What the Hell Just Happened? (open)

[tinkerbell2]

It was an interesting story. But Ben could not believe that what she said was truthful. He almost laughed when she mentioned the blood sharing. It sounded more like some sort of crazy cult shit. He’d done stuff like that back in his gang days; it was more down the line of tattoos though. He thought suddenly of his own regrettable mark that would forever mark him as a Royal King of Chicago. It was a magnificent tattoo, a large crowned lion sat proudly on his shoulder blade. Ben, however, was not so proud of the time he’d spent as a gang member. Was that what Mia was into? A gang… Had he been marked? Fear made him shivered and his hand flew up to his neck. He’d spent so much time and effort trying to leave Chicago behind and start over. Had something deadly found him here, on the streets of New York? A noise from a car outside his window made him jump and brought him back to reality. He was not in Chicago and Mia was not in a gang. Something told Ben that she was involved with something much, much worse and that she may not even know how bad it was. He thought back over what she had said. Not much of it made sense. Very little of her story even sounded plausible. And yet, here he sat with bite marks in his neck.

“Okay…” It was all he could manage to keep the silence between them from becoming overwhelming. Okay, okay, so Mia drank blood. Like the crazy cult people. There was a crazy cult person sitting across from him in his living room. No, no. He’d already established she wasn’t in a cult. And she didn’t seem crazy. Just beautiful. As he stared at her in wonder, he felt the urge to move closer. Like he was a planet and she was the sun, he was drawn to her. But it was a dangerous orbit. He would be sucked closer and closer until they collided. And the sun would probably win. Ben sat back in his seat, leaning away from Mia. “Okay, so. Your boyfriend,” Scum. That was the first word that came to his mind. Ben didn’t have the cleanest track record with women, but he treated them well. “He, bit you. And then, you bit him. And then,” Ben laughed but it was filled with hysteria, not humor. “I mean, you can’t be serious. That’s, I don’t know! That sounds like some crazy vampire-shit out of novel. Which, by the way,” He leaned forward, his elbows on his thighs, “Are not true. And still…” He paused, his eyes looking into hers, “You crave blood. Which is weird. Really, really, weird, Mia. Aren’t girls supposed to crave chocolate? Or ice cream? Or chocolate ice cream?” Ben sighed and lifted his hand to scratch his shaved head. Then, something crossed his mind. He figured he might as well express it now rather than pay for it later. “Mia, I don’t know you. And, you, obviously, don’t know me. But, would you tell me if I was in danger?” He leaned away from her again, placing his hand over the bite marks on his neck. Then, one more thought crossed his mind, “Hold on! Whoa, whoa.” His husky voice cracked as he jumped to his feet. He immediately began pacing in the small space between the living room and the kitchen, “I’m not going to start craving blood, am I? Mia, no, no, you don’t understand. I don’t want to crave. I don’t want to be a vampire, like you. I mean, if that’s what you are. Is that what you are? ARE YOU?” His chest heaved up and down quickly as he tried to catch his breath. But his heart just kept racing faster as he thought of what could be happening to him.

On most night, Ben came home, ate, watched TV, and went to bed. This was not one of those night. He stood in living room at some ungodly hour of the night looking a leech in the eyes. Perhaps, leech wasn’t a pleasant word but it certainly was a descriptive one. Maybe he’d misheard her. That was it. He was still drunk. Really, really drunk. “Pardon me, a minute.” He spun on his heels and headed straight for the bathroom. He slammed the door behind him and proceeded to puke several times into the toilet. He finally finished dry-heaving and pushed himself up off the floor and to the sink where he splashed his face with cold water. He wondered suddenly how stupid he looked; Like a big, scared loser, that’s how. He took a deep breath and then opened the door. But, instead of taking the right to go back into the living room, he turned left towards his bedroom. His mind was blank. He was too freaked out to think. And it made things easier. He went straight to his closet and slid open the door, then pulled the bottom drawer of the plastic container. It held several random articles of clothing, including a pair of light blue velour pants and plain white tank top. He grabbed them both, shut the closer, and then left the room. As he returned to the living room, his eyes went straight to Mia and he froze where he stood. Would he soon be craving human blood? Would his skin turn to cold granite and would he morph into a bat? “Can you morph into a bat?” He stared at her, still frozen but for his lips as he spoke. “These are for you.” He didn’t look away from her. “They were left here,” He told her matter-of-factly. Nothing was working. Not his brain or his body. Had his heart stopped? He was quite sure it had. Oh no… that was the beginning. How it all started. How you became a vampire. But it was okay. Mia was here. She would help him become a vampire. “Mia…?” He spoke her name softly, his deep voice shaky with uncertainty. “What do I do?”

[random314]

The expression on Ben's face told Mia all she needed to know: He didn't believe her. Well, maybe he did, but she knew just from his face that he didn't find it very possible, which was understandable. Hell, Mia wouldn't have thought any of it possible if it hadn't happened to her. But it did happen. Everything she'd said was true. She hadn’t' exaggerated at all, didn't emphasis any part in her story, if anything, she'd toned it down. She didn't tell him of the searing pain she'd had, or what any of it felt like. If she had he might have run from her, and she didn't want that. Ben was all she had right now, the only person there for her. Mia never had been close with her mother, and her mom probably hadn't realized Mia was missing yet. God, what would her mother's reaction be? Can't think of that, Mia thought. Thinking of that would be even more stressful than the situation at hand. "Do you believe me?" she found herself asking, almost pleading him to say that he did believe her, and that she wasn't crazy. She needed to know she wasn't crazy. Mia was sane, was completely normally. Sure, she could get a little hot headed and rude at times, but that was normal wasn't it? Surely she hadn't imagined it all.

