ELEVEN

                                    

                                          
The house was always quiet early in the afternoon, right after the vampires finished breakfast: Terra sought refuge in her study, Ruby watched TV shows I recommended her and Aren rushed to the gym to keep an eye on Vera. Their relationship was going well but I explained to the vampire that he must stay on friendly terms till my friend trusted him and he'd have more time to learn about the fitness business, how to behave in public, who his soulmate's friends were, what conversation topics were right... Things that were obvious to me and that most humans take for granted, we don't think that much about this stuff because we learn it from our entourage, from our family or at the school, but it was totally new to him. Standards of behaviour had changed a little since the time of the Vikings and bragging about how many British monasteries you looted when you were younger was not the best way to flirt with a girl in LA while drinking fruit smoothies. 
                          
Luckily for Aren, human partners feel some kind of irresistible attraction towards their vampires and my friend was no different. The beautiful Brazilian girl couldn't stop talking and gesturing nervously, giggling and blushing every time my boss talked to her. The gym customers seemed bewildered at first since the owner had a reputation for playing hard to get but they soon understood that the drill sergeant got relaxed when the Viking was around and we were able to leave walking like decent humans after a training session instead of crawling like exhausted zombies. But that wouldn't last, Aren would have to be honest eventually and I'd have to find a way to calm her down and explain her that we weren't nuts and vampires existed in real life. 
                          
Luckily, our guests had left the previous week and I returned to my work routine. Terra was monitoring me closely, of course, concerned in case I developed a PTSD and had nightmares after Giulio attacked me. On the other hand, Ruby behaved cautiously despite I had sworn a hundred of times that the violence I witnessed didn't change the way I felt about her. The fact that our bond wasn't completely sealed made the situation even more complicated, probably, causing a tension in our relationship, and in addition to that I was still adjusting to my new life. Despite the weeks I'd stayed in that house, some aspects of the vampire life made me feel awkward and certain subjects made me flinch inwardly, above all the ones related to their diet and the fact that I had to face immortality and the loss of my friends and family. A random comment could trigger a feeling of discomfort in my stomach and made my heart raced, they both noticed it and got sad despite trying to hide it... but their blood was powerful in my veins and I was able to sense their mood.
                          
That morning I was putting the groceries in the pantry wondering what could I do to overcome my fears, I wouldn't be able to avoid them much longer no matter how hard I tried and I must face the situation sooner or later. I closed the glass door of a cabinet and my face reflected startled me: I was pale and had dark circles despite I'd slept well, or that's what I thought... I understood why Terra was determined to keep an eye on me. A small bruise stood out on my neck skin although the hickey was vanishing, the memory of my vampires made me smile while rubbing the mark with my thumb... That was the right moment to take one step further, obviously, I needed to overcome my fears to be able to enjoy a full relationship with them, and my girls needed it too since I was sure they wouldn't seal the bond definitely as long as I had doubts. Maybe an exposure therapy was the solution, like it was a phobia, so I headed to the corridor that led to my old apartment behind the kitchen with determination. 
                          
"Amor... what are you doing standing here?" I blinked coming back to reality and realized that I'd been staring at the stairs leading to the basement quietly for a few minutes. Terra was looking at me cautiously, holding a cigarette between her fingers but she seemed to have forgotten about it and it was burning slowly. Her unbuttoned shirt let me take a look at the beautiful tattoo on her chest and I couldn't help licking my lips noticing the way her soft skin glowed under the lights but the vampire ignored my reaction, despite she'd taken advantage of the situation to flirt with me some days ago, and her deep blue eyes kept watching me closely. "I've felt your anxiety and wondered if you needed my help..."