in the dim glow of the decadent victorian theater, she finds herself entranced by two irresistible strangers; their wicked promises whispering pleasures far more intoxicating than the performance on the stage.
COMING SOON.
vampire!harry&bill, gothic, threesome, explicit.
intermission.
It was then that she noticed where the chill had come from.
Catherine noticed the first man enter her row from the left, his movements so fluid they barely disturbed the air around him. He was tall, his black coat tailored sharply to his frame, and his dark hair gleamed like polished onyx. Catherine’s gaze flickered to him briefly before she looked away, unsettled by the quiet intensity of his presence. He took the seat directly beside her, and she felt the coldness intensify, as though he carried winter under his petticoat.
Catherine kept her head up, eyes forward. The seats were quite small, which made his presence was all too well knowing.
A second man appeared from the opposite end of her row, on the right side this time; his approach no less graceful but somehow more intriguing as she turned her head. He was almost, if not more, striking than the first, but there was something in his bearing—something measured and deliberate—that drew her attention despite herself. His eyes, pale as smoke, caught hers for the briefest of moments as he seated himself to her right. A faint smile touched his lips, one that seemed to mock her discomfort.
The space between them—between her—felt suffocating, though neither of the men had spoken a word. Catherine’s heart beat faster, her fan now still in her hand as she struggled to make sense of the sensations coursing through her. The cold, the stillness, the strange pull of the two men—it was as though the theater itself had conspired to unnerve her as they stayed the only three on the balcony thus far.
The heat of the summer was a distant memory as Catherine rubbed her fingers together to warm them.
“Good evening, miss,” The man on her left murmured at last, his voice low and rich, each syllable curling like smoke in the air between them.
She turned to him, startled by his sudden address, something she wasn’t sure she should interact at all. While Catherine had been taught her manners, she felt that there had been a feeling of unease that she just couldn’t place. Maybe it was the story that she had heard from Henry earlier; it had been playing with her mind.
The man’s smile was faint, his pale skin catching the faint glow of the stage lights as he kept an eye on her. A steady one, at that.
“Indeed,” The man on her right said, leaning slightly toward her—her head turned towards him then as he raised a brow at her attention. His voice was deeper, tinged with an almost imperceptible amusement. “A most enchanting evening, I’d say.”
Catherine felt the chill deepen, her body rigid as though she had been caught between two forces she could not name. The theater seemed to fade around her, the murmurs of the crowd and the swell of the orchestra a distant hum. She had been acutely aware of their presence, of their gazes lingering on her as though she were not merely an audience member.
However, as she stared towards the stage, feeling the sensational pull of fear in her chest, she hadn’t known then at that she was the main event.
SUMMARY: The annual Halloween party at the local pub has Y/N excited when she decides to invite her boss at the University, Mr. Styles. But she soon begins to second guess her decision when Harry starts acting odd. Is Harry Styles really who she thinks he is? Will this Halloween be a fantasy come true…or the kiss of death?
WARNINGS: mentions of blood (I mean, it's a vampire fic lol), smut (oral - female receiving).
WORD COUNT: 6.4k
A/N: Happy Halloween! Sorry for the delay of this story. I had hoped to get it out last week, but I had some weird life-altering things happen that have occupied my mind. Hope you enjoy. FEEDBACK IS LOVE.
Harry removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting the large book on his desk. Rising from his chair, he called out to his assistant.
“Time to lock up, Y/N. I wanna get out of here before eight o’clock.”
“No problem, Mr. Styles,” she said, closing her own book in front of her.
Pursing his lips, Harry shook his head. Y/N knew what the look was for. For weeks now he’d been insisting she call him by his first name. But being his assistant, it felt odd to her, unnatural.
Not to mention the horrible crush she had on him. Truth be told, Y/N had a massive crush on him long before she ever took the position as his assistant. But up until then, he’d only been Mr. Styles to her, the attractive English TA with a British accent.
When Mr. Styles and Dr. Osborne had initially told Y/N about the position and that she’d be perfect for it, she’d been completely surprised. Teacher’s Assistants didn’t usually have their own assistants. But the university had a large English department, and Dr. Osborne insisted that more help was needed. Therefore, Y/N had been spending Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings this semester assisting Mr. Styles, and in turn, assisting Dr. Osborne.
“How many times is that now?” asked Harry, sliding his glasses back onto his face.
“Times?”
“Times I’ve told you to just call me Harry,” he commented with a frown. “Mr. Styles makes me feel so old.”
Y/N chuckled, “You’re not old.”
“‘Course not. I’ve barely got a few years on you.”
Trying not to blush, Y/N took the stack of books in her arms and turned toward the shelves to put them away.
“So why are you closing up early tonight? Hot date?” she joked.
Y/N heard Harry snort before she turned around and saw the strange look on his face. Embarrassment? Had she pried where she shouldn’t have?
“Not exactly.”
“Oh.”
“I have plans…but I wouldn’t exactly call it a date,” he added.
“Ah. I see.” Although she didn’t.
Y/N didn’t know much about Harry Styles outside of his job at the university. She always wondered who or what he went home to every night. Didn’t know if he had any social life, anything about his likes or dislikes that weren’t English related. He seemed to keep to himself, and Y/N respected that. But it didn’t mean she didn’t fantasize sometimes…
“Y/N,” she heard him say, breaking her from her reverie.
“Oh, um, yes?”
Harry chuckled. “Wow, you were zoned out. I asked if you were ready to go. I’ll walk you out.”
“Oh. Yeah!” Y/N stammered. “Hang on, just have two more books to put away.”
Shelving the last book in her hands, Y/N grabbed the two on her table and quickly put them in their places. Walking past Harry to the coat rack, she grabbed her jacket, getting a whiff of his delicious cologne. Y/N wasn’t sure what it was, and was always afraid to ask him. But every single day he smelled divine. Nothing like the boys in college.
“Ready,” she announced, slipping her arms into her sleeves and grabbing her shoulder bag.
Y/N followed Harry down the steps to the entrance of the English building. Spotting her friend Lauren across the pavement coming out of the library, she waved and called her name.
“Have a good night, Mr. Styles,” Y/N paused, “I mean, Harry.”
She caught the twitch of his lips underneath the dim campus light before he said, “You too, Y/N.”
“That guy you work with is so hot,” remarked Lauren after she and Y/N had both ordered drinks at their favorite local pub.
“Who?” Y/N asked, accepting her beer from the bartender, “Harry?”
“You call him Harry?”
“He asked me to,” she said. “But I still call him Mr. Styles.”
“Jesus, that’s even hotter!”
Y/N laughed, nearly knocking over her glass. “Well, you’re not wrong. He is hot. But he’s very reserved.”
“Ooh the nerdy, quiet type! I like! Maybe you need to pull him out of his shell.”
“I dunno,” Y/N smirked with a shrug.
“C’mon. I bet you’re just the girl to do it,” Lauren insisted.
“And how do I do that, pray tell?”
“Ask him out!”
“I can’t just ask out my boss! There has to be rules against that sort of thing, right?”
“Hmmm,” Lauren nodded, taking a sip from her own beer. “Maybe casually suggest something. Like coffee, or a drink after work. In a social gathering type place, like here. Oh my God!”
“What?”
“The Halloween party! He probably knows about it - he might even already have plans on coming!” squealed Lauren.
“I doubt it,” Y/N shook her head.
“You never know. It’s mostly a school event anyway. You don’t even have to ask him out on a date, just tell him you’ll be there and he should come.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea,” Y/N muttered, chewing her lip.
“I know! I have brilliant ideas,” Lauren declared.
Despite the unusually warm night, Harry could see his breath in front of him, instantly dissipating into the air. He pulled the collar up on his black coat as he continued down the pavement. Stopping at the corner of the pub, he could hear the music and chatter from inside. But there was only one voice he wanted to hear. Only one person whose blood he could already hear pulsing through his eardrums.
The smell was intoxicating - her smell. His mouth began to water as he peeked through the blinds of the old family pub. He found her quickly, sat at the bar with that friend of hers, the one who’d ruined his plan.
He had hoped to follow Y/N home after leaving the English building. Watch her climb the steps to her flat and let herself in. He’d done it a few times before, but he wouldn’t call it stalking. He just enjoyed her aroma, the rushing of her blood through her veins. Then when he was sure she was home safely, he’d turn around and walk home.
This particular night, however, he had thought perhaps he’d get the courage to walk up to her. Maybe act as if it was a coincidence that he was in her part of town. He’d even conjured up a lie, saying his plans for the evening had gotten canceled, if she seemed happy to see him. Then he’d ask her to join him for a drink. A glass of wine perhaps. But not at this noisy pub, no. Somewhere secluded, more…romantic.
Blasted Lauren, or whatever her name was. He reckoned he’d have to wait for another night. But…time was running out…
Lauren and Y/N called it a night after only two beers. Y/N was tired and Lauren had an early shift at the shop where she worked. After giving her friend a farewell hug, Y/N crossed the street and headed for home. She noticed a bit of a fog, thinking it suitable for this time of year. Halloween was only a few days away. She hadn’t originally planned on going to the party at the pub, seeing as Lauren had a date and she didn’t want to be the third wheel. But now the prospect of asking Harry had made her change her mind.
Making a list of possible last-minute costumes in her head, she suddenly heard something behind her. Turning her head, however, she saw nothing but empty pavement. Continuing on her way, she’d almost reached her building when she heard something again. This time, she turned swifty, seeing only a cloud of pillowy smoke. Thinking it odd for the fog to circulate in that manner, she felt a chill run down her spine. Her eyes shifted from side to side as her body stood frozen.
“Hello?” she called out meekly.
When she got no response, she slowly turned back around, only to run into a tall frame of a man. She nearly screamed when two hands grabbed her shoulders, but her words stalled when she looked up into a pair of familiar green eyes.
“Oh! Mr. Sty- Harry,” she breathed. “What…what are you doing here?”
“I’m terribly sorry, Y/N,” he said, squeezing her shoulders. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Still trembling, her heart beating loudly, Y/N blinked and nodded. “It’s…it’s okay. I thought someone was following me.”
“Oh, well now I do feel terrible.”
“No,” she swallowed, placing a hand over her chest. “Don’t, really. I was probably just paranoid. What with the fog and all.”
“Ah, yes. It is quite a foggy night, isn’t it?” Harry gazed around.
That was when Y/N noticed he wasn’t wearing his glasses. She chuckled nervously as she felt Harry’s hands leave her arms.
“So what are you doing here?” she asked, bracing herself to hear Harry reveal details of his evening.
“Well, I…” he echoed the nervous chuckle, scratching his forehead. “It’s rather embarrassing actually. My plans got canceled.”
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,” Y/N remarked.
“I’m not,” Harry grinned.
Y/N felt the blood rush through her veins at the way he smiled at her. She’d seen him smile many times, but this was different. It was as though a sudden spark had ignited behind his eyes.
“I know there’s a popular pub nearby,” he added. “Fancy a drink?”
Y/N’s eyes widened. Was he seriously asking her? Now?
“Well, I…” she muttered, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “I um…actually just came from there. Had some drinks with a friend.”
Harry caught himself before saying, “Oh, right.” Don’t be daft, Harry. She can’t know. Not yet. Instead, he cleared his throat. “I see.”
God, you’re a moron, Y/N scolded herself. He’s asking you out and you’re saying no?
“But you know…” Y/N quickly thought on her feet, “I may have a bottle of wine at my place. It’s just up there.”
“Really?” Harry cocked a brow as he turned his head in the direction she pointed.
“Sure. That is, if you’d like to come up.”
Would I? “Um, yeah, that sounds…great,” Harry nodded.
Y/N tried to conceal her delight, giving only a casual grin as she turned toward her building. She could feel Harry’s presence behind her, his shadow taller than hers underneath the streetlamp. It made her feel safe, but at the same time a tiny bit apprehensive. She had never invited Harry - nor anyone from the university for that matter - up to her apartment. She didn’t even think he knew where she lived. And yet…here he was. Just when she’d been thinking of him.
When she reached her front door, she scrambled for her keys, dropping them on the ground.
“Shit,” she cursed, but before she could bend down to retrieve them, another hand held them out in front of her.
“Oh. Thanks,” she whispered, her eyes meeting Harry’s who was already standing beside her, his body so close that she almost gasped.
“You’re welcome.”
Y/N didn’t miss the way his tone was so incredibly low, she felt it vibrate in her chest. She also didn’t miss the way his gaze didn’t leave her face, even when she inserted the key in the door.
“I really need to use the restroom,” she announced as soon as they were inside. “I’m so sorry. That beer I had earlier went right through me.”
“No worries,” Harry chuckled.
“Have a seat,” Y/N gestured with a smile. “I’ll be right back.”
As soon as she had shut the bathroom door, Harry slipped out of his coat, placing it on the armrest of a nearby chair. He then walked casually around the room, inspecting knick knacks and books on the shelves. Spotting a photo in a frame, he picked it up, Y/N’s smile gazing back at him as he felt a sudden rush. As though he’d been shocked with electricity, he quickly set it back on the shelf.
“Sorry about that!” he heard Y/N sing behind him.
He turned with a smile. Somehow in the few seconds she was gone, she had managed to make herself look even more…inviting. She wore an oversized jumper with the University logo on it and a pair of plaid flannel pajama pants. She couldn’t have looked cuter if she had been dolled up for a night out. But as she stepped closer to him, Harry got a massive whiff of her aroma and nearly stumbled backwards.
“So…wine!” she pointed at Harry with a giggle before turning for the kitchen.
