A deal Forged in Blood (Closed)

[Captainsassypants]

Melody watched out the window as he started the car and began to drive off. She was curious to see where he was taking her but she couldn't really tell much from looking out the window, apart from the fact that they were headed towards the city. She was tired from all the events of the night she just hoped he would allow her to sleep once they got to where they were going. She didn't even care where she slept, she would sleep on floor if she had to just as long as she got to sleep.


"Hm?" she asked when she heard him finally speak to her again it taking her a moment to realize what he was asking. "No, I've never been bitten. I've never done anything like this." She informed him the edge that had been in he voice earlier was now entirely gone as she was too tired and did not care to fight with him anymore.


She was glad when only a few minuted later they pulled up to a building which must be where his apartment was located. Like his car, the building looked very nice, at least from the outside. She was sure it looked similar on the inside but she didn't want to assume anything.

 

[Scriven]

They reached his apartment building and he drove into the parking garage. It was located above ground, but since he didn't need to drive during the day it didn't matter. He parked and waited for Melody to get out, then locked the car and led her toward the elevator. He pushed the button for the 3rd basement level and the metal doors closed.


Her bleeding had stopped and the delicious aroma had faded. Melody suddenly seemed tired and had become very quiet. They rode downward in the elevator in silence. When moments later the doors rolled open Ross stepped out into the hall. There were four different units on this floor and his was the last on the left. He removed his key from his pocket and let Melody in, then closed the door behind them.


"Well, welcome home, I guess."


The apartment was neither lavish nor plain. The white walls were covered with a multitude and wide array of art though, which was one of his interests. There wasn't much decoration otherwise. The living room was furnished as a normal human living room might be, as was his bedroom. The kitchen was clearly designed for a vampire though. It was tiny and situated along a tiny wall. There was a small amount of counter space, a small refrigerator and a microwave.


"This will be your room," he said, leading her to his office. He had begun packing it up, but hadn't finished yet. Boxes were piled on the desk, but books remained on the bookshelves and diplomas and certificates were still on one wall. "You'll have to get some furniture though. For now there's the couch."

 

[Captainsassypants]

Melody got out of the car and followed him into the elevator and down to his apartment. All the while she was looking around making little mental noted of everything she saw. She thought it was a little strange than his apartment was below the parking garage instead of above but she assumed that was because he wanted a place without windows to let light in which made sense considering that he was a vampire.


She stepped into his apartment and felt strange when he had referred to the place as her home. It felt like anything but home, but hopefully she would grow used to it after a while of being there. She had to admit it was quite nice. It was clean, well decorated and spacious. All except for the kitchen, which she was sure didn't get much use. She would be very surprised if the refrigerator held anything even remotely edible.


Following him into a small room off of the main living area she gave a nod when he announced that it would be hers. She was considerably underwhelmed seeing as the room was in a weird transition faze with half packed boxed scattered around. It was clear the room had been an office before. Stepping further into the room she carefully sat down on the couch.


"This is fine, thank you" She said looking back to Ross. The room would do nicely. she wasn't picky just as long as she had somewhere to sleep she would be happy.

 

[Scriven]

Ross followed the human woman into the office. She took a seat on the couch and he shifted a few boxes, stacking them against the wall and putting away a few personal mementos. He hadn't been expecting a donor to be coming back with him that very night, and he hadn't had anyone live with him in an exceptionally long time. The entire encounter felt awkward, but he had fulfilled his end of the bargain, or had begun to at least. It was time for Melody to fulfill hers.


"Where do you prefer I bite?"


There was no point tiptoeing around it. He leaned against the door frame and gazed at the petite blonde that was across the room. "I prefer the neck, but since this is your first time I'll let you choose." He smiled in amusement. "Vampire gallantry, if you will."

 

[Captainsassypants]

Melody watched as he moved somethings around. she settled into the couch a little more and pulled his jacket from off her shoulders. "Here you can have this back now" She said holding it out for him to take. She really had no reason to keep it anymore and she was sure he would want it back eventually.


