Also a long one.
Ch. 29 I'm Worried 'Bout You Baby
(CLARE)
If Klaus catches Eli's scent and realizes he's here I'm not sure what Klaus will do. As badly as I want to taste Eli I know I can't and we need to get out of here. Klaus will want to stay where we are unless I can convince him it's better to move to a different location.
"I don't smell anything appealing here, let's go somewhere else. How about Times Square? We could catch a couple about to go into the theatre and feed, maybe steal their tickets and see a show. I always did want to watch a Broadway show on Broadway," I say. I add just a little flirt to my voice and drag my finger along his chest.
Klaus smiles proudly and almost wickedly, "That's my sexy little predator. To Times Square then."
He takes my hand and we run to Times Square, more lights and scents but we're away from Eli. We stand on the street, in the middle of things, kind of looking around at all the sights, really we're sniffing the air. I pick up a scent that I like, that I want to taste, that isn't Eli. I think about sinking my teeth into the owner of the scent, but then images of the man I almost in Atlantic City come to mind. Lying there lifeless, drained, holding on by the faintest pulse and shallowest of breaths.
"What if I kill him?" I ask just loud enough that Klaus can hear me.
"Then you'll be the predator that you are, and we'll cover our tracks," Klaus shrugs.
"I don't want to kill, not ever again," I reply softly.
Klaus takes my face in his hand, not roughly but his hold is strong enough to keep my gaze locked on his. To passersby we look to be nothing more than lovers caught up in each other. I suppose that we are, they just don't know this exchange could mean harm to them.
"Feed," Klaus demands. The one word is growled and isn't so much him compelling me but reminding me that he already did. I've been fighting it as much as possible, but it's futile, not only is it my most basic instinct he already compelled me to feed from humans when I'm with him.
I find the scent again and follow it, speeding up here and there until I'm close. I single in on the scent and see the man, maybe nineteen, he's with three other guys, they all wear NYU attire. Single males on the prowl on the weekend, he's looking for a girl out with her friends for a Broadway show. Little does he know he's about to be prey. I rush ahead, weaving through people so I feel like only a gust of wind.
I know this type of boy, alpha male, most likely an athlete, college to him is as much about learning as seeing how much pussy he can get into. All I need to do is be the damsel in distress and let him save me. I open two buttons on my dress to show a decent bit of cleavage. Then get out my phone and pull up a nearby business pretending to be lost, looking at my phone and walking with my head down I deliberately bump into the guys chest. He was too busy talking to his friends to see me coming.
"Whoa, you okay?" He asks pulling me away from him. His eyes quickly fall to my chest while his friends snicker.
"Sorry, I seem to be a bit lost," I reply biting my lip and twirling one of my curls, "my phone says I should almost be there, but who can see anything in this crowd?"
"Where are you headed? Maybe I can help," he offers coming over to look at my phone, though I'm sure he's also getting a good look at my chest. "I know where that is, come on I'll take you," he says to me and then looks at his friends, "catch you guys later."
His friends snicker as we start walking down the street. I wait until we're near an alley, looks like it leads to the backdoor of a theatre. I take his hand and pull him into the alley pushing him against the wall.
"Thought I'd thank you properly for being my hero," I grin flirtatiously.
He smiles and leans down to kiss me, I hold his head and look into his eyes just as Klaus joins us. Klaus was nearby the entire time, watching me with the guy. He sees Klaus from the corner of his eye and starts to look scared, but I'm holding him in place and he can't move.
"Hold very still, and pay no attention to that man," I command when I feel the guy in my power.
The guy says nothing but looks at me and stays perfectly still. I pull him down to me and tilt his neck, biting in. With the first suckle the guy moans, his knees buckling a little, he tilts his head further to allow me access. His blood reminds me of garlic sauteed in butter until it's dark and sweet, and artichokes roasted perfectly. He makes a lovely appetizer and I drink several large gulps. I force myself to stop before I take too much, he'll be a little weak, but with a good story. I lick his wound clean, add a drop of my blood to it so it will heal, and then give him a hickey over any remaining marks.
"I thanked you by buying you a drink and took you to my hotel room where you had a wonderful night. Now hail a cab and get home," I tell him.
