, taking in another breath of the drug. He then put it towards me. "Ever tried?"

"Nope," I said, looking at it hesitantly.

"Well then take a breath, courtesy of two-dollar Bill."

"Billie gets you drugs?" Tré nodded.

"Yeah, wanna try some? This is some good shit," he said, taking another drag before offering it to me.

I swallowed before shaking my head "no."

"Suit yourself," he said, smoke curling out of his mouth.

He and I watched TV for a while, but eventually the smoke started to get to me. I stood up, unhappy with all of these drugs. Tré didn't notice, as he was now zoned out.

'Ali, you still mad?' I heard Billie Joe say inside my head. My mind kept blank with the exception of uneasiness going through me. 'What's a matter? Do you want to talk about it?'

I sighed, walking down into his hallway. I opened the door to his room and cautiously stepped inside.

"Come here," Billie said from the bed, reaching his hand out to me. I complied, walking over and taking his hand before laying down next to him. He wrapped me up in his arms, and I felt his breath on my neck as he kissed it softly. "What's upsetting you?" he asked after a moment.

"I didn't know you dealt drugs..." I said, freezing up against him, wondering how he would react. He just sighed and rested his head in the crook of my neck.

"I know it's probably not the best thing to do. Our lives aren't so easy to cope with." He then paused, probably waiting for me to intervene. I said nothing, and he continued. "We deal the best way we can, and that includes alcohol and drugs. Sometimes it's a fucking bitch to be a monster. Most of us don't want to kill."

I was silent for a moment.

"I don't like it," I said softly.

"I know," he said, hugging me tightly. "They aren't as bad as you think, though I know it's hard to believe. As long as you don't get on the bad shit, then you're ok. We know someone is losing it when they get to needles."

I shivered, the hate of needles coming back to me. Billie hugged me tighter, comfortingly rubbing my arm.

"I'm just trying to help my friends live the best they can with what they're given, and they don't pay, so it's not like I’m getting profit out of it," he said, and I sighed and flipped around to face him.

"I believe you, Billie Joe," I said, reaching out and touching his face lightly. He looked immensely relieved, his green eyes seeming lighter. He then grinned.

"I love it when you say my name," he said, making me laugh.

"Is that your real name?" He nodded.

"What is yours? I can't believe I don't know."

"Not telling...” I murmured, shutting my eyes and making sure I didn't think my name.

"Please?" he asked, kissing my forehead. I smiled.

"Nope," I said, and pretended I fell asleep. He then tickled my sides, causing my eyes to flash open as I began to laugh. After a while of unsuccessfully fighting back, I gave up. "Fine! You win!" I said, and he kissed my neck.

“I knew it. So out with it, it can't be that bad." I cringed.

"But I hate my name," I said, keeping my eyes shut.

"Want some more torture?" he said, lightly running his hand up my side and giving me chills.

"No!” I squeaked. “Fine, I'll say it, but you'll have to get out of my mind first."

"Why?" he asked.

"I just don't like my every thought being read when I can't read yours back," I said, and I felt the fog that had been drifting finally leave. I sighed, keeping my eyes shut.

"What do you want? First, middle...?"

"Full," he said. I sighed once again.

"Ok, fine. My name is AlexandraElizabethReed."

I peeked my eyes open for his reaction.

"Alexandra Elizabeth Reed..." he said, drawing the syllables out and mulling it over. God, did I hate my name. It didn't fit me in the least, too long to be good.

"Please, don't say that ever again," I said, cringing.

"Why? It's a beautiful name," he said kissing my nose. I opened and rolled my eyes.

"I hate it. If you call me Alex I’ll kill you," I said, glaring at him.

"Fine. Alexandra it is," he said, smirking. I hit him on the arm, making him pout.

"What, does Alexandra not like something I said?" I glared at him again, and he laughed, moving over and kissing me. Eventually we broke apart, both of us closing our eyes and simply breathing for a few moments in silence. I could feel a calmness blanket over us, one warm and simple—so neat and covering it let my mind at peace. I listened to his calm breathing, the gentle pull and push of his chest almost pulling into a meditative state. I soon figured he had fallen asleep—but suddenly he stirred slightly, and spoke.

"Ali, I love you," he said, almost in a dreamlike state.
It took me a moment to realize what he just said. My eyes flashed open, and I looked at him, his eyes still shut.

'Does he mean that seriously, or just-'

"I mean it, Ali," he said after the moment of silence. No, definitely not asleep. My mind was blank, in a dazed panic of internal questions.

"Are you reading my mind?" I asked, confused.

"No. I wouldn't be reading your mind right now even if you had let me."

"Why?" I asked, my curious voice slightly choked up.

"Because I don't think I want to know what you're thinking right now..." he said, a slightly pained expression taking his face. I stopped breathing for a moment.
'Could I really do this?'

"I... love you too," I said, breathing for the first time in a minute or so, shutting my eyes.

"No, you don't," Billie said roughly. I felt his eyes on me, and I opened my eyes to stare back at him. I studied him for a moment, trying to make connections between my heart and my head.

"You're right," I said, “It’s far too soon, and to be honest, I don’t believe you really love me. I don’t think it works like that. So… No, I don’t love you.” He shut his eyes and nodded, not arguing the point. I wasn’t sure that I believed Billie actually loved me—too soon, with too little known. And I certainly couldn’t love him back at this point; for all that he did for me, there was still too much unanswered about him as well, and too much pain in my heart to really process any feelings there.

"But…” I trailed, and he opened his eyes, looking at me questioningly. “But I want to try," I said, and leaned over, pressing my lips to his with meaning. I broke apart after a moment, but couldn't resist kissing him again. I then finally moved away long enough to pause. "I really fucking like you Billie Joe," I said. It was then, in this moment, that I decided to trust him—decided that he was the only thing that allowed me to ease the pain and keep whatever insanity that had been plaguing him before away. He and I might have not seen eye to eye, but I couldn’t deny a goodness that I felt somewhere deep inside of him. Perhaps he saw the same in me, past all the craziness. He brushed his lips softly against my forehead and hugged me, me placing my head against his chest.

I could feel his heart, and for some reason it made what I had said feel that much truer.