He pulled his phone, a very old model probably almost as old as she was out of his pocket. He considered carefully before he answered her. “I think...” He had meant to say “just as friends’, but his voice failed him.

She was young. He was very, very old. But she was... interesting. When had he last been interested by someone? When had he last been interested in someone?

She smiled hesitantly. “I have an idea, before we decide friends or not friends, if you want, if you’re okay with it.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “I am listening.”

“Will you kiss me?” She asked.

He considered her for a moment, hearing her far too casual tone, seeing in the dim light what might have been the stain of a blush on her cheeks and wanting... just wanting. When was the last time he had wanted something? Or someone?

So, he ignored the voice of doom in his head and leaned down to kiss her. He had intended it to be a chaste kiss, just a peck, but she had stolen his breath away, and then her hands were on his chest, and his were around her waist, and they were pressed together closely. He was using all his restraint not to take liberties with her.

The voice of doom came back, and he broke away from her. “Amanda, I must ask you a most uncouth question, and for that I apologize. How old are you?” He asked.

She took a deep breath before answering, looking a little dazed. He felt a little dazed himself. “I’m twenty seven, why?”

He let out a sigh, but found he could not let her go just yet. “I am two hundred and ninety nine years old.”

She blinked. “So?”

“There is a sizable age gap.” He pointed out, wishing he could ignore his brain long enough to kiss her again.

“I don’t care. I really liked you kissing me.” She answered, and smiled up at him, winding her arms around his neck. “You should do it again.”

Well, if she was going to put it that way...

He bent his head and kissed her again. He maybe had been thinking taking liberties wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all when the door to the apartment building opened, and Amanda’s father walked out and found them. They broke apart when they heard his outraged yell, and that was when Zebedee found out that Amanda’s father was Dracula.