The Greatest Obsession

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Libra & The Aries

The final days of August came much too quickly. When the sky darkened by seven, and the trees above his head rained crumbling brown, red, orange, and yellow leaves into his hair, Elijah felt it was the end of an era, the changing of a tide. But it was the end of an era because there would officially less than a month until Elijah would kneel with Irina before Father Orville and accept his wedding vows. The summer had quite literally flown by. Fall would be approaching officially on the 21st of September and it was something Elijah was actually looking forward to. His wedding, however, was not the only prominent change in his life.

Haydn.

Haydn, the killer. Haydn, the vampire. Haydn, the passionate lover of life and death. Haydn, the friend. Yes. Ever since that night twenty-two nights before, when the emotional man confessed his blasphemous attraction to Elijah, things were oddly easier for the pair. With Haydn's feelings now known, the twenty-three-year-old could begin to understand him without questioning why he did what he did and why he continued to do these things. Haydn, having shown his heart to the young man entirely, was less rigid. When he would arrive at Elijah's window it would be with a beaming smile and a timid, "Hello, my friend."

It was their lack of secrets that brought them closer together. For, at this moment, Haydn was the only person Elijah had no secrets to keep from.

With Irina, it was only an ease of mind that she knew he was no longer in danger. Of course, she still worried about him. Elijah would smile at her when she'd try to bring it up.

"Can you tell me about him? Can I meet him?" Irina had asked once before bed.

It was a random night, the 26th of August, and the man knew his dear friend was coming. Elijah had chuckled, nestling his face between her breasts clothed by the cool silver silk of her nightgown. "I mustn't tell you and you cannot meet him now," he cried out, muffled.

The girl groaned, gripping the hair on his head and yanking him from her chest. Sitting up Irina frowned. "It's been months! You can't keep him from me forever. I'll meet him eventually."

"Of course, eventually. Not now. He's rather private. I'm the only person he's opened up to that didn't become a dead body. If he wants to meet you, he will come to you but only if I allowed it."

"He wouldn't hurt me, would he?"

Elijah took both of Irina's hands and brought them to his lips with palms upward, kissing the right and then the left. "I'd murder him myself. That's a promise."

Elijah then proceeded to tell his fiancee that Haydn owned a fat cat named Rolls and that he liked candles; these were two completely unidentifiable facts because tons of people owned cats and tons of people liked candles. The girl laughed and laughed at the thought of a ruthless vampire nuzzling a fat feline.

A particularly fond occasion had recently taken place that night. Haydn had come as he had been, every three nights and the nights Elijah needed his assistance with the craving.

That night had been a night of no need, no intense debating, no heartfelt confessions, just an empty evening of relaxation. Elijah's bite had been healed by Haydn, and when that was over the ancient being began to rummage through the young man's closet and under his bed for lost books to entertain himself. Elijah sat with his wide eyes, staring off as one does when one can't begin to understand the odd antics of another. Eventually, the pale creature stumbled upon a dusty copy of Great Expectations. He sunk quietly back into Elijah's bed, his long body flat on the mattress except for his head that lay propped on a pillow. The book sat upright on his chest, and his long hair enveloped his shoulders like a fur coat, thick, warm, and snug.

Elijah sat beside him, his back pressed into the headboard, watching Haydn ignore his staring. Much like a lion's mane that hair of yours, he thought. Haydn grinned, glancing up for a moment but he said nothing. It was as if he heard him.