Oh man. I said I'd never ever write a cross-over. Then I found Eric. Beautiful, tasty, teasing, tempting Eric, so much sexier than I'd imagined any twihard… *cough*…

Anyway…

Can you blame me for caving in?

Dedicated to sephcounttheways, after her new found love of True Blood. Poor pervy bitch didn't know what she'd been missing out on. Kisses. Heart, heart.

Warnings: Yaoi, coarse language, violence, vampirism. This story is based on the book storyline of True Blood, much more so than the series. The books are better, anyway. Mrmfff.

You couldn't help but be a little impressed. Everyone had heard of the creepy bastards, slipping through the shadows in the middle of the night and having everyone somehow believe they were well intended models of society. Bullshit. I knew they were dark, creepy, sneaky, and above all, charming. They all knew what they wanted, and a little glamouring was all it took to get it.. primarily, that 'it' being blood. Or sex. One or the other, horny suckers. Yeah, I knew what they were really like, and I liked them like that. How nature wholly intended people not to be. At least, not while they were dead. It was my kinda scene.

"Ya need a drink there handsome, or just here for the eye candy?" A gorgeous brunette at the bar asked. You'd think the first thing a guy like me would notice would be the huge rack she had on her, but no, my eyes were latched on to those two little points protruding from her teeth. I'd give them credit there. You always knew when you had their blood, or love of such, racing.

"A bit of both," I replied smoothly, offering a wink, "A spritzer would be sweet, doll."

"Doll?" she smirked, "Human flattery has long since escaped my comprehension."

She didn't seem genuinely bothered, however, still smirking as she fixed my drink.

I hadn't seen her working the bar before tonight, and figured she was new. After all, I came here a heck of a lot. Sure, I kept a low enough profile not to get noticed by a majority of the lowlife undead or alive that filtered through the place, but the bartenders saw me enough that most knew me by name.

"What's your name?" I asked, as her smirk became decidedly smug.

"Emilia, once upon a time," she replied dryly, almost bored in her tone, "Now, however, I go simply by Emma."

"That's a shame," I shrugged casually, "Emilia sure is pretty."

She smiled, casually drying a glass with her dish rag with a brow raised elegantly, before she turned to serve someone else, her fangs extending just a little more. I smirked to myself then, looking around the bar, feeling a few more pairs of eyes attempting to catch mine and likely glamour me. Never worked though. Fucked if I knew how, but the suckers never got me trapped under their little spells. It was part of the fun of hanging round a place like Fangtasia. Certainly had nothing to do with the tourists or the shitty music. Too rocky for my liking.

Truth be told, I'd been lucky enough to pick up this gig four nights a week to begin with. The other three nights were rotated between a handful of rookies. Most figured it was because scoping out a vampire bar was the best way to gain experience in surveillance, but what the boss-man neglected to tell them was that they were placed on the job because they were expendable, and it was dangerous in more ways than one.

Shinra had been on the ball the minute vampires had come out of the coffin, as they so affectionately referred to it, and Valentine had boldly come forward with what everyone had suspected from the word go. And when someone like Vincent Valentine comes out as a vamp, let's just say that nobody protests. So, as a sign of goodwill and the puddle of urine that most likely shot out of Rufus' groin when Vincent suggested the idea, Shinra and the Turks struck up a deal with the owner of Fangtasia. They offered human surveillance and a legal blind eye, in exchange for assistance with the Turks whenever Tseng required it. So far, it was working a treat.

"Not drunk yet?" A voice drawled teasingly, as I waved a hand to shoo the speaker away.

Genesis was a first class SOLDIER, and above all that, a fangbanger. Lucky for him, his delicate, almost feminine features, made him a favourite for the vamps. He gave them what they wanted, and in exchange, he got small doses of their blood in return. Gradually, it was showing through too. He fought better, he looked better, he even smelt better.

"Not got a sucker gums deep in your jugular?" I teased back, brushing a finger along a recent bite mark along his neck. He cocked his head a little, smug smirk along pouty lips, as he brushed stray auburn locks from his face and narrowed blue eyes in my direction.

