Chapter Text
God how he hated this place.
He knew this place, it belonged to the fae. A few years ago, a fae bar out in the open would have meant instant death for them but with the changing times and new laws in place to protect supernatural creatures like humans, they were cropping up on every corner.
This place, the Severed String (formerly called the Three Sisters of Fate), was a bar and strip club combined. It was fairly inconspicuous as a fae bar could be, making it a good place to do business with his clients. Of course, they usually picked the time and place to meet and this time was no different. Still, sitting in the middle of the Severed String on a busy Saturday night did not sit well with him; it was super noisy, people and music alike, there were too many people bustling here and there, too many tourist types come to see how the fae celebrated their nights…‘partied’ was the word, he believed.
He took a sip of his drink, straight alcohol, as he scanned the room. It was dark and hard to see, neon and fluorescent lights spun in dizzying colors that threatened to hypnotize and sicken all at once. The fae who worked the bar were all bent over across the counter-top, sweet-talking their customers and running hands along their arms, while the ones on stage twisted and contorted in dance in what he supposed was an enticing manner. To tell the truth, he wasn’t fond of the fae for many reasons, their natural ‘allure’ was one of them. It never seemed to affect him but that didn’t change his desire to get up close and personal with them; humans and supes didn’t mix well at all.
He drained his glass and looked around again, aptly checking his phone to see if his contact had texted any new information. He was a hired hand, mostly doing whatever supernatural folks needed when they couldn’t do it themselves...basically, he was a human trump card in these situations. If the supes needed a human dead, they called people like him. It kept things neat and tidy from political stains, and kept his bank account full enough. Originally he didn't have to work like this, but one botched hit job had left him with few options. He was skilled to be sure, but up against a supe, he would be in serious trouble.
The phone screen in his hand lit up then, a text message had come through. The only thing it said was ‘running late’, no capitalization or punctuation. He tried to control the sigh that escaped his lips but found he was unable. This was only going to make his headache worse, and he’d conveniently forgotten most of his medication on the counter-top at home under the assumption this would just be a quick outing.
He looked down at his glass, figuring he could order another but knew anything more would be too much.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have to wait long before his next distraction literally fell right into his lap.
“Hi.” was all they said, throwing their small but full weight against him and throwing their arms around his neck. He wasn’t startled so much as annoyed; if everything had gone the way he’d planned tonight, he wouldn’t be sitting here with one of them in his lap.
“Get off before I push you off.” he warned dangerously, glaring at the face that was only few inches from his own.
“Aw, come on,” they drawled out, leaning back slightly to adjust their position before leaning in close again, “Don’t be like that. You just looked so bored and lonely that I had to come and bother you.”
It was an unspoken fact that you couldn’t trust a fae, and you sure as hell couldn’t trust anything that came out of their mouths. They were notorious liars, the worst kind, the type to stretch the truth but never actually tell a lie...they were dangerous. “You heard me. Get off.”
“Alright...fine…” they sighed, getting up and adjusting their outfit as they did. He honestly didn’t think it would be that easy...this one was up to something. “You know, it doesn’t have to be anything sexual. I could just dance for you...or you could tell me a story.”
“A story?” he scoffed, a skeptic look on his face, “If you’re trying to get money out of me, go somewhere else.”
“Yeah,” they laughed, cocky, “And I could rob any one of these fuckers blind if I wanted to. We can go in the back if you want.”
This wasn’t going to end well, he knew this. Then again, this could be someone sent by his contact to fetch him, make things seem even less suspicious. If he was wrong, he could easily push this one away and go back to what he’d been doing to start with, even if that something was staring into space and doing nothing. He stood up then, allowed himself to be taken by the hand and led to a backroom.
The room was almost violet in color, the overhead lights low and dim. A heady perfume hung in the air, an aroma he swore he knew but couldn’t place...it made him nauseous. It was practically impossible to tell if the room smelled this way or if it had come from the fae that had dragged him back here. It wasn’t any easier to see in this room but only just now had he taken in their appearance; they were dressed in fairly feminine clothes but their physical appearance and stature looked masculine. Then again, fae didn’t adhere to traditional gender roles that humans or other supernatural races did so it didn’t surprise him in the least.
Describing the situation as awkward was putting it lightly. The door was locked behind them, and the fae took a minute to tidy up the room, he supposed, pushing away pillows that lay on the couch near the back of the room. Besides the couch, the only other piece of furniture was a lone table that was covered with ash trays, still filled with cigarette butts, and empty beer bottles. He swore he could hear them complaining under their breath about how disgusting this was...something told him though that this fae was just as bad about their cleaning habits if the haphazard way they threw the pillows and pushed the bottles to one corner of the table were any indication.