Mia listened as Ben relayed her story, trying to comprehend it all. Mia almost laughed at the expressions running across his face: disbelief, astonishment, hysteria...The last of which caused him to let out a loud laugh that really was more like a nervous laugh than anything else. A smile crept across Mia's lips as he spoke. He was sort of cute when he was freaking out. No, no Mia, you hate men remember? she reminded herself. Besides, she should not be smiling right now, not when everything in her life was spiraling out of control. Still, his hysteria was getting to her. When he got to the part in her story where she drank her boyfriend's, well EX boyfriend now, blood, Mia shook her head, about to correct Ben. She hadn't purposely drunken his blood. She didn't want Ben to think of her as that crazy, because than he'd just throw her back out onto the streets without helping her. She wasn't able to get a word in however, before Ben continued on. He mentioned how she should be craving ice cream, not blood, and it was clear he was losing it. Mia felt bad for him, she had caused this after all. He was going on and on, that Mia feared he'd never stop. She wasn't much of a talker, and she hadn't thought Ben was much of one either, until now that is.

When he asked if he was in danger of turning into a vampire. Mia's eyes widened, horrified. No, she couldn't be responsible for something as horrible as that! She shook her head violently, and her nails dug into the fabric of her jeans. "No Ben, you can't be..." she said, more to herself than him. If she were responsible for his death, she'd lose it, if she hadn't already. "No, I think-" “Pardon me, a minute.” Mia stopped short when he spoke and watched as he left her alone. A few moments later she heard gagging noises and she knew he was throwing up. Just hearing the awful noise made Mia start to feel nauseous herself. She attempted to block out his heaving and thought back to what he'd said. Would Ben turn into a vampire? Mia thought back to the night she was turned. Mark had bitten her, and then he must have cut his hand or something because he placed it to her mouth and she was forced to swallow his blood. With Ben she'd only bitten him; Ben hadn't bitten hear. Surely that meant something? Ben would be fine, wouldn’t' he? Yes, of course he will, Mia assured herself, leaning back in the couch and glancing in the direction of the bathroom. It was so odd for her to actually care. To actually care for this man she barley knew. She didn't want him to end up like her. She didn't want him to be a monster. He was more like a hero really, taking her in after what she'd done to him. Mia heard a door open and feet padding across the floor. Where was he going? A moment later he reappeared, some clothes in hand. When he met her gaze she tried to smile at him, to let him know everything was going to be okay, but her smile came out as more of a grimace.“Can you morph into a bat?” he asked her, gaze not leaving hers. Mia laughed, actually laughed. It felt like forever since she'd laughed, and it was just ironic that it took an outrageous situation for her to laugh. "No, of course not, silly," she said. The words a bit out of character for her. She called him silly? What was that? God, this whole situation was really messing up her whole being.

Mia took the clothes he offered her and placed them in her lap; she'd change later, there was too much to discuss at the moment. Ben expressed his concerns again and Mia tried her best to reassure him, and herself for that matter. "Ben, I don't think anything's going to happen to you. You didn't drink my blood, so I think you're okay," she said, brushing a piece of hair from her face, "Plus, you still smell human to me. And I still want your blood, and vampires don't drink each other’s blood do they?" she told him. She frowned when she realized she'd actually referred to herself as a vampire. Lord, she was really admitting it then? Mia was still looking at Ben, wondering if she should say anything else. Should she reach out for him? Place a hand on his shoulder or something as people did to offer comfort? No, that would just be worse. If she got any closer she'd want his blood again, and she wasn't allowing herself to indulge in the sweetness of it ever again.

[tinkerbell2]

“Ben, I don’t think anything’s going to happen to you.” Those were the most reassuring words he’d ever heard in his life. She said them so easily that Ben had no choice but to believe her. He nodded very slowly unable to move because his feet were still welded to floor. But at least his brains was beginning to process information again. Mia had taken the clothes from him. He hoped that she didn’t care where he’d gotten them. They had a bigger issue on their hands. “I still want your blood.” Those words brought him back completely. His feet moved, taking him a few steps away from Mia. He leaned backwards onto the kitchen counter, resting his weight on his elbows. He wasn‘t frightened by her as much as he had been in the alley. She wanted everyone‘s blood because she was a vampire. Wow. How could he just simply accept that? Were unicorns and elves and werewolves real too? The thought was disturbing. Maybe they were. Maybe ogres made their home in the sewers of the city. “Well,” He swallowed hard, hoping that he wouldn’t vomit in front of her, “I don’t think I can help you with your…” How had she put it? “Thirst. But, um, I suppose if you need to step out to, uh, catch a bite to eat, I’ll still be here when you get back. And I’ll still be human,” Ben managed a smile for the first time that night and held up two entwined fingers, “Fingers crossed.” He shook his head and looked down, trying not to laugh. The situation was absolutely absurd and yet he was already beginning to accept it. Sure he’d seen some crazy stuff in his life but nothing like this. Nothing tha should have made this so smooth, so easy. Well, except for his outburst just then. He pushed off the counter and moved forward boldly, suppressing the fear the surged through his veins and made his heart beat faster. He sat back down on the cool leather across from Mia, his face once again composed. “I’m sorry for that. I got a little bit scared and I haven’t been that scared in a very, very long time. And, I’m sorry for what happened to you. It doesn’t sound very fair.” He looked at her, sadness for her in his eyes, and frowned. She probably didn’t want his pity or his help. But he’d offer it, nonetheless.

