I was surprised that our first date went by without as much as a lewd comment. He was actually very nice, except for when he was frightening the waiter.
After that first date we never really separated. He even gave ridiculous amounts of blood for testing just so he could visit me at work. Of course this left him woozy but he refused to stop coming.
Eventually I had to tell the staff not to take blood from him. After that he settled for having lunch together.
"Universe, you're smoking."
"Well, not to toot my own horn-"
"No, I meant literally."
"Oh, we should go inside then."
"Good idea."
All in all things were going quite well... most of the time.
Once a year he would be very depressed and apathetic, usually lasting a few weeks. He would never tell me why, only saying "I'll be fine" or "It'll pass soon, sugar".
On one of those days we lie together in bed. He often had me lie with him when he needed comfort. With my head on his chest I could hear his unsteady breathing. He was crying.
When his breathing steadied and his tears dried he finally spoke. "Genoa, I want to marry you."
My eyes popped wide open in shock. "I can't do that yet, though. I've been keeping something from you." he looked me straight in the eyes then.
"I had a daughter." I could hear his heart break as he said it.
"Had?" I asked hesitantly.
1800's Berrvania
I think I was about 23 at the time I met her. A vampberry named Plumm. She had been changed long before me.
I thought I was in love with her, so when she offered to change me I readily agreed.
After I had turned, slowly, I started to understand that my feelings for her weren't really love at all, just fascination and infatuation. But we were bound together now.
Not long after I turned, Plumm bore me a daughter, a baby vampberry we named Precious.
For a while we were able to hide from hunters, back then vampberries weren't accepted in society, but one day they found us.
A mob of them headed for our cabin. We were never the friendliest of vampberris so they were eager for our heads.
We were in a frenzy, I wanted us to run but Plumm refused to abandon our territory.
By then they had gotten too close for comfort. Territory or not Plumm still cared, at least I think she did, about our daughter and told her to run.
Scared and confused she asked me "Daddy, what's going on?" her voice shaky.
I turned on her then, angry and afraid that she would get hurt. "Dammit, Precious just run!"
She quickly sped out the back door and into the woods behind the cabin.
After that the hunters learned a valuable lesson.
Don't piss off a mother vampberry.
__
Once the hunters were dealt with we went into the woods to look for Precious. We scoured the woods for hours before we found something. Blood soaked remnants of her dress.
She was dead. My little princess was dead.
"My last words to her still ring in my ears." Dammit, Precious just run!
"Every year when her birthday rolls around...." he couldn't finish.
"What happened to Plum?" I asked to distract him, and part of me wanted to know if I had to be worried about a vampberry coming back for her man.
"She won't be coming back for me, sugar. We parted ways after that."
"You read my mind didn't you?"
A hint of a smile graced his face. "Maybe."
_______
A few months after Universe shared his past with me there was a knock at the door.
Naturally Universe was the first to get to it.
"Hi, Daddy"
___________
Cliffhanger!
I've been so excited to do this part XD
Now for some..
an outtake
fitting isn't it?