“Any reason you’re so quiet?” they asked, looking over their shoulder back at him, another attempt at his sultry behavior.
“Something tells me you’re going to talk enough for the both of us.” he stated flatly, all their kind were good for was talking too much and leading people in circles. This one would find out he wasn’t that easy of a target.
With a soft thud, the fae threw themselves onto the couch, placing the bottoms of their feet on the table’s surface. “You could at least tell me your name, you know. That’s common courtesy to humans, right?” They brushed a piece of dark hair over one of their heavily pierced ears, the slight curvature now completely visible.
“How is that any of your business? Especially if you’re not flirting me?” He leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little bit intrigued by where this was all going.
The fae gave him an almost predatory look, a stare not unlike a cat playing with its food, as they looked at him over their knees, “Fine, give me a fake name then. See if I care. What...you’re not afraid I’m gonna steal it or something, are you?” they laughed, amused at their own joke as they moved their feet back to the floor, “So?”
“Locus.”
“For a fake name it kinda fits. Locus, the sexy broody guy mysteriously at a fae bar all by himself…how old are you? Its hard for us to tell sometimes.”
Locus continued to glare at them, trying to piece together a coherent response to all that. It was clear this one was trying to get under his skin, lead him on into a false sense of security, and who knows what they’d try from there? Personally, he wasn’t looking to get pickpocketed or assaulted tonight, that was sure. He wanted to say don’t look too hard into it, that they were nothing more than a huge distraction. And if the fae hadn’t mentioned his contact by now, he wasn’t going to. With a push, Locus moved away from the wall and headed for the door.
“Yeah, not so fast.” Almost as quick as lightning, the fae was right beside him and appeared to be holding the door shut with their palm laid across it. They were much shorter than him, body thin and narrow, and if he wasn’t mistaken there was a line of barely visible freckles across their nose. “I don’t appreciate being ignored, asshole.”
“That’s too bad for you then, isn’t it?” Locus shot back as he tried to yank the door back open. It only opened a few inches before it instantly slammed back shut on him. Of course, now the true nature of this thing was coming out.
“Aw, that’s fucking cute, but sorry asshole, it’s you who’s gonna be in a bad way.” they replied, hand no longer on the door. Locus could see in their eyes, could gauge just what kind of person this creature truly was. The sultry act was just that, an act, there was a harsh cruelty in those eyes that he should have noticed earlier. This fae was dangerous in more ways than one. If this escalated to something physical, even he might not be able to fight against this thing. “Like I said, not so fast. I brought you back here for a reason, you know that right?”
“I already told you I don’t want anything to do with you.” He hadn’t come here for a date, much less a hook-up; in fact, sex was on par with folding laundry to him. His client was also probably sitting out there right now, and here he was, stuck in a backroom with an overly sexualized fae who was either trying to kill him, fuck him, or both. It was actually terrifying that he couldn’t pinpoint which.
“It’s okay...you will.” They breathed out, their voice airy and light, like a slow breeze had wafted through the entire room. The fae was touching him, their hands on his arms even though he had no idea when it had happened. Their eyes were glazed over, the harsh brown becoming almost liquid and soft as they started up at him...this was a glamour. He was still coherent enough to realize the spell being cast on him; the aura that the creature gave off was almost palpable, and that smell that hung in the air only got worse...that smell...it was roses. The rosy smell was so strong it was making him nauseous again but he couldn’t dwell on that long as the fae pressed their body into his, standing up on the tips of of their toes to pull him down into a kiss.
Strange...he’d heard about the glamours of the fae and how dangerous they were. Once you were pulled in, there was no escape. He should have been done for but he could still think, his mind was clear, his limbs completely movable...so he pushed. It wasn’t a harsh movement, but sharp enough to force the fae away from him.
The creature stood back in disbelief, “Okay, how the fuck did you do that?”
“Do what?” It was all he could do to control his temper, bringing the back of his hand up to wipe his mouth, as if he could brush away the tingling sensation that lingered there.
“Oh hell no, are you serious?” The fae lurched forward again and kissed him. It lasted only a split second but there was nothing...no strong pull, no desire to give in, so Locus pushed him back again.
“Stop doing that.” he demanded, knowing at this point he should have been grasping for the doorknob and leaving.
“Fuck...leave. You need to leave right now, just get the fuck out!”
It happened quickly, the fae forced him out of the room and locked it behind him. Just what in the world had happened?