When he then asked where she preferred he bite her eyes went slightly wide. She knew that was what she had agreed to but she hadn't expected he'd want to get into it quite so quickly, and if she was being honest she was very nervous about the whole biting thing.


"I-uh.. I guess the neck is fine " She struggled to get out,as her cheeks became pink from how flustered she was becoming. She was afraid it would hurt and the idea of him so close to her made her feel a little strange as well. She kept telling herself she was being stupid. What did she think would happen when she agreed to be a blood donor? Still, none of that helped her to feel any better about the situation.

 

[Scriven]

Her voice faltered, her cheeks becoming pink. It was a particularly becoming sight for a vampire to see a woman's cheeks flush, the blood rising to the surface, so close beneath that thin veil of skin that the color became prevalent. Ross sucked in a breath, feeling a sharp pulse of desire. He could practically feel her reluctance, but it didn't dampen the urge he felt to bite her and taste her blood.


He moved across the room unnaturally fast, one moment leaning against the frame and the next moment seated right beside Melody on the couch. One of his cold, pale hands brushed her wavy locks away from her neck. He bowed his head, breathing in the scent of her. It was a heady, delicious aroma, better than almost any he could recall. Why did this woman smell and taste so good to him?


His cold lips touched the side of her throat then pulled back, baring his fangs. The sharp white points touched her skin and pierced the surface. Ross felt the blood well up, warm and metallic against his tongue. It wasn't a taste he could describe to a human so that they could understand the nuances, but any vampire would have understood if he had told them that Melody's blood answered his call. It quenched his thirst in a way no other's could, yet it made him want more.


He was careful though. He couldn't take too much. He drank slowly, savoring the warm, red fluid, but when his thirst had been sated he drew away. He licked the blood from his lips and closed his eyes, enjoying the taste that pervaded his taste buds.


"Few times have I tasted blood as rich as yours."

 

[Captainsassypants]

Melody jumped when one moment he was by the door and the next he was beside her on the couch. Inhaling sharply, she tilted her head to one side as he brushed her hair out of the way with a cold hand. Her heart rate was racing, nearly pounding out of her chest when she felt his breath touch her neck giving her goose bumps. He hadn't even given her time to prepare, she had no time to think about what was happening there was only time to react.


She squeezed her eye shut as his lips ghosted over her flesh, preparing for pain to come next. When his teeth finally did pierce her skin she could not hold back the whimper that escaped her lips. She had expected a sharp stinging pain to follow but instead she was only met with a dull ache. She squirmed under him slightly as she began to feel like her whole body was on fire accompanied by a strange tingling sensation that ran though her. The combination of everything nearly drove her mad.


The more he took from her the more light headed she began to feel. By the time he had finished she was finding it hard just to sit up right, but at least she was still conscious. The ache in her neck did not leave once he had pulled away but the warm tingly feeling soon faded leaving her tired and sore.


Still trying to get a hold of her senses she glanced at Ross when he finally spoke. "What does that mean?" She questioned confused by what he meant but she was sure that was the closest thing to a complement she was ever going to get so she took it.

 

[Scriven]

Shifting away from her on the couch, Ross lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug.


"I don't know that it means anything in particular. You have foods you like more than others, don't you?" he asked. "So do I. There's a huge amount of variation, actually. It might all taste the same to you if you were to taste blood, but to a vampire there is endless shade and nuance. Your blood is rich, slightly sweet. I can taste the champagne you've been drinking too. If I had sipped that champagne tonight it would have tasted like ash in my mouth, but it's heady and fragrant in your bloodstream."


He stood from the sofa, feeling energized. His pale skin had taken on a bit of human color and even a trace of warmth. His mood felt considerably improved as well and he was having much kinder thoughts toward the human in his apartment. He smiled genuinely for the first time at her, then glanced at the watch on his wrist.


