::CHAPTER 30::
I woke up to the oddest feeling; being…cuddled. I couldn't think of anyone who would even dream of cuddling me but here it was. Me lying in my bed with this tiny, warm body pressed to mine. Somehow she'd managed to get every line of her body to fit against me. Like a puzzle, really.
Ria's arm was around my waist as if it belonged there. And if anyone asked, I would tell them that it most certainly did not. I frowned a little. "Hey, you," I called. She didn't wake up. "You. Up," I poked her sides. She whined, sniffled and shuffled closer to me. "Lights on," I commanded, "Get up, Ria."
The room brightened and she complained with a hand over her face. I looked down at the rumpled haired, bleary eyed human clutching my bare skin.
Caroline didn't look like this the morning after sex. Nor Darla or any of my immortal lovers. Their hair usually stayed in reasonable shape and there was always something utterly perfect about them as they woke. Ria was the opposite.
She looked worn out, semi-conscious and mussed up. I laughed in spite of my previous irritation. It was pretty adorable, to be honest. Her lower lip jutted out into a pout once she noticed who I was laughing at. She rolled onto her back and the sheet shifted off her shoulders baring her chest. My eyes trailed down. "Good morning, ladies," I murmured with a kiss atop each breast. She swatted at my face, shooing me away.
"No. Sleepy. You tired me out," she grumbled curling into me again. It was as if it was the most natural thing for her.
I knew what I looked like and cuddling wasn't the first reaction my face incited. For perhaps the hundredth time I wondered what the hell was wrong with this human.
She let out a contented sigh and relaxed. I knew she'd be asleep again within minutes. With a light shove, I had her rolling all the way across the bed and onto the floor. There was a thud and a groan as she hit the carpet. I overestimated my own strength. Gentleness didn't come naturally.
I crawled over to the edge of the bed to peer over. "Get up and go shower. We're going out for breakfast," I said. She raised a hand, flashing her middle finger. "That's the spirit, Little Red." I left before she could start complaining again.
By the time I got out of the shower, she was sound asleep but curled up on my side of the bed. "Don't make me toss you into the shower again." She flew up and awake at the sound of my voice. Grumpy faced, she dragged herself out of bed and walked past me. Suddenly she stopped in her tracks, stepped back, ran her fingers down my still damp chest and tottered away again with a pleased − if not sleepy − little smile.
Perplexing thing, that girl.
I decided to go for casual and leave off the usual blazer and tie. Slacks and a lapis button down shirt was the way to go. This was not like my first time going out with Caroline. There was nothing to trick Ria with. There wasn't much she didn't know about my mind. She'd slipped into the myriad of chaos in my mind and came out of it each time with the irrational ability to still be near me. The ability to give her own body up to me in a way she hadn't allowed another man. It was hard not to feel smug about that.
Standing in front of the mirror, I ran a comb through the still damp hair and let it air dry. By the time she came out, I was ready. The sound of a wolf whistle filled the room and I glanced back. She was leaning against the doorframe with a towel wrapped around her, skin dry and hair wet. She wiggled her eyebrows at me. Women of this era are comfortable with the oddest flirtations. I looked away rubbing at my oddly warm, slightly tingling cheeks.
"You are pleased."
"I like the way those pants look," she said eyes raking up my legs and behind, "with that shirt."
"Thank you, pervert."
"What? The blue brings out your eyes. Can't I appreciate my − uh − my boyfriend?" her expression was the picture of innocence.
"Does that necessarily have to entail those not-so-ladylike thoughts you're having about his ass?"
"You saw that?" her face fell and her eyes widened thinking she'd broadcasted her thoughts to me.
"I didn't see a thing, but thanks to that reaction I know for sure," he flashed her a smile.
"You tricked me," she came over and gave a playful smack on my arm, "Maybe you should be called Loki and your brother could get the name Alejo."
"It would make much more sense, wouldn't it? Me being the one more likely to trick and manipulate."
"What does your name mean?"
"Protector of mankind."
"You're bullshitting me, aren't you?" she half scoffed half sniggered, "You? Protector of mankind? Oh yeah, you two should definitely swap names."
"You believe Loki to be more fitted to protecting the world than I?"
"Hell yeah."
I shot her a look. She shot me a grin.
Grabbing my cheeks, she pinched them and said, "It's okay. I still like you best." I blinked down at her. She just pinched my cheeks. I'm the ruler of the bloody world, the monster of the castle, feared by all and she pinched my cheeks….and cooed at me. It was a sarcastic, playful cooing but the thought that someone would even think to do it.
She left my room to go to hers and I didn't see her again for a bit. When she was back, it was faster than I'd expected. She hadn't bothered with makeup or any elaborate hairdo. It was just a pair of what looked like peacock feather earrings and necklace set, a pair of bleached out jeans and a thin, white, over sized shirt. It had been cut so that the neck exposed one shoulder and the hem barely covered all of her stomach. Her hair had been scraped into a curly bun and there was a purple and blue-green satin ribbon tying it in place.