[random314]

Mia frowned when Ben backed away from her. Perhaps she shouldn't have commented on wanting his blood. Yeah, that probably hadn't been the smartest move. She did want it though, that she could not deny. The thing was, Mia didn't want to want it. She wanted to be normal again and eat regular human food. Could she even eat regular human food now that she was changed? There were so many questions, but few answers to them. Sighing, Mia listened as Ben spoke, telling her he couldn't help her with her problem. He could though. If only she could have one more taste, just one, than she'd be set for the next week? Hour? Minute? How often were vampires supposed to feed anyway? Mia didn't know, but she supposed she'd figure it out in time, along with all the new abilities she possessed. "I think I'll be okay...for now," she said, trying to smile but knowing it came out uneasy. Her eyes wandered to his neck again, but she quickly averted her eyes, hoping he didn't see the longing in them. Were his words a ploy to get rid of me? she suddenly thought. Perhaps he wanted her out of the house so he could run from her. She scowled, wondering if her thoughts were true, but when she looked to Ben again she knew they weren't. She didn't think he'd do that to her, and he seemed genuine.

When Ben came back to sit on the couch across from her Mia was surprised, but she was even more surprised at his words. He was actually admitting he was afraid. Afraid of her. It was odd to think of herself as terrifying. She often tried to scare people off, but she never thought it was really working, and yet here Ben sat, admitting his fear. Didn't most men want to seem macho and tough, and yet here Ben was doing the exact opposite. Of course, Mia didn’t' think he was weak for admitting his fear. He'd been able to push her off him, and with her new strength she figured it must've been hard, and she didn't doubt that he'd be able to do it again. "You're scared of me?" she questioned, grinning in amuesment, "I'm just an innocent girl." When he apologized for what happened to her Mia both appreciated and resented his words. She liked that her cared, but she also didn’t' like it when people felt sorry for her. If she'd been smarter she wouldn't of wound up in this situation. "Don't feel sorry for me," she ordered, a spark of anger in her eyes, "It's my own fault I got involved with that guy. I should of known better..." she trailed off, glancing away from Ben.

[tinkerbell2]

Ben snorted at her words, “I should have known better.” He leaned back into the chair, folding his thick arms over his chest. “Your right, you probably should have,” He retorted, his own voice tinted with anger. The anger he felt was more geared towards the person who’d done this, not at Mia herself, but it wouldn’t seem that way. Ben didn’t make any effort to correct his statement; he simply glared in Mia’s direction. He regretted sharing his emotions with her. He’d have to toughen up, even against her seemingly innocent demeanor. Because she obviously had a tough, mean streak in her that he needed to watch out for. Ben bit his lip, thinking hard. He had to remember that she didn’t want to crave blood or be crazy stronger or have pallid skin. It wasn’t her choice or her doing. He sighed and relaxed his rigid muscles a bit. They were starting to hurt anyways. “Yeah, you’re really terrifying,” He teased as he changed the topic. [/b]“I’ve seen a lot of scary shit in my day. Stuff that’s too real to be in movies or on T.V. And for a long time, I was numb to it. It was my everyday life. What happened back there would have been nothing for me. But,”[/b] His eyes were glazed over slight as he remembered the time that he spoke. Chicago, seven years ago. It wasn’t the Chicago that the tourists were supposed to see. It was the bloody, deadly Chicago where drugs and guns ruled over everything. He’d been in so deep, Ben hadn’t been able to see the light of day through the bag his gang had pulled over his head. “I’ve been trying to forget that life. And you brought it back a little when I wasn’t ready.”

He looked at her, his brown eyes intense, trying to see through her pretty face and into her mind. She probably thought he was crazy, rambling on as he was. Suddenly, his emotionless face broken into a sly grin, “But I’m ready for your scary vampire antics now. You won’t scare me again. So, enjoy what just happened while you can.” He propped his elbow up on the arm of the couch and leaned his head on his fist. It was hard not to look at her, not to stare. The more he looked, the more he noticed how strange she seemed. It wasn’t a frightening strange but it was certainly intriguing. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly it was that made her so damn interesting to look at. It must have been a combination between her skin and her beauty and the way she moved. He felt himself being drawn in again and immediately pulled himself back, snuggling into the leather. “So tell me, Mia, what’s it like to be a vampire?” He asked, trying to be nonchalant. He looked down at his nails, breathed on them, but as he went to polish them, he remembered his shirt was still covered in blood. He glanced up at her and suddenly had a very, very strong urge to do a load of laundry.

