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A Captive Echo (Staine x Bunny)

Listening to Christian explain why he was so fascinated with her lineage didn’t help alleviate her fears, Ava could see how he thought it might though. She was indeed the last descendant of Isidora; at least as far as she knew. The whole of what he confided in her, that she could have once been his, she was a remnant of his past love. Lowering her eyes as he met hers, Ava couldn’t feel that same sort of pang of sadness. She believed him, Christian’s reasons, however, still stemmed from Isidora. He desired to know her, to own her, to have her fall in love with him… They all tied back to a woman long dead. The ridiculousness of it all, the fact she’d been kidnapped, and the position she was now in was made worse by the fact that no matter what he said, she felt like it wasn’t because of her. Oh, sure her biting wit and fire had kept her alive or kept her from being broken. There was that, Ava supposed. She couldn’t shake the sort of sadness that lingered that it was more an afterthought. That he hadn’t wanted her for her and even now, while he might enjoy these aspects of her, she was held captive all because she was all that was left.

She didn’t know how she affected him, not in truth. Would it have changed her mind, her feelings of pity and sadness to know that she was the first in so long? Honestly, at that moment no. She’d have blamed it on her resemblance and his own desires. Christian, despite his bending and his willingness to give, was on the losing end with Ava. Nothing he could say, or do would alter her view of him further in this night. Sighing she nodded slightly. “I am aware” Her eyes finally left her lap and met his own, there was something in those deep, Mediterranean blues that hadn’t been there before; a sort of sadness that was not so easily placed. “But, Christian, you have to know, forcing me to strip… do anything that I don’t wish to, isn’t going to endear you to me” She hadn’t said she wouldn’t. Ava knew part of whatever this was, lust played a large part. “So in truth, you do it as much for me as you do for yourself” It wasn’t a lie and she knew he would see her naked, knew he would touch her, even if he didn’t rape her. Just as she knew because he’d told her as much, that he would force her to agree to such things because the other options or the rewards would be worth it. Ava wondered if she’d hate him as much as she’d hate herself for giving in?

Her small hand settled into his for the briefest of moments, shaking his hand with one impersonal pump of her own. Ava snorted and withdrew her hand. “Just because you find me fascinating, doesn’t mean you will love me.” Shaking her head she looked away from him. She felt like a rare butterfly and Christian was a lepidopterist. He had pinned her wings and was looking at her from behind a sheet of glass. Slowly her chin turned back towards him. “Christian, that’s still lying. You can call deceptive wording, omission, or bluffing anything you like. It’s still lying. The difference is when you put up those self-made barriers, those loopholes, it makes you feel better. Makes you feel like you haven’t lied” She shrugged and looked away. “It’s still lying, you are just using the cover of semantics to get away with it, for your own conscience. The outcome is the same, even if it’s clever” There was a weary tone to her words, his little nightingale was fading fast. The night had been an ordeal, and there was more to come.

The hand that found her cheek wasn’t jerked away with, but Ava didn’t look at him. Her eyes lowered and shifted to the side, thick lashes hiding most of the stormy color from view. There was little point in fighting the touch, he’d made it clear he would touch her, desired or not and she was so tired. When he’d asked her to allow him to bathe her she flinched slightly. It seemed almost innocuous, but they both knew it was far from it. Striping for him would have been something she’d never done with anyone else. Ava had once held dreams of that first time, just like sharing a shower with a lover. It was intimate in ways that even sex didn’t seem to touch. Much like the invasion of her life, her home, her personal belongings, Christian sought to strip one more thing from her. But the favor offered… “If I agree, I know the favor I’d ask…” She also wished to extract a promise that the touching wouldn’t be sexual if she agreed but knew that the favor she asked would be a stretch as it was. Ava had been avoiding his gaze, but now she looked at him. “Do not feed on me” Oh, she knew he’d try and offer her something at some point, later on, to tempt her. “And I don’t just mean tonight. Never without my permission” It would give him a challenge, which Ava hoped Christian would find appealing.

Pulling herself from his grasp Ava rose from the bed and moved toward the bathroom. If he agreed, then he’d follow her. If he didn’t, he’d leave. It was his own damn bargain. The soft silk of the gown brushed against her body as she walked, slithering against her thighs and the floor alike. Without her heels, the gown was too long for her… trailing along the tile and wood of her rooms. Pausing at the door she took a slow breath and pushed the door open to the bath. She left it open but stepped well out of view as her hands moved to the back of the dress. The zipper parted, revealing the smooth paleness of her back slowly. Each inch that it lowered, more alabaster skin peeked through. Carefully she extracted her arms from the mesh lace, her breasts bared towards the shower. If he had followed her, as she bent slightly, the curve of one breast might be seen as she wiggled the dress past her hips. Her rear was exposed as she stepped out of the dress, the heart-shaped curve of her cheeks on display for a moment before Ava straightened. Kicking the dress to one side, her hands moved to her hair. Each pin that held up the lustrous mahogany curls pulled and laid on the counter. With each one, more and more of the darkness tumbled down her back and shoulders. Each dark lock that fell free reached the small of her back and curled charmingly.

She’d not worn underwear, it would have messed with the lines of the dress. Ava remembered arguing with her friend about how it made her feel uncomfortable. It was perhaps a blessing in disguise. It meant there was less to remove if he was behind her. Moving to the shower, Ava fiddled with the dials until that perfect temperature was achieved. Closing her eyes, Ava took a step into the water, face upturned to the warm spray. Had she been alone, at home and not near a vampire who would have heard her cry, even if he couldn’t see her, she might have. It was comforting, in a way, to stand under the stream of water and sob… No one could normally hear or see the pain. She was able to stop the tears, but not the soft trembles as her arms encircled her body.
 
She had been looking down from him, as he had told her about Isidora, opening up his feelings and about the life he had lost, it made it difficult for him to really gauge how she felt about it but it did tell him something, and he wasn't entirely sure what it meant. Christian wasn't foolish or naïve and he fully expected that to win her over would take him a long, long time, there was no way in hell that she felt for him right now but was that sadness he was reading in her a product of his feelings being on Isidora and not herself? He brushed such thoughts aside as pure insanity, there were so many reasons she wouldn't want to look him in the eyes, not least of which was his kidnapping of her, and to think that she might actually want his attention to be on her, about her...it was silly. He listened to her as she spoke, wise beyond her years as he had already come to expect from her, impressively so even. To think that a man of six centuries could still be surprised so readily by her, by the way she managed to put his own motives into perspective in a way he simply hadn't thought of. Was it his age that was the problem, his nature, or his position? For so long he had to answer to nobody but himself, everything he did was on his own whims with the consequences of such being entirely his own to bear, now that he wanted her to actually care for him and not force her to do so or break her...it was more a challenge than he had expected. He had to be careful, he had to think before he took something, and that...that was proving to be more difficult. For one who could take anything he desired, having to respect her boundaries in any small way was endearingly frustrating and he found he was actually smiling again.

"Once more you're correct...funny how you often are, is it not?" He laughed warmly, pouring himself another drink just to have something to do that didn't involve touching her, pouncing on her and taking her like he so very much wanted to. "I find myself in a place I haven't ever been in before, at least not in so many centuries. I want you, Ava...I want you now, no point in me trying to hide that particular desire from you, but I also find myself caring about how you feel. I can't say whether it's your relationship to Isidora or how much you intrigue me, how you've managed to sway me already just shows that something about you is drawing me in." He drank the glass in one long pull, placing it down on the end table again. "I don't think it's completely one or the other...your appearance first drew me to you but you...there is something in you, a light, perhaps, that shines like a beacon, pulling at me." He sighed softly. "I don't think you believe me either, which is completely fair, I wouldn't in your position, but...well. No point wasting words now is there? Like I said, I'm certain you don't believe me." He'd caught himself before he had told her how he was already regretting taking her, not because he didn't want her but because for some crazy reason her sadness did tug at him. It wasn't much, he wasn't going to be broken up about it but the strangest, strongest desire to make things right was trying to seep into his very bones and he was fighting it off as best he could. "Hmmm...okay, then how about I am a little more forthcoming with my wording? For you...and only you...I will not lie, and I will not omit anything I deem important. I'm not a machine, Ava, I can't promise to remember to tell you everything I am thinking nor can I know what is important to you, but if you ask me something I will do my best to answer and that is as much as I can do. In respect to our deal, I won't hide things from you. Is that acceptable, or would you like to find a flaw in that too?" There was an edge to his tone, it wasn't anger, frustration maybe; Christian was trying his best to bend for her as much as possible, more than he would for others and he was feeling she wasn't quite getting that. Even if she had no reason to be kind to him or soothe him, he was feeling the effects of such continued rejection of his attempts at compromise.

He hadn't really expected her to accept his favour at all, hadn't expected her to even consider it. No, Christian had been waiting for the fire, for her to tell him there was no chance that she was going to allow that, that he could shove his favour up his ass so he was caught completely off guard by her request. He pulled back, sitting in his seat and tilting his head as he regarded her, brow furrowing just slightly. "You...are an endless source of surprises, aren't you, little nightingale?" Slowly, he began to chuckle, a small shake of his head coming with it. "I say a small favour but you don't pull out the stops, you go for one of the biggest things you could, hit me right where it hurts. No feeding from you...tell me, do I repulse you so much? The idea of giving life's blood to me is so very unappealing? I have been told it can be exquisitely pleasurable you know...something about a toxin in our fangs, released to help the blood flow more readily also makes it quite euphoric, erotic even...every human lover I have taken has begged for me to fuck them once I have fed, whined for me to do something to relieve that sweet ache." He sighed and closed his eyes, contemplating such a sacrifice. He would see her naked anyway, if not tonight he could very well force her to shower with him in the morning, it was very much in line with their terms which meant this deal was entirely in her favour, but...if he gave her this, then she went with him willingly. Well, perhaps willingly was the wrong word to use, but it wasn't nothing to him. As she walked away, he rose to his own feet and followed, mind made up. He was hungry, he wanted to feed from her almost as much as he wanted to fuck her and somehow she had talked herself out of both of them in little more than an hours time. What a frustrating captive she was proving to be!

Christian was unbuttoning his shirt as he followed her into the bathroom, his eyes on her as she stripped, first on the barely revealed breast and then down to her rear, a soft growl of approval coming from him. His shirt discarded, he unbuckled his belt, at the same time he was working his shoes off with his feet. Pulled out through the loops the belt was dropped beside him. "You drive a very hard bargain, Ava. You have a deal though...I will not feed on you without your permission, your willing permission, with no drugs or compulsion to influence you." He let his pants fall down and kicked them aside as he watched her step into the shower. "You might not have known, but we do have some powers, us vampires. One of which is just that, compulsion, something akin to mind control or hypnosis." His thumbs in the waistband of his boxer shorts, silken and black, he pulled them down his thighs a little until they were looser before letting them fall the rest of the way, revealing himself. He was semi-erect, a product of his desire to take her and her nudity in front of him, his eyes still on her rear. That he could just take her, that he could have had her frustrated him, but she had made him promise and he prided himself on his word. Stepping out of them, he moved in closer, stepping beneath the hot spray of the shower and towards her, a frown on his face. He knew she couldn't help how she felt, that she wasn't likely to enjoy this but Christian hadn't had somebody so unwilling to be with him in a long time, and never one that he actually seemed to care about even a little. Reaching for one of the bottles of shampoo he had her bathroom stocked with, he squeezed a little into his palm before replacing the bottle. With her eyes closed, she couldn't see what he was doing, hadn't looked at him, was likely expecting him to touch her inappropriately but with her trembling like she was there was no joy to be found in it for him. Instead, his hands found her hair and he ran it over his palm, letting the shampoo soak in as he brought his other hand up higher to follow the first downwards, gently washing her hair. "You're scared...or simply reviling me right now. Shaking like a leaf, little nightingale. Please don't be frightened...hate me, loathe me, curse me, but don't be scared of me." His voice was soft, softer than it had been all night, and he was standing just far enough back from her that she would have to actually lean into him to touch the rest of his body, careful to make no more contact than he needed to in order to wash her hair. "I know it's of no comfort to you, but...you're very...impressive. Not your beauty, or your lineage...those you know I am undeniably attracted to but the way you compose yourself has nothing to do with that, that is all you. It's all Ava. If you need to cry, need to release that which you're holding in then do so now. I won't judge, I can't judge when I'm the one causing you such pain, right? I'll even hold you, if you need to feel arms around you...no ulterior motives."
 
The growl was the first indication that Christian had followed her into the bathroom. For her part, Ava did the best to ignore the fact that he was there, a task made harder as he spoke, the warmth of his voice reverberating in the room. She said nothing in return, trying to be brave enough to step into the water she was fiddling with, to follow through with her end of the deal. She fully expected Christian to push the limits of the current deal, to use this as an excuse to touch her more than just washing required. His words, everything he’d said to her playing in her mind as she trembled in the hot water. The first touch of his hands on her, she flinched, unable to control the reaction. Nothing about the touch of his hands in her hair was inappropriate, it was almost sweet. It was his voice as much as his words that gave her pause.

He wasn’t pressed against her, there was deliberate space between their bodies. This also gave Ava pause and she took a slow breath. She didn’t say anything for a moment, before gently pulling away from his hands. Stepping back away from him she regarded him with unsure eyes. “I don’t trust you Christian. It’s not even your word that I don’t trust.” She looked away for a moment and sighed. “I know this will sounds, stupid… Perhaps even childish.” He was being kind and even though he had put himself in this position, she felt he had a right to know. “I can’t explain why, but the reason you kidnapped me hurts.” She looked back to him, a raw vulnerability in her eyes and in her voice. “You kidnapped me because I looked like Isidora.” She held up her hand “Please let me just get this all out” Her hair half washed, naked and telling the man that had kidnapped her what made this all hurt, even more, Ava was sure she was a sight. “It wasn’t because of me, or anything I’d done that drew you to me. It has to be fucking crazy that my feelings are hurt that you didn’t kidnap me for me” A bubble of laughter spilled from her and she shifted in place. “I am the last part of her you have and that was the reason. Had I not been me… You’d have likely done what you planned and just casually erased who I was. Who would you have even made me into, if not the woman you craved?”

Tears sparkled in her eyes. “You don’t know me, Christian. You speak of caring for me, say you know I am not her… But what I think gives you pause is less my own feelings but the fact I look like her. You can’t stand to see the pain, the fear in Isidora’s eyes” Her eyes, as she spoke sparkled with unshed tears. “Nothing you say tonight… tomorrow or the next week will change that. This was all to recapture something that was taken from you” The first tear leaked from her eyes, trailing down her cheek in a slow, deliberate path. “If you are… Serious… And I am wrong, that is a hurdle you will need to overcome. Because she is dead Christian. I will never be that woman you loved once. The one you wanted to make a family with. Before I can even start to try and fall in love with you, I will need to know you actually love me.”

She took a slow deep breath and took a step closer to him, just one. “And I do understand that you’re… giving me things that no one gets from you and I seem ungrateful.” Her face tipped up slowly, as she took another step closer. “You are trying, best as you are able. I know that... “ And she did, but “You have to know that while I do know that and maybe tomorrow I will feel differently. But tonight? Tonight, I don’t care” It was a brutal truth, but he needed to know everything. “You kidnapped me. You say it’s not because I looked like her. The concessions you have made? They are not for me alone, they are for you too, if you’re being honest with me.”

She took another step, now within arm’s length of him. “You took everything from me. For you, this is all about your desires. To you, bathing me, seeing me naked is about satiating what you want. Have you ever considered what you’re taking from me?” Another tear fell down her cheek “I am a virgin. It’s not like I didn’t have chances to pop my cherry Christian. I decided not to. Not because I was saving myself for marriage, but someone. Undressing for someone I loved? Having them, clean my body, touch me in an incredibly personal way? You steal those moments from me without even thinking about it. Having people go through my life, pack it all away, strangers touching everything that is dear to me.” She shook her head some, sniffling “And that’s just in a night Christian. What else might you steal from me?” She closed her eyes. “You are likely going to take all my firsts in time…”

She stepped in again, her eyes finding his, holding them. “And no, I don’t want to feed you. I don’t want to be your meal Christian and honestly, you shouldn’t want that from me either. At least, not yet. I am not a meal. If you're hungry feed from someone else” If they fell in love, that might change. Ava didn’t care that he was a vampire and she was what amounted to a cow for his kind. “More than anything, you need to prove you’re worthy of me loving you. What you decided to do, be it brash action, or calculated, isn’t going to just be handed to you because you simply want it.”