As a human, breaking a fae’s glamour was not something that was even in the realm of possibilities. All they had to do was cast their spell, make eye contact, and the unlucky human was theirs to control if only for a short time. So why hadn’t it worked on him? It didn’t really make much sense, and knowing that he had broken a fae’s glamour didn’t exactly make him want to go bragging about it.
That night had ended tamely enough. He’d met with his client, learned the details of the job, and carried it out over the next couple of days. Locus thought for sure this meant a return to normalcy, remarking to himself never to do business at The Severed String as long as that particular fae was working. Maybe he should even file a complaint, he wondered one night between the throes of sleep. He should have forced the fae’s face from his mind completely but it was easier said than done...there was no spell on him that was for sure, but all he could think about was that kiss.
And no surprise to him, but it didn’t take long for the fae to find him again.
It was late afternoon when he left his apartment, turning around to make sure the door closed behind him due to the door seal being stubborn. When he did turn around, the fae was practically blocking his path at the bottom of the steps. Locus instantly knew it was them, the same androgynous appearance with non-discernible clothes, dark hair with orange streaks running through it, more piercings than he could count...there was no doubt about it, this was the fae from the other night.
“We need to talk, asshole.”
“That has never been true.” Locus pushed past him and continued walking. He was in no rush but that wouldn’t stop him from pretending to be.
“Hey, don’t just brush me off like that you fucker. Why didn’t my glamour work on you? It always works.” It took him a couple of strides but the much shorter fae caught up with him, having to take twice as many steps it seemed to keep up with his long stride.
“You’re asking me that? Shouldn’t you know?” his voice monotonous, he didn’t really care either way.
“Uh, yeah, that’s kind of the fucking problem. What’s makes you so special, I mean, you’re a fucking human so what’s the deal?” Locus should have told them to quit following him in the silence that followed but silently hoped they’d get the idea...they didn’t, “Let me try again. Maybe it was a fluke.”
“Are you seriously asking to kiss me again?”
“No, I’m not asking anything. I’m telling, so you wanna stand still and let me try this?”
“Lay a hand on me and I shoot you.” Locus warned, pulling back the light jacket he wore to conceal the outline of a gun; he was licensed to carry and had no problem with shooting anyone who dared to cross him.
“Alright, you know what? Fine. I don’t care anymore. Nope, don’t fucking care. It’s Locus, right? Well, fuck you too Locus and I hope you die a horrible death.”
Locus blinked and the fae was gone from his side. Everything was going to go back to normal.
It had been three months since he’d seen them. He couldn’t stop thinking about them and it was driving him up a wall. He swore he spied black and orange hair out of the corner of his eye, and every time he came into contact with a supe, he expected them to come around the corner or just be there. It was pure insanity. Maybe he needed to increase the dosage on his medication, he pondered as he cleaned out the medicine cabinet in his apartment. Why was he still thinking about that annoying fae?
There had to be something in here that would help, in between the rosemary and garlic cloves he was sure there was something that could make him forget an errant person. If nothing else, he could go out and find something in town; witch-owned shops were quite common these days and extremely helpful.
It was through all this he realized he hadn’t even learned the fae’s name.
It was long before he found himself back at The Severed String hoping to find them, only to be told they’d quit months ago and no one had seen them since. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure why he wanted to find them so badly...he just did. Was this the glamour? A slow-acting one that just increased over time? That didn’t make sense, he’d never heard of a such a thing and no research could muster any results. He certainly wasn’t...attracted to them, that was beyond ridiculous. They were obnoxious and cruel with an attitude that said they were ready to kill a man and carve his heart up at any given moment. That thing was a monster. But knowing all that didn’t deter him or anything else.
The weather patterns as of late had grown strange.
One day it was freezing cold, the next rainy, then sunny again, then overcast, and finally the week ended in snow. It was the middle of July.
Something was definitely wrong and it wasn't any mystery to him. Fae could control weather patterns in centralized areas, or so he'd heard, and it just so happened that that controlled chaos was happening in his neighborhood. They were nearby, he could just feel it. It couldn't have been anyone else, and that's probably why he wasn't too surprised to find them in his apartment a few nights later.
They sat atop him, straddling him in bed as they looked down on him. He should have been angry, violent as he threw them out back into the streets, but he blinked and they were gone. The fae were essentially faeries, unable to be seen by humans unless they wanted to be seen. Otherwise it was just a glimpse out of the corner of your eye.
Locus reached up to his mouth. That tingling sensation was there again.
The entire world seemed to have forgotten what normal really was. It certainly didn't involve creatures sneaking into your apartment and kissing you.
