Step to the beat Who: Penny & Derek What:A first meeting & more When: Present day - night Where: Iris, Penny’s apartment Rating: Mid - some violence and suggestion Status: Complete
Warm bodies danced to an authentic track of fresh music and beats. Servers carried trays of drinks around with practiced grace and technique, avoiding being bumped into or knocked down by the unwary patrons. Dark ambiance and shadows added to the sultry atmosphere.
Money exchanged hands aloud and in secret. Oohs and ahhs echoed beneath the veil of loud music as coordinated dancers sashayed.
While she played at other clubs, Iris had become a quick favorite of hers. DJ Anthieamalum - a beautiful Latin term for her favorite forbidden fruit. Penny shook her frame from side to side in the box with the music, fully involved in the beat. Music had always been her passion and now it was the only choice of lifestyle.
When the dancers left the stage she defaulted to house music and left her perch to get something to hydrate herself. A few steps, she sliced easily through the crowd with a destination in mind and somehow managed to end up in the hands of a not so nice man.
“Back up,” she shouted, palms pushing the guy backward. That encouraged him to pull her closer, ripping a seam on the side of her top, though thankfully it was near her hip. A twist and Penny slid like a wet fish out of his grasp, only to collide lightly with someone else.
“Sorry!” The apology was offered half-heartedly as the man from a second ago reached out and grabbed her arm, trying to pull her back.
A bored Derek had decided on a whim to head to Iris, in the hopes of running into Wren and seeing if they could get up to some antics. The non-murderous kind, preferably. He had been enjoying the music, drifting through the club, senses tuned in for the vampire. As such, he didn’t notice when a woman was about to softly ricochet off of him.
When he noticed the sleaze trying to tug her away, the vampire’s eyes narrowed. He grabbed the man’s arm and not-so-politely removed it from its grasp. “Come on, dude,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t be that guy. I know, I know, you have probably always been that guy. But you need to go fuck off now.”
He turned his attention to her. “You okay?”
Penny would hold up a finger to the stranger - a wait a second gesture - and turn back toward the man who had been trying to grab her. As if she were a shield between that asshole and the man behind her, she glared. “I’m sorry, you don’t speak English? I said back off.”
“Come on baby, I have cash,” the man uttered, smirking. “Where’s your brain?” She retorted, narrowing her eyes. “If I tell you again, I’m going to punch you so hard your friends are going to tell the story of how you got your ass handed to you by a woman in Vegas. And I’m going to take your hand as a souvenir.” All of this was in jest, but she wanted him to realize how serious she was about being manhandled.
“Screw you, you crazy —“
Penny sighed, shoving the man backward so hard he flailed and fell over onto the floor. The place erupted in laughs. Maybe she used a bit more strength than she needed to but the point was made.
A smile and she pivoted on her heels to look at the other guy, “I’m fine, thanks.”
Derek watched this exchange with a shocked but happy grin on his face. He laughed with the rest of the crowd who had witnessed it. “That was awesome,” he told her, raising his beer in a silent toast. “Expertly handled.”
Then, his grin settled into a friendly smile. “You’re the DJ tonight, right?” He gestured to the booth. “I saw you up there earlier. You’re dope.” He moved a step closer to her as people walked to get by.
Some people were turned off by aggression. She plainly didn’t care what people thought of how she acted or reacted when someone was being rude. A hand would lift into her hair to push the blonde strands out of her eyes. “Thanks.” She laughed a little.
“Yeah, that’s me,” came the reply. “I play a few places around here - but this one is my favorite.” Who couldn’t love Iris? The atmosphere was perfect, the people were nice enough (the one guy on the floor notwithstanding), and the drinks flowed like water.
She noted the drink in his hand and motioned to it, “Don’t let me keep you from your friends or the show, but can I get you another drink for being my pillow?” She had crashed into him, after all.
“Ah, yeah, friends.” He rolled his eyes self-deprecatingly. “I thought someone I knew would be here, but no dice.” Derek didn’t entirely mind. The opportunity to chat with someone about something besides drinking blood wasn’t one he received often. Especially not with the pretty DJ.