“You know,” Harry swallowed, “we could take a raincheck if you like. I know you’re probably tired and…” His words stalled when he saw the disappointed look on her face.
“I just don’t want to put you out,” he finished.
“Oh, you’re not!” Y/N insisted. Then she reached for glasses in the cupboard, softly adding, “I’m actually glad you’re here.”
“You are?”
“Mhm,” she nodded, sucking in her lips. “I wanted to ask you something.”
“Really?” Harry raised a brow.
Y/N felt the color rise on her face as she poured the wine. “I assume you’ve heard of the Halloween party?”
“I have. It’s at that pub, right?”
“Right. Are you going?” Y/N hesitantly handed Harry a glass.
“Thanks,” he said, taking a sip before making eye contact. “Um, hadn’t really thought about it, honestly.”
“Oh.”
“Why? Are you going?”
Y/N sighed as she leaned against the counter. “I wasn’t planning on it, but…my friend Lauren’s going, and her boyfriend Josh. A couple other people I know said they probably will…so…”
“You don’t have a date?”
Y/N stood up straight, her eyes wide. “Oh, it wouldn’t have to be like a date or anything,” she explained hastily. “Just…you know…thought you might like to go.”
“Ah,” a smirk grew on Harry’s handsome face. Damn it.
“I mean, I’ve never really seen you outside of school other than tonight, and…you totally don’t have to-”
“I’d love to,” he interrupted.
A loud exasperated breath blew from between Y/N’s lips. “Really?”
“Yeah,” Harry continued grinning as he walked around the kitchen counter to stand next to Y/N. “I like Halloween. And I like you.”
Y/N’s eyes widened as Harry came closer, his last words hanging in the air. She was almost unsure if she’d heard him correctly. But when he lifted his wine glass to his lips, took a sip and lowered it revealing another smirk, she knew she had.
“You-you do?”
“Of course. I thought I’d made that pretty clear, no?”
“No,” Y/N shook her head, “actually.”
“Shit. I must be terrible at this then.”
Y/N giggled, covering her mouth. “No. I’m horrible at reading signals, I think.”
Harry’s smirk grew into a wide smile. “Well, I reckon that’s out there now. Cheers.”
“Cheers,” Y/N echoed, lifting her glass. When she lowered it, she looked at Harry. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you without your glasses.”
“Yeah? Well, I…” he patted his chest, “have them in my pocket. I only really need them for reading.”
“Oh.”
“Of which we do a lot,” he added, wiggling his brows.
“Yeah,” Y/N chuckled through a sigh. “Well, you look nice. But you look nice with them, too.”
“Thank you.”
Y/N gestured toward the couch, and Harry followed, taking a seat next to her. As soon as he sat down, however, he got another intoxicating whiff of her aroma. He could tell she was nervous, her heart pumping fast. Closing his eyes, Harry took a moment to get his bearings.
No, not yet, he thought to himself. It’s not time yet.
“This is pretty good wine,” he heard Y/N say. Opening his eyes, he saw her gazing into her glass. “I’m not an expert, but I saw it at the liquor store and the guy there said it was good.”
“It’s delicious,” Harry agreed. “You made a good choice.”
“I have to watch myself though,” Y/N giggled, sitting back on the sofa. “I could easily get drunk on this.”
“Yeah?” Harry smirked.
“Mmm,” Y/N nodded as she took another sip. “I can already see myself going there, and I haven’t even finished one glass.”
Harry chuckled as he took his own sip, a rather larger one than hers. Then setting his empty glass on the coffee table, he scooted closer to Y/N. He could feel the heat radiating off of her, hear her pulse beating in his ears.
He watched her face as he reached for her wine glass and set it down next to his. Her beautiful, pouty lips matched the crimson shade of the wine, and his urge to taste them amplified. Lifting his hand, he ran his thumb across her bottom lip until she delicately opened her mouth, inviting his thumb to graze her tongue.
The contact nearly had him on his knees, his desire more than he could bear. Running his tongue along his teeth, he could feel his fangs emerging. He had to taste her. Now.
Now! Or get out!
The voice inside was getting louder. So much that he almost didn’t have the nerve to stop it. So he did the only thing he could do. The only thing that could possibly be done in that moment if he didn’t want to expose the truth.
No, not yet!
Snapping his hand back, Harry quickly rose from the sofa.
“I…I should go,” he said, his throat dry and harsh.
“Oh!” Y/N gasped as she looked up at him, ashamed and bewildered. “I’m sorry.”
“No, no, don’t be,” Harry shook his head and grabbed his coat. “You did nothing. You’re…you’re enchanting. I just…I have to go. We’ll do this another time, yeah?”
“Okay.”
Y/N followed Harry to the door where he paused for only a moment to look back. She noticed his eyes were glassy, almost clear, bright. She took a step back, astonished.
“I’ll um…see you Monday,” Harry said, lowering his gaze. “Goodnight, Y/N.”
Before she could reply, he was gone, like a cloud of smoke in the night. With a sigh, Y/N shut the door.
What had she done wrong?
Monday afternoon was going by slowly. Y/N looked at the clock. It was barely after five. Harry hadn’t uttered a word about what had happened Friday night. In fact, he was being his old self, very cordial and professional. It was driving Y/N crazy. She snuck a look in his direction as he concentrated on his laptop.
Fuck, Y/N sighed to herself. He’s so sexy with those glasses. And the sweater vest? Kill me now!
Harry suddenly looked up from his computer, his eyes locking with hers as if he had heard her thoughts. His lips began to do that little twitch again as Y/N dropped her pen, an obtrusive clattering sound when it hit the floor.
“What?” Harry finally asked with a smirk.
“Um, nothing,” Y/N scrambled, reaching down for her pen.
God, just ask him! Y/N screamed inwardly. What are you waiting for?
Sitting up at her desk, she noticed Harry had resumed his work, typing on his keyboard. With a sigh, Y/N clicked her pen as she tried to concentrate on something else. Something other than the taste of his stupid thumb on her bottom lip and the way his eyes had gone bright as he’d looked into her soul.
Suddenly, Harry chuckled. The sound was low at first, and Y/N wondered if he was reading something humorous on his laptop. But then the sound grew, and he turned his head to look at her.
“What is it, Y/N?” he asked again.
“What do you mean?” she stared, startled.
“You’re clicking that pen like a mad woman. Something’s up.”
Sitting up straight, Y/N slapped the pen down on the desk. “Sorry. I was just…wondering if you’re okay.”
“Me? I’m not the one acting crazy,” Harry joked.
“I mean…after Friday…”
“Oh…” Harry sighed, sitting back in his chair. Then removing his glasses, he rubbed his eyes. “Yeah, about that, I-”
“It’s okay,” Y/N interrupted, clearing her throat. Though she’d asked the question, she wasn’t sure if she was prepared for an answer. At least not the answer she figured she was about to get. “That was probably a mistake. Mr. Styles.”
“Y/N, no,” he shook his head. Then rising from his chair, he walked toward her, stopping at her desk. “Don’t think that. I just…”
His words trailed off as he surprised Y/N by perching himself on the corner of her desk.
“I like you, Y/N,” he confirmed. “I wasn’t lying about that, and it wasn’t the wine. I just feel the need to…take things slow with you.”
Y/N smiled softly. “I understand.”
“I shouldn’t have run off like that though; that was unfair to you. And I apologize.”
“Apology accepted.”
“Good,” Harry beamed. “So we’re still on for tomorrow?”
“Mhm,” Y/N nodded, biting her lip. “I hope so.”
“Brilliant. I’ll meet you there, yeah?”
Before Y/N could nod again, Harry leaned forward and pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Then he placed a soft kiss on her lips.
“That’s to make up for Friday,” he remarked, his mouth only a whisper away from hers.
“Oh.” Y/N could barely breathe.
“Your lips are delicious. Like that wine.”
Pressing another kiss to her mouth, Harry let out a low, deep groan. Y/N’s chest shook as she was finally able to inhale. When he backed away, she opened her eyes to see his were still closed. She watched as he swallowed hard, his jaw set.
“Harry…” she managed to squeak.
He opened his eyes slowly, and that’s when she noticed. Instead of the glowing crystal shade they had been Friday, they were a deep, dark shade of midnight. Startled once again, she hastily scooted back, her chair scraping against the floor.
“Y/N,” he croaked, slowly blinking. “Please don’t be frightened of me.”
“Your-your eyes!” she gasped. “They k-keep changing.”
“Oh,” Harry chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. They do that sometimes. When I get…excited.”
“Excited?”
“Nothing to worry about, darling,” he reassured her, rising from the desk. “I’m sort of a…freak of nature.”
Y/N could detect the humorous tone in his words. But still, she remained in her seat, a bit frazzled.
“C’mere,” he said, holding out his hand.
Y/N took it hesitantly, allowing Harry to pull her to her feet. Lifting a hand, he lightly brushed her hair from her shoulder. Then she felt him touch her neck, his large hand gliding across it.
“So lovely,” he cooed, his voice just above a whisper. “Delicate, like a China doll.”
When he pulled her closer, she could feel his breath on her cheek. Then he nibbled at her jaw, sending a wave of desire down to her core.
Holy fuck, what is happening?
She gasped when his tongue met her skin, his other hand gripping her waist. She dug her nails into the front of his sweater, not sure how or where to hold on. As he began to suck on her delicate flesh just beneath her ear, she cried out in pleasure.
“Harry…”
Almost instantaneously, Harry pushed her back against the bookshelves. The thud caused a couple of books to fall off and onto the floor, but Harry continued with his seduction. Y/N lifted her leg, wrapping it around Harry’s in order to feel the friction she now so needed. Running her hands through his hair, she heard him growl in her ear.
“Y/N…I need you.”
“Me too,” she gasped.
When she pulled him even closer, tugging on the waistband of his trousers, however, Harry froze. Then he let out a guttural cry, like a wounded animal.
“Aaauuuuggggghhhhhh!” he screamed. “No!”
Pushing himself away from the bookshelf, he stood before Y/N as she remained still, her eyes wide. Harry appeared to be shaking, as though he was willing himself not to go further.
“Harry?” Y/N whispered.
His eyes shut tight, Harry shook his head. Then gritting his teeth, he motioned toward the door. “Go.”
“What?” Y/N asked incredulously.
“Goooo!” Harry shouted.
“Harry, what’s wrong?”
Folded over at his waist, Harry looked like he was trying to catch his breath. Her fear magnified, thinking something was terribly wrong. Y/N stepped forward, reaching for him.
“No!” he cried.
“Harry, you’re scaring me…”
“Just go. Please. You’re dismissed.”
Quickly, Y/N grabbed her jacket and bag and ran for the door. Turning back, she saw Harry, his back to her as he gripped the edge of the bookshelf. She didn’t dare run back to him, though deep inside she wanted to. She was afraid, not for her own safety…but for his.
Y/N stepped out of the English building into the cool evening air. The sun was just beginning to descend. Before making her way to the parking lot, she looked up at the building, to the window she knew was occupied by Dr. Osborne’s department. She saw no sign of Harry. In fact, the lights had been turned off.
Crossing the street, she felt a cold chill down to her bones. What had just happened? Was Harry ill? Or was he really a ‘freak of nature’ like he’d said? Perhaps he was not the sweet, nerdy guy she’d pinned him to be. Maybe he had some serious demons. Though she felt concerned for him, she wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.
Harry watched her through the pub window again. She was dressed as an angel, of all things. This was too easy, too perfect.
But he might as well have had his eyes closed. He could hear her blood pumping through the glass. Her pulse was so loud, he could barely contain his excitement.
This was it. This would be the night.
“So you’re sure he’s not coming?” asked Lauren as they sat at the bar.
Y/N wasn’t going to show up herself, but she’d already put together an angel costume that she didn’t want to see go to waste.
“I mean, would you?” Y/N raised a brow.
She’d told her friend about the two episodes with Harry, and how both times he’d backed off. She didn’t go into details, though. Nothing about the eye color changing, or how he’d told her to leave. Some things were better left unsaid.
Lauren shrugged. “You never know. He might still show up.”
Josh returned from playing darts with his friends, declaring a new round of drinks was required.
“I think I might sit this one out,” remarked Y/N.
“No, girl, c’mon!” whined Lauren. “We’re here to have fun tonight. No matter what.”
“Okay, fine,” Y/N rolled her eyes.
“Two kamikazes over here!” her friend called out.
When Lauren swiveled around on her stool, Y/N caught the look of awe on her face. Then with a grin, she poked Y/N in the arm. Turning around, she spotted Harry entering the pub, dressed in black from head to toe.
“Yes, Daddy!” Lauren remarked under her breath.
“Harry!” exclaimed Y/N. “You came!”
“I told you I would,” he declared, stepping forward. “And I intend to keep my promises.”
“Look at you, man,” remarked Josh. “Great vampire costume.”
Harry looked down at his coat. He knew his fangs weren’t showing. Not yet. He checked his nails to be sure. Nope, clean and short. Raising his head, he heard Josh cackle.
“I mean, it’s subtle. But the eyeliner and clear eyes are effective.”
Ah. So it was the eyes. He couldn’t help that much. They had been glowing since he’d smelled Y/N’s blood. He’d let the lad think he was wearing makeup. It was Halloween after all.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” said Y/N, her sweet voice ringing out like the angel that she was.
Harry’s lips curled up in a smile. “Me too. Brilliant costume.”
The sound of Lauren clearing her throat cut through the moment before she handed Y/N her cocktail.
“What are you having, Mr. Styles?” she teased, giving Y/N a wink.
“Harry, please,” he insisted. “A glass of merlot would be divine.”
