Mira walked to her room, mentally kicking herself. She had been so close to kissing him and worse yet, she had wanted to. It didn't bode well for the two. Being trapped in an apartmemt together for an undetermined amount of time...alone. She no longer had a fear of death. Her fear had morphed, changed into something else.
Saint had become a cold drink in a dessert, a marriage that was beckoning her forth, whether to doom or paradise was yet to be determined. Mira wrestled with herself. Would giving in be a betrayal to herself? She threw the towel in the hamper, running her hand through her almost dried hair. If she was honest with herseld it was already too late for that. She had become what she had feared for so many years. What she had hated.
Her hand absentmindedly reached up to the bite mark at her neck, fingers grazing over the two holes. She could feel his mouth still there, desperate and hungry, his hands holding on for dear life. She had liked it, probably as much as he had. It was evident he had.
Mira shook her head, trying to shake such thoughts. He was going to help her and that's it. He got her bracelet and her blood. Saint got what he wanted. Now she was his loose end to tie up, get rid of. His heart called to the pits.
The glass sat idle in the basin. His knuckles stretched white on the countertop. Bowing his head, Saint breathed deeply, gathering his bearings.I knew it... It's her eyes. Everything about her. He saw it, felt it, and Mira did too, whether it was unknowingly or not fully understanding. He was grateful she backed away when she did. On edge, one more second was the end of his restraint, and the two would have spent their time in the apartment engaging in haphazardous affairs. He'd fight the temptation as he did in the pits, sparing his opponents from death. However, Mira was a death wish without second thoughts, and he was unsure whose demise would be more painful. Lifting his head, he stared at the hallway. She was in her room, yet he felt she was at his side. He remembered her warmth, the taste of her blood. Boxing up his urges and straying thoughts, he buried them under locks and stones and finally washed the glass. As long as she resisted, it was easier for Saint to enforce self-restraint on acting on the supernatural connection.
The apartment was spacious, large enough for Saint to avoid her at all costs, but he had to face her inevitably. And go to his bedroom. With Mira's new life state, he estimated a number of questions she might have and curated answers for. There would be no suspicion if he acted normally. He leaned against her doorway.
Mira heard him come before he said a word. It wasn't so much that he made any noise. No. He was silent, like a hovering ghost. She felt his presence. Felt him at the door. Her ears twitched at his voice. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her back still turned to him. "Just...thinking." half truths, it would be good enough. For now.
She new those emerald eyes were staring at her and she was afraid to look. "Have you always lived alone?" The words flew out of her mouth before reason or thought could stop them. The stillness and silence were suffocating. Normally she welcomed them and would gladly drown in the void, but this was different. There was no more heartbeat. No more breathing. All the small nuances of being alive gone, no longer distracting her mind.
"You've turned me. Made me new and yet...I don't really know anything about you." She finally turned to face him, but stayed across the room, hoping the distance would deter any stray movements. Mira looked down at the hem of her shirt, fidding with it.
“No, I have not .” Her question was vague, so he easily answered without mentioning his parents. While his memories of them were distant and some fond, his mother’s downfall from his father’s demise festered contempt in his heart. Disdain was utterly deep within, beneath his temptation, heavily locked and guarded. Even though he could cross the room in a fraction of a moment, the distance was a favorable boundary. He wouldn’t step over the threshold and risk the compulsion. He held her eyes briefly before he alternated his focus from Mira to objects in the room, leaving no room for desire in his thoughts. “That’s not true. You know my name, what I do, where I live. That I don’t drink human blood. You know more than most, but I can also say the same thing for you.”
“We haven’t necessarily talked about anything besides life and death dealing with Scarface. I know you have questions, so what do you want to know?”
"Good point." She chuckled softly, still looking at the hem of her shirt. She was beginning to work at the fabric, creating fraying. She dropped the hem forcing herself to look at Saint. "I do have questions." She stayed perfectly still, taking in his posture until she finally settled on his eyes. Her mouth opened to speak, but she immediately shut it with a frown. A restlessness came over her that caused her hands to fiddle and wring at each other. "You ever had a girlfriend? Maybe a wife? Do vampires even do that kind of thing? Can vampires have kids? I always wondered." The questions came pouring out of her like a floodgate burst open. "I'm a new vampire, do I have to, like, register that somewhere? Or do I just go and live my life?"
"No, I don't, but vampires do have relationships and unions. About kids? The simple answer is yes." Creasing his brow, Saint smoothed his hand over his hair as he reigned in the sudden flare of possessiveness. He rooted his feet on the floor. Understanding Mira did not know how vampires- his kind worked, he accepted it, so he wouldn't lie because he bit and changed her. He was denying the connection with every fiber of being and not springing an eternal bond as he withheld what he was. He'd answer all of her questions, but that question agitated the vamp as he wondered if she was planning on doing that. He did say she could live her life how she desired, but a part of him detested the possibility. "You don't need to. Being off the radar is better. simpler." Scratching the nape of his neck, he was not primed to handle more questions as he fought to keep a level head. He glanced at the frayed bottom of her top, and he cast his eyes away.