“You don’t have to do that,” Derek assured her, smiling again. “I was happy to be your pillow.”
Her eyebrows would lift at the statement. So he was haunting a club by himself? While it seemed strange it really wasn’t, she was sort of doing the same thing except she was being paid for it. A shrug of her shoulders, “Suit yourself, then.” Annie would grin and then motion to the bar, “I have to get a water and get back to the booth. If you change your mind about that drink, tell Scott or Angie and they’ll put it on my tab.”
Penny then offered a wave and ducked to the left, back on course for the intended destination. It went well enough and without interruption. An elbow would go on the counter after she found a spot and she would lean over slightly to tell Angie what she was after.
He couldn’t help but grin when she did, it was sort of infectious. Derek watched her return to the booth as he finished up his beer. Then he shrugged. Fuck it. Might as well take advantage of a free drink. He made his way to the bar and located Scott, ordering a second round. When it was popped open and passed to him, the vampire turned to watch Penny.
There was something magnetic about her presence, and he forgot all about why he had come to the club in the first place. Something about...finding someone...and…
Derek brought the beer to his lips, eyes glued on the booth.
With her drink in hand, Penny would glide back to the stairs and ultimately to the booth that overlooked the stage and dance area. Her voice would filter over the sound system - “this next tune goes out to someone special, so grab the person next to you and dance like no one is watching.” A dance song with a furious beat would erupt and Annie smiled.
Her eyes swept the crowd. Even from the shadow of her perch she could see the patrons clearly. As she spotted the guy she’d bumped into, her bottle of water would lift and she offered a point - a gesture as if to say I got you.
The corners of Derek’s mouth twitched as she made the announcement. He turned to a woman next to him with a ’you heard the lady’ expression. The woman curtly shook her head at him before moving away, and the vampire shrugged. Oh well. He couldn’t really dance anyway.
Instead, he sort of just swayed to the beat. Until, that is, Mr. Grabby Hands from earlier came up behind Derek and jabbed him aggressively in the shoulder.
Penny sipped from the water.
The bottle would go down, aside, and she lost herself in the beat again. Most of the time this place took care of its own music as it tended to be special and cater to the entertainment, but she obliged and was grateful for the opportunity to show her skills.
Fluidly then music would shift and blend. It never paused or skipped a beat, always encouraging and moving like the tide.
Down below, the other guy would poke the vampire - or the metaphorical bear - clearly upset at being embarrassed from the event earlier. Had to take it out on someone, why not the weak looking man since the girl wasn’t around to teach lessons to?
From Penny’s vantage point, she would see Derek leaning in to whisper something to the man. The man would nod, and Derek would lead him through the crowd and to a back exit.
Once outside, the vampire turned to the aggressor. “So, I guess you’re gonna kick my ass now?” The tool bag descended upon Derek, but it was over quickly. The vampire left the man in a crumpled heap in the alley, not dead, but dead to the world. He returned through the back entrance and took up his original post by the bar, not a scratch on him.
Her eyes would find Derek; the conversation was noted but she made no move to do anything about it. A bit of concern was held but it faded. A few more songs and Penny took another small break - the house music was back for the duration.
Back on the main floor, she wandered over to the guy from earlier. “Everything cool?” Not that it was her business but that guy looked rough. This one didn’t seem to have a scratch on him - she caught the scent of the air outside but no mention of it was offered.
“Oh, yeah,” Derek answered cheerfully. “Totally cool.” He smirked a little. It still amused him when some men liked to play the ‘alpha’ role. It was beyond ridiculous. Still, the vampire didn’t want to risk killing the man, not when he wasn’t exactly aware of Iris’ security protocols. He didn’t need the attention here, and knowing a person that worked and danced at the club, it would have also been selfish to do so.
“Call me curious, but...when is your set over?”
“Oh good. Our friend seemed like he needed to tell you a secret,” she murmured, though more to herself than directed at him. Her brow furrowed as if she were thinking and then the expression lifted allowing her features to even out. Penny blinked and looked up at the man talking to her.
