A Lonely Prince with Fangs (completed)

Can't Sleep

Later, after the Count got back and after dinner, I asked for Alexandru to read to me like he used to. He sat in my bed beside me and read to me. I dozed off but jumped with a start and tears streaming down my face. The vampire was still there beside me.

"Are you okay?" He asked. I nodded. I curled up into him and he read again. I woke up again and he comforted me until night came again. I felt awful for keeping him from sleeping himself. I knew how important sleep was for a vampire. Even the three watching me switched off who slept and who kept watch.

I tried not to have another stupid awake-dream around Alexandru. I also felt awful for how I had acted around him. I know I made him sad. He probably couldn't stop thinking about me never being comfortable around him again. But what he doesn't know is that I need him now more than ever.

I slowly began to gain weight but my eyes still had bags under them and I never found myself smiling. Alexandru was reading to me every night and was always there to comfort me. But one morning I woke up with a start and found the vampire beside me asleep. Alexandru must be really tired after three weeks of having to deal with my bull crap.

I sat up and stared at him. He looked to be dead, for he wasn't breathing. His hair was no longer slicked back but in his face. I reached up and moved it out of the way. He's so handsome. The kiss he gave me that night in the cabin came back to me.

I leaned forward and kissed his pale forehead. I laid back down and snuggled up to the cold vampire. I even went to the extent of grabbing his arm and wrapping it around me.

I woke up and found Alexandru caressing my shoulder with his thumb. For the first time I didn't wake up due to a nightmare. For the first time I had a decent sleep. I didn't know if I was allowed to give all credit to his strong arm being wrapped around me, but I did.

He smiled down at me and I smiled up at him. But he soon frowned and got up out of the bed. He straightened his clothes and slicked his hair back. He went out in a rush and I didn't see him until breakfast. Right before bed he suggested that it would be best if he stopped sleeping in my room. I knew that it's already been three weeks since the incident but I wasn't ready. Last night was the only night that his presence actually worked.

I agreed with him and he left my room without even reading to me or saying our prayers together. I wondered if I did anything wrong.

It then hit me. He was too nervous to be sleeping with a girl ten years his junior. My birthday was in two months. Doesn't he realize that a relationship between us two will work? I'll just age and then ... and then ... And then what? He drops me the moment I grow gray hair? But he was engaged to that one blondie. And he had a kid after becoming a vampire with his wife. Why am I any different?

I didn't sleep that night either. Or the next one. Or the one after that. I was becoming fatigued daily. I was losing interest in playing the piano and reading. The only thing I saw myself do often was sit for two hours in front of my parents' tombstones. I would talk to them and didn't care if Lukas and Alexandru could hear.

One morning, Alexandru wished me a good sleep and shut my door behind him. I quickly jumped out of my covers and ran down the hall to his wing of the castle. I ran into his room and— luckily enough—caught him sitting on his opened coffin. He looked at me and stood up. I marched right up to him and pressed my hands against his chest.

"I can't sleep," I simply admitted as I savored the metallic smell of his vest. He gently pushed me away and at first I grew red and nervous that he would shut me down again, but the count stepped into his coffin and sat down, only to gesture for me to join him.

I took the hand he held out and climbed in. I felt so awkward just sitting on Alexandru's legs but I kept calm as I only focused on his purple eyes. He slowly closed them and I slowly lowered myself on top of him. And I fell asleep instantly.

The next morning I found myself alone in the coffin. I knew that vampires slept for an approximate eight hours which meant I finally got a decent sleep.

I climbed out of the coffin and went to my room. Over the course of the next few weeks, I slept in Alexandru's coffin with him. I didn't care if it was weird but I found myself turning back to old ways. I enjoyed reading again, I played the piano again, I also stopped visiting my parents' graves and would just smile down at them when looking out a window at the cemetery.

Everything was normal again.