It's probably why he didn't give a second thought to be followed home one night. He figured he knew who it was, reasoned they'd cause him no harm. But just this once he'd been wrong, realizing it after he was attacked and thrown into a building.
Most of what happened was a blur then but he could remember the pain, the searing pain in his throat, the lightheadedness that followed. He slipped in and out consciousness, unable to move, figuring death was close at hand.
He opened his eyes and saw the fae.
They hadn't attacked him, but they hadn't saved him either. He blinked and they were gone.
~*~
A few months had passed after that. It had been a whole year since he'd met that fae. Still never learned their name, and he hadn't seen them since that fateful night...if he even really had seen them. He was suffering extreme blood loss at the time, maybe he was just hallucinating.
It was almost a perfect irony that he'd deemed the fae a monster given that he was one now too. He couldn't help but recall the fae’s wish that he ‘die a horrible death’. Being turned into this, vampiric, was a fate worse than death. In the end he supposed the fae had gotten their wish.
So was there any reason to fight them now? Struggle against them? Locus knew he was no longer human...he didn't have a lot of options left now that he had been turned by a rogue vampire. A vampiric hitman wasn't in short supply these days, and no longer being human ruined his chances of doing business with other supes on that front due to politcal issues.
He didn't have to wait long or search hard, it was almost like the fae had sought him out on thought alone tonight.
“Fuck, so it's true…?”
He nodded back, unsure of what to say. These things happen, maybe? No, these things didn't just happen. There were laws and other such things put in place to stop humans from being treated like food and let supes run wild. Instead, all he could think of was, it just happened this way.
“No, it didn't just happen, Locus. It's my fucking fault, okay? Fuck…” They stretched the word out and refused to look at him, seated on a barstool at the kitchen counter. He moved to sit opposite them on the furniture. “That night I was so upset and I wanted to see you and you just...you smelled like a fae after, alright? That's why you got attacked. Fae blood is just a high for vampires.”
He hadn't known that. Fae blood was a natural high for vampires then...he supposed it made sense. Some fae lived to be thousands of years old and this one was probably no different, meaning their blood must have been how wine worked with humans.
“If that's true, why are you here? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?” Why sugar-coat it when the fae had said it from their own mouth?
The fae gave a small laugh, “You won't hurt me Locus, I know you won't. Besides, you don't know how to use any of your powers yet so nice try asshole.”
“Why are you here then?” He pressed more firmly, rising up from where he sat. He would never be in a mood to play games with a fae.
“I think...I want to help you. I know you hate my guts or whatever but I still think you're super hot and I want to help you because it’s kinda sort of my fault but not...really? Look I have this friend named Grey, she can help you out and teach you how to not die, okay?”
“You think I want your help?”
“Doesn't matter if you want it...you will.” They smiled at him, rising to leave, but not before coming closer and kissing him. “And you don't get to die before I figure out why that doesn't work asshole.” It was an empty threat but their eyes were filled with blood-lust. Another blink and they were gone.
Grey was...an interesting character, to say the least. She was a vampire, maybe a couple hundred years old, and worked as a medic for vampires and other supernatural creatures alike. He wondered at first why vampires would need doctors, given that they all seemed capable of self-healing, but Grey explained that silver was just as hazardous to them. ‘Them’...he supposed he should get use to saying ‘we’ and ‘us’ from now.
Grey belonged to a tiny community of close knits vamps, her lover Kimball seemed to be the one in charge. Where Grey was cheerful and flighty, Kimball was more serious and straight-laced; he assumed he'd get along better with Kimball but Grey continuously pushed her way through to him...he supposed she didn't have any reason to be scared of him.
They offered him a place to stay and he declined, catching a glimpse of 4 teenaged ones in a back room that looked like a bunker. This place was sort of like a shelter for newer vamps, especially physically young ones who couldn't go back to their families.
When the fae finally joined him that night, they showed up with a vial in hand and nothing more. “Ah, my payment.” he heard Grey giggle, still seated at her desk with her hands brought up under her chin.
“Yeah, but you're not taking a shit ton from me. And this time, you wanna keep your dogs in their cages?” Maybe that line should have upset him but he was no more vampiric than the day before...it was just something he was, it didn't define him. He was vampiric, but no vampire.
“Don't even worry about a thing, Felix! We've made sure to take precautionary measures this time, and I do apologize for the young ones nearly draining you last time.” Her topic was gory and dim but her attitude remained upbeat. There was no better attitude to have for someone of her profession and race.