[random314]

Mia was a bit taken aback when Ben snapped right back at her. It was foolish of her to be surprised though, she should have known. Not all people were quiet when you snapped at them; Mia certainly wasn't. She was simply surprised because Ben had been so understanding and simply nice since she attacked him. He hadn't even yelled at her after all she'd done. Maybe he responded more to verbal attacks than physical ones. She wasn't going to snap back at him, because she was the one who started their little tiff when he had only been trying to be nice to her. Instead, she ignored his comment and moved on. Normally she would have snapped back, bus since Ben had been so nice to her earlier she would end up feeling guilty, plus she didn't want to get on his bad side when he could still very well tell the police what she'd done.

She was glad when Ben teased her, glad to have the conversation lighter. She replied right away then, "You were scared earlier, and I could scare you again," Mia said, knowing her words were true. If she just moved a little closer, put her teeth into his neck...then he'd be terrified, but she didn't want to scare him. Although she'd like to drink from again, Mia wasn't going to do it without his permission, not like he'd ever give it. If she did get the delight of tasting his blood again, she'd try hard to do it gently so she wouldn't hurt him again. She wasn't sure how you could bit someone gently, but she had all eternity to master it. When Ben spoke about his life Mia found herself very interested. She wanted to know just what he'd been involved in, just what terrifying things he'd seen. From the way he spoke his life sounded much more exciting and interesting than hers. "Why was it scary?" she found herself asking. Mia was one never to hold back her questions even if they made someone feel uncomfortable or uneasy. She felt guilty when Ben said she brought his old life back to him before he was ready, but she didn't apologize. She'd already done that countless time.

"You think you're ready for me?" she questioned, raising a brow, "You'd be ready if I tried to drink from you again?" she knew she was pushing the limits. She shouldn't be asking him this. Mia was probably just making him nervous, but she couldn't help but ask. She wanted to drink blood again, and not just anyone's blood; she wanted Ben's blood. The homeless man just hadn't quenched her thirsts as Ben had. Maybe it was because he was on drugs, or maybe it was something else, but whatever it was, Mia wanted Ben's blood again. She would resist however, because she didn't want to hurt him. He asked her what it was like being a vampire, and Mia considered her answer before saying, "Well, I haven't been one that long. If I had the choice I'd stay human. I'll tell you how I feel about it in a week or so. What about you? What's it like being a mere mortal?" she asked, teasing again. She found she enjoyed this teasing. It was new for her, usually Mia was very serious.

[tinkerbell2]

Ben was on the fence about whether or not to explain to Mia exactly what had been so scary about his former lifestyle. But, so far, it seemed like there were no boundaries between them. Perhaps that was bad. He should probably build many mental and physical boundaries between himself and the vampire. But he didn’t. Just as he wasn’t about to call the police on her, he didn’t think she’d rat him out about the things he was about to tell her. “Chicago, where I used to live, is rampant with gang activity. After moving there when I was a teenager, I fell victim to their cult. I’ve killed a lot of people, Mia. All in cold blood. Murder, simple as that. Even people I loved. I murdered them too. And that's just the surface of it. Trust me," He looked at her, his face somber, "You wanted to be shot dead by the Latin Kings. One bullet to the head," He held out his hand in the shape of a gun and pointed it at Mia's face, "Was an easy death. The alternative was much, much worse. When I was in the midst of it, I didn't grasp the vulgarity of the things I was doing. It wasn't until after... I hated myself. I still hate myself." He dropped his hand back to his side. That was it. He leaned back, averting his eyes from her face. He didn't want to talk about it anymore. That was the most he'd ever spoken of his time in a gang since he'd left Chicago all those years ago. It wasn't that long ago.... seven years. Wow. He was getting old. And here he was, sitting across from the definition of beauty. He chuckled quietly to himself. Very old.

"You'd be ready if I tried to drink from you again?" There'd better not be a next time. His mind suddenly filled with questions. How did it work? How often? Did they always kill their victims? Obviously not, he was still kicking. "Oh, I'd be ready." She'd called his bluff and now he was calling hers. If she tried to drink from him again, they'd certainly be hell for her to pay. Unless, he gave permission. Which, he couldn't really see a situation in which he'd give her permission. It had be quite painful. "I do have bullets for my gun..." Oh shit. "Oh shit, my gun! Shit, shit!" He was on his feet, patting himself down. He searched the apartment frantically with his eyes. He'd come in, gone in the kitchen... No gun in the kitchen. "Aw," He swore loudly, using several inventive words. "I left my gun in that alley. Shit. If the police find it..." He leaned into the wall, covering his face with one of his hands. "Being a mortal sucks because you forget really important shit in really stupid places. Damnit!" What could he do? He couldn't go back now for it. They'd probably already found and taken it in for fingerprinting. He wasn't in any databases here in New York, but they could pull a long history from his days in Chicago. "I'm sorry," He told her, apologizing for the cursing and then sat back down. He slumped in the leather, obviously depressed by the situation. He placed his hands on either side of his shaved head and stared down at the floor. Ben felt like an idiot.

