Chapter 10: Remembrance

I got home pretty early in the morning, when I got pounced on by Madoka.

“Hana! Where’ve you been?”

“Wha?”

“You were meant to be working the other day right? You weren’t there!”

“Oh…” I answered, “Cam let me go earlier than planned.”

“Did Matt get you into trouble?”

“No, something turned up at the club, something rather… disturbing, it shook me up somewhat.” I answered, “Can we talk about it another time? I’m knackered.”

“Yeah sure…” she answered, watching me.

I was grateful as I collapsed on the bed and fell asleep, when I woke up, it was 1pm, so I got up, showered, dressed and made breakfast before going to the hospital, following the familiar path that led to where they collected blood.

Soon enough, it was my turn and the nurse smiled at me, “Hello there Hana, back again.”

“Yeah, but this will be the last time.” I answered.

“Why?”

“I’m going travelling with a friend, I can’t come here if I’m far away.”

The nurse nodded sadly as she placed the needle in my arm, the hot shower and wearing a jumper helped keep the vein shallow in my skin.

Once the job was done I got up, my arm now stiff thanks to the cotton wool that was on my elbow. Since it was still some time before sundown, I went to the florist’s and picked up some chrysanthemums, Imogen’s favourite flower, and went to visit her grave. I felt I owed it to my cousin for her warning. I’m sure Matt understood that.

Yet, when I got there, Matt was in front of her grave, wearing his biker gear to block the sun from him, “You weren’t planning on getting depressed when I wasn’t looking were you?” I asked teasingly.

Matt jumped and turned, “Hana! No, I came to see a good friend,” he said, giving me a brief hug, “I miss her still you know.”

“You and me both, it’s already been over five years.” I told him, placing the flowers on the grave, “Thanks for your warning Moggy, I would’ve made a big mistake if you didn’t tell me.” I said softly, “But don’t bring yourself down, she wouldn’t want that.”

“I know,” he answered, “I’ve been coming here once a week since her funeral, you caught me at it actually, on the night of the meteor shower.”

I nodded, remembering the fact, “It must’ve been hard not to talk to me.”

“You have no idea,” he answered, “She was a lot like you.”

“No surprise, she was my role model as a little girl, my big sister in many ways as well.” I told him, “She was the one who told me that it’s only acceptable to judge a person by their eyes if you don’t know them that well, because they’ll tell you all you’ll need to know about them. But when she befriended someone, she was loyal for life.”

“I know, I met her at the races by chance, and I was taking her home when we were ambushed by young vampires, I fought them off. She contacted me the next day and we talked after she had finished school, I was so glad she didn’t reject me. A week later, I realised who she really was and what was coming,” he sighed, “She might not blame me, but I still blame myself.”

“Live on, for wasting your life makes your lost loved ones weep.” I told him, “And just because you’ve lived longer than most is not an excuse. She doesn’t want you to torment yourself, and neither do I,” at this I took his hand, “Let’s go.”

“So what were you doing there?” Matt asked, I heard curiosity in his voice.

“I wanted to thank her for her words that day you sent yourself back.” I answered, “I owed her that much really.”

Matt nodded, “It’s because of her everything worked out well in the end.”

“Yeah, all we can do is keep walking forward.”

“So how was the blood draw?”

I paused, “The nurse was upset that I was leaving, how was your sleep?”

“Not bad,” he answered, “So the other bloodsuckers don’t like me taking you away.”

“That’s mean.”

“Love, some of my kind go to the blood bank for their needs.” Matt answered, “The government agrees with it because it prevents feeding on innocents, it’s another reason not to want to lose a regular donor.”

“Should’ve guessed…” I muttered, looking at him, “But I guess that means you have me to yourself now.” I teased.

Matt grinned and hugged me. “My lovely Hana.”

I returned his embrace, still a little stiff because of the cotton wool.

Matt noticed, he took my arm effortlessly, removed the cotton wool and licked the spot gently, “There, that should do it.”

I smiled, “Speaking of that, how are you faring?” I asked, “Before you were sneaking out every night, now you haven’t once.”

“Over the years I’ve learned to feed less,” he replied, “I usually go three days without anything.”

“So is today 2 or 3?”

“Three, but you’re safe.”

“Matt, I realised that if I was to be worthy of you, I needed to be ready to take that risk,” I told him, resting my head against his chest, it was cold and still, but it made me feel safe, “Besides, you’re the one who said it’s not allowed, not me.” I remarked, sticking out my tongue in a teasing manner.

In a flash he had it between two fingers, “You know, you really shouldn’t do that.”