Her smile would come back and she felt a bit sheepish for being distracted. “In an hour.” A shrug of a shoulder. Then she would call her Uber and go back home the way she always did after a set.
“Why?” There was that curiosity. She had to admit she was intrigued, too.
Derek was slightly nervous, he wasn’t gonna lie to himself. How he could go from murdering violent mobsters to being shy around a beautiful woman, he wasn’t sure. Life was a mystery. “If you wanted to, you know, have some company.” A casual shrug was given.
“I’m the company, in this case,” the vampire added. “If that wasn’t clear.” Another smile.
Penny laughed. “Company? That’s a … broad term. I don’t even know your name.” He seemed alright, she wasn’t picking up on anything that told her she was in immediate danger. Playing it on the cautious side was good, though. It kept her and her secret safe. Being close to people was hard when you weren’t like everyone else.
She only had a few minutes to chat but she suspected the next hour would fly.
“Oh, that’s easy to fix,” he told her, before switching his drink to his other hand and offering the free one out to her. “I’m Derek. But I don’t mind the name Human Pillow, either. If that’s what you feel deep down in your heart.”
He looked up at the ceiling, then back down at her. “Okay, so by company, I mean we’ll hang out and I’ll admire you the whole time. Like this.” Derek pointed to his face. “Is that not an admiring look?”
At the extended hand she took it, grinning. “Penny.” He was funny. That was a quality she definitely looked for in people, humor. The ability to make light of a situation was a cherished and coveted one. She let go of his hand. “I bet you let every girl call you human pillow.” A laugh was bitten back but the amusement was there.
Then she did laugh. “Okay, okay. But don’t try to get friendly like that other guy. I collect hands,” she warned, playfully sticking a finger out toward Derek. “I’ll be back.”
The booth would be returned to. The set was finished on time as promised and for the last time that evening Annie descended the platform and was back on the main floor.
Derek had ordered another fresh water for her, and he held the bottle out as she returned. His eyes were caught by the sparkliness of her dress in the club lights. “Awesome set,” he told her, leaning against the bar. He briefly wondered if the guy was still unconscious out back. Oh well, nothing he could do about it now.
“So, tell me everything about you.” He grinned, only half-joking. “What is a typical post-DJ night for you?
The water was thoughtful and gratefully accepted. “Thanks,” she said. For the water and the compliment to her set. Her mind also touched on their friend but only briefly - wherever he went and ended up she considered a waste of a good meal. Oh well.
“Everything about me,” she smirked, repeating what he said. “If I told you everything, I’d have to kill you, and you’re too nice to murder. At least, not in the club setting.” And then she considered the question. “Usually I’m requesting an Uber on my phone and going home to eat and settle down.” She needed time to wind down from the energy surge she got from playing events.
“I’m actually really boring,” she offered, cupping her hand over her mouth on one side as if sharing a secret. “Don’t tell anyone.”
“I don’t think you could ever be boring,” he told her, eyes glinting. “And for the record, it would be worth it. I’d die happy.” Derek gave her a mischievous look.
“Do you want to get some fresh air? I don’t know if you get tired of being in here after a while. And we can talk without slightly shouting.” The vampire looked slightly hopeful.
Fresh air sounded like a dream. Plus she thought she could smell blood which wasn’t unnecessarily uncommon in a club setting. “Sure, let me get my stuff.” A moment to retrieve her bag from behind the bar and whatever cash she made that night would go into it. Penny didn’t bother with securing the wad of cash in a wallet, no it was just shoved into the chasm of girl stuff for later consideration and near future searching.
When she was ready, she motioned to Derek. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
As they walked outside, a sense of relief came over him. Clubs and bars were great for picking up meals, but it could also cause major sensory overload issues. The sounds, smells, and even sights were sharper than ever, and in an enclosed, crowded space it could sometimes be unbearable.
“Would it be weird if I told you how pretty you look in the moonlight?,” he asked. “Not that you didn’t look pretty in the club,” Derek added quickly. “And not that you’re just defined by your looks.”
