Unwilling Bite

[Color Me Fubar]

It was a small relief to be assured that Jianna liked her, although she made a mental note not to piss off the female vampire. Not that she had planned on it, but if she was that mercurial, it'd be better to be safe than sorry around her, Avery figured. She worked on her food while he explained, nodding at times to show she was listening. It was funny to hear how smug he sounded when he talked about how much worse it would have been for the two nasty vampires. Nicholas was definitely not as passive as he seemed, she guessed. And she hadn't even realized that the silent vampire that was with the two was the third council member. Her mind had been otherwise occupied at the time, after all.

When he suddenly stood up and walked out of the kitchen, she looked down and frowned at her plate in confusion. Had it bothered him, her eating in front of him? She hadn't even thought of that and winced at the idea she'd upset or disgusted him. Getting up, Avery rinsed the syrup off her plate and set the dishes in the sink before following him into the living room. He was sitting on the couch, holding a blood bag but not drinking and almost looking like he was brooding. Curious, she sat down next to him.

"Well, that's nice if he thinks I want company, but you just got back. And I said I missed you," she admitted, her cheeks turning a bit red again. "So if he shows up, I'll just boot his a** out for another time. I was stuck with him for a week, after all," she added in amusement. For Avery, it was as simple as that, she didn't think why else the other familiar would be coming around.

[DarkDragonWitch]

Nicholas was sitting his feet resting on the cooler trying to think of the reason why he'd left like he had. It wasn't that her eating bothered him, or disgusted him, that much he knew. Not coming up with a logical reason for his actions he just shrugged it off and convinced himself he left like he did to get his strength back with the blood Jianna had Elliot bring over. He was contemplating opening the blood when Avery appeared and sat down beside him.

"I- I missed ye too love," he said, her comment made him smile as did her blushing cheeks as she told him she'd missed him. It was curious as too why though they'd barely gotten to know each other, why had she missed him? Before he could ask her she kept talking about her plans on rescheduling with Elliot. "Don't do it for me, Avery," he told her shaking his head to the comment. "I'll always be around ye, it won't be a problem if you go out and let Elliot show ye around the city," he said smiling at her playing with the blood bag in his hand. "I don't plan of goin' any where any time soon," he added encase that was her worry.

"Ye should go out with him, ye've been cooped up in this house for too long" he suggested tying to make a case for why it was alright for her to leave. "I'll probably be putting work of for a couple of days until I am fully recuperated." he continued his on his argument. "And there really be nothing much for ye to do here," his head shook from side to side he wouldn't let her put her life on hold just because he came back, they had all the time in the world to talk and get to know each other. "Ye should go have fun" Nicholas finished still smiling to her.

[Color Me Fubar]

Avery looked at him, aware she felt slightly hurt he was so obviously trying to get rid of her, and put it up to ego. Well, she had missed him and here he was practically throwing her out a window. She had sort of hoped he'd missed her, but apparently not much. But she shrugged carelessly, though her tone did get just a touch cooler. "Well, I like being cooped up in this house, I'm not much of a social butterfly to start with," she told him absently, that much being the truth. There was plenty for her to do in the house, in her opinion, being bored was hardly going to happen with so much to look at still.

"Well, it's not like Elliot is walking through the door anyway, so the point is moot unless he actually shows up," she added pointedly. She wasn't looking at it like Nicholas was, about having plenty of time. Avery was still looking at everything from a mortal point of view and after him being gone for a week - for her, that was a long time, while for him maybe it had just been a blink. She wasn't in the mood to 'have fun' - she never was, actually. She wasn't a party, social person and being a vampire's familiar wasn't likely to change that in the least.

Shrugging again, Avery glanced up when the front door was unlocked and rolled her eyes to the ceiling when, sure enough, the other familiar popped in, grinning. "I'll go get shoes, since you want me gone," she muttered to Nicholas, before getting to her feet and heading down to her room. Sighing, she changed into a top that showed a bit more skin than usual, but still stuck with sneakers - practical footwear for the win, in her opinion.

