Vampire Kisses fanfiction
PLASTIC PROMISES
Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent

Chapter 34.

The club was a great way to escape the event with Travis after school today. Maddie danced alongside Claude, letting him feel her body as they rocked out to the heavy metal music, though moshing wasn't exactly her thing, however the touch from Claude seemed to sooth her and make her feel like she was in a place so surreal, her thoughts of Travis had vanished.

She loved how Claude placed his hands on her vinyl-clad hips and pressed his lips to the back of her neck, moving her hair out of place, the coldness of his lip ring somewhat welcomed against her skin. His warm breath tickled her skin.

They danced the night away, at least until Claude had come up with the clever idea to leave the club and find a place more private to spend time with each other. Maddie thought nothing much of it, especially because she needed to let her mind revolve around her love for Claude, rather than her feelings for Travis. Travis was stressing her out too much. She hated that she was breaking his heart by being with Claude, but Claude was who she realized she really loved. Yet she also hated how Travis was pressuring her to break up with Claude so he could be with her. What kind of friend did that?

Grabbing her hand, Claude led her through the club, pushing through manic moshers, until they reached the back door. He pushed through it and Maddie was immediately welcomed by the crisp night air. The breeze felt good on her hot skin, which was trickled with sweat from all of the dancing.

Claude looked back at her, grinning from ear to ear. Maddie arched an eyebrow and gave him a half-smile.

"What?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip. Claude shook his head and sighed.

"You're just too damn beautiful," he said, combing his dyed blonde hair out of his eyes. Maddie liked how his hair carried in the wind. She loved running her fingers through the soft blonde and black hair on his head, combing his bangs back and looking into his dark brown eyes.

She shook her head and chuckled.

"You've got it all wrong, baby," she said. "It's you that's just too damn beautiful." Claude tilted his head back and laughed.

"Well, thank you, I guess, even if you did use the more feminine term for my attractive appearance." He made a motion of pretending to flip long imaginary hair back over his shoulder, which made Maddie giggle. Soon, she was embraced in his arms again, pressing her lips to his very briefly before they parted and Claude dragged her away from the club.

"Where are we going now?" she inquired as they walked down the sidewalk, Maddie's pumps echoing off the nearby buildings.

"Somewhere much more secluded and romantic than the club," he assured.

"Like the Eifel Tower?" Maddie asked wistfully. Claude bellowed in laughter again.

"No, no, although the Eifel Tower is quite gorgeous. Ever been?" he asked. Maddie gave him a look. Of course she hadn't been to the Eifel Tower, or anywhere else in Paris, or France, or Europe. She'd never left the country, or the state, all because they simply could not afford any real nice vacations. Her mother was lucky enough to get a three-day weekend off from the diner, but with their extremely low income, it was highly rare.

"Sorry, sorry," Claude said sheepishly when he realized her deadpan expression. He squeezed her hand before exchanging it for an arm around her waist, which he pressed close to his body. "Don't worry; one day you'll go. And then you could dance for me on the very top of the tower." He grinned down at her, and Maddie's imagination ran wild. Dancing on top of the Eifel Tower? That was even better than getting on So You Think You Can Dance?

"Will you ever dance with me?" she asked suddenly. If Claude had come from a wealthy European family, he was bound to know how to dance, right? Wasn't it practically against the law if wealthy Europeans didn't know how to dance? Especially with all of those fancy balls, Maddie considered, Claude was bound to know how to at least slow-dance.

Claude smiled down at her and mused at the thought. She liked the idea of Claude dancing with her. She hoped he'd be able to learn contemporary dancing, so they could partner up and do dances together. Coupled dances, Maddie thought, were much more intimate than solo dances.

"Only if you want me to," he said, and Maddie beamed. She wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her head against his chest. "I'm nowhere near as brilliant as you, though. Keep that in mind." Maddie chuckled.

"Don't worry. It doesn't matter. It'll be just as special." She felt Claude's hands smooth the skin underneath her shirt and she sighed. He'd liked what she'd said, she realized, and she was glad that this moment was happening just the way it was. No Travis. All Claude.

They walked down the streets and Maddie could see the graveyard materializing up ahead, the streetlamps providing the light for her mere human vision. She wondered what they were doing back at Claude's graveyard. Was he going to give her an official tour of the place, not that there was much to show except for yards of tombstones and mausoleums?

"Why are we walking back to the graveyard?" Maddie asked, looking up at Claude curiously. A coy smile broke out over his pierced lips.

"Because it's secluded and romantic," he replied cleverly. Maddie arched an eyebrow.