"Thank you for a wonderful night," he smiles goofily and stumbles from the alley.
"That was beautiful to watch," Klaus says wrapping me in his arms and kissing my temple, "I know that was not enough to satiate you, find another. Find your fill and I'll take you to any show you wish to see, then we'll return to the room and make love all night."
I do of course, that's how the whole weekend goes in fact. We feed in very public places, a little from one person and a little from the next. I lose count of how many people I taste over the course of the weekend. We spend time blending in as well, eating at fancy restaurants, seeing sights, shopping (though I'm sure Klaus paid for nothing) of course it's all to find food. We spend the rest of our waking hours making love, in the hotel and a few public places, though we're careful not to be seen.
We get very little sleep, and I spend a lot of time on the phone with Damon, Adam and Jeremy assuring them that I'm okay. Even Stefan and Alaric each call once, and though I spend a lot time assuring them that I'm okay I don't really feel it. As exhilarating as it is to feed and hunt and make love to Klaus, I feel like a small piece of me has died by Monday morning when he brings me to school.
(STEFAN)
Klaus' car pulls up to the school and I look at Clare, she's a bit pale and looks tired. As soon as the car parks I go over and open the door helping her out of the car. Clare texted me directly that they were almost back to town and Klaus was brining her to the school. I knew she didn't want Damon here or she would have texted him.
"Are you okay? You don't look so well, you seem…weak," I comment keeping an arm around her waist simply because I feel as though I need to steady her.
"Just tired and in need of some blood," she replies.
"Did you not feed her Klaus? Or did you drink too much from her?" I question.
"She ate plenty," he smiles ignoring my second question. Before I can say anything else he backs up and drives off without truly closing Clare's door.
"Come, you can sit in Ric's classroom and I'll grab you some blood," I tell Clare. Even though she seems to be more steady on her feet I keep hold of her as we run to Ric's classroom. He's in here grading papers but looks up when the door opens. "Watch her, I'll grab her some blood," I tell Ric and run to my locker where the cooler is stored. I return to the room and give Clare the blood pack, she drinks it down quickly but is starting to look better.
"So, where did Klaus take you this weekend?" Ric asks.
"New York," Clare replies.
"Klaus took you to New York?"
"Yes, but we didn't see Eli if that's what you're thinking. He mostly showed me some sights, places I'll get to know better when I'm there in the fall. We did what we always do, and I'm not giving details," she comments.
"Okay, Elena and Jeremy will be here soon I'm going to go out front to wait for them," I tell her.
"I'm tired, I'll just stay at my desk," Clare says.
"I'll watch her," Ric assures me.
"I don't need watching, I'm just tired, it was a long weekend and I didn't sleep much," she remarks.
"Yes, well you're in my class and I need to be here, so I'm watching you anyway," Ric replies. Clare twists her mouth while I smile as I leave the classroom. When I get out front I see Tyler pulling in with Caroline, I nod to them as they pass me to go inside. Jeremy and Elena pull in a few moments later.
"Hi," Elena smiles greeting me with a kiss.
"Does that mean Clare is here?" Jeremy questions.
"Yeah, in Ric's classroom but she's not in a good mood and she's tired. I'm not sure she got any sleep and I'm pretty sure Klaus drank too much from her again. You'll see her at morning break, she seems okay other than that," I tell them.
Bonnie, Tyler and Caroline join us near Elena's locker. Jeremy greets Bonnie with a kiss and stays with us a few minutes before going to his own locker. The rest of us go to Ric's class as we all have that for homeroom. Clare smiles and says hello, but repeats exactly what she told me and Ric when anyone asks about her weekend.
"What did the rest of you do this weekend?" Clare asks when we all converge for morning break. I hand her another blood bag and text Damon to bring more when he comes to meet us for lunch.
"We spent most of the weekend at Whitmore, it's where we'll all be going next year, well aside from you and Jeremy of course. It's a good college and close enough that we can all remain living at home," Elena says excitedly. I'll be enrolling as well, to stay near Elena of course. Clare makes a sort of sad smile but doesn't say anything.
"You must be excited for Columbia next year," Bonnie says.