[DarkDragonWitch]

"Avery that's not what...." Nicholas started and sighed as she left the room to get ready to go out. He schooled his expression like he'd done for so long letting himself appear bored and withdrawn he didn't want the other familiar sharing his side of what was happening between Avery and the vampire who turned her. In all honestly Nick thought that Avery would rather enjoy being with Elliot than him and was looking for permission to go out. He was quite enjoying her company and didn't want her to leave but he didn't want her to stay if she didn't want to be there. Pushing the thought from his mind he looked at Elliot and smiled slightly to the male familiar. "Elliot," he greeted with a bob of his head.

"Nick, glad to see you're back" Elliot said smiling and looking to the direction Avery went. "Guess she's going to get ready," he grinned boyishly and sat down on the couch while he waited.

"Elliot, I think it goes with out say," Nicholas started looking to the familiar as he sat down. "Ye'r to watch out fer her out there," he said knowing that as long as Avery was with Elliot of himself the other vampires and familiars would leave her alone. Other wise they'd have to deal with Jianna and that was never a good idea messing with people she considered friends.

"Of course, day and night when ever I have her out with me," Elliot said nodding head head to Nicholas and his concerns. "Jianna already gave me the speech, and you know I'd never go against Jianna's wishes," he said and blushed a little as another thought popped into his head. "Besides I am a bit found of Avery, she's smart and caring and quiet breath-takingly beautiful." he finished looking to the other male who just nodded in silent agreement with the familiar. "Do you think she'd go out with me if I courted her properly?" the familiar asked.

"Good, good" Nicholas said nodding his head smiling more to the familiar as he agreed to watch out for Avery and explain his own motives for wanting to keep her safe. "Ye two have a good time tonight" he added bring a close to the conversation hearing Avery almost ready to go. Ignoring the question about Avery dating Elliot, mostly because he didn't know and well he didn't want to think about it.

[Color Me Fubar]

Poor Avery hadn't a clue the conversation that was going on between the two males, instead making sure she wouldn't fall out of her top if she made a wrong move. After that she ended up having to climb under her bed to find her shoe, not entirely sure how it had gotten under there in the first place, and brushed her hair out again from the dust. Making sure she wasn't grimy, she rubbed her face and sighed. She didn't want to go out. She liked Elliot, sure, he was nice and she enjoyed spending time with him. But when it came down to it, she'd missed Nicholas.

Muttering to herself, she shoved her keys in the pocket of her jeans and left her jacket, the cool spring air turning to balmy summer nights that was soon going to make her dig out her shorts. "Sorry, lost the damn shoe under the bed," she said with a shrug as she ambled out, missing the expressions of both men. "I'm ready to go wherever you planned on dragging me tonight, since Nicholas is kicking me out," she said with an exaggerated sigh, although the grin on her face made it clear she was teasing.

Sort of.

[DarkDragonWitch]

"You look lovely Avery," Nicholas said giving her a slight bow as she came into view. She did looked quite beautiful he watched her as Elliot walked up to meet her and offered her his arm as an escort to lead her out of the house. "Enjoy ye'r night, see ye both later" he smiled to them watching them. He hide his reaction as she tease about him kicking her out but it hurt that she thought that. Though he still said nothing to her. "Now if ye both excuse me I have blood to drink or broken leg's to bare." he said grabbing the cooler and walking away letting the two have their privacy, he also didn't want to be caught brooding over their interactions together.

Elliot looked at Avery taking her in letting his eyes move down her body letting linger on her body before retuning to her eyes. Damn! "You look beautiful," he said grinning to her as his eye racked over her body, working their way up and lingering on her exposed breast. He was efficiently a man. "I was thinking perhaps a movie and then dinner after?" he asked missing the fact that Nicholas spoke before leaving. Elliot was a little to focused on Avery and her out fit, he couldn't get over her outfit. Though that didn't make him think any less of her, he was just well....a guy put simply and in PG.