"So, what? We're going to make out in your coffin?"

The thought was a tad morbid, considering only those of the dead (or undead) only laid in coffins, and thrusting her tongue into her boyfriend's mouth inside his coffin sounded a little macabre, but she couldn't help but understand that dark romance of it. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Claude's grin only grew wider, and Maddie knew he'd agreed on her suggestion, even if she actually was kidding about it. Knowing Claude and his perverse mind, he probably longed to see her in her bra and the skimpy vinyl pants Kat had lent her.

They approached the graveyard, and Claude led her through the maze of tombstones, his grip on her hand growing tighter and tighter with excitement. Maddie giggled and smiled. She loved seeing Claude excited. She thought it was so cute.

"Your idea was rather clever," Claude chimed, turning his neck over his shoulder to look at her. "Your wish is my command, darling."

Maddie couldn't help but giggle, and she wasn't one to normally be so giddy.

She could see their campsite, the angel statues looking familiar amongst the thousands of other mausoleums in the graveyard. Okay, so Claude was going to lead her to his coffin where they were most likely going to make-out. That was fine with her. After all, she was doing well with not thinking about Travis. She was glad she'd come to the club, even though her mother was probably going to murder her when she found out Maddie had been out so late on a school night. She didn't care, though; at least not at that moment. Her love life was way too chaotic. Too many boys in her life, too many that shared feelings for her.

As Maddie had predicted, Claude had arrived at his coffin, but before he made a motion to get in it, he caressed her face and pressed his lips to hers, the silver lip ring cold against her flesh, but so welcoming considering she'd been dancing so much just ten minutes ago. His hands dropped her shoulders as Maddie locked her arms around his neck, and smoothed the area around her neck, his thumbs padding over her jugular and collarbone. She felt his fingers slip inside the neck of her shirt, chills running down her spine. His touch tickled her even greater than before.

The kisses grew hotter and more intense as Maddie decidedly ran her fingers anxiously through his hair, tugging slightly and pressing her body tightly against his own. Claude's adventurous hands had lowered to her hips, gripping the hems of her shirt, lifting it gradually. Would she really let Claude undress her like so? Was she ready for something like this?

Of course she was. She was sixteen and a junior in high school. So Claude was a couple years older. It wasn't that much of a big deal. And plus—she felt so comfortable with him. His touches were inviting, his kisses were exotic—there was nothing not to like about him … well, except for the history of how they met, but that was in the past. Maddie hardly ever thought about that day anymore.

So, believing she was ready to finally take their relationship to the next level, she helped him take off her shirt, and also helped him with his. They parted to inhale the other's exposed torso. Claude was, unsurprisingly, breathless; his chest chiseled handsomely with an athletic shape and nicely toned arms. His skin was of course pale as the moon, but it only made him look sexier, rather than sickly.

Claude's eyes hungrily traced her form, running his tongue over his lips with a wide open smile, so wide that his pointed fangs were so visible in his mouth. His hands ran up and down the sides of her hourglass figure, thumbs rubbing her bare skin. She was toned darker than he, thanks to the sun. It was a nice sun-kissed tan from venturing to the beach over vacations and walking home in the hot sun from school and to the dance studio. He fingered the satin of her neutral-colored bra, which made her look, from afar, as if she weren't wearing anything to shield her breasts from him.

"This is better than Kat's work on you," he rasped in a sultry tone near her ear, and then pressed his lips again it, tugging gently on the lobe while being careful not to pierce her skin with his fangs. She felt his tongue graze the multiple studs that ran along the rims of her ear, falling weak in the knees.

"Claude …" she moaned, tugging at his hair again.

"Get into my coffin, baby," he whispered. "It's more entertaining in there."

This was it. Maddie was going to go further than just an average make-out with him. The ecstasy traveled like a virus through her veins as she nodded, stepping aside so he could open lid of his coffin. Smirking, he escorted her inside.

The wooden coffin was padded with black velvet cloth so that he wouldn't have to sleep against the wood the coffin was made out of. There were thick layers of blankets that covered the bottom part of the coffin, all black in color, with a matching black, skull-adorned pillow. His coffin was messily made, as if he hadn't bothered to fully make his bed at all, and the lid to his coffin was plastered with heavy metal rock bands that were vaguely familiar, only because her uncle listened to them. She even noticed a poster of her uncle's underground metal band, Vampires Walk Naked.

"They really do sometimes," Claude piped, pointing to the VWN poster. "Sometimes we do walk naked, but only in the pure dead of night."