"Shit, I'm going to be late. I have work tonight, but I'll be back before morning. I assume you'll be alright here by yourself?"

 

[Captainsassypants]

Melody only nodded when he tried to explain how her blood tasted. It was a strange conversation and she never thought this was something she would be disusing with any one ever. However she was beginning to understand how the whole taste thing worked for him, which she guessed was a good thing.


While he felt energized she felt the exact opposite. Not even really looking at him as he got up. She brought her legs up on the couch with her curling up into herself as she worked really hard just to keep her eyes open. It was only by chance that she had looked up at him just in time to see the smile make it's way on to his face. She thought it seemed a little out of character but she really didn't feel like worrying about it to much.


"Yeah, I'll be fine" She said tiredly her eyes already falling closed as he asked if she'd be okay while he went to work.

 

[Scriven]

The human was half asleep before he had even left. He locked the door behind him and left, speeding on his way to work.


Ross was a curator- the curator of American art, to be exact, and he worked at the city's museum. The role of curator had never before been one fulfilled at night, but hiring a vampire had seemed like the trendy thing to do for those in charge of PR at the museum. Besides, he had a credential only a vampire could boast: he had lived through a multitude of American art periods and seen them firsthand.


Ross himself wasn't so sure of the validity of that particular credential. After all, they all lived in the same period as Banksy, but that didn't mean that everyone could claim being an expert about street art. Still, it was the the job of a lifetime and he wasn't about to go selling himself short. He had earned a doctorate of philosophy in history with a minor in art and was as qualified as any living applicant. Having a vampire curator had even earned the museum a bit of publicity.


He was working on the next exhibit that the museum would be hosting. It involved a great deal of original research, but also narrowing down which pieces ought to be included and how the exhibit should flow. Ross found himself much more productive than usual and attributed it to Melody's blood. He had been relying on blood bars and even packaged blood, which was the vampire equivalent of living off of fast food. Once in a while wasn't so bad, but he felt terrible after a long period of not having fresh blood. Now that he had a good meal in him he felt much improved. He would have to give Heidi a call soon and fax her over a signed contract.


At four Ross packed up and left the museum, heading back home before the sun could rise. He let himself into the apartment quietly, wondering if Melody was still asleep.

 

[Captainsassypants]

It didn't take Melody long to fall completely asleep after Ross had left. Once the door had closed she spread out on the couch more, stretching her legs and then fell fast asleep. She stayed asleep for quite a while. Only grumbling a little and rolling over when she heard the door open and close signalling Ross was back. Soon after that she was back sound asleep hardly giving the sound much notice.


It wasn't until eight that she finally woke up. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes as she tried to make them focus. She felt slightly disoriented having forgotten her surrounding momentarily. She also had no idea what time it was, nor could she manage a guess with no windows to aid her. She assumed it must be day but what time a day she had no idea.


After standing up and stretching, similar to the way a cat did after a nap, walked towards the door and poked her head out looking around for a moment to see if she was alone. Not seeing anyone, she tip toed out of the room and down the hall towards the kitchen to see if there was anything at all she could eat seeing as she was now starving.


She quietly began going through a few cabinets but found nothing but random odds and ends. Opening another cabinet and finding it to be much like the others she sighed thinking she might just have to go hungry.

 

[Scriven]

The door to the office was closed. Ross shrugged to himself, figuring Melody was still asleep. She would have to change her schedule, he thought. Unless... Did she work? With a blood bank contract she didn't really need to.


Ross went into his room and found the contract Heidi had given him to look over. He skimmed the agreement, his eyes roaming the page. No turning the donor, no killing the donor, no taking more blood from the donor than they could supply in a healthy manner. Must provide satisfactory housing, blah, blah, blah. There were so many rules. Ross found a pen and impatiently signed. He'd read it more thoroughly later. He took the contract to the living room and set it on the coffee table, then jotted down a note for Melody.

