The Heart Of A Vampire

chapter seventy two: erm what the skibidi

They stayed together like that for what felt to Vlad like hours, and yet when she finally pulled away, he couldn't help but miss her touch.

Not that he would ever admit it though.

She was still sniffling, her face red and puffy, even after the hug ended, so he found himself brushing away at her tears with the back of his hand.

Even as a complete wreck, she looked beautiful, he realized.

Vlad decided to redirect the conversation. She would tell him what happened when she was ready- in the meantime, he wouldn't pressure her to recount what had clearly been such a traumatic incident.

"They're holding the annual village fair a week from now," he said, slightly awkwardly, as he wasn't sure how she would react to such a random statement.

At first, she seemed startled, but quickly caught on. He was trying to distract her, she realized. Their eyes met, and he could almost feel the gratefulness through them.

It took her a while to muster up whatever it took for her to speak, and when she did, her voice was meek, far quieter than usual.

"We should go."

"When you're better," he promised.

"If."

"When," he insisted, grabbing one of her hands and squeezing it firmly. "Don't say things like that. I'd never let you die."

A long pause ensued.

"Vlad," she finally began "How did you find me? What happened?"

"I was visiting your cottage," he responded "But as I approached, I accidentally stepped on something."

She winced.

"I think I know where this is going."

He shot her a sad smile.

"Of course you do. It was your body."

"And you.. brought me here?"

He nodded, loosening his grip on her hand and instead moving to lightly graze over her fingers, intertwining them with his own.

He stood up, finally letting go.

"You should rest," he advised "Don't let me keep you from doing so. I want you to sleep, Evangeline."

He didn't allow her to protest, instead quickly slipping out of the room and allowing her to get some shut eye.

Over the course of the next few hours, he would return in order to check in on her, making sure she hadn't just up and died while he was in his study, reading up on a few medical textbooks in an attempt to freshen up his mind and provide adequate care to the woman upstairs.

When lunchtime rolled around, he prepared a quick meal- nothing too special, as his skills in the kitchen could definitely have used some work- but still edible.

He entered the room she was being kept in and found her on the brink of consciousness, a few minutes away from waking up on her own.

He pushed open the curtain, allowing some sunlight to enter the room.

At the brightness, she groaned, and he couldn't help but smile at the noise as he approached her with the tray.