Ava hadn’t moved closer. “And I am scared of you, you kidnapped me and that is enough to scare most people. Christian, you’re also a vampire! Something that until tonight, didn’t exist for me. If vampires alone were the only new thing I learned, I’d be sacred… “ Ava could feel her heart beneath her breast, feel her heartbeat, and knew it felt heavy. Staring up at him the first sob broke through her defenses. The burning in her eyes giving way to a flood of tears. Everything she’d told him, her fears of him, both what he said, what he was, and the entire night as a whole finally finding a release as she sobbed. It was only then she took the next step, her arms slipping around his waist, her face buried against his shoulder as sobs wracked her body.
 
Christian battled his own desires as he rather gently stroked his fingers through her hair, considering braiding it like Genevieve had taught him so many years ago when she had used him as little more than a servant, a companion. Oh, he'd been important to her, he knew that much; for whatever reason she had taken a shine to him, it was how he had managed to survive, why she had turned him in the first place but even then he never had the feeling that she cared how he felt about his position in her life. That was something he wanted to do right here, something he too had failed at in the past, passing it forward with every girl he had been with since. The urge to do so again, to use the advantage he had over her to run his hands all over her body, to explore and tease was powerful, difficult to resist but not for the first time that night he found himself with a puzzle. He cared. He couldn't explain why, he had gone through so many centuries without feeling for humans and their needs but now? With Ava? He didn't want to see her sad again, the way she was trembling was enough to make even Christian feel for her and he found it wasn't even all self serving. Sure, if he touched her, she would hate him more and it would be harder to win her over but that wasn't his only motivation it seemed, in fact when he thought about it it made no sense. The fact he wanted her to like him at all was proof that he cared, was it not? Otherwise why wasn't he breaking her exactly as he had threatened? His mind went round in these circles until she pulled away and he looked into her eyes, waiting for the anger, the hate. He was growing accustomed to it, like water running of a duck's back and yet the more time he spent with her the more it seemed to sting.

The tirade that followed...it was all Christian could do not to interrupt, he did try, opening his mouth to speak at first only to be shushed as she raised her hand and asked him to let her get it all out. Standing in silence, he listened, and every new barb cut into him, raw, shredding. He couldn't even deny it, the first thing she said. He had kidnapped her because of her appearance, because she was a link to Isidora and if he really asked himself then he didn't even know who he would have turned her into, had he gone through with his plan to break her. A submissive, loyal, pitiful little pet that obeyed his every command most likely, nothing resembling the woman that stood before him pouring her heart out for certain. She was right that he didn't know her too, but had he not shown that he wanted to? In his mind, he had, but if he really thought about it then what proof did she have for that other than the word of her kidnapper, something even he would find hard to put any value to. Then she spoke of pain, of his distaste for seeing it in Isidora's eyes, ironic since the only part of her that wasn't identical to his former love were those eyes of hers, still beautiful and expressive, still looking at him with pain clearly etched into them. She was stepping closer to him, and Christian was like a deer caught in the headlights now, staring down a truck that had no plans to slow down or stop, braced for impact and endless darkness. She had already told him she didn't trust him, now she told him she didn't care, at least tonight, how he felt. Both were things he had already known and yet to hear them over the soft sounds of the droplets ricocheting from her flawless skin...that hurt just as much as everything else.

When had this happened to him? How had he gone from powerful creature of the night, in charge of a crime syndicate of his very own all beholden to his whims, possibly one of the most powerful men in Europe to the man that stood silent as she tore into him? To the man that wanted to turn and leave, not out of anger but to spare himself from hearing any more of this? Tears were falling down her face, rolling down her cheeks but he was frozen, he didn't move not even to comfort her and the worst part of all of it was that he wanted to, so very much. He wanted to do something to make this all feel better for her but he also didn't want to release her, and he knew that was the only way she would be truly happy with this, wasn't it? After everything she said, after she told him that he was stealing everything from her, taking it all, did he really have a chance at making her happy? It seemed doubtful with only a year to do so. All these feelings and more tore through him as she told him that she was indeed scared of him, something again he had already known full well, and for the first time he realised what it was he was feeling.

Human.

Christian was feeling human, vulnerable even as he was her captor, the one with all the power. He could shove her down now and take her, he could end her life and nobody would blink, nobody would stop him and he could go on with his life but she had touched something in him that hadn't been there before, or something that had been buried. Humanity...empathy, sympathy, pain, actual, emotional pain. He felt sorrow, for what he had put her through and not just for himself and even a little regret, torn between sending her home right then and there to live her life without ever being bothered by him again and between promising her the world...ending her life wasn't an option. He couldn't end this creature no more than he could stand in the sunlight even if she was the cause of his pain, as he was hers. When she finished, the only sound besides that of the shower was her heart, beating in an almost morose manner, echoing through the bathroom. And then she stepped into his arms, threw her own around his waist and she was sobbing, crying against his shoulder. For over a minute he just stood there, trying to collect himself from the barrage of information and emotion she had thrown at him, not even wanting to touch her in case he felt her flinch, felt the revulsion that was so clearly in her heart for him. Finally, tentatively, he raised his arms, encircling her with them, one hand coming up to hold her head to his shoulder where she still sobbed and the other resting on her back. No temptation to do anything even remotely untoward, no desire at all other than to just hold her. Pulling her back with him, slow, awkward step by step, he moved till his back was against the cool porcelain of the shower wall and then slid down, taking her with him to the floor.

"Ava..." Even as he spoke it didn't sound like him, his voice sounded soft, almost broken. "You're probably right. I did take you because you look like her, but what can I do about that now? Nothing I say will convince you that I want you for you, and rightfully so, why should you believe me? Why should you trust me?" He didn't look at her as he spoke, he kept his hand on her head, staring at the wall opposite. "I can't turn back time and fix that, no more than I can un-kidnap you. I could release you. I've thought about it, already. I could let you go live your life but to never know you...I don't know which would be worse." He paused and sighed softly. "For me, of course. I'm sure I know what you would prefer." As he held her he was unmoving, not petting or stroking her like he had the urge to, but simply holding her, sharing the warmth he no longer had. "I could tell you that it's for you that I am keeping you and not Isidora but again, what use is that? I could tell you I don't plan to take all your firsts, but I do...but I'm not going to do that by force. Believe me or don't, but that isn't what I want, so it isn't what I will do. For what I've taken from you already, I'm sorry, I know it would have been better had I never stepped foot in that gallery, seen your painting and everything that followed. I know it's going to be hard to prove to you that I want you and to make you care for me...impossible, perhaps, yet I still want to try. I still want to know you." Closing his eyes, he rested his head back against the wall and made a soft sound somewhere between a chuckle and a sigh, nudging her shoulder with his hand, pulling it from her hair. "This shower was hardly worth the price I paid, you know. Get up, Ava. I'll leave you in peace for the night, I'll decide what I'm going to do with you tomorrow night." With every word he could hear his own pain in his voice, no doubt deserved after everything he had heard about how she really felt.
 
Christian had listened and just listened as she’d requested of him until she’d said everything she had to say. Ava knew everything she’d said, everything she’d unloaded on him needed to be said. Why? Simple.. He’d made a bargain with her and she had every intention of following through. The hand that came to rest on her wet, still soapy hair, held her head to him and the arm around her waist did nothing unbecoming of a gentleman. Christian just help her as she cried herself out on his shoulder, allowing him to move them until they ended up on the cool tile floor, his arms still holding her close. At first is had been awkward but Ava helped, slipping into his lap, cuddling against his chest. She didn’t know what he’d say and his reaction gave her pause.

She gave him the same respect, let him speak and this time, she listened from a different place. It was hard to push away all the fear and doubt, but she did her best, even if she didn’t succeed. There would be time for him to prove her wrong and a small part of her, hoped he did. It was more than hating him, right? Her head lifted as he nudged her, her mind still working through what he’d said. Most of it, she had already hear, still struggled to believe, but the difference was now she was trying. Some of what he had said had actually made her feel a little better, if only a little. Her eyes took Christian in, the fall of his thick lashes on his pale skin, the way his hair had turned from that lovely shade of blonde to gold in the water. A hand rose and touched his cheek, fingers gently moving through his beard.

What Ava did next was much in line with why she’d torn into him. Her lips brushed his, the touch chaste, unsure. Pulling back she took a deep breath and shook her head some. “Please don’t” Biting the inside of her cheek, Ava looked down at her thighs. “I didn’t tell you all of that, just to make you feel bad. I told you, because without it, without… you knowing how I felt... “ She paused and shrugged some. “It felt like what you wanted couldn’t happen” She looked up at him, her face much shyer than it had been before. A different kind of vulnerability in her eyes. “I couldn’t start trying to fall in love, with that resentment and pain. For what it’s worth, I am sorry. I didn't mean to cut you and then rub salt into the wounds all at once...” Ava’s voice was soft and she shifted in his lap, slowly rising to her feet.

A hand was held down to him, slender fingers outstretched. “I don’t.. I don’t want you to go and… I don’t want you to feel cheated” Her voice had warmed some and she waited for him to take her hand. “If, it isn’t too much.. I would like you to finish what you started and then, after… Just for a little bit stay with me. Tell me something about yourself that doesn’t have to do with Isidora. It doesn’t even have to be a good story.” Ava smiled some, clearly making an effort. “Then, maybe.. While I fall asleep you will stay with me?” She bit her lower lip, cheeks blushing. “I have never been held while I fell asleep and I would… Very much like it if you would consider doing so tonight.” The idea of being held, as she slept actually sounded… nice. Held by him.

Was everything forgiven, forgotten or fixed? No. Tomorrow and they days after they were likely to argue and match wits as he tried to get her to do what he wanted, while she tried to find if she could love him. None of this would work though, if she didn’t try. She might not have been an immortal vampire, but her word meant just as much to her. The girl who stood before him was unsure and almost awkward in her attempt to meet him at least some of the way. She flashed a tiny smile. “The damage, as you said was done, but doesn’t mean you can’t help sooth that hurt Christian. I mean to honestly try, to find if I can love you. We can spar again tomorrow, but tonight we both are hurting, because of the other. Let me help make the hurt I caused less. Please?” He could say no, could walk out, t was an option and one she was ready for, even if that act would hurt all the more. He had that right. Ava hoped, he'd accept her olive branch though. Wash her, tell her something about his long life and then hold her while she fell asleep.
 
Holding her in his arms like this was paradoxical for the vampire, for the first time in a while he truly didn't know what he wanted to do. On the one hand, he was feeling uncomfortable in a way that he simply wasn't accustomed to. In his experience, he was the one that made people feel uncomfortable, awkward, he didn't care what they thought and had no reason to feel like he didn't belong anywhere and yet in his own home no less he was feeling like he should leave her to herself. To think that all of his plans, every single one of them he had for her had been dashed by such human emotion seeping into him...it was frustrating to say the least and the worst part was that he couldn't even be angry, he tried but he couldn't find blame in her, not for what he had done. Which was again, human emotion. He'd thought himself beyond that long ago, immune to this silly wallowing but the pit in his stomach proved otherwise. It seemed age and time wasn't enough to rid himself of that part of him.

He was pulled from his pity party by her hand on his cheek, a softer touch than he deserved, and looked up in time for their lips to meet, no more than a mere brush but in his current state it was...confusing. More intimate than anything he expected or deserved. Watching her rise from his place on the floor he took the hand she offered, even letting her help him to his feet. "So you tear into me with those barbs, making me feel pain I didn't think I was even capable of feeling for the first time in centuries, make me feel human of all things, then you want me to stay, to finish washing your hair?" He knew that wasn't exactly it but Christian was falling back on an age-old defence mechanism to somehow make sense of all of this. "And here I thought I knew how to twist a knife." A small smile played on one corner of his lips as he looked down at her, stepping in close. "Do me one favour, and I will stay. Don't apologise, for what you said. It was all true, was it not? I deserve no less, and most certainly not to have my feelings spared. You're right, I stole from you, I stole you. I'm probably going to make life difficult for you in one way or another...I'm pretty set in my ways. I'm a pervert, for a start, I'm trying my best to be a gentleman but it isn't easy...though I think you killed any desire I had with your speech." He chuckled and reached out, brushing aside a strand of hair that had stuck to her face. "And now I don't even have sinking my fangs into you to look forward to...my own fault for giving in to your demands I suppose, but I was so very excited for that, saving myself, even."

His hand lowered, found her waist and turned her away from him, and he started to slide his fingers through her hair once more, still keeping distance, though it wouldn't have mattered at this point anyway. All arousal had gone, he didn't feel like doing any of the things he had wanted to as he gently washed and rinsed, applying more shampoo to his hand and starting over again. "I am sorry, you know. I have not been held accountable for anything I have done for so very long that I don't consider how those affected by my actions feel. Your things...I will call my men, they were meant to pick them up tomorrow, there is still time to leave your home intact." Even now he considered briefly trying to leverage her for...something. He didn't even know what, but he had something she wanted, and the notion came to him the very second he knew that, it took genuine effort not to say more, to tell her it would come with a price. After the third rinse of her hair, he reached for a bottle of soap instead, lathering his hands up with it, stepping back so to give her some more space as he spoke. "It's not your place to soothe me, little nightingale. Not for hurting me after I hurt you. Maybe if we were lovers, but we are not, I am the man that kidnapped you, you made it quite clear that you owe me nothing." Stepping in closer, his hand found her shoulders first, massaging the soap into her and moving lower, down her arms. This time, he did press against her and his hands didn't hesitate with where they went, moving to her stomach and higher, cupping her breasts as he looked down over her shoulder. Unlike other times he had spent in the shower with a girl he didn't try to arouse or titillate her, he didn't linger but nor did he shy away, treating her clinically, pausing only when she flinched. "Relax, if you can. I'm not in the mood to fuck you anyway, Ava, you're safe, for what it's worth." Once he had washed her upper half he lowered himself to one knee and started with her calves, expecting her to pull away. When she didn't, his hands moved higher, washing her thighs each in turn before he took hold of her waist again, turning her to face him as he looked up at her.

From his position, she was truly beautiful. He'd known that already, he was sure she knew it too but to see her now made it glaringly obvious. "See? Not hurting you." His hands moved around behind her, over her rear as he continued with his self-appointed task of washing every inch of her, until there was only one part of her he hadn't touched. Shaking his head, he rose to his feet and reached for the soap bottle again, taking her wrist and pulling her hand towards him, squirting a little into her palm. "You can do the rest yourself, then leave me to do myself too." Normally he would insist she look him in the eyes now, but he didn't try to influence her one way or the other this time as he looked down at her. "Then leave. Put on something comfortable if you like, and I will join you when I'm done. Tonight, I will stay, but please, no more fighting. We have plenty of time for that tomorrow."
 
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The kiss had been an experiment, but neither of them was in a good place for such an intimate action, leaving Ava feeling a bit embarrassed; at the time it had felt like a good idea. Allowing her to pull him to his feet, Ava took a small step back. His words caused her to frown, the skin between her brows wrinkling. His reaction wasn’t unsurprising and she slowly nodded and sighed as he stepped in closer to her and asked her to do him a favor. “I am not sorry I said any of it. I do feel bad for hurting you” She corrected him and crossed her arms under her breasts and shifted her weight slightly. “It was true and I can even agree you deserved to hurt for it.” She smiled some, though it was humorless. “But I don’t like hurting people. Even if they deserve it. It’s not like I forgave you or anything, but you and I made a deal.” She shrugged, her breasts rising and falling with the motion. “I am sure you will make my life difficult as you try and put me in a position to agree to something I will likely not want to do.” One of her brows lowered and her chin lowered in a unhappy little tilt of her head, the look a bit dismissive, skeptical and very not into the idea. “But, like you… I keep my word. If I am going to try and let you convince me, it’s better you know all the facts, all of how I feel right now.”

