“That’s awesome,” Nos said, a little envy coloring his admiration. “I still don’t know what I’ll do after graduation. I’ve just been taking whatever classes fit.”

“There’s a lot you can explore until you figure it out,” Cal suggested. “This isn’t a race.”

Nos smiled, feeling lighter. “Is it too soon to ask if you want to raise kids?”

“Not too soon,” Cal said, surprising him. “That goes for your question and kids. I’d like to adopt, but not unless you’re around to help.”

“I plan to be around.”

“We’ll see,” Cal said with a crooked smile, and Nos got the message. He still had work to do.

“What can I do to earn your trust?” Nos asked the question earnestly.

“I wish I knew,” Cal admitted. “Just... don’t bail, and we’ll figure it out.”

The two of them cuddled on the couch, talking about everything from their favorite colors to their favorite music genres. Before long, they both fell asleep.

***

As Nos stirred, his lungs filled with Cal’s gentle scent, like the woods after it rained. He didn’t know when he’d fallen asleep, but the two of them were tangled together on the couch. Nos would have blamed jetlag if it wasn’t for the fact that the cambion in his arms was also dead asleep.

His heart gave a couple of hard thuds at the sight. Nos wanted to always wake up like this, with his fated match half-sprawled on top of him, unruly azure curls making all other surrounding colors dull by comparison. The light that filtered through the blinds of the window should have scared him, but a part of him sensed that it wasn’t the sunlight he knew; it was too soft.

As his eyes adjusted, he noticed that there was a blue tinge to Cal’s gray horns, wings, and tail. The only way to tell was against the neutral gray of the couch. But Nos felt pride in his vampire inheritance that he could tell the slight difference.

When the soft light rose, the cambion began to stir. Soon, Nos was staring into unfocused hazel eyes. “Hey,” he greeted.

Cal shifted and tugged himself up so that he could take hold of Nos’s face in his hands.

Nos then felt Cal’s fingers through his hair.

“The fuck is this?” Cal grumbled. “No drool, no bedhead. Do you even get morning breath?”

Suddenly feeling self-conscious about his breath, Nos nodded instead, covering his mouth with a hand before speaking. “I could use a spare toothbrush, if you have one.”

But Cal’s attention was still on his hair. “So freaking shiny and soft… it just keeps falling back into place unless it’s damp or something.”

“Hair gel and mousse can also keep it in just about any style,” Nos said. “I’ve a friend who does that every day, styles his hair into golden swoops.”

“Oh? Sounds like that guy preens like a vampire,” Cal said as he sat up and stretched. “Is he someone I should know about?”

“Blake? Yeah, Blake to me is like your Emi, and I do plan to introduce you to each other someday. He helped get me here.”

“Alright,” Cal said, standing up. “I’ll try not to judge him before I meet him, then. Now, where are those toothbrushes…”

Nos peered over at the light coming through the window while Cal headed into the restroom. Instead of golden sunlight, it was almost lavender in hue. He didn’t know whether it would be safe to walk beneath it or not.

“We’ve got a black one and a white one,” Cal said when he returned, showing him the two soft-bristled bamboo brushes. “Which one do you want?”

Nos went for the black one, ignoring Cal’s little amused “Knew it.”

Cal explained how the shower worked while Nos carefully brushed his teeth and fangs. Cal left him a large, fluffy green towel on the toilet seat and left to bring back one of the travel bags Luc had packed. Nos was relieved not to have to worry about finding clothes that fit.

“Thank you.”

“The bag was already in the master bedroom,” Cal confessed. “Uncle Zuma doesn’t mess around, does he?”

Nos tensed at the mention of their liege. If yesterday truly counted as one of his seven days, he was already down to six, and he had next to nothing to show for it. Cal was willing to go at his pace, but it was Nos’s pace that was the problem. Freaking snails mated faster.

