Chapter Text
"Bebe, you seem cold." Gwen says as she drapes her varsity jacket around her best friend. She then takes a seat beside her while nodding in acknowledgement to the other people sitting by the table.
"Aww thank you bebe! You didn't have to, baka nilalamig ka rin." Sheena says as she places a hand on Gwen's cheek. "See, you're cold too."
Gwen smiles at her and holds her hand, "Don't worry about me, bebe."
Sheena could feel her heart race, the same way it always does when Gwen smiles at her. She's struggling to say something, to hide her very evident crush on her best friend, but she's too smitten to even reply.
Thankfully, she was saved by the other people on the table.
"Hoy mamaya na kayo maglandian diyan!" Jhoanna glares at the two, "Kumakain ang mga tao dito!"
"You're one to talk. Kala mo hinde nakaakbay kay Staku kanina." Mikha snarkily replies as she goes back to eating her lunch.
"Inggit ka lang kasi may student council meeting pa si ate Aiah!" Jhoanna puts her tongue out to tease the red-haired girl while her girlfriend of three years, Stacey, just laughs at her antics.
Mikha glares at them and turns her attention to her basketball teammate, "Gwenny, balita ko coach wanted you to train the freshies daw."
Gwen, whose hair is now covered by her black cap, just nods at Mikha, "Yeah. Medyo hassle lang kasi super late ang tapos ng training nila."
"Aww edi di na kayo sabay ng bebe mo na yan umuwi?" Maloi (who just arrived), asked. Beside her is her suitor, Colet, who also happens to be basketball teammates with Mikha and Gwen.
Gwen stares at Sheena worriedly, she forgot about that fact. Nasanay siya na lagi kasabay ang nakababata pauwi dahil gusto niya masigurado na ligtas ito.
"I mean I can wait and watch your training naman." Sheena says with a smile. Of course hinde papalampasin ni Sheena panuorin ang crush niya na maglaro ng basketball.
Gwen was about to complain but decided against it. Atleast makakasabay niya parin ang bebe niya pauwi. Sabi nga ni Colet kapag inaasar niya ito, "A safe Sheena makes a happy Gwenny."
---
Gwen did not have problems in hiding the fact that she's a vampire. Among their friend group, only Aiah, Mikha, Colet, and Stacey know about her secret. Aiah because she's perceptive at halos wala naman nakakalampas sakanya, and Stacey because nahuli siya nito one time na nakalabas ang pangil niya.
Mikha and Colet found out during one of their basketball trainings. Napansin ng dalawa na parang hinde napapagod si Gwen kahit halos four hours na sila nagtatraining.
"Gago tao ka ba pre?" Colet huffs.
Gwen, who's amused with the question, just replies with "And what if I'm not?"
Making them believe her was not entirely hard, as she showed her super human strength and speed nung sila nalang tatlo ang naiwan for practice. The two eventually entertained her answer - na akala nila ay joke nung una - and asked the right questions.
Her being a vampire is not something she hides. She trusts her friends and she knows that their perception of her won't change kahit ano pa siya.
And yet, when it comes to Sheena? Her bebe Sheena?
She's scared. Natatakot siya na malaman ni Sheena ang totoo tungkol sa pagkatao niya. Hindi niya kaya na mag iba ang tingin sakanya ni Sheena, na baka layuan siya nito dahil sa takot o confusion. She trusts the girl and knows that tatangapin siya ni Sheena kahit ano pa mangyare, but Gwen can never risk anything when it comes to the girl she's been in love with for the past few years.
So when her facade came crashing down, she had never been more scared.
---
Sheena kept her promise na aantayin niya si Gwen matapos sa pag train ng mga new recruits nila. She went inside the school gymnasium and quietly sat by the bleachers. Gwen - who felt her presence kasi naamoy niya ang familiar scent ni Sheena all the way from the other side of the court - ay humarap sakanya at nag wave with a matching charming smile.
Sheena smiles back and waves at her. She's too busy having her staring contest with the girl kaya hinde niya napansin na may papuntang ligaw na bola sakanya from the freshies training on the side of the court near her.
Sheena did not notice. Gwen on the other hand, with her heightened vampire senses, of course noticed.
So she ran to the other side of the court to catch the ball before it could hit and hurt the younger girl. No one else saw what she did, except Sheena who's now staring at her from behind.
"How did you-" Sheena tried to form words, but she couldn't process what just happened. One moment ay nasa malayo si Gwen na kumakaway sakanya. The second moment, she's infront of her and holding a ball that she could have sworn was moving towards her earlier.
"Hi?" Gwen sheepishly said as she passed the ball to a teammate.
Fuck, she says in her head.
---
Sheena had questions, but she never got a chance to ask because after siya ihatid ni Gwen pauwi that night, hindi niya na ulit nakita ang kababatang kaibigan.
"Miss ko na siya." Sheena pouts after finding out na absent na naman si Gwen.
Aiah smiles at her and pats her head, "She said she's sick bunso."
