Delphine knows. She has had the feeling of being followed for two weeks now. And she suspects she knows by whom since it first happened when Cosima was the last patient of the day and left, leading the creature straight to her home. Although, truth be told, she wasn't absolutely sure, but the signs were all there. On the third day, when the feeling wouldn't leave her, the doctor walked slowly, stopping in front of a few windows, pretending to be interested in the items on display and a couple of furtive glances confirmed her suspicions.
What she doesn't know is why; what are the creature's intentions. Cosima has maintained her distance, stopped shortly after Delphine stopped and resumed the walk once the blonde did as well. Never approached her. Never made any direct contact or tried to get in the doctor's way. Delphine feels restless, her gut twisting with anxiety every time she steps outside the institute and feels a pair of dark eyes observe her every move. However, she doesn't necessarily feel threatened, doesn't fear for her safety under the scrutinizing gaze, as she ought to.
There's a very good reason why humans fear these creatures: survival instinct. Contrary to the many ignorant of her kind, Delphine doesn't fool herself; even those who are part of the program represent danger. Even with the inoculation, vampires can become animals under the right circumstances. The fact that Delphine is keenly aware that she has attracted the attention of one of these creatures and still doesn't feel threatened enough to change her routine is, for the lack of a better word, incredibly stupid. It makes no difference that Cosima is one of her patients or that she seems completely harmless, someone who chooses to make a weapon of her sharp tongue instead of her pointy fangs.
Yes, Delphine knows she should feel the threat lurking in the shadows and she does to some extent. But when she started to walk this path, Delphine knew that she had to be able to repress her most innate instincts; the biological imperative to survive had to be pushed aside in favor of the big picture.
She had hoped to attract the attention of one of the creatures, spark their interest enough that they would seek her out. What she didn't expect was that it would be someone like Cosima. With her centuries of experience, the older vampire should be smarter than that. When she was plotting her actions, many years before, the then future doctor thought it would be easier to attract a younger, more inexperienced creature; more than that, she always intended for it to go that way. When young, although less predictable, a vampire is easier to manipulate, especially if undergoing the treatment. They're practically humans, in strength and knowledge.
The unexpected turn of events has caught her completely off guard. Cosima will be harder to deal with: she remains stronger than most humans, yes, but it's her mind that represents the biggest challenge. Delphine is not stupid, she doesn't presume to be able to control the centuries old beast, but it's too late now. She'll have to adapt, reformulate her plans and, somehow, fit someone like Cosima in it.
For now, she needs to maintain her course. Any sort of deviations would attract unwanted attention and then no amount of adaptation will save her life.
The vampire doesn't understand how the doctor could be so careless in her routines. She's followed Delphine every weekday since that first meeting and quickly realized that either the blonde hasn't noticed, which she finds hard to believe - Cosima hasn't been particularly subtle - or she simply doesn't care.
Delphine's routine is always the same: she leaves work and goes straight home, except for Tuesdays when she stops by the same grocery store where she takes around thirty minutes before heading home, with a couple of bags in hand. Taking the same route every single time. After she leaves Delphine at her place, Cosima walks for another hour or so, lost in thought, her eyes wander along the concerned expressions around her, busy to get home or - if it happens to be a Friday afternoon - with small smiles, something bordering on relief on the faces of the people surrounding her, eager to enjoy the two days of rest.
Almost a full month has passed like this, and Delphine's routine has become Cosima's. She doesn't bother to stop and think about what she's doing or why she does it. Cosima has lived long enough to know that some things are better left untouched. She also doesn't lose time to think about how she'll face the doctor when it's time for her next appointment, even though she's curious to see how Delphine will react. It's not over-reaching to assume she'll be able to figure out if Delphine is or not aware of her... interest.
"That is unwise."
The familiar voice makes her turn and face its owner, someone she has called a friend, family even, throughout many centuries.
"Felix!" Cosima exclaims, a sober tone to her voice, her expression set in stone.
