The Forbidden Fruit

When Ruby woke up, she was cold. It took her a moment to realize why—Ash was curled up directly in front of her. Their foreheads, forearms, and knees were touching.

Rather than being startled like usual, she was confused. Normally, he slept on his back completely still and looked like a dead human in a coffin because he didn't breathe unless he was talking.

He wasn't moving now either but his sleeping posture was much less vampire-like than usual. Some of his long black hair spilled over the side of his shoulder and neck and pooled between them.

Ruby sat up cross-legged and examined him more closely. His milky skin looked whiter than it probably was in contrast with his hair and his angular face was even more like carved marble than usual since he wasn't moving.