I shot him an apologetic look.

Matt let go, looking guilty, “Sorry love, that was cruel.”

“Don’t be, I said something stupid.” I told him, pulling him close.

“Forgive me?” he asked.

“Of course, you’ve always been good to me after all.”

“And you have been just as good to me.” Matt answered, pulling me close.

I smiled and rested my head against his shoulder for a while before kissing him gently, drawing absently on his shoulder with my finger, feeling him shudder as I did so.

I pulled away gently to see him grinning at me, “I love it when you do that,” he said, rewarding me effort with a trail of kisses along my neck. I shivered, tilting my head and closing my eyes as I did so, all of them were subconscious reactions, but I trusted him enough not to worry. When he pulled away I rested my head against his chest, it was still and cold, but I could feel the firm muscles, and that made me feel safe.

“Something on your mind?”

“Koe… I’m just worried that that Jason punk might do something horrid for the guys… I mean, you heard him last night, he would do anything that he can get at to get what he wants.”

“Well he’s not getting what he’s out for this time.” Matt answered, pulling me close to him, “After all, he can’t steal your heart if it’s not with you, besides, I’ve got a bone to pick with Norman.”

“What happened?”

“There’s no simple way to say this, but the one who was out to get me and got Imogen, was Norman.”

I stood there for a moment, gritting his teeth, “And he’s been gloating on your misery for five years?”

“Yeah…”

I grit my teeth, then remembered something, “Did you know that if you hold a rubber ball under your arm you can mask your pulse without cutting off your circulation?”

“Aye, it’s a useful trick, although not one I’ll need anytime soon, why?”

“I was just thinking we can use that to get the squeeze on Jason and lure Norman out.”

Matt grinned, “Whatever did I do to deserve you? You’re not only beautiful, but you’re smart, funny and you’re cunning as well,” he told me, kissing me lightly.

I chuckled, “Well, no one gets to my loved ones without me planning some kind of justice.” I told him, “I was thinking about borrowing Madoka’s Dictaphone, she uses it to record lectures and help her notes, if we get the info we need out of Jason on tape, we can play it for the entire audience and all the performers to hear. But in order for it to work, you’ll have to play the bad guy for a little bit.”

He nodded, “Just tell me what I need to do.”

“It’s simple, astonishingly so, we know what he wants, and what he will never get, and we know what we want out of him, something that would be hard, but not impossible.” I told him, “All we have to do is make it look like I’m in danger.”

“So in other words go full vampire and threaten you.”

“Yup! With me acting scared and him not knowing we’re dating, he’ll see a frightened girl and a bloodthirsty vampire out for revenge against his dad.” I told him with a grin, “After that, we can get the recording to Hikari and presto! We’ve got the scandal of the year!”

“It’ll be hard to do the evil vampire act to you, but I can do it,” Matt answered, hugging me, “It’s a brilliant plan.”

I smiled and rested my head against his chest.

“You know, I still find it amazing how much you trust me.” Matt commented suddenly.

“It’s because I know the real you.” I answered softly, “Am I tempting you like this or something?”

“A little, but I’m glad you trust me.”

“How can I not trust you?” I asked him, “You’ve been kind to me, and you didn’t touch me when I passed out, you waited over 2060 years to see me again, you’ve done so much for me in those two things in themselves.”

“You stole my heart the day I met you.”

“And you stole mine along with my first kiss.” I countered.

Matt grinned, “Even though you passed out after I did so.”

“You would too if someone put your brain into overload. Seriously though, in a way, I’m glad I did, because it was the proof that I can trust you, along with the wait you went through under my nose.” I told him, smiling warmly.

“I should go feed,” Matt murmured, breaking away from me.

“Have you forgotten? We’re going to meet up with Koe’s band this evening, and pretty early at that.” I pointed out.

Matt jerked at this reminder, and I pulled up one of my long sleeves, “If it’s you, I’ll be fine.”

He looked at me, “Are you sure about this, you don’t have to go this far for me you know,” he said, pulling me close.

“I know I don’t, I want to do this, because I’d rather you came to me than risk getting caught while I’m stuck somewhere waiting for you.” I told him firmly, leaving no room for weakness.

“All right, are you ready for this?”

I pulled my long hair over one shoulder, “Go for it.”

One arm tightened around me while the other supported my head, “I’m so sorry…” I heard him whisper just below my ear, before he bit into me with one swift motion.

I took a sharp intake of breath at first, but once the pain subsided it didn’t feel bad at all, I gently hugged him as he drank, I chose to support him in any way I possibly could, so he had no excuse to feel sorry for himself.

