Chapter Text
Adam bites his lip, anxiety filling his core as he realizes the voice recording Beth gave him is wrong.
Adam trusted Beth.
He loved Beth.
Beth lied to Adam.
Beth is a Liar.
“Liar!” Adam screams into the dark room as he throws all caution to the wind. “Dumb Adam. Stupid Adam. Dumb, dumb, Adam!” He hisses, hitting his head with his wrists.
CREAK
Adam stops his movements, intently listening. Feather-like footsteps patter on the floorboards of the penthouse.
No one was supposed to be here.
“I know someone is in here. Reveal yourself.” Adam demands, leaning on the cold, metal door of the vault.
The patter halts to the far right of the room where the huge painting of The Fallen Angel by Alexander Cabanel hangs.
Adam squints his eyes, barely making out a dark figure crossing its arms.
“I said reveal yourself. I don't like repeating myself.” Adam hugs himself, gripping his upper arms to ground himself.
“I'm Nigel. Who the fuck are you?” The husky voice hollers from its position.
Adam's eyes widens in fear. “You're supposed to be out of town.”
Beth gave me defective information and lied about his whereabouts. What else is she lying to me about?!
Nigel scoffs from across the room, grabbing the thief's attention. “I asked for your name, human.”
“Adam. Adam Raki.” Adam bites the side of his lip, making it bleed. “The way you said, human, wasn't normal. The tone of your voice sounded demonic which isn't possible…”
Sweat builds on the young thief's brow as his victim answers.
"I am a fucking 398-year-old vampire, Adam Raki.” Nigel sniffs, smelling the faint scent of sweet, coppery blood. “Were you trying to steal my gold with voice recognition software?"
Adam gulps, hearing his heart pound in his ears.
"You're... You're not possible. I was told that you were out of town and a mere drug dealer who needed to be taught a lesson."
Nigel quirks a brow at Adam. "A mere drug dealer?" He levitates off the ground and speeds across to Adam, gripping his face and pushing him against the wall.
The sea greets Nigel as he tries to connect with his prey's gaze. He reeks of fear, but doesn't show it. And his eyes, they seem to be staring at his forehead?
What a curious thing you are.
"My darling, whoever sent you here to steal from me-” Nigel smirks. “-sent you on a death mission. Humans sent here in the guise of a lesson never leaves. You're my next meal."
Adam doesn't flinch. Instead, he focuses on the ice-cold hand currently touching his face. His eyes avoid the being's intense gaze, scanning the room for anything he can distract this monster with. He never believed in mythical creatures, they were the most illogical thing in the world. But when faced with certain death, all Adam can think about is the anger and frustration bubbling inside him again for not understanding that he was sentenced to death by the woman he thought he loved: Beth Buckwald.
Nigel is mesmerized by how intensely Adam looks at him. He could hear the delicious flow of rushing blood. Adam is anxious. “Why do you do this when you know how incredibly dangerous heists are?”
Adam frowns, not even Beth asks that of him. No one does really, all they know is that he earns money and that's what matters. Having Aspergers, Adam often had a hard time getting a job. The last straw for a white collar job was his doll engineering gig that his dad got for him. When he got fired, pandemonium broke. Adam could remember vividly the smell of piss in the holding cell they put him in after someone reported him for people watching outside Beth's elementary school.
Snap
Snap
Snap
“Darling, are you still with me?” Nigel retracts his hand and tucks a finger under Adam's chin so they were looking eye to eye. The human below him blinks, his dazed look lifting.
“Sorry… I often daydream after a memory is triggered.” Adam finds himself staring into glowing scarlet eyes. “I’m not scared about going on heists because I have calculated the risks and have everything I need during the job. I do my research, scout the place and attack.”
“Right… and yet I caught you. What does that say about your so-called skills?” Nigel teases, watching the human’s brows knit together in the most adorable way.
“I don't like being insulted. Are you insulting me, Mr. Ibanescu?” Adam accuses, fury showing in his eyes.
Nigel gapes at the quick change of expression from adorably confused to feisty.
I like that. I wonder what other emotions I can elicit?
“Not at all. I admire your skills. You've been quite the talk in the black market as of late. I didn't think I would be on the receiving end of your… exploits.”