“Divine? Oooh, listen to this scholar!”
Y/N made a face, then turned back to Harry.
“I wasn’t sure you’d show up. After yesterday.”
“Yeah, I need to talk to you about that,” he said, shoving his hands in his coat pockets. “But later, okay? In private?”
“Okay.”
After Harry received his merlot, everyone made a toast. As soon as “Thriller” began to play, Lauren cheered, pulling Josh off his stool to dance with her.
“They had a head start,” Y/N commented with a giggle.
“No, I’m late, and I apologize. But I can catch up,” Harry winked.
The evening progressed, the foursome sharing laughs and cocktails. Some other people from the university recognized Harry and came over to say hello. As the clock ticked on, however, Harry knew his time was getting limited.
“I need to talk to you now,” he told Y/N. “Walk with me?”
“Oh. Okay,” she slipped down from her stool and announced her departure to her friends.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Lauren teased before waving goodbye.
“Are you okay to walk?” Harry asked once they were outside.
“I think so,” she smirked. “You may need to carry me.”
“I could probably manage that,” Harry chuckled.
The cool night air seemed to help, however, and by the time they rounded the corner of the pub, the couple was holding hands.
“I had a great time,” declared Y/N. “I’m so glad you came.”
“Me too.”
“So what did you want to tell me?”
“First, I wanna show you something.”
Harry squeezed her hand, guiding her to the left behind the pub. Y/N chuckled to herself as she heard the beat of “Time Warp”, the volume getting lower before she and Harry came to the local park.
Harry gestured toward a bench, taking a seat next to her. Y/N wrapped her arms around herself.
“Are you cold?” asked Harry.
“A little. I didn’t bother with a coat because…you know, wings.”
“You’ll be much warmer soon,” he commented.
Y/N turned to give Harry a look but noticed his eyes were focused on the sky.
“What is it?” Y/N inquired.
“Just looking at the moon,” Harry replied. “It’s mystifying, isn’t it?”
“Yeah…I guess.”
Harry could feel his eyes changing already, his teeth sharpening in his mouth. Running his tongue across them, he swallowed hard.
“Do you ever wonder if you’re destined to be something else?” he suddenly asked.
“Um…yeah,” Y/N blinked. “All the time.”
“What would you do if you were immortal?”
Harry turned his head then, and Y/N noticed his eyes were dark, like they had been in the English office. She instantly scooted back on the bench, nearly falling off.
“Please don’t be frightened, my angel. I mean no harm to you.”
“Harry, what’s….what’s going on?” she croaked, her own eyes unable to tear away from his.
Harry reached his hand out, his nails now long with pointed ends. Y/N gasped, her mouth wide open.
“Let me show you, Y/N,” he coaxed, grabbing her hand. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, my love. It’s our destiny.”
Before Y/N could reply, Harry’s mouth covered hers in a deep kiss. He could feel her struggle to break free for just a split second before she melted into the kiss with him. Cradling the back of her head, he deepened the kiss further, his tongue wrestling with hers. He felt her moan against him, and that pleased him.
She grabbed hold of the lapels on his coat, pulling him closer. Wrapping his other arm around her waist, he held her tight as his mouth continued to devour hers. He heard her start to whimper, and he couldn’t help but chuckle low. His angel. She needed him.
Y/N gasped as Harry’s mouth moved to her neck. She felt him nibble along the delicate flesh, her senses reeling. Suddenly, he groaned in her ear, his voice deep.
“It’s time, my angel.”
Time? Time for what?
Before the words could escape her lips, she felt a sharp sting followed by the most blissful, orgasmic sensation she’d ever experienced. The blood in her veins seemed to rush so rapidly, and so loudly that she could hear it, like waves crashing in her ears. She threw her head back as Harry held onto her, his mouth never leaving her neck.
She thought she called out in ecstasy, though she was unsure if it was only in her mind. She grasped at Harry’s arms, needing to feel him, to hold him for fear of falling.
The pleasure began to heighten even more, Y/N’s nails digging into Harry’s coat until she was suddenly cloaked in darkness, as though the world had gone black.
“Y/N…”
She heard the soft, low coo before she opened her eyes.
“Wake up, angel,” he said.
“Harry…” she whispered, her throat dry. “What…?”
Feeling her tremble, he pulled her close. “Shh, baby. Everything’s okay now. I’m right here.”
“Where are we?” she inquired, gazing around the dark room, filled with lit candles.
“My bed,” Harry grinned.
“Oh.”
And just like that, Y/N didn’t even question it. Being in Harry’s room, with him in his bed felt…natural. Almost like deja vu. Lush linens, the smell of plums and incense. Her warm, naked body next to his. It felt familiar. It was right.
Seeing that Y/N was now content, Harry smiled wide. Then sliding his hand up her side, he cupped her breast. Her eyelids fluttered as she let out a long moan.
“Ah, you’re ultra sensitive now, hmm?” Harry commented as he ran his thumb across her nipple.
“Harry…mmm…”
Rolling onto her side, she pulled him into a kiss, needing to feel him. She sucked on his tongue, grabbed his hard cock. She was hungry with lust.
“Easy, baby,” he panted. “We have all the time in the world.”
“But I need you now,” she explained with a pout.
With a raspy chuckle, Harry laid her back on the bed, hovering over her luscious body.
“I wanna taste you first,” he insisted.
Biting her lip, Y/N nodded. Yes, taste me.
His long body slithered down hers until he was facing her hips and thighs. Her scent permeated the sheets, and he found a moan rising from his throat.
My delicious angel.
Y/N let out a loud cackle when Harry lightly tickled her bare skin along her hips. Harry grinned, knowing her sensitivity was accelerated. But it was not just his touch that had her laughing. It was the mere awareness of everything. Being in the moment. The utter bliss and sexual desire was almost more than her senses could handle.
Harry could hardly contain his desire either. He needed to taste her, to feel her writhing underneath him. But he also wanted to take it slow.
He rutted his head against the inside of her legs, like a dog wanting to be petted. He felt her nails dig into his hair, grabbing his curls just before he began to nibble on her thigh. As her moans got louder, ringing in his ears and throughout the room, Harry wondered how long he could hold out - or better yet, how long she could hold out.
With wild abandon, he let himself be the freak of nature he claimed to be. He heard her squeal before her expletive.
“Holy shit, did you just bite me?”
“Maybe,” he chuckled low. “Did it hurt?”
“Actually…no. Do it again.”
With another grin, Harry ran his thumbs across her bare flesh along her inner thigh.
“I love your skin here,” he commented. “It’s so soft and supple.”
Then lowering his head again, he let his fangs graze down her leg and back up. He felt Y/N tremble beneath him, a small cry rising from her throat. Then very gently, he pressed a little harder, barely piercing the skin.
Y/N moaned in pleasure as Harry licked the area clean, tasting her sweet blood on his tongue. Then he moved his tongue to the task at hand - what he’d come for. Centering his mouth over her mound, he let out a cool breath, tickling her. She squirmed beneath him, her desire silent but apparent. She craved him just as much as he craved her. Then lifting her hips, he brought his tongue to her clit, giving it one quick flick before diving in.
If there was one thing Harry knew he was good at - other than his knowledge of English literature - it was eating pussy. And now that he was a creature of the night, he could do it for hours, for days. Of course, having a sweet angel like Y/N beneath him was all he needed now.
Y/N’s moans began to subside a bit, but Harry knew it was not because she wasn’t enjoying it. On the contrary. She was so enraptured by his talent, she could barely breathe.
Sweet little kitten. He almost felt sorry for her, but not really. He knew this was what she wanted, what she was destined for. He’d felt it the first time they’d met. Her wide-eyed stare when she thought he wasn’t looking. Her cute little shy giggles at every stupid joke he made. The intoxicating aroma of her blood rushing through her veins. And when she’d finally invited him up to her flat…
“Oh my God…” she panted, her nails digging into his head. “Oh!”
Harry hummed against her cunt, tasting her sweet juices. He knew she was close. He’d let her come this time. She needed it. Needed that release. Just this once. Next time he’d make her ride it out longer, because he knew she could.
As his lips took hold of her clit once more, sucking gently, Y/N gasped. Then crying his name, she gushed and came on his tongue, just like he’d wanted.
Her orgasm lasted longer than any she’d had before…not that she could recall even one in that moment. Her chest heaved with breaths as she tried to come down. She felt Harry’s body climb up before he laid down next to her.
“How do you feel, my angel?” Harry cooed.
With a deep, long sigh, Y/N gave a wide grin.
“Perfect. Absolutely perfect,” she replied, fluttering her eyelids open to reveal her crystal clear eyes.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! xo
taglist: @daydreaming-laur, @musicforastylesrestaurant, @lillefroe, @be-with-me-so-happily (so sorry if I forgot anyone!!)
The Honourable Judge Styles has a dark secret. He prides himself on being notorious for his cutthroat sense of justice. But is he really any better than the ones he imprisons? Or is he a victim much like the ones he acquits?
Put a price on emotion - Masterlist, Author's Notes & Warnings / alternatively, read on wattpad
Prologue (word count: 1.1k)
“All rise. The court is now in session. Honourable Judge Styles presiding. Please be seated.”
The imposing man nodded to the bailiff and the other members of the courtroom as he took his seat at the bench. “Thank you, you may all be seated. Call the case.”
“Your honour, criminal case number 23234- People of Chicago, Illinois versus Grace Gwyneth Cohen for homicide.”
The judge did a quick scan of the courtroom as he opened up his notebook for his case notes, and landed his gaze on the defendant. She’d waived her right to a jury trial, which didn’t make any sense to him. It made much more sense for her to want a jury trial. Her chances of convincing that many more people of her innocence were exponentially higher than persuading the state’s notoriously cutthroat judge.
The man usually presided over hung jury cases. It was his expertise, mostly because he was known for being just and, yes, cutthroat. In all the cases he’d presided over, not once did he have even a shadow of a doubt over who was in the wrong. He’d always served justice, he was sure of it, and as much as he’d have liked to have his innate judge of character take all the credit for it, he had to admit he’d not been this attuned before.
It was hard to tell anymore, mainly because, well, it had been such a long time since… before. If anything, he could attest that he’d always had an affinity towards justice, doing the right thing, advocating for the right cause, but now, well, he could read right through the bullshit.
He could read people like open books.
As could all vampires.
So, really, it was nothing special. What was special, though, was that not all vampires chose to put these sharpened abilities to good use. The fact that he’d chosen to do so was still something mind boggling to his… community. But Harry couldn’t fathom just doing nothing for all eternity, like they did. Sure, after a couple hundred years everyone kinda gets tired of trying to spruce things up. But he’d done it all- tried everything in the book- and at one point, you just need to try and give your existence meaning. And this, judging, was a way he could put his abilities to good use, in a meaningful way, giving him a sense of purpose.
And that was pretty valuable when you were immortal.
And besides, he couldn’t lie; the added bonus of making humans squirm- particularly those that deserved to be crushed by the law- under his gavel, albeit metaphorically, was quite thrilling.
But most of all, he enjoyed ensuring a bit of balance in this unfair world- the world that chose this existence for him. He’d not chosen this for himself, after all. He was a victim. He’d suffered a great injustice, maybe the biggest of them all- he’d been robbed of his right of living a normal life. He’d been forced into immortality, and there was nothing he could do about it. No one to turn to, no one to give him justice. There simply wasn’t any. And that had always bothered him deeply.
Sure, they had a system. The vampire that had turned him did suffer some consequences. But, really, there wasn’t much you could do to an immortal being to make them really repent. It wasn’t like they were going to be put away for “life”. You couldn’t exactly incarcerate someone for all eternity. The prospect of a death penalty was more of a treat than a threat to most vampires. And so, outside of being ostracised by their community, which ensured an even lonelier existence, there wasn’t much else a vampire could fear in this afterlife. Most of them stayed within lines and regulations just so they wouldn’t have to face the rest of eternity alone, be it as it may in a state of the art manor and not some dingy prison cell.
So what had made this young woman waive her jury trial? Had she not heard of his reputation? Looking at her, he recognized she was an outspoken person, a very headstrong personality, from the way she didn’t seem to pay any attention to her lawyer.
He recognized the defence attorney. He was someone the state had provided the young woman with, so he wasn’t her own choice. Their body language told him all he needed to know. She was not going to heed her council’s advice. He wondered if the man knew it too, but if he had to guess he’d say he was suspicious of it at the very least.
This was going to be tricky, Harry thought to himself as he narrowed his gaze and decided to proceed.
“Is the accused in court?”
“Yes, your honour,” the bailiff announced.
“Alright, arraign the accused.”
The young woman was brought to the defence panel, the bailiff addressing her “You are the accused in the trial number 23234 entitled People of Chicago, Illinois versus Grace Gwyneth Cohen, and the information charges you of the crime of homicide committed as follows: that on the night of 27 of July, current year, in Chicago, Illinois, the above named accused, with intent to kill, did then and there, wilfully, unlawfully and feloniously attack, assault and employ personal violence upon the person of one Silvian Montgomery, by then and there stabbing him with a sharp silver switchblade on the right portion of his torso, thereby inflicting upon him a serious and mortal wound which was the direct and immediate cause of his untimely death as per the autopsy report conducted by the state appointed pathologist. Contrary to law. What is your plea?”
“Not guilty.”
“You will address the bench in doing so.”
The young woman cleared her throat and turned to face the judge who was watching her intently. She took a quick breath, meeting his icy glaze. “Not guilty, your honour.”
“The accused enters the plea of not guilty, your honour.”