With the impending deadline in mind, Nos put more thought into what to wear. Everyday clothes accentuated a physical feature or more, from what he’d seen of the incubi. So, after a shower, Nos chose a pair of tight jeans and a sleeveless black sports shirt.

He couldn’t look at himself in the mirror to approve of his own choices, but the outright stare that Cal pinned him with when Nos stepped out of the restroom spoke volumes. The cambion walked right into the doorframe on his way in just because he couldn’t stop staring, and Nos had to bite back a laugh at the sight.

But it wasn’t long before Cal’s outfit of the day put Nos’s chosen clothes to shame. He wore a pair of army-green harem overalls, one side undone, with a brown tank underneath. The material was soft and clung to his backside. Nos didn’t know why, but the dangling loop and the way Cal’s tail dropped under the shirt hem and over the dip of the overalls had him fighting down a blush.

“Do you have classes to attend?” Nos asked.

“Not for another month,” Cal said. “Our semesters run similarly to the Ame-onnas, which is why we were all part of the multicultural group. If you’d like, I can help you apply for the new semester.”

“I was actually thinking of getting a job.”

Cal looked surprised, as if he hadn’t expected that response. “Here in Helderlus?” he finally asked.

“Yeah,” Nos said. “Unless I need a degree first to be hired?”

Cal shook his head. “All jobs here start with a paid training program for the first three months. What are you interested in doing?”

“Maybe auto repair or working at a dealership,” Nos said. “If bikes are involved, even better.”

A smile tugged at Cal’s lips. “I was serious when I said I knew a guy. He has his own shop and can show you how to repair your ‘baby’ if you want.”

“If I can find a way to bring it with me,” Nos said. “I had to leave it behind.”

“Need a good cry?” Cal teased. “It’s alright. I know I'm in second place.”

“No, while it holds some sentiment, you are far more important to me,” Nos said so seriously that Cal’s smile fell.

“Always with the pretty words,” he replied with a drier smile. Cal then nodded towards the front door. “I’m curious about Uncle Sven’s breakfast menu. Wanna head that way to start?”

“Is your daylight safe for vampires?”

“Starlight. And give me some credit,” Cal corrected, his expression becoming impish, rounded brows waggling as he held out a hand for Nos to take. “Can’t have you burn to a crisp before I get a good look at you naked.”

Nos fought another blush, but eagerly grasped Cal’s hand. Any trace of apprehension was chased away with the cambion’s words. Instead, he felt a touch of excitement when Cal opened the door, and they stepped out into the starlight that was Helderlus’s version of morning.

The star that illuminated the sky was bright purple and a third as large as the sun that Nos usually avoided. A very pale purple tinged everything that was illuminated, imperceptible to most eyes, but not to the sharp eyes of someone with vampire genetics. The warmth it radiated was as soft as a caress, not stinging in the slightest. Nos was struck with awe at the thought that he could spend an entire day outside in Helderlus without fear of being incinerated.

“You look like a man about to die of thirst standing beneath a clear, steady rainpour,” Cal jibbed. “I’m surprised your mouth didn’t gape open, too.”

Nos closed his eyes with a smile and stretched his arms out slightly, savoring the soft, soft warmth.

“Lucky we’ve had vampires living here in the past who did all the research,” Cal said as he gently wrapped a hand around one of Nos’s elbows and tugged. “And as cute as you look enjoying the starshine, I need to eat.”

Nos’s smile widened as he allowed Cal to lead them towards The Markhor’s Balls. When they walked up to the reception area, the host recognized them and led them to a small table near the kitchen.

“I’ll let Chef Sven know you’re here,” the host said after handing each of them a menu.

“Thanks,” Cal said, not missing a beat. He perused the breakfast section of the menu before addressing Nos. “Is there anything you recognize on the menu that you’d suggest?”

Nos looked over the menu and grinned. “Everything is good,” he said. “And it all comes with Sven’s amazing hash browns, so you can’t go wrong with any of it.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Cal said as he made his choice, stacked their menus together, and set them on the side of the table.

