Take Courage, My Heart

Chapter Twelve

It didn't last long. The ringing faded and muffled sounds started registering again. And additionally, the lights in the bathroom started bothering me. The blaring yellowish-white light was blinding, to say the least, and not soon after I started squinting, Leander shut it off. We were both left in absolute darkness, with no window to let the sun in, but soon enough I got used to it. I first focused on the slither of light that was creeping in around the frame of the door. It was barely noticeable, but evidently, it was enough for me.

Then I made out Leander's form and slowly got his features down. The shadows were swallowing most of the details and yet I managed to see his fancy suit and the redness of his neck, right where I had bitten him. There were no puncture marks, but the skin was still irritated. My eyes traveled from his neck to the other side that I hadn't bitten where his tattoo was.

"How many do you have?" I asked suddenly, my voice coming out more stable than I had imagined. He was leaning against the wall looking at me with that same annoyingly kind expression and snapped out of a small daze at my question. "Tattoos," I added with a flicker of my fingers pointing towards his body.

He smacked his lips and reached up to trace the line of ink that went down the side of his neck. As he pushed his neckline to the side I noticed that it actually went all the way down until the start of his arm.

"Just two," he answered.

I let out a noncommittal hum and slid down and off the counter. My eyes were focused on his tattoo that he kept showing off as I bridged the space between us with purposeful steps. Breathlessly, I looked back up at him. His heartbeat was thumping in his chest, each beat like a constant melody in my ears. It was oh-so-inviting. My gaze fluttered across his face and settled on his neck. At first, it zeroed in on his carotid, which was jumping with each pump of blood that his heart sent. I forced myself to focus back on his tattoo instead. The symbols did not seem familiar, but then again I wasn't exactly familiar with many foreign languages. I had learned some Spanish at school, but this wasn't Spanish.

"Τέτλαθι δή, κραδίη· καὶ κύντερον ἄλλο ποτ' ἔτλης."

I blinked up at Leander, expression blank as whatever fell off his lips was completely foreign to me. A dashing smile split his lips and he bit the tip of his tongue with the tip of his fang. Okay. Unprovoked.

"It's from Homer's Odyssey," he whispered, and chills broke down my body. His voice was so raspy and low and paired with his heartbeat it was the sweetest sound I had ever heard. "Take courage, my heart; you have endured worse pain than this."

His words rolled off his tongue with a hint of an accent that hadn't been there before. It made his voice even raspier, and I stared at him through unfocused eyes, hearing my own breath as I exhaled.

And then my lips were on his.

He reacted without missing a beat. His plush lips moved against mine and he caressed my jaw momentarily, only to move his hand and grab me by the back of my neck. His other hand was on my side, right by my pounding heart.

Kissing Leander felt like my entire body was set ablaze and what remained was soothed by the softest flowing water. He kissed me with passion and hunger, his tongue slipping between my hanging jaw and drawing out soft mewling sounds I wasn't aware I could make. I braced myself with a hand on the wall right by his head and another on his waist, feeling muscles and losing my mind over them.

I had always been a sucker for physical touch. Hugs, kisses, and caresses meant more to me than fleeting words and gifts. But Vincent never asked, and he was constantly rough and I had forgotten how good it felt to have someone touch you with genuine care. I couldn't stop shuddering with each movement of his fingertips on my skin.