Work Text:
Clarissa can’t help but worry about her. The resident vampire. The dean of evil. It’s hard not to with the way Leonora had been looking lately.
She was more pale than usual, darkened circles coloring under her eyes, and an air of weariness clouded her vision. She also seemed dazed and distracted at times, glaring at nothing and everything all at once.
It’s not her business. Not really. But—
Clarissa can’t help but notice that sometimes Leonora stares at her, a rare focus contradicting the woman’s more recent behavior.
Ten minutes ago and maybe even now. Clarissa throws a sly glance across the table; sure enough, Leonora is staring. So hard that she doesn’t even notice that she’s been caught. Clarissa swallows, feeling herself flush under the attention as she looks away.
It’s not fear that causes her heart to race when Lady Lesso focuses that hungry gaze on her. Far from it. It’s curiosity, concern, and maybe even a hint of affection.
Leonora is a vampire; it’s only natural that she would need blood to thrive. Clarissa has that. Clarissa can help and in doing so—
Clarissa bites her lip, a hint of nervousness rising as the room starts to clear.
She likes Leonora—more than she’s been able to express so far.
It’s the casually seductive way Leonora drags her tongue over her teeth until she hits her fangs. It’s the way she always manages to capture Clarissa’s full attention. It’s the confidence in her speech, the unnatural beauty with which she graces the school. The softness she hides under a veneer of irritation.
She likes Leonora— and maybe it’s time to do something about that.
Leonora speaks of danger, of desire, of hunger. It does nothing to sway Clarissa’s thoughts on the matter. “I’m a vampire who can drain you dry and leave you for dead while I go searching for my next victim. Do you really think that I’m someone you can trust with your health?”
Low and sultry, the vampire responds before she can agree. “Don’t ask about my dinner habits again, Professor Dovey. You might end up on my table.” And with that parting statement, the woman is gone.
Clarissa finds herself leaning heavily against the wall, palm clutched to her chest as she catches her breath. She wasn’t surprised at the rebuff, but she hadn’t expected the experience to be so…
Intense. That was the only word that could describe it.
A quick glance in her hand mirror shows the proof. A lip print of blood red stained her neck directly upon the vein she had so freely offered up. Clarissa doesn’t want to wipe it away.
She does, though; she has to. All while acknowledging that her desire for Leonora would have to be shelved. The vampire is certainly not in the mood right now.
Clarissa’s eyes blink open slowly as a sudden chill crawls across her exposed skin. It’s dark out, but whether it’s late at night or early in the morning, she can’t declare. She can say that her balcony door is open. Strange, considering she had closed it before bed.
She’s slow to rise, stumbling towards the open door while holding back a tired yawn. It wouldn’t do to wake herself up too much. The precaution to keep herself tired is useless, though, because after she closes it, the chill returns.
All it takes is a reflexive glance upward to spot the red eyes staring at her in the reflection of the glass.
Clarissa is too frightened to scream, too tired to react at all. Her heart races, though. Pulsing so quickly, so loudly, she can hear it in her eardrums.
The silhouette in the reflection is familiar, and as her adrenaline slows, she recognizes the face. “Lady Lesso?”
She turns quickly in disbelief. Sure enough, Leonora is in her room. Why? She asks herself, feeling confused. After their conversation earlier, she was sure that—
Before she can blink, Leonora takes a step forward, and Clarissa stumbles backward in response, landing lightly on the cool glass. The vampire grins, sharp teeth now visible, and Clarissa feels her heart skip a beat. Then another.
Oh. Red eyes, fangs. A hungry vampire looking at her meal.
It seems Leonora is taking her up on the offer. She steadies herself as the vampire crowds her against the door, a soft hand tipping her chin to the right gently.
Clarissa forces herself to relax, shaking away her nerves. How long had she been waiting for Leonora to ask? How long had she wanted to experience this?
Too long to second guess herself now, that’s for sure.
Leonora is poised to strike. She can feel the cool breaths against her neck, yet the vampire doesn’t move.
“You can— if you want,” Clarissa says, no longer hesitating, and thankfully, Leonora takes the consent as given. It doesn’t start with an abrupt bite, though. Instead, Clarissa practically melts as Leonora peppers kisses against her skin. She chokes back a startled moan, but Leonora’s hard bite right after is both shocking and sharp.
She gasps at the sensation, heart racing, but seconds later, that pain turns into something… something else.
Clarissa feels herself blink hazily as Leonora drinks her blood, and she leans against her for support. It’s good. It’s really good, she realizes. Her body temperature rises quickly as a familiar tingle travels…
Clarissa squeezes her thighs together, trying to shove it away, and for a second, it works. Unfortunately, it returns tenfold when Leonora ghosts a hand across her hip, tugging her close. “Leonora.”
