Spend a Penny [Cassie]

[Dacian]

His stomach was approaching full. It would bring him nowhere close to healed, but it at least dulled the burning edge. Now his most important task was done, however, he found himself slipping. Even though every bone in his body ached, even though his jaw was aflame and it felt almost impossible that he would be able to stand, he could still look at Cassie and feel something other than pain.

She wasn’t running. She should have ran. He could have resisted a chase. Instead she just had to sit and taunt him. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His shivers had stopped, the warmth of the room filling his muscles and casting a lethargy over him that was hard to shift. His eyes opened slowly, and fixated on Cassie. Touching her neck, drawing away blood. His tongue parted his lips, running over them with deliberate slowness. She may as well be taking her clothes off one garment at a time for the effect it had on the vampire. Oh what he wouldn’t give to taste her.

He rumble he gave was not a vicious growl, and it was probably a good thing he could not muster the energy to go to her. He could so easily forget his troubles as the stirring idea of licking the smeared blood from her skin pushed away most other thoughts. It was a helpless tide of emotion, but he could not yield to it. The child growing inside her saw to that.

Dacian swallowed, winced, and rested the crown of his head on the chairs back with a sigh. “You should go.” He said throatily, staring resolutely at the ceiling. That thought served to sober him a little; Edward was up there, sleeping soundly, and she would join him in a warm embrace. Body heats combined. A faded memory of he and his own wife curled together under the heavy covers, their fingers entwined over her swollen abdomen.

He closed his eyes tightly. No, he had to stop this whimsy. He could never have a mortal’s happiness. Cassie would never be his, he would never lie with her in bed, and he would never rediscover the proud warmth of fatherhood. She did this to him, and while she claimed to never mean to hurt him, she managed quite well by just existing. The wounds on his dead heart were greater than any his flesh could withstand.

[Cassie Vimes]

For what felt like ages, but was actually a couple of minutes at most, a silence fell between them and Cassie felt the tension draining out of her. It was hard to maintain the state of fear that had gripped her since she’d entered the pub, not when they seemed to be caught in some kind of... She wasn’t sure what to call it. Stalemate? Truce? Whatever it was losing the adrenaline rush of fear that had kept her on her feet left her drained and about ready to do anything Dacian said just so she could return to the comfort of her bed.

Cassie looked up as Dacian broke the silence with a deep noise caught somewhere between a purr and a growl, her eyes following the direction of his gaze to the tacky, semi-coagulated blood on her fingertips. She cleared her throat just as his head dropped back, hastily wiping her thumb across the pads of her fingers to try and wipe the blood away. It didn’t work and wearily she got to her feet, reaching across the bar to grab one of the rags Ed used to wipe down the glasses and quickly rubbing away all evidence of just how close Dacian had been.

”I should go?” She asked incredulously and turned back to face him, taking a couple of steps towards the chair he was sitting in before she stopped herself. Cassie narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms and still clutching the dishrag she’d picked up from the bar. ”And leave you hear for Ed to find you when he gets up to open the pub?” She couldn’t suppress the concern that Ed might do something reckless if he found Dacian alone and injured in the bar or the guilt that she was thinking about protecting the vampire again, about hiding something from her boyfriend when he was only just beginning to trust her again.

”It’s getting late... Early...” Cassie winced, growing as frustrated with herself as she was with the vampire who couldn’t seem to leave her alone. ”The sun will be up soon.” She corrected by way of explanation, crossing the rest of the distance between them to stand awkwardly by the chair. ”You can stay in the cellar.” Ed wouldn’t be happy, but what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him and she couldn’t stand the thought of sending Dacian away without knowing he was going to be okay. ”And clean up some of that blood before you get it on the furniture.” She added with a weak smile.

[Dacian]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=background,http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/Tigeress/Random/postscripts/daci.png][bg=000000][atrb=style,background-position: top; background-repeat: no-repeat; padding: 220px 65px 65px 65px;]Argh. She couldn’t just listen for once? Her familiar footsteps came over the wooden floor, and he could literally feel her warmth like an aura around her. Damn her all to Hell. He couldn’t keep his eyes closed any longer as she just had to come and stand by his chair. He glared up at her, and tugged the dishcloth from her hand with a lethargic movement. “I know exactly how close the sun is to rising, woman. I’m a vampire; you think I can’t feel the heat of the damn thing? You think I don’t feel it every damn morning?” Clenching the rag in one hand, he grabbed her hand with the other. “Smearing the blood around does nothing. You’d have to bathe in perfume to cover it. You’re full to the brim with blood, you smell just as edible with or without the stuff smeared all over you.” He followed the line of her arm with his gaze, lingering on the smear at her neck. But by God, smearing herself in blood made her desirable as more than food. He growled, and let go of her hand, simultaneously throwing the rag to the floor at his feet. He purposefully wiped his chin on the chair’s fabric before he stood, a little uncertainly, and glared over his shoulder at the blond. “Like Hell I’m spending the day trapped in this God-forsaken place with you and that boy. Edward would open every curtain and laugh while I burned. He’s a hateful jealous boy, and he deserves a stupid little girl like you.” He snapped, dredging up any insult that he hoped would cause a pang of hurt. She had the nerve to pity him? Hah! He wavered a little, and his frown deepened as if it were Cassie’s fault. Leaving with a purposeful stride right now would be great, but he had to settle for glaring while he regained his balance.

