Page 31 of Any More Questions for the Corpse?

“I love that band,” Des said, catching Mal’s smile. “I don’t know. My family would hate that; they might even take that worse than me being a vampire.”

“I’m sure your family will understand. Mine wouldn’t, but they’re a terrible example. Yours love you. It might take them some time to accept your new reality, but they’ll still be there for you.”

“I’m not sure I’ve accepted it yet …”

“It takes time. Strange changes, big secrets, they’re hard to carry alone. But you’ve got us. You got me. I’m not going anywhere, mainly because Walters will yell at me again. But I’m here, if you need me. And if you can’t find me, then”—Mal plucked a hair from his head and handed it over—“you can track me down.”

“To the ends of the earth.”

To the ends of the earth.

Des leaned her head forward against the sofa. Mal scooched his head closer to hers so their foreheads were touching.

“Thank you,” Des whispered.

They stayed there for a moment in the calm dark; there were no sounds of traffic outside, just the distant rowdiness of Skelmir Alley. Des sat back and sighed. At that moment an intrusive thought poked its way out of Mal’s mind.

“You haven’t had any, uhh, cravings, have you?” Mal asked, subconsciously covering his neck with the blanket.

“No, thankfully not,” Des said, baring a fangy grin. “I am out, though. I might be pestering you for more at some point, if that’s okay?”

“As long as you bring me a cookie,” Mal said, “like at the blood places when you donate.”

“Any flavor?”

“Peanut butter or anything chocolate. Nothing with nuts though.”

“But you said peanut butter?”

“Yeah …”

“Peanut’s a nut.”

“I meant gross nuts, like hazelnut, or macadamia, or raisins.”

“Raisins aren’t nuts.”

“I know they’re not nuts, but they’re gross like nuts. Do you want my blood or nut?”

“Or nut?!” Des said, barely able to contain her laughter.

“I’m tired,” Mal said, smiling from ear to ear. “You know what I meant.”

“I do. Doesn’t mean I can’t take the piss out of you for it.”

“True. Annoying, but true.”

The pair’s chuckles drifted off into silence. It wasn’t awkward; just quiet. Mal liked that. He hadn’t realized quite how comfortable he was around her. He found it odd that they were laughing; they had almost died twice in so many days and now here they were, laughing. He guessed that the little moments in between the horrors were best kept not thinking about the horrors too much.

“I’ll let you get some sleep now then, zombie boy,” Des said, getting to her feet.

“Thanks, Buffy,” Mal said, turning onto his back.

“She wasn’t a vampire, she slayed vampires. It’s in the name.”

“Good point. I’ll have to get back to you with a better comeback.”

“You do that,” Des said, as she returned to her perch.