"Yes, very excited, it's been my dream school for a long time. Adam is going to Columbia as well, that's why we planned to live together," Clare says forcing a smile to her lips. She sounds excited but there's something else in her voice I can't place.
"Did you visit the campus this weekend?" I ask her just as the bell rings.
"Hmm?" She questions absentmindedly, her thoughts were clearly on something else but what I asked catches up with her. "Oh, no, we didn't go to the campus this weekend, mostly tourist spots as I said," she replies but doesn't go into specifics. Not that we have time to ask as he have to get to class.
She remains kind of out of it and morose all morning, but when we go outside and meet Damon for lunch she smiles. It's the first genuine smile I've seen on those lips all day, and I'm happy that my brother put it there. He kisses her softly and we run out to the woods with Caroline to have lunch.
"You eat enough this weekend?" Damon asks her when she sucks down the first blood bag and takes another.
"Yeah, just didn't sleep on the drive and Klaus drank a little too much right before we left the hotel," she replies. Damon instantly stiffens and growls, tightening his arms around her. "I'm okay," she whispers turning to kiss the corner of his mouth. It only calms him a little, he still keeps his arms tightly around her and stays that way until we run back to the school.
"I'll be here as soon as school is out," Damon tells her kissing her hard and passionately before he leaves.
Clare seems to be doing better after lunch and when I leave her with my brother after school I know she's in good hands. I go home with Elena and Jeremy, Bonnie comes over too. I stay with Elena in her room for a couple of hours, mostly doing homework but we do a lot of kissing too, and I feed a little from her shortly before leaving. When I get home I'm surprised to find Clare outback with a drink in her hand. I don't see Damon but his car is here, he must be upstairs so I go out back.
"You alright Clare?"
"Just thinking about being away at university next year, wondering if it's even feasible. Columbia has always been my dream, but what if I can't maintain control? I can't just share a dorm room with some roommate that knows nothing. Adam and I were going to get student housing, and he knows but I'm worried that I'll lose control and bite him one day. What happens if I'm stressed over finals and attack Adam without meaning to? Even if I don't bite him and feed from him I'm strong enough to do some real damage. I gave Alli a concussion when I lost control and pushed her. I can't afford an off campus apartment with or without Adam. Unless we both had well paying full time jobs, we both have scholarships but that only covers books and tuition. I don't think I could work at a normal job, not one that pays enough for an off campus apartment in New York."
"You could always go to Whitmore with us, live here. I know Damon would be happy, everyone else too," I tell her and she smiles.
"Thanks, but I've dreamt about going to Columbia since I was ten, and dreamt of having that experience with Adam since finding out that was his dream school too. If I'm going to have the college experience then I want to do it at Columbia with Adam."
"Well, you could always compel the school to give you your own dorm room or a landlord to give you your own apartment," I remind her.
"Yeah, I know but I'm not sure how I'd feel about that. I'm still determined to go, but part of me wonders if it's even worth it to have the college experience now."
"You should go, you may live another hundred or thousand or ten thousand years but you'll only have the chance to do college with your best friend once."
"I know you're right and I want to do it but I'm worried it's not going to be the same. How much time will I really be able to spend with Adam? Or anyone for that matter? I'm doing better but in New York I'll be alone, I won't have any of you with me, to help me maintain control, to satiate my needs. My future is wide open now, I've got probably more years left than any of my friends, yet my future is constrained at the same time. I can't exactly be the typical college student."
"You can as long as you have the control," I remind her.
"That's just it, what if I can't?" She questions. I know she doesn't want to talk about it anymore though as she runs into the house and up to her room.
I could follow her, but there's no point, she doesn't want to talk any longer or she wouldn't have run.
(DAMON)
"Faster Damon," Clare begs as I make love to her cradled against my body.
"As you wish lover," I grin kissing her neck and increasing my pace. I know she's close again when her vaginal walls tighten around me.
"Damon ohhhhhh," she cries as she reaches her climax and her entire body seems to clamp down on me. It sends me over the edge and I moan her name against her neck before biting into it. I drink a few sips as I release into her, thrusting a few more times as we ride out our orgasms. Then I pull out, she lies her head on my chest and I wrap an arm around her.