"Don't knock it till you've tried it, Red," he purred, voice dripping with alcohol and allure, his eyes settling on a vamp in the corner. As expected, as soon as he got his drink, he disappeared to said corner, a swagger of his hips proving his intentions on the way over. He was right in that aspect, to know I hadn't tried it. I'd hooked up with a vamp once or twice for some lip action after a few too many drinks at the bar near closing time, but as soon as those fangs started coming out, I left that scene. I wasn't about to admit anything in relation to fear though. I'd been working here over a month now, and there'd been little more hassle than a few drunk tourists being knocked back by a more senior vamp and becoming kinda hysterical in response. I'd been lucky though. One of the rookies had been killed in the crossfire of a domestic vampire dispute over 'property'. That is to say, some skinny little blonde fangbanger couldn't keep her pants up when it came to being bitten.

"Ooh..." Emma practically purred, leaning over the counter. She didn't have her eyes on me, however.

"Vampire intuition," She explained, her eyes meeting mine, "That SOLDIER boy is a friend of yours?"

I offered a nod, turning my gaze to the auburn haired boy toy in the corner, pressed up to his latest conquest, his eyes flared a little with mako in his pleasure. The Vampire with him had his fangs out, ready for whatever Gen had to offer.

"I'd start heading over there then, honey," She smirked, "Pretty sure someone ain't too happy about your friend's new friend."

I scoped out the area, trying to pick up a vibe from anyone in particular. Sure enough, a vamp over the other side of the bar had fixed a dark stare in Genesis' direction, a vibe starting to come off him strong enough that I was no longer the only one noticing. Quick as I could, I was at the table by Gen's side, tugging on his sleeve enough to draw his attention from his companion's neck long enough to glower at me.

"Shit's about to go down, asshole," I hissed, now turning my attention his vampire 'friend', "You've been a bad boy."

This seemed to register something in the Vamp's trail of thought, as he stood abruptly, Genesis all but falling off his lap. I managed to whip out my gun, specially modified to do serious damage to blood suckers, before spinning just in time to see the other vamp launching himself through the air at the offender. I was smack in the middle of the flight path. I kicked my foot out and caught the fucker in the chest, hearing him let out a howl as my silver coated soles hit him square, knocking him backwards.

"Get outta here, ya idiot!" I hissed at Genesis, who was sprawled wide eyed on the floor in shock. Regardless of how good of a SOLDIER he was, unless Gen was packing silver, he was still in a shitload of trouble. He composed himself, and, much to his credit, managed to casually slip out the back. Shithead was still rolling on the floor, clutching his chest where I booted him, but I made a foolish mistake in forgetting the so called 'victim' behind me. Seeing his foe weak, he leapt at the vamp on the floor, knocking me on the way past, and smacking me against the wall. Expecting to bear witness to a vampire brawl, I instead found myself being abruptly stared at by both offenders, as well as a few others. I wondered why, until I felt a familiar warm trickle down my cheek. Blood. Fuck. Must have split my head. I pressed my back against the wall, gun cocked and ready, as I stared down the vamps eyeing me off.

"Break it up," one of the senior vamps frowned, face as deadpan as usual, as she approached.

"Pam," I offered politely, as she gave me a once over.

"Reno."

She looked around, blonde locks swaying slightly as her head moved.

"We'll be closing early tonight. Eric's request," she said a little more firmly, as the crowd began to reluctantly disperse. Eric was head honcho here, being the regional vampire don, I guess you could say. I'd never met the guy, and only occasionally saw him on display, mainly for tourist benefit. Arrogant fuck.

"Come on precious," Pam drawled, with no sincerity behind the compliment, "Your smell is causing a little madness. You know what mako does to the blood."

Sure do. Apparently it made the blood sweeter, richer, and the feeding experience was more 'connected to the planet'. It was said to make both participants feel as if they were on a unique journey incomparable to any other. Call me old fashioned, but having some girl or guy dig needle points into your skin and suck out your life force just didn't sit right with me.

"Step inside," Pam gestured her hand towards a closed door, and I did so cautiously, well aware of the blood still flowing from my head.

