Home together

New day

The first thing this morning that slapped me awake was Alex's blunt tail.

I groaned, dragging my side from underneath the mutt's butt and over the edge of the mattress. This wasn't unlike any other morning when my dog conquered the entire bed, but there was a single, red slipper in his open snout, dangling just above the floor.

I looked at my feet which were already comfortably tucked away behind the yellow dots of my favorite pair.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?"

I screamed.

Alex woke instantly starting a barking fit.

Andrew Blueheart entered the room very slowly, careful not to find himself in our way.

"No talking before coffee? I understand." He motioned, figuratively zipping his mouth shut.

I took a deep breath and held it, sitting back on the mattress. Alex kept barking back and forth between Andrew and me until my new vampire roommate held out his hand to him, shutting him up instantly.

I let the breath go.

"You have to teach me that." I said, regaining my senses."I'm sorry... I got used to living alone."

I looked at Andrew's feet like a scolded child and saw one foot in a red slipper while the other was bare.

"I heard you shuffling around so I thought to offer breakfast..." he explained.

I kept my gaze away from him as if not looking at him directly would make this all a really long dream.

Alex nudged my palm, asking for reassurance and I obliged, petting him.

The dog has now helpfully placed the slimy red slipper in my lap. I sighed and threw it across the floor; Alex gave chase.

"Andrew?" the man was nowhere to be found.

"Are you more comfortable now? I have some..."

"Tea?" I called back.

"Yes. Lemongrass."

"Yes, please." I got changed to start my morning routine. Alex observed me, wagging his tail.

"You have no problem with this, do you?" I hugged my companion and rubbed his cheeks, getting excited murmuring in return "You are smitten, hm? And a little too obedient with him." I shrugged and stud up.

"Don't get too soft, alright? You'd warn me if he was a bad person, yes?"

Alex shuffled his weight and barked decisively.

I took a deep breath and entered the kitchen. A cup of tea was waiting for me at the table, opposite my new roommate. His brown eyes followed me.

"Are you alright to talk over our situation?" He took a sip from his cup while I added some sugar to mine.

"We only touched upon the bare basics and we were both too excited last night to consider it final." I agreed, composing myself to mirror his serious demeanor.

"Exactly."

"I could use some help paying off this place...Maybe furnishing upstairs." I started, but a look-over of the man in front of me told me he wasn't excited by the idea.

"I am not employed at the moment, so the funds I could offer are all kept on my person."

This got me raising an eyebrow at him.

"I will share no more on the matter." He was rushing through the topic "I would like to have you present me with a figure you have in mind none the less, but do bear in mind I have services I am ready to offer as payment."