Sven came over to take their orders after a round of hearty hugs. Cal asked what Aunt Savvie was up to, and they learned that she ran a custom shoe and belt shop that specialized in proper fits.

“I’ve been wanting to stop by that shop,” Cal said. “I wonder if they can make me a pair of long boots that fit my ridiculous calves.”

“I don’t think your calves are ridiculous,” Nos countered. “I don’t think any part of your body is ridiculous.”

Cal’s tail swayed, but a frown marred his face. “It’s my human half, or the mix of genes,” he confessed. “No matter what I do, this is the shape my body keeps wanting to retain.”

Nos slid his hand over to lace their fingers together. “It’s only recently that my vampire genes kicked in. I had thick glasses and messy hair. My purebred peers kept giving me a hard time, and said I smelled awful.” Cal looked at him in incredulity. “I know better now, but I didn’t then.” He lifted Cal’s hand to smell the wrist, his orange eyes falling to half-mast as he sent him a glance. “I really enjoy your scent, though. Soothing. Like a canopy after rainfall.”

The cambion worried his lower lip, Cal’s body and tail tensed as if he were holding back from doing something, and Nos hoped he hadn’t offended him.

Cal’s Adam’s apple dipped as he swallowed and composed himself, shifting in his seat. “D-don’t look at me like that if you don’t want to get groped in public,” he finally said.

Nos let out a little huff as he started to realize that whenever he put serious effort into pleasing Cal, it rarely worked. It was the smallest touch or glance that got through to him, instead.

Now, Nos just had to hope that enough of those unintended moments earned him Cal’s heart by week’s end.

“It’s official,” Cal said a few minutes later as he went to town on the hashbrowns on his plate. “We have similar tastes in food. I’ll never doubt your recommendations again.”

Nos snickered and tried to focus on his own food. But it was difficult to keep his eyes on his own plate when blissful expressions kept showing up on his cambion’s face.

“Glad you approve,” Nos replied. “Any specific plans today?”

“I’d like to hit up Auntie Savvie’s shop. Get us some matching shoes and some outfits for the upcoming Glass Moon Fest.”

“Glass Moon Fest?”

“Yeah, it’s coming up in a couple of days. It’s one of my favorite events of the year,” Cal explained. “That reminds me, I haven’t even asked you if you wanted to go. Do you? And do you mind if we wore matching outfits?”

“Sure,” Nos affirmed. “What’s the festival about?”

“Crafters and artisans work together to create these amazing life-size sculptures, and they set up individual booths with their wares, most of them one-of-a-kind, as it’s all done by hand,” Cal said, his hazel eyes bright as he described it. “There are food vendors, as well, with seasonal dishes and desserts that mimic glass pieces.”

“And it’s held annually?”

Cal nodded. “The tradition began ages ago, when glass blowers used to trade wares with carpenters and other crafters. Oh! And there’s live music and dancing. Not that we have to dance if you don’t want to.”

Nos locked eyes with the cambion as he responded. “I do want to dance with you.”

Cal gripped his fork tightly and looked away first. “Then, here’s to hoping I don’t step on your feet.”

Nos wasn’t concerned in the slightest. Cal could step on his feet all night long if it meant that Nos could keep the cambion in his arms. Then he squashed down a sigh when he realized that the calm and excitement he felt about dancing with Cal couldn’t apply to other physical aspects of their budding relationship.

If only he could narrow down the root cause of his insecurities. He couldn’t very well blame his biological parents for everything he felt and did. Just where was the line?

Every time something went wrong- when he froze, when fear or bloodlust twisted inside him, Nos’s thoughts circled back to Andrea.

He subconsciously replayed her worst moments, her cruelty, her isolation, the way she let her hunger rule everything. Was his own terror just cowardice, or was it the first sign he was becoming her?

Nos hated how much space she took up in his mind, how even now, he measured himself against her shadow. If he couldn’t escape those memories, how could he be sure he wouldn’t someday become the monster he dreaded?