She chuckled softly as he reached out, brushing her hair from her face. “Awww, that must be really hard, Fangs… “ A smile curled on her lips slightly. “Think of this more as a truce for the night. I am tired Christian, not just physically but mentally too.” She allowed him to turn her and begin to wash her again. Her eyes closed and she listened to the rumble of his voice as he spoke to her. It wasn’t surprising, what he said. Why would he have been held accountable? It was more than just the fact he was a vampire. His personality was very staunchly dominant, with no flex seemingly in him, with the exception of her. She didn’t answer him, because what would she say? She understood? It was hard for her to understand, even if she got why he wasn’t used to it. Washing her hair for a second time she sighed as he said it wasn’t her place to soothe him. Turning slowly she stepped away, only for a second. “No, it’s not and you are kinda dick” Her brows lifted and she smiled slightly at the light little jab “But, you say you want me Christian… Part of me isn’t wanting to hurt someone else. Even if they are being an asshole. What I said was true” She felt like a bit of a broken record. “I don’t regret saying them. I do, however, feel bad that I hurt you. It would be a lot easier if I didn’t care…” She smiled again. “I even feel bad for being a bit of a bitch to the candlestick” Stepping back in, Ava turned like a good girl for him.

She could feel as he moved in closer and she fought the urge to step away again. Letting him touch her was hard for her; Ava was still scared of him and that sort of fear didn’t vanish. Christian seemed to be on his best behavior, even so, she’d flinched slightly as he’d cupped her breasts and her cheek flushed as he told her to relax. His tone had changed and Ava found herself missing his cockiness. She didn’t much care for this almost detached voice. Ava didn’t voice this, rather only giving him a slight nod, trying her best to relax. He was through in his cleaning, if not impassioned in his touch. Ava was slightly thankful for that and when he turned her she looked down at him.

On his knees before her, Christian was beautiful. For a long moment they stared into one another’s eyes. The thing, he thought she knew, she didn’t. Ava didn’t think herself ugly, just merely okay. She was too short, her body too slender, not enough breasts, a slightly too rounded rear… Her hair was a boring shade of brown…Her eyes were a little too large for her face, her nose a little too perky, her lips a little too full. She did like her eye color though and the shade of her skin, a pale, snow white complexion that when she did get sun, rare as it was, became slightly brozny. When he spoke, her cheek colored and she nodded looking away as he began to wash her once more. Her mind wandered as he cleaned her. What was wrong with her? Why had she kissed him.. Why did she feel bad for hurting the man who kidnapped her? Good fucking god she was damaged. When he pulled her hand out and poured soap into it, she blinked and looked at him. When had he stood? Nodding some she looked up at him, her eyes stormy. “Okay” The word was soft and she nodded once more. “I did say we would have a truce... I meant it “ Looking down she turned away from him. Not to hide what she was doing, but because she felt like crying again and couldn’t for the life of her understand why. She was quick with her task and left the shower without a word.

Grabbing a towel, Ava buffed her skin dry before using it to wrap her hair up, holding the damp length aloft from her skin in the twists of the towel. Naked, she left the bathroom and headed towards her closet. A quick glance told here there was nothing inside that was nightwear. Heading to the dresser, she pulled the top drawer open and sighed softly. She understood why the candlestick might have picked what he did, most of it was sexy in some way or another. It was made so Christian could play dress up, or had she been more willing, she could dress up for him. She decided finally on a simple silk two piece pajama set. It held no lace or frills and was soft to the touch. Slipping the bottoms on she could feel the high slits on the side, but it made the shorts feel roomy in a pleasant way. The top was much the same way. It was a bit tighter across her breasts, but just a touch, before falling loosely around her torso. The color was a rich, deep blue and the silk felt nice against her skin, it also made her somehow look more delicate.

Unwinding her hair from the towel she folded it and laid it on the edge of the bed, fingers running through her dark hair, fingers slowly working out the knots. Once she was satisfied she moved to the other side of the bed, grabbing her mostly empty plate as she went. Carefully she knelt down and began to pick up the shards of glass, from his little tantrum earlier; provoked tantrum, Ava reminded herself. When he came out of the bathroom, he could see her head lowering and rising as she picked up little shards of glass and laid them on the plate. As she worked she hummed softly. It was the first song that had come to mind and after a few minutes, Ava started the song over, this time singing the words, her voice sweet and clear.

We’re running with the shadows of the night
So baby take my hand, you’ll be alright
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight
They’ll come true in the end

You said, oh girl, it’s a cold world
When you keep it all to yourself
I said, you can’t hide on the inside
All the pain you’ve ever felt
Ransom my heart, but baby don’t look back
‘Cause we got nobody else.
 
"Like me?" Christian, even feeling as he did at the time could muster a smirk as she said those words. "So now you do believe I will keep my word? You really need to make up your mind, can you trust me, or not?" It was true that he in fact did like to stick to his word, took pride in it being iron clad, but she had no real way of knowing that other than what her kidnapper had told her. For all she knew Christian only kept to his word when it suited him and was lying to her even as he spoke, and he had given up on the notion of convincing her for the night. No, if he wanted her to truly trust in him then he would have to demonstrate it through his actions and actually follow through, he knew that. Her defensive stance told him the same things she echoed with her words, that this reprieve from fighting was only temporary, he had a long, long way to go and she was merely tired of the fighting, much like he was. "Fine...so you don't want even me to hurt...another thing about you that I can't help but find intriguing, if a little misguided." He'd found it amusing, even, that Ava didn't want to hurt him after what he had done, the threats he had made. Endearing, too...and he wondered what kind of person you had to be to think like that, to not wish pain on somebody who was actively in the process of kidnapping you, had threatened to rape you and scrub your personality and free will clean with arduous, intense reconditioning and training, completely against your will.


The only other semblance of the personality he himself had shown her already, the cocky, teasing arrogance was when she taunted him about not being able to feed from her. A soft growl, barely audible had echoed in the bathroom, drowned out by the sound of falling water as he had washed her. "You have no idea...just a taste, that's all I want and I gave it up so I can be told just what a cunt I am in exquisite detail." He had chuckled again, the memory from just minutes ago still bittersweet, not to mention the price he had paid for it. "It's not uncommon for a deal to be unfavourable for one of the parties involved but not quite to this extent...and to think I could have just taken it anyway." While his words sounded regretful, even bitter, his tone was that of amusement, like he couldn't quite understand how he had gotten himself into such a position. "I do suppose I'll need to feed from one of the maids again. They don't mind, but it's not quite what I was looking forward to, dear Ava." While he had washed her and she had continued to speak, he had nodded knowingly. "You were kind of mean to poor Dante...you really shouldn't be too hard on him. He did what I told him to...he is loyal, but he's not a bad person. Not a 'dick' like me." Another small chuckle, while he wasn't quite feeling himself he was at least trying to be open with her. "But I'm sure he understands you are more angry at me, not him. Say you're sorry, he will forgive you in a heartbeat, and he is a good ally to have in here. You'll find that if you can win him over, your stay will be far more comfortable."

Christian didn't see any of the flaws she thought she had when he looked up at her, to him she looked perfect, unsurprising given she was the spitting image of Isidora, but if she had voiced her insecurities to him he would have brushed them away without hesitation and told her she was being silly. None of that mattered anyway as she blushed and looked away, letting him finish cleaning her before he let her finish herself. As she turned away to do so he started to wash his own body, watching her leave the room with a pang of regret; while he hadn't asked her to, he had held up the tiny, unrealistic hope that she would return the favour, maybe wash him in kind but deep down he had known how unrealistic that would be, it was why he had told her to leave. Truce or not, he was sure the thought of touching him wasn't a pleasant one just yet anyway. He took his time to clean himself, enjoying the feel of the hot water cascading down onto him, plastering his hair to his face and shoulders as he looked down and then back up to make sure every part of it was completely soaked through as he used the same shampoo he had used on her. Turning off the water he could hear a soft singing, amplified by his own excellent sense of hearing. Was she singing? Strange...he didn't know what he expected her to do in truth, but singing hadn't been even close to what he imagined. Of his clothes, he didn't have any spare in the room and while he didn't mind being naked in front of her he was certain it wouldn't be of interest to her right now, she hadn't even so much as peeked at him in the shower and he didn't blame her for that at all. Pulling on his boxers, his pants and his shirt, he left the latter unbuttoned for his own comfort and stepped from the bathroom, seeing her picking up the shards of glass he had left there as the vodka bottle had shattered.

He didn't know the song she was singing, but it was pretty enough, and he was almost silent as he approached her, not saying anything until he was standing directly behind her. "Pretty." He wasn't just talking about the song either; she looked good in the pyjama's she had chosen, Dante knew his tastes well and had no doubt left them here for his benefit and not hers. Kneeling down, he started to help, deftly picking up the shards with quick, easy precision that was almost unnatural, dropping each tiny piece onto the plate she had chosen. "I have maids to do this kind of thing you know, and it's usually a pleasure to sit back and watch them do it...besides, it's not your mess to clean up at all." Like much of what she did, Christian simply didn't understand why she felt it was her responsibility to clean up the mess he had made. When he was done, sure there was no more glass anywhere, he picked up the plate, carrying it to the trash can and emptying it into it. Turning to face her, he sat down on the bed, feeling not just a little awkward to still be in the room with her. Smiling, he decided the best thing to do would be to voice his concerns. "So, something about me that isn't to do with Isidora. Very well..." He brought up his feet so he could lay on the bed on his back, his head on the pillow as he closed his eyes, his hands both resting on his own stomach. "I don't understand humans. Not anymore." It was perhaps pretty obvious from how he had been behaving so far, but to him it was also a new realisation, that either he didn't understand them quite as well as he had thought, or that she was just different from those he interacted with usually. "I understand some of them, their desire, their lust for power that is similar to my own but emotions...how they think when they actually care about something, guilt, regret, sadness...for centuries I have built up everything I own by preying on their fears, those I very much do understand but I haven't felt like I had to actually connect with one in a very long time. Now that you are here to vex me at every turn, I find that part of me that I thought I no longer had to deal with was just laying in wait for the opportunity to knock me off my feet." A small smile played on his lips. "When I was first turned, I don't think I was like that. I was scared, probably like you are now, I woke up and she was there, Genevieve...much like I did to you, she took what she wanted, me, and made me her own. For years I couldn't disobey her, we travelled through France and my humanity, most of it, was slowly burned away as we killed, as she fed from people with nary a care in the world, leaving bodies in her wake, devastation, messes for me to clean up while she used me in every way she could think of. So...maybe that's why I don't want to do the same thing to you. Just a thought, really...or maybe it's why I did want to. Who knows?"
 
Snorting softly Ava lifted a brow almost lazily. “I have to believe that you will hold true to your word. If you don’t, I can’t force it, so I hope you will and choose to believe you will” She shook her head some. “I haven’t flip-flopped!” There was no way to know if he would, she just needed to wait for him to prove he would. Giving him, even as her kidnapper the benefit of the doubt was something she needed to do to stay sane. He could lie, betray her and renege on the deal. If he did, what recourse did she have? None. No one knew where she was, this wasn’t an agreement with a legal document binding him to the arrangement. He would either truly make her love him, or he would do what he had planned to start… Either way, she had no say. When said her desire to not cause him pain was misguided she’d frowned at him, but said nothing in return. What could she say? Damn if she could explain why hurting him made her feel bad. A small part of her wished that twisting the screws in felt good, made her feel better.

The growl Christian had made caused Ava to shiver after she’d teased him. She smiled softly, and because she’d offered him a truce didn’t say the first thing that came to mind, but she still allowed herself to think it. Poor Christian, forced to be held accountable for your actions for the first time in forever? “You could have. You offered me a boon” She didn’t add that any time given the option she was likely to reach high, in the hopes he’d agree. She had literally nothing to lose, so why not try? When he said he would just feed off one of the maids she didn’t respond. She felt no jealousy at this, because she had no feelings for him to cause such a reaction. “Surely, with your long life, you're used to disappointment by now.” The words were not cruel, more factual, said dryly. When she shared that she felt sorry for hurting Dante, his answer brought a small smile to her lips. “I kind of like calling him Candlestick, think he will mind?” Ava hoped not, but she could call him Dante if he insisted.

Looking up at him from the floor, she smiled softly. “You do” She had heard mention of maids before, when he talked about feeding from them. “But, I don’t mind.” Ava avoided his gaze as she spoke. “But it was my fault you got angry, so… Besides, you have maids, I don’t. I have never had them, so I wouldn’t think someone else would clean it up.” He found tiny slivers she’d missed and she stayed sitting on the floor, her rear resting on the back of her heels, as he rose with the plate. Her eyes followed him and rose to his own as he sat on the bed. Rising she moved to the other side of the bed, and climbed into it with him. She left a fair bit of space between them as she sat upon it. Her thighs and knees were drawn together, the calves of her legs spread to the other side of her body as she watched him, his eyes closing. “Yes, please” Her voice was soft and she waited patiently.

Ava listened to Christian speak without interruption, his voice rising and falling, the rich timber almost soothing in it’s melodic grace. Ava had asked for a story, whatever she’d thought he might tell her was not this, but she wasn’t unhappy. It gave her a bit of insight into him, why he couldn’t see what seemed so obvious to her. The smile that curled on his mouth made his face seem softer and she shifted along the bed, stretching out to lay beside him. She curled towards him, eyes resting on him. She was silent for a little while before she spoke and when she did her tone was thoughtful and almost musing. “I don’t think you really wanted to break me because of her.” She fell silent again for a moment, considering her words. “Some of who you were was dulled, but clearly your humanity still was there, else you wouldn’t have felt for me and my pleas.” her lashes lowered, eyes closing. “So she never really broke you, never really remade you. I think you adjusted to survive, to stay whole, without even knowing that you were doing.” Her voice was softer now. “Like a self defense mechanism”

Another stretch of silence before she shifted, sitting up some, her head resting on her arm as she looked down at him. “Christian?” When he turned his head towards her, both eyes opening to gaze at her. “Still have your men stop, but… I would still like my things. Would you get them? Or you and Dante? I promise to behave while you’re gone.. But my things are personal… And... “ She exhaled and drew her breath back in. “There are things of Isidora’s in my apartment. I don’t think you’d like others touching them. I don’t want that and I didn’t love her. Some are very fragile or precious to me” It was a request, and she expected this one, this one he’d leverage. “I’d ask to go, but I understand why that would be turned down…” Biting her lower lip, she smiled at him shy and unsure. “And.. Well, I have stuffed animal that I sleep with most nights… His name is Acorn”
 
"Well, maybe you can take solace in the simple fact that if I am lying..." Christian had paused, and there was no amusement in his tone as he said the next words. It wasn't funny, maybe it would have been had they been in a different place in their 'relationship' but as it was, he was her kidnapper, she was his victim, and dark jokes were hardly going to win her over. Even so, he said it anyway because it was the simple truth. "Then it won't be something you have to live with very long. Being broken of your free will and personality likely eases past abuses, mentally at least." He was growing tired of the notion of trusting his word anyway, they did keep speaking of it, but the only way it would ever be resolved is in time, in letting him prove that he was as good as his word and that wasn't something that could happen tonight, nor in the next week or month. He caught sight of her frown when he had told her that her attempts not to hurt him were misguided but he was only being honest; she had already hurt him anyway, and it was no less than he deserved. He didn't want to be hurt, nobody did really, not in the way he had been but at least if she did then she would feel some kind of justice was done, that vengeance or whatever else drove people could be satiated. He did however manage a small smile as she teased him, though he wasn't sure teasing was the intention behind it. "Remind me to offer you less boons in future, then, lest you take advantage of my generous nature. If this keeps up at this rate then by the time the year is done I'll be begging you to let me stay while Dante removes me from the manor..."

As she was leaving the shower, he had mumbled after her, his eyes closed as he washed his hair to avoid the sting of the shampoo; funny that he could take so much pain should he need to, he had been through wars, been wounded...but shampoo in the eyes still something he very much tried to avoid, like he was almost scared of it. "That may be, but you might be surprised to learn you haven't disappointed me yet, little nightingale..." A soft laughter had followed along with a knowing smirk playing on the edges of his lips. "Oh I'm sure he will be delighted...despite what you might think we do have a sense of humour here you know, and I'm sure he will understand the reference, he may have even seen the new movie. Is it any good? I didn't want to ruin my enjoyment of the original, it's a shame Walt didn't last long enough to see it either." Letting her go as he finished up, it wasn't long before he found himself laying in the bed ready to tell his story, after chiding her about the maids once more. "Understandable, though you know I'm picturing you dressed as a maid now, yes? Maybe I will have them share their uniforms with you." He had smiled at that, it was a nice vision to imagine and with his eyes closed he wouldn't need to see the likely scowl on her face should she take it how he figured she would. "In future I will try not to throw away good vodka and leave a mess, and you won't have to clean it up nor wait on a maid, is that a good deal? Don't even think about asking for a boon either...you're all booned out tonight."

