Around the Corner [Maddison]

[Robin Little]

Robin couldn’t help but notice the nervousness, and the way the leggy blonde was so self-conscious about the length of her skirt. The way she kept tugging it down, as if Robin was going to take advantage and slip his hands up underneath. Or maybe she was just conscious of not coming across as something she’s not. Which begged the question about media these days – having done his studies in journalism (and quitting because it was frankly quite boring) Robin was aware of the attitudes and the shift in the atmosphere in regards to women’s rights. On nights when he had nothing better to do (or was procrastinating) he’d sit on social media and scroll through journal articles, news articles, everything and anything.

Weren’t women supposed to be taking a stand? Just because they were dressed provocatively didn’t mean they were ‘asking for it’. Just because they showed more skin than most, didn’t mean they were a particular kind of promiscuous. In light of his discoveries, all that media buzzing in the back of his brain, Robin made sure to keep his eyes on Maddison’s face – regardless of how much he wanted to look elsewhere.

His lips curved into a smile that quickly vanished; she wasn’t the only one who was slightly nervous, and Robin was beginning to have his doubts about what she was after. She didn’t know what she was after, she had no idea what he was offering, so maybe he shouldn’t offer it. What was the danger for a regular human to consume a vampire’s blood by accident? He didn’t know. That was something he had never thought to ask his now-absentee sire. And there definitely was no one to ask right now.

”Sure,” he said with half a nod. ”Part of it,” he said uncertainly. No, just sitting together was not the ‘something special’. Robin swallowed, and tried that smile again.

”I can offer an aphrodisiac. A substance to make you feel… more powerful, for a little while. Like a goddess. Like you could take on the world,” he said. That was how he’d heard the blood thieves describe it – some of the reasons why they did what they did. Vampire blood was like a drug they couldn’t get enough of.

”I thought that’s why you approached me…” he said, more uncertain still, wondering whether he should abort the whole thing. Abort, or introduce Maddison to a whole new world? Surely a few drops couldn’t hurt, right? Blood thieves did it. Though, as naïve and ignorant of the facts as he was, Robin was not aware that blood thieves required training. They had to condition themselves. Little did he know what the consequences would be if he offered an ordinary, unconditioned human to the wonders of the vampire-blood-drug.

[Maddison (DELETED 8452)]

Maddison didn't mind if anyone looked at her. Who wouldn't really? She was a blonde bombshell with a rocking body. She just didn't want to offend him. But then again, here they were in a closed off private room talking about something special. However, the blonde was very independent and most definitely stood up for herself. She didn't let anyone push her around.

She dared to put her hand on his knee. Maybe that was the something special he was talking about. She wasn't really sure. However, she clearly was up for anything even if she had a bit of nerves about it. Listening to him talk caused a brow to perk. A goddess.

"I approached you like most girls do when they see an attractive looking guy in the bar. Plus you were sitting next to me at the bar." The blonde gave a shrug.

"However, I'm still interested in whatever this something special is."

She offered the male an award winning smile. She couldn't really place it in her mind what exactly he was offering. Of course she had heard of vampires, but she hadn't heard of them just giving their blood out. It was like a seen out of True Blood. She turned in her seat towards him, her own knee bumping up against his.

"Are you going to tell me what this aphrodisiac is?" Maddison leaned in some, obviously interested.

[Robin Little]

Robin couldn’t argue with the logic, nor did he really want to. An attractive, leggy blonde had just called him attractive in turn. Why hadn’t he started wearing suits years ago? Why hadn’t he learned to cut his hair? Shaving it all off was easiest, and it didn’t require any maintenance. And he figured it offered him the ‘bad boy’ vibe that some women appeared to enjoy.

He nodded.

”Me,” he said. A bit brash, maybe, but Robin was feeling confident. He’d just been complimented. He was riding high, and was able to perform like a proper confident blood doll should be able to.

”Blood,” he clarified with half a shrug of his shoulders. He couldn’t posture any more. He couldn’t play with words without sounding like a fool. There were only so many times she could ask the question and express her curiosity before she gave up and went to find her fun elsewhere. He reached a hand up to loosen one more button at his neck, pulling the collar of his shirt aside. His neck was revealed, the blue of the vein steady beneath his skin, even if the blood did not pulse. Or, if it did pulse, it was slow. So slow as to be sluggish. And yet, the cruor within was entirely worth it.

And yet, he was still on tentative ground. Blood, he had said. Bold, the word out there like it was normal to offer blood as an aphrodisiac. And if this woman was ignorant, if she knew nothing – well, the worst that could happen was that she would laugh, call him insane, and leave. The worst she could do was report him to the boss, which could be a little embarrassing. But Robin would just have to claim that his job was harder than a human blood doll’s.