Her heels clicked against the sidewalk. Even the street was full of people. She didn’t notice any of them though, catching a scent on the wind. Penny caught herself then looked up at him. “That’s sweet,” she murmured. “I bet you say that to all the girls.” Of course she was just teasing him.
“Would it be weird if I asked you why you smell like blood?” This came softer, almost as if she hadn’t uttered words at all.
“Sure, all the girls,” he joked. “Zero is a number, right?” Derek laughed. At her next question, though, which he heard clearly, he stumbled a little. Was she...He subtly leaned a little closer to her. There was a pulse, a strong one. Not a vampire.
What he answered next could be construed as a joke, if he needed it to be, but it was also a test. “Oh, that’s because I drank that dude’s blood when I took him out back.” Derek’s tone was breezy.
She looked skeptical at the number, letting it show in her features. “Uh huh, sure.”
The next part was taken with a bit of surprise but overall without much of a change in her outward expression. “Our friend? With the hands?” She knew the answer already. “Only the blood? Sounds like a waste of a meal, if you ask me.” Letting good meat lay on the ground and all.
That cleared up a bit of the unknowns; her experience with what humans knew as supernaturals was limited but Penny had met a vampire or three in her decades alive.
Now Derek was confused. “What else is important besides the blood?” As they walked, it dawned on him that he didn’t know exactly where they were going, and Penny might or might not be a potential cannibal. He did have a knack for getting into bizarre situations, it seemed.
“No judgment here, because obviously I’d be a hypocrite, but...do you eat people?” He turned to look at her.
She would open the bottle of water and take a sip as they moved, drinking as he inquired of her. Then the capped bottle would slip down into the depths of her bag. “Sort of,” she explained, wincing. “It’s a bit complicated.” And she didn’t want to talk about it on the street in public.
“Why don’t we hop an Uber to my place and I’ll explain?” Her hand would wave in a casual way at the people walking around them. “Sort of busy out here.”
Penny didn’t have people over. It was something she swore by because of what she was, or the things that may cause questions. But if he was like her then the problems were minimal. “Of course you don’t have to, it’s totally cool.”
On one hand, Derek had gotten into enough trouble in the past month by saying ‘yes to things. On the other, he didn’t want to stop talking to her. C’est la vie. “Yeah, sure,” he confirmed, with a casual shrug of shoulders.
There might have been something wrong with his critical thinking skills. Or he might have been a glutton for punishment. Either way, Derek would just go with it.
Keeping secrets was totally a thing. She had a bunch of them, and the idea that consuming people didn’t seem to bother him that much was interesting. Drinking blood was, also. But he could’ve been lying to her. She didn’t think he was. “Great. I’ll get the Uber,” she nodded.
A couple of clicks from her phone and moments later the Uber cruised up to the curb. “At least this one wasn’t late.” She grabbed the door for Derek and then slid into the vehicle afterward. An address was given.
Then she leaned over and whispered into Derek’s ear, “Going home with a strange girl isn’t safe, you know.” It was a tease, of course, but she had seen a lot of movies that had terrible endings which started out in similar ways. Clearly he was more than capable of taking care of himself.
Derek froze, not from fear or nerves, but because a girl whispering into his ear was a major weakness. He felt goosebumps pop up on the back of his neck. He swallowed, trying to keep that casual demeanor that seemed to be holding all this together.
“Oh, I know,” he told her, his voice low enough that the Uber driver couldn’t hear. “That’s how I died.” And it was true. But he wasn’t exactly afraid of Penny. Derek could handle himself.
“Really?” She seemed oddly intrigued by that. “You don’t look tasty, sorry. No trouble from me.” That came out as a murmur that would’ve only sounded like noise to the driver, and then she turned to look out of the window. Derek was interesting. Most of the guys she met only wanted to hook up or wouldn’t get the hint - he was different.
Eventually the Uber pulled up in front of her building. When it stopped she pulled her bag close and waved for Derek to follow. “Come on.”
Crawling out of the little car, Penny waited and then she approached the apartment building door. “Hold please.” She shook her bag, listening for the sound of keys.