As he had told his tale she had listened patiently and when he was finished, even offered valuable insight. He smiled, turning his head to face her and lazily opening his eyes, though the rest of him didn't move at all. "Perhaps...but it is where I developed most of my proclivities. For Dominance, for being in control, for taking what I want as well as the many toys I like to play with, even the sadism." He shifted on the bed, onto his side so that he was facing her like she had done to face him, curling one arm up beneath himself to rest his head on. "When you become a vampire, the one who turned you, your sire...there is a bond. A strong connection...their commands are hard, almost painful to resist, it's like...have you ever had the feeling that you have forgotten something important, like you have left the stove on after cooking. The nagging sensation that eats at you as you try to sleep or leave the home until you have to go back and check?" Surprisingly, though she wasn't to know, Christian didn't mind cooking himself and he had experienced that particular variety of OCD before. "It's like that, times a billion, and that's just the beginning if you try to disobey. The longer you refuse the stronger it grows until there is an ache, right here." He brought his hand round to touch his bare sternum, lifting the open shirt just a little as he pressed his fingers to it. "It grows and grows and you can't concentrate on anything else until you follow the order, and that's just with them speaking it. One time she looked me in the eyes and told me to get on my knees and my body just...reacted. That loss of control...hmm, perhaps I should have just turned you and be done with it, no?"

He was joking, ending his sentence with a small laugh and a shake of his head. "Anyway, it shaped who I was. I am still me, I think, but I learned the hard way that it's so easy to take what you want and to keep it if you have the power, and I do have that power. I also learned that maybe boldly throwing debauched parties in the open where you drain the townsfolk in front of their families isn't wise for survival, and that you'd be surprised how somebody can force you to enjoy something you didn't want to do in the first place." Again he chuckled...forcing her to enjoy his advances was his original plan, wasn't it? Strange how it had changed so quickly. He listened to her request, nodding softly. It was reasonable, and she was right, he didn't think he could take her with them, not without being very careful anyway but he was a vampire, and with Dante with them too then was it really so risky? Another thought occurred to him. "Very well...though perhaps you don't realise that I can't go without you anyway. There is a reason I took you before you opened your door...some legends are true. Don't ask me why, but I find it awfully tricky to enter a home I am not invited into." Thinking, he smirked, his eyes finding hers, and he lifted his hand from his sternum, holding up his palm, facing it to her. "I will go, and I will take you with us so you can invite me in at the very least but firstly, you must swear to me you'll behave. As I need to win your trust, you need to win mine. Trying to escape, call for help or anything of the sort will do you no good, you know what I am and what I can do...the moment you cry out for aid we will be gone. Secondly..." He closed most of the fingers on his hand, leaving himself holding up only one to her. "I want to feed from you. A one time pass...I will take that, for now. I don't want an argument about it, I don't want you to fight me or try to convince me otherwise, I want you to submit to one time, when I want it, without question. Even if it's right now." He let her think on it, rolling over onto his back again and closing his eyes, a smile playing about his lips. She could suggest a counter offer, he might be open to it, but however she responded he wasn't going to give her this for free.
 
“Yeah, because that’s a real comfort” There was a wry humor in her voice as she shook her head at him. “It’s not wrong, but not very reassuring either.” Ava was on the same page as Christian without knowing it. They would need to allow time to prove to one another that they could be trusted. It was easy to say that because this was his doing, his deal, that he needed to prove it alone… But Ava knew in her heart of hearts, she’d need to prove it to him as well. In the long run, what he hoped for was a relationship and if that came to be, such things could not go one way alone. A giggle broke out of her and she shook her head. “I wasn’t aware I could ask for the Candlestick. I will keep that in mind” It was a joke, she would never actually consider asking Christian for another human, but it held a touch of dark humor. “Besides, watching you beg might be fun”

His words as she left caused her to pause, a shock to her system. Whatever she might have pictured him saying, that was not it. Her chin turned towards the right, near her shoulder. Still lingering in the doorway of the shower she nodded, acknowledging his words. Ava was indeed surprised. She wasn’t sure why she felt like she might have, but it was almost comforting to know she hadn’t. She was struck by how absurd this all was as she was drying off and he mentioned Dante. “I get this feeling you’re being sarcastic..” She smiled some. “You, have humor? I thought in your old age it was something that went.” Her eyes drifted lower, but she avoided actually ogling him. “Among other things” She shrugged, head tilting as she smiled at him almost innocently. “It’s actually very good. There are some beautiful songs in it.” She paused and turned once more, towel around her. Shaking her head she resolved to ask him later about Walt.

She had in fact frowned at him and she solidly decided it would be a cold day in hell before he got her into a maids outfit. He missed the look on her face and she whispered “coward” . The cadence of her voice was playful and she shook her head a little. “It is a shame you broke the bottle. I could still use a drink” His tale had explained some things and she offered the little bit of insight she could to his reasoning. “Perhaps. I said she didn’t take things from you, I never claimed she didn’t imprint things on you” When he rolled to face her, she smiled softly, the edges of her mouth curling up. When questioned about the feeling, Ava nodded slightly. “Mmhm” Her honey rich voice murmured the sound softly.

His joke made her frown for a second. “Christian, why.. Didn’t you?” She didn’t wish to be forced to his whims any more than he had desired for Genevieve to force her desires on him… but it seemed like the most reasonable way, as much as she hated to think, for him to have handled this. “And if not now… will you at some point later?” It was a reasonable question, to wonder if he had plans to change her. Ava shook her head softly. “It sounds cocky and unwise” She knew he was sort of joking, while he told her about Genevieve. “What happened to her?” Ava couldn’t also help wonder if he’d enjoyed some because of what he’d become, not just because of force, but questioning that seemed like a bad idea. Christian was being almost sweet… And it served no purpose other than to hurt him.

She blinked and watched him with pretty eyes. “Ah.. I see” She hadn’t thought about it, for it seemed like another lifetime ago, not mere hours. Once more Ava nodded. “Christian, as much as I would like to say even now the thought hadn’t crossed my mind… It would be a lie. I did think about it as you said it, but I also dismissed it just as quickly.” She bit the inside of her cheek and shook her head some. “If I tried, you’d be furious, I think. While I could likely deal with that, unpleasant as it might be, please don’t take this the wrong way, I am unsure if you’d be able to refrain from killing anyone who tried to aid me… And I wouldn’t put others at risk for me.” She smiled some. “Besides, we made a deal. I agreed, part of that, was behaving like a good girl” The words were not said without a feeling of distaste. It wasn’t so much the actions of being a good girl that bothered her, but the words.

Her face wrinkled into one of distaste. “No” She sat up and looked down at him. “But, I will counter the offer.” Crossing her legs she watched him for a long few moments. “I will feed you, here and now. But you will not bite me.” Leaning over she stretched her slender form out, a decent strip of pale, creamy skin exposed as she reached, fingers gently nudging his wineglass closer, before her fingers wrapped around the stem and she straightened. Her free hand tugged her skirt back into place and she offered him the empty glass. “I will bleed into that and you can have your taste of me.” It seemed like a fair offer and then she gave her reason. “I don't want to feel that euphoria or that sexual need Christian.” She paused and shook her head. “Rather, I don’t want to feel it from your bite first…” She was being as honest as she could. “I don’t want to feel drugged into lust for you. If I lust for you, I want it to be for a.. Reason. I want to desire you, not be roofied”
 
"You're not having Dante, so don't even ask, brat." Christian had enjoyed the little giggle; while it didn't mean things were in any way, shape or form normal between them, it was a sign that at least they could interact somewhat normally, even laugh together. It gave him...hope. "Interesting...I didn't think that was your thing, but maybe if you're really really good...though wouldn't it be much more fun to have you be the one begging?" In truth, he didn't think he would ever beg for her, he had been through that already and it wasn't his thing, not anymore...not that he hadn't found some enjoyment with Genevieve, but he had learned his tastes swung more in favour of being the one in control, not the other way around. He suspected that Ava's might too, though he had not a shred of proof for that feeling, just his own intuition, perhaps his own desires projected onto her. When she joked about his age he had raised an eyebrow, following her eyes as she looked down with a soft growl, a playful sound more than a warning. "Careful...for somebody I am trying to spare, you're playing a dangerous game. One might almost think you're trying to provoke me...and I'd be delighted to show you how everything is in perfect working order." He smirked, not trying to hide, if she did in fact want to ogle him he didn't mind in the slightest. "Just say the word and I will happily demonstrate." He had finished washing his hair and was cleansing the rest of his body. "And I don't just mean my sense of humour. Hmm, perhaps I will have to watch it then, I do like the songs. Those were my idea, you know. The sound was off in his earlier productions. Add some music, I told him, everybody loves something to hum along to."

On the bed he had heard her whisper, choosing not to comment until she mentioned she felt she could use a drink, lazily gesturing to the end table. "There is always more wine, unless that isn't to your taste. I think I drank enough, barely affecting me anyway. Sometimes having this kind of constitution can be quite limiting..." She offered at least some insight into his own feelings about Genevieve and what had happened to him, and while he was in a sharing mood he wasn't holding back, giving it some thought as he held her gaze, head still resting on his arm. "Perhaps. Perhaps she did imprint on me, or perhaps she awakened what was already there, opened my eyes to a world that I liked, just in a different way. Being in control does suit me more, I enjoy the power, I enjoy the feeling of a girl helpless beneath me, the whimpers of one begging for release as I tease her with that sweet, aching pleasure without ever letting her reach that crescendo...even the cries of pain from a good, old fashioned over the knee spanking and the look of fresh tear-stained eyes...but who can really tell if that came from what I went through or if it was a part of me all along? Both, I think, is more likely." Her question gave him pause, and he had to think about it before he could answer, his eyes on her lips, her nose, all of the finer features that reminded him of Isidora when he had known her. He could have done exactly that, but the thought hadn't really occurred to him, and why was that? He had reached over to her again, his hand cupping her cheek and his thumb running along her bottom lip. He expected her to maybe pull away, wouldn't blame her, but the touch wasn't harmful, he wasn't going to press anything if she did.

"I think...because it would have felt like cheating, perhaps. I don't really know, it would have been easier, you would still be you, and your beauty would last forever, just as you are now. It would make perfect sense, actually. I could have eternity with you, or close enough, but...well. I think..." That wasn't it, he knew it even as he had said it that it had nothing to do with it feeling like cheating. "Hmm. Strange." It was then that he had rolled onto his back again, his hands once again on his stomach so he didn't have to look at her as he spoke. "For all my initial plans to break you, I do think that...I didn't want to turn you because I didn't get a choice. I was defeated in combat, thrown aside like a child actually as my unit was slaughtered around me, and I woke like this, a vampire." The memory was still crystal clear in his mind. "But I didn't get to choose, it was a curse forced on me. I wonder why I was so willing to break you of everything you are but forcing that onto you didn't cross my mind at all, not until you threatened to harm yourself at least..." Turning to face her again he nodded, just slightly. "Perhaps...if you choose to have me do so. If you do somehow manage to love me, I think it would be only natural for me to want more time with you. Watching you grow old and die...does not seem fair. That should be your choice though, should it not?" It was a strange thing, to have to think about why he was so unwilling to do that, wouldn't it be so much easier, and cleaner? "I suppose I wouldn't get to taste you either, at least not your blood...and I do very much wish to do so."

Her answer was much as he had expected; she had promised him she wouldn't try to run, but did he really believe her? It was hard to do so, but trust had to start somewhere, and if he was to get her to trust him, surely he should try to trust her too even if she had all the reason in the world to flee. Besides, it made sense too, he would have been angry, though he couldn't help bristle at the insinuations. He turned onto his back again, his tone a little sharper though he wasn't sure what he expected, he had given her no reason to think he wouldn't just kill on a whim. "I think you'll find I manage to resist killing innocent bystanders when I am in a foul mood more often than you would think, Ava." The very notion annoyed him...it was the truth that he had less regard for human life than he should, but he could honestly say that he didn't kill without cause, he wasn't a complete monster. Her counter offer didn't thrill him either, though her reasoning annoyingly made sense. He sighed softly, taking the glass from her and sitting up in the bed, looking at it for a few moments before he placed it down on the end table beside the bed. His next movements were lightning fast, he was leaning over her, his eyes glowing slightly again as they often did when he was hungry or aroused and his fangs were already lengthening. "No." During the movement he had managed to grab hold of her wrist, pinning it beside her head firmly, the hold not meant to hurt but just restrain her as he leaned down towards her, his lips heading towards her throat. "I want my first taste of you to be real, to be feel your pulse against my lips, feel the warmth and the heat as we share that moment, not watch you bleed into a glass for me to drink like cheap wine..." His breath was on her neck now, his lips so very close. "So I will wait. I'll take a favour to be named later, and as long as I am not breaking any of the promises I have made to you, you cannot refuse, though you may try to bargain. How does that sound?" He chuckled, pulling back and releasing her. He didn't have to scare her, he didn't really want to, but she had hurt his feelings and he had lashed out in the only way he knew how without truly harming her.
 
"I mean if I can't have Dante what is the point of all this?" She didn't even know if she liked Dante, but reality suspended, it was actually kind of fun to tease Christian. She honestly didn't know if she would like him begging either; the image of him on his knees before her in the shower had been a pleasant one though. Ava had liked the way he'd looked up her body at her. But, while teasing him was fun, even somewhat sexually as she'd implied he couldn't get it up still, she wasn't really into testing any of his offers. There was that hint again that he'd known Walt. Well less hint and more confirmed. Though that alone pulled a smile to her lips and she bit back the laugh that was trying to escape her. "Wait, so the big bad vampire likes Disney?" She couldn't help herself. There was absolutely nothing wrong with him liking Disney, but for some reason it was vastly amusing to her. Ava lost her battle and giggled as she walked out of the room. A part of her wanted to watch the new Beauty and the Beast with him. The songs were good and she felt pretty confident in the fact that he'd like them; she couldn't have said why though.

"I don't really like wine, to be honest. It makes my mouth feel all cottony" Ava had heard it was all in the wine, all about the type... But she'd never met a wine she had enjoyed. Beer was another drink she didn't care much for, though some were okay. She tended to favor stouts, their bitterness appealing to her. "Do you just need to drink a lot?" She was genuinely curious, it wasn't every day you met a vampire, right? It was small things like that, that she was able to spin and flip into a positive thing from a bad, that made this all a bit better. It was how she was able to joke with him. Ava, despite her tempestuous temper, tended to have this annoying habit of seeing the good where she could, or at least trying. It didn't mean she was immune to sadness or depression, but life could really only go up in most cases. When her parents had died? That had been rough... And even now she still had brushes of sadness, panic... She just tried to not linger in that sadness.

Christian went into detail and she wanted to ask what if she couldn't like that? Did that matter? Ava had looked into the whole thing once before, but she'd been scared off. A lot of the first things she had found had been painful looking. She'd even talked to a few dominants... But after the third, who had talked about her living in a cage on his vast property and had promised her a horse, she'd backed out. She wasn't sure what they had to do with one another, the house, the cage and the horse, but it had been enough to send her running in the opposite direction. Her mouth opened and closed. Should she ask? Ava had a strong suspicion he would offer to show her, or explain in great detail; best to shelve it for another time. She watched him watch her, before he rolled to his back. Could he not look at her while he talked about this? Biting her lower lip she listened to him explain. She didn't really understand his points and she frowned some, sitting up and shifting a little bit to look over him, her dark hair was slowly drying in a charming curling profusion. "You're just a living contradiction aren't you?" Her tone was slightly amused, but otherwise, she spoke softly. Had they been closer, she might have touched him or cuddled in closer to him. She wanted to voice her thoughts but thought better of it and shook her head, laying back down. She'd said no more fighting and she didn't wish to cause him further harm. She could sort of understand his reasoning, but it had serious flaws. He'd taken her without her consent, had been ready to break her into a good little toy... Strip her of her identity, personality... But he didn't like the idea of changing her against her will. It was a moot point anyway, wasn't it? She'd convinced him to leave her as she was. Instead, he'd try and make her fall in love with him. Laying back down she wondered how he'd manage that.