"It's drawing undesirable attention," the man with the deceptively young face says, his eyes looking back at the door of the building where the tall blonde has just walked into.
Cosima frowns and chances a small step in the lean figure's direction. "I was under the impression that my life is no one's concern but my own," she says, slightly annoyed at the younger vampire's presumption to tell her what she should or shouldn't do. "One of the perks of leaving the family."
"I'm just passing along a message," Felix bows his head slightly, but the gesture of subjugation is not followed by his eyes, shining brightly, a clear indication that he had fed recently. "She doesn't like it," he mutters.
"I stopped caring about what she likes a long time ago," she says flatly.
"I just thought I should warn you, Cosima," he says in a softer tone, genuine concern wrapped around his words. "If you care for the safety of the good doctor..."
He tilts his chin at the door on the other side of the street, as if his words were not clear enough and walks away, his easy steps allowing him melt into the anonymous crowd around them.
Cosima sighs, shakes her head to herself and walks in the opposite direction. She should've known. Three years apart from the family and they still keep tabs on her. It shouldn't surprise her, really. What are three years when you have eternity?
Entering her apartment, she releases a bitter chuckle, the irony too palpable to be dismissed. She thought Delphine was being careless to keep the same routine day in and day out, while, at the same time, she was doing exactly the same thing. It is equally as dangerous for her to be making the same mistake, if not more so. Until now, Cosima wasn't particularly concerned about who followed her, or whose attention she roused with her activities. She knows how to take care of herself, and others know well enough to keep their distance. But if, with her actions, she has brought unwanted attention to the doctor... well, that's an entirely different matter.
It's not like Delphine is a civilian per se. Being a scientist for DYAD, the woman is probably aware of the danger that surrounds them. What worries Cosima, however, is that humans lack the abilities to fight back when attacked. It's irrelevant if this particular human is aware of the threat, when they come for her, that knowledge won't help her in the least.
The knock on the door startles her briefly, but not nearly enough to encourage her to leave the couch, where she'd dropped herself after arriving home with a joint between her fingers. Smoke rises lazily as she expels it, the only movement she makes is that of the arm coming up for another drag. Three more knocks, sharper and faster manage only to draw her gaze to the door, brows crumpled in irritation, inwardly begging Alison to get the message and leave her be. Cosima is not in the mood to entertain. Only a hint of guilt rises up as she finally hears steps moving away and the door of the upstairs apartment open and close.
The day of her appointment arrives and this time Cosima gets up when it's still dark outside, not that she had a pleasant night and woke up refreshed. In fact, since her meeting with Felix she hadn't had a single night of restful sleep.
Try as she might to ignore it, his warning hit a nerve. Cosima knows how these things work and if her actions attracted attention to the doctor, she knows it's in her best interest to stop. No point in putting Dr. Cormier in danger because of her curiosity. With that in mind, the vampire had ceased her... observations. She didn't follow the blonde, and made sure to steer clear of both the institute and the doctor's house the next few days. But the damage was done, and she knew there was no way to erase that. She could only hope that by staying away from Delphine, it would prove to others that she'd gotten the message and moved on. Cosima hated to have her actions limited by people, but she couldn't be selfish to the point of ignoring the danger she carried with herself.
She arrives at DYAD just after the doors had opened and she's immediately guided to the doctor's office by Krystal. Vampires, even those who are determined to be a part of society, are not necessarily morning creatures, so it doesn't surprise her that she doesn't have to sit and wait. The perky assistant is her normal happy self, indicating that if the doctor is aware of her actions the previous weeks, she hasn't informed Krystal about it.
"We weren't expecting you so early, Cosima," Krystal comments as they reach the office.
"I was up," Cosima shrugs. "Thought I should just get over with it."
They enter the room, but the doctor in nowhere to be seen, although the long coat and purse hanging by the door indicates that she has already arrived.
"Dr. Cormier is getting some coffee," Krystal offers casually. "Mornings tend to be slow."
