hi welcome to xiao complaining

i have my first day of school tomorrow and i'm not looking forward to it

i can't sleep either and my sleeping pills aren't working like wtf i just want to sleep come on

uhhhh

here's a fic

~

I squeeze my gun tightly in my sweaty palms. The street is abruptly silenced as the gray haze settles in. The crickets stop their calls and my breathing shallows. I squint, trying to make sense of the dancing shadows in the distance. My eyes like to deceive me whenever I'm nervous; it's hard to trust them. I know this street had been abandoned for years, but I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong.

The silver strip of moonlight provides me some sense of direction and light. It pierces through the thick haze as if it was a knife cutting through room temperature butter. There's a clearing in the center of the road and I rush towards it. The haze surrounds me. I am blanketed like a child.

The street lamps choose to flicker and send sparks onto the pavement. The faulty wiring of these very lights caused a threat towards the inhabitants of, what use to be, a hotspot of human life. Apartment buildings, cafes, and small shops on this street have all been abandoned. Or so I had thought.

I reload my gun. The noise is not muffled like I had anticipated it to be. It sends an echo down the street. The noise bounces off the pavement and walls of those abandoned buildings. It carries itself so efficiently to the street's curb and into the moonlit sky.

It's becomes silent again, maybe for about two minutes. Another noise is sent my direction. It's the sound of heels scraping against the pavement and a low cackle. Instead of lowering my gun, I raise it forward. Aiming, I pull the trigger. The neon purple laser pierces through the gray haze and eventually fades. I smell something burning. Firewood, I conclude. I must have hit the bark of a tree.

I feel my world spinning as I see a male, looking no older than I am, emerging from the haze. He's adorned in a black suit with a curt grin on his pale lips. His black tie was done messily and his wrinkled, bloodstained, white collared shirt was half tucked into his black slacks. Despite the black and white look, his hair is an electrifying shade of blond while his eyes were neon blue.

"Another hunter? Gosh, it's the third time this week!" He speaks hastily with an Australian accent. He stands in front of me. His left hand forces my chin up. I take a look into those neon blue eyes of his.

My knees buckle under his touch. It's causing my heart to leap out of my chest; not in a good way. I drop my gun, wanting to speak but too tongue tied. I manage to catch glimpse of his sharp fangs in the silver strip of moonlight above our heads. The fear that has begun to instill in my chest prevents me from running. This is it --- this is where I die.

"What's your name, mister hunter?" He sounds awfully childlike, as if he were choosing to taunt me. "Your skin is so pretty. There are no blemishes or bruises on it."

I stay quiet. He frowns, "What's the matter, doll? You have no name? Hasn't your mother told you that it's rude to not answer questions?"

More like not to talk to strangers, I think to myself. The thought of mother scolding me nearly made me chuckle. Now isn't the time for childhood memories.

He sighs exasperatedly, almost as if he had lost complete interest in our conversation. He contemplates for a moment, then speaks, "You're simply too pretty to be one of us."

He leans down and kisses my neck, then nibbles at it. His fangs don't dig deep into my skin, but rather leave a petite scratch. I feel a trickle of blood beginning to take a stroll down my neck. The blond licks it, then pulls away. I touch my neck, feeling the small cut. It's bumpy against my calloused fingers.

"Such a shame, you're quite delicious too," he frowns again. "A pretty boy like you shouldn't be a hunter. You deserve something better than a grimy job like this. Whatever pays the bills, I suppose?"

He shies away from me after I don't reply for the second time. I could have picked up my gun and killed him, or I could have ran back into the haze. Yet, my feet and body decide that staying frozen is the right option.

"I'm surprised you haven't killed me yet," his eyes dart toward my gun, "purple is a lovely color for a laser. All the other hunters used red or white. It's a nice change."

"How much am I worth?" He blurts out, catching me off guard. He releases another cackle, this time it's more grim and solemn. "With all of these hunters after me, I must be worth something! Is there a bounty over my head? Or maybe a hit list of the most dangerous! Gosh, I don't know what you hunters do!"

He stops laughing, "You must be petrified. What are you waiting for? You're here to kill me, right? You shoot me, extract my fangs, and leave me to rot. You're praised for taking another life. C'mon, do it!"