[random314]

When Ben began telling her about his gang days, she found herself being sucked into the story. She hadn't known his past was so dark. He seemed so nice that you would never expect such a dark past underneath it all. Everyone had their secrets though; everyone had skeletons in their closets, no matter how good a person they seemed to be. Mia herself had a miserable childhood, with her parents fighting all the time and her dad's abuse. He hadn't abused Mia, but he'd hit her mom. Mia hadn't been quiet about it, and she'd told on him, which only made her mom madder. Mia didn't understand how her mom could love someone like that, but she did, probably still does. But Mia's past was nothing compared to Ben's. He'd actually killed people. It was oddly funny that she thought of herself as a bad person now that she'd killed that homeless man, and yet Ben had already killed so many. Still, murdering anyone wasn't right, unless it was in self-defense. If Mia had been strong enough she would have killed Mark, the one who'd changed her, without any seconds thoughts, and no regrets, at least that's what she told herself. Mia wasn't sure what to say to Ben after that, but knew she couldn’t' stay silent forever. She was just shocked. "You can't hate yourself forever...That was then. This is now," she said simply, realizing she should probably take her own advice.

He told her he'd be ready for her if she came at him again, and Mia was glad he didn't seem freaked out by her words; perhaps he didn't realize that the probability of her attempting to drink from him again was more likely than now. Mia didn't even realize this completely, or at least she tried to ignore the fact and her burning hunger. "I do have bullets for my gun..." he started, before trailing off. Suddenly a look of panic overcame him. She saw it in his eyes. "Oh shit, my gun! Shit, shit!" He then stood and patted himself down, eyes frantically darting about. Mia knew what this meant. He'd left his gun in the alley. They were screwed. Ben seemed to think he was the only one in trouble, but Mia knew that if the police found the gun and called Ben in, she'd admit what she'd done to the man, even if it meant spending the rest of her life in jail. She couldn't let Ben take the blame for this, and if there was on traits of Mia's that was good, it was honestly. She wouldn’t' lie to you, whether the truth would hurt or not. Sometimes her brutally honest ways hurt people, but in this situation it would do them good. She rose from the couch as Ben did, but didn’t sit down with him. "Do you think it's still in the alley? Should we check?" she asked him, clearly not as knowledgeable on the ways of the law as Ben was. If they went back to the crime scene they'd probably have even more of a likelihood of getting caught. She was silent for a moment, hating herself for what had happened. She extended a hand towards Ben and placed it on his knee, "Listen, if the cops find you out, I'll tell them the truth. I won't let you get blamed for this," Mia said solemnly, her words true. After everything she'd done to this man it was the least she could do.

[tinkerbell2]

Could this night get any worse? Really? He didn't think it was possible. Even if Mia latched on to his neck and sucked him dry, it would be a better fate than ending up in jail. Maybe he would ask that of her, if it came to it. Never, ever would he go back to jail. He'd spent so much of his youth there. At the time, it'd only made him more macho in the eyes of the gang. But now, he knew how completely idiotic those days had been. Mia placed her smooth, cold hand on his leg. At first, he didn't feel it through the thick fabric of his jeans but eventually he could feel the chill on his own skin. It was comforting and disconcerting at the same time. "Listen, if the cops find you out, I'll tell them the truth. I won't let you get blamed for this," He shook his head, still not looking at her. One hand moved from his head to his neck, while the other patter her hand softly. He wasn't sure how much contact between them was safe, but a little couldn't hurt. "No. No. I won't get taken in for the murder of that man. He wasn't shot to death, after all. But, the Chicago police are still looking for me. I moved around a lot before I came here. I've tried to keep a low profile but I think I just really screwed up." He shook his head and pulled his hand over his tired looking face. He could feel the stubble on his cheeks and knew it was time for a shave. What time was it? He had no earthly idea. "It doesn't matter," He squeezed her hand gently and then turned his head to finally look up at her. He tried to wipe away the anguish from his face and was partly successful. His face was blank but his eyes were still sad. "There's nothing we can do tonight. We can't go back now. Maybe they didn't find it. I was cowering behind a dumpster, hiding from a monster. It might still be there. I'll go and look for it in the morning." He pulled his hand out from under hers and leaned back onto the couch.

The night would be one to remember. He hope it would end well, with him not going to jail or being eaten by a vampire, though he'd much prefer the former over the latter. Ben sighed and his stomach rumbled. He hadn't eaten in a while and everything that he had eaten was in the sewers. Maybe he should eat. But he should probably change clothes first. "I'm going to go throw on a new shirt," He told Mia, looking up at her. "Do you think those will work okay for you? I might have something else in my room if they don't." She was incredibly petite. Ben normally brought home women that were long legged. There was no reason in particular for it. Those women just seemed to be easier to bring home so he wasn't sure if the pants would fit her.

[random314]

Mia felt comforted having Ben's hand on hers. Despite everything that happened it was nice knowing they were in this together, even if Mia had been the one to start it. Without Ben, she'd probably be off on a killing rampage right now, overcome with her thirst. Talking with him distracted her from all that, and she'd remained somewhat sane throughout everything. He'd helped her through her strange, better suited for a horror movie than real life, episode, and one of these days she have to return the favor. He patted her hand and told her that he wouldn't get in trouble for the murder, but that the Chicago police were looking for him because of his past gang behavior. Mia inwardly scolded herself for thinking Ben would be blamed for the murder. The body would have bite marks all over it, not gunshots. Clearly she did not know nearly as much about crime as Ben did. Mia got in small fist fights and such, and during her rebellious stage she'd stolen small items from convenience stores and some vandalism, but never had she killed anyone, well at least not until tonight. Ben's eyes were sad as he told her all this, and Mia felt terrible at putting him in this situation. It was all her fault after all. "If you need somewhere to stay..." she hesitated, wondering if this was the best suggestion to make seeing as she'd only met him today and he would probably be uncomfortable with it, but ventured on anyway, "You could stay with me. I just don't want you to get in trouble because of me." She finished, glancing away from his sad eyes to the floor. God she hated this guilt that lay so heavily upon her shoulders. Usually she was confident, never had she looked away from someone's gaze as often as she had Ben's.

