Unapologetic Apathy

"Who was she?" I asked as I sat down Gerard in the study where he'd given me first aid a few times before. He sat unsteadily, and he looked very beaten up, but there was a faint smile on his lips.

"An old enemy of mine," he said as if he was in a daze. His eyes focused just behind me, which made me feel quite paranoid. I turne around and saw nothing. Maybe he was just worse than I thought.

"I think you need actually doctor's attention," I mentioned as I Unclasped the snap on the box. I took out the half filled vials and creams. I found one simply labelled burns, and I poppe it open and squeeze a little onto my finger.

"No," he said. He winced when I gently smeared it on his swelling face. "I've had worse. Trust me."

"You fainted," I replied. He just shrugged. I reached out to grab his hand and he flinche back. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just putting cream on your hands." He gave me a suspicious look. He held out his palm hesitantly. It was angry and black with burns. It was wet with black blood and red welts and blisters. I hissed in empathy.

"I'll heal in a few days," he mumbled. "This isn't nessacery, Frank." He was about to take his hand back, but I grabbed both. My bad arm twitched painfully and red blood stained my hoodie sleeve. I've had quite a few injuries, but being stabbed in my bicep sure did take the cake. It ruined a Misfits sweater, too. I sighed and squeeze out more cream.

I use twofingers, gently and evenly covering his palms. They looked painful to move. I winced to myself, but he didn't make a noise. When I looked in his face, there was a perpetual grimacing look, but he was strong about it.

"Frank, you need stitches," he noticed.

"You need medical assistance.," I countered.

"I'll heal faster than you will. Just go, I can take care of myself."

"You don't want me to be here?" I asked, "Before I leave, tell me who she was. Lindsey. I recognized the name from somewhere."

"She was my fiancée. She wanted to continue a bloodline," he laughed humourlessly. "Our fathers arranged it. We were to be married that spring. But she..." He broke off to give another humourless laugh, "she stole my money and left me to rot as this monster for two centuries."

"She's dead now," I assured him. Something like that happened to him? Actually? The legends said his ghost was killed by the girl in the painting: his fiancée. But those were wrong.

"She sent me a letter a couple of days ago," he sighed. "She said when she bit me she would come back in a few years to see how I was doing." He stopped when I started to bandage his hands, starting at the wrists. He grimaced.

"That's why you did that to your house? Put up all the crucifixes?"

"...yes, that's why I did it. I didn't want her coming back."

"You could have just told me. I am a vampire hunter, you know," I told him. He nodded.

"She said I had to turn you. I didn't want to bring you into this. You can't end up like me," he said with a yawn. He looked exhausted. "I thought I could," yawn , "handle it myself."

"You look tired. You should get some rest," I said in concern.

"Ha. Pretend like you care. I'm fine. Really, Frank," he scoffed. My brows furrowed in frustration.

"I do care! That was a clear way out of the deal, if I'd let her kill you! Then I could have killed her. Two birds, one stone. I obviously care, you absolute fucking asshole. Stop acting like you're so grand and almighty. You can still get hurt, fucker," I snapped. I slammed the box shut with a snap! Maybe some of Kelsies temper was rubbing off on me. How dare he think j don't care! I wrestled that bitch to the ground for him!

He looked at me with his mouth open in shock and confusion. "Really? I thought you wanted me dead."

"No. Do you want me dead?" I dared to ask him.

"..no. I couldn't. I wouldn't hurt you, Frank," he said, followed by a big yawn. I raised an eyebrow.

"Huh. I thought you'd rather hide me in your walls than see me every other day, honestly," I hummed.

"A first. At first I wanted you for the deal. But I don't know. It's weird. Okay? I like...having you around. I...don't think I could follow though even if you broke the deal. I couldn't...kill you like I did the others."

"I only moved here to kill you," I murmured, "I don't want to, though. I like coming here, no matter how rude you are and how much of an ass you act like. If I don't care, I wouldn't be stitching you up. Now get your ass to bed, you need rest."

"I don't-" he stammered, but I interrupted him.

"I'll be back tomorrow. I'm going to the hospital to fix my arm. Get some rest."

"It's not even sunrise yet!" He wined.

I smirked and left the house. I felt giddy like a little girl. Did he just...say he cared for me? Well, he said he didn't want to kill me in a flustered mess of a speech, but that's the same thing. I cared for him.

A bloodsucking vampire. And I loved one.

Notes