[Maddison (DELETED 8452)]

Me.

She stopped picking at her dress to look at him when he spoke. A million thoughts ran through her mind. Him? What exactly did that mean. And then he spoke again. Blood. He was offering her his blood. She looked around and then back at him. What kind of place was this?

Deep blues followed the movements of his hand and then followed along his neck. She couldn't see his pulse. That's when she knew he wasn't human not like her. He was the undead, the creatures who go bump in the night. She wasn't too shocked. She knew that this city was full of them.

In fact, she had been warned to not venture here, but she did it anyways. That was the hard-headed, Maddison.

She rested back in her seat, thinking for a moment.

Maddison turned back towards him and rested her dainty hand on his knee. "What do you want in exchange?" He wouldn't just offer her his blood without wanting something in turn, right? She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear with her free hand. She gave his knee a squeeze. "I think I'll take you up on that offer." She felt her cheeks flush and then she was back squirming in her seat, not exactly sure what was going to happen next.

[Robin Little]

Robin glanced at the hand on his thigh, and cleared his throat at the gentle squeeze. Was she suggesting something? He laughed under his breath as he shook his head, bright-blues lifting to catch her eye.

”Normally, people pay cash,” he said. As much as he wanted to say that he was willing to sort that out later – that he trusted her – he knew that it would unprofessional to do so. She could take his blood and, with the additional power that it gave to her, she could run. But his power would still be superior, wouldn’t it? And there were security guards he could alert to stop her if she got too far. It would ungentlemanly of him not to at least make her aware of the cost.

Like any black market drug, it had its value.

”Four-hundred,” he said. He wanted to be competitive, and he knew that six-hundred per blood bag at the shops, now, as compared to the two-hundred they used to be, was a bit of a stretch for some. Hell, it had been a bit of a stretch for him before he got a job that paid regularly.

”I’ll give you a first-time discount, though – two-fifty,” he said. For those who were used to paying fifteen dollars for a cocktail, two hundred and fifty dollars for a few gulps of vampire blood might seem exorbitant. But it was well worth it, in the end – for the vampires who would keep their heads off the chopping block, and for the blood thieves who needed their high and would pay whatever was needed in order to get it.

Hell, sometimes Robin wanted to pay people just to bite him. But he wasn’t about to tell his customers that.

[Maddison (DELETED 8452)]

Cash.

He said in cash. The problem was the blonde wasn't carrying a ton of cash on her. She hadn't come here tonight to spend a fortune, just twenty or so for a drink. She almost fell out of her seat when he mentioned the price. Four-hundred for a drop of blood? Were these people crazy? She felt her head spinning and she moved her hand from his leg to steady herself against the small couch.

She wasn't exactly sure she could afford this night or how else she was supposed to get the money. She had it in the bank but not on her. Lest she be robbed. After all, the blonde was still a live breathing human. She fidgeted on the couch and then picked at her dress. She wanted what he was offering, but couldn't she just put down a deposit and get the rest to him later?

Probably not.

The blonde looked up at him, meeting his icy gaze. "I don't have that kind of money just on me, for safety reasons as you could imagine." She spoke calmly and rested her hands in her lap. "Is there a way I could put down a deposit and pay the rest later? I'm not looking to stiff you or anything. I'll pay. Hell, you could walk to the bank with me if you don't trust me." She spoke the last part in one breath and then let out a puff of air.

What would happen next was all on him.

She rested back in her seat, tilting her head. The blonde's hair went with the movement, exposing her neck.

"Please?"

[Robin Little]

Robin considered the options. He could walk her to the bank, and he could also take a deposit. Was that the professional thing to do? He’d be leaving before his shift was over. But if it was part of the job it would be accepted, wouldn’t it? He’d come back. He’d work extra.

The idea swiftly changed, however, as Maddison sat back, her hair flicked away from her neck. The smooth, flawless arch of it was revealed to the vampire. Robin, who was a master at offering his own neck for meals was now considering the opposite. He cleared his throat and leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of him.

”What about a trade?” he suggested.

”It’s not something I’ve tried before, but I think it could be … interesting,” he said, imagining it already. Hell, he’d pay money for it. But there’d be no money involved. Just a connection, pure and simple. He was digging himself deeper into a hole he didn’t know he’d started digging to begin with. From his boot he retrieved a small knife. It wasn’t a dagger, just a knife. It was small enough to be a letter opener, delicate. And yet sharp as a scalpel. Some of the blood thieves didn’t have their own set of sharp teeth. Some vampires didn’t, either.

