by C M Thorne
He scoffed at himself and shook his head, moving toward the glass door of the shower and turning off the multiple knobs along the wall to stop the water. He stepped out onto the plush lilac colored bath mat and grabbed the matching dusty purple bath sheet from the towel rack. He had never used such expensive things in his life and, even after two weeks, the softness of the vampire’s towels still amazed Caleb. He relished in the feeling of it as he slowing ran it across his skin, drying himself in a single pass. When he was done, he wrapped the towel around himself just above his hips.
Stepping over to one of the sinks, he ran a hand through his damp, wavy curls. His golden brown hair was looking dark from the water, making the stony hue of his grey eyes more prevalent. There was a small, clear window in the middle of the fogged up mirror, kept clear of condensation by some kind of heating mechanism. Caleb leaned closer to scrutinize himself. His hair was getting longer, curling against the tops of his ears and swooping lower across his forehead, threatening to pass over his brow into his eyes. His waist was looking trimmed, hip bones sticking out more than he remembered. He hummed to himself as he turned this way and that in the mirror, not understanding how he could be eating so much and so well at the vampire’s and be looking thinner. Perhaps another side effect of the blood.
Caleb turned away from the mirror and walked through the massive closet to where his clothes were hanging. His underwear and socks were in the two drawers at the end of the closet above the built-in laundry hamper. He pulled out a pair of briefs, slipping into them before taking the towel off and throwing it over the closet island. Caleb felt self conscious walking around or just being naked in the room, even though he knew Rainer would not intrude in on him with his usual courteous knock. He bit his lip, liking the idea of Rainer walking in, but instantly felt foolish. He looked back to his clothes, which were all hanging up, even his pants. He pulled a pair of faded, straight legged jeans down, shimmying into them and debating about what shirt to wear. He had vexatiously done his laundry the day before despite Rainer’s instance that it was simpler to send his clothes away.
Caleb sighed and pulled moss-green v-neck shirt off its hanger, slipping into it as he walked back through the closet. He scooped up the towel on his way and hung it back up next to the shower, splaying it out rather than making it look nice so it could dry. He glanced at his reflection in the long, horizontal mirror over the sink, which had rapidly cleared of the moist heat that had swirled around the bathroom. He looked boyish and basic. He sighed exasperated, acknowledging to himself that his clothes weren’t bad, but that they were in fact rather simple and faded. He felt out of place in the charm and money that the condo exuded. He sighed and padded out into the bedroom, flipping the light switch off as he went. He had adapted to the penthouse quickly, moving around instinctually and without effortful thought.
Lost in the criticism of the recesses of his mind, he deftly avoided the bedframe in the dim light of the room. His stomach rumbled emptily as he walked out into the living room. Rainer was propped up reading on the blue, velvet couch that Caleb had curled up on when talking to Dinah before he had moved in. He was wearing was dark, soft looking pants and a deep purple shirt that wasn’t exactly tight fitting, but showed off his perfect physique. He was barefoot, as he often was, feet propped up on the couch. The vampire’s molten eyes flashed up, noticing Caleb, and returned to the old volume he was absorbed in. Caleb’s heart pounded, but he continued onto the kitchen, suddenly thinking about how he hadn’t texted Di in several days. She didn’t exactly know about the situation, still under the influence of whatever compulsion Rainer had laid on her. She would have usually hounded him, sending a shocking amount of questions daily about a situation as exciting as the one he theoretically found himself in. He missed her and he wasn’t exactly sure how to handle it all with her yet.
The only one in his life that knew the truth now was Becca. Apparently, Rainer and Nico, Becca’s fiance, were well acquainted. Rainer had paid the warlock to reseal Dinah’s apartment with a spell to keep all manner of intruder out, supernatural or otherwise. Caleb had received a call from his sister shortly after that, asking what the hell had happened at Dinah’s and what was going on with him that Rainer was making calls for him. Caleb opened the fridge, eyes glazing over as he tried to find something, thinking instead of when he had explained everything to his sister several days before. Becca had wound up caught somewhere between worried about him and thrilled for him, as he had rapidly found himself living a more “sinful” life just as she had. She texted at least three times a day, checking in on him and teasing him about Rainer. She was convinced that the vampire was going to be the one to pop “his cherry,” verbiage that not only made him balk, but slightly disgusted him. He shivered uncomfortably at his sister’s choice phrasing and looked over the refrigerator once again.