[Cassie Vimes]

Cassie released her old on the rag in her hand without complaint, not missing just how sluggish his movements were. As far as she was concerned that was confirmation that she had a right to be worried, if he couldn't even lift a cloth how was he supposed to find shelter before the sun rose. ”Then you'll know it's not safe for you to be outside for much longer and you're in no state to be finding somewhere safe to stay until the sun sets.” She persisted through gritted teeth in response to his snapped comment. Why couldn't he just let her help him?

The sudden switch from lethargic to lightning-fast movements made her pulse jump, a fact he likely didn't miss with his fingers circled around her wrist. Cassie didn't try to pull her hand out of his grip as he spoke, even though her eyes narrowed in annoyance and a blush darkened her cheeks. ”I wasn't cleaning up for your benefit.” She snapped, anger tempered by the pink lingering on her cheeks and the way her pulse had quickened. Even that felt like a betrayal. ”Don't you think Ed would be worried if I went back upstairs covered in blood.”

She stepped away from the chair when Dacian dropped her hand, biting back a remark as he smeared blood onto the chair instead of using the cloth and got unsteadily to his feet. It was little comfort that he didn't seem as bad as the first time she'd seen him with a religious burn. But if he wasn't willing to accept the help then there was nothing she could do.”Ed would never do that, he's not a murderer.” Cassie found herself defending the bartender, breaking her resolve to keep quiet as Dacian left. ”Edward doesn't scare me, he doesn't hurt me and he lets me help him, which is more than I can say for you!” Well, one out of three wasn't bad.

[Dacian]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=background,http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/Tigeress/Random/postscripts/daci.png][bg=000000][atrb=style,background-position: top; background-repeat: no-repeat; padding: 220px 65px 65px 65px;]Why did she always insist on trying to help? The further he pushed her away, the more adamant she became that he needed her. All she had to do was leave him alone but she couldn’t even manage that. Instead she just had to stand around blushing, defying her own point about trusting him by lingering. If she didn’t trust him, then why didn’t she leave? Dacian was beginning to suspect that either she was just ridiculously stupid, or she knew on some base level that he really didn’t want to hurt her. It was damn near impossible to insult the girl. How much was it to ask for her tolerance to snap and for her to flounce out like any other woman? The vampire grumbled under his breath and caught her wrist again, gently this time. His fingers pressed to her pulse for the guilty pleasure of her quickened heartbeat, and his eyes lingered on her blood-flushed cheeks. She was a tempting little morsel; it was if she tempted him on purpose. He should just leave, the sun was pressing on the horizon and while annoying, Cassie was right about not having much time to find a safe place to rest. Just one more comment, an irresistible one. Edward was no saint, and it would do his own selfish sense of satisfaction good to remind Cassie of that. “Edward beheaded Cain. He branded me with a crucifix that almost killed me. Your own government gave vampires rights. We can’t be killed like pests. Edward murdered the man who took you. Given the chance, Edward would kill me too, don’t delude yourself otherwise.” He said, surprisingly neutral. The vampire released her wrist and stepped away uneasily. “Stop trying to help me.” He said over his shoulder before continuing across the room. “I don’t want it. I don’t need it.” He added as he opened the front door, locking eyes with her briefly before shutting the door behind him. The sky was frighteningly light. He would have to push himself to find somewhere safe before the sun crested the horizon but he’d be damned if he was spending any more time in the God forsaken pub.

[Cassie Vimes]

Dacian’s warning about Edward was like a slap to the face, a forceful reminder that the safe little bubble she’d constructed around herself at the Hog’s Head might all be a delusion. She’d thought Ed was the safe option, he was good and he’d take care of her and the baby. But when she closed her eyes for a brief moment all she could picture was the hate-fuelled desperation on Ed’s face as he’d swung the sword at Cain’s neck. But Cain had deserved to die… hadn’t he?

Cassie managed to hold it together until Dacian released his grip on her arm, the shudder running down her spine only after he’d started to cross the room to leave. She couldn’t let him see his words had had an impact or let him believe she ever had a single doubt in Edward. She bit her lip as he delivered his parting shot, keeping her gaze lowered and watch Dacian’s boots as he walked out the door rather than catch a glimpse of the rejection on his face.

When she’d first walked down into the pub and struck up the harshly whispered argument with Dacian Cassie had wanted nothing more than to retreat back upstairs and snuggle into Edward’s side. But now, with dawn fast approaching and Dacian’s accusations against Ed playing on her mind, she couldn’t bring herself to head straight back upstairs. Instead she sighed and retrieved the discarded bar rag from the floor, using it to try and mop up a little of the blood Dacian had transferred to the chair before it had a chance to stain. It would have been much easier if she’d had her wand, but she’d left it on the bedside table when she got up to pee.