Excitement pounded in Ruby's veins as they rolled into Harbor, the small town that mingled with the city of Brookings just over the border that Oregon and California shared. Home! She was home again. In the four short years she'd been gone, the town had grown and changed just enough to make her gape at the new buildings and differences, yet still feel like she could wander the streets without getting lost.
It was after two in the morning when they rolled to a stop outside a small, forlorn looking building that housed a motel alongside the highway. Ruby stayed outside with the bike, while David went in and rousted the manager from bed. Paying in cold hard cash probably lessened the loss of sleep. Ruby couldn't exactly remember who owned the hotel, but she didn't take a chance of being recognized. David finally returned and walked his bike along the long, low-slung building towards the end room. Ruby paced behind, breathing in the air of her hometown.
"The fellow was quite generous, gave us several extra blankets!" David grinned; Ruby knew David's powers of persuasion had been worked. They set to work quickly, tacking the blankets to the dry wooden window frame to block out the soon-to-rise sun. Another was rolled and placed along the bottom of the door, and another was nailed over the tiny window in the bathroom.
David surveyed his handiwork while Ruby sat down on the single queen bed that took up most of the room. The TV had a lock on it, demanding quarters for operation. The bed also had one of those popular a decade ago "magic fingers" massage systems. She imagined Paul going wild about it, and chuckled.
"What?" David turned, looking over at her.
"Just thinking of Paul."
"Why on earth would you be thinking of him?" David raised a brow.
Ruby pointed at the coin box on the headboard. "He'd have a field day with this, if he were here." Now David laughed.
"Oh yeah, he would. Don't mention it to him, but he was quite the disco dancer back in the day, if you can believe it. Of course, he was 15 at the time and getting into the clubs illegally, but still…" Ruby laughed harder, thinking of Paul in polyester bellbottoms, dancing like Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.
David tossed the last remaining unused blanket on the bed, and started digging in the backpack Ruby had brought. "I think we'll have to hold off tonight; it's a little late to be hunting up dinner."
"It's ok." Ruby yawned softly. The excitement of being home was starting to take its toll. She tried to ignore the pangs of hunger she felt. David didn't. The mattress bowed slightly as he sat beside her.
"Here." He rolled back the sleeve of his trench coat and bit into his wrist. Holding it down towards Ruby, he nodded at her. Ruby didn't protest, just took his forearm in her hands and closed her mouth around the open wound. She never got over his taste, would never grow used to it. She wondered, while she drank, if that was because of how she'd been changed; if the first drink of blood was like your first sexual partner, that you never forgot them. Ruby had certainly had more then most vampires ever fed their childer, especially at first, and that made her wonder if she was almost like an addict.
David was silent as she fed, his mind closed to her. Ruby finally licked the wound sealed, dropped his hand and rolled over on her back. She licked her lips then rubbed the back of her arm over her mouth, making a dull crimson stain on her skin. She felt the shift of David's presence as he leaned over and pressed his mouth against her hip, where her jeans rode low. For a few moments he only mouthed along the outline of bone. Ruby sighed contentedly, running a hand over his head as the sharp prick of his fangs sunk into the flesh beside her hipbone. David suckled very briefly before lapping the wound closed again with the flat of his tongue.
Now David yawned, scooting over and laying his cheek against the cool flat skin of Ruby's stomach. His face was pointed towards hers, watching her eyes fall half-closed, her hair spread out against the bleached-white pillowcase.
"Thank you." She mumbled, her hand gently touching his face. David kissed her fingers.
"You're welcome." He murmured back, watching her drop off to sleep.
