I woke up the next morning feeling an excessive desire to never move again. There was a slight petrichor blowing through the window by my bed sending my head into a spiral of memories. My eyes, crusted over with sleep, felt raw as I opened them to the light of my room and my lips had become chapped from the cold evening air.

I stood, stumbling towards the bathroom and bracing myself against the ivory sink. I stared at myself in the mirror picking at every feature of my face.

My dark brown hair, mussed from a rough sleep and matted at the bottom with dry blood. Dark spots encircled my dull blue eyes and made me seem at least 10 years older and my lips had blood on them from chewing them in my sleep.

I sighed heavily, washing my face before getting in the shower to remove the blood from my hair.

I checked the time after removing myself from the shower. One hour until had to be at work.

I huffed, dressing myself limply before making breakfast and walking myself to work. My body felt devoid of strength, my limbs hanging heavily at my sides and my eyes drooping constantly. I stepped into my work and was instantly met by my boss's gaze. Anxiety riddled through my body as I approached the counter and stepped behind into the employee area.

" Dallon...what's been wrong recently? You showed up late the other day, you got people to cover a whole week of your shifts! Are you okay? I don't want to fire you over this if something is happening that I'm unaware of. What's causing this? "

I gulped at her words and looked down. My throat closed up and I couldn't speak. She sighed, obviously taking my silence as guilt which is quite the opposite of what I felt.

" I'm sorry Dallon but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You can return for work when you're ready to discuss these issues. Until then you're on probation. Spencer will be covering your shift today, " she barely murmured.

I couldn't reply. My heart felt heavy and my lungs seemed to be full of lead. I walked out of the building without a word, tears pushing at the back of my eyes and my whole body shaking. I walked back home, stepping into the empty apartment and collapsing into bed. Finally the tears poured out, staining my faded cobalt pillowcase with the sodium rich droplets that fell off my cheeks like bullets.

The air was stagnant, nearly suffocating, yet my arms refused to move to open the window. Sobs wracked my body and my breathing became ragged. I felt arms go around me that pulled me into a warm chest. I clung to the body which had to be no other than Brendon.

His hands we're relaxing as they rubbed circles into my back. His voice, soft as a dove, cooed words of assurance in my ear and calmed my breathing. I coughed harshly into his shirt and began hiccuping as my sobs came to an end.

I looked up at the demon. His eyes were darker than usual, almost black actually. He seemed angry or upset, possibly even exasperated. I couldn't help but stare into those abysmal eyes to find the spark of humanity they still held. His brows were low near his eyes and his mouth was set in a hard line.

I couldn't quite figure out why I was allowing Brendon to hold me. If I was being honest I missed him though I really shouldn't. I gripped the man's shirt and pulled his body close to mine. His head hit my chin since I was now sitting up in his lap. For someone so demanding, he was short compared to me. His intimidation, however, contradicted his size immensely.

" Are you okay? " he droned out.

I blushed slightly, slurring my words and tripping over my own voice, " I...I don't uh, I don't know. "

Brendon looked at me curiously, much like a scientist examining his next experiment. My skin crawled under his gaze but I ignored it, reaching up to touch the demon's face. He didn't move as I brushed my fingertips along his soft skin. The slight bumps of stubble along his chin and cheeks made me question as to whether he had to shave and get haircuts like a human being would.

What a stupid thought Dallon.

I gazed down at his hands adorning my hips. My breath hitched as his rough fingertips pressed softly into my sides. His hand reached up to my chin and pushed my face up to look at his.

" What happened? " he asked softly, biting his bottom lip while looking at mine.

My head became fuzzier the longer I looked at him and though my lips parted to speak, words seemed to fail me.

" You're so pretty, " I breathed.

His cheeks turned a light pink and he stopped breathing, not that he needed to I'm sure, it was probably an old habit of life.

" Dallon... " he whispered, one hand going to tangle in my hair and the other pulling me flush against him.

That was the first time I let him say my name without reacting negatively. The world flowed off his lips like a river leading to a waterfall and sent shivers down my spine.

I slipped my hands into Brendon's hair and played with the soft, miniscule curls that decided to form at the nape of his neck.

I felt some sort of pain, much like what I had experienced when he bit me, and it sent a rush of adrenaline and fear through me.

" What, what are you- " I couldn't even finish my sentence.

The pain had turned into immense amounts of pleasure and where Brendon's lips were touched to my neck it was warm, possibly even comforting.

I groaned into the man's shoulder and my breathing became labored. The feelings were similar to those of sex. Breathing becoming rapid, pleasure soaring through me, hands shaking and limbs becoming weak.

The pleasure stopped and I whined into his neck. His breathing, harsh and heavy, spread warmth across my neck.

I went to touch my neck but found no blood where I was sure he had bit me. I looked up confused and saw the blood on his lower lip which both terrified me and aroused me.

He flipped us so I was beneath him in my bed and straddled me so we were at the same height.

My lips reached up towards his almost like a magnet and I kissed him, tasting the metallic flavor of my own blood on his lips.

He snarled against my lips and pulled me closer to him. He nibbled at my lip, instantly drawing blood with just the slightest bite.

" You taste good, " he growled against my ear.

I wanted to stay awake, to see what he wanted to do to me. In all honesty...death, though terrifying, didn't seem so bad anymore.

The amount of blood he had taken from me had made me lethargic and my eyes started to droop. I heard Brendon say something but I felt like I was underwater and everything was muffled.

I looked up at the man once more before falling asleep in his arms and begging for safety from his grip.

-

HELLO PEOPLES! It has been MONTHS since I've updated and I'm deeply sorry for that.

I recently finished my first college class ever and got an A in the class which is nice but it took up quite a lot of my time along with work, friendships, holidays, etc.

I went to an IDKHOW concert a few months back where i met my best friend in the whole entire world so that was amazing! Who knew Dallon Weekes had the power of friendship.

I'm also in a band which is starting off slow and steady with said best friend so if you'd like to check our our instagram or snapchat I will put the usernames after this note.

I thank you all for your patience and I do hope people are still reading this. After christmas I promise to start writing more on my off time instead of just lazing around with my cat.

I love you all and miss you dearly! Feel free to dm me if you need anything!

Xx Alex 💙

Instagram: @filenotfoundband

Snapchat: filenotfound-ae