Oh Glory

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“God, why would you put such a beautiful creature on this earth if we can’t have him?”

Kayla turned to her dear friend sitting across the counter beer in hand as she dried out a glass, “I don’t know but it’s not fair.”

They were talking about Brendon Urie. The mysteriously dark handsome man that came in almost every night for a few hours to play the piano for the paying customers. This wasn’t called a piano bar for nothing and Brendon wasn’t shy of talent. His fingers were so graceful over those old pasty white and murky black keys that could make any rich sound appear.

That wasn’t even half of it.

He had one hell of a voice. His singing could make any women weak to her knees drunk or sober. Maybe it was the charming smile that went with the tunes that drove them mad or even the occasionally wink their way. Kayla didn’t know but as long as she worked here she loved seeing Brendon come in.

But yet, something was different about the man.

He seemed almost too attractive and too perfect. He always knew what to sing or even what to say to make the women pour their hearts out to him. The tips alone he received from playing was enough to keep him in a stable lifestyle. She couldn’t place her finger on it and the jealous men couldn’t either.

His attire was rather interesting. It was like he was stuck in the nineteen twenties with his dress shirts and older suit jackets. Almost like he had walked right out of an old illegal prohibition bar. She loved that about him. He seemed deathly attractive in his attire.

Brendon looked over at Kayla and continued to sing but with a playful smirk on his lips. She felt her heart flutter not even hearing the words anymore. He could flood her mind and block any reality.

“Kayla!”

She jumped slightly and looked at her boss, “Yes?”

“They ordered another round. Go. Stop getting distracted.”

Kayla sighed grabbing her small tray and looking over at the table that wanted another round. She grabbed six cold beers from the fridge and opened them quickly before picking up the tray. She started making her way over to them when she noticed Brendon’s eyes were following her.

She figured she was just imagining it and he really wouldn’t be putting this much attention towards her.

“Finally.”

She looked down at the table of men and handed the beers around one at a time and trying to avoid them as much as she could. She caught a few staring at her contently, one not even acknowledging she was there and the last one held up a twenty dollar bill.

She took it and returned to the counter with her friend still nursing her own beverage, “Well, at least they weren’t ass holes this time.”

Kayla nodded and placed her try on the counter as she moved to the register to deposit the twenty. She hated this job but it paid decent and Brendon was worth it. If it wasn’t for either of those she wouldn’t be here.

“Don’t you look thrilled to be here?”

“Oh yeah.” He voice sarcastic till she looked up to see Brendon.

She hadn’t even noticed he stopped playing. He presented himself with a smile and she closed the register’s drawer. He sat on one of the bar stools with out a care and Kayla could notice the thin layer of sweat on his face from those bright stage lights.

“Would you like a drink?”

Brendon thought about it for a second before replying, “I wouldn’t mind water.”

Kayla grabbed him a glass of ice water and he took it from her. He took a small sip before placing it back down on the counter. He thanked her and she took a small glance toward her friend just a few seats away smirking down at her drink like a mad man.

“If you don’t like working here why do you?”

She looked back at him and his face was emotionless, “I have my reasons.”

He leaned forward with a smirk, “I won’t tell your boss.”

“He’s not why I’m not telling you.”

He rose an eyebrow, “Oh? Well, that leads me to believe you work here for me.”

“And what made you come up with that idea?”

“You always work when I’m here.”

She rolled her eyes in a playful way and excused her self as she saw another order she needed to dealt with. So maybe he was a little cocky but Brendon was cute regardless. A little strange but that made him more attractive.

By the time she returned he had left as well as her friend. She sighed with a grumble cleaning the glasses and taking the left behind money. She did find a note from her friend saying her ride was here and she had to go. So at least that was something.

Though she had wished she could have said something else to Brendon.

She ended up working the rest of the night not really caring for the scene but more of wanting to go home. As antsy as she felt she was tired. Granted it was six in the morning, middle of Chicago, she was alone and heading home. So she didn’t blame herself for being on her toes about the situation.

As much as she’d love to talk the bus home she really didn’t want to wait another half an hour for the buses to start their daily routine. So walking home didn’t really bug her. She just knew to be careful. Chicago wasn’t exactly safe but it wasn’t deadly.

