The bartender raised an eyebrow at the girl as she set a box on the counter of his bar. “You’re that Summer girl, right?” he asked absently, and then nodded as he stepped away to find his employer. Several minutes later, he returned, “Vex’ll be out momentarily.”
And several moments later, the Mesmer appeared, walking over to where Summer stood at the bar. He was dressed in his finest. “‘Ello, Precious,” he greeted, “Ya called?”
Amusement touched his features as he listened to the girl stumble over her words; it was almost cute. He paused though, glancing at his own outfit when she brought it up, “Oh—well, it is Valentines’ Day. I was going to… you know what, never mind that; why don’t you stick around, and we can go upstairs where it’s a bit quieter?”
“Oh, I don’t want to make you change your plans,” Summer protested, hands up. “Are you laughing at me? You are laughing at me! Don’t laugh at me, Vex, you horrible creature.” She said the last with laughter in her own voice, shaking an ineffectual fist at him. “Oh, fine.”
A chuckle escaped the Mesmer’s lips as he commented, “Drunken ‘ookers are ‘ardly plans, love.” There was a pause as she laughed, and he found himself smiling, “Yes, I am, now c’mon, lets go upstairs, baby.” It wasn’t a common one, but the pet-name fell from his lips affectionately as he offered her his hand, the other moving to pick up the bakery box.
“Drunken hookers?” Summer repeated in a vaguely offended tone. “And don’t call me that, I prefer ‘precious’.” Nevertheless, she put her hand in his and let him pull her upstairs. She felt under-dressed next to him, in plain black jeans, white peasant shirt and low-heel ankle boots. Then again, they’d never matched well in looks, only contrasted.
The bartender raised an eyebrow at the girl as she set a box on the counter of his bar. “You’re that Summer girl, right?” he asked absently, and then nodded as he stepped away to find his employer. Several minutes later, he returned, “Vex’ll be out momentarily.”
And several moments later, the Mesmer appeared, walking over to where Summer stood at the bar. He was dressed in his finest. “‘Ello, Precious,” he greeted, “Ya called?”
The Dark Fae blinked in surprise as she presented the gift, but took it without complaint. Popping the bakery box open enough to see what was inside, his eyes widened and a pleasant smile formed on his mouth. Red velvet cake. “Thank you, Precious,” he said sincerely, setting it on the bar for a moment so that he could lean over and press a kiss to her lips.
The edge of the bar pressed into her breasts, cutting short the kiss. “I’m, um, I’m glad you like it,” she managed, fumbling for words. She gestured at his clothes. “Are you going somewhere?”
Amusement touched his features as he listened to the girl stumble over her words; it was almost cute. He paused though, glancing at his own outfit when she brought it up, “Oh—well, it is Valentines’ Day. I was going to… you know what, never mind that; why don’t you stick around, and we can go upstairs where it’s a bit quieter?”
“Oh, I don’t want to make you change your plans,” Summer protested, hands up. “Are you laughing at me? You are laughing at me! Don’t laugh at me, Vex, you horrible creature.” She said the last with laughter in her own voice, shaking an ineffectual fist at him. “Oh, fine.”
The bartender raised an eyebrow at the girl as she set a box on the counter of his bar. “You’re that Summer girl, right?” he asked absently, and then nodded as he stepped away to find his employer. Several minutes later, he returned, “Vex’ll be out momentarily.”
And several moments later, the Mesmer appeared, walking over to where Summer stood at the bar. He was dressed in his finest. “‘Ello, Precious,” he greeted, “Ya called?”
“‘That Summer girl’,” she muttered. When she looked up and caught sight of Vex, though, her mouth went dry. She had a pretty speech prepared to go with the gift, and it all flew out of her head. Wordlessly she picked up the box and held it out.
The Dark Fae blinked in surprise as she presented the gift, but took it without complaint. Popping the bakery box open enough to see what was inside, his eyes widened and a pleasant smile formed on his mouth. Red velvet cake. “Thank you, Precious,” he said sincerely, setting it on the bar for a moment so that he could lean over and press a kiss to her lips.