This is not optimal. "Sunrise is soon. You should sleep. I'll be down the hall." With his hand on the door, Saint jutted his thumb over his shoulder.
"Sleep well." was his last words before he quickly closed the door.
Saint was gone in an instant and she was left staring at a wooden door. She furrowed her brow, wondering if she had upset him. There were more questions she had wanted to ask, more questions about him, but maybe it was for the best. Just because he had turned her didn't mean they were forced to be friends. Friends. the word echoed in her mind. The closest thing Mira had ever had to a friend was Delia and even then they were more like friendly acquaintances.
Begrudgingly she crawled into the bed, now with crisp new sheets, and slid under the covers. She closed her eyes and lay like that until sleep took her.
. . .
Mira's eyes flew open, looking around the dark room. Her new vampire eyes could see as if there was a candle lit even when there was no light. It was the first night she could remember that she hadn't had a nightmare. Her mind had simply been...void. She stood, opened the door, and peeked her head out. The hallway was empty and she could hear nothing. Maybe he isn't awake yet. Sliding out of her room, she quietly made her way to the living room and found it was also empty.
Saint kept a tidy house. Everything was sleek, modern, and expertly clean. The total opposite of the squaller Mira had been living in. Her whole existence had been in two rooms, the living room and the kitchen of her apartment. It was boggling to know she could have a place just like this. A whole place. There were endless possibilities at her fingertips and yet she found herself unsure and terrified.
Deep down she had always resigned herself to the fact that she would simply die when she fought Callen, back when he was just scarface, but now...Now she had to plan a life, a future. Somehow that was more frightening.
Mira made her way over to the blackout curtain covered wall of glass and peaked at the city through the slit in the fabric. It sparkled and hummed as it always did in the dark hours of the night, but for the first time she thought it was beautiful instead of an eyesore. She stood there for a long time, staring at the city lights.
Blinking in the darkness, Saint struggled to succumb to sleep. Dwelling on last night, he contemplated whether to go back to Mira's room and continue answering her questions, but his mind was distracted, not in any shape to give answers. How her pulse felt on my lips, the way her eyes captivated me, luring me. A warmth radiated from her undead body, and I wanted to touch her. He blew out frustratedly, his hand went over his chest. Shit, she's up. Throwing the blanket aside, he put on his shirt and went out to the living room.
"Hey," Saint filled the sink with warm water and grabbed a pint of blood from the fridge. "I'm sorry for rushing out yesterday. Wasn't feeling too hot- headache." Hot didn't begin to describe what he felt. Before he submerged the bag in the water, he popped a few pills in his mouth.
The sound of rushing water filled her ears and she could feel Saint from across the room. "It's fine." She chortled. "You don't owe me anything." Her voice was soft, eyes still focused on the world outside. "Sorry if I woke you. Couldn't sleep anymore." Her hand came up, pulling the curtain open an inch more. His question hung in the air for a moment as she thought, different answers coming to mind. Ultimately she chose the truth. "Any other day I would say I hate it, but..." She breathed, mostly out of habit. "It's beautiful."
So many nights she had spent, glaring from her dinky apartment on the outskirts at the glowing city. The city full of monsters. Now that city was her home.
"I promise I'm not going to run off or something. If that's what you're thinking." Mira let the curtain go, turning around for the first time. "If you were still tired you can go back to sleep. I know i'm encroaching on your space and routine, it can't be easy." Her eyes locked on him from across the room, that same pull returning. She clenched her jaw, trying to plant her feet on the ground instead of letting that invisible force pull her towards him. What is happening to me? "I just mean, if I'm in your way just let me know." She was beginning to feel stupid and awkward.
"I wasn't thinking that. I don't need a lot of sleep anyway." Saint shrugged, shaking a second dose of pills onto his hand. Taking the medicine blocked his mind a bit but acted as a placebo effect. His heart reeled, and his foot staggered to meet Mira halfway, nearly stubbing his toes on the island. Righting his path and moving on his own accord, he refused to give into the universal force, and he'd fight it until the fire consumed him. Bring it on. The flames were fanned, the closer he got, but he was not afraid of being burned. He felt kind of foolish and child-like challenging himself, but the psychology bosltered his defense.
"It's fine, and we can't do much if you were. I'm not going to cast you out aside, or you would've turned for nothing." He gave Mira the pills with some water. "And I said I'd answer your questions, so- I intend to keep my word and not leave in the middle for all of them." Saint sat on the adjacent love seat as he welcomed her to sit on the couch.