"So you're the permanent Turk on guard here?" The vampire before me remarked casually, one leg crossed over the other, as he observed me enter, "Perhaps we're overdue for an introduction."

"You already know who I am, and I know who you are too," I shrugged, "No need for introductions."

He smiled, a lazy stretch of his lips, as his eyes raked over my injured head. The mako had healed the wound enough to stop the blood flow, but I knew it was still all over my face. I felt like candy in a candy store, and Eric von Creepy here was the proverbial kid. His gaze became a little more focused and intense, and I smirked in response.

"If you're trying to glamour me, it won't work," I said calmly, as his gaze became decidedly curious.

"I've only met one other human resistant to being glamoured," Eric said with growing interest.

"I'm meant to give a report, I understand," I cut to the chase. He nodded, his curious smile never leaving, but his voice became a little more serious.

"Pam has given me the basics from what she could determine, as well as the history the two perpetrators have with each other. I'd appreciate your side of events also, however," Eric nodded, "I understand you wounded an aggressive vampire. Quite an achievement."

I ignored that for the moment, filling Eric in on what had happened, admitting that Genesis was somewhat of a well-known figure within the bar. Eric merely nodded, seemingly aware of the fact. By the time I'd finished, he was watching me with that same curiosity he'd had since I walked in here, but he was also seemingly cautious about my story.

"We take the injury of a vampire very seriously," he remarked, answer I couldn't help the outburst that came out of my mouth.

"In case you didn't notice it, hot shot, I copped a hit as well," I snapped, "If the blood all over my face wasn't enough of an indication."

It might not have been the best thing to say, though, as his eyes latched on to my injuries once again. He offered a very slow, very cheeky smile, and he stood, his hands pressing against his desk as he did so.

"That wasn't an invitation," I huffed. In a blink, however, he was behind me, one hand pressed against my chest, as the other tilted my head to the side. I admittedly startled a little, as I felt his breath against the side of my throat. I could see him from the corner of my eyes, a dark smile along his lips.

"Vampire saliva is curative, even more so than mako," he breathed, "Would you like my assistance?"

I could see his fangs out, and I shivered a little involuntarily.

"Not if you're gonna bite me," I scowled, and he huffed out a laugh, the breath heating my skin in that single rush of air.

"Scout's honour..." he murmured dryly, before I felt his tongue against my skin again. He let out a small groan, and I shivered once more, his tongue laving where the blood had slid down my face and throat.

Fucker... If I didn't know better, I would think he'd glamoured me. I wasn't thinking straight, and he was way too skillful with that tongue as he lapped me clean like some kind of over affectionate dog. It should feel disgusting, but it didn't, and that kinda pissed me off. I yanked free from his grip, scowling, as he stood there calmly, licking away the last few drops of blood from his lips. I knew that if he really didn't want me to leave his grip, I wouldn't have, so he was seemingly toying with me for kicks.

"That was fuckin' gross," I screwed up my face to make a point, as I wiped at the wet trail he'd made along my neck, face, and scalp.

"That may be what your lips say, but your body said otherwise," He smirked, before casually moving back to his desk, "Your blood is delicious."

"Gee, thanks," I huffed sarcastically, even further perturbed by the fact that his vampire drool had actually done something. My head wasn't throbbing any more, and there didn't seem to be that sickly smell of blood either. His eyes were glowing a little, and I wondered if my own little mako dosage had helped him out there, as well as his only creepy vampire system shit.

"Are you a telepath?" He asked casually, as if discussing the weather.

"No. Why? Paranoid I've been hearing your dirty little thoughts?" I said coldly, as he shook his head.

"Not at all. Apparently we're quiet to telepaths anyway," He remarked, leaning further across his desk, "No brainwaves, so to speak. I was merely curious as to why you cannot be glamoured. It's a rare trait."

"It's a lucky trait," I corrected, and he nodded slowly.

"Yes, it must be. You work for Valentine, don't you?" He asked, that curious smile licking at his lips again.

"Indirectly."

Nobody but Tseng worked directly for Vincent anymore and that was just fine and dandy with everyone else. He was a legend amongst the Turks, and apparently, a legend amongst the vampires themselves. He had apparently been undead for quite some time. Shinra senior must have known, surely, as Vincent could only have conducted night missions for his entire Turk career.