She pulled her jacket closer and her purse strap further up her arm. Now she was just getting paranoid. Nothing bad ever did happen to her. So honestly, she had no reason to panic or so it seemed.

“Hey sexy, it’s about time you got off.”

Kayla instantly recognized the man that had walked in front of her. He had been one of the ones that were of the six drinking more then they should have. She could hear shuffling behind hear meaning that the rest of them were probably around too.

She walked past him and trying not to gag on the smell of rank alcohol. “Go home Romeo.”

He reached for her, “Hey now I’m not done with you. I just want to have a conversation with you.”

She pulled her arm away and watched him stumble forward a little, “Get the hell away from me.”

One of the others had now moved in front of Kayla stopping her in her tracks, “But where is the fun in that?”

“Why do we have to help her Brendon?”

Brendon looked over to his fellow partners, “Because it’s what we do. William told us to do when the occasion called for it.”

Another in the back spoke up, “They’re not going to do anything to her Brendon. They’re drunk and she’s sober. She could take them.”

Brendon rolled his eyes, “Have you forgotten how fragile human women are?”

Brendon turned back to the scene and sucked on the canine so desperately wanting to pierce some kind of flesh. He hadn’t fed all night and his late night at the bar filled with idiotic people didn’t help.

Here was his chance to embrace the demon in him.

The vampire in him was begging to be let out and here he could.

Yes, he was a vampire in Chicago. A part of a clan called the Dandies run by William Beckett. As much as they were called blood sucking fiends in most stories they had some morals William enforced.

If a woman was in danger’s way you must act upon it to help her.

Brendon never really knew why they had to follow that rule seeming the fact they usually killed the human afterwards. Brendon just figured William got off of it. Never was one to ask him questions. He really didn’t want to know.

Besides he had a soft spot for this human. She was the only one in that damn bar that honestly paid attention to him. She gave him something to stare at when he was performing anyways. She made it bearable even though he wanted to perform more then anything.

Sure he was dead but he didn’t want to stop living. More then anything he wanted to go into music. He wanted to perform. This was the simplest way he could with out getting toasted by the sun. William objected at first knowing that Brendon would be at temptation with his other side and wanting to feed but William told him if he could control it he was allowed to.

So far Brendon had been able to do so. Though he was sure it was Kayla’s help. He focused almost all of his attention on her when he was there. It took most of the craving away. He almost thanked her for it.

Though, he was teased about having an attraction to her. He strongly denied saying she was only a human but this situation seemed to make the teasing from the vampires worse. William would defend his case. At least he was sure he would.

Brendon took a step forward and the fellow vampires following, “Come on, let’s go.”

They didn’t dare honestly say no to Brendon. He was right on the top of the food chain with William. If you crossed Brendon, you crossed William which earned you a one way ticket it to death yet again.

“I suggest you let her go.”

Kayla looked over to see the familiar Brendon and a group dressed closely to his style. She figured maybe he had been in a band and that’s one to dress up. She wasn’t one to judge but she was happy to see someone willing to help. She could use it at this point.

“Or what?”

Brendon smiled a toothy grin and the guys behind him let out light chuckles, “You don’t want to know.”

Kayla was passed to the back of the group and the grip on her arm made her wince. She attempted to throw in some kicks and punches but she really didn’t get anywhere. This seemed to tick Brendon off a little more. He was on the edge of letting loose and it wouldn’t take much to shove him over.

Brendon could hear a few knuckles crack, “And if we want to know?”

Brendon didn’t even need to speak anymore. His fellow friends past him and lounged for the men. He couldn’t help but stay in his spot and smile like a mad man. He could hear the first scream and the fellow hisses from the vampires.

He looked over at Kayla that was pulled away from the scene by one of the humans and Brendon’s eyes narrowed. She looked over at him shocked and scared. Brendon didn’t waste time getting over to the two and ripped the human away from her.

She backed away from the scene and soon took off running. Brendon sighed and took after off after leaving the thrown human to be pounced on by a younger hungry vampire. At that point Brendon didn’t care what happened to the humans. Granted, he did miss his chance to feed and it was going to be daylight soon.

