"Sky, you know I'd do anything for you. But this is against the Code. Conduits aren't allowed to be familiars to their vampires. We are supposed to be objective. It's not part of the relationship. Things like the Caerimonia, it complicates things, you know," Oliver explained. When Schuyler had first asked Oliver a week ago if he would consider becoming her human familiar, he had told her he would think about it. The next day, he hadn't brought it up, and Schuyler assumed he was too polite to tell her no, so he was just going to act like she'd never asked him at all. Several days went by, and neither of them mentioned it. Schuyler was beginning to think she would have to find an alternate solution. But that morning, she had found an envelope stuffed into her locker. It was from the Mercer Hotel, and held a plastic door key for their suite. "See you there tonight," Oliver had written. "Chomp! Chomp!"
It wasn't as if Schuyler didn't have mixed feelings of her own she hated putting Oliver in this position--but she felt she had no choice. If she had to take a familiar, at least she would take one who was, forgive the pun, already familiar to her. And she'd felt drawn to Oliver since Venice. Maybe that was a sign it was going to be all right. That this was something that was supposed to happen.
"Just say the word, Ollie, and we won't do it, okay?" she offered, her hands gripping the edge of the bed, pulling out the sheets from their corners.
"Okay. Let's not do it," he said promptly. He sighed and lay down on the bed, waving his arms over the downy comforter. His long legs dangled from the edge but his torso was totally horizontal. He closed his eyes, as if the prospect was simply too much to bear, and put his hands on his face again, as if to shield himself from something.
"Do you mean it?" Schuyler asked a little fearfully.
"I don't know," Oliver groaned behind his hands, which were now folded over his mouth.
"It's just, you know, I'll be really careful, if you're scared, I mean. You have to trust me." She was still sitting upright so that her words were spoken to the wall of windows, while Oliver seemed to be talking to the ceiling.
"I trust you," Oliver said in a strained, sad voice. "I trust you with my life."
"I know it'll change our relationship, but we're best friends. It can't change that much, can it? I mean, I already love you," Schuyler said. Every word she said was true, she was very fond of Oliver. She couldn't imagine life without him.
She turned around to look at him. Oliver had removed his hands from his face and opened his eyes. She noticed how his chestnut hair framed his handsome face, and how his neck looked inviting under his stiff Oxford collar. "Don't you love me?" She knew she was being manipulative, but she couldn't help it. She needed Oliver to say yes. Otherwise...who would she do it with?
Oliver tried not to blush and couldn't quite meet Schuyler's eyes. He lifted himself to a sitting position once again. "All right," he said, almost more to himself than to her.
Schuyler moved closer to him and leaned against his body, and with a few small movements, she was sitting on his lap. "Okay?"
"You're heavy," he teased, but he was smiling.
"Am not."
"All right, you're not."
"You're cute, you know? I mean, really cute. Why do you spend all your time with me? You should date," she said matter-of- factly as she brushed the hair out of his hazel eyes. They were the kindest eyes she had ever seen, she thought. She would always feel safe with Oliver.
"Yeah, me, date." Oliver laughed. He put his arms around her waist.
"Why not? It's not unheard of."
"Yeah?" Oliver asked.
"Uh--" But Schuyler didn't finish, because Oliver was putting a warm hand on her chin and drawing her toward him, and soon they were kissing. Soft, tentative kisses that turned more vigorous as they opened their mouths to each other.
"Mmm..." she sighed. So this was what it was like. Kissing Oliver. It wasn't anything like she'd imagined. It was better. It was as if they were made for each other. Schuyler pressed herself against him, and Oliver put his hand through her hair. This was new. This was a turning point. Then she started kissing his chin and his neck.
"Sky..."
"Mmmm?"
Suddenly, Oliver pushed her away, took her hands from behind his back, and abruptly shoved her off his lap.
"No," he said, panting heavily. His cheeks were aflame with embarrassment.
"No?" Schuyler asked, not understanding. It seemed like it was going well--this was what was meant to happen, wasn't it?
"No." Oliver stood up and started pacing. "The Sacred Kiss means something. It did to your mom. And you know what? You'll have to find another guinea pig. I'm not going to do it out of obligation."
"Ollie."
"Don't, Schuyler."
He never called her Schuyler unless he was really mad. Schuyler shut up.