"Need more blood?" I ask her lazily dragging my fingers along her spine.
"Do you think I'd make a good exotic dancer?"
The unexpected question causes my arm to tighten around her and a growl to come from my chest. "Why would you ask that?"
"I'm going to need some kind of job in New York in order to live. I can't very well be a waitress or something, and most student jobs pay almost nothing. An exotic dancer would make fairly decent money right? Enough for maybe a studio apartment semi near campus."
"I have no idea how much they make but you are not going to get a job as an exotic dancer. I loathe the idea of other men seeing you in hardly anything. If you need money…"
"Don't finish that sentence, I don't want to be a kept woman and I don't want you to pay my way when you won't even be there. I'm hungry," she says getting out my arms and running downstairs. She did slip her robe on before running down. I pull on jeans and follow her, making myself a drink. She looks at me but before either of us can say anything her laptop rings. She runs upstairs to answer, and I follow sure that it's Adam.
"Hey," Adam's voice comes over the laptop. I linger back in the hallway, she didn't close the door, but I'm sure she knows I'm here.
"Hi Adam," she says cheerily but he knows better than that.
"You going to tell me what's wrong now? You've been sulking since your weekend with Klaus, was it going to New York? Did you see Eli?"
"We didn't see Eli, but the trip made me think. I want to go to Columbia with you next year, but everything's so different now. I can't live on campus, can't afford to live off of campus. I don't know how much I'll really get to see you, and I don't think we can live together. I'm better at control, but that doesn't mean I won't lose control and hurt you. I'm not going to be a normal college student even if I can wear a normal mask a few hours a day. I want to go to Columbia, and to go with you but I'm wondering if all the risks are worth it."
"I know you're worried Clare, but we'll find a way to work it out. We still have a few months, don't think about it too much, you get all neurotic when you do that," Adam says and she giggles.
"I know Adam, I'm trying not to overthink it, but seems like everyone is talking about college and I can't help thinking about it. Everything is different now, I have control, but I have a lot of support here, I don't know how I'll do when it's just me and you're the only person that knows."
"At least I know, you won't be totally alone, and the others will only be a phone call away. Besides I find it hard to believe that you'll move to New York and Damon and Klaus won't come to visit you," Adam comments and I smile. Adam is right, she might be moving to New York but I intend to visit, and stay with her as much as possible, I'm not giving her up.
"You're right Adam," she says and I'm pretty sure I hear a small smile on her lips. "I'm going to shower, I'll call you tomorrow."
Adam says goodbye and I hear Clare going into her washroom. I could follow her and join her in the shower, I'm sure she wouldn't turn me away. As good as that sounds my mind is turning over too many thoughts and Stefan will be home soon. I go downstairs and pour myself another drink.
"You're looking especially broody this evening," Stefan comments when he walks in the door, "what's wrong?"
"Clare's worried about going to New York in the fall. She asked me if I thought she'd make a good exotic dancer. She doesn't think she can be a waitress or something so she was thinking exotic dancer. She's worried she can't do it, maintain control. I know she wants to go, to be there with Adam and have the experience, but she's questioning if she should. She seems to be questioning everything and it's putting her in a bad mood."
"Yeah, I noticed, and Monday evening I found her outside so I went out to see what's wrong. She told me pretty much the same thing, that she was questioning all of her plans for college. She can't live in a dorm, she's worried about living with Adam, and doesn't think she can afford an off campus apartment. She's worried about losing control without someone there. I told her she could keep living with us and go to Whitmore, but she wants to go to Columbia with Adam. I'm afraid she won't let herself enjoy it though, she's so worried about losing control and everything else."
"Yeah, and I hate it, I don't know what to do. If we just try and gift her the money or get her an apartment she'll be upset and she won't accept it. Adam told her it would work out and she agreed, but I hate seeing the way she's tormenting herself over it all. At this point I think she'll go to New York and never let herself do anything and then she'll lose control. I'm not even sure she'll be capable of taking blood from a blood bank. We haven't had her do it too many times and I doubt she does it when she's with Klaus. That's another thing, I want to know what happens when she's with Klaus. I know what she says, I know what I saw the weekend he let me stay, but I don't believe any of it. She's been having a lot of bad dreams lately and then says she doesn't remember the nightmare. I'm certain that it has something to do with Klaus, but she's not talking to me about them, she's not even talking to Adam. I don't know what to do," I sigh pinching the bridge of my nose.