Rainer had done an extensive grocery shopping order earlier in the week, having bag upon bag delivered to the penthouse. It was good. Despite losing some apparent weight, Caleb was a bottomless pit as the vampire’s blood left his system more and more each day. He was currently facing a mostly empty set of shelves, however. There was nothing left to drink, except for a splash of the cranberry mix Caleb had asked for and Rainer’s blood bags on the top shelf. They were totally out of fruits and vegetables, except for a sad looking zucchini, that Caleb had repeatedly told himself that he would cook up in some kind of stir fry, but never had. He huffed and turned away, opening up the door to the modest sized pantry. He had thought that the pantry was weirdly small for such a big place until he realized on his third day there than Rainer did not exactly have a reason to use the pantry beyond storage. The pantry’s offerings were just as measly as the refrigerator’s and he felt defeated.
“Uh, I’m sorry for interrupting,” Caleb spoke as he walked out of the kitchen.
Rainer craned his head around the top of the couch away from his book. “Not at all. What is it?” The vampire’s voice was deep and husky from not speaking, an unwarily sexy quality that made Caleb’s chest flutter and ache. Touch starved, that’s what Becca had joking called Cal, but he definitely felt it now, physically aching at the sound of the vampire’s voice and the thought of being near to him.
Caleb stopped behind a chair, hand floating up to fiddle with the decorative carving in the wood along the back. He cleared his throat and replied, “We’re just almost out of food for me. I feel bad asking but-”
“Do not feel bad,” Rainer cut him off softly. He put his book down and rose to his feet gracefully. “I apologize for not noticing that you were in need of more food.”
“Oh, uh. No,” Caleb muttered, listing his hand off the chair and shaking it out a little nervously out of the vampire’s line of visibility. “How would you know, right? You haven’t needed to buy food in so long.” He laughed hollowly for a second, feeling immensely uncomfortable. What was he saying?
Rainer shrugged easily, “I mean, I can eat human food.” He walked toward the kitchen and grabbed a pad of paper sitting on the counter. “I just do not see a reason to, typically.”
“There is some pretty tasty stuff out there though,” Caleb laughed, not knowing what else to say. “When did you last have actual food?” He followed up quickly.
Rainer turned his lips downward in thought as he fished out a pen from the drawer at the end of the counter. “It was close to a hundred years ago.”
Caleb’s mouth fell open, “One hundred years?!”
Rainer glanced at him, face flashing amusement. “It is easy to forego it when you’re frequently surrounded by those who do not need it for sustenance, or do not do so in your presence.” He did his small, barely there smirk, “I probably should try some things.”
Caleb nodded, mind wandering into thinking about what he could cook and get the vampire to try. He was flooded with all sorts of ideas. He wondered if the vampire enjoyed red meat. He could grill a mean flank steak after all the years of his father teaching him to grill. Cow blood probably did not tast
e great in comparison to what Rainer usually partook in, however. He desperately wanted to ask, but he realized that the vampire was still talking. He had not been paying attention.
“- from the last time,” Rainer finished speaking, hunched over the list that he was rapidly filling up. He stopped writing and looked up at Cal. “So just look it over and feel free to add anything you want,” he held the pad and pen out, adding, “or cross off anything you don’t particularly want again.” He blurred out of the room once Caleb took the items from him, leaving him breathless.
He looked over the list, not truly seeing what was on it, only taking in the fact that Rainer had exquisitely formed slanted, spidery cursive handwriting. Caleb despised his own handwriting and found himself jealous over the list in his hands. He felt Rainer flash back into the living room, though he had not made an audible sound to give him away. Cal looked over and noticed that the vampire had a small, shiny black box in his hand.
Rainer’s gaze was fixed downward at the box as he spoke up, “I noticed that your phone receives a lot of unwanted calls.” He extended the bow toward Cal, “I was thinking that you would like to have a phone that cannot be so easily bombarded. You can program any numbers you want into it.”