Adam lets out a relieved sigh as he sags against the cold door. “I see… I would've succeeded too if I wasn't blinded by love. By the way, I suggest you change your password from 0000. That was way too easy to crack into.”
Nigel laughs for the first time since he left Romania centuries ago because of love.
“Love makes fools of us all.” Nigel eases his grip and takes a step back, watching the man sink to the floor as he curls his legs toward him. Nigel descends and sits beside Adam.
Adam's breathing is the only thing heard in the spacious penthouse. Nigel watches transfixed as a tinge of saltiness permeates the air and tears cascade down Adam's cheeks. He catches a droplet on his thumb and licks it, loving its unique taste like salt added to a cube of water to lower its temperature.
“Why did you do that? It's weird.” Adam sniffs, wiping away the rest of his tears.
Nigel chuckles, leaning back. “Tears taste different depending on the feelings you have at the time. It tells me about human emotions more than blood or words ever could.”
“What does mine taste like?” Adam's eyes sparkle in the moonlight and shoot a cupid’s bow straight into Nigel's heart.
“Yours tasted cold and like table salt. A deep sadness from the realization of who brought this death sentence upon you.”
Adam laughs, he actually understands the irony of the situation.
“Would you tell an old vampire why you resorted to a life of crime?”
Adam's features turn solemn as he bites on his already bleeding lip. "It's my last semblance of family. My father is in Queens and my mother died when I was younger. I... I needed to stay in that house. My memories are there, my life is there. I can't lose anything else. That's my house. I don't want to move."
Nigel’s stone-cold heart clenches for the first time since he killed Gabby and her cunt, Charlie Countryman. “I see. I imagine your real estate agent mentioned the papers and it stressed you out.”
Adam glares at the floor like burning a hole in it. “If I have to rob the president or even a drug dealer like you, I'd risk it to keep my peace.” He turns to intensely stare at Nigel. “No one is ever going to take anything from me, not even my life. I tried my best and failed. I am at your whim, do as you please with me. I give you power.”
Nigel internally took a step back from Adam's fervor. People in his current predicament beg for mercy just before he drains the life out of them. Their fear tastes exquisite and intoxicating much like when you drink a good pint of Ursus.
Adam Raki wasn't one of them and gotdamn did it make Nigel hot and bothered for him. He licks his aching fangs before looking away. “Before I… feast on you, would like to know what the bitch asked for in exchange for your life?”
Wincing, Adam nods, gripping his arms tighter to prepare for the onslaught of lies and feelings. A finger tucks under his chin and his blurry vision sees a misty outline of red.
“The woman you loved is named Beth Buckwald, am I correct?”
Adam nods, as cold fingers wipe away the tears as they fall.
“Fucking generic name. Who gives their child the last name of a wheat plant?” Nigel grins as Adam chuckles at his joke. “Anyway… I gave her a million dollars to get her father out of prison in exchange for your death.” He pauses letting the information sink in.
Lips quivering, tears overflowing, Adam wails. He can't fully process the fact that his life was ending after fighting for so long. He'd lose more than his house, and this time, there's no going back to his safe place. Adam was dying over a crime that Nigel deserves for being a bad man.
It's “unfair,” Adam whines as he sobs, feeling icy arms wrap around him. He shivers into the touch, but leans his head in the crook of the vampire's neck.
Seething, Nigel gently carries Adam in his lap, allowing the young man to cry. He nuzzled his unrully locks and runs his fingers through them. Each strand felt like faux fur under his finger tips. Inhaling Adam, he smells like vanilla and copper and it took incredibly amounts of self-restrain not to sink his fangs into Adam’s inviting neck and drink his ambrosia.
Instead, here Nigel is curbing his fucking instincts and consoling the adorably cute thief who could've gotten away with his wealth if not for fucking Buckwald's false info. Nigel also wouldn't have Adam in his arms if the bitch didn't scrifice him; Nigel was counting his blessings.
Adam wraps is arms around Nigel's chilly neck and buries himself further into his chest. His sobs lessen after a few moments, the only remnants of his intense emotions were the tear stains and Nigel's drenched polo.
Sniffing, Adam licks his lips and detaches from Nigel. He crawls off his lap and kneels, tucking his legs under him. Adam slinks off his jacket and pulls his sweater over his head before folding them both to the side. Adam tilts his head, revealing his neck and laces his fingers atop his thighs. he also closes his eyes in anticipation.