"Yes... night creatures and all," Cosima takes off her coat and sits on one of the chairs.
"You can go now," the voice comes from the door immediately after it's opened.
"Look who we have here," the assistant cheerfully announces, her hand waving in Cosima's direction. "Someone decided to be an early bird."
"I can see that..." the doctor sits in her chair, a large paper cup in one hand still steaming, while with the other hand she opens a drawer on her desk and drops a pack of cigarettes inside. "Is everything okay?" She asks mildly interested.
The vampire observes her carefully, nothing in Delphine's expression gives her away. She did look a little surprised when she arrived at the office to see that Krystal was not alone, but quickly recovered.
"Sure, just had a early morning," Cosima nods curtly while her eyes continue to search for any indication of her suspicions, not bothered to hide her curious gaze.
"Very good," Delphine nods as well. If she's annoyed by the vampire's blatant observation, she hides it well. "You can get that coffee if you still want, Krystal," she says with a quick glance to her assistant before her attention returns to the screen in front of her. "I can take care of Ms. Niehaus."
The other woman only hesitates for a heartbeat before she leaves, closing the door quietly behind her and leaving doctor and patient alone in the office, their eyes meeting for a brief moment as Delphine raises from the chair and walks with slow and steady steps to the cabinet behind Cosima. The blonde remains quiet while she prepares everything, her hands swift and precise as if she's been doing this for years. She approaches Cosima, setting the tray on the desk next to the vampire who's already rolling up her sleeve. All was done with extreme efficiency, quick but calm, and in a contemplative silence. It's not until she takes the chair next to Cosima's that their eyes meet again.
"I don't know if I want to know why you've been following me," she comments in a low voice, almost as if talking to herself, her eyes focused on the bend of Cosima's arm as she swabs the area with a cotton ball.
"You probably don't," Cosima replies, using the same blunt honesty she was given.
Delphine hums softly, reaching for the tourniquet and tying it around the slender arm before she reaches for the needle previously prepared. Cosima seems momentarily mesmerized by the doctor's movements, by the calmness she exudes even discussing such a topic. The woman's calmness, however, doesn't feel cold or detached, but wrapped around simplicity and an innate grace.
"What about why you stopped? Do I want to know that?" The voice retains the same relaxed intonation, but this time bright hazel orbs meet Cosima's stare.
Cosima arches her brow and observes the blonde, carefully trying to read her mind, but Delphine hides her thoughts well. Even with centuries of experience in dealing with all kinds of people, the vampire can't peek into the doctor's brain, and there's no clue in her expression that gives away her thoughts. She just continues to work on Cosima's injections; her gloved hands warm and steady, lightly gripping the brunette's skin, and causing a burning sensation that's not unlike the sun's rays in the old days. The vampire has to struggle not to pull her arm back, swallowing a low growl.
"I don't think you want to know that either," she answers, her mind going back to Felix's words of warning a few days back.
Delphine releases a dry chuckle. "I don't know how to feel about that," she admits, shaking her head.
"Scared," Cosima immediately says, the muscles of her arm tense subtly just as the last needle draws back. "You should feel scared, Delphine."
Delphine's eyes snap up, her face finally showing some sort of emotion, although it's not exactly fear. Cosima believes she can see more of a curiosity mask her features, perhaps a little wavering in the blonde's stare, pearly white teeth nibbling a lower lip, pulling slightly.
"Are you going to harm me?" Delphine asks frowning, somehow sounding like a challenge.
"I'm not talking about myself," the vampire says after a deep sigh, her arm retreating in a swift motion, the doctor's hand limp hold not strong enough to prevent it. Finally seeing some fear in Delphine's narrowed eyes, Cosima pushes forward, not in a threatening tone, but warning. "Many of my kind don't like what you're doing here," she adds, rolling down her sleeve and rubbing the area of her arm that feels sore.