The young woman rolled her eyes ever so slightly, muttering something about how she’d literally just said that. And she’d been subtle about it, but Harry was extremely observant. And his preternatural hearing capabilities didn’t hurt, either.
But he was willing to let it slide, because, well, he had an affinity for innocent people.
It felt a bit like cheating, this whole ordeal, a feeling he wasn’t accustomed to. Because he was about to preside over a case knowing the outcome from head start. He knew what his verdict would be. He knew before he’d even been assigned the trial.
Not guilty.
Chapter 1
A/N: well, well well. the day has finally come. i've been planning on this fic for over a year now! i was going to post the epilogue for halloween, but life got in the way. in a way i'm glad i didn't because, well, this isn't just another vampire fic to me. it's so much more than that. it's smutty (of course), it's angsty (duh, it's me), but honestly... for a guy whose heart stopped beating a long time ago Harry sure doesn't act like it. and as for the original main character this time around, Grace... well, we'll just have to discover her alongside Harry, won't we ❤️
beta'd by the lovely @adorebeaa ❤️
💕 like & reblog if you’re enjoying this, lovelies, and most importantly, please come share your thoughts on it here 💌
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in which y/n meets a vampire named harry. but he’s not like other vampires is he?
11.3k words
warnings: vampire harry! mentions of blood. the smallest tiniest smut scene. enjoy.
a/n: this sucked the fucking life out of me. idk what even happens in this, i just posted it. WARNING IT’S BAD!!! HAPPY OCTOBER. SRRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, BETTER LATE THAN NEVERRRRR 🤭
masterlist
(Y/N) hates walking home from work. Especially in the rain. And at night.
Her car has been in the shop for more than a week, something about spark plugs, so she’s been trying to wait as patiently as she can until it gets fixed. But on nights like tonight, it kind of pisses her off. She knows her mechanic is backed up with cars and he’s doing his best, but it’s really kind of inconvenient.
She said goodbye to her one coworker that closed the restaurant with her tonight and pushed up her umbrella. They locked up the store and she was offered a ride, but declined. She doesn’t live that far and she doesn’t want to bother someone else with having to drop her home when it’s already after eleven.
The walk home isn’t all that bad. Most of the time, she just tries to walk as quickly as she can and get home before anyone notices her. And nothing has happened so far. She stays on main streets and doesn’t linger anywhere for too long. The rain wasn’t bothering her too much. There were puddles in spots she had to step over unless she wanted her shoes to be drenched. It had been raining and gloomy all day and normally, she loves days like this, but not when she has to be out in it.
She was about ten blocks from home. Her apartment is in a fairly nice neighborhood and rent is cheap, that’s the only reason she can afford to live on her own with only her income. It was such a deal, she thought her landlord was joking. He’s a nice older man who reminds her of her grandfather and he’s really cool about rent.
Suddenly, it sounded like someone was walking behind her. It happens at times, she doesn’t own the sidewalks, she can’t stop someone else walking on them. But the sound of their footsteps was getting increasingly closer and she could hear it over the sound of the rain. Feet splashing through puddles of rainwater carelessly. Like they didn’t care to get their shoes wet, something she was trying hard to avoid.
She picked up the pace a little, not wanting to have to interact with whoever is behind her. That’s how she freaks herself out and overreacts when it’s just someone behind her that wants to get home as much as she does. But she can never be too careful. So, she glanced quickly over her shoulder. And nothing.
Maybe they made it to where they had to be and she didn’t hear them go in. So, she kept walking, even faster than she had been. She doesn’t want to scare herself, she just wants to get home unscathed.
The footsteps returned and it sounded like they were getting even closer. She wanted to turn around, but she knew that would slow her down, so she was almost running and they only kept getting closer, like they were on her heels.
And then the most dreaded part of her walk came up. She has to walk past this eerie looking alley every time she walks home. It seems endless from the sidewalk, even during the daytime, so she tries to avoid it at all costs. But it’s an inevitable part of her walk unless she wants to walk in a huge circle to come across her apartment from the other side. And at this time of night, she’s not doing that. She’ll take her chances.
She didn’t look down the alley as she rushed past it. From the corner of her eye, it was just as terrible as it always looks. And right as she passed it, the hood of her jacket was grabbed from behind and she was pulled right into the alley. She dropped her umbrella as she struggled to pry at the hands gripping her jacket and she was pushed against the brick wall of the alley. She gasped from the impact, the wind was knocked right out of her. She really didn’t want to open her eyes and see who or what was in front of her, but she did anyway.
The alley was incredibly dark. Just how she imagined it would be if she was ever unfortunate enough to be down there. But she could vaguely see who was in front of her. It was a man and he looked rather nervous. His hands that were clutching onto her shoulders were shaking and he looked like he was in a complete panic.
“Scream.” Even his voice was shaky.
She pondered his request for a moment. Why would he want her to scream? Usually when she hears stories about things like this, the opposite happens. He would get caught if she screamed loud enough, regardless of the hour. And she knows that this is not how this is supposed to go. She considered that he might be threatening her to scream. Like if she screamed he’d steal her wallet or stab her or something, so at first she just stood there in shock, unable to move or do anything.
Of course she was petrified. She has no idea what this man wants or why he pulled her down into the alley. She just wants to get home and out of the rain that is now pelting the both of them, so much that she can’t properly see anymore.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” She spit out, jerking right out of his grasp. It hadn’t been tight, she could’ve pulled away a long time ago. But she just doesn’t know what’s happening.
“Scream. Do it or we'll both be in trouble. Please.” It was like he was begging her. She really has no idea what his motive is and she’s honestly too tired to play games right now.
“Listen. I just worked a twelve hour shift. Do you mind wrapping this up?” She fixed her purse over her shoulder and watched as he ran his hand through his wet hair that was dripping down his face and looked completely stressed. She’s sure she looks similar, but she won’t know until he lets her go.
“Human girl. Please pay attention. If you don’t scream, they’ll kill you. And they’re coming. Please. Just say something like…your neck hurts.” He looks very distraught from what she can see of his face. She swears she hears him say something like “I’m so bad at this” under his breath, but none of it makes sense so she just shakes her head.
“What’s in it for me?”
“Not dying!” He seems to be getting frustrated by her lack of cooperation, but she finds that she enjoys the look of distress on his face.
“Did someone dare you to do this? You really shouldn’t sneak up on girls in the middle of the night. It’s fucked.” She crossed her arms, watching as he continued to get more and more nervous about something.
“You don’t get it! I’ll explain in a minute, please, just. I’m going to pretend to bite your neck and you need to scream like you’re dying!” He threw his hands up, keeping his voice low. It was a bit hard to hear him over the rain, but she rolled her eyes and decided to entertain him. He’s probably high out of his mind or something. At least he doesn’t mean any harm. At the moment anyway.
“Ow, my neck.” She deadpanned and he groaned, rubbing at his eyes.
“Try harder.”
She sighed, not certain she was in the mood for this right now. But anything to get him to leave her the fuck alone. He leaned into her, causing her to freeze for a moment, but then she remembered he said he’d pretend to bite her neck. Whatever that fucking means.
She gripped his shoulders tightly, getting ready to shove him off of her if she does anything she doesn’t like. And then she tried to give the best performance she could give on such short notice. She really doesn’t want to disturb the people nearby if this guy is just messing around, but he won’t fuck off until she does.
She screamed, hit his back and tried her hardest to push him off and he didn’t budge. She wasn’t fond of that, but he kept whispering words of encouragement to her the entire time, telling her that she sounded very convincing and even giving her a few pointers of things to say.
“When they get here, just slide to the ground and act like you passed out. It won’t take long for them to leave.”
He reached from something in his pocket and ripped it open with his teeth before spraying her shirt and neck with it. She shot him a glare and he just sent her a sweet smile. Whatever was in it felt sticky and thick and she doesn’t know who the fuck he thinks he is ruining one of her only work shirts, but he’s going to pay for a new one.
She kept up the struggle and when a group of three appeared at the top of the alley, she started her slow descent to the ground. And then she just laid there while this guy gave her a discreet thumbs up before turning to the people who finally stopped right in front of them.
“Well done, Harry. You’re learning. Clean this up and we’ll see you back home.” (Y/N) kept her eyes closed, so she didn’t see who was speaking, but whoever it is sounds like they’re from a different time. It’s hard to describe, but she knows that whatever the fuck this Harry guy is into is nothing she wants to be a part of. She stayed slumped on the ground until he pulled her to feet without an ounce of difficulty.
He brushed her off, all with a beaming smile on his face.
“Thank you so much, human girl. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.” He patted her head and she smacked his hand away, making him flinch.
“Who were those people and why were you acting like you killed me?” She made sure her purse was secure over her shoulder again and went to find her abandoned umbrella, even though it didn’t matter much anymore. Her clothes were drenched and she’s covered in whatever he had in his pocket. And it doesn’t smell very nice.
“Those are my…friends, I guess. I haven’t been doing things their way, so from time to time, they’ll bring me out and force me to kill some poor, unsuspecting human. I couldn’t do it again, so that’s why I asked you to fake it,” He followed right after her, back onto the street. She covered her head with the umbrella and finally looked him over in the light of the street lamp beside them. “And I didn’t actually kill you, you just passed out.” Like that made a difference.
He was dressed in all black. A trench coat sheltered his clothes from the rain, even though he was entirely soaked from having stood in the rain for so long. His hair was a mess, but he looked like he didn’t even mind it. His mouth was smeared with something red. She can only guess that whatever is on his mouth is on her clothes and neck as well. And if she could make a guess she’d say it’s blood. Considering he was supposed to kill her.
“So, you’re a murderer?”
“God, no! Please, it’s the last thing I’d ever want to do, but they make me and it’s not fun.” His face was scrunched up like he was in pain from even saying it. (Y/N) is still not sure what’s happening here, but she’s not too interested anymore.
“Okay. Well, how the fuck do you get fake blood out of clothes? Since you took it upon yourself to cover me in it.” He blinked at her and then shrugged.
“I don’t know about fake blood. But real blood is kind of hard I think. I usually just toss my shirts afterwards. Too much work.” He shrugged again. And she took a minute to absorb what he just said.
“This is real blood?”
“Well, yes. That’s the only way that it would work.” (Y/N) thinks her eye might have twitched.
“You’re fucking crazy,” She laughed to herself, unbelieving that this is how her night turned out. She is off work tomorrow and part of her thinks she already made it to bed and she’s dreaming all of this right now. “Nice meeting you, Harry, but I have to go. Good luck with your murdering or whatever it is you’re doing out here. You might want to make new friends.”
“Thanks, human girl. I should. You’ve been very nice to me. Enjoy your night.” He waved as she turned to walk off. She scoffed, but continued walking, not bothering to turn around and see if he left or not. So, she has real blood splattered all over her and she has no idea whose it is or why he did all of that in the first place. But right now, she’s almost delirious and she’ll save that for tomorrow.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
(Y/N) loves her days off.
She’ll usually have the weekend off just because she works full-time during the week. And sometimes even overtime. So, her days off are very much cherished by her.
She gets to stay in bed, watch tv, and when she finally does roll out of bed, she has no responsibilities. Only to go grocery shopping, but that’s mostly it. Or if her friends that rarely get together want to do something, she’ll have that to do. But she likes being alone the most. It gives her time to relax. She’s with the public all week. Her weekends are hers to do nothing but lay around and be antisocial.
This particular morning, she didn’t stay in bed too long. She was craving a latte from the cafe across the street from the restaurant. It was very quaint and not a lot of people visited it, but enough to keep the place open. She liked how it was never crowded and she always got to sit at her table in the back and just drink her latte and scroll through her phone.
After dressing, she was on her way to the cafe. When she passed by the alley, she remembered what happened to her last night. It could have turned out much worse, so she’s happy that Harry seemed just crazy enough to not kill her. That would be so disruptive to her routine and she’d fucking kill him herself.
Thankfully, the cafe was just as she hoped it would be. Empty. She ordered herself a drink and settled down at her usual table. When the barista delivered her drink, she thanked them and got right back to what she was looking at on her phone. Nothing of importance, just stuff to keep her entertained until she finishes her drink and then she’ll be on her way.
Fifteen minutes of peace passed until the bell on the door jingled and it was interrupted. She didn’t even look up. Not until someone decided to ruin her entire day and sit down in front of her. Not even then did she look up. And then whoever it was cleared their throat.
“Fuck off.” She muttered, not interested in conversation. There is no one in this city that should be here right now bothering her. So there’s no reason to be nice right now.
“Human girl.” He whispered and her eyes shot up to see Harry sitting right in front of her, smiling like they were good, old time friends. She glared at him immediately.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“Sitting with you.”
“How did you find me?”
“I smelled you.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
He chuckled, like something was funny and leaned back in the chair, getting comfortable. He was in another black trench coat, but this time sunglasses covered his eyes. She wanted to rip them off because she’s not a fan of wearing sunglasses indoors, especially when speaking to someone.
“Exactly what I said. You have a lovely scent, human girl. I could recognize it from anywhere.” She scoffed.
“Well, don’t. Now see yourself out, please. I was having a good time until you showed up,” Her eyes went back to her phone, expecting him to take the hint and leave, but he didn’t. He just sat there. Clearly, he has a tough time with social cues. “Why the fuck are you still sitting here?”
“You’re so pretty.” He leaned his chin into his hands and watched her like he was completely enamored by the sight of her. She shoved at his arms, making his chin slip from his hands. But he still kept smiling.
“I have mace in my purse. Do you really want to take it there?”
“Don’t know what that is, pretty, but you’re my favorite human girl ever. I love you.”