After a few moments he pulled away and ran his tongue across the spot he bit, causing the marks to disappear immediately. The hand supporting my head lowered as he pulled me close, “I’m sorry love.”

“Don’t be sorry for needing to bite me, be sorry for making it sound worse than it was,” I quipped, smiling at him, I wasn’t going to let him get off sounding like the world was going to end because he bit me.

“I know, but I don’t like doing that, even if the person I bite tastes good.”

“Sweetheart, everyone has to do something they don’t like, and look on the bright side, I seem to be a delight to all five of your senses.” I remarked, “You really did hit the jackpot.”

Matt smiled weakly at my comment, “Thanks love.”

“Anytime, you don’t have to suffer because of what you are, I don’t want that, and I am going to support you no matter what.”

“Thanks love, but you don’t have to feel obliged to do that.” Matt told me, “I coped for over 2060 years, I can cope without turning to you.”

“Matt, don’t think of me as some demure maiden.” I told him, “I know I don’t have to do this, but at the same time, if I didn’t, I’d probably go crazy waiting for you, worrying about you.”

“All right, I don’t like it, but I see your point.” Matt answered, pulling me close.

“I’m not asking you to like it. Do you think I like feeling helpless compared to some of the things out there that I know you’ve faced in the past?” I asked him, “That helplessness is much scarier to me than you are.”

“Don’t worry love, I’ll protect you from anything that comes our way.”

“I know, and I believe you,” I answered, kissing him gently.

He pulled away, “Sorry, I don’t think you’ll like the taste of blood, especially since it’s yours.”

I smiled, “Then this will sort things out.” I answered, taking a mint from my handbag, I always kept a few handy.

Matt smiled and popped it into his mouth, “Thanks love,” he said, smiling.

“Yay! Matt’s happy again!” I said in a kiddy voice.

Matt poked my sides, making me giggle, “What? You were all gloomy.”

“That’s me, Mr Doom,” he said, poking me again, “And Gloom,” he finished, starting to tickle my sides.

I was laughing hard, I couldn’t help it, I was ticklish since I was a little kid. The next thing I knew I was on the floor and he was on top, “Gotcha!”

“Oh do you?” I asked, using the weight of his broad shoulders to roll us round so that he now had his back pressed against the floor.

“Oh no I’m in the grasp of a beautiful woman! Whatever shall I do?” he asked.

I grinned and kissed him instead of responding, feeling him kiss back with the same passion he did the night that he ‘returned’ if that was the right way to put it.

After a while he pulled away and asked, “Why are we on the floor when we have access to a couch and a bed?”

“Because you pounced on me like a wild animal?” I asked in reply.

Matt looked thoughtful, before leading me to the room I woke up in when I passed out. He lay down, pulling me on top of him, “That’s much better,” he remarked, kissing me again.

I kissed him back, wondering if he was planning something here.

He seemed to notice, “Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just… pushing me to the floor and that, you’re getting pretty daring, I was getting the feeling you were trying to turn up the heat.”

Matt flushed, “Oops,” he uttered, pulling away, “Hana, you know I’d never force you into anything…”

“I know that, you’re too soft,” I answered, laughing, “But you’re pretty fun when you’re spontaneous,” I told him, hugging him gently.

Matt pulled away, sighing.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him.

“Something just feels off here…”

“Was it that I put you on the spot back there?” I asked him, “Because if it is, I’ll tell you you’re more fun when you’re pushing your luck than when you’re worrying about me.”

Matt smiled, “It’s probably nothing,” he told me, shaking his head, his hair shaking with each turn he made before walking back towards me, “Now then…” he rolled me over and wrapped his legs around my waist, “This seems familiar…”

I grinned, “That’s the Matt I know.”

He smiled and kissed me gently, “I don’t want to take things too far.”

“Push your luck, I dare you.” I remarked.

Matt grinned at me, before trailing kisses up my neck, finishing with a deep one to my lips, all the while, his hands ran along my body. I shivered at it all, unable to believe what I was feeling.

Eventually, Matt pulled away, “As much as I am enjoying this, we have things to do tonight.”

“Yeah…” I agreed.

Matt climbed off me, but I noticed him sighing as he did so.

“Aww… are you upset your fun got cut short?” I asked, wrapping my arms around him again, “Don’t worry, you’ll have me all to yourself again soon enough,” I kissed his cheek sweetly before releasing him, “Let’s go!”

Matt smiled at me, “Yes, let’s,” he answered.