The Dance

The lights in the bar had dimmed even further, leaving behind a soft, almost ethereal glow that cast long shadows across the floor. The last customer had left an hour ago, and the usual hum of the bar was replaced with silence—except for the occasional clink of glass as Zane wiped down the counters for the final time.

His mind, however, was far from the task at hand. His thoughts kept drifting back to Nyx. To her laugh. To the way she had moved against him, her body warming in his arms as they danced, the brief moment of quiet intimacy that had passed between them. The passionate kiss they had shared. It was something entirely different from anything he'd ever experienced, something that felt both terrifying and inevitable.

She hadn't said much after the music ended, but Zane could feel the change in the air. The energy between them had shifted. What started as playful flirtation had turned into something more. Something raw, something deeper. But he wasn't sure if he was ready for what came next. After all, this was new territory.

He couldn't help but glance toward the door, where Nyx had wandered off a few minutes ago, probably to gather her things. She had stayed for a while after they danced, but Zane knew she had to leave eventually. He could feel the weight of the night closing in, and he couldn't help but wonder if she had felt the same way. If that subtle, electric pull between them had been as real for her as it had been for him.

Just as he was finishing up at the bar, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. The distinct click of boots on the hardwood floors echoed through the silent space.

Turning slowly, Zane saw Nyx standing in the doorway, her silhouette framed by the soft light from the street outside. She had changed into a black leather jacket, the same quiet confidence about her that had drawn him in from the start.

"Are you still here?" she asked, her voice low but warm, as though the night hadn't shifted at all. As though they hadn't just shared a dance and an entire evening of unsaid words.

Zane raised an eyebrow, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I could ask you the same thing."

Nyx stepped into the room fully, walking toward the bar but not sitting down, her gaze fixed on him. Her eyes were intense, thoughtful—almost as if she were reading him, like she was trying to figure out what exactly this was between them.

"I wasn't planning to stay, but after I stepped out to get air, my feet kind of carried me back," she said softly, her voice filled with anxiety now that the music had stopped. " I figured I should check in. See how you're doing. You know"

Zane tilted his head, taking in her words, her hesitation. "How am I doing?" He chuckled softly, leaning against the bar. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged slightly, a faint smile playing at her lips. "You know... after everything that happened. The dance. The kiss." Her voice trailed off, as if testing the waters.

He crossed his arms, watching her carefully. There was something about her that made him want to be honest, to lay it all out there, even though part of him was terrified of where it might lead. But that was the thing with Nyx—she had a way of making the impossible seem possible, of making him want to reach for things he didn't even know he wanted.

"Yeah. That was... something else," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "I didn't expect it."

"Neither did I," she replied, her voice steady, though the flicker of doubt in her eyes betrayed her. "But maybe it's not about what we expected. Maybe it's about what's... right. What feels right, you know?"

Zane pushed off from the bar, moving slowly toward her. The air between them seemed to thrum with a kind of magnetic pull. The closer he got, the more he could feel the tension, the raw energy between them. He stopped a few inches away, close enough that he could feel the heat radiating from her body.

"Are you sure about that?" Zane asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "About what's right?"

Nyx took a small step forward, closing the distance just a little more. Her gaze didn't waver. "I'm not sure about anything anymore," she admitted. "But I'm not scared of it. Not of this."

Her words hung in the air for a moment, and then, almost without thinking, Zane reached out, gently cupping her cheek. His thumb traced the curve of her jaw, his touch light but steady. He gently tilted her face so that their lips were just mere inches apart. The contact sent a jolt of electricity through him, and he saw the same effect in her eyes—something flickering, something undeniable. She gasped as if she had felt it too, her body instinctively moving closer. 

She was so close now, her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but the words didn't come. Instead, she closed the gap between them, the space between them disappearing in an instant.

The kiss was soft at first—tentative— the moment their lips met, everything else in the world faded away. Time slowed, the buzzing of the machines in the bar, the world outside, all of it was gone. It was just the two of them, caught in a single, electric moment.