She had upset him. Ava bit back a sigh, she had known it might, but this was more based on vampire... though he had also kidnapped her. "Sorry" She sounded it as well. "Just..." Ava did sigh and shrug softly. "It was more based on the whole... Dracula thing, more than anything else." She bit her lower lip "Forgive me?" She could tell what she had said would bother him and to a certain point, she was surprised, but she knew so very little about him. Mostly what he'd told her, some things she'd observed in their short time together. She didn't have a lot of positives to go off here, but Ava was squirming a little with a sudden burst of guilt.

Gasping as he moved faster than she could see, her body pressed back into the bed, with her one wrist pinned to the bed. Her heart had been steady, but now beat erratically as she gazed up into his glowing eyes. That fear was back as his breath curled along the slender column of her throat. His words were heard and she even understood them, but why this display. "Get off me Christian" Her voice trembled softly, belaying the fear, if her heart hadn't. She shoved at him with her free hand, trying to dislodge the vampire. Anger was creeping into her voice. "You could have counter without pinning me." Slipping from the bed, she put distance between them again. She knew how foolish the distance was, but she still maintained it made her feel safer. The teal of her eyes were stormy and she hugged herself. "Why" The why was clear. Why had he scared her? They had been sort of bonding, hadn't they?
 
Silence had been the only thing that had met Ava as she had left the bathroom, giggling at her discovery that Christian might in fact enjoy Disney movies. As it happened, he was actually quite fond of them, he had a hand in how they had evolved after all but that was a story for another time, and he didn't want to encourage her, instead he had finished what he was doing and followed her into the main room, rolling his eyes at her assertation that she didn't like wine. "And here I thought everybody in Europe liked wine. Well, I'll have to make sure to remember that...next time I won't shatter the only bottle of alcohol in the room you like." Having experienced her ability to infuriate him in just a few short hours, Christian somehow doubted he would be able to keep that promise without ensuring there were several bottles in the room at any given time of course, but he didn't quite feel like telling her that when they were getting along at least a little better, nodding at her question. "Alcohol doesn't affect me as much as others, a stronger constitution perhaps, or maybe it's my heart not beating, not pumping the alcohol through my bloodstream. I really couldn't say why, exactly, but it takes a lot before it really affects me in any significant way. I've already lost the buzz I had." Smirking, he had looked to her, letting her meet his gaze. "I get my highs from others sources usually. From feeding, and sex...sometimes both at the same time. Often, actually."

After telling her more about Genevieve and explaining himself to her, about why he had chosen not to turn her or at least why he thought he had chosen not to turn her, he had expected...something. He didn't know quite what, maybe gratitude though that seemed very unlikely, maybe questions? Maybe about what it felt like, what would happen to her if she didn't want to in future...maybe he expected her to tell him she would never want to be a vampire or surprise him completely and tell him that she would, in time, be open to it, but he was met with almost silence as she seemed lost in her own thoughts. He'd felt the bed shift as she had sat up, tilted his head a little to look up at her as she had called him a living contradiction and chuckled, a wry smile on his lips, but that had been all. "Well no, not a living one, at least..." He thought personally that it was an amusing joke, watching her lay back down and wondered what she thought of all of it...because he was only now really listening to his own reasoning, he hadn't actually been forced to think about it before himself. It was interesting, analysing one's own motives, but did he win any points from her for not turning her, for not forcing her into servitude the easy way or forcing her into an eternal life she may not, or even never want? Would he even want points for that? He opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling...he didn't know. He didn't know what he wanted from this arrangement or where it was going, exactly, and that left a feeling in his stomach that again he wasn't accustomed to, like he didn't have a path to follow like he always had. As easy as it was, being in charge of his own criminal enterprise and other, more legitimate businesses and managing them all from behind the scenes when he had to had a certain satisfaction that came with knowing where your future was going, the turmoil he felt now was different, but was it bad? Christian didn't think so.

Her comment about killing somebody had come at a bad time in his thoughts...Christian had already been thinking on what he had done to her, the natural progression from what he hadn't done, and couldn't think of any reason she would ever forgive him. How was he to gain her trust, her love, if he had opened up their relationship with kidnapping and threats? When he had lived centuries taking what he wanted from anybody he wanted without having to face consequences or answer to anybody, how was he meant to somehow convince her he wasn't in fact, a monster? He was sure she already thought that of him, and with good reason, so when he had heard it something inside him had snapped. Once a monster, always a monster...and her quick apology had fallen on deaf ears. What was the point of his deal, why had he offered it when it was clear she would only think of him like that anyway? Scaring her, pinning her to the bed had been a satisfying release of the negative emotions that had been building up inside him, the sound of her heart racing once more, the fear so thick he could taste it as he had leaned in as though he was going to go back on his word and bite her. Oh, he had been tempted too...it would have been so easy, the easiest of the paths open to him by far but he had made a promise and he stuck firm to it, releasing her and watching as she scrambled from the bed. Looking at her he could tell she was hurt too, or rather, angry. Good...at least he wasn't the only one feeling.

"Why?" He laughed and laid back down, looking up at the white of the ceiling and deliberately not at her. It wasn't meant as a slight, he just...didn't want her to see into his eyes right then, to see that it wasn't anger in them which he spoke with, but hurt. They had been getting along, he thought she was starting, at least just the smallest bit, to understand him but at the first opportunity she had hurt him more than she had even earlier. It shouldn't have hurt so much...he had killed before, after all, had sent men and women to their deaths too but for no reason? Never...he prided himself on that, and it was one thing to know you were a monster, a creature of the night but another to hear it in the accusations of somebody you wanted to care about you, that you wanted to be close to. "Why not? I'm a vampire, a monster. We do evil things, we attack on a whim, don't we? Isn't that just who I am?" Deep down he knew he was probably overreacting but he felt they were making progress, getting closer, he had opened up to her when he never, never did that to anybody else and he had wanted nothing for it in return, just...understanding, perhaps? "Yes, I could have, but it wouldn't have been nearly so much fun, would it, Ava?" The temptation to grab the wine bottle and fling it across the room was almost overwhelming, he fought it off by chuckling to himself, knowing she would only go to pick up the pieces, and of course he would go to help. Instead, he sighed, looking over to where she was standing, hugging herself defensively, his tone was sharper than it had been before though his eyes looked...almost sad. "At least accept that I keep my word, don't try anything stupid and nobody in your apartment building will have to die. That should be good enough, shouldn't it? Assuming you still want to risk it and not have my men grab your things."
 
How did one even respond to that... Standing away from him, hugging herself tight as he laid back and laughed almost bitterly. She flinched as he spoke, it was lucky he wasn't looking at her. She had started this too, but it hadn't been her intention. Ava felt like Christian was being unfair, but was unsure how to voice it. When he looked at her she met his eyes and held them. "I never called you a monster Christian" A partial lie and she shook her head some, sighing. "Least not in the way you're saying it." Her thoughts were safe, he couldn't be mad at her for them, but she had said monster once to him. "I never said you were a monster and you kidnapped me." She was torn between staying in place and going to him. Why? Why should she want to be closer to him? He was hurting, she'd hurt him and he'd lashed out. Did he deserve her comfort? Her heart ached softly and she stared at him, her own personal battle written across her face before she gave in. Walking to the side he laid on, she sat on the edge of the bed. "I did say I was sorry. I think my fear was reasonable, even if you didn't like it." She wasn't looking at him, but her hip and thigh brushed his hip and along his torso. "I don't know anything about Vampires other than what are in movies and books" This was admitted softly. "Humanity, with the exception of the sparkling twats, paints vampires in a mostly negative light." She looked to him then, her eyes unsure. "But, they are not you. I don't know you well enough to call you a monster. If I take out the glaringly obvious for the most part, you have been... Kind." And Christian had been. "Look, next time you lash out at me, even if it's because of what I said, I will not try and soothe it, but this once... You bent for me." Ava looked to her lap, fingers toying with the hem of her shorts.

"You bent and adjusted. Yes for me and for yourself, but I don't think a monster would care about breaking me. Or turning me because it would ensure my compliance." She looked at him again and bit her lower lip. "You could have done both and did not. Either would have been easier than this and one of them you didn't even consider as an option..." Looking down at him she didn't know what else to say. "But being a jerk, when I did apologize, isn't going to win you any brownie points." Shifting on the bed, she closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "And thank you for not taking that choice from me. I didn't say that at first because I was struggling with my own thoughts on the matter. I am grateful you didn't take that choice from me. I am unsure about the future, and I hope you understand that I can't say now one way or another that I would want to be a vampire." Her eyes opened and she looked down at him once more as he lay stretched out along her bed. "The fact that you're a vampire still scares me, but I can't believe I am saying this.. You don't scare me. At least, not at the moment." Ava tried to inject humor back into the conversation. "You talked about hurting me before... And that does scare me, but if you're honest about your desires... Even then I don't think you'd hurt me beyond what I can take." She looked away. "Though the idea of being hurt isn't appealing"

Ava felt like she was talking nonsensical and rose from the bed, only to walk around the bed and climb onto the other side. She had questions, like would he want her drunk or high to get that rush if and more than likely when she finally gave in? She doubted even if she never fell in love, Christian would pass up the chance to be with her in the biblical sense. Or, what did it feel like to become a vampire? Or... What else about vampires was true or not. Closing her eyes, Ava fell silent for a moment, listening to her own breathing. After some time, she spoke softly. "I would still like to go. I was honest when I said I wouldn't raise alarm." Her eyes remained closed and her hands rested on her stomach, much like his had. More time between them stretched out, slowly expanding until her voice broke through once more. "I will need to leave notice at school that I will be missing for a while and my apartment will need to be notified that I plan to move. I suppose you'd help me pay the fee for terminating my lease? But that way I don't have to keep paying monthly. I will also need to let Hans know that I will be staying with you.. Or if you prefer someone else for a while..." She paused and shrugged softly as she set her affair in order for him to deal with. "I work for him, just silly clerical stuff... And was going to work the summer and winter for him when on break from school. You will also want to collect the painting you bought.."

Opening her eyes Ava sat up and turned to him, she tried for a smile "You don't have to stay with me if you don't want to. I would still like it if you did though. At least until I fall asleep." Biting her lower lip she watched him with heavily lidded eyes. "I don't know what you did in your past that made you think I was calling you a monster, but I really am sorry. Assuming that you kill people was wrong. It wasn't even based on anything you have done..." Rising from the bed, Ava moved to the lights, dimming the most of the way before moving back to the bed. Pulling the sheet out, Ava climbed underneath them. Ideally she would have slept naked. Sighing she shifted under the sheets and removed her top and bottoms, both being dropped off the side of the bed. Curling on her side, she faced away from him and closed her eyes. "When you leave, will you turn out the lights?" Sleep was present in her voice. That exhaustion from her adrenaline peaks through the night taking hold. "Good night Christian"
 
Unfair wasn't how Christian would have described how he was being. Perhaps a little petulant, it wasn't like he wasn't a vampire, or hadn't killed before, or kidnapped her...threatened to rape her. None of that was the point though, not in his eyes. His nature, what he was, what he had done even, none of it mattered except that he had tried...he had tried all night to repress any of his more violent and dangerous urges and in the end it hadn't really mattered, it hadn't changed her view of him. The first time anything had come up with her possibly disobeying him, she had assumed his response would be to kill an innocent person. To snuff out the life of somebody who had done nothing to him and whom he wanted nothing from, a complete stranger. For some reason, that rankled him most of all. When he did kill, there was reason behind it and it wasn't because somebody unconnected to them had disappointed him in some way. "Maybe not directly, but you implied it without a second thought." His words were soft, a little hurt and a lot of frustration in them and he still refused to look at her. It wasn't even about Isidora...it was Ava he thought he had connected with a little, Ava he had opened up to, Ava who looked at him like he was... She wasn't even wrong either, her fear was reasonable, any reasonable person would have thought the same thing so why did it bother him so much? Why was he having such a hard time coming to terms with this? Anybody else, anybody at all and he would have laughed the comment off, grinned and threatened something much more fun instead, threatened to take her over his knee or strap her down to his bed and yet with her it had stung so much.

He heard her before she sat down, knew it was coming because in that room nowhere she could go was without his knowledge, not with his senses. Even so he twitched as he felt her thigh brush against him, his eyes staying closed as she spoke. Nothing she said was untrue, really, she was as astute as ever in her observations but it still hurt because it was her. That was it...that was the only thing that made sense. He opened his eyes, meeting hers as she looked down at him. "Soothe me or don't, I didn't ask you to...and it isn't your responsibility to do so, but...I was trying. I was trying to do the opposite of what would be easier, to spare you, for you. What I have done, what other vampires do..." Again he didn't quite know what to say. "It doesn't matter. It's not like I have given you much reason to not think of me in that way, as a monster, but I thought we were...having fun. At least enjoying talking, to each other, like we could even be friends. I don't do that often, ever, in fact. To have it thrown in my face hurt, because you...I cared about how you saw me. More than I should, perhaps." He was starting to calm down a little, her presence was actually helping, having her talk to him like a person was helping, an anomaly, really. Who would have thought that he would have wanted this over just taking her, doing what his body craved with her? Why did he care not to break her? He managed a smile at her comment, though it didn't go so far as laughter. "Maybe I should scare you. You have no idea what I want to do to you...little nightingale...what I will do to you, should you decide to let me. I will hurt you. I may make you cry." He looked over at her, still smiling. "And in the moment, you will even like it. If that's not scary I don't know what is."

When she moved around the bed and laid in it, he sat up, listening to her as he wondered just what kind of deal he had gotten himself into. He had agreed to let her come, so she could invite him in, but now she was talking about contacting people, even letting them know she would be staying with him? In one short night she had somehow managed to convince him to go completely 180 degrees on his plans for her and was now assuming he was just going to give her these freedoms.

He laughed, loudly.

Looking down at her as she laid there, he could almost not believe the audacity of her but it was causing him no small amount of amusement. "Hold on there, Ava, I don't think you should be reaching for the stars just yet...I offered to let you come, heavily supervised by myself and Lumiere, I didn't say I would let you talk to people, contact them, make arrangements..." HE chuckled, right as his outright laughter was dying down, a grin on his face as he leaned over her, one hand by her head so that he was looking down at her...almost pinning her, but not actually touching her. "I didn't even get a taste of you, you still haven't even accepted my counter offer and you ask for more, or assume you would have it? You must think me not just a monster, but a pushover." Every time he thought he would stop, another small chuckle came from him as the boldness of her assumptions tickled him. "Make me a better offer, and maybe I will let you tell Hans where you are, not that he needs to know. Your apartment will be...taken care of." He moved back as she sat up, giving her the space and nodded. He still didn't want to go, despite everything, and she claimed to want him to stay. Wordlessly he stood up from the bed, first walking to the windows, making sure the blinds were drawn on each and every one of them as she climbed back into bed after dimming the lights, turning back just in time to see her nightclothes hit the floor. He made a soft, growly noise with his throat, knowing she was naked beneath the covers didn't help him, not when he wanted to...but he had promised. Walking past the bed, he turned the lights off completely before he walked back, unbuttoning his shirt and letting it fall to the floor, followed by his trousers. His boxer shorts were next before he lifted the covers, his night vision flawless he was able to see her, the perfect little rear facing the side of the bed he could have slept on. Why was he hesitating? Sighing, feeling like he was somehow a little broken he let the covers fall again and reached down for his shorts, pulling them back on before he climbed onto the bed, on top of the sheets. Getting as close to her as he could, an arm was thrown over her, hand coming to rest a little in front of her chest as he wriggled as close as possible, his chest against her back.

"You're welcome, by the way." She had said goodnight a few minutes ago but he didn't know if she was actually asleep yet, it had been a long time since he had to determine if somebody was faking sleep before based on breathing patterns. "For not taking that choice. Being a vampire...it has many advantages, but...it's not something that should be forced onto you. Eternal life has it's own prices." His other hand found her hair, tenderly pulling it back, making sure it wasn't tangling on her pillow or in her face. "And I do forgive you...it wasn't even you I was mad at, really." He was speaking in a whisper now. "You don't have to forgive me though, not yet. Maybe in time. Goodnight, little nightingale." Closing his eyes, he listened to her breathe for a while, to the sound of her heartbeat, a sound he hadn't slept to in...how long? Decades, maybe longer...before he finally drifted off.
 