"There's solutions to all of it," Stefan assures me, "we just have to find them and be smart about it."
(KLAUS)
"We're not going out of town again are we?" Clare asks when she meets me at my car Friday afternoon.
"I had planned on it," I tell her getting into the driver's side.
"I don't feel like it, can't we just go back to your house? I'm not up for another road trip," she says. She's hardly looked at me, I hope her foul mood has something to do with school.
"Alright, we'll stay in this weekend," I reply driving home. She says nothing to me the entire way home, just stares out the window. When I park at the house she grabs her backpack and goes inside. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" I question following her inside.
Rather than answer she jumps on me, her legs wrapping around my waist and her arms around my neck. Her lips crush to mine, it's not as passionate as it usually is, more desperate and longing. She's being the aggressor, which I don't mind, in fact normally I would take a great deal of pleasure in. Right now however she seems to want nothing more than to get off and distract me. Even knowing this I give, walking her to the sofa and ripping her dress and panties off. I take down my jeans just enough to allow her to mount over me. She milks her pleasure from me while I kiss her deeply, and remove her bra to pleasure her sumptuous breasts. Once she gets off she also gets off me, I'm still hard but there will be time for that later.
"If we're not going out of town then we should go to Whitmore to feed," I comment and her face ticks.
"Fine, let me dress," she replies, retrieving her backpack and running upstairs. She returns dressed in an outfit I got for her, a black skirt that goes to mid thigh with a dark green top. The top scoops low enough for her lovely breasts to be on prominent display. "Let's go," she says walking past me to the car.
I hope feeding puts her in a better mood because I don't know how much more of this I can take. The drive to Whitmore is silent, but when we get there she seems to take more of an interest in the campus. Looking around with almost a longing in her eyes, which doesn't make sense to me as she's going to Columbia next year. I drive to the sorority's this time, finding one that's throwing a party and then a place to park.
I follow Clare inside, staying close but back just a bit so the guys don't think she's taken. Typically, she takes her time, sniffing the air, sifting out the scents to find the one she likes, the one she truly wants to taste. Not today, she simply looks around, finds a young frat boy and walks over to him. She bats her eyes at him, asks if he wants to go upstairs, and of course he follows her. I follow upstairs as well, she gets to a bedroom shoves him to the wall. He smiles at her show of aggressive behavior, looks at me a little warily until she sinks her teeth into his neck and he moans. She drinks quite a lot and he begins to pale, but when he makes a weak moan she pulls away.
"You got drunk and passed out, that's all that happened," Clare compels him. It's not her usual story, generally she leaves them with a good memory, something they can enjoy. "Now go lie down and sleep," she compels him. He obeys of course walking to the bed. "Let's go home," she says to me before she leaves the party. She exits at vampiric speed so the humans would feel nothing but a gust of wind.
I walk out casually, pondering if I should just take her back to the Salvatore home if she's going to be this bitchy all weekend. I get back in the car and begin driving home, about half way there, as I'm seriously considering taking her back to the Salvatore's, she begins caressing my leg. I guess eating brought out her other lust, which is just fine with me because right now I feel like a good angry fuck.
I hardly even let her in the front door when we get home, simply race her up to the bedroom. Much as I like the outfit she has on I tear it off her, ripping it to shreds. When she's naked I turn her around, getting a tie from the dresser and tying her wrists to one of the bedposts. I spread her legs and kiss the small of her back before I stand and begin to undress slowly. The way she's been acting I have no issue in leaving her squirming for a while.
When I'm undressed, I simply stand there and admire the sight of her. When she begins whining and moving her hips I finally get behind her and take her hips. I hold her in place and thrust into her in one deep movement. Clare sort of moans and shrieks, gripping her restraints, her entire body shudders and tenses before relaxing. Keeping hold of her hips I continue to thrust deep and fast, Clare quickly reaches her first orgasm.