“Why does that feel oddly insulting?” he laughed, following her to the door. Derek tilted his head, listening carefully. “They’re at the bottom of the bag,” the vampire informed her. He turned and watched the Uber drive off.
“I always wonder when they’re going to notice that I have no reflection,” he spoke softly. “Or maybe they do, and it’s part of the Uber driver code to not ask questions. Maybe, like, as long as you’re not throwing up in their car, it’s all golden.”
“What would I do without you?” She chuckled, digging to the bottom of the bag. Sure enough the keys and fob were there. The ring itself was attached to a leather image of a seashell - a few keys were connected that may have gone to other homes or various things that could use keys. Hers went into the lock and she turned on the small light as she entered.
“Do you not remember what you look like?” The question may have been an odd one but she was genuinely curious. “Come in,” she remembered something about vampires needing to be invited. Not that she was sure yet he was one.
Her bag went on a hook near the door and a second was taken to remove the high heels. A breath of relief escaped and barefoot she moved further into the little apartment. A lamp here and there would be turned on out of courtesy but otherwise the place remained dark.
The lights weren’t necessary, he could see perfectly. He always loved seeing other people’s living spaces. What they chose to do with it, what items they brought into their homes, the smells. It was oddly voyeuristic, even though he had been invited. “Um, I know I have brown eyes, and a nose? There is some general face going on. I wasn’t the biggest fan when I was, you know, alive. So now I don’t ever have to look at myself. I say win-win.”
Self-deprecating to a fault, but it wasn’t a put-on. He was being honest. “Look at me. Look at my outfit. Does it look like I can see my own reflection?” he joked.
Twirling around slowly, she did look at him. Her motion ceased when the backs of her legs met the lip of the couch and Penny would move to sit down upon the giving surface. She tucked a leg underneath herself, studying him. “Turn around,” she instructed, twirling her finger in the air. “Like you’re on a catwalk.” Biting back a laugh, she relaxed.
“You look perfectly fine to me. Those pants are...interesting, though.” Most people could dress themselves, that wasn’t always a challenge. “Your eyes are brown,” she confirmed, finger crooking at him in a come hither motion and her other hand would pat the cushion next to herself.
“But they have this look to them.”
He shrugged and did as she said, turning in place before strutting over to the couch. Derek settled beside her. The vampire regarded her with a soft smile. “Oh, yeah? What kind of look?”
When Derek sat, she turned herself to look at him more closely. “Like this kindness,” she explained. She wasn’t someone who really gave much thought to other people - humans were food, after all. Some of them were more tolerable than others though actual details tended to escape her vision unless she was after something or using whatever she could pick up on to lure her prey. “Maybe you don’t think that you are, but nobody is all the time.” If that were the case she wouldn’t have any reason to help herself to humanity. “I’m not an expert or anything, but I’ve been around for a little while.” Not in Vegas, but around.
“So, we came here to talk about our friend and what happened at the club, to play question and answer.” Her smile widened a bit. “Do you think he got up and left?” That was a question nagging at her. She had the sudden urge to go back and see for herself but that was an odd behavior and eating just now seemed bad taste.
“I didn’t kill him,” Derek admitted. “Kinda wanted to, but I didn’t want to make trouble at Iris. He’ll live, he’ll just be really tired for a few days.” His voice turned thoughtful and introspective. “It’s funny that you say that no one is kind all the time. Well, I’m definitely not. I have been sort of on this weird...killing binge.”
The vampire leaned back against the cushions, his eyes still on hers. “Do you kill people, Penny?” It may have been a dumb question, but he didn’t know for sure. Could you sort of snack on people, but leave the rest relatively intact?
She figured out the first part, there wasn’t nearly enough blood. Or maybe she didn’t quite understand how vampires worked. “Oh, well I suppose that’s good.” Though that meant he could terrorize more people. She wasn’t blaming anyone, not outside of their friend for being a jerk, anyway. “Are they? Do you know a single person who is kind all the time?”
Penny would smile a little, shrug a shoulder. “If I have to, yes.” While that wasn’t exactly true, he didn’t know what she was and why people were so important. Sirens could be scavengers. While they preferred living, warm flesh, cold and dead was sustainable.
