Bad Blood

Adam had been as equally surprised by the inside of Ava's home, as it's location, something which he did not choose to try and conceal. He never had made any qualms about speaking his mind, even if it meant being brutally honest. Especially where she was concerned.
After entering the Victorian cottage he had stared wide-eyed in wonder at the opulent decor and furnishings, which were an eclectic mixture of old and new. Ranging from the most elegant original, priceless antiques to painfully modern tat. Everywhere he turned, his eyes fell on something marvellous or bizarre. From the exquisite crown Derby crockery on show in the elaborately carved Queen Anne display cabinet, to the tasteless, large flat screened television that hung on the wall, looking decidedly out of place amongst the rich tapestries and beautiful paintings by the likes of Canaletto, Van Gogh and Rembrandt . Above his head, an exquisite French crystal-strewn chandelier hung, though it sat thick with dust, and instead the subdued lighting was provided by tea lights, scattered around the living room ensconced in cheap looking, imitation gothic-style candelabras.

She flicked on some music, provided by an iPod which sat in it's docking station. He didn't recognise the modern, tacky sounding pop song which came blaring from the two ugly speakers which sat in opposite corners of the room.
Slipping off her gloves, and three-quarter-length faux fur coat to reveal a 70's inspired minidress, Ava crossed the room in order to take a heavy iron poker from the side of the large wooden mantlepiece in order to stoke the embers of the fire.
"Make yourself comfortable."
She chirped, gesturing towards the large outsized sofa which commandeered most of the room.
Adam eyed it with a look of distaste, instantly recognising it as one of those modern sofa store numbers. It's vast amount of huge cushions which seemed to be arranged in formation, made him wonder how on earth one was actually supposed to fit on the thing, whilst they remained in place.
Declining her invitation, he slowly approached her, fixing her with a flinty stare. His hunger pang growing along with his impatience.
She turned, noticing him draw close and automatically extended her hands towards his, unable to resist.
"May I?"
She asked cheerily.

He made to move out of reach, but with the aid of her own supernatural speed she succeeded in catching hold of one of his large hands, and pulled it from his glove swiftly. The touch of her skin on his caused what felt like a shock of static electricity, and he flinched, abruptly pulling free of her grasp. It was always the same, which is why he avoided making physical contact with her at all costs. He didn't understand it, and he wasn't overly fond of that which he did not understand.
Moreover, the curtesy of removing a guest's gloves was an old custom usually reserved only for courting couples. The fact that she always attempted to press him into engaging in this ritual with her, inked him. In the past he had assumed that perhaps she did it in order to try and vex Eve. But Eve wasn't here. And it had never really worked anyway. Eve was far too old and wise, and therefore immune to wasted emotions such as jealousy.

Unlike Ava herself.
Oh how she envied her sister for having beguiled such a rare beauty as he. Her sister had never disclosed the details of where and how she'd stumbled upon him, instead she'd spoken of him with an enthusiasm one might have when they discover a penchant for a new hobby.
Adam had been turned in the latter part of the 16th century, unlike his wife who had already lived as a vampire since the dawn of time. His innocence had captivated her, and he had breathed new life into her ancient soul. Eve had seen potential in him, that is what she'd told her, and had taken him under her wing like a tutor does a pupil. Well educated, well bred, with an insatiable appetite for the arts, she'd found his mysterious, sensitive nature appealing. They complimented each other well, he had a darker side that Eve lacked, and she had the breadth and strength to handle his glorious complexity.

But it wasn't until the summer of 1869 that Ava herself had had the pleasure of making his personal acquaintance, quite by chance whilst attending a grand soirée in London.
She still recalled the moment their eyes met across the crowded ballroom.

Those clever, beautiful eyes which seemed to hold all the mysteries of the universe within them, that searched her very soul.
For what she did not know.
His dark mane of hair and ivory complexion was striking, and he cut a dashing figure in his crisp high-collared shirt and black tailcoat.

The room around her fell out of focus as he moved towards her, dazzling her with a smile that turned her knees to water.
So charming and self assured was he, that he gently took her gloved hand in his without speaking a word, and confidently whirled her around to the sweeping melody of the piano.
His movements were majestical, as he guided her around the floor with mastery.
His confidence and charisma enthralling her along with his devilishly handsome features.

She had always thought herself immune to men and their false flattery, their pompous arrogance offended and bored her in equal measures.
But Adam was an anomaly. A layered mystery to be uncovered, with a lust for life that, back then, had rivalled her own.
She had met her match with this enigmatic, dark stranger who spoke eloquently and behaved scandalously by holding his waltzing partner just a little too closely to be socially acceptable, yet didn't seem to give a damn about the stir he was causing.
All eyes in the room were on them, but the world around her ceased to exist as her gaze locked with his. For the first time in her long life, she no longer felt overshadowed by her elder sister. The beautiful Eve, who outshone her in every way.
She was her intellectual superior, and possessed a natural air of grace that Ava felt she herself lacked. Eve always conducted herself with decorum, making her feel inferior and inelegant.

