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The night had crept quietly through the house, wrapping every corner in the hushed murmur of the trees outside and the distant ticking of a clock still working somewhere in the dark.
Nate had been hunched over the notebook for hours, his fingers dust-stained as he turned page after page, deciphering encrypted symbols and notes with a patience that bordered on stubbornness. Every now and then, he would pause to roll his shoulders, close his eyes, and mentally retrace the sequence of symbols he had just cracked, afraid he might lose the thread if he rested too long.
Alice had tried as well. She had sat beside him at first, leaning over the pages as her golden eyes followed the lines of symbols, but even for someone like her, with a sharp mind and flawless memory, it was complicated.
"You're good at this," she had said at one point, offering a brief, tired smile before getting up to let him focus.
She decided to give him space, wandering silently through the house as the floorboards creaked under her light steps. She would stop to look at fallen photo frames, gently touching the broken corners as she studied the fragments of Nate's life scattered across the rooms. She spent a while in the hallway, her gaze fixed on a photo of Nate as a child with his father, both wearing faint smiles in front of a campfire, before returning without him noticing.
Nate kept going. Occasionally, he would let out a frustrated whisper when he came across symbols he couldn't decipher, but he forced himself not to get stuck. Whenever a page became too much, he would move on, marking it mentally to revisit later with a fresh mind.
Night turned into dawn, and when exhaustion began to seep into his bones, he realized he had reached the final pages. He closed the notebook gently, the click of the clasp echoing in the empty room, and rubbed his eyes with both hands, feeling the burn of fatigue behind his eyelids.
"Did you find anything?" Alice asked softly from the doorway. Her voice startled him just slightly, and he looked up to see her leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, a quiet concern in her gaze.
Nate let out a sigh, setting the notebook on the desk as he leaned back in his chair.
"It's… complicated," he admitted, letting his hands fall to his sides. "I'll need more time. It's well encrypted, but I'm starting to piece things together. It seems like some kind of research log."
Alice stepped a bit closer, her boots landing softly on the dust-covered carpet.
"Research on what?" she asked.
Nate shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to organize his thoughts.
"I'm not sure. I could only read a few words and phrases. It mentions people, names I don't recognize, but it doesn't explain why he was researching them or what they meant to him. Some pages have cross-referenced notes, habits, traits… but it's like puzzle pieces with no context."
He paused, his brow furrowing as he recalled the last few pages.
"What caught my attention was that at the end of the log… the handwriting becomes sloppy, almost desperate." His voice lowered, tinged with unease. "And there's one word that keeps repeating: 'Children.'"
Alice tilted her head curiously.
"Do you think he was referring to you, or something like that?" she asked softly.
Nate looked at her, his eyes reflecting the exhaustion and confusion weighing on him. He shook his head slowly.
"No… at least not that part." He picked up the notebook again, running his thumb along the edges of the pages. "I'm sure one of the entries mentions things about me, things I… I did or said." He swallowed, eyes fixed on the notebook's worn cover. "But he didn't go into detail. It's like he started writing about it and then… just left it unfinished."
Alice frowned.
"And the last entry? The one that repeats 'Children.'"
Nate met her gaze, the confusion in his eyes clear.
"It's strange, Alice. I don't fully understand why he uses it so much at the end, like something's missing." He took a breath, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Whatever it was, it made him nervous. The last words started to lose coherence."
Silence filled the room, heavy, as the faint glow of dawn began to peek through the dust-covered windows.
Alice placed a hand on his shoulder, firm yet warm.
"You found a lot for your first day, Nate," she said gently, her voice calm as she extended her hand toward him. "Now… you should rest."
Nate opened his mouth to protest, but the exhaustion weighed on him, and the touch of her hand lowered his guard.
Alice took his hand gently, her cold fingers intertwining with his as she helped him up from the old chair. She led him softly down the dark hallway toward the room where he used to sleep, each step echoing in the empty house.
They entered the room in a loaded silence, broken only by the creak of the wooden floor beneath their boots and the distant whisper of the wind seeping through the cracks of the house. The air was cold, carrying a faint scent of dust and old wood that blended with the stillness of the night.
Nate sat on the edge of the bed, the notebook in his hands, flipping it slowly as his gaze remained fixed on the worn cover. His shoulders were tense, and the restless glint in his eyes made it clear his mind was still racing.
Alice watched him from the doorway, her golden eyes studying him calmly. She stepped forward with fluid movements, stopping in front of him.
"Aren't you going to sleep?" she asked softly, her voice breaking the silence with a serenity that contrasted with Nate's restless energy.
Nate didn't look up from the notebook. His fingers tightened around its edges before he sighed.
