Story: Flesh (AU Kiddy Grade) (chapter 7)

Authors: Vexed Fusion

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Chapter 7

Title: Discoveries in Death 4

[Author's notes:

I just want to clear this up, in case there is any confusion:

Lumiere has a 15/16ish year old body.  She does say this, but in case anyone forgot in the 20,000+ words since, I want to reiterate, she is not the 10 year old you see in the anime.  Otherwise I would not be writing such filth... I mean literature.

 

]

Discoveries in Death

Chapter Seven

Part 10


Éclair tossed the handful of bloody towels in the hamper and sighed. She walked back to her parent's bedroom where Caprice lay on her side fast asleep. The young woman's thigh and leg were wrapped tightly in bandages and Éclair pursed her lips at the blood seeping through the starch white. They would have to be changed in a few hours. She pulled the blanket up over Caprice and pat the woman's head.


From inside her parent's bathroom came the sound of splashing water. Éclair moved away from the bed to the bathroom. She paused at the half open door.


“Are you okay Miss Cole?”


She heard a grunt and then a deep breath followed by her teacher's voice. “No, sorry, I think I'm too dizzy to get up without falling back down. Could you help me out?”


Éclair pushed the door open hesitantly and blushed when she saw the half naked blonde in the tub. “I... I've got some clean clothes for you, in the other room,” she said as she grabbed a towel. More awkwardness ensued as Éclair attempted to lift the teacher out of the bath without looking too much at her. Since her time with Lumière, Éclair had begun to appreciate the female body much more.


Once on her feet Liquide quickly wrapped the towel around her body and then leaned entirely on Éclair. “Thanks, my head is still kind of cloudy.”


As the two went into the main bedroom an uncomfortable silence settled. She handed a set of her mother's clothes to the older woman and couldn't miss the longing stare she gave to Caprice. Éclair turned her back for the blonde to dress but stayed in case she needed help. She remembered Caprice telling her about how Miss Cole might be the one but she couldn't help but wonder if something happened earlier in the day between them.


“How long have you been a... werewolf?”


Éclair felt her cheeks burn and she couldn't cover her surprise. “How did you know?”


“Caprice said so. That girl is honest to a fault.”


“I see,” said the redhead, “Well, not very long, I mean, a handful of days.”


Éclair tried to focus on the sounds of the house: her teacher's distinct noises of sliding her underpants up her legs and slipping the nightshirt over her head, downstairs she could hear the murmured chatter from the twin vampires and Lumière, but the sounds were too muddled to clearly understand. She didn't really want to have this conversation with someone she barely knew outside of the classroom.


“I'm finished,” the blonde stated. Éclair turned around and helped her to the bed.


“You don't have to stay in here. I mean, if it makes you uncomfortable. You shouldn't feel responsible. I mean...”


Liquide smiled and put a finger to the teenager's lips. “I think having me here when Caprice wakes up will be nice for her, don't you? Besides, I don't think I could make a trip downstairs and I wouldn't want to put you out of your room.”


“I still think you need to go to the hospital.”


“And what good would that do? I feel fine. At worst I have a mild concussion and you and the other girl... what's her name?”


Éclair felt a small swell of pride. Her gaze softened. “Lumière.”


The teacher smiled. “That's a pretty name. You and Lumière have done a good job of keeping me awake. But now I do need to rest.” She frowned. “Oh, but I should call the school. There's no way I'm going in tomorrow. Oh god, and my car, it's just lying in the middle of the street. Christ, people are probably wondering where I am, leaving the scene of an accident.”


“Actually,” the redhead cut in, “Your car is pretty totaled, and lying in the ditch.”


Liquide's eyes widened. “What?”


“Yeah. Our umm... vampire friend sort of used it to attack those rogue werewolves. And we didn't want to just leave it lying in the street, so she put it in under some brush.”


“Oh... Wow... well... I guess I just need to call the school then.”


Éclair nodded and averted her eyes in embarrassment. On the bed Caprice stirred and tried to turn on her back. She whimpered and visibly stiffened. Liquide smiled and slipped under the covers. She placed her hand on the woman's side and carefully pulled her back on her side. Éclair watched them for several seconds and then turned to leave.


“I'll get the lights. Sleep well.”


She heard the teacher murmur okay and left the two women to sleep. She closed the door as quietly as she could and before she turned away from the door she smiled. The familiar scent crept around her like a comfy blanket. She knew Lumière was standing just a few feet away.


“She'll be okay.”


The redhead turned and placed her hand in the other girl's hand. “I hope so. That wound is bleeding pretty bad. But she was pretty insistent that she'd heal by morning.”


Lumière nodded her head and squeezed Éclair's hand. “Yes, she's right, but I was talking about your teacher. She does have a mild concussion, but her brain and body are young and she'll be fine after a few days.”


The two moved to Éclair's bedroom where Éclair let go of her partner's hand and plopped down on the bed. “Guh, so much stuff is happening. What time is it?”


The bed shifted as Lumière sat down next to her. “Half past nine.” Éclair felt Lumière's hand on her stomach. It drifted lazily back and forth; the motion relaxed the werewolf and she could feel the tension draining slowly from her body.


“Mm, that feels good.” Éclair closed her eyes and gave herself over to being comforted. She felt no need to stop this. Her mind drifted to the strangers downstairs. “What about those two? What are they doing?”


Lumière's hand paused for a second but continued on as she spoke. “They're setting up your basement to stay the day in, if that's alright with you?”


The redhead bit her lower lip but said it'd be fine. She knew that Lumière was very interested in the possibility of learning about their past. Of course, if Éclair said she wanted those two out Lumière would also comply. But the truth was that Éclair wanted to know, too.


“What are you thinking about?” Lumière moved her hand to Éclair's face and brushed her fingers across the girl's cheek.


Éclair opened her eyes. Her mouth set into a straight line and she looked away from her partner. “I'm thinking that I don't know what to think. Until that girl allows you to read her mind neither of us will know anything. But mostly I'm worried about Caprice and if those werewolves will come back to try to hurt her.” She closed her eyes and balled her fists.


“We'll protect her,” Lumière stated.


“That's just it,” the redhead responded through gritted teeth, “You and those two can protect her, but what can I do? I know it sounds selfish, but here I am, some powerful werewolf and I can't even change to protect the people I care about. I feel helpless. I mean, at least if I were a human I'd have a valid excuse.”


The small vampire shifted and laid down next to her partner. She rested her head on the girl's shoulder and inhaled deeply. “It's not selfish to want to protect people you care about. From my observations I'd say the most beautiful people are those who want nothing more than to take care of those they love most.”


Éclair smirked. “You're just trying to charm me now, aren't you?”


“Saw right through me?” Lumière snuggled up closer. “But Éclair, I really don't know when your powers will come and I don't think it's constructive to worry about it. I've worked at my powers for almost 40 years and I still have yet to master them. You've been a werewolf for not even a week.”


“I know,” the redhead groaned, “I know, I know. I just can't help feeling it, ya know?”


Her partner smiled. “Yes, I know.”


They laid on the bed together, each enjoying the other's presence. Éclair mulled over Lumière's words and her own feelings. At first, she saw this werewolf thing as some sort of curse, but as the days passed and especially since she met the small vampire next to her, she began to want more and more power to protect everyone. She remembered how she and Lumière were the first to arrive at the fight. Lumière was quick to use her powers and keep Caprice from getting gravely injured. But she, she felt this overwhelming urge building up and she couldn't give into it. Something was blocking her. She wanted to change, like Caprice had shown her, and do whatever she could to save her teacher and new friend. Her eyes began to fill with tears at the memory. She turned away from Lumière and sat up from the bed. With the computer already on it wasn't but a moment or two that Éclair had soft music playing from the speakers. She turned in the chair and saw Lumière giving her a questioning look.


“Oh, I'm just, I can hear all the movements in the house and they're kind of getting to me. Like how those two in the basement keep arguing over something. I can't make out what it is but god I wish they'd just stop. The more and more I hear the more my ears feel like they want to jump off my head and commit various forms of suicide.” Éclair stuck her tongue out. Lumière had told her she couldn't read her mind. It was probably a good thing, considering she was lying.


“Tweedledee is scolding Tweedledum for being unable to hold off my mind reading. Apparently she's made him practice this for many decades.”


“Is that what it is? Why is she so worried about you reading his mind?” The redhead rose from her chair and moved around the room the tidy things up.


Lumière followed her every movement with catlike eyes that she felt at every turn. “I suppose because they were trying to play their hand.”


Éclair stopped. “Play their hand?”

“Yes,” said her partner, “Like in poker. The best players keep their opponents guessing till the very end. If you can't figure out what your opponents have you have no chance of bluffing or raising the stakes to your favor.”


Éclair pinched the bridge of her nose. “So what is in their hand?”


“I think she realized how weak his mind is in comparison to mine or hers. She didn't tell him much. Basically what they told us was the truth. His memories are of two people, one very similar to me in personality, and how he and Tweedledee friended them.”


Éclair licked her lips. She glanced towards the bathroom and then towards Lumière. The woman on the bed tilted her head. Finally Éclair cleared her throat and asked in a small voice, “Do you want to take a bath?”


Her partner smiled. “No, thank you. I cleaned up while you were tending to Liquide.”


“Oh...” The werewolf felt downtrodden and her shoulders sagged a little in response. She went into the bathroom and turned on the faucets. She felt silly for suggesting something so soon. But she couldn't deny her strong feelings for Lumière. The kissing they had been entwined in earlier awoke much more than sexual feelings. From behind her Lumière came to the doorway.


“I'm sorry. But you don't have to go through all this trouble for me. I appreciate it, but I can take care of myself at times.”


“I know that,” huffed Éclair as she turned the shower on, “I just meant together...” The last word came out small and unsure. The thick, humid heat of the shower water filled the small bathroom quickly. Both women stood in the accumulating steam as if cemented to the ground.


“I... oh, well, if that's what you meant.” Lumière announced her decision by pulling sweatshirt over her head and dropping it to the floor. She unbuttoned her jeans and slipped off her underpants before Éclair could wrap her mind around what the vampire was doing. “I would love to share a bath with you, Éclair.”


The teenager's skin perfectly matched the color of her partner's eyes now. She stared, jaw dropped, with a mixture of amazement, attraction, and embarrassment at the now naked Lumière. Her throat swelled and her heart beat rapidly. She tried to remember how to move her arms and hands but the synapses weren't connecting. Or maybe she short circuited something in her brain. Éclair fought with herself over how to move again while trying not to lose herself in the sight before her. Lumière's body was pale, beyond pale, like those white flowers if they were shaded slightly peach. She wondered if her skin would be just as soft. Her breasts, Éclair felt another flush of red move over her ears this time, were small but pert, as if they had never experienced the ravages of aging. Her nipples were like little pale pink buds. God, Éclair thought, why was everything on her body reminding her of flowers?


She didn't get much farther in her visual exploration. The vampire stepped forward and placed her hands on Éclair's hips. The teenager lifted her head to find those ruby eyes smoldering like two coals.


“Could I assist you?”


Nod, Éclair, just nod. She could do that much. She licked her lips again and swallowed. A pair of cool hands brushed over her sides as they lifted off her tank top. The piece of clothing was tossed carelessly to the floor. Lumière moved closer. Éclair's senses were on code red overload. She could smell everything on the woman. Her breath. Her hair (which was scented with Éclair's shampoo—a berry scent). A bitter tinge which Éclair realized only after she inhaled was coming from between Lumière's legs. Her lips parted. She inhaled again. The scents were heady and acting as if the most powerful aphrodisiac ever created.


The cool hands made no waste. They returned to Éclair's belly where they slowly and surely unbuttoned her skirt. In an unconscious act Éclair squeezed her legs together. She felt the wetness between them and closed her eyes. She placed her hands on top of Lumière's, stopping her partner just before the last button.


“I... umm...” Very articulate, Éclair. She tried to formulate the thought.


The body in front of her leaned forward. Éclair's skin nearly danced off her body at how close it was to Lumière's. She held her breath as felt the breath on her ear from the other woman's voice. “Weren't we planning on bathing, together?”


Éclair's eyes opened quickly. The shower was still running. She blinked several times. For some reason she wasn't expecting that. “Oh, umm...” She licked her lips and regained her voice. “I didn't want to bathe in my own filth. Gotta shower first.” She pursed her lips and became wide eyed as she noticed that Lumière had not moved back from her. The vampire's mouth was slightly parted and showed a fraction of gleaming white teeth.


“That makes sense,” replied Lumière.


It was then that Éclair noticed the change in her partner's voice. She was just as breathy as Éclair felt. They stared at each other, the realization dawning slowly, or perhaps quickly, but stretched out so that the seconds felt like small bursts of eternity. She wasn't sure who started it first but after the last spark of eternity their lips were pressed together.


Éclair opened her mouth halfway, purposely teasing Lumière to do the same. Her partner responded with great enthusiasm. Their tongues danced on beds of warm, firm and yet, soft tufts of drenched flesh. She closed her eyes and turned her head seeking more of the vampire's mouth. The two fangs grazed over her tongue and excited her. She wrapped her arms over Lumière's shoulders and pulled her head closer. The woman's body followed and the feeling of that chilled upper body being pressed against her own made her knees buckle. She felt two thin arms wrap around her body and snake their way up her back. Hands undid the clasp of her bra and moved to pull it down her arms. Éclair could barely think, let alone move on her own. The taste inside of her partner's mouth was beyond incredible. She still hadn't had enough of the kissing from earlier.


Showing uncharacteristic strength, Lumière pushed Éclair's arms out and then down. She slipped the simple fabric from off of the werewolf's chest—all without breaking the kiss. In a flash she resumed pressing herself against Éclair, who was finding a whole new set of feelings in this act. She could feel those small, refreshing breasts pressing at the base of her own. The girl's bud-like nipples tickled in a way that didn't make Éclair laugh, but made her shudder rather delightfully. She felt her own nipples brushing along the tops of Lumière's breasts. The sensations excited her.


Lumière's tongue pinned her own down. The teenager got distracted as she tried to work out from under it. During the distraction, Lumière slid her hands down between their bodies and undid the last button of the skirt. The piece of clothing dropped to the floor. Éclair might not have noticed except she also felt those chilly hands hook the top of her underpants and drag them down. The kiss had to be broken. The redhead was forced to open her eyes.


She stared down her partner's glistening lips and watched in envy as the vampire's tongue darted out—to taste probably. Lumière's cheeks were still pale but Éclair couldn't help notice the faint, tinge of pink that had begun to spread. She watched as her partner slowly dropped down to the floor, taking the underpants with her. She couldn't swallow and her heart beat so hard within her chest that it pained her. Éclair knew she had to be wet. She felt embarrassed. No one had ever seen her like this.


She inhaled sharply as she felt Lumière's breath on her stomach and belly navel. She suddenly felt very self conscious. She had smelled Lumière before and she knew that the woman must be smelling her now. Éclairs' ears filled up with the sounds of her own breathing, the shower, and the music. Everything roared around her like an earthquake. Her body shook as Lumière dropped her head towards a patch of red curls. Éclair almost died when her partner breathed her in. But just after, she felt her head swim and her arousal increase. That simple act turned her on even more than she already was.


Lumière seemed to hesitate. She pressed her cheek against Éclair's thigh and looked up. Those ember-like eyes studied the teenager with a burning intensity. Éclair had no power except to stare back. Lumière got back to her feet and took the girl's hand in her own.


Éclair must have given her a questioning glance because the vampire said, “We were going to shower, right?”


13 years of schooling and learning how to properly articulate the English language went all out the window. Éclair grunted her response and followed the smaller woman into the torrents of hot water. The door was barely pushed close when their lips rejoined like two long, lost true loves.


Part 11


The bath was a long forgotten suggestion. Both she and Éclair spent well over an hour in the shower exploring the vastness of skin and curves like eager children. Lumière marveled at how her hand rose and fell through the valleys over her partner's body. She had only ever been with men. The idea of being with a woman never crossed her mind, that is, until Éclair.


The differences were great. Where she was used to roughness, like the sandpaper-grit of hair, there was now only smooth, soft skin. The water only aided the slickness of the touch. She could have spent all week in the shower with that girl. Éclair's kissing was also vastly different from her previous experiences. Men tended to take charge and try to swallow Lumière's entire mouth. They had no concept of a good kiss. But she didn't know this, not until her first kiss with Éclair. The girl's lips were gentle and responsive. They had no problem allowing Lumière to take charge or taking charge themselves. They were also soft, like her skin, and plump and full.


She and Éclair carefully stepped out of the shower and it was obvious neither wanted to leave in the first place. But they couldn't deny how wrinkled Éclair's hands had gotten. They giggled as they stepped out. Lumière could only attribute this to the giddiness from having spent an hour pressed against each other under hot water and having the liberty of spreading soap whenever and wherever they pleased. She didn't have much time to think. She caught those violet eyes in her gaze and the next second they were back together. Lumière wondered if their bodies were desperate to merge. The thought, of course, was ludicrous, but how else could she explain her need to be so close?


They somehow made their way back to the bedroom. It occurred to Lumière that they were dripping all over the carpet, but for whatever reason she felt like she couldn't be bothered to do anything about it. Éclair was slowly moving her, she realized, towards the bed. The action was slow—intense kissing could do that. Kissing Éclair was akin to feeding for Lumière. All her desires, hunger, and needs were squelched in this simple act. It seemed improper that one person could taste so good.


“Not very elegant,” she mumbled into her partner's mouth. The werewolf pulled back with a questioning glance. Lumière smiled and shook her head as if nothing happened. She stepped back from Éclair and sat down on the bed. She stretched her arms out towards the other girl who appeared as if she were about to dive right in without needing invitation. And why shouldn't she? Didn't all of Lumière belong to this girl? If she could give herself over to anyone it would have to be Éclair. Tweedledee might have the information that she and Éclair might have been together in a previous life but she could not read the intense bond the two formed. Although the speed seemed a bit unnerving.


Lumière moved farther up onto the bed as the redhead crawled after her. She enjoyed this view of her partner stalking after her and used the size of the bed to her advantage. When she could scoot up no more Éclair caught up with her. She watched as the girl hovered above her. This close, Lumière could make out slivers of lavender in those deep violet eyes. She couldn't look for long; her mouth became trapped in that kiss again. Éclair was using her position to her advantage, Lumière noted. She teased at the vampire's lips with her tongue until Lumière could take no more. She pulled Éclair down on top of her and deepened the kiss. The warmth of the girl's body spread into her own like dye into a fabric. She spent most of her life not feeling much of anything but this warmth was too good to be true at times. And the beating of her heart was a mirror to her increasing wanton.


Lumière adjusted her legs so that they intertwined with Éclair's. The redhead broke the kiss—her heavy breathing did nothing to damper the mood. She closed her eyes and inhaled. Éclair lifted herself up a fraction of an inch. Lumière opened her eyes and peered at the girl.


“I... I've never done this...” The sight on her partner's face made Lumière want to giggle. She suppressed the desire and put on the serious look.


“Instinct has served us rather well, wouldn't you say?” The vampire smiled when Éclair nodded. “Let's keep going with that, hm? I have an idea, so just follow my lead?”


She ignored the curious look on Éclair's face and dropped her hands to the girl's soft buttocks. Éclair stayed propped up and studied Lumière's eyes.


“Ready?”


Lumière gave her no time to respond as she lifted her leg up slightly and pulled Éclair against it. The searing heat and wetness pressed against her thigh and above her, Éclair expressed her feelings with a throaty gasp. She felt the girl squeeze her thigh and then rock back down on it. Lumière stared, entranced, into her partner's eyes. Éclair's body took on a short spurts of rhythm. They weren't too far into it when she felt the werewolf's thigh pushing forward between her own legs. Lumière was in no position to object and spread her legs giving more access.


The kept strict eye contact as they rubbed against each other. Éclair's wetness was coating her thigh as hers was coating Éclair's. The jolts of pleasure rode their way from her clitoris, through her abdomen, branching out at her chest where they went simultaneously to her arms, legs, and least of all head. Had Lumière ever felt like this before? She couldn't remember. She tried to think but the thoughts were jumbled. Everything overwhelmed her in the most beautiful and sensual way. She gasped as a particular strong jolt told her that rising feeling would peak soon.


Her fangs grew, but Lumière was too lost in pleasure to give it a second thought. Somewhere in the back of her mind she tried to remember the last time she fed. The more Éclair ground against her and vice versa, however, the more her hunger grew. She felt her mouth open wide and the thought in the back of her head shouted that she needed to feed now!


“E-Éclair... I-I ca-” Why did it become so hard to speak? Lumière pulled her partner closer to her. She felt the rising in herself and knew she was close, so close. There was another familiar feeling cropping up as well and she did her best to ignore it.


Éclair finally broke her gaze and cried out against Lumière's neck. The hot breath tickled her skin and teased Lumière to her own peak. She squeezed her eyes shut and writhed against her partner's thigh; she felt the same happening against her own. Her body, her mind, her essence, and everything was burning with the intensity of a million suns. The climax felt like she had entered the inferno and she had a thought that she'd like to live there because the heat never felt so inviting. Lumière had transcended into another world altogether. This must be bliss, she thought, and she dared not wish for anything greater because it would be unattainable.


As she floated back to reality she felt a warm, thick liquid sliding like butter down her throat. The vampire didn't have to be a genius to figure out what that was. Her eyes shot open and confirmed her theory. She had her fangs sunk deep into the spot just above the hollow of Éclair's collarbone. The girl's blood flowed from her like a never-ending fountain. Her partner seemed lost in ecstasy rubbing up and down against Lumière's thigh experiencing orgasm after orgasm. She felt almost as guilty about stopping the werewolf's pleasure as she did about drinking her blood.


The vampire pulled away and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. She stared at the red stain and felt her stomach flip flop inside of her. Werewolf blood. Lumière pushed Éclair off from her and sat up. She tried to think of her research on this topic. Werewolf blood is poison to vampires. They are forbidden to drink it. They... they... oh god, Lumière couldn't remember. She got up and went to the bathroom where she cleaned her hand in the sink.


She lifted her head and stared at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were unusually flushed. Her color had changed—she looked almost human. Her hair had darkened, perhaps only a shade, and her eyes... well her eyes were still the same. She touched her cheeks. The color seemed alien and foreign. She looked nothing like herself.


“Lumière,” said Éclair. The girl was standing almost right behind her. She watched the redhead in the mirror. Éclair looked more pale, but experienced nothing of the change that Lumière had—save the two crimson teeth marks on her neck. “What's wrong?”


Lumière opened her mouth to answer. The information suddenly flashed in her mind. Vampires who drink werewolf blood would experience violent nausea and become weak until they could flush their system and replace the blood with that from a human. The results should be instantaneous, except that...


“I'm sorry,” she answered. Her guilt far outweighed her relief. For whatever reason, the blood had not affected her. She licked her lips suddenly aware her mouth was still awash with the crimson liquid. It tasted good, almost as good as Éclair smelled and tasted. “I just... I'm sorry.”


Éclair smiled, but Lumière noted the sadness behind it. “That's okay. I'm sorry, too.” She turned to leave the bathroom but Lumière stopped her by wrapping her in a hug.


“That's not it!” She half shouted against her partner's chest. She looked up into tear brimmed violet eyes. “Eclair, no, that wasn't it. That, that was fantastic. Beyond amazing. I never knew sex could be like that.” Lumière frowned and shook her head. “No, not sex. We were making love, weren't we?”


The werewolf emitted a relieved laugh and kissed Lumière. She wondered if the teen could taste the blood in her mouth. They pulled apart and Lumière led her back to the bed. She sat down and watched as Éclair did the same. Her partner appeared self conscious now and crossed her arms over her chest. Lumière thought the action was adorable.


“Éclair, I will assume you do not know taboo's between werewolves and vampires, is that true?”


Her partner gave a hesitant nod.


Lumière smiled and rested her hand the girl's thigh; it was still damp from their lovemaking. “Well, as far as werewolves are concerned, they do not eat vampires. We vampires are made of dead flesh, regardless of how alive we appear. In the same token, vampires are not to feed from werewolves. Your blood is poisonous to us. It causes us to become weakened. The reasons are unknown.”


Éclair lifted her fingers to touch the wound on her neck. Her eyes widened. “Oh my god, Lumière, are you okay? I'm so sorry!” The tears returned causing Lumière to quickly brush them away.


“No, no. I'm fine... which is weird, to say the least.”


Her partner blinked and furrowed her brows. “Or the most? Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you've practically changed skin tones and your hair, I mean, wow, girls would be jealous if they knew it were this easy.”


Lumière grinned. “Were something to have happened, it would have occurred by now. There's another thing...” She felt a sudden bout of shyness but ignored it. “It tasted good to me. So very good. Granted, I haven't eaten in a few days and that vampire did injure me but... you know, you, not just your blood, taste very good to me, Éclair.” She felt her cheeks blush and she was certain it was showing.


The redhead slipped her arm around Lumière's waist and pulled her close. Lumière tilted her head up and found the closeness easing her previous tension. They stayed like this for several moments.


“You taste good to me, too. You know, I have to be honest, I didn't know if you'd be able to do it, I mean, what with being a vamp and all.” Éclair chuckled and rested her forehead against the vampire's.


“I think I get that. We may be vampires, but we are still creatures of the flesh,” Lumière closed her eyes and sighed happily. “We desire and need just as much as any other creature on this planet. And we still have the proper functionality as werewolves do, aside from birthing of course.”


“Birthing?”


Lumière opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the ringing of the house phone. Éclair cussed under her breath and wondered out loud who would be calling so late at night. She picked the phone up and nearly dropped it when she looked at the Caller ID screen.


“I-it's my parents!” Éclair fumbled for a moment before turning the phone on and pressing it against her ear. “...Dad! How are you? How is mom? I didn't know that job in Grand Rapids would be taking so long.” The teen paused, obviously listening to her father on the phone. Lumière watched her with an intent curiosity and figured it wouldn't hurt to listen in.


-in Grand Rapids anymore darling. Indeed we have traveled to Europe. Your mother's request. We would like for you to be coming. We have a ticket for you at the airport.


Éclair frowned. “Europe? Why there? You know I'm still in school. I can't just drop it and well... gah, you know I'm still in school, right?”


Éclair do not be troubling yourself with such thoughts. Your mother and I, we wish to travel to our homeland and we wish for you to accompany us. Is that such a selfish request that a daughter of mine is not being able to fill?


“Can I speak to mom?” The redhead sat down in her computer chair. Lumière studied her frustrated features and the voice of the girl's father. Something wasn't quite right.


Why you will not be compliant? I'm not understanding. I can get your mother, hold on.


“Éclair, give me the phone, please?”


Her partner shook her head and mouthed why.


“I would like to hear something.” She held her hand out to the redhead and waited until the phone was placed in it. Éclair seemed torn between not wanting to hand her parents over to Lumière and needing a moment to try to think about what her father was trying to do.


Eclair, you are there? Your mother, she is busy. You will come then?


Lumière looked away from Éclair. She cleared her throat and asked, “Who is this?”


Who is this?


She got all she needed. She pulled the phone away from her ear and pressed the end button as Éclair was reaching out to take it back.


“Why'd you do that? That was my dad!” Her partner growled.


She ignored the anger and put the phone back. “It was your dad, but he is not himself.”


Éclair dropped the anger quickly and stood from the chair. “What do you mean?”


Lumière stalled for time. She flipped through some papers on the desk and moved several items around. There really was no delicate way to put the thoughts she heard. She could tell something was awry just by the rhythm of his voice. But would Éclair believe her? The vampire resolved the dilemma by turning to face Éclair. The redhead's worried face made Lumière feel very sad for what she had to say.


“Éclair, your father is dead. He has been turned into a vampire. And so has your mother.”

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