When Ben pulled his hand away, Mia felt oddly sad, but shook it off. She never had been a girl who relied on people to make her feel happy or comforted, and she would not turn into that girl just because of Ben. Mia looked down at the clothes Ben had given her as he spoke. He told her he might have more clothes if those didn't work. "Do you often wear women's clothes Ben? Or are you just a ladies man?" She laughed airily. Why it took a disaster to make her laugh she didn't know, but Mia found she was laughing a lot more than usual today despite everything that had happened. Perhaps she should bite random people more often. "Thanks Ben, I'm sure these will work fine," she said seriously, and with a slight smile.

[tinkerbell2]

Why she was offering her home up to him, Ben didn’t really understand. Sure, he might want to get out of this part of town for a few days, but he wasn’t the type of person who ran from trouble. Well, not normally. He’d run from Chicago like there was a fire lit under him… and there sure as hell had been. But he didn’t want to think about that right now. He smiled at her, grateful, “Thanks for the offer, Mia, but things will settle down. I’ll be fine.” He hope he’d be fine. Ben would just keep his head down for a few days, maybe call out of work for a day. Work, ugh! Maybe he should call in sick tomorrow. After all, hadn’t he just donated a pint of blood. He looked up at Mia. She wasn’t the Red Cross, but he figured she was still a good cause. “But, uh…. Maybe some other time.” What would happen after tonight he wondered. Would he ever see her again? Maybe she would join some vampire cult and never think of him again. Vampires were eternal beings, time meant a different thing to them. Ben would grow old and die before she thought of him again. She was dangerous, he told himself, so maybe he was okay with that. And maybe not.

Ben laughed, the sound deep and happy. “Yeah. I’m a pimp and those belong to one of my girls, so don’t get them dirty!” He shook his head at the ridiculousness of his statement, “I’m just teasing, I hope you know that. But uh, they belong to a friend of mine. You can keep them.” Ben wanted to change the subject now. They were standing on awkward footing. Sure, Mia could probably kill him, but she still seemed so young, so innocent. He pushed himself off the couch, not looking at her. “I’m going to go change clothes. You can use the bathroom.” With that, he excused himself from the room. Nope, he wasn’t having that conversation with a woman, er, vampire he’d just met. Who came over to his home and accidentally left their clothes there was his business, not her. He stepped into his room and shut the door.

With his hands on his hips, Ben stood staring into his closet. He bit down on his lip. What to wear? Part of him wanted to put on a turtle neck but part of him trusted Mia. If she said she wouldn’t bite him, then she wouldn‘t. He pulled off his shirt and threw it on the ground. In a under a few seconds, he’d decided on gray sweatpants and another undershirt. No need to do anything special, he told himself. He’d pulled the sweatpants on and was about to pull the shirt down over his head when he noticed something. The skin of his chest and stomach were stained red from the blood that had soaked through his shirt. “Damnit.” He didn’t want to ruin two shirts in one night. His lips pursed in frustration… Maybe…

Ben opened the door as quietly as possible. He couldn’t tell if Mia was still in the bathroom but nonetheless he snuck slowly out of his room and tiptoed down the hallway and back into the kitchen, clean and dirty shirts in his hands. As quickly as possible, he flung the hot water and wetted a sponge to wipe the red off his skin. He didn’t want Mia to catch him half-naked, standing in his kitchen. When he’d been younger, Ben had worked hard for his body. And it had paid off. Now, it was just a nuisance. The muscles were distracting, almost embarrassing. Sure, it helped with the construction job he held, but he preferred not to stand out. Sure, the women seemed to enjoy them, but he tended to be at least drunk when they were around. The alcohol helped with the confidence issue. Now, he was stark sober and could have been six inches tall. He was almost clean, just a few more swipes and he’d be free of blood. Finally, he grabbed a dry dish towel, dried off, and pulled the shirt over his head. Whew.

[random314]

Mia was seriously way off tonight. She'd invited a man she hardly knew to her apartment. Of course he'd say no. She'd bitten him for God's sake. She'd only been trying to be nice though, and this whole nice thing was new to her. Mia was usually hard and didn't open up to anybody, but in the course of a few hours Mia had already opened up to Ben more than she had anyone in a long, long time. She was only trying to be nice when she invited him to stay, because she was worried he'd get caught by the cops if he stayed here. No one else knew she was a vampire, and she probably wouldn’t' tell anyone else. She just didn't want to lose Ben since he'd been such a help to her. If the cops took him away, she'd suck them dry. Okay, so maybe that wasn't that nice, but Mia couldn’t' help it. She just didn't want to feel anymore guilty than she already did. If Ben got in trouble because of her she'd just feel worse. That's why she wanted to help him, because she didn't want to deal with the guilt, but also because she wanted to help Ben just as he'd helped her.

