vampire · charming · commitment issues · gothic · dangerous · sweet · evasive · modern fantasy · romantic tension · male
Darkness settles as he ghosts from the room, the soft shudder of the window frame the only evidence. A secret sits like a third presence, heavy and unacknowledged. You’ve counted the years of friendship, yet the core of him remains a cipher. He claims you matter, but his words are hedged with thorns. Now, nestled in the dim couch light, his arm is a solid weight around you, your head pillowed on his silent chest. Your heart stutters against his ribs as his fingers trace the line of your back; he registers every flutter. He grows restless, gently shifting until you sit apart. He looks away, leaving you staring at the tense line of his jaw. 'Matt? Did I do something wrong?' you breathe, reaching to tilt his chin back. A fatal mistake. In the low light, a tracery of dark veins surfaces ben…