"You think I don't know that?" Delphine's challenging tone gains momentum and she gets up and walks around the desk to sit in her chair, putting some distance between them. "How naive do you think I am?"
Cosima quietly observes as the doctor let her emotions run free for the first time since they've met. It's quite an incredible sight, if she's honest. Delphine seems to have a nervous habit of running her hand through her curls when her usual calm demeanor slips away, but the best part is the heated energy that shines through the bright hazel eyes, blazing like a pyre that takes on a dark green color. The vampire doesn't know where such emotion comes from, after all, her words didn't carry a too different timber than before, and yet the doctor obviously responds to them with an unexpected passionate reaction. Something tells Cosima that this is not all there is; that there's a more volatile side to the other woman that she's obviously restraining.
Her own reaction is equally unexpected as the beast inside raises its hackles. The little hairs on the back of her neck prickle with satisfaction, and a shiver of arousal drags down her spine as her gut coils tightly and her hips arch slightly forward in her chair.
Now, this is new! It never occurred to Cosima that she would enjoy it so much. She likes them mild, easily bending to her wishes. Someone who burns so hot, so fast is unpredictable and Cosima tends to stay away. Or perhaps she just got used to it. After all, it's not just anyone that's stupid enough or careless enough to risk awakening the beast slumbering inside her. Until now, the vampire was simply curious about the blonde. Even if she considered Delphine to be more than she appears, she wasn't sure where she stood. Now, with this reaction, the doctor still remains a mystery, but Cosima's suspicion grows and her instincts tell her she should be a lot more careful. Delphine is far from clueless and that makes her dangerous.
She feels herself at odds, contradicting emotions press against her mind. On one hand, there's the self-preservation instinct that has guided her through the centuries and kept her safe. On the other hand, she feels the curiosity towards the other woman building, the inquisitive aspect of her mind driving her to find out more about Delphine, attracted by the mystery she presents.
"I didn't mean to make you so angry," Cosima says in the same soft tone, hiding what's running through her mind.
"You didn't make me angry," Delphine replies flatly, but it's unconvincing, her stare reveals what her voice works hard to hide.
Cosima raises a brow, a smirk tugs her lips in amusement. "Did it make you feel uncomfortable?"
Delphine sees the curiosity rise in the creature's eyes, shining more brightly than she's seen before, the spectacles no longer enough to mask the true nature of what is standing before her. Cosima looks human, moves as a human, talks as a human and most of the times can easily pass as one. But Delphine knows the wild animal inside is alive, and wide awake in front of her and alarms sound all over her mind. Internally, she recoils in defense, but outside she keeps her cool, her stare doesn't waver from Cosima, confronting the beast head-on.
"It did," she responds firmly. "I don't know why you stopped it, quite frankly, I don't even think I care, as long as you keep it that way." She states with finality, her eyes return to the screen, her expression rearranged in the indifferent mask she had before, hoping that's not too late.
She makes a decision: Cosima's too dangerous. There's no way Delphine can possibly control her if discovered. She'll have to find someone else and, at the same time, cut ties with the much too old and experienced vampire.
"I had no intention to scare you," Cosima's chest deflates.
"I wasn't scared," she answers honestly, because not once did she fear for herself when she was being followed by Cosima. "But I don't feel comfortable having my every move being watched."
The brunette nods slowly. "I can understand that," she agrees, relaxing against the chair.
They go through the routine questions efficiently, Cosima answering them in dispassionate, bored monotone. The detachment shouldn't come as a shock to the doctor, but she feels her chest squeeze tightly and refuses to take her eyes off the screen. For her part, Cosima grows more frustrated with the interview and it only causes her to give shorter and shorter answers, a bite in her voice. Delphine notices, but ignores it. The tension in the small room becomes unmanageable with the seconds ticking by far too slowly.
The last question is answered as Cosima slips into her coat, quickly approaching the door. Her chaotic state of mind is the only explanation for her complete surprise at Delphine's hand grasping her wrist as she extends it to the doorknob. The moment she feels long fingers wrap around her wrist, she freezes.