For something that took minimum effort and a short space of time, the look worked on her. My exes were never ones for casual. They always had to stand out and go all out no matter where they went. He could appreciate someone who was comfortable in their own skin enough to not feel the need for short or tight or sequins just to go for breakfast. How refreshing.
"Where are we going to eat?" she asked as we headed down to the front. I had a car already waiting to take us there. I thought for a second and decided to let her choose. "Pick for yourself. Where do you like to eat?" I asked. She paused for a beat before her face split into a smile.
The man out front gave me a wide brimmed umbrella and I slid on my sunglasses. I didn't trust anyone to hold the umbrella. The last thing I needed was a split second betrayal to have me sizzling in the street. I took us to the car and we sat in the back while the driver went in. Ria called the directions to the man and sat back.
"Why did you choose this place?" I asked.
"I like the food and ambiance. Plus, I have a friend that works there."
"I see. This friend is female, I presume?"
"Dier won't let me make friends with any guys. Probably under your orders, I'm guessing?"
"Yes."
"Could you be a little less possessive? I mean we're together now, right? You don't have to be jealous."
"On the contrary, Little Red," I brushed a thread from my thigh, "I now have the exclusive right to be as openly jealous as I like. I am possessive by nature and you have agreed to be mine for the week."
"So that's a no?"
"So that's a no."
"Awesome," she sighed looking out of the window.
"Isn't it?" I smiled and pat her lap.
"Do you understand sarcasm at all or are you really good at ignoring it?"
I chuckled and didn't bother answering. She huffed and, though I couldn't see her, I knew she was irritated with my possessive streak. It was beyond me why I liked annoying her so much. I wondered how soon I'd get bored with her.
I had never been interested in any woman for more than a week. My choice in our dating time frame had been very much deliberate. There was no way this little fascination or infatuation or whatever the hell it was she was forcing me to feel would last longer than that. Relationships simply could not survive that long. It was madness to be interested in anyone for over a week.
We left the car in the underground parking lot and took the downstairs entrance to go into the diner. The place was well lit but the windows were tinted with government regulation UV deflectors.
It was a decent place for breakfast. Now I got what Ria had meant about the ambiance. There was a vintage theme going on with a jukebox playing music in one corner and waitresses on wheels rolling by with their trays. The place was filled mostly with kids and their parents, teens and young adults around Ria's age. I was used to women taking me to places they thought would impress me with expensive food, overhead charges and complementary wine. I don't think I'd ever gone into a diner before.
It smelt of maple syrup, eggs, bacon and coffee. There was a section to one end with a large glass case. There were cobblers, pies, cakes, brownies, cookies, churros, savory pastries and doughnuts all under a glowing light. Everything was colors and sweetness and my taste buds buzzed with the sensory overload of foods I'd never eat.
"Hey, Derek!" a girl behind the counter called in a teasingly sing-song tone, "Guess who's here?" The boy I assumed was Derek was out of the backroom in a heartbeat. He scanned the diner and I saw his eyes light up when he spotted Ria.
The boy's eyes then turned on me and the light dimmed a fraction. I didn't get the chance to comment. Ria jogged over to the counter to hug the girl and this Derek. I was beside her between one moment and the next. She didn't flinch or react to my seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Ria bounced on the balls of her feet. It was interesting to see her this genuinely happy.
"Are these your friends, Little Red?" I brushed a finger along her cheek, wanting her attention back on myself. She smiled and pulled me after her around the counter.
"Yeah. This is Moxie and this is her brother Derek," she pointed at each of them, "guys this is Alejo."
"Alejo Alejo?" they chorused.
"Yeah. Like my Master, Alejo."
"And boyfriend," I added and shook each of their hands, " Good to meet you both."
"You didn't tell us that you were dating him," Derek glanced at me clearly unable to keep eye contact for too long.
"It's pretty recent, Der."
"Aww, babe," Moxie pouted, "I thought you'd wait for me."
"You'll find yourself another girl's heart to break," Ria pat her cheek.
"Guess you're out of the running too, Derek," she sniggered.
"Shut up," he hissed face going red.
I slipped a hand onto the slope of her waist. She shot me a knowing look but didn't say anything. "We'll go grab a table and decide on what we want there," I told them. Both nodded and I lead Ria back with me.
"So we're being open about this relationship?" she asked as we sat. I raised a brow and didn't answer. "I wasn't sure," she shrugged, "Didn't think you were the type to want it out that you date your food." I frowned. She had a point there. I hadn't considered that.
"You're right. I suppose I'm also not the type to date my food in the first place but alas, here we are."