Ava bit back a sigh as he said he hadn't asked for her comfort. He was right, it wasn't her responsibility. "I know it's not, I want to..." Shrugging some she looked down at him. "I couldn't explain why I want to." Her lashes lowered and she shook her head some. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I really didn't." Unable to hold his gaze she looked at her lap once more. "I don't even know if I think honestly you'd kill them, but I don't really know you. If threatened, would you not perhaps lash out? If I disobeyed and tried to get help?" Her eyes met his, timidly. "I don't plan to and I can't help the fear based on nothing but what I know about vampires. Which I admit is a flawed knowledge base." When he said he thought they'd been having fun she stilled and slowly nodded. "We were, yes. I was trying at the very least. Things will not magically get better though, Christian. It will take work on your part, and a willingness on mine to accept that effort." Her voice was soft and she sighed. "We will hurt each other, likely more often than not, without meaning to." She felt this to be true, it was bound to happen. Everyone did, at some point, why would they not? They had both done so several times tonight. When she spoke of hurting her, making her cry, she looked away. "That is a can of worms I am less sure I wish to open right now" Would telling him she was unsure if he could get her to like such things matter? Perhaps, Christian seemed to at least try and consider her feelings... But he'd not hidden where his sexual proclivities lay. What if she didn't like it?

When she'd laid out plans he'd laughed and she frowned. "I don't understand what's funny" As he leaned over her, she gazed into his handsome face and frowned further. "I wasn't speaking of me talking to them Christian." Her voice was flat. "Hans knows you're the to have seen me. If I just vanish, do you think he will not put two and two together?" Her head tilted, the softness of her hair brushing his arm. "You want to keep me for a year, there are things that would need to be done to not arouse suspicion. I wasn't asking to do any part of what I detailed. I figured you and the Candlestick would handle it..." She shook her head. "No offer Christian. You don't have to do any of what I said, though, I would appreciate at least the apartment. I would rather not have that mark on my name." Her eyes searched his face. "I merely offered what you'd need to do, to have no one come looking for me. In time, perhaps, once you trust me, I can talk to them on my own, which would further alleviate fears, but I don't think Hans would be all that shocked to hear I have run off with the handsome man that offered me an abnormally generous amount for my painting." Surely he could see what she was saying. "But to not hear from me at all? It's not in my nature.. They will suspect something and all evidence will point towards you" It wasn't a threat, she was honestly trying to help.

The growl from him made her shiver softly, the sound not unpleasant. Her vision was not as good as his, with the blinds drawn and the light just off, she couldn't see him undress fully. She felt the covers rise, the cooler air brushing along the sloping lines of her back, reaching her heart shaped rear. She felt the covers fall and heard him do something, but she didn't turn. Moments later he was curling behind her on top of the sheets. Frowning softly she turned some. "Christian, won't you be cold?" She honestly didn't know, but the concern in her voice was genuine. She moved with him, not fighting as he moved closer to her, back pressed firmly against the strong wall of his chest. Shifting some she closed any remaining distance and let her eyes fall closed. In the darkness her voice was soft. "Thank you" She knew why, at least to a point why he laid above the sheets. "If you get cold, it's really okay" her voice trailed off sleepily and she fell silent. Though, she didn't fall asleep. She'd never fallen asleep with anyone in her bed. He wasn't warm, but he was a solid, almost comforting weight at her back. She missed Acorn, her arms normally wrapping around his soft bulk. His presence almost made up for that loss. She let her mind recount the events of the evening and she was still lost in her own thoughts when he spoke.

His words were soft and unsure. He wasn't sure if she was awake and she didn't want to ruin what he was saying, so she remained silent, eyes closed. Ava felt his hand in her hair, pulling it away from her face she fought the urge to move, to smile softly. She fell asleep, with that whispered night. She might have answered, if she'd been able to say she forgave him too, but she didn't, not yet. His forgiveness had been sweet and unexpected, she had nothing to offer in return though. Thanking him for forgiving her maybe? She meant to say something, but sleep slowly pulled her under, the intention lost. Her sleep was dreamless at first, shifting into dreams of nonsensical nonsense. She didn't dream of him, what happened or anything else. The day passed by slowly and her dreams shifted and changed but within the cradle of his arm and body, no bad dreams dared tread. Ava didn't stir until the sun was beginning to set, not that she was aware of such, the room still the cool twilight of night, as it had been all day.

A soft sound left her throat and she curled into him, shifting so she lay facing him. At some point in the night, she'd pulled an arm out of the covers and it now hugged his arm against her. Nuzzling her cheek against the pillow she slowly opened her eyes. Christian's face was soft in slumber, her eyes traced the thick line of his lashes, down the slope of his nose to his full mouth surrounded with the soft gold of his beard. He was handsome and in sleep, he looked almost like an angel. Whispering she touched his jawline "If you were an angel, you'd be Lucifer. Golden and beautiful. Not because he was damned though... You didn't choose that, you just did what you had to survive. I think even Isidora would understand. She never stopped loving you, but I can't help but be afraid of her shadow..." Her hand withdrew. Ave shifted under his arm, gently as she started trying to extract herself from his grasp. There was no fear, just the gentle urging of her bladder.
 
Christian considered what she said, taking time to actually think about the words and trying, as hard as it might be, to put himself into her position. As a 600+ year old vampire it wasn't easy to think like an 18 year old artist who had recently been kidnapped by said vampire, just the effort of it had him chuckling lightly as he looked up at the girl, but he had to concede just a little ground. What she said, given what she knew and the examples he had set for her, made sense. She also seemed hellbent on soothing him no matter how he felt about it, taking pity on her kidnapper. He wondered if that was part of the draw of her, she was tempestuous, feisty and she spoke her mind no matter if it hurt him or not and yet when he was hurting, the villain in this little play, she still offered comfort. Would Isidora had done that? He didn't know...his memories of her had faded over time, and he had never been in a situation that would allow for him to know in any case. "Honestly...probably." He didn't have another answer for her but he knew he did have a temper, but he had never claimed he wouldn't lash out. "I probably would, but I don't kill people for no reason. I don't harm them for no reason. If I want something from them, that may not seem to be a good enough reason to you, I kidnapped you because I wanted you, but...it is a reason nonetheless. To take the life of somebody who did nothing but be in the wrong place, whom I don't want anything from...it feels even more unfair." He laughed, shaking his head. "It's a strange way to look at things, I suppose, but that is how I see it. If you did try to escape or raise an alarm, I would lash out, but at you. The only people that would get harmed by me are those that are a threat to me." None were really a threat to him either, he didn't fear anybody, not even the police. Christian had his contacts in most cities he kept homes in, friends in high places as it were.

Ava didn't seem to take kindly to his laughter, causing his brow to furrow for a second as the penny dropped. He had genuinely thought she meant to contact these people herself, but what she said did make sense. "I see...I thought you meant to speak with them yourself, but in my defence you have a habit of aiming high with your requests." He chuckled and offered her a smile as an apology. "Don't think that I haven't noticed, or that I will always give in to your outrageous demands. No offer...I can live with that, and I will deal with Hans, as you say it wouldn't be much of a...you think I'm handsome, do you?" He grinned, lifting his hand to stroke her cheek with the very tips of his fingers. "I'll do it, for you, but I do not care if they suspect me. What do you honestly think they could do? Do you think I fear an investigation? I have more than enough friends to shield me, and I could smuggle you out of the country should I choose to...is there anywhere you have always wanted to live, little nightingale? I have travelled a lot in my lifetime but I haven't been everywhere, there is much in the world to see." He smirked, pulling back from her and mumbling under his breath, the words sounding slightly sing-songy if barely audible. "A whole new world...a hundred, thousand things to see..." He had already left the bed, was turning off the lights and didn't look to see how she reacted to his comments before he came back to the bed and climbed on top of it to hold her. Her voice seemed to hold actual concern for his comfort when she commented on him and he laughed again...he was only trying to be a gentleman, it wasn't for his benefit that he had gotten on top of the sheets and not beneath them with her but he only had so much resolve in him. At first he didn't move, just held her in silence, but the second time as she was falling asleep her pulled back just enough to raise his hips and pull the covers down with a little less than graceful manoeuvring to slip beneath them. Cuddling in close to her, his bare chest was against her back, her warmth seeping into him, heating his own body. He could feel her rear against him as he wriggled as close to her as he could be, and his arm was still over her but beneath the covers now. Yawning, he had smiled as he rested his head on the pillow behind her. "I'll take your offer, since I don't get to taste you tonight, but..." He chuckled quietly, unable to resist his tone becoming a little sing-song once more. "The cold never bothered me anyway..."

Christian didn't dream, not normally anyway, his body completely shut down to recharge as he slept unless something important was weighing on him in which case he could choose to dream, so the very next thing he knew was the gentle tugging against his arms. There was no grogginess, no fuzzy feeling he vaguely remembered from being human as he woke, just a slow return to reality as Ava was trying to get out of his grasp, he hadn't even heard the words she had spoken. Feeling just a little playful, he made it difficult for her. At first she tried to wriggle, which had a slow effect on him due to their position; her rear pressed against him he felt himself grow against her, fighting his instincts to say something or move he kept the arm around her and shifted as though he was still asleep, raising one leg to come rest over her thighs. As she tried more and more to free herself without waking him he subtly moved his arm to counter her and keep her held to him, losing the battle to smile, the corners of his lips turning upwards as she struggled. It was...a fun little game, for him, he wanted to see if she would actually try harder to leave or if she would give in and stay with him. After a few minutes he was starting to feel a few things; amusement, excitement, as shown by how hard he was starting to become, and a little pang of regret. It wasn't cruel, what he was doing, he didn't think so, but she was being sweet trying not to wake him and he was taking advantage of that. Unfortunately, he wasn't nice enough to stop, After a more insistent attempt to escape him he shifted the position of his arm again and felt something soft beneath his palm, his hand coming to rest on her breast, feeling his finger graze the nipple just barely and for a second he tensed, a clear mistake. He hadn't meant to touch her there, he had been trying not to but despite his vampiric nature it was proving difficult to be 100% coordinated with where his hand went while also keeping his eyes closed and trying to feign sleep, and the way his body suddenly became stiff just wasn't the natural effect he was going for. Knowing the game was most likely up, he chuckled, pulling his hand back and rolling onto his back away from her, stretching. "Fiiiine...you may leave the bed if you're that set on getting away from me..." His tone was playful, a good night's sleep and the way things had ended had left him in a rather good mood. "Good morning, little nightingale. Did you sleep well? How was it, your first night being held by another? Was it as bad as you thought it would be?"
 
His reasoning made sense and Ava had nodded some. It would make sense he punish her, not them; oddly enough it did soothe her. Not that she would have betrayed his trust. The only way this worked was if she held up her end, ideally if he held up his end too. She hadn't considered the safety he had from such things as someone investigating him for kidnapping her. The touch to her face wasn't pulled away from her eyes still holding his own. "Fair" She didn't really know much about the man who leaned over her, even if she knew likely some of his darker secrets. What exactly he did for a living had been hinted at, but only to a point. "I wouldn't want to worry Hans" This was offered softly and she snorted softly. "You are handsome, did you need me to tell you that?" There was a giggle in her voice and she shook her head. "Thank you" The words were offered as she sat up and he pulled away. She'd been curling into bed when quoted Aladdin. She fought back a chuckle and shook her head. Something about Disney and him was at odds, but in the most charming of ways.

Christian had taken her up on his offer, his coolness was pleasant, but in winter she doubted it would be as pleasant as it was now. The frozen quote was also not missed and Ava had fallen asleep with a smile on her lip; she woke with one too and the strong urge to pee. She'd tried to wiggle away, careful not to wake him. It wasn't because she didn't wish to be in his arms, or suddenly she was more afraid than she had been. But her body's demands were strong. This only resulted in being pulled back and trapped further. Oh, come on! Carefully she started with her leg, trying to extract it from under his. She was wiggling ever so slightly when his hand fell onto her breast, finger scraping against her nipple. Ava gasped and closed her eyes. It wasn't a sound of anger, but near pleasure. However, she felt his body still and she knew he was awake. "Christian!" He rolled away from her and she turned to glare at him. "If I hadn't needed to pee I would have stayed where I was. Buttface" With that she fled the room to the bathroom. When she came back, she was still naked in the twilight of the room. "Morning.. I did actually." A frown pulled at her lips as she bent to dress once more. The shorts and then the top were pulled on one after another, hiding her body from his view. "I never thought it would be unpleasant."

She didn't tell him that being held by him had been nice. She was a little peeved at him for that display in bed. "How long were you awake, Christian?" Oddly enough, she did think the boob grab had been an accident. His body wouldn't have frozen like it had otherwise. Moving to lay back on the bed, she curled on her side to face him. "What is your favorite Disney movie?" He kept quoting them and she found that she liked this surprising side of him. She wouldn't have pictured a vampire loving the movies, it seemed at odds with the stereotype. Some of those were very accurate for Christian, so it was hard to tell what was and was not correct. Shifting, she pillowed her head against her arm, gazing at him in the darkness. "So you cannot come into my apartment without my permission?" She smiled softly "What else do we have right and wrong?" There was a genuine interest in her voice; nothing else, no ulterior motive. "Sunlight?" She looked at the blinds. "You lowered them and my room is mostly windows'' Though those windows only opened to the sea from what she could tell. The tempestuous waves crashing against the rocks could be heard even now. "Or was that because we'd be sleeping through the day?" Something told her that the sun was indeed troublesome for him, he'd asked to meet her after dark too. "What about food, real food? Can you eat?"

She was full of questions and she blushed. "Sorry... I am just bombarding you with questions..." Her cheeks deepened further as her mouth opened. "One more question?" She smiled at him sheepishly. She wanted to ask him how sleeping with her had been. She assumed, incorrectly, though she didn't know it, that Christian fell asleep with many women. She didn't even know if he was a playboy... One of the many things to find out over this year she supposed. Her mouth closed and she shook her head. "Never mind." Her body rushed to help her change the subject, her stomach giving a little growl. "I'm hungry, sorry" She rolled to her back, staring at the dark ceiling, a frown between her brows. Did it matter if he'd enjoyed holding her while she slept? A small part of her brain said no, but a large and much more uncomfortable part answered with a resounding yes. She was definitely broken and she wasn't even sure Christian had broken her. Closing her eyes she moved one hand to her stomach, still puzzling out her own feelings.

They were meant to go to her apartment today... And she'd said she would wear the dress he'd picked out. Dress... the one she'd borrowed from her friend. Sighing softly she scrunched her eyes together tighter for a moment. Could she get him to return it for her? Perhaps, but at some point, all these small requests wouldn't be tolerated. Ava trusted he cared about her somewhat, but he wasn't going to give into that care without asking for something from her in return. She didn't want her friend to get in trouble, no one was meant to know she wore it and if Ava recalled correctly it lay, in a heap on the bathroom floor. "Damn" The word was soft and she lifted her other arm to lay across her eyes. She could pay her back, after.. couldn't she. She did doubt Christian's ability to make her fall in love with him, so she could use some of the money he promised to treat her friend. She'd have to... Ava didn't want to give him an opening so soon to request another favor from her in return. He might try her own tactic against her, asking too much of the boon.
 
"Yes, yes I need you to tell me I'm handsome. How else will I know? It's not like I can see myself in the mirror or anything." Her giggle was infectious, the way she laughed brought a smile to his face that he simply couldn't hide, even hovering above her like this he was practically grinning and his little joke didn't hurt. He had no idea when the rumour of not being able to be seen in a mirror had started, he was sure he had heard it long before the Dracula book and movies had been made but it was about as false as they came, he could see himself perfectly fine in the mirror but...he suspected that she didn't know that. When he had cuddled up to her, the warmth from her body had heated his own; it tended to act like that, he didn't have any blood flow of his own but the heat around him seeped into his own flesh, it felt...pleasant, was nice, even, and there were things he could do to warm his own body on his own if he had to, drugs developed by more entrepreneurial vampires that had solved problems that his kind had to deal with in the past. It wasn't easy, meeting others of his kind either, they tended to keep to themselves for the very reasons he did, for the thing that had happened when he was with Genevieve. A low profile was beneficial when you didn't want mobs forming and burning you out of your homes, because no matter how strong they became they couldn't fight everybody.