“I'm ready…” to die.
Adam's life flashes before his closed lids as memories flood his brain, trying to calm him before his impending doom.
LubDub
LubDub
LubDub
LubDub
Adam’s heart beats rapidly, making Nigel’s fangs ache further. He surges forward, gently wrapping an arm around Adam's lean waist and cradles his neck. Nigel's icy lips hover over Adam's jugular, peppering it with soft pecks before opening his mouth and plunging his fangs into his theif's neck.
Blood gushes into Nigel's mouth like a fountain. He sucks on Adam's neck, making the younger man moan and lean on him from the blood loss. Nigel hugs Adam tighter as euphoria washes over him. He leans against his vault, feeling the warmth slowly seep away from Adam.
“Nigel… p-please make sure… my apartment goes… goes to someone nice,” Adam weakly instructs as he feels light headed and the last memory of his father smiling at him over the dinner table is the last thing he sees before everything fades to black.
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A
Ad
Ada
A
Ad
Ada
“Adam!”
Sucking in a deep breath, Adam rises from his supine position and fumbles with the sheets.
Sheets?
Adam rapidly blinks, assimilating into what seems like a dark room aside from the lamp beside him.
Wheels screecing
Horns beeping
“Fuck you! Get out of the road!”
Fridge humming
Foul scent of trash
Blood
Blood nearby
BLOOD NEARBY
Adam’s mouth waters and aches as his eyes search the room and see Nigel walking in, carrying a cooler while drinking a bloodbag like a juice box. Hunger calws at his chest as Adam zooms toward Nigel, bumping into his chest and yanks the blood bag away. He gets on his tipy toes, kissing Nigel and drinking the blood pooling in Nigel's mouth.
Divine. I've never tasted anything so sweet and savory.
Nigel drops the cooler and wraps Adam's thighs around his torso. He deepens the kiss and gives Adam the remaining blood left in his mouth and sucks on Adam's tongue. They fight for dominance, resulting in Adam pushing them toward the vault door, leaving a dent. They pull away with a pop.
Adam licks the remaining blood on Nigel's lips, his hunger dissipating and the haze lifts. Reality hits him like a bus and he pulls away from Nigel, nearly falling on his back.
“Darling. Darling, stop. I got you.” Nigel soothes, catching Adam and dipping him. Adam's arms and legs dangle behind him as Nigel helps him on his feet.
“I… What? Mr. Ibanescu-” Adam lays his hands on Nigel's exposed chest. It's firm, nothing like Beth's and yet… it stirs something in Adam he didn't know he liked before. his eyes trail the hairs on Nigel's chest to his neck and finally his red, glowing eyes meet Adam's.
“Nigel, please. That name irks me.” Nigel corrects, finally keeping Adam's gaze.
Shaking his head, Adam replies, “Nigel… what is going on? How am I alive…” Realization of his actions hit Adam like a stab in the back. “I just kissed you! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. I just… I followed my insticts and whatever you were hold smelled so good, tasted so good. I just had to have it. I'm sorry, I'm talking to much. Please tell me to stop if I'm talking to much. I don't want to bother you.”
Nigel affectionately smiles, wiping the remaining blood on Adam's lips with his thumb. He licks the digit and uses it to caress his darling's lips. “You aren't talking too much, gorgeous. I turned you into a vampire just like myself.”
Adam frowns, not sure wherether to take it as a good thing or a bad thing.
“I apologize for not asking your permission first. I just fucking loved your scent and needed to taste you. I almost drank you dry, but I imbued the bite with my venom last minute. You fought hard to get to where you are. It'd be a shame to waste a gorgeous specimen like yourself and a perfect theif in one day.”
Gaping, Adam reaches up and pats Nigel's cheek to check if what he said was real. Next, he pinches his cheek, pulling on the pale flesh.
Nigel chuckles at him, earning him another frown. “Sorry, gorgeous. Take your time.”
“Why do you keep calling me gorgeous? My name is Adam Raki.”
Nigel smile lines illuminate as he cups Adam's cheek and rubs the tip of his nose with Adam's. “Because you are gorgeous, Adam, with your unruly locks of hair, vibrant blue eyes, and plump lips.”
Adam's cheeks turn into a beautiful rosy red. “No one’s ever told me that before.”
