Lysander landed softly on top of the little human's roof. He had followed her from the cemetery to the bus and here he was. He didn't even know why he followed her but he couldn't leave her after Henric paid her.
Maybe it's because she broke his curse. But how did she manage to break it? What was so special about her? She is just a mere human.
Lysander climbed down to her window and saw her on the bed sleeping soundly.
He cute lips were slightly parted and her hair covered part of her face, which he wanted to brush off and have a full view of her innocent face. Her chest was rising and falling, following the rhythm of their breathing.
Lysander wanted her to be in his arms again. He wanted to hold her just like he did at the cemetery. He knew he wasn't supposed to be drawn to anyone because that would be his weakness and his weakness would be used against him. Even he didn't want want anything to render him weak because his curse was broken for a reason and he had to fulfill it but why was he drawn to her?
'No Lysander, you have to stay away from her. If not for your sake, do it for her sake,' the rational part of him told him, determined not to tint probably the only pure thing that was left in a world full of evil and darkness.
With one final glance at her, Lysander leapt back to the roof, where a group of four people were waiting for him.
"Carry on, do what you must," he told the female among them, ignoring the tug he felt in his chest.
****************
Mia woke up feeling refreshed the next morning. With the warm sun rays and the birds chirping happily, the day was going to be good. Cleaning that huge grave was very tidious given how huge it was but she was glad she managed to finish and since she didn't have any class until noon, she decided to go grocery shopping to fill her fridge with some of the money left after she paid her landlord.
After brushing her teeth and taking her bath, Mia was getting ready dressed when her mind wandered back to the previous day. She had spent the evening cleaning a grave of someone and the old man who managed the cemetery had been grateful but she remembered he had overpaid her for her work.
Determine to set things right, Mia picked up her phone and dialed his number.
When he answered, his voice crackled with surprise.
"Hello?"
"Good morning! It's Anna Mia. I wanted to let you know you overpaid me for cleaning the grave yesterday," she explained.
There was a pause on the other end, before she heard him chuckle softly.
"Yes dear, consider it your reward for being courageous," he said.
Mia didn't know why she felt he was hiding something from her. The money he gave was three times what he was supposed to give her but before she could speak, he spoke -
"The family of the deceased want to know if you're willing to keep cleaning the grave."
"I could but not in the evening. And also, I'm still in school so I can only do it during the weekends," Mia told him, remembering how scared she was the previous.
"Don't worry dear, you can come any day and at any time. But I've been asked to deposit ten thousand into your account every two weeks," the old man told her making her jaw drop.
Ten thousand? And that too every two weeks? No way!
'This must be a dream,' Mia thought, smiling to herself.
'But why were they willing to pay such an amount for her to clean the grave? Was something wrong?' She wondered.
'Or maybe they're just kind,' another part of her told her.
'Ok sir, I will. Thank you very much and please tell the family I said I'm looking forward to meeting them soon. " Mia told the man.
After hanging up Mia grabbed her purse and a few hundred dollar bills and left her apartment.
She got to the bus stop right on time and joined the others who were getting on the bus.
She noticed a man sitting at the window seat where she usually sat and she couldn't help but pout. Her eyes scanned other seats and they were all taken so she had no choice but to just sit beside him.
She noticed he was wearing a black hat which covered most of his face. He was also wearing an ancient black clothing making him look like those cosplayers she has been seeing on social media.
Before he would notice she was staring at him, Mia looked straight ahead.
***********
Lysander woke up and all he thought about was the little human . He remembered how pure and innocent her face was, her little movement and how soothing her voice was, even though it was full of fear and nervousness.
As he wakes down the stairs, his mind wandered to the unfamiliar pull he felt whenever he looked into her eyes, something he hadn't experienced in centuries- a longing that stirred something deep within him. He was not drawn to only her beauty but her warm, innocent aura which contrasted sharply with his dark and cold eternal life.
As Lysander sat with the group of people waiting for him, he found his brain restless and being haunted by the little human. The way her hair flowed down her shoulders under the moonlight and the way her warm lips felt against his cold ones.
He couldn't shake off the feeling of need that was building within him. Lysander knew he had to see her again. He needed to see this mysterious woman who had so effortlessly ensnared his heart.
"I….dont think Lysander is listening to us, a voice broke his chain of thoughts. He looked up to see the small group of people looking at him
"What makes you think that? I am. Go on," he lied.
"So as Morg was saying," Henry, the eldest among them continued after clearing his throat.
Everyone listened to him attentively as she spoke, they nodded and asked questions to feed their curiosity as well.
"After several minutes of talk, Alaric asked the milllion-dollar question.
"What about her?…The girl who broke Lysander's curse?"
Everyone's eyes moved from Alaric, to Lysander and finally settled on the witch amongst them, who had the answer.
"The curse has taken it immediate action. At this point she'll remember cleaning a grave but will remember nothing about her encounter with Lysander ," the witch said, her eyes settling on the ancient vampire.
Lysander felt that painful tug in his chest again as he heard Morgana's words but he kept quiet.
"Luca will launched his new perfume today and I have already prepared everything. Soon the folks of this town will forever forget all about Lysander and his curse. "
Silence engulfed the room for several minutes before Alaric spoke , this time in a teasing tone.
"But jeez Lysander, I can't believe you kissed her."
Lysander shot him a "don't start" glare but Alaric continued without a care in the world.
"So what's next? Are you going to take her to dinner and ask for her heart?"
A sly grin spread across his face as he watched Lysander reeling from recent events.
"It was just….a moment," Lysander said in his usual cold tone, unaware of the uncharacteristic ring in his cheeks.
"A moment?" Alaric chuckled. "You mean the moment you practically swooned over her? And look you're even blushing." Alaric continued his teasing.
Morgana giggled and joined in.
"I thought vampires were supposed to be all dark and brooding and mysterious. Not live sick puppies."
"Really Morg? You too?" Lysander sighed, trying to maintain his composure.
Morgana just shrugged in response.
Lucian and Henry who didn't want to participate in Lysander's misery got up and walked out without a word.
"Very soon, you'll be writing her sonnets and serenading her under the moonlight," Alaric continued his teasing with no intention to stop.
"Yeah, and she's still human. Just one kiss doesn't mean you're meant to ride off to sunset together,"Morg said added and got up to leave as well.
"Catch you later Lysander," she said before closing the door behind her.
"Lysander and his human, sitting in the roof, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Alaric sang.
"What are you three? And where did you even hear that thing from?" Lysander sighed, pinching the skin between his brows.
"Face it Lysander, you're in love." Alaric said, said wiggling his brows when Lysander looked at him.
"You've been frozen for centuries and the first thing you do when you're unfrozen is fall in love?"
Seeing that Lysander wouldn't say a word, Alaric knew he was telling the truth and he couldn't wait to be proven right. He also couldn't wait to a Lysander in love.
"Well, don't forget to keep your fangs to yourself. We wouldn't want you to scare her off before you've had the chance to charm her properly.
Lysander was now alone with his thoughts. Was Alaric right? Was he giving signs of someone in love? Was it that obvious?
With all these questions in his head, he got up to look for the human who had taken over his thoughts.