There's something twisted about his current state of mind that sets me off my previous ease. I kick my gun towards the sidewalk. It skids, almost like a stone skipping on the surface of a pond, then stops. My intents of completing my mission were thrown over the boat and drowning in the pond --- no longer am I willing to do it. Adam will just have to deal with it, I guess.

"You're not going to kill me?" He questions, bolting towards me.

"No," I finally speak aloud. It's incoherent, a mumble, but he hears it. I know he hears it since the curt smile I had first saw him with returns. It's intimidating and my knees wobble once more.

"You've got a lot of nerve," he coos, planting a kiss on my forehead.

I watch as he swings his fist towards my left temple. It's like a dizzying nightmare that I may never wake up from, but the world finally fades back to that shade of sickening black.

***

I find myself abruptly waking up in a cold sweat. The bedsheets crinkle under me as I sit up, gasping for air. I feel beads of sweat dripping down the nape of my neck. The lights are off and the curtains are closed. Sunlight decides not to peak through the crevasses that the curtains could not cover. I lay back down in bed, staring upwards to the dark abyss.

"You're awake," a voice to my left murmurs. The ceiling lights flicker on, causing my eyes to sting. I hiss, squinting in an attempt to let my eyes adjust to the sudden change in setting. I sit up once more.

"Adam?" I inquire, eyes widening.

"Yeah," he nods.

I grip the sheets, "What happened last night?" I asked, despite being fully aware of yesterday's terrors. The memories are still fresh in my mind. It's almost as if they were on repeat.

"Since your gun had deactivated and released a distress signal, I had to go after you," Adam states monotonously. "You were passed out on the street with a nasty bruise on your temple and a fresh scratch on your neck."

I reach up to the spot where the blond had scratched my neck. Instead of feeling a dried wound, there's a gauge in its place. I place my hand back onto the bed, "I'm not one of them, am I?"

"That's the issue," I watch his Adam's apple bob up and down as he takes a swig of his Pepsi. "We got the scratch checked out. It's tiny, yeah, but venom still could have been injected. The results aren't in yet. Basically, we don't know."

I want to pass out right there. My body tenses up and my breath hitches. Adam sees the discomfort in my posture and shakes his head, "Nothing will change between you and the organization. Ty's one of them too and he's still a hunter."

"It's not that," I murmur.

He doesn't hear my response. His eyes soften in pity, "Get some rest. You're still hunting the same vampire, but this time we'll accompany you."

I lay back down in bed and nod my head as a way of thanks. My eyes flutter shut. The lights flicker off and the bedroom door opens. Adam steps out and it slams shut.

The mattress creaks against my erratic movements of shifting. It feels as if I wasn't alone. Regardless, how am I suppose to get rest with the knowledge that I'll be seeing that vampire again?

"Thank god he's gone," a voice chuckles. I tense up. Neon blue dots rise from the floor. The floorboards creak; they're getting closer. I cower, holding my breath and not daring to move a muscle. "Did you really think I'd let you go that easily?"

"Why are you here?" I ponder.

He hums. The corner of the bed sags down a bit as if a weight was sitting atop it. "It's the same thing I told you yesterday, I like you."

Before I could reply, he continues, "I had to make sure you got back safely, so I followed you and that Adam guy back to your home. Or, maybe this is a base considering that there's other people here."

"Please don't hurt anyone," I whimper in a quiet voice. "How did you even get past security and the cameras?"

"Open window," he replies. It hadn't occurred to me that there's a soft breeze circulating around the room. It's quiet between us and I hear the curtains slapping against the wall.

"Why are you here?" I reluctantly repeat once more.

He sighs in an exasperate tone, "You're pretty."

"That's it?"

"Pretty hunters intrigue me," his accent lingers despite having a slur sense of speech. "I'd like to learn more about you. Considering you're on bed rest, however, I guess now isn't the time. Want anything to eat or drink? You must be starving."

"No, thanks," I reply in a horrid attempt of being polite. What am I doing fancying this vampire? I'm a hunter for fucks sake!

"Does pizza sound good? Maybe a grape soda?" He offers. "There's a corner store nearby, along with this large pizza place."

"If you will shut up, then fine," I grumble.

He snickers, "Sassy, I like that."

He jumps out the window. I expect to hear some type groan, maybe a loud spinal crack, but to my own surprise there's nothing. I bury myself under the blankets, engulfing myself in a comforting warmth.

Pretty?

Me?

Maybe I should have told someone that a vampire is courting me.