When Ben added 'maybe some other time' to his original refusal Mia looked at him curiously. What did he mean by that? To keep the option open in case he'd need to hide out in her house? Or did he mean he'd stay over just for fun and they'd have pillow fights like little girls did at sleepovers? Mia doubted both. Ben seemed to like taking care of himself, which didn’t' surprise her. He had been in a gang and hadn't let her help him with his wound, (of course that was probably because he was afraid she'd puncture his neck again with her fangs, but still) so Mia assumed he liked relying on himself. Whatever the reason behind his words, Mia would definitely keep the option open. She did not want to be the reason this man went to jail and would do everything in her power to prevent that from happening. He'd changed since his gang days; surely the police could see that? Well, even if they could that didn't mean he'd be left off the hook.

Mia laughed out loud when Ben said he was pimp. "Well, I suppose you look like one a bit," Mia joked, a smile on her face letting him know that. He said that the clothes were left at his apartment by 'a friend' and Mia couldn't help but wonder about this friend. If she was a girlfriend and happened to live with him or randomly drop by, well that wouldn't be good. Mia could just imagine Ben trying to explain his current situation to his girlfriend about a vampire in the house. She smiled at the thought. Mia didn't think he had a girlfriend though, his apartment looked like the typical bachelor pad, not the love shack. Mia wondered just what type of girl someone like Ben would go for. The clothes she had in hand were too big for her, she already knew. The pants would probably drag on the floor and the shirt neck collar would sag, so clearly he didn't go for girls like her. For some reason the fact that he wouldn't be his type made Mia more appreciative for his help. It would be easy for a man to help a pretty girl, but Ben had just helped Mia out of the goodness of his heart. He really was a good guy.

She left Ben to go to the bathroom as he'd suggested and quickly stripped herself of her bloody clothes. She used the towel she'd used earlier to get most of the blood off her arms and legs, and then pulled the shirt Ben gave her over her head and pulled the pants up. As suspected, the pants were at least a couple inches too long, and the shirt's neck collar sagged a big. Sighing, Mia rolled up the pant legs and made her way back towards the living room were she presumed Ben was already. Boys generally took less time changing after all...well, apparently Ben was the exception. As Mia passed through the kitchen she spotted Ben at the sink, washing the blood off his torso. Holy crap he was even more muscular than he looked with his shirt on. Rope after rope of muscle lined his chest, and he certainly wasn't bad looking. Not at all in fact. If Mia were human, she would have blushed, but as it were she simply averted her eyes and looked to the floor. She was about to go into the living room when Ben turned around, now dressed, thank god. "Sorry I didn't now you'd be in here," she admitted, eyes on him again. She was not going to be embarrassed. Mia rarely got embarrassed, and she refused to let his former half nakedness affect how she acted.

[tinkerbell2]

Had she seen him? Ben scrutinized her face for any emotion, but it was lacking. On one hand, he was little disappointed. If he’d turned around and seen big googly eyes admiring him, he’d have been happy. He almost wanted to see that face. But, at least she didn’t seem disgusted by him either. She simply looked a bit startled. That was okay too. Ben smiled at her as he took in her appearance for the first time. Sure the pants were too long and the shirt too big, but Mia looked cute. The oversized closed only served to make her look more petite than she already was. The only reason he tended to bring home long-legged, blonde bimbos were because they were easy to bring home (and dumb enough to leave clothing behind). But Mia wasn’t any of those things. And he hadn’t brought her home. Well, kind of, but not in that way. “Sorry, I didn’t know you’d be in here.” He nodded slowly, “That’s alright. I am starving,” He turned away from her and opened the fridge. “So, I’m going to eat. You, however,” He looked back over his shoulder and grin, “Are not allowed to eat.” He pulled from the fridge a jug of orange juice and a glass of milk then reached up on top of the fridge and pulled down a box of sugary, colorful cereal. He poured himself a bowl of cereal, doused it with milk, and then fixed a giant glass of OJ. “I think my earlier blood donation has made me hungry.” He said as he brought the glass and bowl into the living room. Ben placed the glass onto the coffee table and pulled the bowl into his lap. He took a several large, successive bites. Man, he was ravished. “Definitely, the… blood fing…” He managed not to spit food everywhere as he spoke to her. He finally swallowed the cereal and reached out for the orange juice. As he titled the glass to his lips, Ben watched Mia. Once the glass was empty, he sighed and set it back down. “Mia…” He ventured softly. He wanted to know more about what had happened. But how was he supposed to ask. Should he demand information? She had bit him after all and she probably owed him. The last thing he wanted to do though was force her into anything. In fact, that could be dangerous. Perhaps he would gently pry. Or, he could just come out straight. He figured somewhere in between was best. “Mia, do you want to talk… about what happened? Like, with this Mark asshole, jerk, I mean, guy. I don’t want to pry, but I am curious about how exactly it happened. Maybe… there’s a cure, a way to reverse it.” He set the cereal down too. He wasn’t hungry any more. Just thinking about this Mark character made his stomach turn. So, he sat back into the leather and watched her, waiting for an answer.

[random314]

Mia was glad that Ben hadn't seen her looking. That would have been extremely awkward for the both of them. At least, she didn't think he'd seen her looking. He certainly wasn't looking at her like most guys would if they caught a woman checking out their muscles, all confident like and big headed. Ben certainly wasn't acting like that, but Mia wasn't sure if he'd act like that anyway. She'd only known him a couple hours, and hardly knew all the facts and tidbits on his personality. She did wonder though, if she'd expressed an interest what would he do? Maybe she'd never find out, but for some reason she wanted to. Mia hadn't been with many men in her life, but the ones she had been with always seemed to have one thing in common, a whole lotta confidence and aggression. Ben didn't seem to have either of these traits, and that both intrigued and surprised Mia. She'd sworn of Men because of those traits, but what would she do if Ben didn't possess them?