When they pulled away, the space between them felt even more charged than before. Neither of them spoke, not at first. They simply stood there, the soft thrum of their heartbeats the only sound in the room.

Nyx was the first to break the silence, her voice quieter than before, but still steady. "I don't know where this is going, Zane. But I think... I think we both need to figure it out."

Zane smiled, a small, almost sad smile, but there was a warmth in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "I don't know either. But I don't think I'm ready to let it go just yet."

She gave him a look—one that told him she didn't have all the answers, but that she was willing to take this next step with him. And for Zane, that was more than enough for now.

As the last of the bar's lights flickered, casting long shadows on the floor, they stood there together, in the stillness of the night, the kind of silence that seemed to press against the walls and seep into the corners of the bar. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was full of unspoken things, things that neither of them had quite figured out yet. After the kiss, after the quiet understanding that passed between them, Zane knew he couldn't leave things unsaid. Not anymore.

He was standing a little farther back now, leaning against the bar, his arms crossed, his eyes not quite meeting hers. The large room felt too small for the weight of the conversation he knew was coming, but he couldn't put it off. Not when she was so close to him, not when she had already seen more of him than anyone in years.

Nyx wasn't speaking. She was just watching him, her eyes full of the same silent curiosity that had been there all night—curiosity, and something else. Something that made Zane want to tell her everything.

But could he?

The thing was, Zane had lived a long time. Longer than he cared to admit. He'd watched as the world shifted and changed around him, and in some strange way, he'd always managed to remain... outside of it. He had learned that some things were best kept hidden. There were pieces of his past that didn't need to be shared. Especially with someone who might not understand, someone who wasn't ready to hear them.

Still, there was a part of him—deep down—that wanted to open up, and wanted to show Nyx the pieces of himself that had been locked away for centuries.

"Nyx," he began, his voice softer than before, almost like a confession. "I've been alive a long time. Longer than most people would guess."

He could feel her gaze intensifying as she stepped closer, no longer standing across the room from him, but now a mere foot away. Her presence was almost magnetic, pulling him in despite the heavy weight of what he was about to say.

"A long time," he repeated, his voice quieter now, the words heavy. "I'm just about 300 years old, Lovie. I wasn't always like this. Not the way you see me now. Like Jax said the other night, we've been through some things."

She nodded, listening intently, and Zane could see the flicker of understanding in her eyes. She had questions—he could see it—but she was letting him speak first.

"I was... born human. A long time ago. I remember being like anyone else, living a normal life. But that changed, for reasons I don't even fully understand. I was... turned. And after that, everything changed."

Nyx didn't flinch, didn't pull away. She just stood there, her gaze locked onto him, waiting for him to continue.

"I spent decades, centuries really, running from one thing to the next. Not caring much for anyone or anything. I stayed on the outskirts of the world, watched it change, watched the people I knew—people I loved—move on. I had a lot of time, Nyx. Too much time." His eyes darkened, and he looked away briefly, fighting the memories that threatened to overwhelm him. "There were times I thought I'd never make it through. That I'd lose myself in the years. But I didn't."

Nyx stayed quiet, her brain processing his words carefully. She didn't know how to process his Truth. But this had been what she wanted. Some institute to the man- the vampire whom she gravitated too. The world was weird, and for some reason, destiny deemed that it was the right time-right person. It nearly fueled his anxiety to think about it.

Zane stopped talking, taking a breath before continuing. He took a minute to choose what he said next, as it could make or break what he was going to say later. "I've met a lot of people, seen a lot of things. I've lived through famines, wars, and revolutions, hell, even segregation. And through it all, I've learned one thing." He stepped closer, his voice dropping a little lower, more intense now. "I've learned that people change. That they're capable of so much more than they know. But I've also learned that the ones who truly matter... they never stay for long."

His gaze flickered to her, and something in her eyes seemed to soften, but the confusion still lingered. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it yet; she was waiting for the rest of the story.

Zane let out a quiet sigh. "But that's the thing. Some of those people? They come back. Over and over. In different forms. Different lives." His voice trailed off, and for a brief moment, his walls cracked, revealing a flicker of something far older, far more guarded. "I've seen it before."

