𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦

Part VI: Forever Alive

"You're alive," I breathe, holding him gently in my arms. "You're alive, Leo." I feel the tears fall out of my eyes and onto his face and I wipe them away because I'm kissing him, the best feelings in the word all rolled into one glorious, delirious taste that I don't want to ever let go of again.

"Ney? What's wrong?" Leo breaks the kiss, brushing my tear-stained cheeks with his thumb and it's just the sincerity and love in his voice that makes me break down and crumple into a pile of nothing but sadness and secrets and unreal gratitude that my love's alive. I take a deep breath and feel him rest on my lap, his legs propped up over mine lovingly.

"I — when I was twelve, I liked a girl and one day we were just outside of school and I kissed her. A second after that, I was standing with her dead body at my feet but I ran away before anyone saw. And the next time I kissed someone the same thing happened — except this time it was a boy. I was fourteen." I watch his eyebrows furrow as he processes the information I just told him. His smaller hands are wrapped around one of mine and he squeezes it gently, giving me signs to continue.

"Keep going."

"But this time when I kissed the boy, someone had called the cops on me and I was," I bite my lip as I remember the unwanted memory. "I was arrested." Leo's kisses are being showered on my forehead now, and he's whispering things I can't tell out. "Then I had to leave to a couple different countries and now here I am."

"So basically you're saying I should have died?"

"Logically speaking, yes. But I'm really glad you're still here with me." I capture his lips in mine, feeling him smiling delightfully through the kiss.

"Wow. Wow. So... wow. You have a curse and I'm immune to it, technically. Why, though? Why am I not, you know, dying?" He asks, confused, his head tilted to the side mildly. "Is it because we're soulmates, Ney?"

"I sure hope so," I laugh. "I like that."

"I like that too. Shoot, I need to actually go to school." He grabs my hand, pulling me upwards and out of the basement. I squint at the bright sunlight spreading across the sky, floaty and blue and happy like a flower. Leo holds my hand the whole way to school like a little kid, refusing to let go. I think it's cute.

All I can think about is kissing him as he glances to the side at me, and turns away as soon as I look at him. He's still nervous and adorable and shy and it's so beautiful to see him like this. Still alive after this. Just as we arrive at the school gates, he lets go of my hands to stare into my eyes once again, and we just stay like that as we gaze at each other lovingly with nothing else in the world to stop us.

"I love you." I say, plainly and simply and truthfully. "I love you so much. Enjoy school." I hug him, burying my face in his neck which was barely covered by his loose shirt.

"I love you more." He murmurs into my chest and I pull him closer to me and before I know it, I capture his lips in mine for a short, chaste kiss and I let him go inside the gates, waving to him till my hands ached and he finally went inside the school building.

After seven long hours of watching the students swarm around the school like a shoal of fish, the school day is finally over, and I watch a certain beautiful dark-haired boy make his way towards me, an unbelievably wide smile spreading across his face — until it is blocked by a tall handsome guy.

"What do you want, Cristiano?" Leo sighs, fingering his backpack nervously. His eyes flit up and down, up and down and I can't help but wonder who exactly this Cristiano guy is and why he's distressing my Leo so much.

"What are you doing, walking the streets of Rosario by yourself? It's unsafe, you know." He smirks, encroaching into Leo until Leo's pressed up against a tree and Cris's hand on his chest. "Do you want to hitch a ride with me?"

"I'm not going to be walking alone, Cris." Leo says sharply, trying to squirm out of his uncomfortable position. Cris's perfect eyebrows are raised now, so high that they're arched almost to the top of his forehead. He laughs, a mirthless and dry sound.

"Who are you going with?" He cocks his head smugly, refusing to let Leo go. I feel rage bubble and boil up inside me as he lays a finger on Leo's chin. "Who's taking you home today?"

"Neymar is." A smiling Leo looks over at me, and all my troubles and jealousy melt away. "There he is." He swats Cristiano's hand off his face and Cristiano looks over at me, a disgusted expression on his face. God, what a brat.

"Who's that? Your boyfriend?" Cristiano teases, arms crossed. Leo blushes, still smiling and I can't help but almost laugh because of what happened this morning. "Gosh, Leo. You could do so much better than that pest."

O did not see that coming.

"Fuck you, Cris."

"Gladly."

"Oh my fucking God," I mumble under my breath. "What's up your ass? Why do you keep harassing him? Do you have nothing better to do?" I snap at Cristiano. I don't usually get mad at people I just meet but this guy was seriously pissing me off.

"Woah, woah, chill. I'm not harassing him." He retorts, taking a step closer to me. I don't step back.

"Yes, you are. Just stop, man. Stop." I resist the urge to kick him where it hurts, and keep my hands and feet to myself for now.

"I think you're just jealous that Leo finds me more handsome than you." He says, examining his nails with an infuriatingly triumphant smile.

"That's it. We're going, Leo." I grab his hand and pull him along with me. "Fucking vain, prissy, selfish-ass pervert." I mutter in rage, my voice shaky. "Disgusting boy."

"Ney... are you jealous?" Leo's face is dancing with a cheeky smile and his eyes sparkling. "That's why you're being so overprotective! You're jealous!" He realises, laughing and hugging me tight. I rest my chin on his forehead.

"Maybe."

"You have no reason to be jealous. I hate Cris. I really do." He says cheerfully, twining my fingers with his. I grin down at him and he flashes a smile right back, flaunting his adorable dimples. God, why is he so fucking cute? It's driving me mad. Everything about him drives me mad.

"I'm tired. Let's sit." I decide, pulling him along under a tree. We sit with both our backs against the tree, our arms pressed against each others' and our hands interlocked. He leans to the side so his head rests on my shoulder and I let him sleep like that, his soft breathing rising and falling on my skin.

I feel his calm, true presence around me and it just relaxes me, the sheer warmth of being around him. This delirious love that we both share.

It's all I need.

And I hope it stays like this, me and him forever alive.