“Great, thanks.” So their name was Felix? It obviously wasn't their real name but it did seem to fit. Out of the an entire year or more he went without knowing a name, Locus had never even thought to give them a temporary one. Nothing ever seemed right but...Felix did. With a sigh, they threw themselves into a chair beside Grey’s desk, “Let's just get this over with...you're still gonna help him, right?”
“You fill this vial for me, and I'll take your friend to the moon if he wants.” Grey laughed and retrieved a small machine from her side of the desk, possibly a bottom drawer. Locus would have been lying to himself if he said he wasn't curious as to what was about to transpire. Felix had said nothing when they'd left, just given him directions and told him to go on ahead. The machine Grey had pulled out was not unknown to him, it was some kind of blood pressure device that had obviously been modified...for what he had no idea.
“Pay attention, Mr. Locus-”
“Just Locus,” he interjected.
She barely faltered and kept going, “Alright then, Locus, pay attention. I'll show you how to make one of these babies and keet them working.” She pulled out a needle, aptly attaching it to a clear tube, simultaneously screwing the vial upside down on the top of the machine. Human eyes would not have been able to follow her movements. It just now hit him this was a blood transfusion device, or rather, in this case, a blood draining device. So...Felix was paying her in their blood?
“This baby has a LOT of uses,” she said, emphasizing the word as she wrapped the pressure cuff around Felix's arm, “and it sure beats the heck out of those synthetic blood in a bottle deals.” Of course he was familiar with those, his fridge at home was practically full of them now. He didn't mind the taste so much, just thankful to have something finally quench that inhuman thirst that had overtaken him. “Of course, you'll need someone willing to sit down and get poked with a needle or it's going to be a huge mess. But that's also what we have thralls for!”
Felix grumbled, “Grey, can you just-”
Fast as lightning, Grey turned and expertly inserted the needle into their arm which caused them to be cut off mid-sentence by their own scream. “Whoopsie, almost forgot! Anyhow…”
Locus found himself stepping forward at the scream, some kind of protective urge overcoming him apparently. Grey didn't appear to be bothered at all by the scream or the painful way Felix’s face had contorted either. It had been hard to follow but she's swabbed the wound with iodine, put the needle in, and taped it to keep it at angle for the blood to flow out as the pressure cuff began to tighten.
“What we’re doing now isn't enough to keep you going, or anyone for that matter.” she said pointing to the vial that was beginning to fill up with blood. Locus couldn't quite place it but something was different about the way Felix’s blood looked. “And technically, drinking fae blood by any amount more than this is extremely dangerous. I'm sure Felix has told you it acts like alcohol to vampires the same way regular alcohol affects humans? The older the fae, the stronger the effect, and Felix has been around for a few centuries so...I guess what I'm saying here is be careful?”
“What makes you think I want to drink their blood?” He was fine with synthetic although he'd never say that in front of her. She’d probably try to force human blood down his throat, saying he’d much rather prefer it. He didn’t want to drink human blood, he didn’t want to get a taste for it. There was simply no reason to when he had an alternative. Killing people had been his job for years, human and supe alike, but after becoming this...thing, everything about it just seemed...wrong.
“Oh, it doesn’t matter if you want to or not, you will. It’s in your nature now. Especially once you get a whiff of fae blood...it’s just so...magical.” Grey smiled dreamily before breaking into laughter over her own joke. “Still though, don’t do it. If you take like this,” she pointed at the vial, “no harm done. You won’t hurt Felix and you won’t get carried away and try to kill them. And yes, you basically won’t get drunk.”
Locus stole a glance back over at Felix, still seated beside Grey’s desk. Their head was buried in their cellphone, using their one free hand to text or do something. They weren’t even paying attention to any of this.
When the vial was full, Grey unhooked Felix from the machine and sent the two of them on their way, promptly extending an invitation for Locus to come back as she pulled out a teacup and filled it human blood, carefully adding a few drops from the vial of Felix's blood into the concoction before hiding it in her desk.
He figured he didn’t really have a choice in the matter if he wanted to stay alive; if he didn’t at least learn how to use his heightened senses and powers properly, then what was the point? He was in no position to refuse Grey's help regardless.
As they left, Felix showed no signs weakness but once a safe distance away, they stumbled and fell against the wall of a nearby brick building. He stopped and turned back, watching as they splayed their hands against the building, hung their head low, and seemed like they were going to dry-heave on the sidewalk.
“Are you alright?”
“I can take a fucking needle, Locus, leave me alone.” they shot back angrily, finally unable to hold back anymore as they turned their head and vomited.
