My Blood on Your Lips, Your Money in My Bra

"Who's he?" Gabriel asked the moment we entered the apartment. His eyes were on Eli, the vampire's large form illuminated only by the flickering glow of the television.

"A friend," I answered while grabbing the human's wrist and beginning to drag him past the living room. Eli gave a single twitch, and Gabriel said nothing else.

I led him past the bathroom and my bedroom, going clear down to the end of the hallway. There were a few more doors down here, all of them leading to rooms I rarely used. To the left was the door to a storage room. To the right was the door to another storage room. Straight ahead was the door to my library, and that was the door we went through.

"Why is it so dark in here?" Gabriel asked once we were inside. I closed the door and sighed.

"Same reason the rest of the apartment is dark," I answered as I made my way to the table in the middle of the room. I picked up a book of matches and turned my glowing eyes to the human. "I don't need the light."

His eyes immediately found mine, seeking out the only light in the room. There were no windows here, so there wasn't even any outside light to make the shapes in the room recognizable to him.

One almost had to pity humans and their silly limitations.

With a single match, I quickly lit the three tall white candles on the table. There were more scattered about the room, lining the many shelves and the chest in the corner, but I didn't feel the need to light them all. The human didn't need to be able to see my books and belongings.

"Whoa," Gabriel whispered as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. He could now make out the walls, as well as the shelves and books all along them. The room was large, and the books were plenty.

"Don't touch anything," I told him as I threw the smoking, blackened match into the wastebasket by the door. "Don't make a sound. And stay away from the door." He looked to me for an explanation, but all I said was, "I'll come get you when you can come out."

"Why do I have to stay in here?"

I want to keep you a secret. "I need to make sure all of the windows are covered. I don't want anyone to be able to see you."

I expected him to say something about how high up the apartment was, how unlikely it was for him to be spotted, but he said nothing. He merely nodded.

"Thank you," And with that, I left the room. I closed the door, but decided not to lock it. I trusted the human to stay in that room.

I went to the living room and kneeled next to the couch. Eli was still sleeping, all calm and peaceful, of course.

"Hey, Eli," I said softly, touching the vampire's cold hand. "It's almost six. The sun will be up soon."

His eyes opened slowly. "But I don't wanna get up."

"Do it, anyway. Your bed is probably more comfortable than my couch." I stood, still holding his hand. I gave his arm a light tug when all he did was grunt. "Come on."

He grunted again as he sat up, and I released his hand. "Fine," he muttered, now getting to his feet.

"Sorry, Eli." I retrieved the remote from the arm of the couch and turned the TV off. The darkness that filled the room afterward was nothing for us. Our eyes adjusted almost immediately, and we looked at each other.

"It's all right. I'll just come back later." He stretched, but I was the one who yawned. I was still sleep-deprived. Damn Terrence and his stupid human...

"You always do."

"Almost always," the vampire corrected as he walked around the table, heading for the front door. "I do have things to do sometimes, you know." He just barely remembered to put his shoes on before leaving. I didn't even get a goodbye.

I rolled my eyes and locked the front door behind the male. "Jerk."

When I went back to the library, I found Gabriel sitting in one of the chairs at the table. He was slouched, staring up at the flickering light on the ceiling. He didn't look bored like I'd expected him to, but thoughtful instead, as if something was bothering him.

"I'm never going to be able to go back to them, am I?"

The sudden question surprised me. "Who?"

"My parents, my brothers, my friends, my girl." His green eyes found the glow of mine, and the sadness there was something else I hadn't expected. "I'll never get to see them again, will I?"

I wanted to ask about his "girl," and, like the insensitive bitch I'd always been, I opened my mouth to do so. What came out, however, was yet another thing I hadn't expected. "I don't know." I paused, confused by my own willingness to admit that, though I continued soon enough. "If I think I can trust you not to speak of what you've learned, I'll try to help you. But...I'd have to figure out how to do that without Terrence's knowledge, and that is always far harder than it sounds. There's even a chance that he could kill you before I trust you enough to let you go."

I fell silent after this, and he did the same. He merely gazed at me, solemn and silent, a pale statue at my old table.

"But you'll try, right?" He got to his feet and turned to fully face me. "If you trust me, you'll at least try to help?"

"If I can."

"Thank you."

I turned from him, my hand on the door frame. "Don't thank me until you're free." I stepped out of the room and began to walk down the hallway. "You can leave the room now, by the way."

"Thank God." He started after me quickly, the candles left aflame in the library. "It smells weird in there."

-

When noon rolled around, I was laying in bed in my black bra and panties, staring at the clock. I'd been here for hours, yet I'd barely gotten any sleep. Thinking was bad for me...