”You can taste mine, if you can taste yours. Free of charge. At the same time…” he offered. That’d be an experience, wouldn’t it? That would be something worthwhile. The more Robin considered it, the more he thought it was a fantastic idea. The enthusiasm gleamed in his bright eyes.

[Maddison (DELETED 8452)]

She sat there as he made his decision. He could turn her down, tell her no. Then where would she be? Back out at the bar drinking away her sorrows. That wasn't really something she wanted. Truth be told, Maddison usually got whatever she wanted. All she had to do was bat her eyelashes and most things fell into her lap.

She only hoped this guy was just as susceptible to her womanly wiles. She offered him a smile when he mentioned a trade. She wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to trade but at this point? She'd do whatever. She wanted to try something new and had heard stories about vampire blood. She didn't really believe them though.

And then he spoke his offer. It was something to consider. A few drops of blood verses money. It seemed like a fair trade. The blonde leaned forward some, head tilting more. "That sounds like a fair trade." She crossed a knee and took a deep breath, pulse quickening.

"I accept."

She was about to get her first taste of vampire blood, which was kind of gross too. It was blood, but it seem exhilarating at the same time. God, was she nervous.

What could go wrong?

[Robin Little]

The offer was accepted. The talking was done. Now, they only had to act. Robin put the knife aside so that he could shed his jacket to give him freer movement. He tossed the garment behind him and tugged next at the collar of his shirt. It was a good shirt. And though he’d learned all kinds of tricks to get blood stains out of clothing, the smaller the stain the better.

The knife was collected, the tip brought swiftly to his own neck. Even the slightest prick was enough to draw blood, and only the slightest flinch was given as he applied more pressure and drew a straight line. The blood was vibrant as it hit the white of his skin, as it bubbled up and over. The knife was tossed back onto the little table and Robin gathered the last of his confidence. For a man who was not accustomed to being approached by leggy blondes, he sure wasn’t accustomed to leading, nor of being dominant.

But this was something he’d have to get used to, right? People wouldn’t pay for a nervous wreck. They’d want a little confidence. And although this particular process was new to him, what must it be like for her? He had to appear like he knew what he was doing otherwise he wouldn’t be doing his job properly. He pushed himself from the couch so that he could move over Maddison, one knee on the couch beside her leg. His fingers fluttered over her neck as he shifted her hair out of the way.

”This is going to sting at first,” he said, holding her gaze.

”But I’ll be gentle. The bite has a … numbing agent. You’ll start to feel a bit dazed, but take from me at the same time. I think it’ll counteract,” he said, nodding. It should, shouldn’t it? Vampire blood will give her a certain power over vampire venom, one would think. And there really was only one way to find out.

With one hand slipped behind her head, Robin’s lips found the skin over the throbbing vein of Maddison’s neck. Sharpened canines dragged over the tenderness before sinking in, like a hot knife through butter. His mouth closed over the wound, keeping any of the blood from escaping. He didn’t feed greedily. He only took what was naturally pumped from the wound. It was the gentlest way.

[Maddison (DELETED 8452)]

She accepted the offer and now it was going to happen. Watching as he stripped free from his coat, she couldn't help but to let her eyes wander. He wasn't exactly homely looking and she was still a woman. If the situation had been different she might've asked him out for drinks, but here they were getting ready to share their blood. More of his pale neck was exposed and she couldn't exactly believe she was about to drink his blood.

Her gaze was kept on his knife the moment he brought it to his neck. She watched as he cut a line and then the red hit his skin. It was a stark difference with the two colors mixing. She flinched when the knife landed back on the small table. She kept her eyes trained on the knife, missing when he started to hover over her.

The blonde nearly jumped when his fingers pushed her hair out of the way, exposing her creamy neck. She looked down at his leg, eyes crossing for a second. When had he gotten so close? She could smell the coppery smell of his blood and whatever other scent he had washed with. Her nose crinkled and she tried to focus on his words.

"Okay." Was all the lanky blonde could mutter.

And then there it was. His mouth on her neck. She flinched, gaze moving back to his neck. She tried to focus on that and not on the fact that a vampire was about to drink her blood. She let out a small gasp when the canines sunk into her flesh. It just like he had said there was a sting before she started to fall into a daze. Her blood bubbled into his mouth the instant his fangs had pierced her skin.

Maddison leaned forward some, her own mouth fall against the small cut line. She flicked her tongue against the blood getting a feel for the taste, before taking his blood into her mouth. She dropped her hand to his shoulder, fingers clenching it as she started to loose herself more into that daze he said would happen.