(no subject)

[axeslade]

Okay, gotta make this quick since I'm at school, but new chapter of Vase Full of Blood!

As I walked Pam to my apartment, for the first time in my life I truly regretted never buying a car. I could have moved much faster, of course, but that would have meant answering a host of very unpleasant questions. So I kept to a nice leisurely pace, but this brought its own problems. Mainly because there were quite a few creeps out and about at this time of night, and Pam seemed to attract the gaze of a good ninety percent of them. And every time one of them stared at her just a half second too long, I found myself tensing the arm I had draped across her shoulders, tightening my fingers against her left arm.

After I had done this at least six times, Pam stopped in her tracks. I whirled my gaze around quickly, wondering if I’d been so preoccupied that I hadn’t heard or smelled some danger approaching. All I heard, though, was Pam’s mild laughter. She somehow managed to slide out of my grasp, and then she took hold of my hand.

“Mr. McCulluk-“

“Ambrose,” I said without thinking. She raised a pale brow, and then she shrugged a shoulder.

“Ambrose,” she smiled. “I know you mean well, but you’re leaving bruises on my arm.”

I winced when I realized without even looking that she must be right. What I thought was a gentle squeeze had to feel like a bone-shattering crush to her. I cast my gaze away from hers, realizing angrily that I definitely should have just dropped her off somewhere. This proved that it was far too dangerous for her to stay around me.

“I’m sorry,” I forced out though my constricted throat. I started to walk away, when I felt something tug at my sleeve. I turned, frowning when I saw her beryl eyes staring up at me pleadingly.

“No, I’m sorry,” she said sweetly. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, and I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. Can we just hurry up and get back to your place before I just collapse on the sidewalk?”

Damn it. She was right. There was no way I could just leave her here, and walking back to the bar or wherever she lived would definitely take longer. So I sighed and turned back, very delicately taking her hand in mine.

I could tell when I unlocked the door that Pam had definitely been expecting…well, something far different from what was there. I knew this without looking, because the few women I had lured here had felt the same way. I guess it’s not surprising. Even if they don’t know what I am, most women assume that a man who looks like me will have a sterilely-luxurious penthouse apartment with leather furniture and a great view of the city. Not a rundown two-room closet of a place with dirty clothes all over the place. In fact, the only thing that made my place different from the apartments of most single males was the lack of moldy pizza boxes and Chinese takeout cartons.

As I shut the door, Pam stepped in and gingerly walked through the place, seating herself on the couch. I felt my stomach turn when I saw her gazing around, a look of shocked disgust on her face. So I started picking up clothes as I walked over to her, grinning sheepishly (at least I hoped that what I was doing) as I did.

“I’m really sorry about this. It’s just that I don’t have company often and-“

“Oh no, it’s fine!” she interrupted before I could say anything else. I smiled and shook my head as I sat down on the arm opposite her. Even with those couple feet of distance, though, and the fact that there was no air moving through the room, I could still smell her and I had to sit on my hands in a vain attempt to hold myself back.

“No, you deserve better, especially on after a night like this. I should’ve just taken you to a hotel.”

“Ambrose,” she snorted, a ridiculously adorable sound, and rolled her eyes as she reached out to pat my leg. I let her, only because I knew if I moved or opened my mouth to protest, I’d probably find myself draped across her body with my teeth in her neck. “This is fine. Honestly, I’d be a lot more freaked out if you lived in some playboy bachelor pad. This is....comfy,” she grinned, leaning back against the cushions.

I laughed softly, and even managed to give her hand a friendly pat without salivating.

“Lord, I cannot believe your boyfriend wasn’t kissing the ground you walk on, much less that he wasn’t protecting you from those creeps tonight. He’s lucky.”

She laughed, and for whatever reason I sensed a bit of nervousness behind it.

“Yeah…yeah I guess so,” she murmured, pushing a few strands of red-blonde hair behind her ear. I felt that something was definitely wrong, but I didn’t push her. It didn’t matter anyway. In the morning she’d be gone and I’d never see her again. Oddly enough, I felt even colder than usual when I thought about that, but chose to ignore it. I had more to worry about than some random girl and her obviously stupid boyfriend.

With that thought, I stood up, making a great show of stretching my arms above my head.

“Well, I’m beat,” I said with a feigned yawn. “The bedroom’s just over there,” I said with a vague gesture. Pam stood up and gave me another look.

“Are you sure you don’t want the bed? It’s your apartment after all.”

Lord, she was a sweet girl. Far too sweet for a creep like me to even dream about. “No, no. You’re my guest, I insist. I’ll be fine out here.”

“Okay,” she said. She started towards the bedroom, then flounced back over to me, kissing my cheek.

“Thanks again. Sweet dreams, Ambrose.”

I swallowed as her delicate perfumed-scent floated into my nose and down the back of my throat. I knew I couldn’t say anything, so I stayed frozen there until she frowned and walked away, turning out the light as she did. Then I laid back on the sofa with a heavy sigh, closing my eyes.

“Sweet dreams, Pam,” I whispered.