"Hey..." The hesitant voice tore my eyes from the clock. There the human was, standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Uh..."

"What?" I asked in a sigh, not bothering to move.

"I haven't gotten your name yet..."

I blinked. Had I really forgotten to tell him?

"Elyria. Elyria Vlorinix."

"That's a weird name," he pointed out, cocking his head.

"It's a necromancer's name." I sat up and stretched, the blanket now down about my waist. When I looked over at Gabriel again, I found that he was once again not doing what I expected of him. "You're not blushing or looking away." His eyes were on my face, too, but I kept my amazement at that to myself. I didn't want him to think that I thought he was a pervert.

"Why would I?" he asked, an eyebrow arched.

"You just seem like the shy type."

"Nah," he said with a shake of his head. "I've done enough with my girlfriend to be used to naked women. And nearly-naked women, of course," he told me with a gesture my way.

Again, questions about his girlfriend popped into my head, an odd feeling filling me. Was I...jealous?

"What-" I stopped. I wanted to know nothing about this girl. I had no reason to feel anything but indifference toward her, for I felt nothing for her boyfriend.

"What, what?"

"Nothing." I slid out from beneath the covers and stretched again. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep on the couch?"

He shrugged. "I can't sleep anymore. Six hours was enough."

"All right." I looked at him for a moment. "You're going to need clothes, aren't you?"

"Probably."

"Guess I'll have to get you some later." I walked toward the doorway, and the human moved to let me through. "I'll be in the shower if you need me. You leave this apartment, you die."

"I know," he said as the bathroom door slowly closed. "That's what you told me when you left me to sleep on the couch."

"Then you'd better listen," I called through the wood. He merely laughed and went to the living room, but I could only frown.

What the hell had I gotten myself into?

-

"Thanks again for the clothes," Gabriel said from inside the bathroom.

"Again, you're welcome." I was leaning against the wall to the left of the door, my arms crossed and my eyes closed.

It was late now, nearly nightfall, and I was already wondering who would call or show up at my front door this evening. I hadn't heard from Derrick since our last talk, and I was getting worried. When he finally snapped, the damage was going to be horrific...

"They fit well, too," the human said as he opened the bathroom door. He stepped out into the hallway, and I opened my eyes. "The shirt's a bit big, but meh."

I had to agree with that, but I still thought he looked good. The casualness of jeans and a red T-shirt suited him well.

"I'm glad you like everything." I'd gotten him several T-shirts and pairs of jeans, and they all fit him well. I assumed the boxers and socks fit the same, though he hadn't commented on them.

He offered me a smile. "Thanks again." I just rolled my eyes and went to the living room.

CSI was already casting the usual flickering glow across the room, the sound of Grissom's voice soft, even in the silence. I plopped on the couch and tried to get my mind on the show.

"Where do you want me to put these?" Gabriel called from down the hall.

"You can keep them in my room, if you'd like," I answered distractedly. Grissom made this show. That's why I couldn't stand CSI: NY or CSI: Miami.

"Where?"

"My dresser, my closet, wherever there's room."

"All right." I was allowed to focus on the show for only a moment. The call of "You have some very nice underwear" was rather distracting.

"Why are you looking at my underwear?" I sighed as I headed to my room.

"They're nice," the male answered, looking at me over the top of the only thong I owned. He was holding the garment up, as if he'd been studying it, and that made me think he really was a perv. Yet another thing I hadn't expected.

"These ones are nicer," I told him as I undid my jeans and slid them down. These panties were just black bikini-style, but I had reasons for thinking they were better than that tiny little thong.

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow at me, lowering the thong. "And why is that?"

I gave him a small, sexy smirk. "Because I'm wearing them."

He laughed lightly and dropped the thong back into my underwear drawer. "Well...I guess you do have a point," he joked. "Anything would look sexier on you."

"Damn right." I pulled my jeans back up and zipped and buttoned them.

"But, really," he said, still smiling. "Where do you want me to put those?" He gestured toward my unmade bed, where all of his clothes were laying in a pile.

I opened one of the bottom drawers of my dresser. "You can put some of them here. There shoulder be another empty one down here, too." I straightened and turned to look at the male. "Hurry up and put everything away. Then, get back to the library."

"Why?" he asked, his smile vanishing.

"I have work to do, and no one is supposed to know you're here."

"Work?"

"Just hurry up," I said shortly before walking away. Luckily, he didn't follow me, so I was able to head to the bathroom to shower. I had to be clean for anyone who happened to require my services tonight, after all.