[Color Me Fubar]

Avery gave the vampire a small wave as he walked out, pointedly ignoring Elliot as he spent a few moments ogling her. She'd have been offended, except she'd done it on purpose, so it really wouldn't be fair to beat him. "I'll be sure to tell Jianna you're listening to her," she called, before turning to Elliot with a grin and taking his arm, slowly getting used to his old-fashioned manners. "I'm up for whatever, as long as you don't sic your mistress on me," she remarked, letting him lead her from the house out into the night.

* * * * *

Eight years had passed since that night and instead of gently easing into summer, it was now the tail end of the hottest month of the year as they waited for the heat to break and autumn to turn. To Avery's surprise, eight years had brought less changes than she had thought, as she slowly grew accustomed to how time passed for someone who was basically immortal. Days, weeks - they stopped being how you judged time. Instead, you measured by events, or even years. She wasn't at that point quite yet, but she had started to get used to the apparently-lazy way the vampires and their familiars approached life. What was the rush indeed, she had realized, when you literally had all the time in the world?

Lonely after two years of being pursued by Elliot and no one else - ahem - making any advances to her, she'd started up what could only be called a '******** buddy' relationship. At least on her end, as she didn't have any romantic feelings for the man, but she did care for him on some level. As for him, she didn't know and didn't want to ask.

Jianna, it seemed, was right. Going right along with the patience grown from immortality, neither Rom nor Marie had made any sort of moves as the years passed. Their lives had fallen into an almost-routine and Nicholas had begun talking about going traveling before they got too bored with the city. Despite the changes in human politics, vampires remained the same and relations with human cities did as well. They were polarized - either they hated the vampires, or were willing to tolerate them. Eight years was long enough for her to notice changes in people she used to know and realize she was no longer physically aging, although mentally she sometimes felt a hundred years old.

"It's called air conditioning, Nicholas! I'm going to go sit out in my truck and burn gas at this rate to get some!" she griped, stretched out on the floor with a fan blowing on her, trying to cool off. She was, while not naked, a bit on the skimpy side in a thin tank-top and high shorts, her hair twisted up off her neck. She'd long gotten past any hang-ups on her body and this - this was just too damn hot to wear clothes, besides. "You're just trying to make me melt," she added with a dramatic sigh.

[DarkDragonWitch]

"I have offered ye the money to buy for for ye'r self love," Nicholas answered with a little chuckle looking over her body as subtly as he could. He knew she was sleeping with Elliot, he could smell the familiar on her every once in a while. He was admittedly a bit jealous of the male but happy for Avery, it was the one thing he could never be for her. Not that she would want him to be either but didn't stop him from thinking about it. He found himself more often then not thinking about kissing her again, or the first and only kiss he'd ever given her. She was more than just her body to him, but he was still nothing to her.

Sure over the years they'd become friends he'd now got into the habit of walking around the house shirtless with low rise jeans. Much like he would have done when he was human on a hot summer's day while working with the horses and around the manor. Even though the heat of summer didn't effect him any more, at first he had found doing it strange but then...well it was still strange but as Avery started dressing in less clothes he figured he'd make it as even as he possibly could to keep her feeling comfortable.

"After all I can't very well go out shopping with ye during the day when that sort of store is opened," he reminded her with a grin, watching her body moving every time she breathed or moved. "Aye and what if I am then love, what will ye do?" he asked challenging her to do anything. Looking for any excuse to touch her, most of the time he was able to stop himself. He would remind himself that he wasn't what she wanted, he wasn't what she needed. Though there was time's like now were he'd challenge her to do anything in the hopes that he'd be able to touch her soft skin and toned body.

[Color Me Fubar]

She threw the ice cube melting on her forehead at him, groaning. "Window units are ancient at this point. And I can't hire a bunch of humans to wander around the house while you're sleeping, tearing it up to install it all!" she complained, propping up on her elbows to give him a mildly-dirty look. Only mild because, sleeping with Elliot or not, she never failed to appreciate Nicholas shirtless. Did she feel guilty? Hell no, she didn't love Elliot nor was she committed to him like that. And she'd tried over the years, when she realized she felt something a bit more than friendship for Nicholas, to get that across, but he either never seemed to notice or brushed it off.

