Copyright © 2020 Kaizer Wolf
Innocent Devil's Harem | Chapter 2-1: The Busty Redhead is so HOT
After a few long minutes, Gabriella finally stepped down off the last step and began slowly walking in my direction, toward the couch. I was facing away from her, but I knew she could see that I was sitting up.
She carefully walked around the corner and then stopped when she saw that my face was completely hidden against my knees. Suddenly, I wondered if any of my white hair was showing out of the blanket.
Was that the real reason she stopped so abruptly?
Her heart was still racing as she tried to speak. “I…” She immediately stopped as her pulse burst into an even faster gallop, finding herself unable to talk.
Sighing heavily, I lifted my head up to look at her. She immediately turned her head away, clutching her hand in front of her chest. Of course, the first thing I did was confirm that she was wearing silky pajamas – dark purple ones, that highlighted her damp red hair and green eyes. Of all the things that Gabriella could have picked, she chose those, never mind the fact that my housemate must have gotten them only recently.
Seeing her in them, and thinking about Serenity in them, had my face turning red, even as the skin on my torso turned dark gray. I immediately slammed my forehead back down on my knees before my face became darker, prompting Gabriella to gasp in surprise.
“Are you okay?” she asked urgently, her concern breaking through her nervousness briefly.
I grunted in response, but didn't say anything. The gray had creeped up my neck and was climbing my jawline now. I had to get a grip!
Taking advantage of the opportunity of her slowed pulse, Gabriella finally managed to say what was on her mind. “I just wanted to thank you. I didn't get a chance earlier…” Her voice trailed off.
‘Just play dumb. Just play dumb.’
“You're welcome.”
‘Dammit, you idiot! You fucking idiot!’
I sighed heavily, annoyed at myself now. So much for that plan. But then again, would she have really believed me if I denied it at this point? Honestly, I should have just left after stabbing the serial killer, although I knew that I wouldn’t have actually done things differently if given a second chance.
It was quiet for a few minutes, both of us silent, prompting me to slowly lift my head again to see what she was doing. She had been watching me intently, but looked away the moment I made eye contact, her face flushed.
“Is that all?” I wondered, confused why she hadn't left yet. I couldn’t imagine what else she’d want.
Still looking away, she cleared her throat. “Can…” She hesitated. “Can I sit down?”
I was briefly both glad and annoyed by the fact that the couch was the only seating available in the living room. Technically, she could sit on the low coffee table a couple of feet away, but I would never ask her to do that. Granted, I might have considered it myself, were it not for the fact that I was literally trapped by my slowly transforming body, afraid to move for fear that it might scare her if she saw.
Serenity and I had a flat screen TV in the corner of the room, but it was at an odd angle from the couch, since neither of us watched it with any frequency. Instead, the furniture faced a decorated stone fireplace set into the wall, which we actually used occasionally in the winter. It was more for nostalgia though, rather than practicality, since it wasn’t great at heating upstairs on really cold nights.
However, I sincerely enjoyed the nights when we’d light it up and sit on the couch together with hot chocolate. It would definitely be considered romantic, by anyone’s standard, were it not for the fact that she was so much older than me and probably would never view me as an option for a romantic partner.
I also enjoyed the excuse to chop firewood. It gave me something kind of fun to do, even though I was aware I only liked it because it wasn’t a daily chore.
Sighing again, I nodded in response to Gabriella’s question, and she slowly plopped down at the other end of the couch, leaving an empty spot between us. She then brought her knees up to her chest and mimicked my sitting position, resting her chin on her knees. The silky purple bottoms fit her well, but the silk top wasn't as great of a fit.
Gabriella was just as thin as Serenity, but her chest was significantly larger, threatening to reveal skin between the buttons in the front. I was glad she was unintentionally hiding it with her legs. I also began to wonder if they had stopped at her apartment after all, since she was wearing a bra now. She may have just forgotten pajamas due to being in a hurry. If she was anything like Serenity, then underwear and a fresh shirt would have been her top priority.
Gabriella remained silent for a few seconds, allowing her heart to calm down, before speaking again. “Are you mad at me?” she wondered.
I glanced at her, seeing that she was looking away, thereby forcing me to respond verbally. I sighed and averted my gaze too. “No.”
“Oh,” she replied, tightening her embrace on her knees. “I wondered if that was why your hair is white right now…”
Dammit!
I quickly reached up and pulled the blanket further over my forehead, trying to cover it up, only to notice that my fingernails were black now too. Sighing, I realized that my being coy was futile at this point, especially since I was failing so miserably at it. I just needed to accept that we’d already crossed the line.
She knew my secret and there was no hiding it.
“Well, strong emotions do force it to happen,” I admitted quietly. “So anger could be one reason.”
She hesitated before responding, her heart rate picking up again. When she finally spoke, it was barely a whisper. “Am I the reason your hair is white right now?”
Not wanting to give a direct answer, I quickly changed the subject. “You didn't say anything to Serenity, right?”
“No, of course not,” she reassured me. “You asked me not to.”
Taking a deep breath, I realized that might mean she hadn’t figured it out recently. “So, you recognized me earlier, didn't you?”
I saw her tighten her grip on her knees again from the corner of my eye. “I didn't realize it was you until the light from my phone let me get a better look at your face.” She then paused, briefly glancing at me, before looking away. “I admit, I was surprised to realize Serenity’s younger…err, roommate, saved me.”
