In a comfortable silence, we unpacked the groceries onto the kitchen counter to survey what he’d assembled for me. I laughed at the generic American foods that he had bought, cautious to have at least one thing he could be sure would appeal to me. There was microwavable cheese pizza, two cans of chicken noodle soup, and a bag of plain potato chips; beside those was a package of ramen, a box of gangjung chicken, and three bags of varied fruit candies. Junhong discarded the grocery bag and looked at me, expectant. “I didn’t know what you would want... I guess I didn’t get the healthiest things, I could get something else if you want.”

Grinning soothingly, I shook my head and grabbed a pot from underneath the countertop. “This is perfect. And I’ll go get breakfast foods in the morning.” He nodded sheepishly and rotated the dial on the stovetop while I filled the pot with water. My method of cooking ramen didn’t require much effort or involvement, so once I’d placed the noodles into the water, I stepped back and looked up at him. Junhong started talking almost immediately, without much of a transition.

“You figured it out a while ago, right?” There was no caution in his tone, only a hint of ignominy that I wish he would conquer. “Maybe the night we met?”

My mind reverted to the memory of that night, seeing his physical strength as little more than an asset to my survival. “No, not that early. I thought you were just an impressive human.” The memory progressed to the first few times I’d taken his eye color into consideration. “I think I started suspecting it when I saw your eyes, how they were changing color. But I was in denial until... the fangs.”

His head dropped in humiliation. “So, are you gonna say it, or am I?” So we were both sick of the generalizations. Still, it was difficult to get the word out of my mouth in a way that didn’t sound wary or defensive.

“Vampire, right?”

Chuckling wryly, he raised his head, face tilted slightly to look at me directly. “I prefer hemovore over things like vampire, parasite, and monster. Although incubus is a pretty good term, too.” Now I laughed, amazed at his ability to combat the tension of our ultimate disclosure; there was no more awkwardness, like the room had expanded with the idiom having been spoken aloud.

“That’s a name for ually attractive demons, Junhong.”

“You aren’t ually attracted to me?” The ramen was boiling loudly, and I felt the steam reach the back of my neck when Junhong’s eyes met mine again. I coughed and broke the contact before I could be rendered totally immobile.

“Don’t flatter yourself, blondie.”

Laughing impishly, he shrugged and reached a hand towards the stove behind me, moving to stand so that his face hovered above mine, body casting a shadow against mine. “Humans have a lust-complex with vampires, you know. They can’t keep their hands off of us, which is one more advantage to us.” His eyes, roving over me, were slightly predatory. For the first time since I’d met him, Junhong seemed suddenly threatening to me, and I shied away. “Unless the human is smart enough to regulate their desires.”

The fragility of my voice seemed to strike something in his conscience, because he took a step back, his earlier expression dissipating. “Right. I think... the ramen is done?”

-        -        -

We were sprawled over th