My Vampire Bromance

Chapter 11: I Just Want to Stay Here

Victor struggled with my hair for well over an hour. The two of us sat on my bed, Victor's legs wrapped around my folded ones. I felt like a little girl getting her hair brushed by her dad.

"How long has it been since you have brushed your hair?" Victor asked me.

I sat silently between his legs, unsure of the feeling that was rising inside of me as he slowly fingered and combed through the mess of golden tangles that had become my new normal. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it."

The truth was that I thought about it all of the time. I just couldn't bring myself to brush it. My mother used to brush my hair when I was little. When she died, I continued to take care of it for a while after. Then one day, I just stopped.

"You don't have to do it anymore, it's okay," I said gingerly. I went to push myself forward, away from Victor, but he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder, pulling me back into him.

"I cannot stop now," he said tightly. "I am so close to being halfway through!" I moaned at this, wanting this intimacy to be over already. "You just stay right here and I will take care of you. But really," Victor said, leaning forward over my shoulder so that his face lined up with mine. His magenta eyes were so close to my own that it was hard not to stare at them, "You should take care of yourself. Rule number one to getting a person to like you is to show that you  can take care of yourself. Regular grooming is a must."

"Then why do you like me?" I asked. It was a surface level question, something that I had wanted to ask Victor for a while now. Why is it that you insist on being here with me? I wanted to ask.

Victor stilled, his eyes moving back and forth, a glass like glow moving about them, "Well, just one look at you and I knew you were the right person for me." He looked down, hesitating, as if he regretted his words and then looked back up,. "I mean, I could tell even through your ill-groomed hair that you are a good person. Looks don't matter to me."

"But you just said the key to getting someone to like you," I started. Victor cut me off.

"In most cases, yes, but I am an exception. As a vampire, I can tell who is worthwhile and who is not. Your hair is a simple thing for me to look past. Now a human on the other hand, especially women, who you say you want to attract. Well, they are more focused than me by far on looks." Victor drew back away from my face, his hair brushing the side of my cheek. I swallowed hard, my heart fluttering the more Victor's hands flowed through the strands of my hair.

The two of us became quiet then, Victor focusing on my hair until the brush and his fingers flowed freely through it for the first time since my parents died. I took in a deep breath focusing on the last stroke of his hands through my tresses before he finally spoke again.

"Alright, Phillip," he said softly, "all done. Now, go get a shower. Wash your hair and come back. I will brush it again. Then we'll get you dressed to go out. Tonight is Friday after all."

I turned to face Victor, still sitting between his legs, entirely too comfortable. I didn't want to move, I wanted to stay in this spot on my bed encircled by him for the rest of the night. I looked down at the pile of golden hair on the comforter and started, utterly ashamed at what had come out of my head. "Alright," I replied. I shifted out of the inner circle of his thighs, "Thanks for brushing my hair," I said sheepishly. I moved off the bed to my dresser where my clean clothes were. I had no idea what I was going to wear.

"You're welcome," Victor said.

I turned towards him to find him sitting in the exact same spot where I left him on my bed. I looked at him. At the dark haired, magenta eyed man who sat cross legged on my bed gently smiling at me.

"Now go shower and wash your hair. We have a long night ahead of us."

"Alright," I said again. When I looked back at the vampire on my bed, I couldn't tell if Victor was suddenly disgusted by me or just hungry. His face was screwed up tight, as if the smell of me was making him sick. It occurred to me that he hadn't eaten yet tonight.

"I'll be quick," I said. "You must be hungry."

Victor looked up at me slowly, opening and closing his yes like a cat when it's waiting for the inevitable can of cat food to pop open. It would only take one click, just one, for him to come running.

"I am," he said.

I made a small sound, then turned and headed into the bathroom. Victor looked as if he was completely starving and I was going to be his next meal.