It wouldn't be until the next day, when Claire would head over to the lab for work, that she would decide inviting Myrnin over to have dinner had been a very bad idea. It had been on impulse, really. He'd looked sad and alone, and had practically begged her to stay late, insisting there was more work to be done although he'd had little for her to do since she'd first arrived.
So, without thinking too much of the consequences, she invited Myrnin for dinner with the rest of the Glass House gang. She'd watched several emotions flickers across his face. First there was the utter shock, followed by a look of disappointment, and finally, absolute joy when he realized Claire was serious.
"Oh, surely you know I wouldn't wish to impose," he said with forced casualness, as he picked a book off the floor, randomly opening it. Claire knew he was trying to test her, to see if she would withdraw her invitation.
She rolled her eyes and said, "But breaking into my bedroom in the middle of the night because you can't find Bob is entirely okay?"
Myrnin stood up way too quickly, dropping the book on the floor in the process. He looked horrified. "That is an entirely different situation. He could have been dead, Claire!" He truly sounded aghast. "He cares about you, you know. You ought to be kinder to him."
"I'm not saying I don't like him!" She spread her hands out in front of her. "Just that he's a spider, and it's perfectly alright for him to go missing on occasion. He was doing just fine on his own before you decided to keep him as a pet." Claire shuddered slightly, remembering that day and the awful 'sun'burn that had followed.
"It is absolutely not alright for him to go missing," Myrnin protested, crossing his arms. Claire rubbed at her head slightly.
"Are you going to come to dinner or not, Myrnin?" Claire asked. She watched his face light up all over again. She couldn't help the giggle that passed her lips as she realized he'd managed to entirely distract himself. He ignored her laugh, although Claire knew he'd heard it.
He seemed almost nervous as he asked, "Are you quite sure your housemates will be alright with it? I have been made quite aware that the Collin's boy would happily kill me, provided the opportunity."
Claire shrugged. "Shane'll get over it. He really is getting to be less 'kill all vamps', you know. What with Michael and everything else that's gone on." Claire elected not to mention that Shane didn't like Myrnin in particular, due to Claire's mild crush on him that kept her from dating Shane.
"Oh," was all Myrnin said in response.
"Well? Are you coming?"
"Yes," he said, "Yes I suppose I will. It would make for a nice change. And I haven't had a home-cooked meal in such a long time."
Claire snorted, "Don't get your hopes up too much, Eve's cooking. We'll be lucky if the food is actually edible."
"You don't seem to have much faith in your friend, little one."
"And you haven't tried her cooking before."
Myrnin shrugged, "I suppose I haven't. Shall we go then, my dear?" He walked closer to her and held his arm out to her. With a twinge of embarrassment, she took it. With his free arm, he pulled the door to the portal open. The Glass House appeared on the other side, and the pair stepped through together.
They stepped into absolute chaos. The smoke alarm was going off, and Claire could hear Eve shrieking in the kitchen.
"Damn girl, how to you even manage to set fire to spaghetti?" Shane asked incredulously, yelling over the alarm.
Myrnin stared at Claire with a confused look on his face. Claire shrugged, letting go of his arm and walking towards the kitchen. He followed close behind her.
"I was trying to make lasagna," Eve screamed, picking up a still smoking tray of what looked like burned mush on top of way too much tomato sauce. "Move, Claire," Eve snapped, pushing past her.
Claire stumbled backward, into Myrnin who grabbed onto her elbows, stabilizing her before she fell. Eve opened the front door and threw the lasagna out. It splattered across the sidewalk, and Eve slammed the door shut. She slumped onto the floor, her back against the door with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Well, this is fascinating," Myrnin murmured in Claire's ear, still holding onto her elbows.
"I warned you," Claire whispered back. She stepped away from him, towards Eve who looked as though she was about to cry. "Come on, Eve. It's not that bad. Want to help me and Myrnin make tacos?"
"I guess. Wait, when did Myrnin get here?" Eve asked.
At the same time, Myrnin said, "I don't know how to make tacos, Claire."
"He came with me. I invited him for dinner." Claire ignored the smirk Eve shot her and turned to look at Myrnin. "And I'll show you. You're helping me whether you want to or not." Myrnin shrugged, just a small movement of his shoulders.
"Well, the fire department called. I think that's a new record, Eve," Michael laughed, as he walked down the stairs. "Don't worry, I sent them away. I know you didn't actually set the kitchen on fire."
Eve moaned and tossed her head back against the door. "Why am I a failure as a woman, Claire Bear?"
"Oh come on, Eve. It's not that bad. Come on, tacos?"
Eve shook her head. "I'll just mess it up. I'll take over dish duty though, promise,"
Claire nodded. She turned to see Myrnin opening his mouth and quickly said, "No. You still have to help."
Myrnin sighed but followed her into the kitchen. "You know," he said, "a host usually does not request that their guest make dinner."
"Would you prefer to go play video games with Shane?"
"Perhaps I might!" Myrin straightened out his blue velvet vest. Then he looked at Claire quizzically. "What exactly are video games?"
"Oh, um. Well," she started, as she began to pour the ground beef into the pan. "First, here," she handed Myrnin a knife, not something she necessarily thought was the best idea, "cut up the tomatoes for me. And they're a sort of game you play on a television, I guess. I mean, not all of them. Some consoles have their own screens. Oh, and there are ones you can play on your cell phone, too."
"On my phone?" Myrnin asked incredulously, pushing the tomatoes into the bowl Claire handed him.
"Well, I mean. Not right now, but you can get some." She answered.
"How?"