Maddie couldn't help but laugh, even though she'd given him a strange look as he explained to her what he meant. But soon her laughing was subdued and overcome with moans from Claude's kisses as he brought her into his lap while he leaned against one edge of the coffin. His hands continued to roam her body, but this time hers did as well, and Claude, in return, had let loose some moans as well. Maddie's heart raced with every touch and every kiss from Claude, and it just made her all the more anxious to do it with him.

She was growing impatient, as all they were doing was just making out. She dropped her hands to the button of his jeans and undid them, following with unbuckling all of his belts and casting them aside. She felt a smile form on Claude's lips while she kissed him. He was excited again.

"Pull off my boots," he murmured, and Maddie obeyed, even though the chore sounded slavish. She reached for his complicated laced-up boots and proceeded to untie them, when they formed a knot. Maddie narrowed her eyebrows and her heart pounded in her chest. What the hell was wrong with these stupid shoes?

She grumbled in aggravation as she felt her face heat up from embarrassment, as she couldn't even untie a mere boot. On top of all that, she was sitting in Claude's coffin in her least attractive bra (why had she worn that one?).

The mood was suddenly going downhill for her. Claude sighed and reached over, untying them himself. Maddie felt small and self-conscience, suddenly, and she wished to be anywhere but there, let alone shirtless.

However, her mood immediately shifted when Claude had finished kicking off his boots and then pressed his lips tenderly to her. Her confidence had returned when she felt the smile in his lips, his dominance conquering her quivering embarrassment.

"Now you can take off my pants," he chuckled through his kisses and Maddie grinned, rolling her eyes, but doing as he suggested. He pushed her to the floor of the coffin, hovering above her, which gave her easy access to pulling off his pants. She tugged the purple plaid-print skinny jeans down to his knees, and from there Claude finished the process. He was left almost completely bare, mind his pair of black plaid boxers, and as Maddie looked him over, she couldn't begin to believe how incredibly sexy Claude looked almost naked.

"Like what you see?" Claude teased, leaning back and posing for her. Maddie rolled her eyes and shook her head, chuckling.

"You're so full of yourself, you know that?"

"I am not," he argued jokingly. "You said it yourself. I'm just so beautiful."

The two burst into barks of laughter, falling on top of each other. Their laughter finally subdued, and Claude wrapped his arms around her body. Maddie, yet again, fell in such peace and comfort in his arms, bringing a smile to her face.

"But, seriously," Claude said softly. "You're so beautiful. I've never been in love with anyone before," he confessed. Maddie looked up at him.

"Neither have I," she said.

"You're with me every night, you know," he said, and Maddie cocked her head to the side out of puzzlement.

"What do you mean?" He pointed to one side of the coffin, a side near his head, and, engraved in the velvet, torn with what was probably a knife (or his fangs) was her name, Madeline, followed by a heart. Maddie's heart raced at the gentle and sweet gesture of the carving. He'd carved her name into the felt inside the coffin!

"Claude," she murmured, looking back at him with a wide smile before looking back at her name, running it over with the buds of her fingertips.

"Can't sleep without you," he said. "And with your name there, I just always imagine you sleeping beside me, nestled up next to me, wearing nothing but those cute little shorts and a tank. You know you're beautiful even in your pajamas, right?" A playful grin pranced around his lips, and Maddie scowled, her own lips forcing a smile while she tried to suppress it, yet she failed.

"Oh Claude," she sighed with an eye roll. He smiled widely, gently rubbed his knuckles in her hair while she protested, and then kissed her, bringing her with him as he lay back down. She hovered over him, her vinyl pants shining even in the dark. She was excited that Claude had decided to rub her legs with his large hands, smoothing the backs of her thighs before reaching her backside. A coy grin spread across his lips.

"And then, of course, I always imagined us doing this every night," he said. Maddie groaned and rolled her eyes.

"So, let me guess; you get horny every single night imagining us feeling each other up. Okay, that's cool," she said sarcastically.

"Don't tell me you don't think the same," Claude accused, raising an eyebrow. Maddie barked out a humorless laugh.

"I don't." And it was true. She didn't imagine them having sex every night, and most certainly didn't get horny every night either, but sometimes she did think about her and Claude nestled together romantically, however while she was falling asleep, he was already up and getting ready for his day to begin.

The other half of the time, she thought about how her life would be if Travis Mitchell were the one sleeping next to her instead, though those were thoughts that should have been forbidden from entering her imagination. He was human and they'd be going to sleep at the human hour. There would be no different schedules. They'd have the same sleep pattern. They'd go to sleep together, wake up together, and then repeat.