She stifles a moan, embarrassment clouding her thoughts, but fortunately, Lady Lesso can’t discern her predicament. Or at least she doesn’t mention it.
By the time the vampire is finished, Clarissa’s legs feel unsteady, but her skin is tingling all too pleasantly from the close contact. Leonora kisses her neck again before pulling back, and even in her drowsy state, Clarissa is stunned by the view.
Though minutes ago Leonora’s eyes were a hungry red, right now the familiar green shade has returned. Her hair as beautiful as ever, though a little more wild. What really stands out is the evidence of her meal. The dark red blood dripping down her chin makes a beautiful contrast.
Clarissa acts before she can think, catching the bead of blood with her thumb and pushing it up to Leonora’s lower lip. The vampire captures the digit with her lips and wipes away the traces with her tongue, her sharp tooth grazing Carissa’s thumb lightly.
Clarissa’s heart starts racing all over again, a flush rising on her cheek and blood racing… elsewhere. “Goodnight, " she says as she steps away as gracefully as possible. She stumbles, because of course she does, a wave of dizziness hitting her abruptly.
Leonora is at her side in a second guiding her back to the safety of her bed. Leonora then disappears faster than Clarissa can blink. With no parting word, without even a—
But on Clarissa’s nightstand is an offering. A sweet pastry and a glass of water. That certainly wasn’t there before she went to sleep.
Strange. Almost as strange as this entire night, yet Clarissa can’t help but smile.
It’s the first time that it happens. But it’s far from the last. Clarissa becomes far too accustomed to the chilling sensation of Leonora’s stare in the darkness of the night. Silent and hungry, and Clarissa always obliges.
The vampire never mentioned if she might show up during the day. Actually, she never mentioned her late-night feasts at all, but she always left Clarissa with a snack of her own. She seemed better too. Less listless and moody, a tad more energetic and focused. Clarissa took solace in that.
The silence though… Clarissa still can’t get used to it. Leonora says not a word when she drinks Clarissa’s blood. Not before. Not during. Not after.
Until the day she does.
“Clarissa,” Leonora says with a soft exhale. She's staring at Clarissa like she can't believe she's there. Like she can't believe either of them are there. And Clarissa is staring back because... well—
"You just talked." Leonora leans closer, a familiar smirk on her lips.
“It’s not the first time you heard me talk.” And after that point, it certainly wasn't the last.
So Leonora starts talking. And she never quite stops.
It should have adjusted her understanding of their encounters, but alas, Leonora still never mentioned her feedings during daylight. To be fair, Clarissa couldn’t quite muster the courage to mention it either. The talking did lead to something else though.
Their nightly encounters somehow became more intense.
It started with touching. Leonora’s hand balancing her, pulling her closer, or just skating absently over her skin. Clarissa grew used to it like anyone would, and she was just as proactive. Carding her hands through Leonora’s hair, running her fingers across her back, squeezing her waist when she needed to focus on something other than the feeling of being devoured. Leonora’s touch becomes so familiar that a simple graze against her cheek would wake her.
Then there was the kissing. Soft, gentle, and exploratory, yet sometimes fierce and possessive. It has nothing to do with Leonora’s hunger, but she requested it all the same, and Clarissa obliged because…
Well, because she wants to kiss too. To touch, to hold, to surrender herself to the vampire's wants. To explore her own desires.
The secretiveness bothers her only a little. She’ll catch Leonora’s gaze during the day and the woman would look away unflinching. She and Leonora were only for the night, it seems. She can’t quite understand because Clarissa thinks perhaps daytime interactions could be just as sweet. But what they have is wonderful. What they have is enough.
For now. But maybe someday soon, they’ll have more. Maybe they’ll share a kiss after sunrise.
Clarissa becomes creative at hiding the evidence of their rendezvous: high-collar dresses, thick necklaces, the occasional scarf, and sometimes even her hair. Thankfully, the marks aren’t permanent, always fading within a few days, leaving not even a hint behind. Leonora is the only vampire in the castle; if anyone noticed the bites, the culprit would be obvious.
Though the culprit, strangely enough, seemed to be a bit confused by her change in attire. Perhaps she just didn’t realize—
“I feel like I never get to see your neck anymore,” Leonora says absently. She’s playing with Carissa’s curls while laying on her shoulder.
“You’re looking at it right now,” Clarissa says with a soft giggle. Who knew the Never would be so… cuddly? She’s started staying for larger chunks of time, seemingly no longer content with dining and dashing. Clarissa likes that, though. It feels like she’s given her a reason to stay.