I'm definitely not done, I've been frustrated with her since I picked her up. I pull out of her quickly, making her gasp and quiver. I go down between her legs and lap her juices, she begins to moan and buck her hips. After lapping her juices I bite into her inner thigh, drinking another sweet liquid from her body. After a few sips I thrust into her again, going as deep as I can and reaching around to massage her breasts. After bringing her to three orgasms this way I finally release along with her on her fourth, and untie her from the bed.
"You should eat again, we'll go back to the university, find another party," I comment.
"I'm not hungry, just tired, I'm just going to sleep," she says. Though I know she has to be hungry and it's not even six, it's early to sleep for anyone or pretty much anything. She's not tired, she's in a bad mood.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" I question unable to keep the growl from my voice.
"What's wrong is I'm tired and you're not letting me sleep," she responds getting into the bed and pulling the covers up.
I'm tempted to compel her to tell me what's wrong, but I get dressed and leave her in the bed. I go downstairs taking my favorite bottle of scotch and begin sipping it. I'm still tempted to go up there and have compel her into telling me what's bothering her, the problem with that is she could just say it's because I woke her up if that's what's bothering her at the time. After some time of sulking there and drinking half a bottle of scotch an idea strikes me, compelling her to get the truth may not work, but her best friend may know what's going on. I retrieve her phone and call Adam, he picks up immediately.
"I tried calling you earlier," Adam says.
"I'll be sure to tell her, but this is Klaus."
"Why are you calling from Clare's phone?" He asks with suspicion in his tone and then it almost instantly changes. "She's not hurt is she?"
"She's not hurt, but she's in a foul mood and it's pissing me off. I know something is wrong, but she won't talk about it and it's getting irritating. How can I help her if I don't know the problem?"
Adam sighs and takes a long pause before finally answering, "She's worried about the fall, how and where she'll live, trying to be a normal student. She knows she can't have a normal job, can't afford a place to live and can't live in the dorms. Everyone is talking about college and while she's excited to go and wants the experience with me she's questioning everything, including if it's even feasible for her."
"Ridiculous, she shouldn't worry about such things, she should know I'll take care of her," I reply and hang up on Adam. I return the bedroom and kiss her naked breast to wake her up. "You shouldn't be worried about where you'll live in New York, shouldn't worry about anything. I'll take care of you lover," I tell her. Instead of being met with relieved appreciation she scowls at me.
"How did you know? And, I didn't ask you to take care of me, I don't want to be a kept woman, I want to go to school, make my own way. Or I did, I still want to go to Columbia and be a journalist but it's all different now," she says getting sad at the end.
"I called Adam from your phone of course, he told me everything. You shouldn't be worried about trivial things like where to live I will see that you are taken care of."
She huffs and gets up, then runs at vampiric speed out of the house entirely naked. I sigh but don't pursue her, I don't feel like dealing with the moody female right now. Hopefully the run will calm her down. I gather her things and get in my car to drive to the Salvatore house, where I believe she's running. I bring all her things because she may not want to return to my house now and with the mood she's in I'm not going to fight her about it. When I pull up to the Salvatore house the brothers come out.
"What the hell are you doing here? Where's Clare" Damon growls.
"She got mad at me and ran out entirely naked, I thought she was coming here," I reply.
"I doubt she could have gotten in without us noticing but I'll look around," Stefan says and runs upstairs. He returns running around the side of the house a moment later. "She's not here, she hasn't been in hours, her scent is still fading," Stefan tells us.
"Why did she get angry at you?" Damon asks as we all go in the house.
"She's been in a bad mood since I picker her up, she wouldn't tell me why so when she went to sleep I called Adam from her phone. He told me her worries, I went upstairs and told her not to worry about such things as where she'd live in New York and she got angry and ran out. I don't know why she's so angry, trivial things about where to live should not be causing her such distress."
"For once I agree with you," Damon says, "but what do we do? I'm afraid she's too proud to accept our help even though we all wish to give it to her. We can help and we don't want her to be stressed over the things we can help with. Adjusting to another school, a lot of strangers, that will be enough for a young vampire to worry about."