Her sister's admirable ability to constantly keep adapting to survive in the ever changing social climate made her radiant, and much sought-after company. So Ava had long since resigned herself to being more of a wallflower.
Yet in Adam's strong arms, she suddenly felt alive. Powerful yet still at his mercy, due to his commanding demeanour which oozed a dominance that she found irresistible.
As composed and suave as he was, there was the distinct sense of the untamed about him. Impossibly attractive, his dark and dangerous, wild aura was just barely suppressed below the surface.

She could've sworn he'd felt it. Just as she felt it. A strange, inexplicable pull towards each other, and an underlying yearning to explore each other, mentally, emotionally and physically.
Inhuman they may be, but they still possessed the ability to feel emotions. Deeply. Yet their passionate nature verged on animalistic.
Ava, like Adam was far younger than Eve. Over time she had evolved and learnt to suppress her urges and keep her instincts in check.
Adam was still to acquire this ability, and he'd awoken the primal senses in Ava which had been, up until then, dormant.
Their dance was like a mating ritual, filled with unspoken desire and laden heavily with promise, like the coming together of two feral beings that had the potential to form the perfect partnership.
But alas it was not to be.
The dance ended, he slipped off his glove, despite being in a public place and offered her his outstretched hand.
"May I?"
He asked, and she shakily permitted him to peel the soft material of her satin glove away from her dainty fingers. His touch was electrifying, and it caused the breath to catch in her throat.
And then Eve had appeared, gliding into the room like a celestial being, shattering the moment, and destroying what had silently passed between them forever.

"Adam, darling! You've met Ava?"

Ava froze, her vampiric heart momentarily ceased to beat. This was Adam? The brooding love interest of her dear sister? The man she had written so fondly about in her letters?
Her childlike eyes stared at him, as his porcelain complexion somehow seemed to pale further. She registered the surprise on his face, and the instant awkwardness he felt. He had been blissfully unaware of who she was, just as she had of he. And that, as the saying goes, was that.

That was, until that fateful night in Paris back in 1926.

Ava had, since meeting Adam, decided to travel the world alone in the hopes of meeting a kindred spirit. Someone who had the ability to set her soul on fire, like he had. But her search had proved fruitless. It seemed as if there was only one Adam, he was unique and her sister had already long since claimed him.
Still, in her ignorance and naivety she persisted in her search for a companion.
In the years 1920's to 1945, the process of dating had become more informal than ever before. For the first time there were no chaperones on dates between interested parties and the dates required no formal commitment to each other.
There was more freedom. Previous dating 'rules' had been set by the community and society, but with this new social freedom came issues surrounding safety and control. A harsh lesson she was to learn.

Whilst staying with Adam and Eve in their Parisian apartment in Quartier Pigalle, one Autumn evening she found herself alone with an acquaintance of Adam's, one Léon Charles Thévenin, a French engineer who worked on the development of long distance underground telegraph lines, along with the analysis of complex electrical circuits. Single, and moralistic, the man had a reputation for living a celibate lifestyle, despite living at the height of the 'roaring twenties' and the population's art of having fun.
Although finding him quite a bore, Ava had somehow cajoled the man into taking her out to dance. And in all honesty she knew her pursuit of him was purely to torment Adam, who disapproved of her socialising with humans, to whom he now referred to as 'zombies'. And her bold declaration of how she planned to seduce her date into breaking his vow of chastity, seemed to incense him further.
Ignoring his warnings soon proved to be a fatal mistake, when Léon became quite unexpectedly amorous. Ava had no intention of giving herself to this dull man, her previous bragging to Adam had been nothing more than a front to gain a reaction.
After rejecting his arduous advances, a most unpleasant altercation ensued in the cramped confines of Léon's Citroën 5CV car. Becoming aggressive, he had attempted to grope her and seized her by the throat when she fought him off. Her survival instincts immediately kicked in, and it did not end well for Léon. Using her speed and supernatural agility, she escaped his clutches and her reaction to his aggression was fierce and vicious.

She was sat, breathless, crying and covered in blood when Adam found her. Having appeared, as if out of nowhere. His shock and concern quickly gave way to panic and anger. He reproached her for her reckless behaviour, and lectured her on the principles of being a modern, esoteric, ethical vampire. Blood, he explained was procured only from secure, reliable sources, and feeding on humans was no longer acceptable.
Tearfully she attempted to relay what had happened, and apologised for having allowed the situation to escalate to such violence.
Adam, had been an admirer of Léon's work, so her having killed him clearly hit a nerve. But there was something deeper than that, Ava was certain of it. As he ranted on about how she ought to remain alone, it became clear that he resented her for seeking the company of men. This wasn't just about humans, this was about her personal activities. He wanted her to remain single.

"Why must I forever be alone?"
She challenged him, defiantly,
"You and Eve have each other-"

"That is different!"
He fired back angrily, as he opened the passenger door in order to gain access to her,
"Eve and I are the same kind. A zombie will not make a suitable mate."
Taking a handkerchief from his tailored jacket pocket, he cupped her face roughly in his bare hand, and began wiping the blood from her chin unnecessarily forcefully.

"But I have not been able to find a suitable companion who is one of our kind, so what am I to do? Remain on my own forever?"
She argued, her eyes brimming with fresh tears that threatened to spill at any moment.
"And why are you even here? How did you know where I was?"