He didn’t have several options.

He could easily catch Kayla feed off of her, probably killing her or go hungry till the sun fell once more. He really didn’t want to kill her. As much as he hated the people in the bar he loved playing for her because she loved it. If he killed her we wouldn’t have that. He was going to have to let her live.

He easily caught her by the arm and stopped her from running. She fought to break away from him and practically crushing his ear drums with her screams demanding him to let her go.

“Kayla I’m not going to hurt you. Stop it.”

She looked up at with fearful green eyes and he noticed she was actually wearing glasses. He had never seen her with glasses on. She must have used contacts to have less trouble in the bar. It brought a cute nerd side in her.

“Brendon let go of me. I don’t want any trouble. I just want to go home.”

He smiled slightly, “Relax, I’m not going to hurt you. I helped you in case you forgot.”

She tried to pry his hands off of her wrists, “I know and I don’t want to be around when the cops come and arrest you for murder. This is a line between helping and killing someone Brendon. I don’t know what was wrong with your friends but stay away from me.”

“Do you know what they could have done to you?”

“I’m more afraid of what you’re going to do to me. I don’t even know what you are.”

“It isn’t that hard to figure out.” He gave her a blank look before sighing, “Besides, if you’re wondering, they’ll be fine. Roughing them up isn’t too bad.”

“One of your guys bit a man! He might need a rabies shot or something.”

He could help but laugh. She was a hoot. He hadn’t truly laughed in a long time and this just seemed to make him fill with joy. He had really wished he had met her sooner.

“I promise you he isn’t going to have rabies.”

She could help but smile at his laughter, “I don’t know.”

As much as Brendon wanted to dwell on the happy side of life he was still hungry and the sun was starting to peak. Brendon insisted that when he let her go she shouldn’t run. Again, he assured he wasn’t going to hurt her and let her go. She stayed in her spot willing to hear him out.

“Look, it’s almost daylight, who don’t you just take the bus home so I don’t have to worry about you more then I do.”

She was taken back, “You worry about me? Why?”

He got a little over dramatic but with a smile on his face, “Why I thought we could be friends but I guess not. You’re not into heroes that much are you?”

“I was into villains but I’m not too sure after tonight.”

The two spoke for a few minutes after seeing the group of men walking down the street not paying attention to anything. They seemed sluggish but coherent. Brendon assured he they’d be fine by tomorrow and still insisted she take the bus.

He was running out of night time.

Finally he convinced her to stand next to the sign and waited with her. It would come at any minute and he was willing to wait. It never took him long to get home. Besides, he was sure the others were smart enough to go now.

“Are you sure they’re alright? It looked like your friends were meaning to kill. They were like wild animals.”

“Yeah, they’ll be fine. I’m sure they’ll be in the bar tomorrow night. You know boys, like to play it rough.”

“You know, I don’t want to believe you but there is this part of me that does.”

“How about I do something that makes you forget everything that happened?”

She rolled her eyes, “I doubt it but make an offer.”

He leaned forward and connected his lips to hers. He didn’t even know what drove him to do such and action but he couldn’t resist. The warm of hers seemed to make his whole system want more. It’d been a long time since Brendon wanted to kiss a woman without the intention of feeding off of her.

When he pulled away she released the breath she was holding desperately trying to make sense of what just happen. She had never had a simple kiss just take her breath away. She felt like she was in shock and not quite processing everything right. She figured she’d need to sleep on this before making the motion of running and hiding from Brendon.

She needed to sort her priorities on if he was good or bad.

The bus soon stopped near the sign and they exchanged goodbyes as she climbed aboard. She paid quickly and sat near the window on the nearly empty bus. She tried to look for Brendon to capture one last smile from him.

She didn’t see him at all. She was faced with a dark sidewalk and she sighed sitting back in her seat. She felt the bus give a light lurch as it pulled away. This had been a night unforgettable. She was still worried for those men even though she shouldn’t and she feared a little of Brendon. She didn’t know what was up with his friends or really even him.

But there was something that he was right about.

That kiss was going to be the most memorable thing of the whole night.

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