“Oh,” Caleb breath out, taking the box from in Rainer, exchanging it for the grocery list. When had Rainer got this for him? Had it been delivered, or had he really gone it bought it himself? “That is really sweet,” He looked up into Rainer’s ear looking warm eyes. The gift was expensive and unnecessary, and he wanted to refuse, but there was something about the look so clearly and intensely displayed on the vampire’s face that made Caleb relent and bite his lower lip, preventing him from saying anything else.
Rainer definitely noticed Caleb’s actions, his rich eyes lowering and focusing on his lips. Caleb’s chest felt heavy, having to force out a breath with considerable force. He blinked and tore his eyes away from the vampire to the phone, muttering, “Thank you so much, Rainer.”
The vampire started a slow movement forward, stepping and half reaching out before the warm, comfortable silence between them was ruined by a loud knock on the door. Rainer froze, head whipping toward the door with a look of shocking intensity. Anger? No. Annoyance perhaps. Rainer flashed over to the door, looking out through the peephole as Caleb was left to scrambled after him, stopping at the edge of the hallway.
He instantly found himself feeling nervous about who could be at the door, but the sudden rush of emotions that had just surged mere moments before would not quiet down. He felt like he had been carved out, left to ache for something to fill the gaping hollowness of his shell of a body. His very feelings rattled around in that hole within him, screaming for attention. He bit into his lower lip with sharp force, stepping out to see the vampire better at the door. Rainer sighed a little as he right himself and opened the door, calling out to Cal, “It is your sister and Nico.”
Had they been expecting them? Caleb hurried down the hall as the two of them stepped inside and exchanged pleasantries with the brooding Rainer. Caleb had yet to meet Nico, but he was impressed by the handsome man on Becca’s arm. He was wearing a crisp looking white polo over perfectly pressed, pale slate blue slacks and warm brown leather boat shoes. His longer black hair was combed and coiffed back, making him look more like a model for an ad than some all-powerful warlock. Becca was wearing a mid-thigh length maroon summer dress covered in little embroidered sprigs of white and blue flowers, showing off her tan, long legs.
She smiled at Caleb as she slipped into the condo, rushing down to Cal, her sun-lightened golden hair fluttering out from her messy fishtail braid. She swept him up in a hug and whispered in his ear, “Holy shit, Cal! How can you handle being around that smokin’ piece of man?!”
Caleb’s ears burned as he patted her back and groaned, glancing over at Rainer. He was closing the door behind Nico, looking down at the ground. Caleb swore he saw that faint smile tug at the corner of Rainer’s mouth as he turned back to his guests. Their guests? His guests, Caleb thought with a nod, looking away quickly to focus on his sister. “What are you guys going here?” he asked.
“Ugh! Caleb!” She batted at him and turned to sweep her hand outward. “This is Nico. Nico, Caleb.”
The warlock nodded and answered Cal, “We have just returned from reinforcing your father’s house against any supernatural intrusion.” His voice was melodic and heavily accented. “A pleasure to meet you,” he came forward and extended a hand to Caleb. He shook his hand, finding his grip not overly firm and his skin hot and shockingly soft. He glanced at Becca, who wiggled her eyebrows back at him.
“No one caught you at dad’s, right?” Caleb asked, wondering why he hadn’t been told that they were going to do that. Rainer moved past them and he instinctually followed behind the vampire as he moved back toward the living room.
“They were both out, thankfully,” Becca replied before she pranced over and plopped down on one of the oversized couches. Caleb shook his head at his sister making herself right at home. Had she even been there before? She sure acted like it. She grinned back at him, her soft, warm doe brown eyes alight mischievously.
“Well, I was just about to head out for a grocery shopping trip,” Rainer said. “I needed to talk to you about a few things, anyway,” he addressed Nico, turning to the warlock. “Would you mind coming with me for that and some errands?”
“How mundane,” Nico laughed jokingly. “Of course not,” he followed up, smiling and bending down to kiss Becca. “I shall see you later then, my love.”
“Bye, babe,” Becca smiled up at Nico’s hovering face before wrapping her right arm around his neck and pulling him back down into a deeper kiss, twining her fingers up into his thick, black hair as she did.