But Maddie knew it wasn't right to think about how great a life she'd have with Travis Mitchell. Her heart belonged to Claude, though he was a vampire with a very different lifestyle. Though she wasn't determined to marry him, she knew she still had to be loyal, and that meant any intimate thoughts of Travis were to be thrown away.

"We could make that happen," Claude suddenly whispered, tearing her from her thoughts. She didn't understand what he was talking about anyway, and she tilted her head to the side, eyebrows knitting together.

"Make what happen?" she asked.

"We could make it so that you could sleep with me every morning, so that you could nestle with me, so that we could feel each other up"—he said this with a coy grin—"every night. I could make that happen."

"I still don't understand," Maddie admitted.

Claude leaned forward and they swapped positions—Maddie fell backward and Claude hovered over her again. He grabbed hold of her wrists and held them above her head, leaning down to kiss the middle of her throat, sucking on the tiny lump of it. She moaned briefly and shook her head back and forth.

"Claude … what are you talking about?" she asked.

His lips trailed along her collarbone, planting small suckling kisses. He finally made it to her jugular, pausing to smell the area. Maddie's eyebrows narrowed in confusion. What was he doing? Smelling her blood?

Suddenly, she felt her heartbeat freeze. He was smelling her blood. That's what he'd meant by Maddie sleeping with him for every night to come. Surely he couldn't be serious. After all, they'd never even talked about the biting.

If Claude was seriously thinking about biting her to make her a vampire, she was going to be truly heartbroken. She didn't want to become a vampire. Why in the world would she? She loved the sun, needed to see her reflection in the mirror, and thought the blood diet was absolutely repulsing. It was enough that she was dating (and in love) with a vampire, but she wasn't about to give up her human life to turn to the dark side. Maybe her uncle might, but not Maddie. She and Uncle Lucian were truly quite different people, despite their related genes.

She felt his lips press against the space he'd been smelling, and then eventually he began to suck on it, and Maddie knew she was going to end up with one hell of a hickey. At least he wasn't biting her.

"It's really quick," he whispered softly, almost as if he were talking to himself. "Really quick, painless, and mesmerizing."

Maddie's blue eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. NO, was the first word that popped into her mind, a large N-O in flashing bright lights. He couldn't do that to her. He had to at least ask her. They had to at least talk about it!

"Delicious … thick … sweet … oh I can imagine it running down my lips—"

Maddie couldn't believe it. Claude was thinking about drinking from her … again! After he'd promised he wouldn't do it, he was doing it now. This night was supposed to be special. She was planning on losing her virginity with the boy she loved. She was wrong. Did she even love him now?

"Stop it," Maddie seethed. She wanted to cry. How could Claude be doing this to her?

Claude looked into her face, puzzled. "Stop what?" he asked innocently. She glared at him for his ignorance. How pathetic was he going to be?

She began to slide out from underneath him and reached out of the coffin for her shirt. Claude stared at her in disbelief.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What is going on here?" he asked. "What—what are you doing? I-I thought …"

"I can't believe you're imagining drinking my blood. I told you that I didn't want you doing that. You told me that you wouldn't do that! Why are you breaking your promise?" Maddie exclaimed as she tugged the shirt over her chest.

"What are you talking about? Who said I was going to drink your blood?"

She could not believe Claude had the guts to lie to her in the face. She was in love with him? Now that was pathetic.

"I can't believe you," she whispered, shaking her head, her eyebrows furrowed. "What was your intention on bringing me here tonight? Did you want to make my changing into a vampire romantic? Who said anything about me wanting a change?" Claude opened his mouth to protest, but Maddie beat him to it. "And don't you say anything about not having any intentions of the sort. That's why you began mentioning about the sleeping together thing, huh? You want to change me so I can adapt to your patterns, to your lifestyle."

"Maddie, you don't understand," Claude said.

"Excuse me? I don't understand? I'll tell you what I don't understand. How the fuck I'm in love with you."

She climbed out of the coffin, but Claude pulled her back. Her eyes widened as she was thrown back to the ground, her breath catching in her throat. He hovered over her, glaring. Her heart pounded. Suddenly, she felt a déjà vu moment coming on. Could they really be performing a repeat of those horrific past events, the events Maddie struggled so hard to forget?

"You don't understand, Maddie," Claude seethed as he mounted her so she couldn't escape. He held her hands above her head yet again, wrapping his fingers around her wrists tightly. She stared up at the boy she thought she loved in fear.

"Claude, you need to get off," she said sternly.

"I'm not getting off until I get what I want, and I want you." Her eyes widened even further as his narrowed. "I want everything about you. I want your body, your love, and your blood."