"So that friend of yours is a SOLDIER then?" Eric mused, as I resisted the urge to screw up my face.

"I'd not say he was a friend, exactly," I shrugged, "More of an acquaintance."

"Well, perhaps we should speak to your acquaintance and ask that he not come back here," Eric drawled, a teasing little smirk along his lips, "We're terribly territorial beings, after all. The tasty ones always cause trouble."

I said nothing. I figured it was the best thing to do in the cases I had to deal face to face with vampires.

I was pretty smart. Smarter than I looked, and most definitely smarter than I'd ever let on. I'm guessing it's one of the reasons Tseng took me on to begin with. I'd heard him telling Valentine that I was dangerous, but easily controlled. The only reason that was, was because I chose to take orders. Valentine had picked up on that, but as far as I knew, had said nothing. That's when I knew that sometimes vampires were a little more dangerous and smarter than they let on too. Standing in front of Eric, I could only gather that that realization was true. He came across all charming and confident, polite, a gentleman, a sweet talker, but in the end… he was a vampire. He was strong, he was quiet, and he was powerful. I'd always had the logical thought when I was a child that I wasn't a kid afraid of the dark. I was a kid who was afraid of the bastards that crept through it.

"I don't think you should be saying a word to Genesis," I said forcefully, causing him to quirk a brow.

"You don't? Why's that?" His voice was a little cooler than before, and I gathered that Eric was the type who didn't like his authority over-ruled.

"You hurt him in any way, and you're breaking the contract. You guys would be out of a bar, and out of your weird little undead lives before you even had the chance to blink," I said plainly, no hint of malice or anything else in my tone.

"I don't believe Vincent would allow that. He's a vampire above all else," Eric replied just as simply.

"Would you give up Fangtasia for a vampire below you in ranking?" I asked, "Just because of a stupid little dispute?"

Eric's eyes narrowed slightly, and the charm slipped off his face all too quickly, as a smirk slid on to mine.

"Have it your way. Just let it be known that if he comes in here again, and there is a territorial dispute," He paused, "I may not be able to send Pam to your aide so quickly, and the responsibility, unfortunately, as well as the threat of a few sets of fangs, may end up resting on your shoulders."

So this was how it was gonna be. I let my smirk grow a little, but gave a nod.

"I like the way you play," I remarked, and his own smirk came back, a glint of amusement in his eyes as he gave a nod also.

"Perhaps we should both stay out of each other's way then. You keep slinking around the shadows like a good little pet, and I'll do the same," Eric flashed one of those charming smiles and gave a wave of his hands, "But perhaps you should speak to the SOLDIER then…"

I gave another small nod, and he shifted to recline and rest his boots on his desk. I turned to face Pam standing right behind me, and she smirked as I bit back a startled cry. Fucking vampires. She gestured out the door for me to leave, and I did so.

"Reno," Eric called, just as I'd turned. I didn't turn back, but I could feel his gaze on my back.

"Thank you for your help. If a human had been killed in the cross fire here, we'd be in a spot, you understand," He said, seemingly bored. I shrugged, before walking out the door, not even bothering to turn around.

The bar was evidently closing early for the night, as Pam had said, and I was still weary of the fact that my blood had really seemed to get the vamps fired up. I headed over to the bar in the hopes of one last shot, and Emma turned to face me, her fangs fully out. She practically leered as she realised I was standing there, and leant across the counter top in quite a seductive manner.

"So you're Reno," She smiled, although with the fangs out, it was kinda unnerving, "You really showed some skill tonight. You raised quite the commotion."

"Nah, I just finished it, yo," I shrugged it off, "Any chance of another spritzer?"

She nodded, getting to work as she still talked to me.

"It's your blood," She practically purred, as she handed over my drink, "You're lucky Eric cleaned you up, or you'd find yourself troubled, I imagine."

At first, I didn't understand what she meant, but looking round the bar, at the last remaining straggle of Vampires, hungry eyes settled on me, I kind of got the meaning. I'd heard of it before.