"I can't," he admitted, the exhaustion in his voice undeniable. "Every word I decipher… every phrase I understand… it leaves me with more questions. It's like if I stop now, I'll lose something."
Alice looked at him with a spark of understanding in her eyes before leaning toward him. Gently, she placed her cold hand on the cover of the notebook and calmly took it from his grasp. She walked over to the desk and set it down firmly, making sure it was out of his immediate reach.
Without saying a word, she dragged the desk chair next to the bed and sat down gracefully, crossing one leg over the other as she watched him.
Now, without the notebook in his hands, Nate slowly lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a clenched jaw. His muscles were heavy with exhaustion, but his mind wouldn't shut off, sparking with every word he had managed to understand.
Alice watched him for a moment, tilting her head with a small smile as she rested an elbow on the chair's back.
"I can hear your pulse," she remarked lightly, though her voice carried a protective warmth. "You're exhausted."
Nate closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them, exhaling heavily.
"I know… but I can't turn off my mind."
Alice observed him in silence before speaking softly.
"I know you're the type that, once something is stuck in your head, you can't let it go," she said, a hint of humor in her smile.
Nate managed a small smile, turning his face slightly to look at her.
"I think I've changed a bit," he replied tiredly, with a trace of humor.
Alice arched an eyebrow, her golden eyes glinting as she watched him.
"Maybe you have…" she murmured, a flicker of nostalgia crossing her gaze. "Because the first time we met in English class… You were like a different person."
Nate let out a low laugh, running a hand over his face as a touch of embarrassment crossed his features.
"Back then… I could barely get a word out around you."
Alice rested an elbow on her knee, her chin in her hand, a playful smile crossing her face.
"It was so obvious, you know?" she teased softly. "I pretended not to notice, but I could see how you looked at me… like you couldn't believe I was real."
Nate dropped his hand from his face, looking at her with a defeated smile.
"You weren't entirely wrong," he admitted.
Alice let out a soft, musical laugh, her hair shifting gracefully as she tilted her head.
"It was cute," she said honestly, though her smile still held a playful edge. "Seeing you try so hard not to stare at me… and when you finally spoke, you didn't say anything smart."
Nate laughed genuinely, a hint of challenge in his eyes.
"You caught me off guard…" he acknowledged, adding with a more confident smile, "but now, that's impossible."
Alice raised an eyebrow in amusement, a playful spark in her gaze as she tilted her head slightly.
"Impossible?" she repeated softly, her voice teasing and curious.
Alice smiled softly before gracefully shifting onto the bed with him, moving with the feline ease that came naturally to her. She positioned herself in front of Nate, her face level with his, and without warning, placed a gentle kiss on his nose.
Nate blinked in surprise before letting out a low laugh that mixed with Alice's clear, musical giggle. For a moment, the tension in Nate's chest seemed to dissolve, replaced by the simple warmth of that moment.
When their laughter faded, they remained in silence, looking at each other in the dim light filtering through the window. Alice's golden eyes glowed softly as their gazes locked, the air charged with something deeper than words.
Nate felt his pulse quicken inevitably, warmth rising up his neck as he realized how close they were. Alice arched an eyebrow in amusement, a sly smile playing at her lips as her eyes roamed over him with familiar ease.
"You know what's funny?" she whispered teasingly. "It's only now hitting you that you're about to spend two weeks alone with your girlfriend."
Nate let out a short laugh, running a hand over the back of his neck while shaking his head.
"With everything going on… I hadn't thought about it like that," he replied with a smile, softer now as he looked at her.
Alice tilted her head slightly, her hair brushing his cheek as she watched him warmly. They stayed silent for another moment, gazing into each other's eyes as if the world around them had faded, leaving only Nate's quickening heartbeat and Alice's quiet stillness.
"You know…" she murmured, her voice tinged with sudden sincerity and tenderness, "even though we've only been together a few days… I don't remember ever feeling as happy as I do now." She lowered her gaze briefly before meeting his eyes again. "Thank you for that, Nate."
Warmth tightened in Nate's chest as he smiled. He lifted a hand, placing it gently on Alice's cold cheek, his thumb brushing softly against her skin as he held her gaze.
"When we finish all of this…" he said quietly, a promise in his words, "we'll be able to enjoy our time together even more, without anything getting in the way." His lips curved into a genuine smile. "And by the way… thank you for being here. For sticking with me… and for being patient."
Alice smiled, a small but deeply contented smile that lit up her golden eyes. Nate, seizing the moment, leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, just a soft brush, moved by the warmth between them.