(Y/N) took her cup and left the table. She doesn’t know what his problem is, but she wants him to go away. He’s talking about crazy things. She looked over her shoulder and he was, of course, casually strolling after her with that same lovestruck smile on his face. She tried to walk faster, hoping that she’d lose him, but he just stayed right behind her every time she checked over her shoulder.
About a hundred feet from her apartment, she stopped, not wanting him to know where she lives because he’s taking this a little too far now. His chest ran right into her outstretched hand and he sighed, still smiling at her behind his sunglasses.
“What do you want? Seriously. I’m not letting you follow me home, so get lost.” He went to reach for her hand, but she ripped it away before he had the chance.
“I wish I could, human girl. But don’t you see? You are mine and I am yours.” She stood there, trying to process what the fuck he just said, but it still made no sense. She doesn’t even know this man.
“Are you fucked in the head or something?” She sighed, almost feeling bad for him. “Harry. It’s time to go, okay? Do you know how long it took to scrub that blood off of me? I think therapy is what you need. I can recommend a few places to you if you need.”
“It’s okay. You’ll realize it soon enough. I cannot pressure you, my love.” He went for her hand again and she smacked his away.
“Get help. Please.” And then she turned on her heel, hoping he’d leave her alone. He did. But he watched her the entire way on the sidewalk with his hands resting over his chest like he really did love her like he claimed. The last time she looked over her shoulder, he was blowing her a kiss and waving. She didn’t bother to respond to that. She just kept walking.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
Work had been busy all day. She was exhausted and glad she was leaving before the dinner rush came in. Lunch and breakfast we’re already enough.
The good news she got today was that her car is ready at the auto shop, so she’s going to pick that up as soon as she clocks out from work. It’s another short walk, but she’s really happy that her car is finished and going to be in working condition so she’ll have no more run-ins with weirdos after 11pm.
She said goodbye to the few of her coworkers that were working and pushed the door open. As soon as she swung her purse over her shoulder, she ran right into someone.
“Oh, sorry—fuck! Do you mind?”
There Harry was. This time with a bouquet of flowers in his arms and the same trench coat as last time. He held the flowers out to her which she ignored and walked directly around him to make her way to the auto shop.
“My love! Wait for me!” She shook her head, intending to ignore him. Maybe then he’ll go away once she proves to him that she’s uninterested one more time. What is it going to take? Really. When he caught up to her, she grabbed him by the front of his coat and pulled him to her.
“If you don’t stop following me, we’re going to have a problem.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m following you…I just smell you and then I have to come and find you. It’s not hard. You smell…so good.” He moaned right in front of her and she shoved him away.
“Okay. This is your last chance. Leave me alone, I do not know you, you’ve been harassing me for too long. I don’t want to have to get a restraining order in place, but you’re pushing it.”
“I would if I could, human girl. But there’s a lot to tell you. Things have complicated since meeting you.” He tried to pass the flowers off to her again, but she pushed them right back to his chest.
“You don’t even know my name.” She crossed her arms, watching as he thought about it and then realized that he didn’t know her name.
“That is correct, but you never told me and I forgot to ask.” He held the flowers out and she huffed, snatching them from him.
“I think it’s better that way. Now I have to be going.” Walking around him, he grabbed her arm, making her freeze from just the feeling of it. It made her skin feel like it was buzzing and she has no idea what to compare it to. It’s not something she thought she’d ever be able to feel, it was such a weird sensation.
“I know you felt that.” He spoke up, meeting her wide eyes.
“You don’t know shit. Let me go.”
“Human girl,” He whined, stomping his foot. “I don’t have anyone to hang out with. Vampires are very cliquey. They don’t like me much anyway.”
“Did you just say vampires?” He nodded.
“Yes, but we shouldn’t speak about it here. Can I come with you?” He pouted his lips at her and she sighed heavily, feeling exhausted again.
“Fine. Just to get my car and then you’re gone. Hear me?” He nodded eagerly, smiling the same way he had been the other day. Like a lovesick puppy. And she has no idea why. “You have to tell me what happened the other night too. In detail. So hurry up. It’s only a ten minute walk.”
He agreed and they started down the street to the auto shop. He tried to grab her hand and she snatched hers away, shooting him a look.
“So, vampires are real.” He mentioned it casually, shrugging it off like it was nothing. She was a bit confused because she never really thought about it. But she’s not sure that Harry is sane in the first place. And she’s not too convinced of anything he has to say.
“Seriously. I know of a few therapists you can go to.” He chuckled, knocking his shoulder into hers. It looked gentle when he did it, but she almost bumped into the brick wall of the building they just walked by. She glared again, fixing her hair to sit back neatly on her shoulders.
“They’re real. I am one.”
“And I suppose that’s why you were biting me on the neck the other night?”
“Yes. You’re so smart, human girl. I knew that you would take this well.” His shoulder bumped hers again, causing her to stumble over her feet.
“Okay. Stop fucking doing that,” She rolled her eyes. “And how exactly are you going to prove that to me? I don’t believe you.”
“That is a valid concern. Come here,” He grabbed her arm, dragging her down another alley that they were just about to pass. He took her all the way to the end before she could even blink. He had her backed up to the wall again. She watched as he showed off seemingly his now elongated teeth. He wasn’t as scary looking as he thought he was. He hurried to cover his mouth and apologize. “I know that must have been so traumatizing, human girl. Please, no crying. It makes me sad.”
“I still don’t believe you.” His shoulders dropped and he huffed, like he was almost annoyed with her.
“What more do you want? I’ve told you the truth. That is what I am.” She squinted at him before pulling the compact mirror from her purse. She knows most of the myths surrounding vampires just because they’re used a lot in books and movies. So she’s not unfamiliar with what a vampire is supposed to be. So far, Harry checks none of the boxes. Besides his teeth maybe.
She turned the mirror towards him and he just stared at her. She stepped to stand beside him. In the small mirror, she could see herself, but Harry was nowhere to be seen. Like he wasn’t standing right beside her. She almost considered herself crazy for a moment, but knew that not even her mind could make this shit up.
“That is so weird,” She poked his cheek, watching in the mirror as she touched nothing, but feeling her finger sink into his soft cheek. She turned to him, slipping the mirror into her purse. “Okay. I believe you.”
“Thank you,” He sighed, seeming relieved. “Will you love me now?”
She laughed, watching as the expression on his face dampened. And now she feels a little bad because he does give off a loner vibe. Based on what he said, his “friends” aren’t much of friends.
“I’m sorry, Harry, but I don’t think it’s going to work out. I barely know you—”
“Get to know me then! We’re mates, human girl. Whether you want to believe that part or not. But you are mine.” She tsked, looking him over. He looked incredibly devastated by her rejection, but she expected that. He’s very dramatic, she realized.
“Okay,” She trailed off, not knowing what to say next. “How about you get me out of this alley and take me to get my car and we can figure this out.” She’s willing to give him a chance because he’s harmless. Despite what he is and what he supposedly does. He spared her, that must mean something.
“Oh, thank you for giving me a chance! Free will would disappear eventually and you’d be mine anyway, but it’s nice that you’re here now and not waiting until the bond forces you to be.” (Y/N) didn’t even bother trying to understand what he was saying. She figures he’s just talking, so she lets it go.
“So, you kill people?” Harry looked pale at the thought of it, immediately shaking his head.
“No, no, no. Not by choice. They make me.” He looked very upset about it, but didn’t offer much of an explanation, so she had to keep digging.
“Who are they? Are you scared of them?”
“No,” He answered quickly. “Well, you see, human girl. Vampires have expectations they are meant to meet. We’re supposed to feed from the source. Humans are less than important in our world. Only for food. So, they are very careless when dealing with them. I’m not very interested in harming humans. They’ve done nothing to me, but the elders disagree with that.”
“So, you pretend to kill people instead to please them?”
“Yes. It takes a lot of practice to get it right. You did a stellar job by the way,” He nudged her shoulder much softer than he had been before. “My friends, or the others that are meant to keep me on track, force me to go out at night and find unsuspecting people to kill. But the thought of…I can’t even say it, human girl. I’ll be sick.”
“That’s fucked. If you don’t want to kill them, how do you eat?” (Y/N) is not even sure how she’s participating in this conversation. He’s just told her something groundbreaking. People would be so interested to know that vampires really do exist. But who does she have to tell anyway?
“I have another friend. He works in the hospital’s blood bank. I prefer it chilled, to be completely honest.” He said it so casually, like he wasn’t talking about drinking blood. It’s hard to wrap her mind around, but she’s trying her best.
“I’d like to see that.” The ultimate test to see if he really is a vampire. If he can stomach a bag full of blood, she’ll never doubt him again.
“It’s not pretty. Unlike you. You are so, so, so pretty. I love you.” He tried to nuzzle his face into her neck and she stopped him with her hand to his chest.
“Uh, you’re not getting that close to me, mister. I know all the tricks.” He frowned.
“I’d never hurt you. You’re my mate!”
(Y/N) noticed that they were getting close to the auto shop and she doesn’t want anyone to hear a word of their conversation. It would just be so weird to overhear and she does not want to have to explain this or Harry to anyone. She passed him the flowers.
“Stay here. I’m going to get my car and then we can talk more.” She’s so interested to hear whatever he has to say. So, she’ll take him wherever he wants to go and get all the information she needs and then just drop him off somewhere. She knows he’ll be back, but she needs to get some rest, so she hopes she can get him to hold off until tomorrow.
She went into the garage and as soon as her mechanic saw her, he was hugging her and saying hello. She’s known him since high school, that’s how she was able to get a deal on fixing her car. He’s always been super nice and her go-to mechanic.
There wasn’t much conversation, she just paid the rest of the total for the spark plug replacement and Rick handed her the keys. She walked out of the garage and into the lot, seeing Harry still standing there, pouting at her like he was heartbroken.
“Is that why you will not love me?” Sometimes (Y/N) doesn’t even want to bother with asking him what he means. But she will anyway just because he looks so upset.
“What’s wrong with you now?” She passed him, walking towards her car and he followed directly after her.
“That man had his hands all over you. Is he what is standing between us?” His hand caught her arm and he turned her toward him. “I can take care of him. I know people.”
She laughed, gently pulling her arm from him and unlocking her car. She’s not sure why Harry thinks they’re supposed to be together. She barely knows him. She’s going to chalk it up to something that vampires just do. Harry is very intense. And his friends seem to be too. Maybe it’s just a vampire thing.
“Would you quit pouting and get in the car already? I’m not done asking questions.” She opened her car door and sat inside, watching as he rushed to the other side and buckled himself in.
“I’m hungry.”
(Y/N) froze in place and looked at him.
“Don’t fucking say that. What do you mean by that?” She immediately covered both sides of her neck and leaned away from him. She knows that he says he’s not interested in taking blood from people, but she really doesn’t know if he means that.
“Please, (Y/N). I’m not going to come near you. I have some bags at home.” He shrugged it off, pulling down the visor mirror and looking himself over. She reached across and pushed the visor back up.
“You can’t even see yourself.”
“I’m trying to blend in!”
“I have questions, Harry! Start paying attention before I leave you on the side of the road somewhere.” That was the plan, but after she got all the answers to her questions.
“I am paying attention.” He reached over to set his hand on her thigh and she pushed his arm away.
“Where is home for you exactly?”
“All of us live together. It’s a big house outside of town.
It’s very nice. You would like it.” He started turning the knobs on her radio and pressing buttons, but she just let him be. Apparently he’s never seen a car radio before.
“How many of you are there?” He stopped what he was doing to think for a second.
“We’re not supposed to say.”
(Y/N) is giving him a look now. He told her all the rest of his secrets, but he wants to keep this one? Never mind that there are vampires out and about, but he can’t tell her how many. That would just turn the world upside down. But she won’t push him. Maybe it’s better that she doesn’t know.
“Interesting.”
“We’re not the only ones, but that’s all I can say.” He made the motion of zipping his lips which made her scoff. She’s sure that him telling her what he is is plenty to get him in trouble in the first place.
“Fine. I’m not sure that I have any more questions. It might be time for you to go, friend.” He turned to her with his jaw dropped, like he couldn’t believe she said that.
“We’re…friends?”
“As long as you promise not to kill me.” He put his hand up and wiggled his pinky finger.
“Promise.” Only to entertain him did she lock fingers with him. Again, she felt the same feeling as before. It wasn’t as shocking as the first time, but by the look on his face, he felt it too.
“Okay. Get out.”
“But, no,” He frowned. “I didn’t tell you what happened when I got back home yesterday.” (Y/N) thinks that he will just keep thinking of things to tell her so she can never drop him off. He’ll probably get so desperate and end up telling her all the things he knows he shouldn’t say. And she could put up with that.
“What happened then?” She sighed. It better not involve her in any way or Harry is going to be in so much trouble. She’s not sure what she’s going to do to him, but it won’t be pretty.
“Well, we’ve made pretty good progress the past couple of days and they smelled you on me. And I couldn’t exactly tell them that I’m in love with you. Not yet at least. Everyone will know after I shout it from every rooftop in the city—”
“Please get on with it.” She cut him off.
“Right. Sorry. But I had to tell them that you’re my pet instead.” He smiled like it was something to be excited about. Again, (Y/N) has no idea what the implications behind that are, but if he looks happy about it, she probably shouldn’t be.
“Harry. What does that mean?” It doesn’t sound like anything she wants to participate in and she just knows he got her into some shit.
“Well, as I’ve been saying for the past two days, we were supposed to meet each other. If you couldn’t already feel the connection we have, it is very telling. Normally, it’s two vampires that bond, but bonding with a human has happened before. But they don’t know that we’re in love, so they think I’m only keeping you around to feed off of.”
