The Only One Those Eyes Look At

Chapter 6

After Phayu, Pai, and Rain leave to hunt, Pakin gets an important email. He frowns and says, "Sky, I have to make an important call and I'm afraid it will take a while. I'm sorry I won't be very good company. Take a nap if you want to, or if not perhaps you would like to sit up front with Namtan. I'm sure she could tell you some fascinating stories about Phayu and Pai." He says the last with a wink.

Sky decides he would rather sit up front. He had really come to like Namtan over the week when he had stayed at Pakin's house. She had become a sort of big sister to both him and Rain at that time.

Besides, he needs to talk to someone about what's on his mind. He starts by asking the woman, "Tan, how did you become a vampire? If it's not too personal a question. Was your life in danger?"

"No it's not a personal question and no my life wasn't in danger. I was changed for love. The woman I loved was attacked by a bad vampire. Pakin and Chai dealt with him but the damage was already done, she had been changed. I was given the same choice as you actually, I could have lived with her as a human, or left but I couldn't imagine growing old without her so I chose this life instead." She says.

"Are you still together?" Sky asks.

Tan nods, "You have even met her, she works as the stable master at Pakin's house."

"Lai?" Sky asks, surprised. The woman seemed to be the polar opposite of the neat and refined Namtan.

"Was Lai the one who changed you?" Sky asks.

Tan shakes her head, "It was Chai who changed me. It can be hard to change someone you love, like Phayu did for Rain, because it hurts. It's a little like your blood is replaced by fire. It's the most painful experience I have ever had. Luckily the pain doesn't last for long."

Sky is surprised by this. Rain never said anything. "Was it worth it? All that pain?"

"I would do it again in a heartbeat, we've had all these years together that we wouldn't have had otherwise. Even if we had lived a normal lifespan." Tan says with a smile.

Over the next couple of days Tan and Lai practically adopt Sky as a little brother. They seem to take it as their personal responsibility to keep him company while Pakin is busy with work and the three younger vampires are hunting. Lai even teaches him to ride a horse.

By the time Phayu, Rain and Pai return, Sky has made more than one decision. He asks Pai if the two of them can go out alone the next day to talk.

"What about?" Rain asks.

Sky just gives him a look and says, "don't be so nosy about everything." This causes Rain to smirk at him a little bit.

Pai takes Sky to one of his favorite spots, a small garden near the back of the estate with a stream that runs through it. "What did you want to talk about, my Sky?"

For once Sky doesn't correct him and just walks along the stream for a bit. Then he says, "Do you really like me? You aren't just playing?"

Pai stops Sky with a hand on his shoulder and turns him so they are facing each other, "Sky, I don't know when it started but when you snarl at me, I want you to do it again. When you tell me to stay away, I want you to admit that you want me to stay close. My feelings are so overwhelmed I don't know what to do. I want to kiss you. Just tell me what to do because I like you so much."

Sky looks up at him and says shyly, "I want you to kiss me too, I want you to like me, I do like you." Pai looks surprised at this revelation but he pulls Sky in for a kiss.

After a little bit Pai pulls back and says, "Does this mean you've decided what you want to do? It's completely up to you and I will support you no matter what, although I hope your decision isn't to leave." Pai gives him a wounded puppy dog look at this thought.

Sky smiles, "I want to be changed, I've already talked to Tan. She said she would do it."

Pai frowns at this, "You don't want me to?"

"Tan says it's very hard to do, to watch someone you love go through that. You were the last one changed before Rain right? So you probably haven't seen it done to someone else since we weren't with Phayu when he changed Rain." Sky says. "Let's go. I want to talk to Rain first since he is my best friend, but my mind is already made up. This is what I want."

To no one's surprise Rain was enthusiastic with the plan and felt the sooner the better. He was ready for Sky to go to Tan to be bitten right then and there.

Sky sighed at this, "Rain there is no hurry."

Rain pouted, "I want to take you hunting though, Sky it's so much fun."

"Didn't you just come back from hunting? Wouldn't it be better to wait for a bit until we can all go at the same time?" Sky asks.

"I guess." Rain says sulkily.

In the end they decide to wait a month, in the meantime they look at a world map deciding where they want to go next. Finally they decide the US might be a cool place to go to school. If they play their cards right they can live there a few years before they have to move on because they aren't aging.

Five years later

The four freshmen look around the campus open house. Three of them have decided to study architecture and the fourth business. Students stop and stare wherever they go because to be frank all four are absolutely gorgeous.

Phayu puts a possessive arm around Rain's shoulders as he sees the students staring. He wants everyone to know that Rain is off limits. Rain gives him a happy grin at this, loving the attention from Phayu. Pai tries to do the same to Sky, but receives a glare in return. They have been together for five years now but Sky still likes to show his independence.

Rain remembers once thinking that nothing interesting would ever happen to him. He laughs at that, how very wrong he had been. His life has been nothing but interesting since he met Phayu.