Playing with her when she had tried to untangle herself for him had been...well, he hadn't ever played a game like that before. It was so simple, he was just toying with her, playfully, with no more intent than to make himself smile and to enjoy her presence. Why had he never done anything like this before? All the things he had done, he had countless women in his lifetime, he could have held them while they slept, he could have woken like this, enjoyed joking with them, teasing them, being playful and yet he simply...hadn't. It hadn't even occurred to him. Why was that? As she wriggled and tried to get free of his loose grasp, the unaware girl trying not to wake the vampire that was already awake and entrapping her, he was managing not to groan or gasp as her rear pressed and moved against his hard length, would have happily kept it up had he not accidentally grabbed her breast, froze at that gasp she made, and he was grinning when she said his name in that annoyed tone, like she was angry with him but not quite. Watching her climb from the bed he was laughing as she fled, his eyes on her bare ass, already she seemed comfortable being naked in front of him, or at least not trying to hide it. "Oh I know you weren't trying to get away from me, but I was having so much fun, weren't you?" He called after her as she left, reaching for his trousers and fishing his phone out of his pocket he took the time she was in the bathroom to make sure Dante had gotten his message about cancelling the men meant to go and retrieve her belongings. When she returned, he was still smiling, in a far better mood than he could remember being in a long, long time.

"Well that's good...I can't say I didn't enjoy it myself...I should have done this a long time ago." He turned on the bed to face her as she laid down with him, placing his phone down between them. "How long? I...don't think I should answer that, little nightingale. Long enough to enjoy your adorable attempts at extricating yourself from my arms..." Chuckling, he couldn't help but to poke at her. "If I didn't know any better I would have sworn you were trying to turn me on, wriggling like that. Shame on you, Ava." For the strangest reason, he just couldn't stop teasing her, he was liking this new dynamic that was developing between them, now that they weren't fighting and at odds it felt...soothing. Easy, he didn't even need to try and stop himself from saying what he wanted, he could just speak to her so easily and it came so naturally, unlike anything he had really been able to do before, lifetimes and lifetimes of always being on his guard. He offered a small smirk at her question as she started asking him more and more, trying to look a little innocent. "Disney movies? What makes you think I have ever seen such a thing? Those are for children, are they not?" The rest of her questions seemed to be about vampires and their nature, something he would not normally answer but again he didn't feel he needed to be on his guard around her. If she used the information against him in future he would of course come to regret it but...what was wrong with taking that chance? Would it really be so bad?

"Hmmm...well...I do suppose we can start with sunlight. Sunlight hurts, burns. Just seconds in it and I would feel my flesh start to burn, like I have the worst fever you can imagine...not bursting into flames but reddening as the heat builds and builds..." He looked over to the windows. "It's the natural UV rays, I think. The windows in this house block them for the most part, though I still don't like to be in that light. It...scares me, a little. I saw a vampire unable to get out of the sunlight once, centuries ago...it looked like a horrible way to go." He smiled, reaching over and brushing the hair from her face. "I closed the blinds because waking in the sunlight makes me panic, just for a moment. That, and it can be pretty hard to sleep when it hits you in the eyes. Food...I ate some of your food last night, don't you remember? I can eat it, it's...fine. I can even taste it, it can be quite delicious, but it can't sustain me. For that, I need blood, fresh blood, preferably from the vein and not some glass but that would do too." He was still just a little annoyed she had managed to talk him out of feeding from her, he really, really wanted to lean closer and take what he wanted from her right then but he had made that promise, and he knew that this moment he was finding so sweet couldn't last forever. They would be at odds again, eventually, and she would hate him again, and he would want to do things he had made a promise not to do, to touch her, to bite her, to break her even. He chuckled to himself...that last one he no longer wanted at least. To get rid of this personality and all it had to offer...he truly didn't think he could bear that.

He could hear her stomach loud and clear, laughing at the sound it made as she rolled onto her back. "We can get breakfast soon. I'm hungry too, which I'm sure doesn't surprise you since you took away my source of sustenance with your unending cruelty..." His tone was amused as he said it, he didn't hold it against her, making that deal. She had aimed for what she wanted, and he had agreed. "So I will need to feed too, but tell me...what was it you were going to ask me, before you decided it didn't matter?" He could tell she was hiding something from him, the more time he spent with her the easier it became to tell what she was thinking, or at least when she was thinking something she didn't want to say. "Little nightingale...why are you frowning?" It was a silly question, really. She was frowning because she was his prisoner, was she not? Because she was trapped here with him, away from home, forced into his company. Anybody would be unhappy with such a situation, but in his own way he still wanted to try and make it at least palatable for her, it was the only way it could grow into something more. "Damn?" He pulled back the covers, climbing from them and rising, standing with a stretch and a soft groan from how good it felt and finishing it with a long yawn before he turned back to her. "Ava, you can speak your mind...if you like. I won't force it, you're welcome to keep your thoughts to yourself and even I would never encroach on those...I know all too well how that feels." Another part of being made a vampire, another reason he hadn't taken that option...Genevieve could make him follow any order...even making him tell her his secrets; nothing he did could be kept from her if she wanted to know, no matter what it was. To be in that position...it was difficult, and to be unable to even lie about it? He had been hurt and punished for his private thoughts of how he didn't want to stay with her, of wanting to return to Isidora. "But...I have had a good morning, waking with you in my arms was...pleasant. More so than I thought it could be...so don't you want to take advantage of my very good mood right now?" He was starting to get dressed; he could change into fresh clothes after breakfast, but for now he just wanted to put something on, for her benefit more than his own, to hide the more sexual part of him for now. She was fully aware of it of course, how he wanted her was hardly a secret even without being able to see him semi-erect in his boxer shorts, but for now he could spare her from that and enjoy the morning.
 
Biting back a sigh Ava had just shaken her head when Christian had teased her about being handsome and unable to see himself in the mirror. Something told her that was false and even if wasn't false, he'd surely known what he'd looked like before he had been reborn; Ava doubted Isidora had kept her art secret from him, or she'd be particularly stealthy because Ava had seen Christian naked long before that night. She had considered calling him on the lie adjacent claim, bringing up that he'd promised no lies or even teasing him and asking if the Candlestick dressed him, but she hadn't. It was late and she was tired and honestly, she'd already told him he was handsome, there was no unringing that bell. She could have also told him other, private thoughts she'd had as a young girl, about him; true she'd thought he was long dead, it didn't change that she'd once dreamed of meeting a man much like the Christian Isidora had known and falling in love. The universe seemed to have a fondness for jokes. He wasn't the same person he had been then, even if he hadn't aged much. That was one secret, she'd prefer to keep to herself.

"No! I had to pee Christian" Ava's voice called through the closed bathroom door; though her voice held annoyance there was a sprinkling of amusement in there too. She wasn't truly angry with him. Laying down with him again she sighed and closed her eyes. "Next time I will just elbow you. My apologies for trying to not wake you." There was a slight smile on her face and she shook her head some. "Ah, but you do know better. Though, I could feel there was... um.. some sort of reaction on your part" Chuckling she turned on her side toward him some as she asked him her questions. Snorting softly she lifted a brow. "You know I let the mirror thing slide, but not gonna get away with the fact you know lyrics to Disney songs. But I get it, you're all big and bad and scary. Wait! I know what it is! Does the Candlestick not know? Would he judge you?" There was a twinkle in her eyes as she teased him back. "I promise to keep your secret. Though of all the things to be in the closet for, Disney is a new one." What she wanted to do was tell the first person she met what was even remotely scary, that knew him, that he watched Disney movies. How would he react? Ava couldn't help but wonder.

Christian then began to explain his aversion to sunlight. All of it made sense, the reason for why he didn't like the sunlight, even if the windows were protected. The brush of hair from her face brought a soft blush to her cheeks, but she didn't pull away. She made encouraging noises and nodded as he talked to her, though when his tone took on what could only be described as a sulky vampire tone at the fact she had refused to feed him from anything but the wine glass the night before, Ava laughed, rolling onto her back once more. "Unending cruelty" Laughing again she shook her head. "Poor ikkle fangs" She'd be happy to leave it there, then he pressed her for the last question she'd wanted to ask. When she didn't answer, he pushed on and in the end, he told her the very thing she'd been curious about. Sighing softly she sat up and ran her hands through her hair, tousling her deep brown locks around her shoulders and face. The curls fell dreamily around the paleness of her body, curling in charming profusion into and away from her face. "Promise not to say anything.... mean?" Christian seemed to think about this before agreeing and she sighed again. "I wondered if you liked waking up with me.. or holding me while we slept." Her tone was mousy, borderline unsure. "But! you said you did, so there is that."

Her head turned towards him and she smiled, softly. "Mmm and how many freebies will I get before they come with price tags?" The words were perhaps a little unkind, but her voice was warm and she nodded towards the bathroom. "I was just thinking about the dress I wore to meet you. My friend lent it to me, with the promise I would return it in perfect condition. She works at a high end boutique and the dress is one of a kind. I thought I might ask you to return it for me, but then I remembered we left it on the floor of the bathroom, and by we, I mean me. I doubt it's fit to just be returned as is." Chewing on her bottom lip nervously she shrugged. "If I do return it like that, or don't she will be in trouble either way and I don't have the money to pay several thousands of dollars for it." She looked up at him. "And while you do, asking... seems..." Ava shrugged again. "I honestly don't think you'd even mind, and even if you did so with no strings, which honestly I don't know when those will come back" She rose and moved to him. Standing before him she reached up and touched his face. "I expect they will and, hell I am not even all that upset at that, for the moment at least." Her hand fell and she hugged herself for comfort. "When everything is said and done, it seems too much to ask for it. Now or even later. All things aside, the deal and the changes were kind. A kindness you didn't expect to give." Ava's lips curled up on one side. "And while I like taking advantage of the bargains you offer me, you offer those knowing I might ask for the world." Shaking her head she laughed softly. "Is this making any sense?" She felt like she was rambling. "In the end, I just mean, I don't want to take advantage of your kindness"

And he wanted her? Sighing, she moved to put distance between them. "But if I don't fall in love, I will be able to make it up to her, I hope and if I do, perhaps then I could ask for help" She didn't even know what a life in love with him would be like. Would there be more bargains? The thought opened a whole new set of thoughts, problems and feelings that Ava wasn't sure she was ready to deal with. "Sorry" She said it softly and shook herself lightly. "You mentioned something about breakfast?
 
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"Aww, you poor thing, you had to pee and the big, mean vampire was keeping you in the bed? That must have been so awful for you." Shouting back to her in the bathroom while he arranged the night's activities, Christian still couldn't stop grinning. As comfortable as he felt right now he didn't want this moment to end, he didn't want to go back to actually being at odds with Ava again so he was determined to milk it for all it was worth. When she had come to lay back down with him and noticed the smirk on his face, he hadn't even tried to hide it. "How very rude, you would elbow me when I am just trying to get my beauty sleep and you have the audacity to call me a monster? Why, little nightingale, I didn't know you could be so mean." Smirking, he shook his head, denying what she had said, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. "Oh I know no such thing...it sure seemed like you were trying to turn me on and my 'reaction' sure didn't seem to stop you. I'm starting to think you're just a little tease, Ava...you knew what it was doing to me, you could feel it..." In all honesty he really did know she was just trying to get away, not tease or rub against him but he couldn't stop himself from being who he was; turning the conversation a little sexual was in his nature, he was a sexual being and had made no effort to hide that he wanted her in that manner.

When she rolled onto her back he pursued her, leaning over her and smiling down at her. "Now now, don't even try to threaten me with that...I have admitted no love for Disney movies and I refuse to fall victim to your attempts to shame me!" It would be clear from the smile on his lips that he clearly did enjoy the movies, but admitting it to her would ruin the game he was playing, the fun little back and forth they seemed to have going that was proving to be so addictive to him. Conversation like this that didn't really lead to anything, had no purpose other than to enjoy each other's company...it was another rarity for him, something he just never got to experience that he was quickly finding he had been missing out on, but...was he enjoying it because it was a fun thing to do, or because of whom he was doing it with? He suspected it was the company he was keeping that made it feel so good and not the act of small talk itself, he had never really had the urge to engage in it with others at the very least. He growled softly, his eyes on hers, narrowing almost dangerously though the smile was ever-present. "What...what is it then, if you're so sure." He gasped playfully, his eyes going wide in mock indignation. "I am not in the closet about anything! Those lyrics I probably just heard somewhere, it absolutely does not mean I like Disney movies, not at all!" He had in fact heard the lyrics somewhere...while watching the movies, so he wasn't technically lying. He nodded down at her as she made him promise to not say anything mean. "You call me 'ikkle fangs' and then ask me to promise not to say anything mean? Double standards already, Ava...I fear I'm letting you grow too comfortable with me." Still, he listened to her, and he smiled warmly, nodding again as he moved back from her. "I did, I very much enjoyed holding you while we slept, it was...comfortable. The warmth, the closeness. So different from sleeping alone...I must try that again some time."

When she finally spoke what was on her mind, he watched her curiously. It was true...he wasn't about to continue granting her favours without asking anything of her, if he wanted something and could persuade her to give it up for him while also giving her what she wanted, wasn't that the best way to proceed for both of them? He felt he had been generous so far considering his initial plans for her and had no real obligation to continue being so generous and yet...he also felt that he wanted to give her things for free too. In essence, he would need to find a balance to strike, lest he give too much for too little, or ask too much without bending if he truly wanted to advance their relationship in any meaningful way. She had moved around the bed and was looking down at him now and he had moved up in kind, was now sitting on the edge of the bed. Her hand on his face again...he didn't pull away, rather he brought his own hand up and placed it over hers. The dress was an easy thing for him to fix, the money was a drop in the ocean of what he owned but he could use it to his advantage, but how much? Slowly his eyes rose to meet hers and he tugged on the wrist, pulling her to him. An arm snaked around her waist as he guided her down into his lap. "So that is it, is it? The dress...I believe you tore it a little too, and it was a favour from a friend..." He knew it was mostly his fault, she had worn it to impress him, he had kidnapped her in response and now her friend, who had done nothing to deserve this, might be out of a job or worse. "I will ask you for a favour then...if it has nothing to do with your body in any way, will you agree to it before I tell you what it is? If you do...I will take care of it, your friend will be fine. More than fine...if you don't, then I will let you handle it yourself."

It should be an easy thing, he figured, he had even let her know it had nothing to do with her body, so nothing sexual or blood related. This close to her, feeling her in his lap, he growled again softly and his hand was on her waist. He could touch her...he knew he could, she couldn't stop him and it was well within their terms so what was stopping him from being a little inappropriate? Was it because they were in a good place right now, one he didn't want to ruin? He grinned, his fingernails gliding up her back as he stroked her through the thin pyjamas. "Don't be sorry. You make good points...I'm going to ask you to pay a price for favours, I may even reach high sometimes and I will have you Ava...the more time I spend with you the more I want you to be mine...I may even be willing to concede that I could be yours too...but I know that is a dream that may take time. For now, get dressed. We will have breakfast, think on my offer and tell me before we eat if you accept, no later. I'm hungry too...since somebody didn't want to feed me." He chuckled and gently pushed her aside and onto the bed before rising, starting to get dressed in the same clothes he had been wearing the night before. "Hmmph, remind me to have some of my own clothes brought in here if I am to spend any more nights in your room, save me having to change multiple times a day. That reminds me too..." He was already buckling his belt, dressing gracefully and quickly. "If there is anything else you need, more clothes, toiletries, just things for comfort...those I may provide without cost. Consider it a peace offering, so speak up if you do want something." Waiting while she put on the dress he had chosen, he was standing by the door when she was done, leading her out and into the hallway of his mansion and down towards the dining room where Dante would no doubt have had the chef prepare a meal for her, lavish even if it was only breakfast.
 
Shaking her head Ava rose from the bed to dress as commanded, having been cuddled into his lap before gently being deposited on the bed. There was a lot on her mind as she pulled out the things she needed to dress. Lifting her face she looked to Christian with a cocked brow. Lifting a pair of panties with cuffs that attached to the side she shook her head some and let them fall back into the drawer. She knew how his taste ran so she wasn't shocked per say, thought she'd never seen anything like them before either. Rolling her eyes, she lifted another pair that seemed to have two pieces of lace on either side, but nothing at the top connecting the two but a thin band. Balling them up she tossed them at him. "I am never wearing those" There was laughter in her voice before she pulled out a pair of lovely red lace panties and a matching bra; they were almost delicate in design. "For the record" she pulled the panties on, shimmying them up her thighs and over her ass "You are a monster for trying to hold me in bed when I needed to pee" Shaking her head some she looked over her shoulder at him as she slipped the bra over her breasts. "A little help?" Ava wasn't exactly comfortable being naked in front of him, but she figured if he was going to join her more, he'd see her naked a lot. Trial by fire so to speak. Lifting her hair way so he could claps the bra for her "Your reaction, for the record was a result of your own actions." He had twisted that around on her and she wasn't just about to let it go.