"I figured he just wanted my blood," I shrugged, and she laughed a little.

"If he really wanted your blood, he'd have just bitten you," She teased, "But simply licking you clean? Well… you reek of Eric. They're terrified to even come near you."

At this she inclined her head a little to the conflicted vampires by the door. They'd seemingly been on their way out until I'd re-emerged.

"Well, at least you don't seem to be," I smirked, and she bit her lip in a tell tale sign of her own inner conflictions.

"It's my job to serve you your drinks," She said lowly, "But trust me; it would be a pleasure to do a lot more…"

"Why not then?" I smirked even further, leaning across the counter a little. Her eyes darkened, and I couldn't help but feel a little ensnared by the pretty little face and sweet body, but… she wasn't budging an inch.

"You're marked territory, honey. If I so much as touch you, he has the right to kill me," She sighed, almost wistfully, "One of the many benefits of being a Sheriff."

At that, she turned and pretty much pretended I no longer existed. I just got cock-blocked by that blonde asshole, and he wasn't even in the same room.

Fucking Vampires.

Vincent hadn't been happy in the slightest. I gave Tseng my report, minus the whole Eric slobbering all over my face thing, and at the time, Vincent had been hovering in the background.

"Genesis, you say?" the head Turk asked, and I gave a simple nod. He was on his phone in an instant, crimson eyes darkening as he muttered heatedly into it. Vincent was a smart guy, and he'd have known that without some proper warning, Gen would be back at Fangtasia, whoring up Shreveport as soon as he clocked off tonight. It was a rare occasion where Vincent would dabble in SOLDIER affairs, but something told me Genesis was about to get an ass-whooping off the president.

"I take it last night's incident was pretty serious then?" I shrugged, and Tseng glared warningly. I wasn't meant to ask questions regarding vampire affairs, but fuck it, I wanted to know why last night was such a big deal. To my surprise, Vincent actually spoke directly to me, once he'd hung up the phone.

"You've done Eric Northman a great favor," Vincent nodded, "Had either Genesis or one of the disputing vampires been killed, Fangtasia would almost certainly have been shut down."

I waved a hand dismissively, showing that to me, the task hadn't been overly difficult. Valentine smirked, but just slightly, so it was almost un-noticeable.

"Modesty doesn't suit you," He remarked dryly, "Besides, you have also done a great deal of good for mainstreaming vampires. Rumors are spreading through the town of Shreveport, and even here in Midgar, that a redheaded human was successfully able to keep two vampires at bay. This has led those hearing the tale to underestimate the threat that some of us truly pose."

I forced back a shudder at the implication, and Vincent offered a small smile, his fangs remaining hidden as he did so. At least he wasn't hungry or randy, that was for sure.

Vincent didn't say anything else after that, and merely nodded at me when his cell began ringing. Tseng turned his attention to me now, and I was kinda relieved to see that his glare had subsided for the most part. He'd heard Vincent's impressed tone, and so, was impressed with me also.

"Perhaps you should head home and get some sleep. We don't need you for anything here, and your shift is most certainly over," Tseng nodded, turning to his paperwork in a clear gesture signifying that his suggestion was anything but a mere suggestion. I turned and headed out the door, letting it close softly behind me, as I heard Vincent talking to what seemed to be Eric. I wondered if Valentine had smelt the Nordic asshole's scent on me, before realizing that if a vampire as 'new' as Emma had picked up on it, Vincent would have had no problems in the slightest at picking it up. I shook my head a little, walking down the corridors, replaying the night's events in my mind and shuddering a little at the thought of Eric. That bastard. I was kind of regretting everything last night, if only for the fact that I'd had no option but to step into his office and meet him face to face for the first time to give him my report. This was Gen's fault, and if I so much as saw him anywhere near Fangtasia again, I'd feed him to the fuckers as payment for having to put up with that arrogant ass. I didn't think about it too much more when I reached my room, choosing instead to fall back on the bed and collapse into sleep for the rest of the day. This job had perks, I knew, but it was getting harder to find them.

Pam was at the door when I came in the next night, and she was giving me that same smug little smirk she gave everyone who came through.