"Cosima..." Her name is called so softly that the vampire isn't sure if it's actually spoken.
Only when she looks up at the blonde's expression is she certain. The constellation of colors in the other woman eyes leaves her off balance, feeling the ground beneath her quake and the predator inside her rises again, more awake than ever, and dangerously pushing her rational side to the margins of her mind. Her canines ache with anticipation and she swallows thickly, her tongue swipes against their growth and when she clenches her jaw fighting for control she feels them nipping the inside of her lower lip. This time Delphine trembles at the sight, finally the true danger of her position sinks in and she's quick to remove her hand.
Cosima moves even faster though, her own hand shooting forward to capture the slender wrist and watches the other woman flinch, taking a small step back that the vampire halts. "There are far more dangerous people out there doctor," she says in a thick voice.
"Is that a threat?" Despite the waver in her words and the tremble in her heart, Delphine seems unable to remove her eyes from the creature's true face, crystal blue orbs pin her where she stands, canines unnaturally long seize her attention and she finds herself no longer resisting the nearness Cosima has initiated.
"It's a warning," Cosima corrects her and catches herself, releasing her grasp. "I think you know I wouldn't hurt you."
"I don't know if that's entirely true," Delphine responds with a whisper, thinking aloud while the hand recently freed moves to Cosima's cheek, a curious thumb runs the shape of the creature's lips, her gaze fixed on the unsheathed fangs.
Cosima stirs slightly, the two entities living inside her fighting for dominance, the beast gaining a seemly insurmountable lead with the feeling of soft, warm skin sliding against hers. In a gesture that's too quick for the doctor's eyes to see, the vampire pins the other woman to the wall next to the door, the torturous hand seized in a demanding grip next to blonde curls. Her senses go into overdrive, the mixture of fear and arousal claims her attention and looking the startled woman in the eyes leaves her no room for doubt. The blistering stare is on her, bright and interested, curious, but wavering with uncertainty. At the same time, the vampire is surprised to notice that there's no resistance, no retaliation, only the pink of a tongue briefly slips out of partially parted lips before the bottom one is bitten down.
She growls, a sound that rattles up her chest and lodges in her throat and, if it scares Delphine, she doesn't show it, not even when Cosima presses forward, her compact form tensing against the elegant shape of the blonde's body that she pulls to herself with a tight clutch on the slender waist.
"You should know better, Delphine," she warns in a groan, her nose buried against the soft skin of the neck, passing the barrier of the ridiculously useless scarf.
The blood beneath fragile flesh picks up, she can feel it against her lips, hear it loud as a drum beating inside her head. The scent of the other woman intensifies, with her nostrils sinking in the curve of the pale neck and breathing in deeply. Delphine shudders, but not from fear; no, it can't be when she's yet to fight against Cosima's touch, when feeling the surprisingly warm breath against her skin she extends her neck and a hand comes to cradle the back of the other woman's head, her fingers tangle in coarse dreadlocked hair.
Silly woman, Cosima hears herself think, but she knows it's not her words, not who she really is, it never was - the animal never controlled her, not in the many centuries behind her. But here she is, letting it take charge of her actions, lulling her into a false sense of immunity.
Cosima's heightened senses catch the unwelcome interruption before it's even at the door. She could easily bar the assistant from entering the office, a single hand against the door would do it, it wouldn't even take much of her attention. She considers it for a moment as her brain is intoxicated by Delphine's scent and deafened by the noise of blood running wild. Cosima pulls back though, in a moment of fleeting discernment, she moves away, hearing the whimper of the unsatisfied beast as she does so.
She's not sure if Delphine even sees her leave, but she knows that her movements are too quick to give the doctor time; to gauge any sort of reaction. Cosima doesn't even know if the doctor would've tried to prevent her from leaving, and if that was the case, she wouldn't want to hear what Delphine had to say.