"And you're fine with others knowing?"
"I'm not fine with the alternative," I answered without answering, "I don't want it presumed that you are single or available this week."
"What about next week?"
"Next Monday, you can be as free as you want with whoever you want. By then we should have this out of our systems."
"We?"
"Yes. We," I flipped through the fresh blood section of the menu, "Surely you do not intend to still want to be with me after a week of my presence. I irritate you, I'm possessive and temperamental, I'm emotionally crippled, affection is alien to me, I'm a sadist and often homicidal. Hmm, A Negative on a vegan diet. That could be good."
I flipped through the options ignoring the eyes staring at me from across the table. She grumbled something unintelligible with a huff before grabbing a menu of her own. Moxie came over and got our orders before scampering off.
Derek came back moments later with a platter of small, somewhat spherical donuts. He tossed a sullen glance at me before skulking away. I smiled to myself.
"Donuts?" I raised a brow at Ria, "I'm judging you."
"Judge away. Donuts are an important food group. It's the only desert that can count as a legitimate breakfast meal and you can eat it any time of the day and no one cares."
"I see," I murmured picking one up, "And you like these things, Red?"
"Yep," she beamed and bit into one, "It's deep fried goodness with jelly inside. This is what God secretly made on the seventh day."
"Hmm. I will have these brought to the house for you then," I rolled the thing between my fingers.
"Not necessary. I get them here all the time. The owner lets me have the defects for free. They mightn't be perfectly round and the jelly mightn't fill the whole thing up, but they still taste great."
"Why travel all this way for something you could have at home. And they'd be perfect, not defects," I sniffed at the sweet thing.
"But my friends aren't at the house and they're not allowed to be."
"Would you like permission to invite them over?"
"You'd do that?"
"It's not an offer. It is a question."
"Then no," she licked the jelly from her finger, "They'd be better off not coming over."
I nodded. My house was not an environment for human friends − at least not the ones you wanted to keep. I already had a history of harming people there. She wouldn't risk it. I could have promised to behave for her. In theory it would be easy to keep my temper for a day or two. In reality I knew that I wouldn't want to. It was a testament to how well she knew me that she would never assume otherwise.
"Can you eat real food?" she asked suddenly, eying the donut still in my hand. I looked down at the thing and bit it as an answer. It was sweet and really not that bad. "So you can eat. Why would you drink blood if you can have food?"
"Would you eat tofu when you could have shrimp cocktail?" I raised a brow, "I can eat food but it doesn't taste nearly as good a bit of fresh A Neg blood." She frowned a bit before nodding. "Besides, my body's construct is not designed for food. It has no need for it. Food has no nutritional value so it would be eating for eating's sake without it contributing to my body's needs." This answer seemed to sit better with her. She relaxed into her seat and popped a powdered donut into her mouth.
"So you can have all the sweets in the world and not gain a pound. Lucky son of a bitch, aren't you?" she smiled and puckered up sugar white lips. I rolled my eyes at her playfulness but I'd never admit to maybe kind of liking her childish charm.
A warm bag of blood came to the table at the same time as Ria's food. I undid the straw-like part of the large bag and took a sip. Pretty good. Not Ria, but it will work until I can feed from her again. My eyes drifted out to the street and I spotted a familiar face.
He had one of his men holding a wide brimmed umbrella over his head even as they were under the shade of a large tree. Loki smiled and stood up from the park railing. Leaving the park, he left the scene and I expected him to be in here soon enough.
I wasn't disappointed.
"Hello, brother," he held out a hand. I shook it and watched as he gave Ria a short hug. She smiled up at him with all the trust in the world. I remembered a time when she hated Loki almost and much as she hated me. Then again, she was sleeping with me now so I suppose liking Loki was nothing in comparison.
Ria, polite as ever, offered him a seat beside her. He gave a short nod and accepted. He was already overstaying his welcome.
"Come for breakfast?" I asked knowing damn well that he hadn't.
"Naturally."
"Don't you have a Pet that you could feed from?"
"Oh you know they're only supplements. It isn't as if I could drain my Ana. Besides, apparently I'm not allowed inside your home when you are not in. New rules, Alejo? You don't trust me?"
"My apologies, but I can't be too careful. After all, it is alleged that the last time you were there when I wasn't, my entire family was wiped out."
"Except for one," he corrected.
"Yes," I took a sip not breaking eye contact, "Except for one."
"But you know that is all allegations, brother. I would never. I could never. It was my family also. You are my family."
"Mmm," I nodded, "Would you like to order?"
"I already placed it as I came in, thank you."
He turned to Ria and that little smile of his returned. She flashed him one of her own and went back to her hash browns, bacon and eggs. "You seem happy, Ria," Loki said taking her chin in between her fingers, "I like this new brightness to you. Feeding going well, I presume?"
