Page 64 of The Awakening
“No. Sorry. Just thinking.”
“I want to be honest with you. Bonding is not something I want to do, Jae. I don’t usually put myself in this kind of situation. I never offer my blood like this, or even let anyone stay in my home. But I care about you… and I like you.”
“I like you, too.”
He nods, returning my smile. “So I want to support you through this. I’m going to—I’m happy to. But we need to be careful. All jokes aside, can you respect that?”
“I can.” And I will. I’ll stop it with the flirty comments and trying to goad him. If he’s truly terrified that we might accidentally bond, I won’t provoke him. Not even for a snuggle.
What he’s doing for me is unbelievable. Letting me move into his home, invade his privacy and take his blood. Of course I’ll respect his wishes. I can behave myself. He’ll see.
Late November
Twenty-Nine
Junichi
[When do you think you’ll be back home?]
I’m staring at Jae’s message and considering my response.
[It’ll be fairly late. Maybe close to midnight.]
[Okay. I was going to make soondubu jjigae tonight… Breakfast instead?]
[Yes, please. I’ll try not to wake you when I come home. xx]
I set my phone down on the worktable and breathe a sigh. It’s been about a month since Jae started “awakening,” and not much has changed other than his sleep patterns. He said before he’d stay up all night sometimes. Restless and jittery. Since I’ve started feeding him, though, he sleeps well—deeply and comfortably. It’s not very exciting but definitely a good thing. I’m glad.
“There are rumors circulating about you, Takayama Junichi.”
It’s Sunday afternoon and Hisaki is perched on my couch, dramatically flickering his horse tail and looking at me. I should get rid of that couch. Can’t flounce around in here like a dumbass if there’s nowhere to sit.
“I wonder if that confounding creature I met here last month is the one everyone is talking about? The one spending time with Haruka lately. Thisdoctor. Miscreant. What giveshimthe right?” he says. I’m hand-stitching a design on the collar of an outer coat for a kimono. New Year’s will be here before I know it, and I’m thinking of asking Jae to go to the local temple with me. I’m not religious, but I think the tradition is nice. My mother used to drag me and my sister because she liked to dabble in Japanese culture despite her rigid circumstance. I think she was always trying to make the best of things.
I’m making Jae a kimono and coat as a surprise. I’m starting with the coat because I don’t know his exact measurements yet. I’m estimating the neck and shoulders, but I can make adjustments later.
“Are you ignoring me?” Hisaki asks.
“I’m trying to.” I’m threading the whip stitch, which is lapis blue. The fabric I’m using is a deep steel gray. The kimono underneath will be dark blue. I think he’ll look good in these colors, and it’ll stop him from buying some pre-made kimono combination off of a mannequin at a department store.
“Are you living with him? Is he truly residing in your home?”
I shake my head, focusing. I don’t need to answer this twerp’s questions or explain myself to anyone. What’s happening to Jae is his business. Not the aristocracy’s. Not yet. If and when he awakens, then they can know.
Living together with Jae has been surprisingly comfortable. Easy. He’s pleasant and keeps busy. His room is always a mess of papers and research things, but he keeps my common areas and kitchen clean. I’ve never had a roommate before, so I don’t have any points of comparison. But I imagine he’s probably the best kind.
“You know, my bloodline is unique among vampires,” Hisaki boasts. “We have a very keen sense of smell. It has been passed down to each successive first-born child for generations. So it was easy for me to tell that something was off about your… friend?”
I have not said more than three words in at least ten minutes. It’s unbelievable how he sits here, perfectly satisfied with hearing himself talk.
“Junichi, you are wildly popular within our aristocracy. Your bloodline and breeding are exquisite—fit for any purebred to mate with. You should not be engaging with this strange creature in this way. I am not interested in physical intimacy—and our age gap is significant—but… evenIwould be a more socially appropriate choice as a mate for you.”
I dry-heave and quickly take a breath. I rest the needle and fabric down onto the table and close my eyes. “Hisaki. What I do in my private life has nothing to do with you, oranyonein the aristocracy. Do you understand?”
He blinks his red eyes at me like a calf at a new gate. “No. I do not understand. Because we are a tightly knit community, and we want to know more about this creature you’ve suddenly latched yourself to. Does Ren know about this?”
My first instinct is to say, “Fuck Ren.” But I can’t say that. Not aloud. He’s like my drug dealer—the one with the good stuff. I have to keep things as amicable between us as possible.