Walking back to the bed in her new red lingerie, the color of the soft lace standing out against her alabaster skin, she bent, fingers pulling the sheets up. Ava was stalling as she thought about his offer. "Also, I don't recall threatening you" humming softly as she straightened the bed linens, the task oddly soothing. It was something normal, a part of her routine at home. When they visited her apartment, they'd find her bed made. "And I am sure you heard the lyrics somewhere, like the movies, that you watch in secret, clutching your pillow in the dark." Fluffing his pillow she laid it on the bed "You know, I think if you told the Candlestick he'd understand" Her face was the picture of sincerity, until you looked into her eyes, the Mediterranean blues danced with mischief. Her pillow fluffed she moved towards the bathroom, bare feet making no sound along the floors, at least none she could hear as she headed toward the mirror. Carefully she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, the curls tumbling down her back. "Ickkle fangs seemed reasonable when you were pouting at me" her voice carried from the bathroom, though oddly muffled as she held bobby-pins in her mouth. Sweeping a length of curls to either side of her face, giving her hair a bit of an echo of her hair the night before. Coming back out she gazed at the dress, biting her lower lip.

He'd have her. Had she doubted it? No. There would be a time where he'd corner her with a request she made or he'd offer something she couldn't pass up; what would she be willing to get in exchange for access to her body? That wasn't right, she had little doubt he'd touch her before he finally fucked her. The morning had been going well and she could still feel that lingering good humor as they teased one another. Eyes lingering on the dress Ava couldn't even begin to guess what he'd request of her for this favor. Christian had said it wouldn't involve her body. A small relief she supposed. It made her curious and it seemed like it could be small enough to save her friend a lot of stress. He'd even commended her while she'd been in his lap. It was hard to be honest with oneself when faced with a truth you'd rather not face. Being in Christian's lap hadn't been bad. Half truth. She'd liked it. That was more true. Ava had liked being sat in his lap, the position reminiscent of childhood. Biting back a sigh, she picked the dress up and slipped into it, before once more turning to have him zip this up. Such actions like this one, her bra were intimate without being sexual and Ava felt like it was a good bridge.

Turning to face him barefoot she gazed up into his face. That laughter was gone and she was truly trying to decide, did she trust him? No, but she was trying... Rather she did trust him, but it was a struggle. Trust was more often than not earned and she had no choice but to blindly trust someone who had started out in the negative trust wise. Slowly she nodded. "I agree to the terms" Biting her lower lip she frowned for a second as an idea hit her. She could also request he have the dress fixed. In part the request would impart hope that she'd look back on that night and find it all amusing in a fashion because she was indeed in love with him at the time as he'd desire. However, if that failed.. she'd likely want nothing to do with the dress she'd been wearing that night. Her hand stopped him before he moved through the doorway. "I find myself in a bit of an odd position. I want to ask you to also have the dress repaired... If things go how you want, perhaps last night will hold some charm or amusement. I also know that should things not go as envisioned, I will not likely want the dress." Her hand fell from his arm. "I am not going to ask, but merely say do as you want with the dress, but keep what you do a secret. I know you want this all to work... But I don't want to see the dress until the end"

Ava's voice had seemed conflicted. It was early in the day and she could feel some of that left over tiredness coming back. It had nothing to do with the amount of sleep she'd gotten, more how this all made her feel. Motion him onward, she fell into step beside him. What they passed she didn't really notice, as he mind was preoccupied with the events and what was likely to come. They were meant to go to her apartment tonight, so at least she'd have Acorn when she slept. Ava's eyes seemed distant as they walked, the skirt of the dress brushing against his legs due to their closeness, her teeth worrying at the inside of her cheek. Things like how often would he share her bed, or what things would he extract from her with his deals, what would she give up? What would her life be like for the next year? What might she be like at the end, no matter her choice? She wouldn't be the girl she was now... that would have been a given no matter what, but would the girl at the end be someone who she was proud to be now? The fuck if she knew. Sighing softly she shook her head, curls swaying as she cleared the funk from her brain.
 
It had taken far less time for Christian to get ready than it was for Ava, so most of it was spent watching her from his place on the bed while he checked his phone, messaging various people to organise the day's activities, not just for himself and Ava, but for his enterprises. Contrary to what one might think, criminal organisations did in fact mostly run themselves, he had very little to do and could generally trust his lieutenants to handle day to day matters with very little input from himself as long as he received his cut, and any matters which did absolutely need his attention would usually come to him through Dante, ever the trustworthy servant he had made himself indispensable to Christian not just as a valuable member of his household but in his businesses and...as a friend. He had told the truth, he didn't open up to others, not anybody really, but Dante had come the closest to getting that out of him by proving his loyalty again and again, and was likely the only person other than Ava that could get away with teasing him in any meaningful manner without incurring his wrath, so when he had messaged and told Dante that they would be going themselves to collect her things he had gotten only a single, raised eyebrow emoji in return. Shaking his head, he had closed his phone and stepped up to help Ava with her bra, pulling the straps back and hooking it closed before reaching around her, cupping her breasts to ensure it was firmly in place...or at least that would be what he would tell her. "Hmm, seems to be a good fit, Dante did well, don't you think?" Smirking, he hadn't tried to hold her, instead he reached past her to return the panties she had thrown at him to the drawer with another shake of his head. "Those aren't for me anyway, though you could have at least considered them. The wrist to thigh restraints though, those I can see you wearing for me...and I beg your pardon?"

He was still feeling playful and having her in his lap hadn't helped at all...while he hadn't been erect still he was very much in a playful, dirty minded mood and was more than happy to continue with the way the conversation had been heading. "My reaction was entirely due to having such a beautiful, naked, pert little rear wriggling against me while I tried to innocently sleep. I might be a vampire but I am still just a man you know...you should be careful what you do with that thing!" His smile never left his face as she was moving towards the bathroom, a genuine, warm laugh as she teased him further about the Disney movies which was just more to the point he had been thinking of...nobody else could get away with that without a stern look at the very least, certainly not get what she would in response, a laugh and a grin. "I absolutely have never, ever...clutched my pillow in the dark while I watched Disney movies." As it happened Dante was aware of his proclivities, all of them in fact, so it was unlikely he really would mind but Christian was very much enjoying the joke they had going and unwilling to let it go, smirking as he looked into her eyes. "I still don't know where you get this strange impression that I watch those movies from, this is a very serious household with no time for children's movies in it. Seriously, Ava, let it go...let...it...go..." The last three words spoken quietly but in the sing song tone of the movie he had taken them from as she had left to go to the bathroom. When she did return, after he ignored the ikkle fangs comment, he stepped up to zip up the dress for her, nodding as she accepted his terms and taking a more serious tone. "A good choice...then don't worry about the dress. I will take care of it, okay?" He was already leading her from the room and down the corridor which very much echoed the rest of the decor in the manor, pale walls with golden accents to make it look refined, regal, friendly to be in. Not something one would expect a creature of the night to live in.

He placed his hand down on her waist as they walked, tentatively at first as he wasn't quite sure how she would react, but judging by the morning she wasn't...upset with him, she didn't have particularly negative feelings towards him either. He already knew what he was going to do with the dress at least, he had made those plans the second she had asked, in truth he hadn't needed her to agree to his terms either, it didn't change what he wanted to do so the agreement was...a freebie, for him. Guiding her down the stairs and into the dining room, it was empty but for Dante and one of the maids setting up the table with toast, cereals and various spreads and jams, crumpets from England, French toast and other breakfast items from around Europe. The table itself was mahogany, dark and polished and square, a few feet in either direction, not like the large dining room table one would expect but this, smaller dining room itself wasn't quite as large as the main room either, rather it was used for smaller gatherings. "Ah, Sir, and the lovely Ava, how are you both this morning?" Grinning, Dante gave a small bow, one hand behind his back while the other held a bottle of milk which he placed down on the table. "Still alive I see, very good, very good...you must have had quite the night...and still in the same clothes, Sir?" A raised eyebrow which got him a soft growl from Christian. "Don't ask...not nearly as exciting as you think, though...I can't say I had a bad night. Well...not in the end." The talk in the shower hadn't exactly been his happiest moment, but if he was asked to Christian knew he would do the whole night again just for how much he had enjoyed it in the end, and the morning. Guiding Ava down to one of the seats, he sat on the opposite end of the table from her.

"Anyway, you have made the arrangements, I trust?" Christian didn't look to Dante as he spoke, he had his eyes on the maid already, a pretty young blonde thing who had come to work for him just the last summer and like all his staff was fully aware of what he was. It didn't really matter to them, once they had signed the non-disclosure agreement they were sworn to secrecy and likely feared him but he had also never treated any of them badly, they knew their duties, they had often warmed his bed in the past and more than that, they offered what he sought right now and for a more than generous fee when their service was up. He raised a hand, gesturing to the maid. "Amalia, come. It's breakfast time...I'm hungry." Unlike how he spoke with Ava, he was firmer, used a slightly sharper tone while still being friendly enough, less words, more to the point as the maid blushed and approached him. Knowing what was expected of her she looked briefly to the other two in the room; she hadn't been asked to feed him in front of others very often, but it wasn't unheard of either when Christian hadn't eaten, and she carefully straddled his lap, settling down facing away from him just as he liked, leaning back against his chest as she closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing. She knew what came next too, first his hands were on her, one on her waist and one in her hair, pulling it aside from her neck, gently arranging it so that it was completely out of the way before a strong hand tilted her head for him, giving him access. His breath was the next thing she would feel, hot despite his nature as he leaned in, fangs already elongated, brushing against her flesh as she shivered in anticipation of what was to come. On the other side of the table Dante had brought in a teapot and was approaching Ava with it. "Coffee, or tea, Miss Ava? I'm sorry, I don't know what you prefer to be called, but I assume you want a drink with your breakfast, yes? I imagine your famished after dealing with the grumpy one all night..." Even as he offered her the choice there were sounds coming from the girl in Christian's lap, a gasp at first as he sank his fangs into her, then a long, soft moan as the girl squirmed, the effects of the bite on her clear as blush crept into her cheeks and her heartbeat raced, her pulse strong against his lips. Even through the bodice of her traditional maid's outfit it was clear her nipples had hardened in her arousal, Christian's hand had come round the front of her and was on her stomach, holding her steady as he fed from her, at least having the good graces not to make eye contact with Ava as he did so.
 
Honestly, Ava thought this morning was actually kind of... Good. Even with the slight liberties Christian took. Like when he'd clasped her bra for her, his hands slipping around to her breasts, cupping them under the guise of checking the fit. Ava had sighed and slapped his hands away, but even that movement had been playful. "Indeed, the candlestick did." Her voice had been dry and she turned to look at him as he deposited the panties she'd thrown at him back in the drawer. "I could have... But while I think that the pantie cuff ones will be harder to escape. no pun intended" She picked the panties up again and threw them into the trash, eyes sparkling with a dare of sorts. "Those are just not going to happen. And if the Candlestick bought them and they are not for you and they are not for me, then they are for who? Him?" A brow lifted, laughter hidden in her voice "I think not"

Christian brought out something in her, it was something he found appealing and Ava herself found pleasure in. Stepping into the bathroom to mess with her hair she snorted softly at her reflection in the mirror as he called out to her. "You were not asleep" There wasn't a question there, a pure statement. "And you're right. I will keep it far from you, shouldn't want to tempt the innocent man into improper things" The conversation from the bathroom ended as she came back out and giggled. "You know, nothing you say is going to convince me otherwise right?" Her smile was almost innocent. "I bet you have one of those waifu body pillows, but yours has like the beast on it" She ignored the obvious fact that he did indeed like Disney, teasing him was far too entertaining to stop. Christian also seemed to enjoy their playful bantering, so why stop? It had also given her the time she needed to decide what to do about the dress. His comment had been met with a small nod. She didn't question it further, she'd said what she had wanted to.

The hand on her waist was almost comforting and was not invasive, so Ava saw no reason to fight it. Did he need to touch her? No, likely not. Did it bother her? Not really. There were other battles to pick with him. Somethings she wouldn't just accept blindly. The walk to the dining room had been a bit of a blur, her mind preoccupied with other thoughts. What she could recall was dark woods, rich colors and flecks of gold as they had walked. Had Ava paid attention she would have likely loved the walk from her room to the dining room. Perhaps taken time to admire the artwork Christian had collected or the Persian rug they'd crossed. However she didn't really tune back in until she heard Dante's voice. Looking up, it was like Ava was coming out of a dream. Blinking she looked at the food before her, a spread that accounted for anything she could desire for breakfast. Her eyes shifted from the table to Dante and the maid, though they focused on Dante. "Good morning.. Dante" She'd almost called him Candlestick, blush touching her cheeks. "Ah, for now it seems"

Ava might have had a lot to say about what had happened and her night to Christian, but before the maid and Dante, she was clearly not as open to share. It wasn't much, but a small sign of loyalty to Christian or at least an unwillingness to share openly about what she felt was private. Sitting as she was guided to her chair she looked to Christian who took a seat across from her. Though, his eyes were not on her. Her eyes shifted to the woman curiously and then left her, then she froze. His words turned Ava into the statue she had become. Hungry. He had said they'd have breakfast... She'd assumed.. Ava's cheeks colored and she looked down. Her own fault she supposed. Looking up she watched and frowned. Surely he wouldn't? Though she didn't have to wait long.

What unfolded didn't make Ava jealous. She didn't care about Christian in that way and knew he'd need to feed. It's what he was and how he lived. Even that didn't bother her. However what did bother her was doing it in front of her. The maid in his lap, straddling his thighs as she leaned back into him. her cheeks were rosy and her lips already parted, for she knew what was to come. Dante distracted her for a moment, when he drew her attention. Perhaps a kindness on his part, or an attempt to cover what was about to come. "Ava is fine." Her words were cut short as the moan filtered through the room. Not that anything could cover that... Ava actually flinched, her hands curling into fists in her lap where they'd been resting. Her face hardened and she had a moment to decide what she'd do. "Excuse me Dante" her words were soft as she rose.

She was for one proud that when she rose, it almost seemed graceful. The emotions she felt were complicated. There was no jealousy, that she was at least sure of. Anger, hurt... Disgust, were all present as she stalked from the room. She'd have gone back to her room if she knew where it was. They had taken a few turns and she'd been lost in thought. Instead she stalked away fuming in a random direction while fighting tears. What was wrong with him? What made him think that that was okay? The morning had been nice, but that feeling that everything could be okay.. that.. Ava laughed suddenly, the sound almost bitter. That she could maybe even fall for him in time. Funny now, to think about that lapse in judgement. Yanking a door open, she felt the coolness of night air.

It hadn't been what she was looking for, but the cold air was welcome against her angry skin. She was actually furious with him and herself in equal measure. Stalking across the lawn, the grass wet under her feet she walked away from the house. She wasn't trying to escape, but she didn't want to be near him, under the same roof as him. Even now, she doubted she'd be without him, the Candlestick or someone else in his employ. After a few moments walking wasn't enough to shake the feeling burning in her chest and eye. Ava started to run, turning away from the woods she approached and heading along the line of trees until her lungs burned in the cool night air. It was then and only then that she threw herself against a tree at the edge of the woods, arms wrapping around the trunk, holding her slight frame aloft, cheek pressed into the bark, pain stemming from the connection and they way she'd flung herself at it.

There was a single bright side, she didn't cry. It was the only one though. Eyes closed tightly she gulped in greedy breaths of freezing night air as she tried to control that urge. He wasn't worth her tears. So what if their morning had been nice. So what if she thought he might consider his actions a bit more now. So what if he needed to eat and that the way he ate was normal for him. She didn't even think he had anything to be ashamed of. Her feelings having been considered might have been nice... Sliding down the tree the pain that sparked along her arms and cheek hurt, but that pain, in her anger felt good. Releasing it as she reached the ground she turned her back from the house, which glowed like a beacon behind her, her feet facing into the woods, her head against the tree. Here, alone for the moment she tried to work through her emotions. Running had likely not been the smartest thing, but it had felt better. Fuck him.
 
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