“I like talking to you about this,” Derek told her plainly. “I think you actually understand.” There were a few people privy to his activities, this was true. But there was something about Penny’s casual attitude toward it that intrigued him. As he sat there with her, he realized it felt more natural than anything.
The vampire nudged her leg with his knee. “I knew you’d be good company.”
A soft laugh. To anyone susceptible it may have sounded ethereal in tone. “Who knew I would run into such a good listener?” She smiled at him. “I’m sure you have other questions, most people do. How long have you been this way?” Her eyebrows lifted. “You look so young, and you’re cute in a dorky way.”
She was glad they could connect about something, even a thing as gruesome as death or murder.
“Oh, I always have questions. Most of them inappropriate.” He grinned. “And that feels like a backhanded compliment, by the way, but I’ll take it.” Derek ran his fingers through his hair.
“How long have I been cute and dorky? Pretty much all my life. The vampire thing, that’s been ten years.” Derek figured he might as well say the word. There was no point in dancing around it anymore.
Penny laughed softly. “Funny, too. Good to know.” Her interaction was limited for her own reasons, but Derek was easy to be around and to talk to. They seemed to be on the same page in a lot of ways.
“So that is what they call it - vampire.” That didn’t change anything for her ultimately. “I don’t know much about vampires except what I know from movies.” Her cheek would rest in her palm and her elbow would go to the cushion of the couch.
“That’s what they call it,” he agreed. Derek fixed her with a meaningful look. “This is the part where you tell me what you are. Because I know you’re something, besides a beautiful, badass, jerk-punching DJ.” He was too curious to let it slide. And, after all, it was only fair. The vampire had revealed to Penny his biggest secret.
Penny would laugh a little. “You’re sweet.” She wasn’t sure how to really explain what she was - a fish wearing a meat skin? That sounded plausible but maybe showing would work a little better to enhance the explanation.
A moment was taken to lean forward. She shimmied out of her jacket, set it gently aside, and then refocused on Derek. She lifted an arm, held out her hand with her palm facing the ceiling and kept her eyes on his.
Suddenly the skin began to change. Perfect, pale fingers and hand gave way to scales - blueish purple scales erupted and coated the limb up to the elbow. “History and fable would call us Siren,” she explained softly. “Maybe you’ve heard of them.”
Derek fell silent, watching her shift almost subtly at first, then…”Wow.” The vampire reached a hand out, his fingers running over the open palm of her hand. He looked back up at her face. “Sort of? I wasn’t what you would call a model student,” he explained. “I think the gist of it was, a beautiful mermaid-type woman who could sing, and dudes would fall over themselves to get to her, and then she would…”
He trailed off, realization filling his eyes. “Oh. Oh. Okay, yeah, it’s making sense now.”
As the pieces of the puzzle began to connect, Penny would only smile. “We are cousins to Merfolk,” she explained. “They are seen as the prettier of the species.” Very nonchalant again was the comment. Her skin would shift again, returning back to its normal pale perfection.
“They aren’t violent, anyway.” She dropped that as if it were as normal as talking about fashion or what someone had for breakfast that day.
Derek scooted closer to her, and he touched her hand again, this time running his thumb over the smooth skin. One wasn’t better than the other, to him, they were just different. “They sound boring, then,” he half-joked.
It was hard to describe what he was feeling, then. While he had been gaining some traction lately in terms of a social life, there was still the sensation of some kind of barrier between him and people. Even if they knew about his vampirism. Something was missing.
With Penny, he felt...close. When Derek met her eyes, his feelings were written plainly over his face.
“When I told you earlier that leaving our friend in the alley was a waste, it’s how I felt about it,” she explained. Her smile grew a bit as his cool fingers glided over her warm skin. “I need humans to live. The meat and the flesh. I can eat regular food too, but it won’t keep me like this.” Her free hand would motion to herself, she felt like he got the idea.
“I guess we are sort of similar, in a way, you and I.” They both seemed to need people to survive. “You need anything? A snack?” She wasn’t used to having guests but maybe she had something in the freezer that might be tantalizing.