“You lost a good bit of blood, you need to take it easy.” he reminded, wondering why the fae had thought he was worried about them being afraid of needles. The fae composed themselves, wiped their mouth clean, and started to walk on ahead of him. Locus wasn't the least bit surprised when they both wound up back at his apartment.
“Let me stay the night, okay?” Felix all but demanded, their voice low and not the least bit amicable. Locus rolled his eyes as he unlocked the door, figuring this was a better alternative than letting the sick fae walk home by themselves. They said they weren't afraid of him so Locus didn't press the issue, just pointed them towards the bathroom then headed to his kitchen to grab a bottle...or two. Grey’s words had made him extremely anxious, terrified of himself even. He was truly a monster now. If he thought killing was easy before...
It was still too early for him to sleep, so when Felix emerged from the bathroom, he let them borrow some old clothes to sleep in and directed him towards the bedroom. Felix didn't want him to go, grasping the hem of his shirt as he tried to leave the bedroom...the fae was a lot stronger than he looked.
Oversleeping wouldn't hurt him, he supposed, there weren't that many hours between now and dawn. Locus didn't bother undressing, just slipped off his shoes and joined Felix who instantly ‘cuddled’ up to him before passing out. He could feel them shiver against him...his body was cold. The synthetic blood was filling but it offered no warmth.
He raised up a hand to brush through Felix’s hair...they were warm...alive...even in the pitch darkness that covered the room, Locus could make out the throbbing vein in their neck that twitched with every pulse. He growled and shook his head, pulled Felix closer so he wouldn't have to look at it. Grey’s words were ringing in his ears, that same stupid phrase that now both she and Felix had now said,
“It doesn't matter if you want it...you will.”
It wasn't until sleep took him that he wondered why he let this happen: why did he get in bed with them just on their request alone?
The next night when he awoke, they were gone.
Their absence didn’t last long though as Felix returned the next night. They didn’t return empty-handed, instead carrying boxes, a large suitcase, and one of those mini-coolers people took on outings. It was banged up and obviously old with its scratched green paint and he could only wonder what was inside. They shuffled inside once he’d opened the door, not saying a word, and started to place their belongings wherever they pleased. Once done, they sat down to pull off their boots and adjust their outfit, which tonight, consisted of some kind of leggings and a skirt.
“What are you doing?” he finally asked, tired of waiting for an explanation.
“I’m moving in.” was the only response he got, the end of the sentence twisting up in a cheery manner.
“And who said you could do that?” Saying he was about to explode with anger might have been an understatement. Did they not realize just how dangerous it was to be around him, much less live with him? And besides, Locus wasn’t exactly keen on the idea of Felix staying here period. He liked his privacy and preferred to keep it that way,
“Okay, yeah, you’re in a position right now to turn down a roommate with a paying job.” Felix rolled their eyes as they brushed past him. “Seriously, when’s the last time you actually had a job lined up?”
“Does it matter? I can manage my money well enough to survive for the next few months.” It would have been much longer than that but the synthetic blood bottles were really expensive.
“Whatever, still stands.” Felix stated, now on their knees in front of the cooler they’d brought. “By the way...Grey sent this.” They pulled forth a plastic bag full of blood, more than likely human. It didn’t have the same refined quality that Felix’s had had, and it wasn’t the off color of synthetic.
“I don’t want it.” he shot back almost instantly, possibly more angry than he already was.
“Whoa, calm down asshole. She was trying to be nice. Besides, Grey told me you can’t survive off the synthetic stuff forever. Like, it’s good for what it does, but you have to drink the real stuff at least once in awhile or you’re gonna weaker and weaker. So, maybe you want to trust us and just drink it?” They pushed the bag back inside the cooler and slammed the top, promptly dropping it onto the kitchen counter beside him. Felix walked over to one of the boxes and retrieved something that resembled a thermos. “This too. Fill it up, pop in the microwave, then chug it like there’s no tomorrow. If you don’t, it’ll get cold and disgusting again.”
“Why are you doing this? What do you get out of all this?”
They laughed, “And why the hell are you just now getting suspicious? I already told you, I want to know why I can’t glamour you. It didn’t work on you when you were human, and it still doesn’t work on you as a vampire. It is...extremely...frustrating.” They paused to accent each word, crossing their arms and glaring up at him from their short stature. “What I choose to do after is my business, so, just drink the damn blood already.”
With a thud, they walked over to his couch and fell into it stomach down. Without asking, they reached over, grabbed the remote and turned on his tv; Felix had already made themselves at home, as infuriating as that was. Locus looked over to the thermos contraption beside him, an obvious creation from Grey’s laboratory if the appearance was any indication. He picked it up and looked back over to Felix, they were propped up on their elbows, legs bent at the knee and held aloft, kicking in time with some unknown rhythm.