"I didn't know you could control the weather now just to melt me," she remarked dryly, rolling her eyes to the ceiling in silent supplication to whatever deity was up there. In heaven, hopefully, not the ceiling, although there was a Buddha statue up above them somewhere in the attic....she grabbed another melting ice cube from the bowl beside her and stuck it on her head with a sigh that indicated great, great suffering. She hated summer. Hated it. You couldn't walk around naked - and even if you could, you were still freaking hot. No, summer just sucked and she was more than ready for it to go - away - now. "Can we move to, like, the South freaking Pole or something? Lots and lots of ice," she said dreamily, fantasizing about a glacier.

Recalling how cold the vampires were - being undead and all - she brightened and eased herself to her feet, having been stretched out on her back for the better part of three hours trying to hide from the heat. Clearly, it wasn't working. He was half-stretched out on the couch and she walked over and flopped on top of him, sighing happily a moment later. "Right now you're colder than the ice cubes. And you won't melt," Avery remarked cheerfully, resting her forehead near his collarbone with another relieved sigh. "Why didn't I think of this sooner?"

[DarkDragonWitch]

"I'd also have to go to the council to get the humans a proved access into the city," Nicholas said shrugging sure he could ask Jianna to opening their pencil an appointment to see him so he could bargain with them and offer then what ever they wanted. And to see her happy, it would be worth what ever they had in mind for the request. Hell even going and being tortured in a church for a week again would be worth seeing her happy. But he wasn't sure how happy she'd be if he did that just for her. He'd have to think more on it and maybe talk to Jianna and see what she suggest.

"I have many talents that ye don't know bout love," he chuckled to her dirty look and dry remark. He had noticed her trying to push for something more then friendship, and as much as he was tempted to take her up on the offers, he couldn't get the thought of her being a lady out of his head, he was a uneducated stable boy the could always look and dream but never touch. He tried to explain it once but it just got screwed up and he'd gone out for a walk. "Sure, ye can pack for winter all year round, though it get way below freezing at night and during their winters." he informed her with a grin.

He watched Avery stand for a moment worried that he might have been caught watching her and drinking her body in. It wasn't that she layed on top of him that he relaxed and realized that he wasn't in trouble for staring at her. Though as she lay on him taking in his ice like temperature his body was tens, nervous in it's want for her, his hands wanting to run slowly along her body taking in every inch of her. He had to fight to make himself relax and ignore what ever wants he wanted. In love or committed with Elliot or not he wasn't going to take away her happiness because he wanted to feel her bare body against his.

Once he was relaxed he wrapped his arms around her back his nails absently drawing lines along her exposed skin and laughing gently to her comment about him not melting. "Ye just want me for my ice cold body" he jokes but relished in being able to hold her even if it was just to cool her down. "I'll talk to Jia later and ask her to talk to the council about letting me see them," he said letting his nails slowly moves up and down her skin and back. "I'll ask them about letting humans in to put in and air conditioner for ye, ok love?" Nicholas asked leaving out bargains and debts he'd deal with that later.

[Color Me Fubar]

Muttering something obscene under her breath regarding his suggestion, she lazily raised a hand and smacked him halfheartedly on the arm before letting it hang down the side of the couch again. "Don't be stupid. It's not worth whatever they'll do to you. Just take me somewhere nice and cold every summer so you don't have to listen to me b***h," she suggested, actually liking the idea even as it came to her. What the hell?! Eight years? It took her eight years to think of that? She'd have gotten more aggravated with herself, but it was too hot for anything but mild irritation.

