Winter Wonderland

Opposites

Naiche

Bathing in the lake was cold during the summer, as the water was fed by glacial rivers that tumbled through snow year round. As the days grew to their shortest, it was absolutely frigid, and it was enough to send Naiche indoors. He started a fire to warm up the small cabin, hanging up the clothing he had also washed and pacing the small space through the hours of night.

The smell of human blood was still in the back of his throat, despite recent hunting, and nothing in the world could force him out to feed on another deer so soon.

By morning his clothing was dry, though his wool coat was still wet enough that he left it hanging inside in the warm cabin while he continued his pacing outside. He had definitely not intended to find himself at the other cabin's door, with no idea why he was there. Naiche had not even knocked on the door before it opened.

Well, the inner door opened. The flimsy plastic one remained between him and the woman, who was looking at him in surprise. She was wearing another brightly coloured outfit, this one with white pants that stopped mid calf and a bright orange top that left her arms bare and clung to her body.

"You." She offered, frowning carefully. Her one hand was resting against the wall, out of sight, the other one holding the doorknob of the inner door.

Naiche blinked a couple times. "I'm your neighbour." Then he frowned and shook his head. "I'm not a people person, but I wanted to apologize, for... how rude I was yesterday."

The woman's heartbeat slowed a little, and he watched her relax a tiny bit. "Oh. It's ok. I figured... the blood bothered you?"

"I don't drink human blood." Naiche grimaced, knowing that no matter how out of touch he was, that was never a normal statement for humans.

"You didn't just happen to drive by the accident yesterday, did you?" Though she didn't seem bothered by his statement, there was suspicion in her expression still.

Naiche hesitated before shrugging one shoulder. "I was out in my yard when I heard you... talking... I thought perhaps they'd also need my assistance."

The woman's expression softened into a genuine smile that caused his heart to skip a beat as he stared into those dark brown eyes of hers. Then she laughed softly. "And you were right. Do you want to come in? Do you drink tea or coffee?"

Then she reached over and unlatched the metal and plastic door, pushing it open. Naiche caught the door and frowned at her, breathing in the scents coming from her home. "You know I'm a vampire."

"I do. It was a little obvious with the lifting a thousand pound wagon and a horse that was probably heavier." She laughed and took a step back into her home, waving for him to follow her.

"You're inviting me in?" Naiche took a step up to the threshold, watching her in suspicion.

"I know enough about vampires to know that you don't need an invitation to come in, and that you aren't bothered by the cold, but you do enjoy being warm like anyone else." Her expression was kind. "And you seem to like to wander around without a shirt on. And today you have no jacket."

Naiche followed her cautiously, though he paused when he saw the strange electronic device on the wall beside the door, where her hand had been resting. Raising a brow, he paused to wipe his feet off on the mat. "Manners require anyone to wait for an invitation to enter someone else's home, no matter what species you are."

That statement drew a laugh from her, and he glanced around the house curiously. The building was larger than his, probably three time the size of his, and also had far more windows letting in the sunlight and bright gleaming surfaces. There were countless things all around that he had never seen before, but it was the wall filled with books that caught his attention.