I immediately didn’t like that she included the word ‘younger,’ scoffing in response. “I’m only two years younger than you,” I retorted. “And technically an adult.”
Her eyes widened in surprise from my sudden annoyance. “Oh…” She gave me an apologetic look. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Sorry,” I replied sincerely, already regretting my tone. “I don’t know why that bothered me. You’ve been through enough without me making you feel bad.”
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She shook her head, speaking in a whisper. “No, I’m sorry.”
I tried to keep my voice gentle. “Why are you sorry?” I wondered, confused by her apology.
“Well…” She hesitated, seeming uncertain. “I mean, even Serenity doesn't know, right? Does anyone know?”
I shook my head, not wanting to meet her gaze. “Just you,” I admitted, only to be surprised when I suddenly smelt her scent become tainted with a new emotion.
Guilt.
I spoke with more empathy this time. “Hey,” I said softly, turning to look at her fully. She glanced at me, only to blush and avert her gaze. “Don’t feel guilty. If anything, it’s my fault. I didn’t have to stick around so long.”
“I’m glad you did,” she admitted quietly. “But…why did you?”
I shrugged in response, focusing on the fireplace. “I guess I was just worried about you. I didn't want to leave you all alone after what happened. I knew you were scared…” My voice trailed off.
“I still am,” she admitted.
My tone was full of shame. “Sorry.” I rested my forehead against my knees again, hiding my eyes. In response, I heard her lean toward me abruptly, causing me to flinch.
“N-No, not of you,” she exclaimed. She then pulled back when she realized she’d almost reached out to touch me. She lowered her voice as she continued. “You make me feel safe. I was glad Serenity invited me to stay the night. I would have asked anyway.”
“Oh.” I looked back up at her, and for the first time she met my gaze for several long seconds before looking away, her face flushed. “You're not afraid of me?” I wondered.
She shook her head. “I mean, you saved my life. And you live with Serenity, so that means you're safe, right?”
“If I wasn't safe, do you really think I'd tell you?”
“Well, I guess maybe not,” she replied, only to fall silent before switching subjects slightly. “What all do you eat?” she asked.
I pursed my lips, wondering why she was inquiring about my diet a second time after she’d already asked my friend. “Same stuff as you? Although, I have to admit, I really like meat.”
“Oh, well, I mean…” She paused as her face turned even more red. “Do you, like, drink blood or anything?”
I just stared at her for a second, before laughing, trying to stop myself from being too loud.
“Why is that funny?” she asked seriously, completely baffled by my reaction.
“I'm not a vampire,” I replied, continuing to chuckle. “I don't drink blood, and I wasn't bitten. As far as I know, I was born this way.”
“Oh, sorry.” Her expression dropped. “I didn't know.”
“Does that disappoint you?” I wondered seriously. “That I’m not dangerous?”
“N-No,” she stuttered. “I’m glad you’re safe. That’s actually preferable.”
“Wait.” Now I was confused. “Preferable? Are you saying it doesn’t matter to you if I’m safe or not?”
“No…” She suddenly looked away again, her cheeks turning even more red as she tried to explain herself. She then began to speak, only to stop abruptly, placing her hands over her face and remaining quiet for a few minutes before continuing. Finally, she worked up the courage to say what was on her mind. “I just…kind of like you. A lot.”
I was honestly shocked to hear her admit she liked me, prompting my spine and chest to instantly turn dark gray, but I tried to remain skeptical that her interest was sincere. “Because I saved you?” I assumed.
She shook her head with her hands still covering her face. “No, I thought that before…” She sucked in a deep breath. “When we first met…”
Still in disbelief, I scoffed. “But you don’t even know me.”
A part of me was already kicking myself in the ass for blurting that out, because I really kind of just wanted to take advantage of this situation. But the problem was that Gabriella knowing my secret meant she could betray me if things didn’t work out. Which thus meant, I couldn’t afford to start something with her when she was only interested because I’d saved her from something horrible.
Gabriella abruptly looked at me. “That’s not true,” she retorted, regarding her not knowing me. However, upon meeting my gaze, she hid her face a second time as she leaned away slightly. “I mean, okay, yes. You’re sort of right. But after we met briefly that first time, I asked Serenity more about you – asked what you were like. Although I didn’t know you cooked or were adopted until just a little bit ago.” She took a deep breath. “But, assuming she was telling me the truth, then I do really like you, and…” She paused for another few seconds, her heart rate picking up again. “And…I can tell you like me too.”
“What?” I said in surprise. “How can you tell?”
“I mean…” she started, her pulse throbbing harder as she glanced at me. “Well, I mean…don’t you?” She seemed vulnerable again, like she was afraid of being rejected, wondering if she was misinterpreting my body language.
I supposed it was stupid of me to think that my attraction to her was anything but obvious. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and then just decided to tell her the truth. “When we first met, I disappeared right away because I was really attracted to you. I almost transformed right in front of you both.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “I’m sorry!”
Instead of chastising her for apologizing again for something that really wasn’t her fault, I instead just put my forehead back down on my knees, unable to believe I’d really said it.
After I was silent for a few seconds, she continued. “Is that what’s happening right now? I’m making you…transform?”
Knowing that her eyes were on me, I simply nodded in response.
Copyright © 2020 Kaizer Wolf
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