This was getting really, really bad. Maddie had been in situations like this with him before. Luckily now, she was in an area where someone could probably hear her if she screamed. So, she swallowed in all the air so could hold and belted the most high-pitched scream she could muster.

It all lasted for about three seconds before Claude let go of one of her wrists and clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling her screams. However, he'd freed a hand for her, and she scratched and slapped him and tried to push him off. She bucked her hips to throw him off, but he stayed put.

He leaned towards her, now mere inches from her face. His dark eyes suddenly did not look beautiful and loving. They were angry … and very, very hungry.

"Shut. Up," he hissed. "You don't want anyone to stumble in on us making love, now do you? How embarrassing would that be?"

She bit the callouses on his hand with the tips of her teeth, and she felt a wound open, for she could taste his blood in her mouth. It was disgusting and made her want to retch. Claude snarled at her and squeezed her cheeks with his bloodied hand.

"This is why I love you so much, Maddie. You're feisty." A twisted grin spread across his face. He rubbed her lips with his bloody hand.

"It's just a quick bite," Claude said, referring to the changing into a vampire. "A quick bite and it's all over. You'll be one of us, like Kat, and Rocco, and Tripp. You'll be able to sleep in my coffin and go shopping for sexy clothes with Kat, and since we're on sacred ground—as this is a cemetery—we'll be bonded for eternity."

"Claude, what's wrong with you? What happened? Why are you acting like this?" Maddie sobbed, squirming underneath Claude's body.

"Oh, I can assure that there is nothing wrong with me," he said proudly.

Maddie was baffled by Claude's sudden change in behavior. Just five minutes ago he was acting sweetly and humorously, whispering how beautiful she was. Now he was set on drinking her blood, on changing her into a vampire. What had led him to this change? She didn't understand. What happened to the Claude she was in love with from five minutes ago?

"You're acting like your other self," she said. "The self you are from the alley, from that night in the studio … Where's the Claude I was with at the club? What happened to you?"

"Maddie, baby girl, there's nothing wrong with me. Only you. Who doesn't want to get turned into a vampire?"

She closed her eyes. This wasn't happening. She was having a nightmare. Claude wasn't really acting like this, breaking his promises and talking nonsense.

"Think about it. We'll get married, have kids, live in a secluded manor. It'll be so romantic, baby. You'll love the lifestyle."

It didn't sound romantic at all, especially not while she was in the situation she was in. Her first priority was getting out of Claude's mount, and then calling for help.

"We could talk this over, Claude," she said, resorting to a calmer tone. "Let's talk this over calmly and sitting upright," she added.

"But I love this position much better," he said sultrily, leaning into her ear. "I have access to every ounce of you."

"I'll think about letting you drink my blood," Maddie lied, "but only if you let me get up. Then we can talk about my change."

Claude narrowed his eyes at her, but finally agreed. He slid off of her and, as quickly as she could, she darted out of the coffin. Claude roared and reached for her, snatching her ankle, but Maddie had still been wearing Kat's pumps, so she kicked him in the face and he released her. She kicked off the pumps and ran for her bag as fast as she could. Claude was a vampire, so his speed would be impeccable.

She ran as far away as she could from him, but she sensed him on her tail. She dared not look back, for fear of seeing him. Her breath was heavy as her bare feet pumped against the grass of the graveyard. When did this maze end? Where did it end?

"Maddie …" Claude's voice echoed in the air, but she chose to ignore it. She couldn't stop now. She allowed her feet to take her anywhere that was away from Claude's coffin. Taking twists and turns, she finally arrived at a fence. It was a waist-high fence, but Maddie was wearing vinyl pants. Well, if she ripped them, it wasn't her fault Kat's friend had turned into a psychotic beast. With her speed increasing, Maddie prepared herself for the fence. She grasped the metal bar, lifted herself over it, and landed on the other side, almost falling, but not stopping. She ran for the street, hoping to get to civilization. A restaurant or store would do her really good. She looked behind her to see if she'd outrun the vampire.

No one was there.

She sighed with relief. She'd done it. She'd ditched Claude. She'd outrun a vampire.

She turned back around and screamed.

"Not quite," Claude said slimily with a smirk.

Out of impulse, Maddie grabbed a hold of his shoulder and violently brought her knee in between his legs, crashing with his crotch. Claude cried out in pain, still in nothing but his boxers, and backed away. Maddie did the same and ran for it, but she heard him growl at her.

But he wasn't following her. She couldn't believe how stupid she'd been to fall for him, to give him a second chance. She knew one thing; she'd never trust a thing he said ever, ever again.