“I wish you’d stop bringing me up to your creepy friends. It’s not cool.” She found an empty spot near the curb and put her car in park. They’d started in the direction of her apartment, but again, she’s not letting him go anywhere close to it.
“It’s okay, human girl. Just until I tell them about us. They do want to meet you, so that will have to happen soon—”
“Get out.”
“I hadn’t finished—”
“Get out of my car right now, Harry.” She didn’t bother with looking at him. He’d only be pouting at her as he begged her to let him stay.
“Please, take me home with you. I’ll be good! I won’t bother you.”
“You’re already bothering me.”
“But I love you.”
“I know. You’ve said it several times. I’ll see you around.” He sighed, unbuckling his seatbelt and pushing his door open. She knew that he wouldn’t leave without saying one last thing to her. He is certainly one for dramatics.
“I love you more than the air in my lungs—”
“Aren’t you dead?”
“It’s a figure of speech!” He rubbed his hands down his face. “Fine. I will leave, but I’ll be back.”
As soon as he shut the car door, she pulled away from the curb, leaving him standing on the sidewalk. He’s so weird. And she can’t believe he’s gotten her into another mess.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
(Y/N) was surprised when she got off work the next day that Harry wasn’t there to greet her at the door. He wasn’t at her car or lingering around any corners. He was nowhere. Which was very strange to her. But she went through her day like normal, trying not to think too much about him. Because he’d been bothering her for days now and she should be glad that he’s MIA today. She thought he would be glad about it, but her mind was constantly thinking of him. She’s sure that he did something to make her this way because she’s never thought about anyone this much.
She made it all the way home and inside with no interruptions. It’s only been a couple days, but she’s come to expect him to show up and profess his love for her. Maybe he finally got the hint.
That was until the next day.
She was getting ready for her shift at the restaurant when her door was knocked on. Again, she doesn’t get many visitors, unexpected visitors anyway. When she opened the door, she was fully expecting Harry to be standing there and he was. In his usual trench coat and sunglasses.
“Missed you.” He’s chewing gum for some reason and for the first time, (Y/N) was able to appreciate just how attractive he is. He always has been, but all the other times she saw him, it was dark or he was pissing her off. Right now, all she can think about is how sharp his jaw is and how soft his lips look. Which came way out of left field because she doesn’t think that way about anyone. But Harry seems to be the exception in every case.
“What the fuck do you want?”
“I came by to visit. It’s been too long, my love.” She blinked at him a few times and turned her back to him so she could go back to getting ready. She only has about fifteen minutes until she has to be on her way to work. In her refrigerator, she found a yogurt cup that she was going to snack on before leaving.
She got comfortable on her couch and watched as Harry just stood there in the doorway unmoving. She didn’t want to bring it up, but she couldn't stand him just staring at her.
“What are you doing?”
“Waiting until you invite me in.”
“What?”
“You have to invite a vampire inside a home. They can’t just come in.”
(Y/N) was all ready to just tell him to stop being ridiculous and come in when she thought of something. She could really use this to her advantage.
“Isn’t this just swell then? I can sit here and relax and you can’t get near me.” She kicked her feet up on her coffee table and watched as his face fell.
“But you want me to come in. Because you love me and want to be around me,” She hummed as if she was thinking it over and he started panicking. “Please! Let me in, human girl. I can’t bear to be away from you!”
He was pressing against some invisible force in the doorway. Like a pane of glass sat between him and her apartment, not allowing him to enter. But (Y/N) was going to be nice to him and allow him in anyway.
“Come in then.” He was sitting beside her before she could finish her sentence with his arms wrapped around her shoulders and his head resting on hers. It’s the most he’s ever touched her before and even though it did make her feel warm inside, she was pushing him away.
“Where were you yesterday?” He didn’t answer right away, but moved closer to her so that she was squished between him and the arm of the couch. But she let it go.
“I was…busy.” He shrugged, not being able to look at her. She knew that he was lying right away. She’s just not sure what he has to gain from lying in the first place.
“Doing what?”
“I can’t share that information—”
“Then get out.” His jaw dropped and another devastated look crossed his face.
“No.”
“Then be honest.” She jabbed him with her elbow in the ribs so he’d give her a little space, but he didn’t react to it at all, like he didn’t feel it. He sighed as if whatever it was was going to be hard to hear, but (Y/N) knows how he is already and most times, it’s nothing to worry over.
“I was here.”
“What the fuck. How?” (Y/N) is not sure how he would’ve been in her apartment if he couldn’t get in the door five minutes ago, but if it’s what she’s thinking it is, she might just have to kill him.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I was outside your window.” She took a second to process that. He did look like he was bracing himself for her reaction, but she honestly doesn’t understand what he just said. She’s on the third floor. How the fuck was he outside of her window with no one noticing him?
“You might want to elaborate a bit before I make you leave for good, Harry.”
“Okay, okay. I’m not like this all the time.” He has such a roundabout way of explaining things that it really kind of makes her want to hit him. She wonders for a second if the myths about garlic and crosses are real because those might be helpful.
“Okay. Then what are you like?” Her patience is wearing thin and she’s not trying to hide it. If Harry was peeking in her window last night, she might just have to kill him. Not that she was doing anything that he might enjoy watching, but still. She didn’t think she had to be constantly aware that someone might be watching her.
“Well. As you’ve probably heard, vampires can also shift into bats—”
“Guess what, Harry? I have to be at work. Let’s save this conversation for later.” That was just a little too much for her to hear. Sure, he can claim that he’s a vampire all he wants, but she hasn’t seen any hard evidence of it so far. So what he didn’t appear in the mirror. What does that really mean? That’s all the proof she has of him being a vampire and this is suddenly getting all too real.
“Did that scare you? I never wanted to scare you. I won’t do it again.” (Y/N) considers letting him down easy. Telling him right now to leave her alone and never come back, but she knows by his expression that he would be completely ruined if she said that. She just doesn’t know why she cares so much.
“It’s okay, Harry. I just don’t have time for this right now,” With her bag over her shoulder, she went to the door, hesitating for a second, watching him still sat on her couch with his eyebrows furrowed. “You can stay here though. I’ll be back soon. Just stay right there.” She gave him no time to respond, she just shut the door behind her and hurried down to her car. She’ll be late for work, but no one will care anyway. She’s been there long enough.
Work felt endless. All she was doing was thinking about Harry and what he could possibly be doing in her apartment. She wonders if he left because she didn’t respond the way he wanted her to. She did seem like she got scared a little and she did, but she didn’t want him to feel bad because of it.
Even her coworkers were asking if she was okay. And she was, she just had a lot on her mind and was out of it. All she wanted to do was go home.
When the time finally did come, she left as soon as she could. Maybe she shouldn’t have left Harry in her apartment alone, especially for the first time, but she wasn’t all that concerned. She unlocked her door and found Harry sitting exactly where she left him. Same position, same expression, nothing had changed. He didn’t say anything when she walked in.
“Harry?” She dropped her bag and went to sit next to him. Immediately, she was filled with relief and she’s not sure why. She just felt better being next to him and it was such a strange thing because she’s never felt it before. “Are you okay?”
“No. They’re coming here.”
“Who’s coming here?” (Y/N) really hates unexpected visitors and she can tell that whoever comes through her door next is going to piss her off.
“My friends. They want to meet you.”
“What the hell, Harry? You expect me to be calm in a room full of vampires? According to you, they kill people and don’t give a fuck. What am I supposed to do?” (Y/N) is definitely nervous now. She knows without meeting them that they are nowhere near as nice as Harry is.
“You’ll be fine. Change your clothes and come back here right away. They’ll be here in a few minutes and we have to prepare ourselves.” She’s not sure what that means, but she just did as he said. She’s assuming that if they meet her and don’t like her, that they’ll take care of her pretty quickly. So, she changed and tried to calm herself as she walked back out to her living room. Harry was still seated, looking deep in thought.
“Harry. Can you please stop looking so zoned out and help me out here? I don’t know what to do when they get here,” She plopped down next to him again and started tapping his shoulder. Again, he looked like he was far off somewhere and not hearing a word she was saying. “Hello? If you get me killed, I swear—”
“I’m going to have to bite you, human girl.” Everything in her froze. Sure, she’d entertained the idea once or twice, just thinking of worst case scenarios, but she never thought that it would actually happen. Harry wouldn’t hurt a fly and she knows that very well based on being around him just a short time. He’s not that type of person. Or whatever the fuck he is.
“Excuse me—”
“If there aren’t any bites on you, they’ll assume that I’m lying and have us both killed. I have to bite you at least once.” Now her mind is spinning. She doesn’t even know what biting her would entail. It probably hurts like hell and she’s just not into that right now.
“Harry, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do that. Just tell them I left or something.” She was just about to get up from the couch and get her shoes on to leave when he grabbed ahold of her wrist, stopping her from doing any of that.
“It’s too late. They’re too close. They know your scent and they’d find you anyway. Believe me, I don’t want to do it any more than you do.” He looked more pale than usual, she noticed and then she remembered that he’s not too fond of taking blood from humans. There weren't too many other options she could think of, so she just sighed and sat down next to him again.
“Fine. Do it.” She pushed her hair to the side and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Human girl. I don’t think you get it. I can’t.”
“You’re going to have to! Come on.” She moved closer to him, baring her neck to him, but he just kept his eyes closed.
“I’m going to throw up.” She scoffed, swatting at his arm.
“Am I that disgusting?”
“No. You’re quite lovely, I just feel a little sick.”
“Bite me.”
“What if it hurts?”
“Who cares? Do it.” (Y/N) never thought she’d be practically begging him to bite her, but she wasn’t even thinking twice about vampires a few days ago. Anything is possible. But she’s fed up with his refusal, especially if her life is on the line. So, she straddled his lap and set her hands on his shoulders.
“What are you doing?” His eyes are still closed, but his hands set on her waist as soon as she got comfortable. And she didn’t find herself minding it at all. While his skin is cold to touch, his hands felt warm against hers. She felt tingly inside again, just like every other time he’s touched her.
“Stop being weird and get it over with.”
“They’re so close, but I can’t.”
“I’m not arguing with you anymore, bite me.” He exhaled heavily, like he was out of breath and leaned into her neck, finally, making her tense. And then he gagged.
“Human girl, I’m going to be sick!” He whined, hiding his face away in her neck. She rolled her eyes and pushed his back so she could put her hands on both sides of his face. And then she pouted at him.
“You’re going to let them kill me? I thought you loved me.” She knew it was low, considering she didn’t exactly feel the same, but if her life is on the line, she’ll do anything.
“Human girl. How could you say that? I love you so much, I tell you every single day. But I don’t know—”
“Never mind then. You won’t do it,” She dropped her hands from his face and crossed her arms. “Pussy.” She muttered, knowing that he would hear it anyway.
“Hey! I am not—”
“Yes you are. You won’t bite me. You’re a pussy.”
“Why are you so mean? Fine. But if it hurts you can’t be mad at me. I didn’t want it to come to this.” He leaned into her again and she braced herself, not knowing what to expect. But she’s certain it’ll hurt.
He pressed his mouth to his mouth to the space between her shoulder and neck before sinking his teeth right in. She winced because the pain was indescribable. Her hands gripped onto his shoulders and felt tears rush to her eyes.
“Harry,” She gasped out his name, wanting to tell him to stop, but then another feeling overtook her altogether. It was like where he was biting her went numb and her entire body was covered in that same buzzing, tingling feeling she got whenever he touched her. She leaned into him further, her eyes drooping closed. “Harry. That feels…”
Her sentence was never finished because he pulled off of her and her face planted right against his chest.
“Did I kill you? Oh, god. I killed you. I’ve never drank from a human without killing them. Human girl, please wake up. I can’t lose you.”
(Y/N) felt so tired. But so good. She didn’t know that him biting her would be that painful and then transition to something else entirely. She couldn’t move for a second. But when she finally did lift her head from his chest, he was halfway to tears, carrying on about something that she couldn’t understand at the moment.
“Harry. That was so good.” She nuzzled her face into his neck and held onto him tightly. The spot where he bit her felt a little tender when she moved her head, but it didn’t bother her too much. It was too nice just sitting so close to him.
“It was good? Are you kidding me?” She felt around for one of his free hands and grabbed it, lifting it to her hair, where he promptly started petting her. And she didn’t even mind. “Are you okay?”
“I’m so okay.”
“Well, they’re here.” Her door was knocked on and she sighed dreamily, suddenly getting the urge to sleep.
“Come in!” She called, shutting her eyes. She heard the door open and didn’t even flinch.
“Hiii, guys.” She heard him say, but didn’t bother looking up. She doesn’t think they want to talk to her anyway. They hate humans and will only see her as food, so she doubts she could say anything they’d want to hear.
“Harry.” But at the same time, she’s nosy. She squinted her eyes open and saw three guys standing just beyond the threshold of the door. They looked like they were from another time and spoke the same way. She can’t believe that Harry is the most normal looking one.
“This is, uh, my human.” She almost laughed because he still doesn’t know her name. And he still hasn’t asked either. But she figured now might not be the best time to laugh. His friends seem very unamused about the entire thing. Harry made it seem like being his ‘pet’ was something normal that a lot of vampires did, but they don’t seem too excited about it.
“And this is the one you chose?” (Y/N) thinks that she should be offended by that, but she couldn’t move at the moment. Her limbs feel numb but in the best way. Whatever is in Harry’s bite made her relax a great deal. She was worried about three additional vampires being in her space, but now she could not care less.