He briefly wondered what a snack provided by Penny would be. She did say she sometimes ate ‘normal’ food, but then her earlier words about collecting hands came back, and this time not in the context of a joke. “Nah, I’m good,” Derek told her.
“There is something, though, but only if you’re okay with it.”
Her eyebrows would lift at the lure he’d thrown out, and naturally curious she nodded. “What is it?” She didn’t mind that her hand and arm were still out and offered, nor that his fingers were cold on her skin.
A bit of shifting, the couch sagged more as her frame turned to better converse, and she settled without moving too much at all.
It was something he hadn’t thought about in a while. Or, he supposed, something he’d been thinking he didn’t deserve. So, voicing it out loud was difficult. Any way he said it, Derek knew he would stumble, it would sound awkward, or worse. The vampire deduced the simplest way was probably the best policy.
“Can I kiss you?”
Her head would tilt to the side as she waited to see what was on his mind. It should’ve been evident to her - but then her wiles wouldn’t work on him anyway even if she had wanted to use them, or at least she didn’t think they would. But when the question finally came, she found the inquiry unsurprising from him. What surprised her was the idea that she wanted it, too.
“Yes.”
His hands moved up to her face, fingers sliding through the hair behind her ears. One thumb traced the line of her jaw. Derek leaned in and kissed her lower lip first, then the corner of her mouth. The vampire moved his body closer to her on the couch.
Eyes met hers briefly before closing again, and the next kiss was fuller, his own lips parting in invitation.
She had kissed a lot of people, sometimes that was necessary to gain that bit of trust, but it was never like this. He was gentle, careful with her. But then he’d been that way the duration of their odd friendship so far so why should her expectations be different?
Arms would lift, wind around him to draw him close. The space between them would become nil and she could feel the coolness he radiated even with clothes between them. Eyes closed, and she would lean in to return the kiss.
Her tongue would slip into his mouth for patient exploration, lithe fingers dove into those short dark strands of hair. And soft noises would dance across her mouth into his.
Derek’s left hand slid down to her waist, pulling her against him. His tongue mets hers, the fingers of his other hand sliding through her soft hair as the kiss deepened. Any doubt or anxiety seemed to slip away, and so did time.
After a few moments like this, the vampire pulled back, just in case she needed to come up for air. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “Was that okay?”
She did need air like this and thankfully he understood. One of her hands had fallen to his arm and she gripped lightly at a bicep, opening her eyes when the connection severed. Kiss bruised lips would smile, she nodded. “Perfect.” A soft kiss would be pressed upon the pad of his thumb. Those green eyes blazed with want.
“Do you..,” she began, pausing to calculate her words. “Do you want to stay for a while?” Maybe he had other things to do but she doubted it. He would’ve gone by now.
Derek grinned, trying not to nod too eagerly. “Of course I want to stay,” he told her, brushing loose hair away from her face. He couldn’t imagine leaving now. He would, of course, if she wanted him to. But he had been really hoping she didn’t want him to, and when Penny extended the invitation, the vampire was happy.
He leaned forward again to plant a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Oh good,” she laughed.
She felt fortunate for having run into Derek at the club, he was sweet and they had a lot in common. While she wasn’t particularly connected to others, she felt some sort of bond with him. They could level, they understood the concept of what the other was, in a way. And she understood the need for that connection.
“I have shades in the apartment,” she explained, motioning to the window nearby with a toss of her head. “They’re blackout shades. The seams don’t let light in. You’re safe here.” He needed to know that the fun didn’t stop here - she was prepared, not that she knew she had to be. Sunshine didn’t always get along with her and it was hard to sleep when it crept through the seams of the windows. The economic and functional choice had been automatic shades.
Penny pulled back and collected one of Derek’s hands. “What do you say we continue this party over there?” The joined limbs lifted and she motioned in the direction of a closed door down the hallway.
He squeezed her hand, a different sort of smile coming over his lips now. “I’d say, lead on.” Derek was amused by the blackout shades; he had the same kind at his apartment. They were a vampire essential, almost as much as blood.