The edge of the bar pressed into her breasts, cutting short the kiss. “I’m, um, I’m glad you like it,” she managed, fumbling for words. She gestured at his clothes. “Are you going somewhere?”
The bartender raised an eyebrow at the girl as she set a box on the counter of his bar. “You’re that Summer girl, right?” he asked absently, and then nodded as he stepped away to find his employer. Several minutes later, he returned, “Vex’ll be out momentarily.”
And several moments later, the Mesmer appeared, walking over to where Summer stood at the bar. He was dressed in his finest. “‘Ello, Precious,” he greeted, “Ya called?”
“‘That Summer girl’,” she muttered. When she looked up and caught sight of Vex, though, her mouth went dry. She had a pretty speech prepared to go with the gift, and it all flew out of her head. Wordlessly she picked up the box and held it out.
Vex stepped out of the back room and spotted Summer slouched over the bar. “‘Ello love,” he greeted as he made his way over to stand on the other side of the bar, a glass of jack and coke in his hand.
Despite her ever-common response, Vex didn’t believe her; it was the same kind of excuse he would have used. A coil of anger twisted in his body as he got a better look at the bruising on Summer’s face. “It makes a difference because if I knew who it was I could bloody kill ‘em,” he snapped, eyes flashing with black lightning. “Somebody ‘urt you…” he said quietly, angrily, almost impossible to hear over the music, a frown on his face.
“Yes, they did,” she said wearily. “Please don’t. I didn’t — ” She sighed again, and lifted the glass back to her face. “It’s bad enough this happened, without you — ” Summer cut herself off again. She’d only come to Carpe Noctem because she didn’t expect to see Vex there, and she knew they wouldn’t hunt her in there.
Having Vex chew her out, even before he knew what her stupidity had gotten her into, was not part of the plan.
Seeing just how upset she was managed to cool the Dark Fae’s temper, though not entirely. He let out a heavy sigh and stepped closer to put a hand back on her shoulder, leaning down once again so that he could use a softer tone and still have her hear him. “I’m sorry, Precious. I just want to keep you safe..” he sighed again, brown eyes softening a bit.
She tensed a little at the touch of his hand. “I can protect myself!” Despite the evidence manifest on her face — and the bits he hadn’t seen yet, under her clothes. “Look, Vex, I — ” She cut off again, blowing out a sigh. “I’m being blackmailed, okay,” she mumbled.
Vex stepped out of the back room and spotted Summer slouched over the bar. “‘Ello love,” he greeted as he made his way over to stand on the other side of the bar, a glass of jack and coke in his hand.
Several emotions played across his face in a flash. First came the shock, but this was quickly replaced by a dense of disgust, and then came the fury. “Clearly, you can’t!” he snapped, hands balling into fists at his sides, “Who did this to you?” His voice was little more than a growl, raised but still only really loud enough to be heard by the two of them with the music blasting around their conversation.
She offered him the usual sort of answer: “You should see the other guy.” Putting the glass back down on the bar, she shifted around on the stool until she was facing Vex directly and properly pulled her hair back. Carefully, around the bruise, she said, “I don’t know who it was. They were immune to me, and strong enough to pick me up by my /face/.” The last word, spat out, was followed by a swallowed moan of pain. “What difference does it make?”
Despite her ever-common response, Vex didn’t believe her; it was the same kind of excuse he would have used. A coil of anger twisted in his body as he got a better look at the bruising on Summer’s face. “It makes a difference because if I knew who it was I could bloody kill ‘em,” he snapped, eyes flashing with black lightning. “Somebody ‘urt you…” he said quietly, angrily, almost impossible to hear over the music, a frown on his face.
“Yes, they did,” she said wearily. “Please don’t. I didn’t — ” She sighed again, and lifted the glass back to her face. “It’s bad enough this happened, without you — ” Summer cut herself off again. She’d only come to Carpe Noctem because she didn’t expect to see Vex there, and she knew they wouldn’t hunt her in there.