"Pero gusto ko siya bisitahin." the youngest of the group pouts again.
Stacey sits beside her, "She specifically gave us instructions not to let you go to her kasi baka mahawaan ka niya. You know how protective she is of you."
"Oo nga! Bihira lang magalit yan si Gwen pero pagdating sayo ang bilis bilis niyan magalit. Scary pa naman nun pag galit." Maloi shivers as she remembered how Gwen glared at her nung sinubukan niya i-kiss si Sheena nung birthday niya.
Sheena continues whining while she pokes at her food, "Ang unfair lang na kapag may sakit ako, she's always there to take care of me pero kapag siya, biglang bawal ako? Sakitin pa naman siya, halos every month nga nagkakasakit."
The others tried to console and explain to her further, but what can they do when her mind was already set?
I'm gonna go to you bebe, she says in her head. Sa ayaw at sa gusto mo.
---
Sheena double checks the bag she's carrying. May dala dala siyang mainit na lugaw (nagpaturo pa siya kay Aiah paano magluto), prutas, at mga gamot.
After confirming that she brought everything, kumatok na siya sa condo unit ni Gwen.
"Hi bebe, it's me, ang pinakamaganda mong best friend." she says habang kumakatok.
No reply.
"Bebe? I know you said I shouldn't visit kasi baka mahawaan ako, but I can't just let you suffer everytime may sakit ka on your own."
Still no reply.
"Bebe?"
Nothing.
"Ate Gwen?"
She rarely ever calls Gwen by her real name. The two have grown an inclination to calling each other "bebe." So whenever either of them gets called by their actual names, it means something serious is going on.
The current situation has grown even more serious nung sinubukan ni Sheena buksan ang pinto at napansin niya na hindi ito naka lock.
Full of worry, she enters the condo unit and hastily searches for her best friend.
"Ate Gwen? Asan ka?"
She enters the bedroom and her heart churned at the sight. Gwen was on the floor, gripping on her stomach while tossing and turning.
"Oh my god."
Nabitawan ni Sheena ang lahat ng hawak niya at tumakbo papunta kay Gwen.
"Hey? Bebe? It's me. Are you okay?"
She holds the other girl by the arm. Gwen, who's still tossing and turning from the pain, looks up at her weakly.
"Fuck. You shouldn't be here." she said.
That's when Sheena noticed.
The usual dark brown eyes of her best friend had grown into a bright shade of red. It was so bright it was almost glowing. Sheena also noticed the incredibly sharp fangs that the older girl had when she talked and stared at her.
"Are you-" for the second time, Sheena didn't know what to say or ask. The girl in her arms right now looks different from the usual Gwen she's used to. But she still feels the same warmth and comfort from the girl, and that's what matters.
So she pushes her confusion away and directs her attention to what could help the girl who's currently in pain.
"What do you need bebe? Kumain ka na ba? Nagugutom ka ba? May dala akong lugaw. May gamot rin diyan-"
"Blood."
Sheena stops talking when Gwen interrupts her.
"I need...blood."
Finally everything clicks. Her superhuman speed the other day? Yung parang never niya nakita ang best friend niya mapagod? Never nainitan o nilamig? And the times when she would hug her and not feel a heartbeat?
She thought she knew everything about her best friend. Today she finds out she's wrong.
All this time, her best friend since childhood, her long time crush and probably the love of her life, is a vampire.
"Okay. Okay. Okay." Sheena hurriedly tries to process everything. Mamaya na siya magtatanong, her main priority should be helping Gwen.
"Blood, uhm..." Sheena mumbles then hurriedly set to work.
She sits Gwen up and leans her by the foot of the bed. The older's arms wrap around her waist as she grunts in pain and grips on the younger's shirt.
"I'm sorry you have to see me like this." Gwen grunts again, "I didn't want you to find out this way. Sinabihan ko sila Colet na wag ka papuntahin dito."
"Shhh. It's okay bebe." Sheena says as she loosens her own necktie to expose her neck. She then wraps an arm around Gwen to keep her stable. "You said you need blood. I have blood."
This sentence made Gwen snap from her delirious pain and hunger as she looks at the younger girl with a mix of confusion and worry, "No. Sheena I can't do that to you. Kahit gaano ako kagutom, I won't hurt you."
Sheena held the other's face and looks at her bright red eyes, "You won't hurt me bebe. You can never hurt me."
"No. I won't feed on you, Sheena."
"Gwen." the younger sternly calls out to her, "I will not let you suffer on your own. I'm giving you consent to drink my blood because I want to help you. Anong klaseng kaibigan ba ko kung hahayaan lang kita masaktan ng ganito?"
Gwen was hesitant. Her life mission was making sure that Sheena was safe, happy, and away from all harm.
Her sucking blood out of the girl does not entirely align with her life mission.
But she wasn't exactly a saint and her stomach had been killing her after not drinking blood for a month.
"Please Gwen, accept my help."
Sheena looked earnest. Like she was pleading her to accept her help.
And who was she to reject her bebe.