He didn’t want to, the very idea of ingesting something that had once belonged to a human...where had this blood even come from? Who’s was it? Were they even still alive? This was just...wrong. For the first time since becoming this thing, only now had he ever had second thoughts or doubts. Felix had even praised him on the way to Grey's for not falling into that weird depression most baby vamps experienced after being turned; that was only because he was a realist and sought to make the best of bad situations, especially ones out of his control.
Maybe he could...reason it away...like a pill, just throw head back and swallow and not think about it. Felix obviously wasn't going to force him or antagonize him about it...this was going to be his choice alone if he did it. Still, if Felix hadn't brought this here then…
Before he knew it, the thermos was full and in the microwave. When it finished, he grabbed it and threw it back. For the first few seconds, all he tasted was pure bliss. It was hard to describe; the taste of your favorite meal mixed together with some unearthly power that never really seemed to fill, just made you hungrier. Then it grew cold and he choked, the sensation and flavor no longer there.
“Told ya,” came a voice from the couch which he glared at before wiping his mouth and placing the thermos somewhere. He'd clean it later. In fact, he had enough energy to clear the apartment twice over if he wanted. There was a power surging through his veins like he'd never felt before. It was dizzying and made his head spin...this was real blood. He'd given in, officially become this thing, embraced his lack of humanity...was it worth it, he wondered, as he stared down at his hands.
Locus walked over to the couch, “Aren't you going to leave now?”
“Don't think so. I live here now, remember?”
“Do you want me to throw you out?” There was nothing metaphorical about this, Locus could literally throw Felix out of the third story window one-handed and without a second thought.
Felix huffed and they sat up, “Alright fine. I came here to make you an offer.”
“And that would be?”
“Work with me.”
He thought back to The Severed String and the type of depravity that went on there; his eye twitched, “No.”
“What the hell Locus, I didn't even-...wait, fuck, not the dancing thing, asshole. I do that on the side for fun...although it might be nice to watch you up there.”
Locus growled and made a slow swipe for them which they easily dodged. It wasn't so much a sidestep as it was a disappearing act; Felix could bend the light waves around them to disappear, only reappearing, at first, in the corner of his eye behind him.
“Fuck, calm down, I was kidding. Anyway, I'm...an "information broker". I get paid to learn important secrets, and then I sell them to the highest bidder.” Suddenly the words the night they'd met made sense. Their ‘tell me a story’ line that night...did that mean they'd been hired to learn something from him?
“I know that face already, relax. I was only bothering you that night because I was bored. I'm fae, I can't lie, remember?”
They could still twist the truth by choosing the right words, he noted, but something in him wanted to believe the fae.
“What would I do?”
“I have to get up close to a bunch of people, be all friendly and shit you know, and yeah...I need someone to watch my back.”
“And save you if things go south?”
“See, you're so smart.” The fae said mockingly, patronizing him with a laugh. “Normally I do 70/30 when I work with partners, but for you I'll do 60/40.”
Locus knew there was no point in asking why, he wouldn't get a straight answer. “I haven't agreed to this yet.”
“Uh okay...how about now?” Felix shrugged, feigning some sort of confusion as they did so. It was pretty obvious they weren't going to take ‘no’ for answer.
“I'll go with you on a test-run. That's all I can promise.” It all depended on the kind of people Felix exposed themselves to; if they were the kind of people he had in mind, then he wouldn't have trouble fighting back. It was highly unlikely that Felix only went after less than innocent targets so he supposed he should steel himself when the time came.
“Works for me.” they shrugged again, aimlessly walking around a bit. “ So...you going to see Grey tonight?”
“She told me she was busy.” Grey hadn't explained herself any further than that and he wasn't the type to pry. He'd merely responded to her text to let her know he'd received the message.
“So you're free then?”
“...” he glared at them for a moment, choosing his words, “I'm not going anywhere tonight.”
“We don't have to go anywhere…” they started slowly, striding over to him in what he supposed was a seductive manner, “You can just stay in here with me,” they leaned against him, staring up at him, “I might even dance for you if you ask nicely.”
“You know that doesn't work.” Locus stated, noticing the almost liquid nature of Felix’s eyes, the overbearing stench of roses that filled the air. It was disturbing how badly the fae seemed to want to glamour him, and to what end he had to wonder?
Felix blinked, hardly missing a beat, eyes returning to a solid state, “Force of habit.” they whispered back unapologetically, almost playful, “Come on, sit down.”