"I'm a little surprised to see you," she mused aloud, "Most of them get scared off after their first incident."

"Or killed," I shrugged casually, once she stepped aside to let me through, "Either way."

Her lips quirked a little further up, but she didn't say anything else. I scoped out the area, and so far, everything was calm, and there was very little out of the ordinary; well as ordinary as it could be here. There was a bunch of tourists, fangbangers, and of course, the tall dark and undead that frequented this place. Emma was behind the bar, and she gave me a sultry smile and a wink as she saw me. Anton, one of the other regular bartenders, gave me a nod as he saw me. He wasn't as keen on me as Emma, or even as Pam.

"How's it going, Anton?" I asked casually, and he looked down at me through his glasses, with what seemed to be contempt. He remained polite, however, and stopped what he was doing to talk to me.

"Busy tonight, as you can see," he nodded his head at the crowd, "Apparently this is a result of your little incident last night. It got all the danger seekers lined up."

Anton had the makings of a Latino heartthrob, with dark skin, hair, and eyes, and bright white teeth. He didn't have his fangs out at the moment, which I was more than grateful for, but it looked like a few of his admirers were near disappointed about that fact. Each tender at the bar was a little different to the next, in one way or another. Emma had blonde, curly hair, down to her back, but seemingly liked it worn up in a ponytail. She had a sarcastic nature, much like Pam's, but she was a little more on the sweet side. To me, that only made her more dangerous, but to the fangbangers and tourists around her, it made them more trusting of her. Like I said, making her all the more dangerous. Anton was dark in just about every manner of the way, with caramel skin, short black hair, and deep brown eyes. He was kinda cold, but he was intelligent, and he was a 'newer' Vampire, meaning that he still knew all too well what it was like to be human. He was also good at the bar work, and he was brutally honest. I doubt the fucker even knew how to lie. There were a few others, but I was really only acquainted with two. There was a bubbly redheaded girl named Natasha, who was quite an old Vamp, maybe a few hundred years old, who was so cheerful it was borderline psychotic. She didn't tend too much because she found it hard to put on the scary vamp act, and her bubbly enthusiasm unsettled the other bar workers, as well as the patrons. I could only imagine how much that pissed Eric off. On odd occasions, Pam would tend the bar, and she was kind of like a grown up Alice; you know, from Wonderland… Beautiful blonde hair, always straight and at least partially tied back, and blue eyes, as well as the painted red lips and pale skin. She wasn't nearly as friendly as Alice was, but she was intelligent, she was funny in her own little way, and she did whatever it was Eric told her. Really, the only things all bartenders at Fangtasia had in common were their stunning looks, their talent at the job, and the fact that they were border line besotted with Eric.

"Has Gen been in?" I asked Anton casually, and his eyes narrowed.

"Not yet, and he better pray to whatever God he believes in that he doesn't," Anton scowled, his fangs coming out a little with his anger, much to the delight of his fans. "He isn't welcome."

"Eric made that clear," I agreed, "I haven't had the chance to deal with him yet, but I think Vin sorted it out."

Anton faltered, as Emma, who had apparently been eavesdropping, did the same.

"Vincent Valentine?" Emma spluttered, "You've spoken to him? Seen him in the flesh?"

Even Anton seemed to be more attentive now that I'd mentioned the big cheese, so to speak.

"Yeah," I shrugged nonchalantly, "Quite a few times, but not so much now that we know he's… you know."

"I would like it a little more if he weren't," Emma all but leered, "Vampire liaisons are not always accepted."

"Liaisons?" I smirked, and Emma held a hand to her non-existent heart in a dramatic gesture. Anton rolled his eyes and served a few customers at this, and Emma leant over to speak to me.

"If he were human, I'd drain him dry…" She whispered, her eyes flashing wickedly, as she ran a tongue along her lips and now protruding fangs. I fought back the shudder at this very vampire behavior, and gave a simple nod.

"You think he's handsome, huh?" I asked, and she let out a sigh.

"He's more than handsome, Reno," She winked, "He's… breathtaking…"

She froze then, her mouth falling open, and her eyes opening wider, as she made a strangled "urghh…" noise in the back of her throat. I raised a brow, before realizing even Anton had seized up.