Claire sighed as she poured in the taco seasoning. "I'll show you later, okay? I'll find some you might like."
"What if I wish to choose them for myself?"
"You can. After I show you how to do it."
"Will you show me now?"
"Do you want another burned meal getting thrown out the door, Myrnin? You can wait until later." Sometimes, Claire honestly felt like she was dealing with a child.
"I suppose not," he said. "What else shall I do to help make these tacos, Claire?"
"Oh. In the cupboard, there are taco shells on one of the shelves. Grab them for me?" As he searched through the cupboard, Claire couldn't help but smile. Suddenly she understood why he liked playing the boss card so much. It was really fun to boss him around.
As if reading her mind Myrnin suddenly said, "Don't come to expect this kind of behavior from me, little bird. Outside of this kitchen, you're still my assistant."
"The other shelf, Myrnin. And does that mean you're my assistant in this kitchen?"
Myrnin snorted, "Hardly." A moment of silence passed before Myrnin spoke again, in an extremely disgruntled voice, "Claire, I cannot find them! You really ought to organize these shelves better."
"Clearly you are my assistant then. You're even getting the full assistant experience, what with not being able to find things" Claire said. She turned the stove down slightly and went to help him. He stepped out of her way. "Here." Claire reached up and grabbed the taco shells.
"My lab is perfectly organized, thank you very much."
"Myrnin, you spent an hour searching for your bunny slippers today. And they were on your feet the entire time." Myrnin's ears turned a very light shade of pink at this.
"And who was it that let me continue searching despite knowing this?" He asked.
"I was bored. It was funny," Claire protested. Myrnin made a face at her, trying to pull off annoyed but not quite making it. Claire laughed and went back to the stove. She poured the meat into another bowl. "Get the cheese from the fridge." Myrnin found the cheese far more easily than he found the taco shells. She passed him another bowl, and he poured the shredded cheese into it. She lined up the bowls of varying condiments and the plates full of taco shells.
Claire walked to the door of the kitchen and called out, "Guys! Dinner's ready."
"Tacos?" Shane called back."
"Yes! Hurry up!"
"Hell yeah!" Claire could hear them all rushing towards the kitchen.
Quickly she handed Myrnin a plate. "Get what you want while you still can." He grabbed two taco shells and filled them up, after 'allowing' her to go first. He copied her choices exactly, and Claire realized that may be the first time he was actually having tacos.
"Woah. When did Count Crackula get here?" Shane asked, a hint of something more angry than surprised in his voice.
"I invited him to have dinner with us," Claire answered, a little more snappy than she intended. She knew Shane didn't like Myrnin, but he knew just as well that she didn't like when they called him names. Shane stared at her for a long moment, before he shrugged and grabbed up a plate.
The rest of the dinner passed, surprisingly, quite well. Eve begged Myrnin to tell her where he got the boots he was wearing. He'd stared down at his feet for almost a full minute as the conversation carried on around him when he suddenly blurted out that they came from 18th century Spain, and would likely be the only pair to still exist. The utter disappointment on Eve's face was nearly comical.
Even Shane, who was quickly surpassed by Myrnin in number of taco's eaten, seemed to actually not entirely mind the fact that Myrnin was there. Once he got to talking at least. Myrnin asked him dozens of questions about video games, and Claire could tell that Shane was thrilled that he knew something Myrnin didn't. Myrnin didn't seem bothered by this at all, simply eager to learn about the new technology.
"Claire, you really must get me one of these 'consoles'. I must try these video games." Myrnin suddenly said, turning to look at Claire.
"What? No. They're expensive Myrnin," Claire said. "And since when do you not hate modern technology? You don't even have a television, so it's not like it would work anyways."
"How can you be alive without a television, man?" Michael asked.
"I have lived for centuries without the need for such entertainment devices, I can survive perfectly well without such things now," Myrnin said, almost defensively.
"You're just not getting the right kind of entertainment then!" Eve cried out. "What movies have you seen?"
That was the exact moment Claire realized that Myrnin's stay was going to last far past a taco dinner. She knew what his answer would be before he'd even said it.
"I have yet to see any modern films," Myrnin answered Eve. A look of shock passed through all three of Claire's housemates.
"Claire," Eve said, aghast."You're with all the time! How have you not made him watch a movie yet?" She turned her attention back to Myrnin. "My god, what do we even start you with?"
"Pirates of the Caribbean, maybe," Michael suggested.
"Star Wars?" Shane said, in the same moment.
"Why on earth would the stars be at war?" Myrnin asked. And with that, it was decided that Myrnin, despite his protests, was going to stay and watch the entirety of Star Wars.
"I think you're officially banned from leaving the house until the movies are over," Claire laughed as she left the kitchen with Myrnin and a large bowl of popcorn.
"I suppose this not too bad a prison, nor too harsh a punishment," Myrnin said, running his hand along the wall as they walked.
"You aren't being punished, Myrnin. Come on, even I like these movies!"
"Then I will try to enjoy them as well. Though I still don't understand why the stars are at war at all."
"Just sit down and watch the movie." Myrnin shrugged and sat on the end of the couch. Michael and Eve sat crammed together in Michael's chair. So, as the movie began, Claire ended up stuck in between Shane and Myrnin on the couch. Honestly, she couldn't say she was upset by this in the slightest.
Hey, guys! This is my first Morganville Vampire's fanfic. It's probably going to end up being about five or six chapter by the end of it! Please, please, please review! It's honestly the best thing you can do for me. Whether you're going to compliment of criticize the piece, I want to know what you think so far!