“She’s perfect. Look how good she is.” In any other circumstance, she’d be a lot more talkative than she is, but she doesn’t even know what she wants to say. What do you say? She pinched the inside of Harry’s arm, making him flinch. She quite enjoyed his reaction, so she kept up on it. Whenever they’d ask a question, she’d pinch him. It was very entertaining in such a serious atmosphere. She can’t wait until they leave so she can laugh.
There was nothing in their interrogation that concerned her. They just asked Harry basic questions like how often he fed from her and of course, he lied, making (Y/N) pinch him again. He’s so nervous he kept stuttering and all she could do was sit back and enjoy it.
(Y/N)’s mind was so out of it that when they mentioned bringing her to one of their parties, she didn’t even bat an eye. She didn’t even hear Harry’s response, but when the door shut behind the three ancient looking vampires that she didn’t catch the name of, Harry was lifting her clear off of his lap and glaring at her with no explanation.
“Excuse me, what is that look for?” Rubbing over his eyes in what appeared to be frustration, he didn’t answer her. So, she huffed and reached over one last time to pinch his arm.
“Do you mind, human girl? You’ve upset me.”
“How did I upset you? I thought we were blood buddies!” She nudged him with her elbow and all he did was sigh and stand abruptly from the couch.
“I’ll return tomorrow. That’s when the party is. I can bring you something to wear if that is what you want.” He started for the door and she pouted at his back, still feeling a bit out of it from the bite on her neck.
“Are you mad at me?”
“No, human girl. I could never be mad at you.” He didn’t even turn when he said that, leaving her unconvinced.
“Does my blood taste that bad?” It really didn’t bother her either way, but she really wanted to know from his standpoint what it was like. She can’t picture enjoying blood, but Harry probably does have his preferences.
He was next to her again in a flash, reaching for her chin with his hand and taking a hold of her jaw.
“It is already hard enough to smell you all day, my love, but tasting you was absolutely divine. I will see you tomorrow.” She briefly felt his lips skim her cheek and then he was gone, with only the sound of the door shutting as evidence that he was there in the first place.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
It was nearing five thirty in the evening and Harry still hadn’t shown up. She wasn’t nervous, but she did get off work and hurry home, hoping that he would be there and he just wasn’t. Which is fine.
She didn’t have to go through much trouble covering the mark on her neck. It was a little sore, but not terrible and her shirt covered it nicely. But back to Harry. She has no idea where the fuck he is and she’s sure that this party starts soon. And she can’t begin to get ready yet because she doesn’t know what she’s wearing.
So, she’s on her couch, watching mindless tv, waiting for him to show up. But she’s getting very impatient as the minutes pass and she doesn’t know why.
Then, finally. There was a knock on her door.
She rushed to open it and as soon as her eyes landed on Harry, she was in his arms and hugging him tightly.
(Y/N) is not sure what came over her, but it was almost instinctual. She didn’t know she was going to do it until she did it. And all Harry did was hold her back just as tight.
“Human girl. You’re so warm and you smell so good.” She almost smiled but managed to keep it down.
“Where the hell have you been? We’re going to be late to your stupid party.” She pulled away, hitting his chest like she was mad. But she wasn’t. For some reason, a part of her was almost glad that he was here now. And she really doesn’t know why.
“I was sleeping. Your dress is in your closet, I thought I told you that.” He shut her apartment door behind him and dragged her to her room by her wrist. The dress was hanging in a garment bag right in her closet when he opened the door. And she’s unsure how it got there because he never told her anything other than he was getting her a dress. But now there’s one in her closet that has apparently been there for a while.
“When did you tell me that?”
“Last night.”
“You left last night after telling me that you wanted to eat me.”
“I did not say I wanted to eat you, human girl,” He pulled the dress from the closet and held it out to her. “But I wouldn’t mind it.” And he winked, cluing her in on just what he meant. Rolling her eyes, she snatched the hanger from him and went into her bathroom. She’s going to need a shower before she can do anything else. Just as she was going to shut the door behind her, Harry was right there, sending her a pleading look.
“You are not coming in here.”
“But I missed you so much. I barely remember coming here last night and watching you sleep, it’s been so long.” He said that like it wouldn’t make her want to hit him. She wasn’t going to, but she wanted to.
“You watch me sleep now?”
“Yes. Do you want to know how many times you breathed?”
“Not really, Edward Cullen, but thank you for the dress.”
“Who?” He looked genuinely confused at her reference because of course he would be.
“How old are you? I bet you’re fucking ancient.”
“Two hundred and four, actually. I’m quite young.” He seemed proud of the number, but (Y/N) doesn’t really know what that means.
“That’s young? Seems pretty old to me.” He squeezed through the door that she kept trying to shut on him and sat on the counter in front of the mirror.
“It’s young! It’s the new one hundred.”
(Y/N) crossed her arms, not impressed by him trying to change the subject just so he could come into the bathroom with her. She doesn’t really mind it, but she can’t let him know that. Not yet anyway.
“I have to shower Harry.”
“I’m aware, my love. I’ll wait here.” He smiled, kicking his legs and settling back against the mirror.
“Fine. Wait there then.” She knows that he has no idea what he’s getting himself into. But he did as soon as she tossed her shirt in the hamper in the corner and reached to start the shower.
“What are you doing?”
“Showering? Ever heard of it?”
“Well, yes. But I…” He trailed off and she guesses it was because she ditched her pajama pants and was now only in her panties. Her arms were crossed, obstructing his view of the entirety of her, but he might as well have been drooling anyway.
His eyes were trailing all over her newly exposed skin and she could tell that his eyes had gone dark just by the sight of her. Deep down, she’s hoping he bites her again because to feel like she felt last time would send her over the edge.
“You what?” (Y/N) tried with everything in her not to smirk at him but it was hard. His laid back demeanor was gone and replaced by something much more serious. And it was making her stomach swirl in the most delightful way.
“I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into, human girl.”
This is a line they’ve never crossed before. Sure, he’s been professing his love for her for a few days now, but she never even thought about taking it further. But she knows a few things for certain.
She feels this undeniable pull towards Harry even though she barely knows him. And she doesn’t know what it is right now, but she’s not worried about it. All she wants to do is feel his hands all over her again just like the day before.
“My name is (Y/N), Harry.”
“Oh, I know. I looked through your mail.”
“What—”
Before she could scold him for rifling through her mail, he was behind her, trailing one of his hands down her neck and over her shoulder. He was pressed flush against her back and she felt so warm all of a sudden.
“You feel so good.” He reached for her arms and pulled them down by her sides, exposing her bare chest to him in the mirror. When she looked in the mirror, it was just her. Like Harry wasn’t there at all.
“Bite me.” (Y/N) never thought that she would be begging for something like that, but she wants more than anything to feel it again.
“Are you sure?” She felt him brush her hair back over her shoulder, leaving her neck open for him. She was once again overtaken by a buzzing feeling.
“Please.”
He didn’t wait any longer to sink his teeth into her shoulder, causing her to wince in pain just like last time. Except, that didn’t continue for much longer. Instead, she was consumed by that same feeling of euphoria. Now that she was weak in the knees, she was completely leaning on him, lost in the feeling that was now encompassing her whole body.
All of a sudden, he stopped, pulling away from her shoulder to lick over the wound that he left behind.
“Can I feel you? Know you want me to, I can smell it.”
And how could (Y/N) refuse? She didn’t know that him biting her would have that effect on her, but she knew exactly what he was talking about. She kind of figured he had a good sense of smell and her panties were soaked through by now. It was like she couldn’t control it. Anytime she even thought about him biting her, it was like she couldn’t focus on anything else. And she’s thought about it a lot since yesterday.
“Just hurry up.” But she still hadn’t lost her impatience with him taking his time when he knew good and well she was struggling.
She felt his hand glide down her stomach to the top of her panties. Her hand gripped his wrist as soon as he slipped his hand down to rub over her.
“You’re so wet—”
“Can you even find the clit, Harry? Please, we don’t have all day.”
Since meeting Harry, (Y/N) has sure underestimated him. Because as soon as his thumb skimmed over her clit, her eyes were rolling in the back of her head. His other hand descended into her underwear and two of his fingers thrust inside of her, still circling the thumb of his other hand around her now pulsing clit. Because she was so close and he hadn’t done much. He bit her and then started touching her. She has to blame it on him biting her.
In the mirror, since Harry was invisible, all (Y/N) could see was herself, in undeniable pleasure. Writhing in his arms that she couldn’t even fucking see and moaning his name like it was the only thing she knew. It didn’t matter if she could see him or not because she could feel every little thing he was doing to her.
“There it is, I know you’re close.”
Harry has exceeded all of her expectations. He’s very different in this situation than he has been in any other since meeting him. So it came as a big surprise that he was able to work her up so quickly and get her to the edge of an orgasm. And as she was warning him through heaving breaths that she was going to cum, she could feel him smirking against her shoulder.
When she came, it was one of the most intense things she has ever felt. Besides whenever she manages to brush Harry’s hand or he touches her in any way. It’s all electric and she cannot get enough of the feeling.
“I hate you.” She whined, almost sad that he was taking his hands off of her. But now that she can barely stand on her own, she had to lean against the counter top to try and regain her footing enough to get in the shower. And then go to a party full of vampires on top of that. (Y/N) doesn’t know what she just got herself into. But all she knows is that whatever Harry has gotten her into is going to be a wild fucking ride. And he doesn’t even seem to mind.
He pressed his mouth over the mark he left on her neck yesterday and she flinched, feeling the same sensation as she always does when he gets within a foot of her. She can’t even think about doing anything other than standing right here and trying to think through every choice she’s ever made in her life that’s got her to this point. And she can’t think of a single one of those choices that she regrets.
“We’re leaving in thirty minutes. You might want to hurry up, (Y/N).”
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
this is just a silly one lol but i hope you enjoyed it!! i meant to have this done days ago and it’s so late but i’ve been so out of it idk what’s wrong ☹️ i’ll have more for you soon but i did just start a new job today which is so 😫 i'm tired
hiiiiiiii! i am currently tip tapping away at the third and final part of professor h. i just wanted to give you all an update. hopefully i can write 14k words and get it out tonight, and then i'm on to vampire h! let me know what you wanna see in vampirerry!
ok but imagine vampy laying on y/n's chest on the couch when the fang gang is over ( cus she guilt tripped him ) and he starts falling asleep cuz shes running her fingers through his hair and whispering in his ear in a soft voice and then the next day the gang just calls him a softy for an hour...
no because like it’s the way he would be self conscious for 0.01 seconds until her hand drifts down his back and begins to just scratch and rub along his spine softly and it feels so soothing but also electric. and he’s suddenly so tired??? more tired than he’s been in months??? and he knows niall is going to give him so much shit the next day but he doesn’t care because y/n’s fingers have drifted into his hair and they’re playing with his curls and scratching his scalp and it feels so fucking good and the next thing he knows three hours have passed and the fang gang is gone, and y/n is reading but holding her book with only one hand, and her other hand is still gently scratching his scalp, and he takes one minute to look at her and lock how she looks in this moment into his memory before closing his eyes again
The Honourable Judge Styles has a dark secret. He prides himself on being notorious for his cutthroat sense of justice. But is he really any better than the ones he imprisons? Or is he a victim much like the ones he acquits?
Put a price on emotion - Masterlist, Author’s Notes & Warnings
Prologue (important part to the story so please make sure you read the prologue first!) / alternatively, read on wattpad
Chapter 1 (word count: 3.5k)
Harry knew this was one of the last cases he’d be presiding in Chicago. He never stayed in one place for more than 2-3 years at a time. Sure the paperwork was gruelling but he preferred it over having to be stuck in the same place for too long.
He also couldn’t stay, even if he wanted to. It was only that long until people started figuring out that this judge wasn’t exactly… ageing.
So every decade or so, Harry had to not only switch states/ countries (that he did every few years), but take up a whole new identity, from scratch. He’d build a stellar career from scratch. He’d done it, time and again. Luckily, he knew how to work the ropes to make it seamless. But it was tiresome, for sure. He’d always kept his given name, switching up his surname. The bar exam was child’s play at this point.
He wondered how long till he’d grow tired of this, too. Before being a judge, he’d been a crime investigator. That had lasted for well over 50 years. He was getting close to that number again, presiding over cases.
He didn’t know if he’d pick it up again after Chicago, or if it was time to switch it up again. He’d decided to take a bit of time off to see where “life” took him next.
He mulled over all of this back in his chambers, after he’d removed his cloak and lit up a cigarette. Nasty habit, to be sure, but since he couldn’t exactly develop lung cancer he figured, what’s the harm?
He’d taken a lover once that really didn’t like the smell- but she found it incredibly hot when he smoked, and with her out of the picture there really wasn’t any reason not to indulge from time to time. He of course couldn’t develop an addiction to nicotine, either.
What he did have an addiction for, to his dismay, was blood. He could go for a long time without it nowadays, but still he needed to get his fill soon, he could feel it.
Usually, if he was really busy, he’d resort to blood bags. Ever the walking cliche, he had a friend working in a hospital that provided him with the necessary amount should he need it.
But that was a last resort kind of situation. Because as much as Harry disliked most of what being a vampire entailed, he did enjoy the thrill, the chase, the very laborious ritual of preying on his next victim, seducing them and then having them succumb to his charm.
Because, yes, Harry seduced his victims. He didn’t like calling them that, but he supposed it was a morally grey area that he’d needed to make amends with early on in his “existence”. He’d battled with feelings of guilt for the longest time, but he came to realize that the only person he was hurting in doing so was himself.
