He'll Be the Death of Me, I Swear

Landyn breathed rather heavily above me, not sure what to say anymore. I wasn't any more quiet about breathing either. He bit his lip and it seemed as though he were scared. That wasn't exactly the reaction I had expected in the least.

"Oh..." He rolled off of me and sat up. I rose to my feet and walked in front of him, taking his hands in mine.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked him, forcing myself to look into his eyes. He looked up, startling me.

"No. I just wasn't expecting you to...actually...love me."

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked him tenderly, sitting beside him.

"I'm a monster, remember?" I did remember him saying that.

"But why?"

"I never told you..." he said slowly, pronouncing his words ever so carefully, perfectly. "Right." His voice was laden with regret.

"Never told me what?" I asked cautiously.

"We never discussed this dream of yours, Danica," he told me out of nowhere, looking at his hands as they lay motionless in his lap. I sighed, seeing how he had avoided my question. What did he have to hide? He was so perfect.

"Oh, Landyn. Fine. I'll tell you...if you tell me something first."

"Anything," he whispered so very softly.

"Why would a boy like you love me?"

"I'm not as perfect as you think. I wouldn't be surprised if you realize you can do way better than me." It hurt him to talk like this and I could tell by the pain in his voice. "Even Jacob is better suited for you."

"What is so bad about you?"I whispered. He shook his head.

"Dream. Discuss. You promised me." He was still looking at his hands and I sighed mentally. It was the least I could do...

I guess.

"Ok. Well don't laugh. It's really stupid. So it all started Jacob and he..." I told him the whole story as I remembered it and not a detail had left my memory. Landyn cringed and then I thought maybe I should have edited the part about Landyn...

"No, I needed to hear it. So what do you make of all of it?" he asked, looking at me now.

"I didn't give it much thought. I figured it was all nonsense and my mind was just trying to justify why you are so flawless."

"And Jacob being a wolf?" I shrugged. I had focused most of my attention on Landyn. "I do wish you had given it more thought than that. It'd make this so much easier." I stared blankly at a loss. "Think about it now."

"Well...in my dream my mind told me you drank blood. Normally vampires do that. And the mythical creature that comes to mind when I think of a human becoming a wolf is a shape shifter or werewolf. Mainly werewolf. Maybe I think Jacob is a werewolf because he has shaggy hair, like a wolf and he's so warm and well, he just seems like he would be right to be one: personality wise, I mean. And you would be a vampire because they are so alluring and flawless and seductive."

"Not flawless, mind you. They kill humans just to survive." To my surprise he actually made no remark to the seductive part. That was a shocker.

"They don't have parents. They're parents would have died a long time ago."

"They could be adopted," he pointed out. "Or one parent could be a vampire and the other could be human and had a kid before marrying this vampire. Then the child could have been bitten by the vampire parent." He looked at me wearily, hoping I was catching all of this. I was. I'd have to be...

Deaf, blind, and stupid, as Landyn had so gingerly put it.

"That's an awful lot of detail, Landyn. Then I suppose that would be possible. But what would the human parent think of marrying a vampire?"

"She would love him too much to care that he's a monster who preys on blood."

"But what about when he bit her son?"

"She would be depressed, but would forgive him. As long as her son is alive, they are still a family." He pulled me into his lap and held me tightly.

"I suppose love can overcome even species boundaries."

"You're not scared at all?" he asked me softly. I shook my head.

"I knew you were too perfect to be human. Besides, I trust you."

"Even I can lose self control, just like my father. And he had to make a tough choice to 'save' me."

"Then you could do the same."

"What? No!" He was appalled by the idea. "I would never do that to you: damn you to this...existence." I sighed.

"What about when I die?"

"I'll be right behind you."

"That is disgusting!" I cried out. He shrugged.

"After seeing what it's like to have someone who makes you feel this way, I can't go back to having no one. And I can't settle for less than Danica-Marie Hockings. Well, until she becomes Danica Marshall."

"You honestly think that there's nothing better than me? You could have another vampire for your lover."

"They aren't as good as you. No one could ever be as good as you. I didn't believe in love at first sight until I met you."

"Landyn...don't get all sappy on me." I kissed his nose and sighed. "So Jacob is a...?"

"Werewolf, yes."

"Wow. How classic is that? My best friend is a werewolf and..."

"Your boyfriend is a vampire." I looked at him, taking in what he said. "I do admit, boy may be a bit of an understatement."

"Boyfriend?" I asked him. "I like the sound of that."

"I like the sound of fiancé, but boyfriend will do until then."