He announced he was hungry and then wasted no time in filling a bowl with colorful cereal. Mia had always been a fan of cereal, she practically lived off it, but for reason the cereal didn’t' look nearly as appetizing as usual. The only thing that looked appetizing to Mia at this point was Ben's neck, but that was off limits. She'd have to find a way to get him to agree to allow her to drink from his neck, but she had no idea how to get him to agree such a thing. She didn't mention anything more on how badly she wanted his neck in between her teeth, or how much she wanted his sweet blood filling her mouth and pouring down her throat, but the longing shone in her eyes; the bloodlust was there, and there was no denying it. Ben could probably see it too. Mia shook her head, forcing herself to lose the images of his blood pouring down her throat out of her mind. "Sorry," she muttered, in a softer voice than she usually used.

He asked her about her boyfriend again and Mia frowned. She did not want to talk about this. He really had no right asking her about it either. Still, perhaps giving him some information on this would make him more willing to talk about his gang days, which she couldn't help but be interested in. Mia hadn't had a very exciting life, just one filled with petty attempts at being bad. She hadn't really been a bad girl. Mia had only talked to the wrong crowd and caused a little bit of ruckus so her mom would pay attention to her, but even with all her acting out her mother had been too caught up in own life to notice Mia. Sighing, she wondered just what information would be the best to give Ben. She didn't really want to tell him anything, but maybe she'd get him to talk about his gang days...or about the woman these clothes belonged to, if she told him what he wanted to know. "I don't really wanna talk about it Ben," she began, her dark eyes meeting his, "He was just an ass. I shouldn’t' of got involved with him. He left me for some time and then when he came back he was changed. I realize now the change that had taken place. He was a vampire. And when he bit me..." she trailed off, her own neck throbbing at the pain, "Shit, well it hurt, really, really bad. I'm not sure if it's the same feeling you're feeling right now, but it seemed to last forever. The transformation was painful. But Ben, what about you? Why did you get involved in the gang anyway?" She asked. Mia wondered if he did it for similar reasons she'd acted out, because he wanted attention, or was his reason something different?

[tinkerbell2]

She was staring at him and staring hard. At first, Ben started to blush but as he read her eyes he realized she wasn’t staring at him. Could she seeing the blood coursing through the veins in his neck? The look on her face told him she could. And that she wanted the blood very much. Ben sat still, unsure of what to do. He didn’t want to move and risk setting her off, but could he just sit there like a waiting duck? He turned his body slightly, the wounded side getting further away from Mia. But, that exposed his unhurt side. Just as he was starting to panic, Mia dropped her eyes. Whew. Disaster averted, for now. What would he do if she attacked him again? Physically, he’d be in trouble. She was so damn strong. And it hadn’t taken her long to finish off that man in the alley. He wouldn’t have much time. The draw to his blood must be incredibly strong. What if Mia couldn’t stop herself, even if she’d wanted to? He shivered and then looked at her.

Ben frowned. He knew she shouldn’t have asked about it. It was too fresh for her, just a new wound. “I’m sorry for asking. I won’t bring it up again tonight.” But he’d bring it up again another night; If they ever had another night together. “But…” Ben had started to say ‘at least you survived,’ but he wasn’t sure that’s what she had done. Wasn’t she essential dead? No heartbeat, no pulse… He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to exist without a heartbeat. Maybe, one day he’d get close enough to Mia to find out. Not, personally, of course. He just wanted to hear, or not hear, her heart. “But never mind.” He sighed. Back onto the gangs. Well, he could talk about it. He was man enough to deal with the painful memories that it was bound to bring back. As long as he didn’t think about her, he’d be okay. “I was bored, plain and simple. My mom left when I was a few months old and my dad moved us from a small city to Chicago when I was fifteen or so. At first, it was just something to do. But the adrenaline became a drug and when that wasn’t enough, I turned to real drugs and real crime. I did time. I got out. I committed more crimes, you know, arson, theft. I was never charged for murder, thank God, or I’d still be locked up.” He sighed, taking a deep breathe and then letting it all out. It wasn’t so hard. Only a little hard. “But, it’s more than just the police looking for me, Mia. I betrayed my family. Well,” He shrugged, “They were my family then. That’s why I left Chicago.” Memories flooded his head. Guns, war, Mary… It was as if it had all happened yesterday. He saw them pass before his eyes in the living room and then disappeared at the other end. He must be tired if he was seeing things. Or crazy but he hoped he was just tired. Ben yawned, covering his mouth as he did. “I’ve been trying to keep a low profile here. New York is a big enough city that I thought it would be easy to stay unnoticed. But of course, I meet you. A vampire. In a dark alley. That is just my luck.” He shook his head slowly, slumping slightly to the side. Wow, the leather was comfortable. He’d spent many a night here, having fallen asleep watching TV. Tonight would be a bad night to fall asleep. As much as Ben was growing to like, and trust, Mia, he didn’t think falling asleep in front of a hungry vampire was a very smart idea.