barrier.
Nico turned to her and smirked. "Am I that horrible to be around?"
"I'm just, well... Yes. Actually."
He lowered his head and his shoulders drooped. "Really?"
Abby’s cheeks burned. "Well, no. But it's just that..." she paused. There was no good way of explaining it without coming out and saying it was hard to be around him because she found him attractive. Instead, she said the only thing that came to mind, "I'm not sure how we are supposed to act with each other." She ran her fingers through her hair. "This is uncomfortable, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. But we've got to have some downtime. You need it whether you want to admit it or not."
She nodded and resigned herself to find some comfort in the impending silence.
Nico's old TV flickered and static replaced the news broadcast for a few seconds before recovering. "It's going be a long night if one of us doesn't say something."
Abby turned. "What do you want me to say?"
"I don't want you to say anything, I just—" His words trailed off as if he wasn't sure what he had been about to say. "What would make this better for you?"
"Well," She tapped her chin for a moment, "I don't know much about you, other than the fact that you're standoffish."
"And by standoffish you mean?"
"Aloof?" She shook her head. "I don't even know if there is a right word for describing you. You're sort of gruff, like the cowboys in those old westerns." She took a moment and something flashed in her mind. "You're like a mix of John Wayne and Dean Martin in Rio Bravo . You're stern and mean like the Sheriff, and you drink a bit too much like Dude." She stopped and glanced over at him, not sure if he got the reference. "You know that movie, don't you?"
He snorted a laugh. "Yeah, I know it. But I'm surprised you do. Did you remember seeing it or something?"
"Nope. It was just the first thing that came to mind. I don't know where I would have seen it. I have a feeling it's not my usual type of flick. But it sums you up. You're like the sheriff of this town, but you’re also a down on your luck, grouchy, drunk." His eyes widened, and she quickly covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, Nico. I didn't mean—"
He cut her off, but he didn't seem angry. "You meant it, and it's okay. You're not far from the mark. I know I come off as a dick. Meri won't ever let me forget it. It’s just who I am." He gave her a playful wink. "I thought I was getting better actually."
"Oh, you are. Really you are. I shouldn't have said anything." She turned away. At this rate her cheeks were going to be permanently stained red from all of her embarrassment. "Sorry."
"Abby, it's fine. At least we’re talking, right? And now it's not as uncomfortable. I'm fully aware of my ability to be an ass, and you can call me on it. That’s what friends do," he nudged her with his foot until she met his gaze. "We live together, work together, and we're in this whole apocalypse mess together. The least we can do is be friends, right?"
She nodded slowly, unsure if this was a setup or a joke. When he didn't hit her with any sarcastic remarks she smiled a little. "Friends? Okay, I'd like that."
"Good." He finished his beer and placed the bottle on the table. "Now that we've got that out of the way, anything else we need to sort out? You hungry?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, one glass coming up."
He made his way to the kitchen, and she could hear everything from him opening the cupboard, to rinsing off a knife, to the slight hiss he made as he drew the blade over his vein. Her stomach cramped, her tongue darted out in anticipation, but worst of all was the rush of heat through her body. She squeezed her thighs together which damn near made the situation worse. Everything inside her quivered. All she wanted was some relief from this tension building. Every time he fed her she wanted to put her mouth on him, drink directly from his vein, and have him fuck her until neither one could walk straight. The thought scared the hell out of her and she
Nico turned to her and smirked. "Am I that horrible to be around?"
"I'm just, well... Yes. Actually."
He lowered his head and his shoulders drooped. "Really?"
Abby’s cheeks burned. "Well, no. But it's just that..." she paused. There was no good way of explaining it without coming out and saying it was hard to be around him because she found him attractive. Instead, she said the only thing that came to mind, "I'm not sure how we are supposed to act with each other." She ran her fingers through her hair. "This is uncomfortable, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. But we've got to have some downtime. You need it whether you want to admit it or not."
She nodded and resigned herself to find some comfort in the impending silence.
Nico's old TV flickered and static replaced the news broadcast for a few seconds before recovering. "It's going be a long night if one of us doesn't say something."
Abby turned. "What do you want me to say?"
"I don't want you to say anything, I just—" His words trailed off as if he wasn't sure what he had been about to say. "What would make this better for you?"
"Well," She tapped her chin for a moment, "I don't know much about you, other than the fact that you're standoffish."
"And by standoffish you mean?"
"Aloof?" She shook her head. "I don't even know if there is a right word for describing you. You're sort of gruff, like the cowboys in those old westerns." She took a moment and something flashed in her mind. "You're like a mix of John Wayne and Dean Martin in Rio Bravo . You're stern and mean like the Sheriff, and you drink a bit too much like Dude." She stopped and glanced over at him, not sure if he got the reference. "You know that movie, don't you?"
He snorted a laugh. "Yeah, I know it. But I'm surprised you do. Did you remember seeing it or something?"
"Nope. It was just the first thing that came to mind. I don't know where I would have seen it. I have a feeling it's not my usual type of flick. But it sums you up. You're like the sheriff of this town, but you’re also a down on your luck, grouchy, drunk." His eyes widened, and she quickly covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, Nico. I didn't mean—"
He cut her off, but he didn't seem angry. "You meant it, and it's okay. You're not far from the mark. I know I come off as a dick. Meri won't ever let me forget it. It’s just who I am." He gave her a playful wink. "I thought I was getting better actually."
"Oh, you are. Really you are. I shouldn't have said anything." She turned away. At this rate her cheeks were going to be permanently stained red from all of her embarrassment. "Sorry."
"Abby, it's fine. At least we’re talking, right? And now it's not as uncomfortable. I'm fully aware of my ability to be an ass, and you can call me on it. That’s what friends do," he nudged her with his foot until she met his gaze. "We live together, work together, and we're in this whole apocalypse mess together. The least we can do is be friends, right?"
She nodded slowly, unsure if this was a setup or a joke. When he didn't hit her with any sarcastic remarks she smiled a little. "Friends? Okay, I'd like that."
"Good." He finished his beer and placed the bottle on the table. "Now that we've got that out of the way, anything else we need to sort out? You hungry?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, one glass coming up."
He made his way to the kitchen, and she could hear everything from him opening the cupboard, to rinsing off a knife, to the slight hiss he made as he drew the blade over his vein. Her stomach cramped, her tongue darted out in anticipation, but worst of all was the rush of heat through her body. She squeezed her thighs together which damn near made the situation worse. Everything inside her quivered. All she wanted was some relief from this tension building. Every time he fed her she wanted to put her mouth on him, drink directly from his vein, and have him fuck her until neither one could walk straight. The thought scared the hell out of her and she
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