Look over the contract and sign if you agree. I'll fax it to Heidi later. Here's the first five hundred I promised you in cash. I'll get you the rest later and the regular payment will be made to the blood bank to be wired to you. Don't even think about just taking the money and leaving. You don't want me as an enemy. The key on the table is your copy for the apartment. I'll see you tomorrow night.



With that, Ross left the living room. He passed the door to the room that was now Melody's and went on to his room. He shut the door and locked it, then went to bed.

 

[Captainsassypants]

After giving up on getting food Melody stumbled into the living room and sat down on the couch there not sure what she should do while she waited for Ross to wake up. She felt strange being in his house. She couldn't help feeling like she didn't belong there, even if this was supposed to be her home now. Taking a look around the room her eyes finally found the contract lying on the coffee table with a note from Ross on top.


Quickly she read the note rolling her eyes to herself when she saw the warning about not running away. After that she took a look at the contract reading through it most of the way but she got bored after a while. She had agreed with all the rules she actually had read, so she was sure it would probably be okay. Picking up a pen, she signed the document and set it back where she had found it.


After that she picked up the money he owed her and the key and decided to go out and get her own food, since it was pretty clear that was what she'd have to do if she didn't want to starve. She also thought should probably get herself some clothes as well, unless she planned on wearing her green dress everyday. Right before she went to walk out the door she thought better and walked back to leave Ross a note.


I'm going out, be back later. Don't worry, I'm not running away.

 

[Scriven]

After he woke up that night, Ross found Melody's note along with the signed contract. He chuckled, then tossed the note in the trash. So she was out for a while, he thought, padding barefoot through the apartment to his office. He opened the door and started packing boxes and moving boxes into his room.


Where were her things? Ross wondered. What had happened to her clothes and her belongings? She said she was homeless, but she didn't look like someone who had been living on the streets long. She had a clean appearance and was thin, but not malnourished, at least to his eye.


He tried to imagine what her response would be if he asked her what had happened. Probably she'd glare at him or ignore him, or maybe just tell him it wasn't any of his business. They didn't get along, that was for sure. He'd managed to tick her off in a short amount of time by asking if she did drugs. He stood by his belief that it was his business and something she needed to be forthright about as a donor.


He finally finished clearing out the office and surveyed it with his hands in his pockets. It was empty now and she needed furniture. Ross wished he knew what her number was so he could call and tell her he'd take her to get some, but he didn't. Instead he brought his laptop into the living room, lounged on the couch and waited for her to return.

 

[Captainsassypants]

After spending the whole day out Melody eventually returned with an armful of bags half of them groceries and the other half clothes. She struggled to get the door open while holding onto on the bags and she practically fell through the door when she finally had gotten it open. She stumbled into the apartment and set her bags down before even noticing Ross sitting on the couch.


"Hi" She said giving him a quick glance as she closed the door and picked up the bags of groceries and carried them into his kitchen.


She set the bags on the counter and then began to rearrange a few of his cabinets making room for the food she had bought. She then started to unpack the bags and stock his refrigerator making sure that there would be food for her the next time she was hungry. Besides if she was going to be living there for the foreseeable future then she figured she should make herself at home.


Once she had finished in the kitchen she walked back out to the living room and gathered up her bags of clothes, paying Ross no mind as she did so. She then brought the bags into what was now her room and closed the door. As she set the bags down she noticed Ross had cleaned up more, the room not completely clear of his belongings. She then she stripped out of her green dress and threw on a pair of black leggings and a loose flowy shirt that she had just bought and then walked back out into the living room.

 

[Scriven]

Melody's arms were laden with bags when she returned, which she put down heavily near the small gallery kitchen.


"Hi," he returned, watching with interest the things she took out from her bags. He'd rarely paid much attention to human food before and he took the chance now to look at some of the colorful wrappers and boxes from across the room. He'd have to inspect them more closely later, Ross decided. He had a sudden interest in comparing packaged foods of the modern era with what he had had available as a living human in the 10's and 20's.