"Don't forget your money. Your body and your money," she added with a snicker, her other arm stretched out over his shoulder, her hand resting on the arm of the couch. "And you like to dance. Why, you'd be the perfect man if you weren't so darn sarcastic." She shivered a little when he started touching her skin. It was partly just a reaction she'd have had to anything cold on her hot skin right at the at moment. And it was partly because it was Nicholas. Of course, she knew what would happen if she tried anything. Rejection. Again. That was what had gotten her to start up her odd relationship with Elliot in the first place. A person could only take so much rejection before they...well, she hadn't moved on. Trying to replace him had failed terribly. So...compensating, maybe.

"If I find out you went to see them, I'll....I'll....I don't know. I'll think of something." Avery's threat failed miserably as her brain refused to think of something that didn't involve dragging him out in the sun or beating him with a baseball bat. Not that the latter would hurt him much, she knew. It was simply the point. "But next year, I'm finding somewhere cold to go and you're taking me," she ordered, possibly the first time she'd ever actually told him anything as opposed to asking in the past eight years. Yes, the heat really did bring out the b***h in her.

Enjoying the constant cold temperature rather than the brief respite of an ice cube before it warmed up and melted, she let out another happy sigh, relaxing a bit more now that she felt she'd made her viewpoints clear on the Council, the heat and him in general. "You could totally make money doing this. Just letting people drape themselves on you to cool down," she murmured, turning her head so her cheek was against his chest rather than her forehead. "I feel like I should be writing you a check or something for this. I know what I'm doing until the heat wave ends!" she finished brightly, a slight grin on her lips.

[DarkDragonWitch]

"Worse they can do to me is give me a fine love," Nicholas said to her, he knew it would have been her reaction once he brought up the council and suggesting to go see them. But he couldn't stand the idea of her suffering, uncomfortable or unhappy. He smiled though as she spoke about traveling with her ever summer. "Aye, then we'll do that" he told her biting back another comment that could possibly hurt Avery and he didn't want that. Jianna had been telling him more and more to go traveling perhaps he'd finally take her up on the idea. He'd found and bought a plane years ago he just never used it.

"Of course how could I forget the money," he laughed to her teasing him feeling her hands moving over his shoulders. "Ye sure it's because of my sarcasm and not because I have a working heart?" he questioned curious to what she would say to that. Though as he thought about it he figured it might sound a little harsh, if not just a tad jealous. "Wait, ye don't like my sarcasm?" he asked her adding it on as an after thought to get rid of any sting or tone of jealousy he could, grinning to him self at feeling her body shiver as his hands went over her. He was thankful for not having blood running through him and his heart didn't work, having her this close to him would have given her quite a few reactions and would give away his want for her. He knew that if she'd kept trying he would have eventually given into her, he was losing his control for trying not to touch her. And the more he smelled Elliot on her the more jealous and angry at himself he got for not giving into her sooner.

"Hey, if ye don't want me to see them then I won't" he said softly to her just the idea of her being mad at him stung a little even if he was doing something for her. He smiled and nodded his head to her demand. "Alright next summer we'll go to where ever ye'd like" he said enjoying the idea of it just being him and her for a few months alone. Though a thought struck him, he couldn't keep her warm if she got too cold and he wouldn't be able to give her what she would need, maybe she would like to invite Elliot and Jianna to come along? He didn't bring up the suggestion, he wanted to keep the idea of them being alone some where to get out of the heat.

"Ye'r sweet but none would pay to cool of with the help of a vampire." he said grinning to her and her suggestion. Most who would already had a vampire of their own and didn't need him. "And ye know I would never accept ye'r money love" Nicholas told her smiling and once more found himself thankful for not having blood flowing through his veins.

[Color Me Fubar]

"How could you forget the money? You're the one always telling me to go spend it," Avery asked with a laugh, shaking her head slightly. They'd given up on having separate accounts a few years ago, as neither of them were big spenders, and that had felt a bit weird as well, to be sharing the money. It wasn't like she didn't contribute, she knew that. Just, sharing money was often a couples thing, not a....whatever they were thing. She paused at the remark about a working heart, not quite sure how to take that. It almost sounded sort of...jealous, but he'd never given any indication - to her - that he was before now. "Oh, I just adore your sarcasm. My life wouldn't be complete without hearing your snarky remarks all night," she agreed, moving her hand to run her fingers through his hair absently.

