[ Midnight wishes that he could just ask for a kiss again and leave it at that. But that's insane. He knows. Part and parcel of the problem. ]

I am a demon, sir. A vampire.

[ He looks down at Vergilius through his eyelashes. ]

I love in a way that looks like cracking ribs open, eating hearts. It's that sort of thing. I can't stop that part of me. I simply don't follow through because the other part of love is to do no harm, or at least as little harm as possible. That's about as concise as I can be about it, darling.

[ So it goes. He studies Vergilius. Wonders if he thinks he'll hurt him again. ]