His victims were never aware of what he was using them for. He’d feed from them without them ever knowing. Sometimes these victims were one night stands, sometimes they were lovers like the woman who lowkey liked his smoking.
But he never got serious with anyone, for obvious reasons. Just because his heart wasn’t beating anymore didn’t mean he didn’t have one still.
And if he was being honest with himself, nobody really did it for him anymore. He could see things much more clearly as a vampire, could see things for what they were, and most of the time, things just weren’t that great up close as they appeared to be from a distance. He grew tired of his lovers, bored even, and he knew it was unfair to them, but he had so much more life experience, so much more wisdom and emotional maturity that it made it hard finding someone that would intrigue him anymore. How could he ever expect someone with a few decades under their belt to ever match up to his centuries?
Thankfully, that didn’t really get in the way of his sex life. Because that, he could never tire of. Centuries of experience didn’t dampen his libido, if anything, it kept fueling it.
Harry enjoyed being good at what he did. Be it in the courtroom, or the bedroom. He also enjoyed being in charge. Notice a pattern, there?
He didn’t feed from all his sexual partners. He always saved it for particularly enticing lovers, nowadays. Because he always drank from them in the throes of climax, after he’d made them come over and over again, he’d finally give in and absolutely loved combining his delayed release with the sweet nectar his partners provided him, particularly after flooding their bloodline with endorphins. It was the biggest high.
He sighed, returning to his notes he’d taken that afternoon, thinking to himself he’d probably have to resort to his friend at the hospital this time around. He just hadn’t found anyone… biteable, as of late.
He wasn’t the kind of vampire to just feed off of anyone, he wasn’t a brute, after all. He had his standards.
But his ability to stay focused was starting to decline. He knew the telltale signs all too well by now. He needed to feed in order to operate at a functional level, ideally at an efficient level.
The way he had to make a conscious effort to focus on the notes and not let his mind wander off was quite telling. He kept thinking about the young woman, and how he was worried she’d sabotage her own case with her apparent dismissal of her attorney’s advice.
It was a simple case of self defence. If she played her cards right, she’d make it easy for him to issue the verdict in her favour.
But why did he have a feeling it wasn’t going to be that easy?
Even if he was planning on going under the radar soon, he still couldn’t issue a verdict that would be, at least apparently, unjust. And if she didn’t heed her attorney’s advice, it just might be the case.
He decided to call it a day and head home. He’d see what he could make of it all after the next hearing, when the young woman would testify and also some eye witnesses would take the stand.
He did stop by a bar he frequented on the way. Just on the off chance someone caught his eye. No luck, though.
He decided to give it a few more days before he called his friend at the hospital. He could muster through, he knew he could.
Or was it that he tricked himself into thinking he could? Was it maybe that he’d had his eye on someone all along, and therefore automatically excluded all the other possibilities?
And maybe it was deeper than that? Maybe he should’ve paid more heed to what others have always warned him of? Sometimes it wasn’t as simple as it seemed.
Sometimes bonds were formed.
*
“Defense counsel, you may present your case.”
The young woman’s attorney nodded to the judge. “I call Grace Gwyneth Cohen to the stand.”
Grace walked to the witness stand and the bailiff approached her as she was about to be seated. “Raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
“I do.”
“State your name.”
“Grace Gwyneth Cohen.”
“Miss Cohen, let’s go way back,” her lawyer approached the bench and the young woman listened intently. Harry noted she seemed a bit more likely to cooperate with her attorney today, which pleased him. It would make his job infinitely easier. “First, let’s get an idea about why you were at this bar to begin with. A lovely young woman such as yourself, surely you don’t find yourself in such dingy places normally…”
“Objection! Irrelevant.”
Harry raised an eyebrow to the plaintiff. The defence hadn’t even started yet and already this guy was breathing down his neck. “Sustained.”
Grace’s attorney turned his attention back to his client, continuing “And even if you did frequent this sort of establishments, that doesn’t have to mean anything, of course. I’m just saying, it’s not your usual scene, is it?”
“I guess not.”
“You only went that night because you were meeting up with someone you’d met online, is that correct?”
“Yes. A client.”
Harry didn’t miss the attorney’s deadpan. This was surely not the way he had intended it to go. “A client. Let’s go over what you do for a living, then, shall we, Miss Cohen?”
“Sure.”
“You’re a sex worker. Is that correct?”
“No.”
Harry took note of the attorney’s clenched jaw once more.
“What would you call what you do, then?”
“I’m not really sure, but I’m no prostitute.”
“Sex workers aren’t prostitutes. There’s a wide foray of services that fall under that category but don’t include an actual sexual act. Let’s see if what you do falls under this category. I believe the proper term would be that you’re a “cam girl”, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Which basically means, you record yourself for a paying audience, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Do you undress for your audience?”
“Depends.”
“How so?”
“Well if you’re asking if I’m ever in the nude, then the answer is no. I don’t ever take off all my clothes. I tease them a little, but there’s never been any nudity.”
Harry furrowed his eyebrows. How she ever got people to actually watch without her ever fully undressing was intriguing. Not to mention earn a living out of this.
“Do you only get undressed with clients you meet up with?”
“No.”
“Wasn’t this why you were meeting up with this client at the bar that night?”
“That’s what he thought was going to happen. In reality, I was planning to string him along for a bit, hopefully get him to give me some money in the hopes that I would give him more than he saw of me online.”
“Is this your only source of income?”
“At the moment, yes, because I’m a student. My curriculum doesn’t leave me with enough time even for a part time job with a fixed schedule. So I have to… freelance. I tried a number of remote jobs before I opened my onlyfans. I get to keep my anonymity, I never show my facial characteristics online, I get to make up my own schedule depending on what little free time I have and so I thought… it wouldn’t hurt to at least give it a try. I didn’t expect for anyone to chip in considering I don’t even fully undress, but surprisingly, I do have people stream my live shows. I haven’t really had time this month to stream, because I’ve had exams to study for. So money was tight. This guy was in my inbox begging for me to meet up with him. Again… I had no intention of actually going all the way with him, at most I thought maybe I’d earn a free meal out of it. I didn’t want to offer a private show for him instead either, didn’t want to risk leaving any digital footprints… I deliberately chose that pub, it’s a crowded place on a Saturday night. Figured it would be… safe.”
“But it wasn’t safe, was it, Miss Cohen? Going back to the night in question. You had set up a meeting with one of your online clients. Had any promises been made beforehand as to what would happen during this meeting?”
“I’d vaguely alluded to the possibility of more happening, but no promises had been made, no.”
“Would you mind giving us a rundown of what happened, exactly, at the bar?”
“Of course. I met up with him at the Silver Church, on the evening of the 27th of July, at 8. He said his name was Dave, and that he’d be waiting for me at the bar. When I greeted him, I immediately had an unsettling feeling about him, but I still tried to play the “date” to my advantage somehow and try and see if I could milk some money off of him. I flirted with him but never agreed to go back to his place like he kept insisting. Eventually, I asked him for some money and told him I’d be buying a lingerie set to wear on my next live stream, just for him, and consider going out with him again. He didn’t seem to like that very much, but he did give me the money, eventually. He kept insisting he’d take me back to his place even though I’d made it clear I wouldn’t be doing that, yet. I wasn’t ever planning on going through with it, of course, but I was leading him on. I don’t know if he figured out I was playing him, but he then insisted he’d walk me home. Which of course, was out of the question. I realized he wasn’t going to take no for an answer and I excused myself to use the lady’s room, but in reality, I was looking for a backdoor exit. I figured I’d already gotten my money, and that if I wanted to get rid of him now would be the time to try and make a run for it.
“I made a beeline for an exit I’d spotted at the other side of the bar when I thought he wasn’t looking, and I thought I’d been pretty stealthy and quick, but somehow he caught up to me. Before I knew it, he was right there behind me in that back alley, no one else in sight. I was expecting him to ask where I was going, something of that nature, but instead he outright attacked me!”
“What did you do then?”
“I, well– I don’t remember.”
“Would you say the assault made you lose conscience?”
“Yes, he pounced on me, and bit me –”
“And would you say you hit your head when he jumped you?”
“Yes, but–”
“So you don’t remember defending yourself?”
“Well, no. No, I don’t.”
“That's all. I have no further questions.”
Harry sensed the attorney’s irritation, and how the defendant clearly wanted to say more. He hoped, again, that for her sake she’d not walk right into the trap the plaintiff was no doubt setting up for her. “Plaintiff's counsel, do you have any cross-examination of this witness?”
“Yes, your honour. Miss Cohen, I couldn’t help but notice how you wanted to say something when your attorney so rudely interrupted.”
“Objection!”
“Sustained. Your point, plaintiff?”
“Just trying to get the full picture, here, your honour. Going back to the night of the murder, Miss Cohen. You mentioned Mr. Montgomery attacked you. Bit you, I believe is the term you used. Why would a grown man bite you? Wouldn’t there be other alternative ways, more effective ways of stopping you from leaving the club?”
“That’s what I thought as well. I was shocked by his action, I was expecting him to force himself on me but he went straight for my neck and bit… hard.”
“Why do you suppose he’d do such a thing”
“Objection!”
Harry sighed, knowing he had no choice but to let her get to her point. He already knew what she was going to say, by the look in her eyes.
The same terror he’d seen in them that fateful night.
“Overruled.”
Grace had gone pale, her gaze had zoned out. Eventually she spoke out, her voice shaking, not at all similar to the tone she’d accustomed the court thus far. “It’s because… because he was… a vampire.”
The court gasped in unison in shock, and Harry had to exercise his gavel for the first time that evening. “Order! Order in the court!”
The judge had to insist on reinstating decorum and then the plaintiff resumed. “A… vampire. Just for the record, Miss Cohen. Your statement is that Mr. Montgomery was a vampire?”
She nodded reluctantly. “I know how this sounds. I know! But he didn’t just bite me… no, he… his eyes, his clear blue eyes turned pitch black. In the blink of an eye. When he lunged at me, his fangs were… on full display. It was only a fraction of a second before he lunged at me, but there was no mistaking what I saw. Trust me, his canines were perfectly normal over at the bar. So were his eyes. And the pain… the piercing pain he inflicted when his fangs tore the skin on my neck… I can still feel it sometimes. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”
Harry watched as she instinctively brought her nimble fingers to the side of her neck, tracing the skin there.
The plaintiff cleared his throat, barely masking his amusement. “What happened then, Miss Cohen? Did he drink your blood?”
“Objection! Leading question!”
“I… like I said, I don’t remember. He tackled me to the ground. I must’ve either hurt my head or just passed out from the… assault.”
“So… you don’t remember fighting back.”
“No.”
“How do you explain the state in which the two of you were found then?”
“I… don’t know…”
“For the record, a member of the club’s staff was taking out the trash in the back alley when he stumbled upon what appeared to be two people lying on the ground. One of them severely injured. And that person wasn’t you. No, Miss Cohen, when the ambulance arrived they performed a thorough physical examination both on site and later at the hospital, and concluded you weren’t injured. In fact they couldn’t find so much as a scar on you.”
The court gasped in unison again and the judge gave them a warning look without having to use the gavel.
“Mr. Montgomery, on the other hand, wasn’t as lucky. He was declared dead, killed by a puncture to his heart inflicted by a switchblade.”
“Order!”
Grace watched as if in slow motion how the people in the court switched from looking at her with curiosity to giving her accusatory glances, and she couldn’t help but let tears well up in her eyes. She faintly heard the judge’s gavel but not even that could steady her beating heart. She had pleaded not guilty at the counsel of her attorney, but the truth was… she didn’t know what the truth was.
She must’ve been in shock, her memory of the incident completely blocked as a defence mechanism or something. The last thing she remembered was hitting the ground, the vampire hovering over her. She definitely did not remember stabbing him, hell, she’d never even seen that switchblade before. She’d have recognized it if it was hers. She did carry a pepper spray but she of course had no chance to retrieve it, the guy had been on her within the blink of an eye, his morphed features shocking her into a frozen stupor.
Initially she thought she might have done it in self defence, and the shock was just blocking her memory of it. But then the lab concluded that her fingerprints weren’t on the switchblade. In fact, it had been wiped clean.
She couldn’t fathom ever going through the trouble of doing all that, and not flee the scene of the crime at least if she was trying to conceal her actions.
Nothing added up. The rest of the interrogation was a blur. She was taken back into custody until the next hearing. Back in her cell, but somewhere nicer than where she was headed- she was always reminded by whomever escorted her there.
She was left alone with her thoughts yet again, back to staring at those barren walls and trying to make sense of all that was happening to her, trying to make peace with the fact that this was probably what the rest of her life would be like.
Harry was staring at a much different wall, a wall decorated in all his accolades and honorary achievements back in his chambers. But he had the same thing on his mind.
This was unjust, and the feeling made his skin crawl. He wasn’t used to such a feeling. The only time he’d felt that before was when he’d been robbed of his own life, just like Grace was getting robbed of hers.
He kicked his feet off his desk and grabbed his briefcase, deciding to head home. His hand hovered over the light switch, pausing before he finally left.
He’d find a way, but it just might be that it would have her live in limbo for the rest of her life, not unlike himself.
A/N: hints and smoke and mirrors, aka a slow burn cuz y'all know me 😅
beta’d by the lovely @adorebeaa ❤️
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The Honourable Judge Styles has a dark secret. He prides himself on being notorious for his cutthroat sense of justice. But is he really any better than the ones he imprisons? Or is he a victim much like the ones he acquits?
Warning: 18+ (please no minors!!!), smut, dark themes, age gap (older male/younger female), slow burn, angst, vampire! harry, judge! harry
