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“Stay, please,” I said quickly, turning my hand over to thread my fingers with hers.

We didn’t exactly have a good relationship—or any, given how prickly the redhead usually was… But I didn’t want to be alone. My arm was sore, and I was exhausted. I just wanted someone there.

And to her credit, Juniper was being downright pleasant right now.

“Good. What do you want to eat? We can get some takeout on the way and watch a movie.”

The way she quickly swapped into domesticity threw me off, and thanks to a large flashing advert on the outside of one of the many high-rises, I was reminded again that tonight was in fact Valentine’s Day.

“Um, you know… You don’t have to hang out with me. I’m probably going to pass out the second I get home. Well, after a shower.”

“I want to,” she said firmly.

“It’s Valentine’s Day, Juniper.What about Elsie, Dana?—?”

“Woman, if you don’t stop worrying about goddamn vampires, I’m going to force you to watchThe Sound of Musicwith my full commentary—and I lived through World War II.They’re adults, they can handle some time without us. Let me take care of you for a couple of hours.”

“Fine,” I agreed a little sulkily, even as warmth spread in my chest. “Let’s just order in; I don’t want to stop anywhere.”

“It’s a date.”

An hour later, filled to the brim with tacos with my hair still damp from a shower, I curled into Juniper’s side. She’d picked the movie, a musical set in the ‘90s about a playwright living in New York, while I was washing away the stench of fear and remnants of my blood. We’d gorged ourselves, and Juniper redressed my arm, deciding it didn’t need stitches but that I probably shouldn’t lift anything heavy for a while.

Briefly, I wondered if I should ask her to use her saliva to help it close up. But the idea of vampire fangs coming near me for at least the next eight hours made me feel… uneasy.

If there was any positive from tonight, at least I wouldn’t have to haul kegs anytime soon.

I toyed with a strand of her coppery hair, twirling it between my fingers aimlessly as we watched the screen, my body pressed against the soft swell of the vampire’s curves.

It was, admittedly, cuddling.

Briefly, I wondered if she was thinking about how nice it felt too.

“Do you want to sleep over?” I asked, moving to grab my phone off the table and firing a text off to Kaylee, ignoring all her previous ones asking if I was okay.

“If you want. I just have to go early. Is that okay?”

Me

Juniper is staying over.

Kaylee

Are you okay?

Me

Yeah, just so fucking tired.

Kaylee

Comfort or space, Vi?

Me

Space, sorry Kayl.

Kaylee