"Mm you won't kick me out, but you could seclude me to my room." She shrugged, taking the pills and water, downing both in an instant. Mira focused on him as she wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist, slowly moving to set the glass down on the coffee table and then to sit on the couch. Her posture was erect and stiff, her fingers fiddling with each other, her gaze now bouncing around the room.
"Questions, right." She mummbled, looking down at her hands. One question recurred in her mind and she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. "Why did you approach me that day?" Her hands stopped fidgeting, holding the tops of her legs now. "Did you know I was human before you came close?" The night they met played in her mind, Saint coming out of the darkness as she stood leaning on the railing of the rise. It felt like an eternity ago now.
"You want me to answer a question you already know the answer to?" He smirked, draping his arm on the back of the loveseat. His eyes stooped to her hands before flickering to her face. Anticipating to hear practical questions about what it was like being a vampire, Saint got the impression he should have different expectations when it came to her. "I told you. I noticed you didn't fight or bet not a single time you came to the pits..." He pulled his left ankle on top of his right leg. I don't think she'll be satisfied with a reiteration. His mind coaxed him to fall to its greedy inclinations, but he was old and wise enough to know how his mind games worked. The connection jerked at his brain as he ignored the pulsing signal from the bite.
Try harder. Tilting his head to the ceiling, he sighed then looked straight at Mira. "Beyond that, call it a special interest. You were intriguing, so I pursued. I guess it was because you were human, but I didn't know for sure until you confirmed you were." He unfolded his leg and leaned forward, a low ring dulled in his ear. Saint twisted his head side to side, rubbing his neck. The ringing ceased.
Mira shrugged. "Was just checking...again." Finally she willed herself to relax and sat back, legs criss-cross as she grabbed her ankles. "I know an okay amount about vamps already. I didn't know about the pills." She admitted. "Is that common practice?" Her fingers thrummed against her ankles. "Is there a question you want me to ask?" Her eyes met his again, a sudden feeling of whiplash coming over her.
"Do you feel it too?" She blurted, eyes still connected with his. All sense and reason had left. She wanted to take it back, to pretend she had never asked and instead say some stupid quip or, hell, act uninterested. But it was too late. The question hung between them, the elephant in the room and she knew that he knew what she meant.
Mira quickly stood without a word, grabbing the glass she had set down and headed for the kitchen. Setting the glass in the sink she turned the faucet on, watching as it filled with water, the rushing sound filling the space in between. Her hands gripped tight to the edge of the counter,the cup overflowing.
"No, I..." Do you feel it too? Saint's eyes widened, unable to form the words fast enough. Silence constricted him in a vice, and he struggled to contain his jumbled thoughts as his mind was like a faulty dam. Moments until the water broke through. His voice was lost, but his body moved instantly as he stood on the other side of the counter. "Mira-" Saint started, splaying his hands on the counter. The running water between them echoed tulmounteously in his head. Damn, I can't think! Shutting the sink off, water droplets dripped from the faucet, and the cup stopped overflowing before silence blanketed the apartment.
"I can explain." There wasn't a graceful way for the vamp to articulate the meaning he was trying to convey. "It's an effect from turning. Cause it's not genuine. I-" He clenched his teeth. He strained his hands from balling into fists as the magnetic pull amplified, thrashing against the vessel of his body for attempting to fabricate a such a lie. Apart from the supernatural divinity, he was made himself a bigger lie as he acted there wasn't any organic attraction in the first place. Pushing himself away, he created as much distance as possible, still facing Mira, but it was useless like it he was being stretched from two ends. ""I wasn't turned into a vampire. I'm a pureblood, and because I turned you, we are feeling this thing." He couldn't get a grasp on any control, and he pried her hands from the counter.
"I meant it when I said I'd do everything in my power to help before, so I did but I didn't expect this to happen like this."
Last Edit: Mar 23, 2021 22:18:23 GMT by xBlackxAcex
Mira's breathing was shallow, trying her hardest not to rip the lip of the sink and counter where she stood. When Saint turned off the faucet it's soothing effect evaporated, leaving nothing but chaos in her mind. Closing her eyes tightly, she ran a hand over her face with a heavy sigh. "You-" Her words were lost when his hands met hers, prying them from their death grip. She looked up at his face, the top of her head reaching just passed his chin.
She was as still as a statue, feeling his breath tickle her forehead. Her eyes lingered on his lips, the thought of tasting them exciting her. "A 'thing'?" She questioned, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can feel it. It feels like more than that." If she still had a heart beat it would have been attempting to gallop out of her chest. "But...maybe it's just me." Then slowly, as if approaching a scared animal, her hand move to his face. Inch by inch, hoping she wouldn't scare him away. Until her finger tips lightly brushed his cheek. "If I'm just a foolish girl, Saint, just say it now."