Caleb watched Rainer from the corner of his eye, who was looking away from the overly passionate kiss. The vampire looked at Caleb and he turned to face him more directly, not diverting his gaze in embarrassment for once. His eyes burned in the light streaming in through the windows, adding an intensity to his gaze that made Caleb’s heart thundered in his chest. Becca cleared her throat, disrupting whatever moment had been forming. His sister and her fiancé were looking at Caleb and Rainer with small smiles, and he instantly knew what they must be thinking. If only it were true.
“Right then,” Rainer broke the silence and turned toward the door. “Let us go then, Nico,” he called out as he walked toward the front hallway at a leisurely, very human pace. He paused before walking down the hallway, turning hesitantly and glancing back at Cal. “I will be back soon, Caleb.”
He wanted to say something back, but the vampire disappeared before he could.
Nico breezed past. “Pleasure to meet you,” he clapped Caleb’s upper right arm and winked at him as he went.
Caleb did not turn to look at his sister until he heard the door click close from down the long hall. He turned on his heel as she bounded off of the couch. “That was hot!” She gleefully exclaimed and pranced toward the kitchen.
“What?” Caleb asked foggily, shaking his head and treading after her.
“Oh, you know,” she replied, wiggling her eyebrows and shaking her butt a little. He huffed at her over the top suggestion as she peeked around into a few cupboards. “So, does he keep any alcohol in the condo?” Becca asked, opening up the pantry and dancing around in place. “I mean, he certainly doesn’t have any food.”
“Yeah,” Caleb answered. He walked toward the large drink cart on the wall between the doors to Rainer’s office and the dining room. He ran a hand through his hair absently as he went. “There’s a bunch of stuff here.”
“Oh, wow!” Becca laughed, “Someone likes drinking.” She did the wiggling motion with her eyebrows again, making him scoff back in response.
“Well, he doesn’t eat,” Caleb shrugged.
“Thank god he doesn’t just drink blood,” she laughed again, opening up the cabinet on the bottom of the cart, pulling some things out.
; “I think alcohol still affects vampires,” Caleb answered, half in thought. Had he seen Rainer drink anything over than blood in the past two weeks? He thought he had anyway, one or two nights. “It just might not be as effective, I guess.” He shrugged again.
Becca giggled at him and collected a bunch of bottles and paraphernalia, heading back into the kitchen. “How do mojitos sound? They are one of my specialities.” Becca asked, putting down a bottom of white rum, an old-fashioned bottle labeled as simple syrup, and two tall glasses.
“Do we even have club soda or mint?” Caleb asked, moving over to the fridge.
Becca laughed, looking over at him, “We, huh? No, you only have a bottle of club soda at the back of the second shelf from the top in the pantry.” Caleb changed his course, opening the door to the pantry and pulling the club soda out, not questioning his sisters keen eye or impeccable memory.
“I, however,” she continued, “have some fresh mint from a farmer’s market from down the block in my purse, with some other things. I can’t help snatching up mint when I see it.” She giggled, moving up next to Caleb and pulling a plastic lime shaped bottle of lime juice out, “It was fated that we would have some, see?”
Caleb put the soda down and went to retrieve Becca’s purse from where she had dropped it near the front door when they had come inside. Rainer must have picked it up as it was hanging from one of the brassy hooks of his massive, wood hall tree. He pulled down one of the straps and found a yellow produce bag on top with what ended up being a sizable amount of mint within. Caleb grabbed the bag and padded back down the hall to the kitchen.
Becca had excavated a shaker from somewhere unknown while he had been gone and was squeezing the lime juice into it with a liberal hand. “Here,” he tossed the mint bag down next to her on the counter and moved around outside of the kitchen to sit down on a barstool.
“Should work out great,” Becca grinned, tearing some mint leaves free and adding them to the shaker before muddling them with the simple syrup. She poured the white rum into the shaker without measuring it out, clearly being heavy handed with it as well. Becca laughed as she grabbed a glass from the counter and spun around to fill it with ice from the refrigerator door. “We need some music! Does he have any fancy speakers in this place?”