Eva took a deep breath, her heart racing. "Alright, nope. Nope. This is not happening. You—get out."
Leonard didn't even blink. He remained seated on the couch, his crimson eyes fixed on the TV like he'd been living there for years. The screen flickered, playing some crime drama, completely ignored by the real-life crime of a vampire breaking into her house.
Eva grabbed the closest thing to her—a pillow—and hurled it at him. "Get! Out!"
Leonard tilted his head at the flying pillow like it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever seen. It hit him square in the face, then dropped to his lap. He blinked slowly, then casually picked it up and set it beside him.
"...Did you just throw a pillow at me?" he asked, voice completely deadpan.
Eva threw up her hands. "Yes! Because I don't have holy water!"
Leonard, unfazed, simply stretched, his lean frame sinking further into her couch. "I did not break in. I followed you."
Eva let out a frustrated noise. "That's the SAME thing! You don't get to just follow people into their homes like some paranormal stray cat!"
Leonard turned to her, expression utterly calm. "I have nowhere else to go."
Eva opened her mouth, ready to tell him 'not my problem,' but the words died on her tongue. He wasn't lying. He had no allies, no home, and no understanding of this world. The world he knew was long gone.
But that didn't mean she had to take him in!
"Not my problem," she said, finally finding her voice. "Go find a vampire motel or something."
Leonard raised an eyebrow. "Do such places exist?"
Eva groaned. "Of course not! But you can't stay here!"
Leonard didn't argue. He just… stared at her. That same unreadable gaze. It made her feel unsettled. Like he was seeing through her words, through her annoyance, right to that tiny part of her that felt bad for him.
No. Nope. Not happening.
She crossed her arms. "How did you even find my house?"
Leonard answered easily. "I followed you."
Eva rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you said that. But how? I took a van! You weren't in it!"
Leonard's lips quirked slightly. "I ran."
Eva blinked. "...You ran?"
He nodded.
"Like, ran-ran? On foot?"
Another nod.
Eva exhaled, pressing her fingers against her temples. "You're insane. I'm living with an actual insane vampire."
Leonard ignored her and glanced at the TV again. "Where is Felix Lombard?"
Eva froze. "...What?"
"Felix Lombard," Leonard repeated, his voice edged with something she couldn't place. "He was the king when I was last awake. What became of him?"
Eva hesitated. Felix Lombard? That name was ancient history. He was once the King of Europe, back when monarchs actually ruled the continent. A powerful leader, but a human one.
"He's dead," she said bluntly. "Been dead for a long time."
Leonard's expression didn't change, but something flickered behind his eyes. Something dark. He turned his gaze away, his posture still relaxed—but now, too relaxed. Like he was masking something.
Before Eva could ask more, Leonard suddenly tensed.
His head snapped toward the window. His eyes darkened, pupils dilating like an animal sensing danger.
Eva frowned. "...What?"
Leonard stood, his body suddenly alert. "They know."
A chill ran down Eva's spine. "Who knows what?"
Leonard turned to her, and for the first time since she met him, there was something sharp in his gaze. "The ones who forced me into slumber. They know I have awakened."
Eva's stomach twisted. "And that's… bad, right?"
Leonard didn't answer. Instead, he walked toward the door, his presence suddenly heavier, darker. A storm was coming, and it had started with him.
Eva swallowed hard. What the hell have I gotten myself into?