She raised an eyebrow, taking a small step closer, her voice gentle but curious. "What do you mean, 'come back'?"

Zane swallowed, the weight of his words almost too much to bear. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, one that was far steeper than he'd ever realized. "I mean, I've lived through the lives of people who were... who were once important to me. And when I say important, I mean important." He paused, his eyes darkening. She could see the hurt in them. "Some of them have been my closest companions. And some of them... Well, some of them were lovers. But all of them have left, gone. died"

He caught her gaze, meeting her eyes for the first time since he'd started. There was something raw in the way he looked at her—something he hadn't let anyone see in a very long time.

"I don't expect you to understand all of it," he said, shaking his head slightly, as though to brush away the weight of his past. "And I'm not asking you to. But this... this thing between us? I think it's more than just a coincidence."

Nyx stood there for a long moment, her lips parted slightly as if weighing his words. She was trying to process it all, trying to understand how all of this fit together. She wasn't quite sure where this was heading, but she wasn't backing away either.

"More than coincidence?" she repeated quietly, her eyes studying his face, searching for some sign that he was telling the truth. That everything he said wasn't just a story, wasn't just the ramblings of someone with centuries of baggage.

Zane nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering. "I don't know how or why, but I feel something between us, Nyx. Something familiar." His voice softened, becoming almost a whisper. "Okay, and we like each other. We are attracted to each other, Sparkles. There is bound to be a connection." Nyx says, shaking her head. 

 "It's not just that, I think it's because… Hear me out. I know it's going to sound crazy at first but please don't leave when I say this. Maybe, just maybe, you've been here before."

For a moment, silence hung between them, thick and tangible. Nyx didn't know what to say. She wanted to ask him how—how could that even be possible? But she knew he wasn't giving her the whole truth. He was leaving something important out.

And that, perhaps more than anything, made her want to press deeper.

"I don't know where this is going, Zane," Nyx said softly, her voice barely above a whisper, "It's a lot to take in. I can't walk away from it, not now. Whatever this is, I'm not ready to let it go either."

Zane smiled faintly, the corners of his lips curling just slightly. He was relieved, but he still felt the distance between them. There was so much left unsaid, so much he couldn't share—not yet.

"Neither am I," he murmured, his voice low, almost in disbelief. "But I'm not sure I'm ready to tell you everything, either." 

Nyx tilted her head, watching him carefully. "Maybe not yet," she said, "but one day?"

Zane nodded slowly, his eyes meeting hers with a newfound intensity. "One day." 

But for now, the unspoken truth still lingered between them, heavy in the air, as the night stretched on, holding them both in its quiet embrace. After their dance, and after the momentary vulnerability they'd shared, Zane couldn't help but keep his eyes on her—she was a puzzle he wanted desperately to solve.

Nyx, for her part, was still grappling with everything that had come to light in the last few hours, the confusion swirling in her mind. She hadn't quite come to terms with what Zane had told her, what he believed about her past, but something about the quiet of the night, the soft glow of the dim bar lights, felt like a safe space to open up.

She was still holding onto that distance, her hands wrapped around the cool glass of water Zane had bought her after they decided that his words were so heavy they needed to sit. The pair sat at the bar as Nyx watched sweat beads drip off her glass, trying to organize her wild thoughts. A part of her wanted to share, and just as vulnerable as he had been moments prior. But could she trust him? 

"Zane…" Her voice was quieter than usual, softer, as if she were testing the waters before diving into something deeper.

He turned to her, sensing her need to talk, to share something that had been pressing on her mind. "Yeah?"

"I've been thinking," she began, choosing her words carefully. "About the people I tattoo. The… strange things that happen. I've never told anyone about it, not like this, but you deserve to know."

Zane leaned forward, intrigued. He had felt the pull between them growing stronger in ways he couldn't quite explain, but there was something about Nyx's presence that made him want to listen intently, to give her the space to unravel whatever was weighing on her.

"You told me before you've seen these… things, after you tattoo people," he said, his voice gentle, like he was afraid of pushing her too hard. "But you haven't said what's been happening. What do you mean by 'strange'?"