Leonora leans up to look at her face; there’s a flash of something (disappointment maybe?) before she resettles on Carissa’s shoulder, snuggling into her neck as she mumbles. “No, I mean during the day when I’m…”
Clarissa frowns as the woman trails off. So vague. Sometimes, it feels like Leonora is hiding something from her. A topic the redhead refuses to broach neither at night nor during the day.
“Do you like seeing my neck?” She asks curiously.
“That’s like asking me if ice is cold. Of course, I do.”
“Oh.” Clarissa takes that information in a warm flush covering her cheeks. “You wouldn’t feel the same about say… Emma.”
“No.”
“What about Manley?”
“Clarissa, I just ate. You’re going to make me hurl.” Leonora snorts derisively. “Not everyone’s worth my fangs or my dreams. There’s a reason I find myself here with you and not someone else.”
Find herself? What an odd way to phrase it. Clarissa allows a moment to turn the statement over in her head but eventually it melts away. Lenora is holding her hand, resting Clarissa's knuckles against her cheek. She's distracting. She's always distracting.
“About my neck,” Clarissa says, mentally cataloging the dresses in her wardrobe. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Could you? I’d appreciate a view during that dull meeting we’re going to have next week.”
“How do you know it’s going to be dull?”
“They all are.” Leonora huffs.
Clarissa makes good on her promise. The day the mark heals well enough not to be visible, she wears an off-shoulder teal gown and a necklace with a very thin gold chain. She can’t not accessorize after all, and it does the job.
At least, she thinks it does. She feels Leonora looking at her, but the woman always manages to avert her gaze when Clarissa looks back.
A subtle approach would not do. She doesn’t exactly corner Lady Lesso, but she does wait until she’s alone to approach her with the question. A pit stop in Leonora’s office right before dinner provides the perfect opportunity.
“How do you like my dress?” She asks curiously. Leonora’s gaze flicks from her shoulders to her neck to her face in rapid succession.
“Fishing for compliments?” The redhead responds, resting her chin on her knuckles with an almost amused expression.
“No. Just honesty.” She replies with a soft grin. “I value your opinion, after all.”
“Is that so?” Leonora questions, looking her over once again. “Well then, the color suits you, I suppose.”
The color suits her? Clarissa purses her lips before nodding. It's not exactly what she was seeking, but it’s not like Leonora gives out a lot of compliments. It’ll have to do.
Leonora’s next visit is that same night. She slips into Clarissa’s room under cover of darkness in a way that is becoming more norm than not. The vampire hadn’t eaten yet, but she had kissed Clarissa senselessly.
“That dress was a treat for the eyes,” Leonora says with a wild grin. The vampire isn’t quite lying on her. Perhaps hovering would be a more apt description. “I hope to see it more often.”
“That’s not what you said.” Why didn’t Leonora show her the same affection during the day that she displayed at night? Was it… was she ashamed? No. That isn’t right. They were alone when she had asked.
“How would you know what I said?” How wouldn’t she? Clarissa’s brow knits in confusion, but before she can ask for clarification, Leonora changes the subject. “Do you want some help tonight?”
“Help with what?” Leonora stares at her for a few seconds before she responds.
“Help with that little problem I’m causing.”
Clarissa exhales softly. She wasn’t talking about— yet Leonora's cool fingers skate pointedly up her inner thigh. Clarissa is used to her touch now. Her presence. Used to the vampire lying on top of her, beneath her, beside her. She hadn’t even noticed Leonora’s knee slip between her legs.
“Have you— how long have you known?”
“The whole time. Your lust is quite… entrancing.” Clarissa’s eyes widen at the admission. Every time?!
Her body reacted every time Leonora bit her. Every time she touched her really. It was both involuntary and embarrassing, but to find out that the vampire knew? Somehow, it’s even more so. “I’m sorry—“
“I enjoy knowing how I make you feel.” Leonora clarifies as she runs her hand along Clarissa’s exposed skin. Her touch leaving a burning trail in its wake. “I’ll enjoy helping you even more. It’s the least I could do.”
Clarissa bites her lip. She had wanted to explore her own desires a bit more with Leonora, but…
“Leonora, this isn’t about my needs. It’s about yours and…“ she trails off, shaking her head. “you shouldn’t feel obligated to—“
“Obligated to?” Leonora scoffs as if Clarissa had said something unbelievable. “Every whimper, every muffled cry of my name, every time you hitch your hips begging for friction. For touch. My touch.”
It’s appalling how true her words are. But her own touch has sufficed for so long, especially now with Leonora’s frequent nightly visits. Even on the nights that Leonora doesn’t come, she sometimes finds herself lost in both thoughts and memories. It’s the thing that hits the spot, so to speak.
“You’re leaving me with a different type of hunger, