LESTAT DE LIONCOURT
Tom Cruise in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) dir. Neil Jordan
Sam Reid in Interview with the Vampire 1.07 ’The Thing Lay Still’
A family owned cafe, which has a magic of it's own, is centered in a city where ghosts, demons, and other strange things appear. Serving tea and even free peppermints has a whole new meaning to them.
Female Reader x Male Monster (both cis)
It was barely even light out when you opened the back door to the cafe. You glanced up to the sky, seeing the moon was still out. For a moment you held your breath and counted to ten, letting the moon wash over you and prepare you for the long day ahead.
“Where are you with that moon water?” Your mother shouted from inside.
“Coming!” You yelled back. You grabbed up the pitcher and stumbled with a second. “It’s heavy,” you grunted as you went back into the kitchen.
“Good!” Your mother exclaimed. She took the pitcher and looked inside. “The extra heft means the moon was happy last night. Whatever we make today will be imbued with that special energy.” She took the pitcher and filled a measuring glass.
“Perfect!” You said excitedly.
Your mother turned back and squinted at you. “How so?”
Your cheeks flushed. “Well uh…it’s wednesday! Hump day. People need that extra push over the uh-” your mother’s stare made you squirm. “The hump.” You forced a smile.
“The green suit comes in today,” she said with a nod, turning back to the counter where she added yeast to the water.
You glanced aside, seeing your older sister, Bo, watching you from the coffee bar, her pitcher of moon water clutched in her hand, angled to begin pouring.
“What green suit?” You chuckled.
Bo let out her sharp but melodic laugh.
You turned and glared at her, mouthing “shut up.”
“Don’t sass your sister. We all know why you’ve been coming in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday despite school,” she scoffed. “The green suit comes on those days at exactly 10:45. He orders a large flat white, a charmed rosemary scone, and the sandwich of the day.”
“He’s also a demon,” Bo added in.
Your mother raised a finger. “We let him have his privacy. He wants to pretend to be human, we let him. He’s not hurting anyone so there’s no reason for us to intervene.” Your mother then snapped her fingers at you. “Get to work, stop arguing with your mother! Get the front ready so when your father comes in he can awaken the place.”
You gave Bo one last look before heading out to the front of the shop. You took chairs down off the table, making sure the charm written on the bottom of each one is still clear and unsmudged. If any are, you’ll have to have your dad speak to them when he arrived.
Outside the window you could see shadows moving about, watching the inside before the wind swept them up, tossing them like smoke. They swirled and evaporated, but another would always take their place.
A ghost came through the door, their eyes distant and unfocused as they shambled towards the counter.
“You need to wait outside,” you said to them. “We’re not open yet.”
The ghost approached the counter with a mournful moan.
“We’re closed Hester!” You snapped at her. “Just because you lived here before doesn’t mean you get the run of the place,” you scoffed.
Hester didn’t move, she stood there at the counter, her pitiful moan getting louder and louder until your mom had to shout from the back. Hester slowly retreated then, but she didn’t leave, she just huddled in the corner holding her knees while her blood stained dress rippled out along the floor.
“Chill out Hester, be glad she didn’t come out here,” you sighed.
A while later your dad arrived, carrying a backpack in one hand, your baby sister’s hand in the other.
“Why is Jia not in school?” Your mother fussed.
You smiled at Jia, noticing she looked a bit off.
“Poor thing got sick on the way in. I told her she could sleep in the office and if she got worse I’d take her to Granny.”
Your mom sighed as she knelt before Jia, pinching her cheeks, swiping her forehead then kissing the top of her head. “Alright, she does have a changed scent today.”
“I’ll get her settled,” you said. You took Jia’s hand from your father. “Hester is pouting in the corner,” you said to your father.
He clicked his tongue. “The full moon last night must have her riled up, I’ll get her settled.” Your father took out his bells and incense.
You took Jia to the office, placing a blanket down on the old sofa so it wasn’t scratchy on her sensitive skin.
“What happened, Jiji?” You asked her.
Jia burbled and let out a burp. “Bad smell,” she murmured. “Very bad smell.”
You placed a pillow under her head. “Another one?” You sighed. “Where was it this time?” You reached into her bag, taking out her plush bat that was filled with dried rosemary, lavender, and sage.
Jia took the bat and held it to her face, breathing in deeply. “The mall.”
You nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about. She had been smelling bad things from there for a while, not to mention you had been seeing a black cloud hanging around the place. “We’ll call Uncle Hector to come inspect things. You just rest okay. I’m sure Bo is already making you your ginger tea.”
I arched my brow at her. “Your little nose is too good, Jiji.”
Jia giggled. “Is it the green suit? I like him! He smells…different.”
You hushed her. “No more talk of the green suit. All of you just love teasing me about him.” You then left, dimming the light so Jia could nap easier.
In the front you heard Hester’s agonizing wails while your father tried talking to her with a calming tone.
You turned the open sign on and suddenly Hester went quiet and floated back towards the counter. You sighed, placing a hard candy on the counter. A smile appeared on her drawn, sunken face and as she took the candy into her hand she began to disappear. A shining penny sat on the counter where the candy had rested. You placed it in the tip jar.
“I can’t see why we can’t just put the peppermint dish back out,” your dad said.
“Because then she’d start her shit all over again,” you scoffed. “Things have been so much better since we started enforcing her to obey our hours just like any other customer.”
Your dad shrugged, looking around the restaurant with a pleasant smile. “It’s going to be a wonderful day, I can feel it.”
Your mother came from the back, carting one of the big trays full of her baked wonders. “Not if bad shit keeps happening at the old mall.” You took the tray from her and she arched her brow.
“Is that why Jia’s reacting?” She asked. “The mall again?”
“I’ll call Hector, don’t worry,” you dad huffed.
The day went on as normal after that. The morning rush came and went, and right as things were getting quiet and you could do some cleaning, it was 10:45.
The door chimed and you looked up, your heart swelling with excitement and joy. It was the green suit, aka Mr. Leraye. On first glance he was not someone you would pay attention to, at least that’s what he wanted.
“A flat white and a rosemary scone,” he said with that quiet, smooth voice of his. “What’s the sandwich of the day today?”
You smiled brightly at him, watching as he took off his sunglasses. “It’s a good one!”
Mr. Leraye smiled. “Yes, but what is it?” He pointed to the sign that usually advertised the sandwich of the day, and it was noticeably blank.
“Oh!” You gasped. “I’m sorry. Things got hectic early today.” You took out the chalk and started writing.
He chuckled. “Quite alright.”
“I’ll tell you then. Today’s sandwich is banh mi with fresh carrot, cucumber, cilantro and marinated chicken.” You set the sign back in place. “It’s one of my favorites.”
“Sounds good. I’ll take one of those as well.” He took out a completely black credit card he used to pay for his order. “To be fair though, everything you make here I would consider a favorite. You’ve not disappointed me once with the sandwich of the day.”
“I can’t take credit for that. My mom does most of the meal planning,” you said with a chuckle. “I used to cook but university takes up a lot of time and energy these days.”
“That’s why I come here as often as I do. Work takes up all of mine.” He said this in such a way you felt like you couldn’t follow up with anything.
You decided to persist though. You wanted to keep talking to him.
“Nice day today, isn’t it?” You asked, hoping to spark up some conversation.
Mr. Leraye turned to look out the window. “I suppose.”
You tried to keep your customer service appearance up, but it was so hard to start a conversation with him. You’d been wanting to strike up a friendly rapport between the two of you for so long now, but it always seemed he was trying to get a thirty-nine and a half foot pole between the two of you.
“Not much for sunny days?” You asked.
“I’m not an outdoors person in general.” He placed his card elegantly back into his wallet, then tucked it into the pocket of his jacket.
“I don’t think you’re alone there,” you chuckled.
“I know,” he stated flatly.
Fuck, you cussed in your head. You’d had a crush on him for ages! Why couldn’t you catch a break? You decided to just do your job and get his order ready. You laid out the paper to wrap his sandwich for when your mom got it ready. You also got his flat white and fixed it with a lid and the paper holder.
The door to the kitchen opened, and Jia walked out, holding her bat. “Mom said I could have a croissant.”
“Just a second Jia, we’ve got a customer.” You motioned over towards Mr. Leraye who was looking at his phone.
“Sorry, mister,” Jia said.
“Quite alright.” He peered up from his phone to glance at Jia who was already staring up at him.
“I like your suit,” Jia told him.
Mr. Leraye looked taken aback. “Thank you.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Did you know, a long time ago, they had to use arsenic to make the color green for clothes?” Jia asked.
You bit your cheek to keep from laughing.
“I think I heard that somewhere.” Mr. Leraye stated with an uncertain tone.
Jia took a step towards him. “If your suit was made like green clothes used to be, you’d be covered in ulcers and vomit up blood. Even people around you would get sores and scabs from just brushing against the fabric!”
Mr. Leraye just stared at her.
“Aren’t you grateful it’s not?” Jia asked, stunned that he wasn’t reacting to her claims like she wanted.
You broke a bit, snickering as you took the tray containing Mr. Leraye’s sandwich from the window to the kitchen. “I’m sorry Mr. Leraye, she’s bored with telling us her favorite facts and she doesn’t have her school teacher to terrify today.”
He just shrugged with a stunned look on his handsome face. “I’m more shocked that such a cute looking girl knows such disgusting facts.”
Jia was offended. “History is very disgusting, sir!”
He nodded. “Well, right you are, young scholar.”
You reached into the counter and got Jia her croissant. “If you want cheese you can get some from Mom in the back.”
Jia instead looked back at Mr. Leraye. “Did you know that Marie Antoinette used a face cleanser made with pigeons?” She took a bite of her croissant looking Mr. Leraye dead in the eye. “Actually, it was made with eight whole pigeons! Could you imagine?”
“I…I honestly don’t think I can.” There was a slight chuckle to his voice.
Her gaze didn’t move from him as she took a bite of her croissant. “Rich people are weird.”
“She may have been rich, but in death she was treated no more than a pauper.” he leaned down slightly towards Jia. “Did you know she was buried in an unmarked grave?” He asked her.
Jia’s eyes widened. “Yes!” She said with excitement.
“You are a morbid little doll,” he said.
“I wish I was a doll. That would be cool,” Jia sighed.
You placed Mr. Leraye’s order on the counter. Once again, you had written your number on his cup. This would be the third time, and third time was always the charm. “There you go, Mr. Leraye. Hopefully my sister hasn’t put you off your food too much.”
He picked up his bag. “Not at all. I’m sure I’ll think back on it fondly later today.” For a moment, his glamor faded in front of you. Green smoke billowed off the top of his head, which shrouded the great horns hidden within. His pure white skin had deep green stains around his mouth, fingers, and down the center of his throat.
He picked up his flat white, his hand covering your desperately placed number. “Have a good day then.” He turned and faced an unblinking Jia. “Do you have another morbid fact for me before I go?”
Jia stepped forward a bit. “Siberian bears will dig up dead bodies for food.” She took a bite of her croissant again. “They used cemeteries like refrigerators.”
“You’re not a Siberian bear are you?” Mr. Leraye asked.
Jia shook her head.
“Good.” He said with a nod. “Thank you again,” he said towards you.
“Thank you, have a good day Mr. Leraye,” you said to him as he left. You then cut your eyes at Jia. “How long have you been sitting on that green dye line?”
She just smiled wickedly as she nibbled on her croissant. “How long are you gonna put your number on his cup?”
You glared at her and she glared back. “Better be glad you’re still cute, Jiji” you grumbled at her.
That evening you stop at the grocery store like always. You get your favorite drink, as well as whatever few things are needed at home. You’re going down the cereal aisle when you see an emerald glow from the corner of your eye. You look up, and there he is, the green suit himself holding a box of overly sugary and childish cereal.
Your heart pounds and you wonder if you should say anything. It’s your first time seeing him out in the wild, you didn’t want to make a fool of yourself. You stood, adjusting your scarf and fluffing up your hair. You then turned towards him with a smile.
“Good evening, Mr. Leraye.”
He set the cereal box down with force, jerking away from the shelf like he had been caught. His dark eyes focus on you and there’s a visible relaxing of his shoulders. “What a surprise.”
“How was the banh mi today?” You asked.
“It was very good.” His eyes darted about.
“Sorry if my baby sister freaked you out today. She’s been going through a phase.” You say this, but you have a feeling it won’t be a phase for Jia.
“Don’t apologize, it was a surprise, but I found myself looking up green dye today at work just to make sure it’s not still arsenic.” He shrugged. “Funny how the mind works.”
“Yes, funny.” You saw a ghost standing behind Mr. Leraye. The face of the ghost was blurry and jerky. In fact the atmosphere in the cereal aisle became heavy and anxious. You swallowed and the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end, prickling as the ghost stared at Mr. Leraye’s back.
“Do you mind helping me with something?” Mr. Leraye walked towards you. “You know a thing or two about coffee right?” He led you down the aisle, away from their jerking, whispering ghost that knocked over a display of bran flakes as it watched you.
Relief swept over you the further you went. In the coffee aisle, Mr. Leraye picked up a random bag of coffee and showed it to you. “I’ve got a dinner meeting I’m hosting at my house. I was wondering what I should get.”
“You saw it too, huh?” You chuckled. “It was creeping me out, so thanks for getting us out of there!”
Mr. Leraye frowned. “Saw what?”
“The ghost,” you said as simply as possible. “Honestly if you want to serve something at a dinner party, I would recommend getting whole beans and grinding them. It looks impressive to most people.”
His stare didn’t budge. “You can see ghosts?”
You nodded. “I see lots of things. Ghosts are just kind of everywhere, ya know? Like the shadows. But if it’s hidden from the human eye, I can usually make it out.”
Mr. Leraye’s whole body became rigid. His fist clenched tight and there was a wisp of green smoke that would puff from his nose.
You then realized what he was getting tense about. “It’s okay, really. I’ve been noticing stuff like that all my life. It’s sort of a family trait,” you chuckled. You then tapped your finger to your lips. “Don’t tell anyone.”
Mr. Leraye huffed, setting the coffee back on the shelf. “I knew there was something up with the cafe,” he murmured. He then eyed you, trying to figure out if you knew his secret too.
“My mom comes from a long line of witches, and my dad fancies himself an occultist and psychic.” you shrugged. “All my siblings have some sort of special gift.”
“No wonder your sister has such fascinating wisdom.” he kept watching you, waiting for you to spill the beans. “What about you then?”
“My mom calls it my x-ray vision,” you said. “But basically, I can see things most people can’t. My little sister has the scent version of that,” I said tapping my nose.
Mr. Leraye’s shoulders went back and he lifted his chin up. He looked dominating, hot, but unwarranted. “So…what do you see now?”
“Nothing really, just you,” you replied with a smile.
He breathed and green smoke flowed from his nostrils. “That’s good I suppose.” You both started walking, ambling down the aisles together.
“Do you work near the cafe?” You asked out of curiosity.
“The Ettellia Complex,” he said. “I have an office there.”
You glanced up at him. “That pretty building that used to be a cathedral? It must be nice there.”
“It can be,” he murmured. “But like most of this town, it has more than it’s fair share of ghosts.”
“Does it get aggravating?”
“Not for me,” he murmured.
You shrugged. “Yeah. I guess I’m just used to it myself. And we usually figure out a way to deal with them if they get to be too much. And we have a good family friend that deals with really bad ones.”
Things got quiet as you lingered in the baking and spices aisle.
“Have you noticed anything about the mall?” You asked.
He looked up from a bottle of vanilla he was inspecting. “I know I wouldn’t go there if I was paid to. Why do you ask?”
“My sister, she'll get really sick if she goes near it. The smell there really affects her. That’s why she was at the store today. I was just curious if you had noticed anything about it or…maybe knew something.”
“Why would I know?” He asked as someone walked past the two of you.
You walked up to the only register that was open and stood in line together. “Mind if I ask what you do?”
“What do you do?” He countered.
You shrugged. “I dunno. School and the cafe is really it.”
He nodded. “That’s good at least. What do you do at school?”
You smirked and leaned towards him a bit. “What do you do at work?” By now, this was the longest conversation you were able to have with Mr. Leraye, you weren’t going to let it slip through your fingers.
Mr. Leraye sighed. “I do design work for companies.”
Ah-ha! So your mother was right. He did have some sort of office job. “So you're the artsy type.”
He gave you the eye. “I wouldn’t say it’s artsy. Not these days anyways.”
You looked ahead at the line, seeing the blurred face ghost heading towards the glass doors. “What kind of design?” The doors opened for the ghost, causing a woman nearby to get startled.
“Depends. I do a lot of formatting and arraignment on things. Sometimes logos.” He glanced down at you. “And aside from writing your number on coffee cups, what do you do?”
Yoru cheeks warmed and you met his glance. “Oh, so you did notice.”
Mr. Leraye nodded. “I did.”
You stood there awkwardly, stomach grumbling a bit from nerves and hunger. That made the atmosphere feel even more awkward.
“What do you really see? Is that why you kept leaving your number?” He asked in a hushed, urgent tone. “Tell me the truth.”
You licked your lips then took in a deep breath. “Green smoke. Paper white skin,” you said simply.
Mr. Leraye nodded in silence.
“I wouldn’t tell a soul,” you murmured.
The line moved and you stepped forward. Mr. Leraye angled himself behind you. He leaned down to whisper to you.
“All I want is to live my life in peace. There has been too much chaos before, and if that were to ever be ruined-”
“I get it,” you huffed. You turned and looked back at him. “I’m not hinting at chaos. I left my number because I like you.”
His eyes widened and he stood straight again.
“I left my number in a, you know, flirting way,” you pouted.
There was no expression on his face. Those sharp cheekbones and jawline didn’t bridge. “Oh. I see.” he said that in a way too calm a tone for someone who was about to threaten your life for revealing his identity.
“That’s it?” You asked.
“I’m thinking,” he mumbled.
You approached the conveyor belt and placed your items upon it. “About?”
Leraye let out a huff and he smoothed down the front of his jacket. “I’ve purposefully avoided any dating or romantic entanglements while I have been here. Mainly out of fear of being found out and possibly having to leave my life behind to rebuild elsewhere. But…you already know.”
“Know what?”
He glared at you.
You chuckled as you approached the counter and the conversation went quiet. You paid and got your bags. You looked at the door, seeing the blurry faced ghost was standing out there. Your stomach went into a knot, but you knew you’d have to walk past it. It even seemed to be waiting on you.
Mr. Leraye stepped up and led the way. As he walked past the ghost, the green smoke he released billowed off, surrounding the ghost which disappeared back inside the grocery store.
“Thanks,” you said with a breathless voice. “I usually don’t mind ghosts, but that way made me feel uneasy.”
“No problem.” He turned and looked at you before heading to his car. Green smoke came out instead of white steam in the cold air. He took his phone out of his pocket, and the light from it illuminated his very pale skin. “I don’t have that cup anymore, so what’s your number?”
Your heart leapt up into your throat. “Oh uh-” Your thoughts fumbled about for a bit before you blurted out your phone number.
He nodded, tucking his phone back into his pocket. “We’ll talk then.”
A smile blossomed on your face and you couldn’t hold back. “Okay! Sure. Yeah.” You bobbed your head along. “Sounds good. Yup!”
Mr. Leraye Gave you a look. “Don’t get too excited now. I haven’t made up my mind.” He turned and walked back towards his car.
You were still excited. He had your number on his phone, that was enough to celebrate about.
The following day, you were getting out of class and heading towards the library to study. The day was bright, and it was hurting your eyes. You squinted through the shadows of the awning around the library door, thinking you could see someone coming towards you.
Then your phone rang.
You scoffed, it had ot be your mother, no one else ever called you. You answered without even looking.
“I’m just getting out of class, I haven't even gotten the exam results back yet,” you huffed.
“Well then, I’m glad I’m not bothering you.” Leraye’s voice came through and shocked your system, stopping you dead in your tracks.
You held your breath for a second. “Sorry, I thought this was my mom.” You stepped off the sidewalk onto the grass so people could get by.
“Only me. I wanted to continue our conversation from last night.”
You swallowed. “Okay, sure.” You wandered along the grass, aiming towards one of the trees so you could stand in shade. “What about?”
“It bothers me that you can see me.”
“A lot of people can see you. Is that really so bad?” You sat down under the tree and placed your backpack to the side.
“Not what I meant,” he grumbled. “You can see me like no one else can. That bothers me a great deal.”
You glanced around, seeing people going back and forth to classes. “I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone. Not that I ever was going to.”
“But what if someone found out about you? About your family? If word got out you could see beyond normal vision, that could be a problem.” You could hear a chair being moved as Leraye spoke to you.
“I guess,” you murmured.
There was an edge of irritation to Leraye’s voice. “I’m being serious here. It concerns me that you can just tell people so easily about your abilities.”
“Just you.” You leaned back against the tree and looked up.
“A demon,” he huffed.
“Is there something you’re trying to get at?” You were trying to keep the conversation light in case anyone were to be listening in.
“Is there somewhere we can talk about this in private?” He asked.
You smiled as your heart pounded. “Like a date?”
“Not like a date. I want to talk to you in person,” he huffed.
You thought for a second. “Do you like sushi?”
Leraye grunted. “What?”
“There’s a sushi place down from my family’s cafe called Nice Place. They have these big private booths, they also have really good food. We can meet there tonight if you want. So, do you like sushi or not?” You were holding back on your excitement.
“That’s fine,” Leraye sighed. “But don’t be getting any ideas.”
“Great. Let’s say at six?”
“Fine. I’ll see you then.” He hung up and you jumped from the ground and rushed across the grass towards the parking lot. You had just enough time to get home, shower, and make yourself look nice for the ‘not date’.
At home, you were drying your hair while Jia sat on your bed, playing with stuffed raccoon dolls.
“You have that smell again,” she said.
“I know,” you huffed. “I’m meeting Leraye at Nice Place.”
You could see Jia peek at you from the mirror. “How did you do that?”
“We ran into each other at the grocery store last night and got to talking. By the way, the ghost you said that smells like diesel fuel is back.”
“He’s creepy.” Jia slipped off the bed and came to stand by you at your vanity. “Are you and green suit gonna kiss?”
Your cheeks flushed. “I don’t know, Jiji!”
“You smell like you did during your prom.”
You turned and frowned down at Jia. “Don’t you have anything else better to do than bother me?”
Jia shook her head. “Mom said I couldn’t read my big book because I called the neighbor a troglodyte.”
You eyed Jia as he took your comb through your hair. “Do you even know what that word means?”
Jia shrugged. “If I had my big book I would.”
You stood up and pointed to the door. “I’ve got to change, so get.”
Jia gathered her raccoons off the bed. “Fine.” She stopped in the doorway and looked back at you. “Green suit smells nervous when he comes in the cafe.”
You frowned at her. “What?”
“He gets this smell when he comes in, especially when you’re around.” Jia then smirked. “That’s all.” She shut the door as she raced off.
Because of that, you felt nervous.
You walked to Nice Place, stepping inside where you saw Leraye waiting at the hostess stand. He turned toward you, and dark eyes got this look to them.
“They’re cleaning a table,” he stated.
You nodded. “Okay good. Don’t have to wait long.”
Leraye glanced over you, which you had hoped he would do. You had worn a special dress just for the night, along with a snug little cardigan since it was chilly out. Both were a shade of green.
“You look…nice,” he said with some hesitance.
“Thanks,” you chuckled. “I like your suit.”
He adjusted his jacket. “Yes, well, I came straight from work.”
That moment the hostess returned and seated you at one of the big booths, pulling back the large curtain. She gave you both water and set up the tea set, then closed you in with your menus.
Larey picked up his menu. “What do you recommend?”
“If I could afford it, I’d get the sample platter. You get a bit of everything, plus the soup and some extra toppings. It’s expensive but well worth it.” You were checking out the affordable rolls.
“Go ahead and order it, I’ll take care of it,” Leraye said with such a cool, even tone.
You bit the inside of your cheek. “You sure? It’s a lot.”
He laid down his menu. “I don’t mind.”
You hesitantly set your menu down as well, watching as Leraye poured himself a cup of green tea.
“Thank you, this will be a treat.” You tugged at your dress under the table, hoping you weren’t showing too much lap.
“Does it really not bother you that I’m a demon?” He asked suddenly.
You glanced up at him and cleared your throat. “Should I be? I mean, it is odd. The first time I saw you I was a little freaked out, demons don’t just come to earth for coffee and sandwiches.”
Leraye eyed you with a smoldering gaze. “You would be surprised.”
You leaned against the table a bit. “You mean they do?”
“Not exactly. But in the past five years, lots of demons have been leaving our world for this one.” He took a sip of tea then set it aside. “I left before all that.”
You furrowed your brow. “Why are you telling me this?”
“So you’ll understand how dangerous your power is. If the wrong people found out about it, it could put you in danger. You could become a tool.” he shut up instantly as the waitress came. You quickly gave your order, and once the curtain dropped again you both looked at one another with stony expressions.
“We don’t just tell anybody, and even so, my family has friends in all sorts of places. My dad used to work for Robin Antiquities, ever heard of them?”
“I know of Robin,” he murmured. “I ask because I know my kind are constantly hunted. And while I may not like my family, I do care for their well being. I also don’t want to see you being used.”
“My family is well prepared, Leraye,” you said sternly. “My parents know just as much about these things as you do, I’m sure.”
Leraye nodded. “This is part of why I wanted to talk to you.”
“If you’re so worried about my safety then why not take care of me yourself?” You felt embarrassed as soon as the words left your mouth.
Leraye glanced aside, and a slight shift in color on his cheeks took place. Awkward silence filled the booth, and even the waitress could sense the tension when she brought your soup.
“Anything else?” She asked, trying her best to sound chipper.
“Sake,” Leraye said suddenly. “Please.”
The waitress nodded, closing the curtain back without a word.
“Sorry about that,” you muttered.
Leraye shook his head. “I suppose I was leading the conversation anyways.”
You took a drink of water to excuse the silence. When it felt like the silence was too much, you decided to just lay it out. “I’ve liked you for a long time. Demon or not,” you muttered. “You’re nice, a bit standoffish, but I can understand why.” You tugged at the hem of your dress again. “Maybe I’m weird because I do like the demon aspect. Not many girls like monsters I suppose.” You peered back up at him, seeing he’s watching you with that smoldering gaze again.
“But I just…” You swallowed as your nerves fluttered around in your chest and throat. “I just like you.”
“Well,” he murmured. “Thank you, that’s kind to say.” He rubbed at his jaw. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t flattered. Nor do I think you’re alone in your attraction. I mean, to monsters.” He glanced aside again. “Lots of my family have shacked up, so to speak, with humans.”
You smiled shyly to yourself.
“Also…I order the same thing everytime I come into the cafe because, well, I get too anxious to think of anything else.” Leraye looked back at you.
You opened your mouth to speak when the waitress opened the curtain back up. She placed your food on the table, as well as Leraye’s order of sake. Once she left, you sat in silence again, looking at your food.
“So this is a date,” you murmured.
Leraye chuckled, smiling at you as color rose in his cheeks. You smiled back, giggling softly as Leraye poured you each a small glass of the warm sake.
“Yes, I suppose it is.” Leraye murmured. He held up his glass and you both toasted to the evening.
The rest of the date felt a bit lighter. The air had been so heavy when you started and all of a sudden it was barely noticeable. You played footsie under the table, touching more and more as the warmth of the sake flowed through you.
Leraye drank more than you, finishing off the sake just before leaving. He didn’t seem drunk, but there was an openess to him he didn’t usually have. He put his big hand on the small of your back.
“Let me take you home,” he said.
“Oh, no, that’s alright,” you gasped. “My whole family is there, I wouldn’t want you getting ragged in because of them.”
He nodded. “Then how about you be a gentleman and take me home?”
You squinted for a brief second. “Do you need me to?”
Leraye leaned down, cupping the back of your neck in his hand. He kissed you and he tasted like sake. His lips were warm, but his hand felt chilled against the nape of your neck.
“I haven’t had anything to drink in a long time,” he murmured. “I feel warm all over.”
You nodded. “Yeah. Me too.”
He leaned down again, kissing you affectionately.
Leraye eventually gave you his car keys, and the navigation in his car directed you to his apartment. You got him home and inside his place, which you were surprised to find was full of geodes, rocks, and fossils.
“I’m going to get some water. Want some?” Leraye stipped off his jacket and undid his tie.
“Uhh…sure,” you replied with nerves.
Leraye nodded, wandering off while you were left to look around his living room. He had all sorts of crystals and rocks in his home. It was really quite the amazing collection. You were looking at a large chunk of bismuth when he came back.
He held two bottles in his hand, and he had taken off his dress shirt so all he had on was his tight under shirt. His hair was also disheveled, so he had this sleepy, sexy apeprance to himself.
“Water,” he handed you a bottle then cracked his own open.
I smiled at him, enjoying seeing him in a new state. “I didn’t expect you to be a geology fan.”
You sighed. “It reminds me of home,” he murmured.
“Hell?”
Leraye grimaced and gave you a sarcastic look. “No, not hell.” he glanced back to the rocks. “It’s not what you’d think.”
You smiled and drank some water. “My dad has a lot of crystals back home. We had them sitting out during the full moon.”
“I don’t do that.” Leraye waed for you to follow him, taking you back into another room where there were bookshelves and an entertainment system. He sat down on a massive green sofa and stretched out his legs. You sat beside him, keeping your legs tucked back and together.
“I rarely host guests, let alone a date,” he murmured. “I’m not sure exactly what to do.”
You pressed your lips together in a tight line. You glanced towards the television set and pointed. “We could watch a movie.”
“We could.” He sat up and bent forward, reaching for his phone in his pocket. With a few taps the lights dimmed, and colored LEDs turned on around the entertainment system. Another few taps and the TV turned on as well as switched to an app.
“What movie?” Leraye asked. He handed you his phone so you could scroll through.
You thought for a moment, pursing your lips together. “You really trust me with this decision?”
He shrugged. “I’m at a point right now i don’t really mind much.”
You looked through movies with a slight smile. “Do you often mind much?”
Leraye was quiet for a long pause while you scanned through the movie selection. He shifted in his seat, leaning back and sighing. “I guess.”
You looked from the phone over to his profile, seeing his head leaned back and his eyes gazing up at the ceiling. You lowered the phone down, taking the opportunity to gaze at him and admire him. You saw beneath his human guise, the paper white skin mingled with green smoke stains. His long white hair trailed off the back of the sofa as well as down his shoulder and along his extremely long arm.A long tail curled from behind, going down the side and flicking up and down your ankle. He turned and looked at you, smoke trailing from his endless eyes sockets.
“What are you looking at?”
You inched closer to him and laid your hand over his. You brushed aside his long hair and tucked it behind his wing-like ear.
“You of course. I’ve never gotten a close look at you before.” You grazed your knuckles along his sharp cheekbone and he reached up, grabbing your hand and pulling it away.
He snarled and sharp teeth appeared from behind his lip. Inside a dark green tongue licked along the sharp edges.
“I told you to pick a movie to watch. Not me. I’m relaxing in my own home, don’t take advantage of that.” he didn’t let go of your hand.
“I wasn’t,” you giggled. You inched in closer, kissing his cheek and jaw. You could smell that earthy scent that Jia described, it was wonderful.
Leraye grumbled. “Hey.”
Your lips brushed against his neck and Leraye trembled. You moved in closer to him and your dress hiked up around your thighs.
“That’s…that’s enough, don’t you think?” He puffed but didn’t try to fight.
You pressed in close to him, kissing more and moaning while you did it. His hand reached around you and gripped the small of your back, causing your whole spine to electrify. You lifted your head to face him, both of you breathing slightly off. The two of you kissed and you began to swoon, getting dizzy and a little lightheaded.
Pulling back you took a deep breath, swallowing then chuckling softly. “Okay, I’m done now.” You eased back and Leraye’s tail slipped down along your thigh, bare skin to bare skin. You sat back down on the sofa, selecting a movie.
“It’s a cartoon.” His arm slipped around your shoulders.
You smiled to yourself. “It’s Spirited Away, show some respect.” You relaxed into his side snuggling against him. His tail curled around your back, resting into your lap where you began petting it mindlessly. That was, until you heard a low purr rumble in Leraye’s chest. He coughed to cover it, but you smiled, knowing exactly what you heard.
Together, you watched the movie until you began to feel yourself drift off. You sat up, causing Leraye to move as well.
“I should get going,” you yawned. “Or I’ll pass out on your couch.”
Leraye tapped on his phone, and the light turned back on. He stood up and offered his hand to you. “Will you be at the cafe tomorrow?” He asked.
You smiled as you tugged your dress back down. “I will be. Will you?”
He nodded. “I will.”
Leraye drove you back home. Once you parked out front, he got out of the car with you, walking you up to the front door.
“Very brave, what if someone jumped out?” You asked.
Leraye brushed his fingers through his hair, shifting back into his disguise. “I would hope it would be Jia. I like her.”
“She’s hopefully been in bed for hours.” You stood on tiptoe, giving him a soft kiss. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He nodded quietly, peering in through the door as you opened it. “Tomorrow then.” You took one last look at him, smiling as he looked bashful. You closed the door and took in a deep breath, extremely happy with how the evening turned out.
The next morning went on like usual, setting up the cafe and getting ready for the day. As you got the front set up and swept outside, you saw Hester sitting at one of the tables outside. You looked her over and sighed.
“Cold morning, isn’t it Hester?” You asked.
Hester moaned.
You followed her gaze across the street. A couple of years ago someone had bought a few of the old storefronts and renovated them. One was a candy store and opened early to sell fresh donuts to the morning crowd. The owner often came over to buy coffee for his employees. Hester watched the storefront with sad eyes, focusing on the owner as he stepped out to put up his sandwich board sign.
“Owns a candy store,” you murmured to her. “Sounds like a good deal to me.”
Hester whimpered.
You chuckled and saw a splash of green in your periphery. Leraye came walking up, clutching a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Hester leaned out in front of him.
Your mouth opened and you were breathless. “You’re early.”
Leraye nodded. “I know.” He held up the flowers. “I got these for you.”
You smiled, taking them and chuckling. “I’ve never been given flowers before.”
“I panicked,” he said.
You smiled sweetly up and him and opened the door, ushering him inside. “Flat white?” You asked.
Leraye approached the counter. “Actually, I think I’ll try something different today.” He glanced over the menu above you. Behind you in the kitchen you could hear your mother and Bo whispering and giggling.
“I’ll try a mocha today,” he said.
You looked at him with surprise.
His whole body stiffened. “What? Is that weird?”
You shook your head. “No, just unexpected. It's one of my favorites.”
He relaxed a little. “Okay then, uhm…avocado steamed bun.”
“Ooh, another good choice,” you said. “Will that be all? Or do you want a sandwich of the day too?”
He shook his head. “I figured I would take you out for lunch today. If you’re free.”
“She is,” your mother called from the back.
You bit your cheek and looked up at him. “I get off at one.”
“I can pick you up here,” he said.
You nodded, rubbing the back of your neck. “Sure. Uhm…one sec, let me get your order together.” You went into the back, seeing your mother and sister giggling.
That afternoon, you waited out front of the store for Leraye. Across the street you saw Hester peering through the window of the candy shop.
“That’s new,” you murmured. A few seconds later, Leraye pulled up in his car. You hopped in, settling into the seat as he drove off.
“So, where are you taking me for lunch?” You asked.
“My place,” he stated.
You smirked. “Oh fun! Are you going to murder me?”
He gave you the eye from behind his sunglasses. “No. I was going to make you lunch. I thought it would be nice.”
“You can cook?”
Leraye turned and smirked at you. “I have a few specialties.”
It was a blur from his car to the apartment. Somehow you ended up making out in his driveway, next thing you knew, you were on his kitchen counter with Leraye’s head between your thighs.
You clutched his horns, breathing hard as his tongue lapped over you. You felt steam and heat along the cold counter top, growing the more Leraye feasted upon you. Pleasure radiated from your core, your eyes lowered as you let it swept through your limbs. Leraye chuckled against your thigh, kissing softly then stroking his hand up your center.
“When you said make me lunch-” you panted. Ou let out a long moan, hitting your head against the cabinets.
“I meant something else,” Leraye growled. He rose up, a tall, statuesque demon standing before you. “But this works out too.”
You took a few breaths, collecting your thoughts from the arousing tongue lashing. “You were really good at that.”
“I can do better.” Leraye leaned over you, kissing you while his tail wrapped around your leg.
You smirked and rubbed your hand up his chest. “What does that mean?”
Leraye picked you up, carrying you from the kitchen to his bedroom. It was dark despite it being the afternoon. His curtains were drawn, blocking out most of the light. He laid you down upon his bed and you both stripped away what remained of your clothing.
Leraye sat down upon the bed, kissing you softly and combing his spidery fingers through your hair. You pet his tail while the kisses were exchanged, and then his purr began to vibrate against your lips.
“I didn’t realize demons purred,” you breathed.
“Shh,” he fussed. He kissed you again, slicing you. His tail coiled around your waist, squeezing you slightly.
You crawled into his lap easing down until you felt his shaft against you.
“You don’t have to,” Leraye whispered.
“Maybe I want to.” You replied, his tail giving you an extra squeeze. You reached down, guiding his cock so it slipped between your thighs, rubbing right against you. You were already warm and wet from his nibbling in the kitchen, so you glided along him easily.
Leraye shuddered, let out a strangled breath as you started to move. “It’s been a while,” he murmured.
His cock throbbed against you, twitching so you could feel his pulse. You kissed him and his tail wrapped up around your back, snapping off your bra. You gasped slightly and his tail pushed you closer into Leraye.
“Stop teasing me.”
You let out a breath and slowly eased yourself down, using your fingers to press him inside. You grunted as he first slipped inside, but moaned as he went deeper.
His tail was now wrapped around your waist, going up your back and bending around the side of your neck. Leraye chuckled, and green lights illuminated from his eyes. He licked your cheek, moaning softly as he savored being inside you.
“How is it?” He whispered.
You wondered how he could even think of talking during a time like this. You looked into his eyes, and took nodded.
Leraye nuzzled into your neck and chuckled. “What’s that?”
You whimpered as his tail coiled more around your neck.
“Talk to me.”
“It’s good,” you burbled. “You feel good.”
He moaned, using his tail to move you. “So do you.” He kissed you, arching his hips and going deeper inside you.
The darkness of his room added to everything. You couldn’t see, so your sense of touch was all the more intense. His kisses, his fingers, every time they brushed against you it felt like electricity was flying through your veins.
His sheets felt so cold against your skin as you pressed into them. His body seemed so large above yours, like an island in his bed. You clung to him, breathing deeply every time his tail clutched tight around you. Inside was a fire, stoking through your body until melted everything in its path.
Sometime later, you stirred, waking up in bed which had cooled in the interim. You could make out shapes in the room, but it was still quite dark. You got up, walking over to the window and parking the curtain. Outside was a sea of white.
That was odd, you hadn’t heard anything about snow.
You turned back, seeing Leraye still snuggled up in bed, his tail twitched free of the covers, searching your side. He slowly began to move when he couldn’t find you. He eyes opened, peering out from his pillow to see you standing there naked.
“What are you doing?” He growled.
“It snowed.”
Leraye beheld out his hand, beckoning you back to bed. “Then you’re stuck here with me.”
You returned to bed, crawling under the covers with him. His tail curled around your hip and stroked up your back. You were just getting comfy again when your stomach growled.
Leraye sighed. “Second time you’ve done that to me.” He huffed and began to get up. “I did promise you lunch. I suppose now I owe you dinner.” he stood up from bed, searching the floor for his clothes. He tossed you a robe hanging on his door.
“If you want to join me while I cook.”
You smiled, watching him as he got dressed. “I can do you one better,” you grunted as you stood. “I’ll help you cook.”
Leraye nodded, a gentle smile on his face.
“Oh, I forgot to ask, what did you think of your different order today?” You asked as you meandered down the hall.
“I liked the mocha, a bit of sweetness was nice.” His tail brushed up against the back of your leg. “And I think I liked the baozi much more than the scone.”
“That’s mom’s specialty.” You stepped into his kitchen, watching him as he opened up his fridge. “What are we making?”
“Probably a pizza. Or a grilled cheese.” he looked back apologetically. “I forgot I needed to shop.”
“You’re in luck, I make the world’s best grilled cheese. They are Jia’s favorite.” You stepped up to Leraye and gave him another kiss. “I do hope you have lots of butter.”
He handed you an unopened box. “All you could eat.”
You snickered and he started laughing too. There before the fridge, you kissed some more until your frustrated belly won out. Outside, the snow continued to fall, and everything felt so quiet and still, just right to enjoy your new demon boyfriend.
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