"Thank you," A smooth voice remarked, and I just about flew out of my skin.

I turned, and Vincent offered me a slight quirk of his lip.

"Holy mother of Gaia, sir," I spluttered, "You scared the living fuck out of me."

"Habit," He remarked dryly, before nodding at Emma and Anton, who forcibly returned to their tasks of bartending. Yeah, okay, Vincent had a heck of a lot of authority in the Vampire world. At the very least, undying (ha freaking ha) respect from his kin. I guess he wasn't so bad in the appearance department. A little un-nerving, yes, but most Vampires were to me. I could admire him, even without having a specific taste for the male gender, in the fact that he was virtually flawless. He had long black hair, perfectly straight, and it never seemed to come out of place. He was wearing a Turk suit, so he was clearly here on business, although he did have a preference for red. The only hint at this was the red bandana across his forehead, which had a black symbol on it, something to do with the Vampire world. He was getting looks from all over the bar, but he either didn't notice or plain didn't care.

"A brief word, if I may," he said lowly, in that same silky voice. I nodded, gave a brief bow to him, and then followed him as he headed for a booth full of three vamps. They all looked up as he approached, wide eyed and seemingly paler than usual, before scrambling out of their seats. Vincent said nothing to them, only nodded, before slipping into the side of the booth opposite mine.

"I've approached Rhapsodos. He's not to come back here, and nor should he, at least not tonight. I've glamoured the location from his memory," Vincent explained, as I bit back my immediate reaction of shocked outrage. You just weren't meant to mess with a SOLDIER's head. It was dangerous, especially if they were messing crucial bits of info on a battlefield.

"Don't underestimate my skills, Reno," He warned softly, and I shook my head apologetically, holding his gaze.

"Apologies, Sir."

"It's alright. Eric has held nothing but high praise for you, and Tseng seems to offer the same," Vincent nodded approvingly, "And he obviously trusts you enough to give you the permanent task of this bar. At least, for the mean time."

"If I may, sir," I shrugged, "Seems to me that it's cause I'm most experienced, as well as being one of the only people in the Turks who ain't terrified of your kind."

He smirked at this, offering a small nod.

"Cautious, yet not afraid," he agreed, "Wary, but respecting. You were a fine choice."

"Thanks, boss," I nodded.

"I offer only a word of caution," He lowered his voice even more, but I knew that some of the Vamps would be listening anyway, "Perhaps you should be a little more afraid with some of us."

I furrowed my brow slightly, but he offered little more than a smirk in return.

"Should I be afraid of you, sir?" I asked, and the air pretty much bristled with some of the other vampires' tension. They didn't like the way I spoke just then, as if anyone could dare be so blunt with Vincent Valentine.

"Not me. Be fearful of the others who have reason to fear me, however," He paused, before raising his voice a little louder, "There will be some with reasons to harm you, but their reasoning in fearing me will be proven if they choose to do so."

If that wasn't a threat for prying ears, I didn't know what was.

"You are a Turk, and you belong to me," He said firmly, "As all Turks do, Vampire or not."

I watched as Vincent got up then, before standing also, his eyes never leaving my face. He lowered his voice once again, and leant to my ear.

"Fear feeds adrenaline," He whispered, "Keep that in mind."

With that, he gave a polite nod to Pam at the door, who bowed in return, and headed out the door. The room was still abuzz with the energy the visit from Valentine had produced, and there was more than one curious gaze on me. I was pretty much picked out then and there as the Turk on duty, and this didn't help settle my mind in the slightest. Pam had her eyes on me though, in an almost amused, reassuring manner, and I shrugged off any unease I had, offering her a wink and a teasing smile before she turned back to the door. I waited the whole night for some kind of conflict, or disturbance, or life changing event, but nothing happened. I went home, uneasy about the calm, but secretly disappointed at the same time. Danger was what I lived for.

A/N: Liek? 0w0

I'd have posted something else, but I can't find my usb sticks. It's driving me mental, as there is ALL of my fanfiction on there… -grr-