My eyes narrowed at him even as she nodded with a grin. That was a very private question. It was akin to asking your brother's woman about their sex life. In fact, it was the same question really. Loki didn't seem to care that I was glaring at him.
"You two together then?"
"For now, yeah."
He looked at her strangely but then shrugged it off, "Congratulations, darling."
"Don't call her that," I warned him around the straw.
"Possessive one isn't he?" Loki gave Ria a playful nudge.
"Yes, he is," we replied in unison.
"Saying the same thing at the same time. Cute," he smirked at her and them me.
My eyes narrowed at him. I'd been seeing too much of Loki lately and now he here drinking breakfast with us. Ria didn't seem to mind him at all. They chatted away and he asked her about us. She didn't think twice about responding and he took it all in. I didn't appreciate Loki digging into my − our − personal life.
"I'm just going to the restroom. I'll be right back," Ria said and slipped away. I waited until she was out of earshot before fixing Loki with a glare. He kept that same easy, genial expression.
"What are you really doing here?"
"I went to the house and they said you were out to breakfast with Ria. They tracked your car here. They said you made it explicit that you two are together now."
"Yes. And?'
"And I had to see this spectacle for myself," Loki smiled, "My brother. Dating. Impossible, I told them."
"Extremely impossible with you here," I took a sip.
"Oh brother, dear," he gave the diner a sympathetic once over, "This is not a date. It's breakfast at a diner."
"So you saw the spectacle. There's more to this. Why are you still here?"
"This is why you were always my favorite sibling. Clever bastard you are," he chuckled, "Yes, I wanted to talk to you about Ana. But before I get into that, I must ask one thing."
"What is that?"
"Why Ria? What do you want from her?"
"That's two things, Loki. Unless you've lost your ability to count. In which case we have much more pressing worries than−."
"I'm serious."
He was frowning now. It was a sobering realization that hit me. He cares about her. It made sense I suppose. She'd spent weeks at his homes sometimes. He probably allowed it because of Ana but there was no doubt he'd learn to care about her at some point. It was difficult not to like her spunk and intelligence. I wondered if he'd ever had feelings for her. It wasn't impossible.
"Do you like her?"
"In a platonic way," he gave a curt nod, "I have no wish to encroach on your relationship, brother."
"No one would dare."
"Without a doubt. Now, if you please, could I have an answer?"
"I don't want anything from her," I took a sip, "I'm actually quite fond of her right now."
"Right now?" he raised a brow, "You two keep saying that."
"Well we're only dating for a week," I rolled my eyes, "Duh."
"Don't 'duh' me," he sighed, "Does Ria know that she's on a time frame?"
"Naturally. It's only polite to say as much. Why? This a problem?"
"Alejo Mercutio Veracci, you ass," he rubbed at his temples, "You're already planning to hurt this girl and it's only your first day together."
"I'm not going to hurt her. She knows the arrangement and we'll leave on a mutually agreed and cordial basis."
"You've had sex with her," he tossed his hands in the air, "You took her virginity. She's never going to forget that. Humans live short lives, brother. It all matters. This is going to end soon, she will be crushed and you…you'll feel nothing."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
He opened his mouth to speak but spotted Ria coming over. Instead he shook his head and glared at me before murmuring, "We'll finish this talk later."
Ria gave him a questioning look when she made it to us, but he forced a smile. "It was lovely to see you again, darling," he gave her a peck on the cheek and looked her square in the eyes, "Promise me, you'll take care of yourself." She seemed to falter for a moment before glancing between us. A strained smile on her lip, she nodded before sitting beside me. He took that as answer enough and looked at her with eyes gone a little sad. "I wish you two the best and I hope it lasts more than a week," he said and left our table. She turned as if to ask me something but I pressed a kiss to her lips and she accepted the touch.
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God it's been next to impossibly impossibly impossible to write more than a paragraph in any free-ish week lately. I didn't even have time to check comments or inboxes this past month (perhaps two I can't keep track of time anymore). I'm really sorry guys. I can't even promise more frequent stuff from now on. I'm actually supposed to be in a class right now but I wanted to upload what I had quickly since it won't be over until 7pm tonight.
It honestly would have been more realistic to have put this on hold but I can't bring myself to give up with so much finality. Damn I miss talking to you my watty friends and commenting on your comments and hanging with you guys. And I haven't gotten to write for so long (well except for my Creative Writing class and I can't even write like I want to there. like who the hell writes stories that are only 2000 words? that's a chapter!) I am unable to even deal with this fuckin semester -_- can't wait until Christmas.
I'm sorry for the long wait. I'm doing the very best I can under the insane, barely managable workload. Some days I could cry cuz I'm so behind on everything. Believe me, I'd write if I could and I miss the flipping heck out of you patient bastards