Alice blinked in surprise before letting out a soft laugh, leaning in again to return the kiss, just as quick, just as warm.
Their lips parted with a soft sound, leaving their faces inches apart as they smiled, their breaths mingling in the cold air of the room.
Nate leaned in again, brushing her lips in a quick kiss, then another, and another still, each one just a little longer than the last, each one filling the air with a charged warmth that contrasted with the coolness that Alice radiated even through her clothes. Their lips found each other in soft repetition until, almost without realizing it, Nate slid a hand to the back of Alice's neck, his fingers tangling in her soft hair as the kiss deepened.
Alice let out a soft sigh, her cold breath mingling with the heat rising in Nate's throat as her lips parted hungrily. Nate's tongue met hers in a slow, wet, enveloping rhythm, each breath matching the quickening beat in his chest.
The temperature difference was a jolt with every touch. Alice's body was cold, inhumanly so, making each contact send shivers across his skin as the heat pooling in his abdomen clashed with the addictive chill that surrounded him.
They broke the kiss briefly for air before Nate lowered his mouth to Alice's neck, pressing a warm kiss, then another lower down, feeling her icy skin tense beneath his lips. Her nonexistent pulse was replaced by the frantic pounding of his own, vibrating against her. Alice arched her neck, letting out a soft, pleased sound that disappeared into the room as Nate's hands slid quickly down her sides to her waist, gripping her hips firmly.
Alice responded by sliding her hands down decisively, slipping a hand beneath Nate's shirt. Her cold fingers traced over the warm skin of his abdomen, brushing over the lines of his muscles, making him shiver and let out a low gasp. The contrast felt like an electric jolt, each caress leaving a burning trail.
In a smooth motion, Alice climbed onto him, straddling his lap, her hips settling against his in a slow, intentional sway. The controlled weight of her body pressed down on him, each subtle shift of her hips sending a pulse of pleasure mixed with a slight ache through Nate's waist, who, instead of pulling away, sought the rhythm, pushing up gently as his hands slid under Alice's blouse, tracing the cold skin of her back, feeling the curve of her waist as she shivered under his touch.
Each of Alice's movements grew firmer, sometimes almost too much, making Nate feel a sharp ache that blended with the desire pooling in his abdomen. His hands held firmly to her hips as his mouth found hers again in a deeper, hungrier kiss, their breaths mixing in ragged rhythm.
Alice's lips broke from his, trailing cold kisses down his jaw, moving lower to his neck, lifting his shirt with deliberate motions, letting her icy breath sweep over Nate's bare chest before leaving a slow kiss on his abdomen, right where the tension gathered. Nate shuddered, his hands moving up to tangle in Alice's hair, holding her as the cold air she exhaled sent chills racing across his heated skin.
Driven by a hungry impulse, Nate slid a hand up to Alice's chest, brushing carefully against her breasts, a firm yet gentle touch that made her sigh, the sound vibrating against his skin. Her hips rocked against him with a firmer sway, demanding more from Nate, who let out a low moan as his hands roamed her back, pressing her closer to him.
Alice's golden eyes met his with an intense glow before seeking his lips again in a deep, wet, charged kiss, their bodies finding a faster rhythm, tension building with each breath.
When Nate's heartbeat was so strong it hurt, when his heat merged with Alice's addictive chill and their hips moved in a frenzied rhythm, Nate sat up with her still straddling him, her legs wrapped around his waist as they shared one last short kiss before pulling back just enough to look at each other.
With a swift tug, Nate pulled off his shirt, revealing his torso, the sheen of sweat highlighting the definition of his muscles as the cold air kissed his heated skin. Alice watched him with hunger in her eyes, her cold hands running over his chest, feeling the latent heat beneath her palms.
Nate carefully slid his hands along Alice's waist, lifting her blouse slowly, almost savoring the moment as she leaned back to help him, letting the garment fall to the floor. Their bodies paused for a second, on the brink of seeking each other again, lips brushing in the prelude of another kiss—
When suddenly, Alice tensed on top of him, freezing, her golden eyes snapping toward the window with icy alertness, her breath halting as the room filled with a thick silence.
Nate's pulse thundered in his ears as his warm breath clashed with Alice's cold exhale.
In a movement too fast to track, Alice slipped her blouse back on and moved to the window, her golden eyes sharp, scanning every shadow in the dark.
Her voice, low and taut with tension, broke the moment:
"I just smelled a vampire nearby."
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Author's Notes: Triple release! I'm happy because I had a marathon on Patreon this weekend. I particularly liked the last few chapters. If my calculations are correct, you're a week away from reaching them. Look forward to them!
I hope for support with Powerstones!