Nyx's gaze flickered up to meet him, her eyes filled with something like hesitation, but underneath it, there was a flicker of something else—something heavier, a weight she couldn't shake off. She glanced down at her glass, taking a slow sip, then set it down carefully.

"It's not just that I see their pasts, Zane. Sometimes the tattoos change the people I tattoo, others I see other things too," she said, her voice low. "It's like... when I tattoo someone, I tap into something more. Like a deep memory, a part of them that's buried so deep they don't even know it's there. Sometimes, it's just a reflection that looks like me, but other times... It's like I'm channeling someone's past, their emotions. I can feel it, like I'm experiencing what they've been through."

Zane's brow furrowed, concern flickering in his eyes. "That sounds intense. But what kind of 'strange' are we talking about? Like visions?"

"Visions, yeah," she confirmed, her voice growing a little more animated as she spoke. "But it's more than just flashes. Sometimes, it's like... their emotions become mine. I'm the one feeling their heartbreak, their joy, their fear. And that's when things get weird."

Zane listened intently, his heart pounding as he tried to understand the magnitude of what Nyx was describing. But as she spoke, his thoughts drifted to the earlier conversation—about their past lives, their connection, and how it was tied to something far bigger than either of them. This was more than just some gift. This was a force that tied her to people in ways she couldn't yet fully understand.

"I tattooed this woman a while back, and she asked me to cover up an ex's name," Nyx continued, her voice now filled with unease. "It was... it wasn't just about the tattoo. When I started, I felt this flood of emotions coming from her. Like, pure anguish, pain, regret... but then it shifted. Like something else was taking over. And the weirdest part?" She paused, looking up at Zane, her eyes wide. "Her eyes changed color. Completely changed color. And I saw it too—her past, her lover, her pain. It was all in me."

Zane's pulse quickened. There was something in her tone that made him listen with rapt attention. "What do you mean, her eyes changed?"

"Her irises were this deep, glowing green. Like something unnatural," Nyx said, her voice laced with unease. "And when I finished the tattoo, she... she looked different. More confident, stronger. Like someone else had taken over. But she didn't remember any of it when she left. It was like... like she was in some kind of trance, but when she walked out, she was different."

Zane's heart skipped a beat as he processed her words. His mind raced through the possibilities. "And you—how did it feel for you?"

"At first, it felt like I was absorbing her pain, like it was all inside me. But then I started to feel something more—something familiar. Something... like I wasn't just tattooing her, but it was as if her essence was becoming a part of me. And when I finished, I got this blinding headache, like everything in my head just slammed together. Then it was... almost like I was reliving someone else's life for a moment. And when it was over, I felt anxious and overwhelmed."

Zane could feel the anxiety radiating from her. The fear that came with these strange occurrences that she couldn't control. He reached out, placing his hand gently over hers, his touch steady. "You're not alone in this, Nyx. I know this is… intense, but you've got this. And I'll help you through it. Whatever it is you're going through, we'll figure it out together."

She gave him a small, uncertain smile, but there was still doubt in her eyes. "I don't know, Zane. Sometimes, I think I'm losing myself in it. Like I'm not just tattooing people... I'm becoming someone else."

Zane nodded, his voice full of quiet determination. "I understand. And I'll be here every step of the way, even if it takes time. You're stronger than you realize, Nyx. And whatever this gift of yours is, I believe it's meant for something bigger. We just have to figure out what that is."

The pair walked outside so Zane's driver could take her home.

Her hand tightened around his as the cool air danced around them. For a moment, it was like the rest of the world had faded into the background. The chaos of the world outside—they were all distant, muffled by the weight of this conversation.

Nyx exhaled slowly, the weight of what she had said hanging in the air. She had never told anyone this before, and was worried that telling Zane could bite her in the ass. She hoped that she was wrong. She didn't have all the answers, and she wasn't sure what the future would hold. But one thing was for sure—she wouldn't have to deal with it alone. And somehow, that made it all feel a little bit more bearable, yet more frightening.