She finished putting away her groceries and wandered away with the rest of the bags in her arms, going toward her room. Ross's eyes returned to the computer screen. He considered going and knocking on her door to see if she wanted to go and get furniture for her room, but she returned a short while later. She had changed out of her dress into something a little more casual. The leggings accentuated her long, slender legs, Ross thought.


"I didn't have the chance to buy furniture for your room, but maybe that's a good thing. Now you can pick out something that's to your taste. Unless you'd prefer me to choose for you..." A mischievous smile slowly grew as he imagined picking her out furniture more fitting for a child's room- a bunk bed perhaps, and maybe a few bean bag chairs.

 

[Captainsassypants]

Once Melody had come out into the living room again she plopped down on the other side of the couch, tying to keep as much distance from Ross as the could. Her arms crossed over her chest as she brought her legs ups beside her. "I signed the contract" She informed him before he had to the chance to say anything to her.


When he then suggested they go get furniture for her room she looked over with a raised eyebrow "I'd really prefer that you didn't do that" She said in response, knowing that grin of his could mean no good for her. She had a feeling if she left it up to him to buy her furniture then he'd buy her stupid things just to torture her.


"But if we're going to go, we'd better go now or all the stores are going to be closed" She said pushing herself up off the couch again with a small sigh. She had been looking forward to just relaxing after her day out, but it seemed that was not going to happen, at least not yet. Shuffling back into her room she grabbed a pair of black flats and black pea coat. She came back out only a few seconds later pulling on the coat as she did.


"Okay, lets go" She said as she stood by the door waiting for him.

 

[Scriven]

Good, she'd gotten a coat, Ross thought.


"Plenty of stores have night hours for my kind now," he told her. "You just have to know which."


The two drove in silence for a while, Ross staring ahead determinedly at the road. He could hear Melody's heart beating and it was driving him to distraction. He was glad when they finally reached the store and stepped out into the cold, fresh air. The car had begun to take on her scent and it was making him hungry.


"I'll let you look around. Come and find me when you've got what you want," he told her. He needed to be away from her or he was going to bite her in the middle of the store. Now that he knew how sweet her blood tasted it was difficult not to be fixated on. He wandered away from her to let her browse on his own.


Ross wasn't the only vampire there that night though. Unknown to either of them another vampire watched Melody enter the store and her scent reached him on the breeze.

 

[Captainsassypants]

Melody only shrugged when he told her that there were stores that stayed open for vampires now. Either was it was better to get it done an over with sooner rather than later. That way she would have time to set up her room before she got too tired.


Buttoning her coat, she slid into the passenger seat and sat in silence as they drove to whatever store he was taking her too. She didn't seem to notice how her heart beat or scent began to effect him. She hardly payed him any attention at all, finding it more interesting to watch the passing street light and cars.


Once they had reached the store she gave a small nod when he said he leave her alone to look "Alright, I'll try not to take to long" She said before wandering off on her own. Secretly she was glad he was leaving her alone, she preferred it that way. She couldn't stand the idea of him hovering over her all the time.


Slowly, she meandered around the store looking at a few of the bedroom sets. However when she saw the price of them she paused. They were so expensive! Was Ross expecting her to pay for them? Because she had spent most of the money he had given her on the food and clothes. She could hardly manage to pay for a lamp from this store. There was no way she could afford a whole bedroom set. She also felt weird about asking Ross to pay for it. Even if she didn't like him, she didn't want him to spend so much on her on top of the money he was already paying her. Perhaps they could work out some sort of payment plan she thought.


She had been so preoccupied trying to figure out how she was going to pay for her furniture that she hadn't noticed she was being watched at all.

