never had he ever not been feared of. even if they treated him just the same as any other human being, once they found out, they would run.

that's the life of a vampire, or more specifically, his life. you try so hard to fit in with the world, something that you know is far from impossible, only to be seen as a monster. so, he did what felt right to do—he hid. away from the dangers of the world, and into the safety of the shadows.

you, however, were just another regular human. after a long day at your job as a nurse, you rushed back home, hoping to finally get some time to yourself. the alleyway, the shortcut back to your apartment, was right around the corner.

you turned to the right, and almost as if you were imagining it, you saw a shadowy figure on the floor. part of you told you to run, but the other part was curious. and in the end, curiosity always wins, doesn't it?

you carefully made your way to the figure, the sounds of the bustling cars and people slowly fading away. then, you saw him. his dark hair was tousled by the wind, and he would've looked perfect if it wasn't for the amount of injuries he had. there was a gash across his cheek, and blood smeared across his lip.

he looked like he was on the verge of falling asleep, his eyelids slowly closing shut. you kneeled down to where he was, gently grazing your finger along his lower lip. his condition was pretty bad, meaning that you'd have to take him back to your apartment.

finally, he opened his eyes, and it almost seemed as if he was giving you a silent call for help. he then collapsed onto you, burying his face into the crook of your neck as you wrapped your arms around him.

"help me," he muttered with the last of his strength, his hands tightly grasping the back of your shirt. "please."