He hesitated abruptly, and she saw a slight look of confusion cross his face,
"I'm not entirely sure. I just...sensed something...and it's a good thing I am. Shit. This is such a fucking mess..."
His words trailed off as his thumb accidentally brushed against her full bottom lip, which begged to be kissed.

"You...you're not wearing your gloves.."
She pointed out, as the familiar spark of his skin coming into contact with her's ignited, despite it only being the briefest touch,
"...we never leave home without them."

"I was in a hurry....I sensed something bad was going to happen."

"What? Like a premonition that I was going to harm him?"

"No...that he'd...that you might..."
He faltered, stumbling to find the right words.

"What? That I might've had sex with him?"
She supplied bluntly, unable to suppress a mischievous smile.

But Adam was not smiling, on the contrary his expression was one of bemused embarrassment. She saw his jaw clench, and his grip on her chin perceptibly tightened. She swallowed hard, following his eye line, which scanned her lips that still bore the faintest traces of his friend's blood. Was he still angry at her? She wasn't able to tell, but before she had time to ask he suddenly lunged forwards, crushing his lips against hers. Her heart turned somersaults in her chest, and she instinctively gripped the lapels of his jacket, pulling him to her. His passion and ferocity surprised her, the kiss was not gentle but demanding and desperate, as if he couldn't get close enough to her. Parting her lips for him, he darted his velvet tongue inside, eager to taste the sweetness of her and the blood, which she also found to be an intoxicating combination. He tasted as delectable as he looked and smelt, and the sensory overload made her feel almost dizzy with desire.
Mouths tightening, tongues twining, she was completely lost in the moment. Revelling in all of the dual erotic sensations, fuelled by the forbidden nature of such an intimate exchange.

Then suddenly he pulled away, leaving them both gasping for air. As though his senses had returned, he recoiled away from her hastily, his eyes fixed on the floor in apparent shame.

"Adam?"

"Don't!"
He silenced her sharply, addressing her in the same manner one might speak to an unruly child.
"Just don't Ava. We can't, this can't happen... I love Eve, and I'm happily married."

The bitter rejection she felt was painful, his words piercing her heart like a well aimed arrow.
"Who are you trying to convince Adam, me or yourself?"

His head snapped up, and his eyes became two blazing pools of lava,
"Shut the fuck up. We mustn't ever speak of this again, do you understand?"

"Don't flatter yourself Adam..."
She retorted coldly, slipping on her mask of childish indifference,
"...I'll soon forget all about it, as though it never even happened."
Jumping from the car, she pushed passed him and began to walk away.

"Where the fuck are you going? You're covered in blood, you'll draw attention to yourself. And you can't just leave this shit here for me to deal with!"

"I'll do whatever the fuck I want Adam..."
She called back over her shoulder, as she made her way down the quiet, cobbled street,
"...why don't you use your spooky telepathy thing to call my brilliant sister to help you. She always knows what to do. She's the reliable, responsible one."

And with that she'd walked away, leaving him seething. Stood in the drizzling rain, his shirt stained crimson from having been pressed against Ava's blood soaked blouse.
Needless to say, he had panicked and proceeded to drive Léon's car back to the apartment in order to seek Eve's assistance.
From what Eve had told her some years later, the manner in which to dispose of the dead man's body had proved to be quite a conundrum, and Adam even had to face being questioned by the French police due to arousing suspicion after an elderly couple spotted him entering the apartment in his bloodied shirt.

His contempt for her seemed to be stronger than ever when she'd arrived uninvited at Adam's dilapidated house in Detroit. She'd fallen into the role of the annoying, younger sister. Feigning ignorance when the subject of the incident in Paris was broached. She had lied when she told him she'd forget all about it, but she would never allow him to know that. Instead she casually taunted him silently by reminding him of the way he'd taken her hand the first time they'd met, and she delighted in his awkwardness. Whether or not her presence caused him unease due to the secret they shared, or because of the difficult position her behaviour had put him in, she did not know. But he did not want to be around her, that was something he made blatantly clear.

Yet here he was now, in her home. As her guest. And whether he wanted to be there or not, she had something that he needed. And she intended to draw out the situation for as long as possible.

Perching on the edge of her outsized sofa, he was becoming increasingly twitchy due to his rising hunger...and possibly something else.
Fetching a small glass of the much coveted O negative from the kitchen, he took it from her eagerly and knocked it back with an enthusiasm that he would normally advise against. His head lolled back, his eyes glazing over as the euphoric effect of the blood entered his system.
"Do you not have any more than that?"
He asked finally, once he was able to form a coherent sentence,
"The traveling has left me feeling like shit."

"You need to take it easy, as you always say. It's very rich and you'll make yourself sick if you have too much all at once."

"And since when did you become so grown up?"
He snapped, slumping back against the cushions which enveloped his weary, aching bones.

Choosing to ignore his comment, she watched with a wan smile as his eyelids drifted shut. Reaching for the remote, she switched off the music, bringing the room into silence save for the crackling of the fire.
"Just rest now Adam. You're totally exhausted. You can feed again when you wake up."