“Then they're blind, darling.” Nigel plants a peck on Adam's scar before pulling away and lacing their fingers together.
Adam's eyes follow the gesture as a warm sensation blooms from his core. “Are you sexually attracted to me, Nigel?”
“Very much so, gorgeous.” Nigel replies, kissing the top of Adam's hand.
Adam searches Nigel's face for any tells of lying, but finds nothing. Not like he could detect one well anyway.
“I had to ask since I have something called mind blindness. Like right now, I'm feeling incredibly attracted to you for seeing me as I am and I would assume you feel the same. It's a common symptom of Aspergers. have you heard of it before?”
Nigel shakes his head. “No, but I would like to hear more later. You're pretty fucking spot on though, gorgeous. Don't doubt yourself.” He tugs on their laced hands. “Now, I want to show you something you'll fucking love. It's my gift to you on your vampire birthday.”
Adam follows Nigel, curiously tilting his head. “I don't like surprise, Nigel. What are you planning?”
A smirk is Nigel's only reply as he leads Adam into his surveilance room where different cameras are setup in five different angles inside a court room. Beth and her daddy are on the left with a bald man with sharp eyes with them. Two duffle bags were on the ground beside his feet and he kept tapping the back of his phone.
“The man beside the lying bitch is my blood brother, Darko. One call from me and he pleads guilty for Buckwald’s daddy and leaves the court with the one million I supposedly pay her for your sacrifice.” Nigel sits Adam in the only chair in the room. He leans down, lips caressing Adam's cute ears.
“One word and she suffers,” Nigel whispers, kissing the outerlobe of Adam's ear.
Adam shivers in delight as he intently stares at Beth's face. He squeezes Nigel's hand, attempting to curb his intense anger. Adam bites his lip, his fangs piercing through his skin. Adam recollects every memory he's had with her. Only rejection, anxiety, and hurt were the prevailing emotions he distinguishes.
“Call Darko. Make her suffer.”
Nigel nods, getting out his flip phone and dialing Darko's number. The duo watch as Darko picks up his phone.
“Frate, aruncă-o.” Nigel ends the call.
Darko smirks at the camera, keeping his phone. He reaches for the two duffle bags and carries them over his shoulder.
“Mr. Dumitru, please take your seat. The plaintiff is not done talking.”
“Your honor, my client pleads guilty and I withdraw as their lawyer. Bye bye.” Darko drags his chair as loudly as he could, making Adam cringe.
“Apologies, darling. I'll fucking tell him off when he comes by and drops the money.” Nigel kisses the top of Adam's head.
“What?! What do mean, drop us as clients?! We has a deal.” Beth's screeches, going after Darko.
“Deal? Miss Buckwald, care to explain what you just said?” The judge's voice booms in the courtroom.
Darko walks away, flipping off the people behind him and gently closes the door behind him.
Nigel unlaces their fingers and turns Adam's chair so it's back was on the screen. He kneels in front of Adam, squeezing his thigh.
“How are you feeling, darling?”
“Better… But what happens now?”
Nigel flashes Adam an elated smile. “The best part of your life. I'm going to take good care of you, Adam. I'll pay for your mortgage. You'd never lack anything.” He tries to catch Adam's gaze, but he looks beyond his shoulder. “I've done my research on you. You're good with numbers and tech. How would you like to work with me? You'd run logistics and help us update our system. I didn't miss that look of disdain when I brought out my flip phone.”
Adam heartily laughs, squeezing Nigel's hand and kissing his cheek.
“I was trying not to be rude, Nigel, but you guys do use old fashioned phones. We need to get you guys smartphones.” Adam cups Nigel's cheek. “Thank you… for giving me a second chance. I'll do my best to repay you.” he rises from the chair and stretches from left to right.
“I'm going to drink everything in the cooler, but I'm not a brute like you. I'm going to drink my blood from a glass. Did you get different types of blood?”
“Of course, darling. I didn't know which one you'd like so I got two of each blood type with their postive and negative counter parts. I pers-”
Adam excitedly dashes out the room and Nigel hears a crashing sound and a whine from behind the door.
A wolfish grin graces Nigel's features as he imagines a long life with his little thief. He has much to teach him and much to learn as well.
At least now, he isn't drifting at sea anymore, he's got a gorgeous siren to keep him company.