Locus practically peeled them off of him, “No, and you need to go home.”
“This is home now? Where else would I go?” They shot back angrily, crossing their arms.
“Whenever you were at before. I don't care where it is, just go back.”
Felix grew silent for a moment, looking away as they slowly tapped their foot, obviously deep in thought about something. “Look, I was staying with a guy and he kicked me out so I don't have anywhere else to go. It's not like I can stay with Grey, her fucking baby vamps will kill me in my sleep. And I'm sure as fuck not sleeping outside in the streets Locus.”
“...Alright, you can stay.” If it seemed like he gave in too easy, it was because he was tired of talking about it, “This isn't a permanent thing though.”
“Why not?”
He sighed, “I barely know you. And ever since you showed up, things in my life have...they haven't been the same.” He avoided saying it was worse or anything like that, no need to start another fight, especially one he wasn't willing to finish. And to be fair, it wasn’t even sure this was the fae's fault.
“We can change that. Fuck, ask me a question or something. I get that you have the whole angry, silent thing going on but it wouldn't kill you to talk a little.” They stepped around him and sat down on the couch, motioning for him to do the same.
He did reluctantly, not entirely sure what else to do. They immediately fell against him, moving his arm to lay their head on his lap, pulling his arm down against their shoulder.
“What are you doing? You said we would talk.”
“We are. You're just warm right now and it’s freezing cold in here.” Was it? He hadn’t bothered with the thermostat considering temperature was no longer a factor to him. It didn’t stop him from be bothered by this action...it was obvious now what the fae wanted from him, but that was something he’d never just give in to.
“What do you want me to talk about?” It was an odd way to start things but then again, this was a forced conversation if there ever was one. All he’d wanted to do was sit around and enjoy another peaceful night, as possible as that was. Instead, he was being forced to entertain another supernatural creature whose only interest in him was likely sexual and would disappear the moment they got what they wanted.
“Anything, I don’t care.” they yawned through the last word, growing too comfortable in their new setting. Locus supposed it was getting late for them; he normally just slept whenever the sun was close to rising and awoke whenever it was dark enough.
“Why are you here? Why me then? Out of anyone else, why?”
“Because I know what kind of person you are. You won’t hurt me. And, you’re the only person I’ve ever met who can break a glamour which pisses me off and turns me on all at the same time.”
He didn’t really have a response to that, he supposed, since the fae was telling the truth. It appeared to be just him since he’d been able to resist as a human and now a vampire on multiple occasions. Maybe he should ask about that glamour…
“You can do it too, you know,”
“What?”
“Glamour people.” Felix sat up, “We could go and practice on someone if you want.” The only true way to describe their face just then was boyish delight, a mischievous look if he’d ever seen one. It didn’t help that when they smiled the dual piercings in their bottom lip resembled fangs. When Locus didn’t immediately respond, their grin dropped, “Let me guess though, you don’t want to try it out on a human? It’s not like it hurts people, it’s kinda like...hypnotizing them or something? Don’t be such a bleeding heart, Locus.”
“I thought that’s why you wanted me to hang around Grey so she could teach me.”
“Yeah, other stuff. Vampires and fae can both glamour and it’s pretty much the same thing...so can we?”
Locus seemed to ponder the idea for a moment. While what Felix said was true, he could only dream of the type of trouble the fae would get him into in the meanwhile; for he all knew, Felix’s idea of a practice victim could have been someone especially dangerous to mess with like the leader of one of those anti-vampire groups. He’d let Grey teach him this later.
Felix groaned and fell back against the couch, this time laying away from him, “God, you are so boring. I’m just gonna sleep then, and don’t worry, I’ll just crash on the couch for now even though you know I’m too good for that.” they grumbled at little bit and hit him with their foot, “Mmm, you could at least get me a blanket, it’s cold.” they whined before curling up, turning on their side to bury their face into the back of the couch.
Locus rolled his eyes but still got up to go and find one from his bedroom. Before he’d been able to get blackout curtains, he’d pinned thick, heavy blankets across his windows to keep the daylight sun out. Coffins, as Grey put it, were gauche and really only needed if you were gonna be sleeping underground for a long time.
By the time he’d come back to the living room, Felix was already asleep, so he haphazardly tossed the blanket over them, knowing that if they were truly that cold then they’d wake up soon and fix it how they wanted.
It was still too early for him to go to sleep, but Locus didn’t feel right sitting around in the living room with someone sleeping in it...even though it was his living room and the only tv was in here.
He sighed...just what had he gotten himself into?