 

[Scriven]

From across the street he saw her enter the store, her red-blonde waves catching the artificial light. He was hungry, his senses heightened. The woman was just Mathias's idea of the perfect meal: youthful and pretty, clean cut and completely unaware of the danger around her. He crossed the street, his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat. His silvery-blonde hair blew with the wind, green eyes fixated on the woman beyond the glass door. He followed behind her surreptitiously and took an alternate path through the furniture store, watching her from afar as she browsed.


Mathias saw her fretting silently over a bedroom that was prettily displayed, her eyes on the shocking price tag. He strolled closer, adopting the easy smile of a sales person.


"Have you been helped?" he asked, stopping beside her. How delicious she would be. "It looks like you might be interested in this set- is that right?"


White teeth gleamed, sharp canines visible for a moment. Vampires no longer hid anymore though. A flash of fang was no longer something most humans got distressed about. His kind had even taken human jobs, though a sales position was a bit demeaning for an immortal. He'd play the role for tonight though and lure the pretty little redhead to a quiet spot where he could drain her and sate his thirst.

 

[Captainsassypants]

For a moment Melody went back and forth in her head trying to decided weather to ask Ross to pay for the bedroom set she had decided she liked, or if she should try to find something cheaper. In the end she settled on trying to get the set she liked, as much as she hated the idea of asking Ross for anything she knew she would only be unhappy if she settled for something else. She was determined to pay him back anyway, so it was more like he was just loaning her the money.


Hearing the man's voice come from beside her she jumped, slightly startled. How did he get there? She wondered. She hadn't heard the man come up beside her. How long had he been standing there anyway?


"Um..No, no one has helped me yet" She said stupidly after she had gotten over her initial surprise. "I was interested in getting this bedroom set actually" She then said more confidently as she looked to the set she was referring too.


She obviously believed he was a store employee, she had no reason to think otherwise. Even when he smiled revealing he was in fact a vampire she hardly thought anything of it. It wasn't uncommon for vampires to have normal jobs like everyone else, and if this was one of the stores that stayed open late in order to cater to vampires it only made since that vampires worked there.

 

[Scriven]

Green eyes lit up with pleasure. This was going to be so easy, Mathias thought.


"Then I'm glad I came over! Let's work our way over here and I'll get you the paperwork to start filling out. Do you need it delivered?"


He started leading her away from the center of the store off toward a corner where someone was less likely to discover them. Since it was dark outside the store was almost empty. Mathias glanced around and saw no one in the vicinity. He kept his excitement and hunger well veiled behind his salesperson mask.

 

[Captainsassypants]

"I'm actually not sure" She responded when he asked if she'd need the bedroom set delivered. "Probably" She said a few seconds later after she thought about how it would be impossible to get all the furniture into Ross's small car. Speaking of Ross she would need him if she was going to buy the bed room set.


She cast a quick glance around the store looking to the dark haired man as she was lead away by the sales clerk but came up short. "There's actually some one else I need to talk to before I start filling out any paperwork" She told the man as she began to slow her pace but by that point she had already gotten pretty far from her original spot in the store.

 

[Scriven]

The human had turned, intent on finding her companion. Mathias grabbed her wrist and yanked her back with inhuman speed.


"Oh that's alright, I think we can manage," he snarled. He twisted her arm painfully behind her back, forcing her to him. A quick glance around revealed that no one was in sight. He breathed in her scent, a growl of pleasure on his lips. "You smell delicious."


Mathias bared his sharp fangs and lowered them to the woman's neck.

 

[Captainsassypants]

Melody's eyes went wide when she realized she had made a gave mistake. The man she had been blindly following most certainly was not a store employee and now she was going to pay for being so stupid as to believe he was.


She whimpered when he twisted her arm into a painful position and roughly jerked her into him. "Get Off!" She yelled as she fought against him trying to get out of his grasp but every way she moved only made her wince in pain.


Desperately she looked around for someone to help her, anyone just as long as they got this guy away from her.


"ROSS!" she yelled as loud as she could, as she felt the blonde lower his mouth to her neck.