Avery settled down a bit when he assured her he wouldn't go see the Council, grinning when he promised he'd take her somewhere. "Oh good, I'll start looking for somewhere so I can find a place for us to stay," she said cheerfully, her mood lightening from both Nicholas' coolness and the promise of getting to go somewhere. "Definitely not a hotel or anything....maybe I can find somewhere to rent for a while....it's just us, so not like we'd need a big place, wherever we end up," she added thoughtfully, having no intention of bringing Elliot and Jianna on a vacation with them. Especially not their first one.

"'s our money anyway, wouldn't make sense for me to try to pay you," she remarked with a short laugh. Avery tilted her head up to look at him, color rising in her cheeks slightly, but not from the heat. She hadn't had this much physical contact with him in months - he seemed to avoid it, truth be told, and she hadn't wanted to make him uncomfortable or bothered, so she'd let it be. But being so close to him now...she realized she really, really wanted to try to kiss him. Just once. Just a quick, little one....she swallowed, knowing he'd hear her heart racing, and rested her head back on his chest, her fingers still in his hair.

[DarkDragonWitch]

"I am 308 years old love, I am bound to forget somethings" Nicholas said grinning to her laughter, he was always happy to hear her laughing. It wasn't that he wanted to live, just more so Elliot had her when he wouldn't let himself have her. That was more to the point of his jealousy. "Oh now I know ye'r being sarcastic" he chuckled shaking head head to her comment. "All this time and now ye choose to tell me ye don't like my sarcasm?" he asked sounding a little hurt just to bug her a little.

He was happy that she relaxed once he agreed not to see the council, he always loved how happy she got when he agreed to take her some where. "Ye'r going to look for a vacation stop for a whole year, or ye want to go for one sooner?" he asked her curiously, he was all for research but a year was a long time to look for a place to visit and a house to rent. And well going on vacation with her sooner would be fun, and since she didn't bring up Elliot and Jianna...Well it gave him hope to be able to spend some a lone time with Avery. Unless she was waiting to find a place, 'just us' could be a few different people and not just the two of them.

"True it is our money," he said grinning to her laughter, there was nothing like it in the world to his ears. He looked back at her as she looked at him, he grinned more watching the blood color her cheeks and hear heart beating faster. "I still wouldn't take it from ye," he added watching her as she settled her head back down on his chest. A sound of pleasure left his lips as she kept running her hands through his hair. He couldn't help it, it felt so nice.

[Color Me Fubar]

Hearing him make a noise, she grinned and kept doing it, occasionally running her nails lightly over his scalp as well. It was too bad, she thought, that he couldn't get goosebumps or something to let her know if he enjoyed it. But by how relaxed he felt under her, she sort of guessed he was. Good. He'd been tense for a while now and she hadn't been able to figure out why. Jianna had just laughed herself sick and waved the familiar from the room when she'd asked, making her a completely useless source of information when it came to Nicholas' moods.

Thinking for a bit, she shifted a little, feeling much better with his cool skin against hers. "I'd like to go to Ireland sometime," she said hesitantly, not sure if he'd like to go there or if he'd wished to avoid it. "I've always wanted to go to Austria, too. I don't know why, it just always sounded so pretty..." Her voice trailed off as she thought, before glancing up at him. "We could go to Austria maybe during winter? Doesn't have to be a big city, just...somewhere different. I don't even care if no one understands a word I say. No one does anyway, even when I'm speaking the same language," she added eagerly, definitely warming up to the idea now that he'd suggested going somewhere sooner. She'd been getting restless the past year or two anyway, her life falling into a rut. Even when she was human, she'd moved around a lot. It wasn't being stuck with Nicholas that was getting to her, it was just being stuck in the city itself.

"And by the way, I love you and your annoying sarcasm, you walking air conditioner," she added happily, rubbing her cheek against him just a little bit with a wide smile.