IncuBUST

Furnace

I was awoken by the sound of a door slamming and I felt Barapha shift beside me. I sat up and rubbed my eyes glancing at the television. We had made it through Child's Play and Child's Play 2. I fell asleep part way through Child's Play 3 and Barapha must have conked out before Bride of Chucky started because the TV was slowly playing through advertisements for the more popular programs on Netflix.

"Hey, Sis," Barapha said stifling a yawn and looking over at the front door. She squinted and said, "That's Cecilia to you, Frost Monster." I stretched and asked, "What time is it? Did you just get in?"

"Around 4am and yes. When did he get here?" she replied and I looked at Barapha.

"A little after you left. I was feeling kind of antsy and he just sort of...showed up," I said and she eyed Barapha suspiciously. Then she turned to me and mumbled, "If I knew you had company I wouldn't have hurried home."

"Hurried home? It's four in the morning," I retorted and she rolled her eyes.

"Exactly. You have work tomorrow. Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"That's what we were doing before you interrupted," Barapha muttered reaching across me to grab the television remote. He logged out of Netflix and turned off the TV.

"You mind if we move to your bed? This couch was not designed for people over seven feet tall," he said rubbing the back of his neck and rolling his head side to side. I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders...a blanket I didn't remember covering myself with and stood up. I offered my hand to Barapha and he took it with a small smile.

"Night, Sis," I said with a yawn before leading Barapha down the hall towards my room. She watched me for a second before rolling her eyes and saying, "Whatever." She went to her own room dramatically slamming the door.

***

I woke several hours later to the chime of my alarm clock. I rolled over and smacked it until it fell silent and then burrowed under the covers. I didn't want to get out of bed. A moment later, I felt something frigid brush the tip of my nose. My eyes opened and I saw Barapha ducked beneath the sheets along with me.

"Don't you have to get up?" he asked. I pushed my bottom lip out and pressed my face into my pillow. He chuckled quietly and said, "Pouty, Chase, I like it." His arm snaked around my waist and he pulled me closer. I turned my head to peek at him. He grinned and wrangled me into a tight hug pressing his mouth against my neck. My entire body became covered in goosebumps as he siphoned the warmth from my skin.

I shivered violently and curled my arms around him tucking my face into his shoulder. Several seconds passed before the furnace inside flared to life, flooding my veins with nearly unbearable heat. Barapha moaned quietly and I felt his teeth nip at my throat. Searing hot blood dribbled down my neck which he quickly licked away.

It soon became so warm beneath the sheets, I could hardly breath and I reached up, grabbing his face and pulling it away from my neck. I could see the reflection of my eyes in his glowing unnaturally blue.

"M-my turn," I panted hooking my fingers behind his teeth and prying his mouth open. He took my hand in his, moving it away from his mouth and whispered, "Easy now. Take as much as you need." I grinned and flung the blankets off of us before throwing my leg over and straddling his hips.

A smiled stretched across his face as he looked up at me. I grabbed his hands, our fingers interlacing and pinned them to the bed on either side of his head as I leaned down to press my lips against his. We kissed for a few seconds, the air around us shimmering with heat. Finally, I could stand it no longer.

I tugged at his life thread, my right hand leaving his. My fingertips skimmed the length of his arm, feeling tendons tight beneath his skin. My fingers curled around his throat seemingly of their own volition as his life filled me, soothing the burn inside.