Having Vex chew her out, even before he knew what her stupidity had gotten her into, was not part of the plan.
Vex stepped out of the back room and spotted Summer slouched over the bar. “‘Ello love,” he greeted as he made his way over to stand on the other side of the bar, a glass of jack and coke in his hand.
He really didn’t believe her, and why would he? She never came to Carpe Noctem for just a drink; it was usually more of a visit, but today it was like she wanted him to leave her alone. ”Are you sure? There’s not anything wrong?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, “You can come upstairs with me and talk if there’s anything bothering you, love. You know that.”
She jerked up, forgetting she was trying to hide, and her hair tumbled back, revealing a cluster of fingertip-sized bruises on her cheekbone and a black-and-blue mark on her jaw. Her speech was a little slurred from the pain. “I can take care of myself!” Then she flinched and lifted the glass to press it against the bruise.
Several emotions played across his face in a flash. First came the shock, but this was quickly replaced by a dense of disgust, and then came the fury. “Clearly, you can’t!” he snapped, hands balling into fists at his sides, “Who did this to you?” His voice was little more than a growl, raised but still only really loud enough to be heard by the two of them with the music blasting around their conversation.
She offered him the usual sort of answer: “You should see the other guy.” Putting the glass back down on the bar, she shifted around on the stool until she was facing Vex directly and properly pulled her hair back. Carefully, around the bruise, she said, “I don’t know who it was. They were immune to me, and strong enough to pick me up by my /face/.” The last word, spat out, was followed by a swallowed moan of pain. “What difference does it make?”
Vex stepped out of the back room and spotted Summer slouched over the bar. “‘Ello love,” he greeted as he made his way over to stand on the other side of the bar, a glass of jack and coke in his hand.
Concerned, the Mesmer set down his glass and made his way over to the other side of the bar. Putting a hand gently on her shoulder, he bent his head to speak near her ear, where it’d be easy to hear him. “Summer, love? Are you okay?”
“‘I’m fine,” she lied. She turned her head a little, away, so there was no chance of him seeing the bruises patterning her left jawline. “I’m fine, Vex. I just needed a drink.”
He really didn’t believe her, and why would he? She never came to Carpe Noctem for just a drink; it was usually more of a visit, but today it was like she wanted him to leave her alone. ”Are you sure? There’s not anything wrong?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, “You can come upstairs with me and talk if there’s anything bothering you, love. You know that.”
She jerked up, forgetting she was trying to hide, and her hair tumbled back, revealing a cluster of fingertip-sized bruises on her cheekbone and a black-and-blue mark on her jaw. Her speech was a little slurred from the pain. “I can take care of myself!” Then she flinched and lifted the glass to press it against the bruise.
Vex stepped out of the back room and spotted Summer slouched over the bar. “‘Ello love,” he greeted as he made his way over to stand on the other side of the bar, a glass of jack and coke in his hand.
A mumbled groan was all he got in return. Most of the left side of her face was hidden behind her hair, one arm thrown out where it had apparently been propped up. She kept turning the glass with fingers that shook slightly.
Concerned, the Mesmer set down his glass and made his way over to the other side of the bar. Putting a hand gently on her shoulder, he bent his head to speak near her ear, where it’d be easy to hear him. “Summer, love? Are you okay?”
“‘m fine,” she lied. She turned her head a little, away, so there was no chance of him seeing the bruises patterning her left jawline. “I’m fine, Vex. I just needed a drink.”
Vex stepped out of the back room and spotted Summer slouched over the bar. “‘Ello love,” he greeted as he made his way over to stand on the other side of the bar, a glass of jack and coke in his hand.
A mumbled groan was all he got in return. Most of the left side of her face was hidden behind her hair, one arm thrown out where it had apparently been propped up. She kept turning the glass with fingers that shook slightly.
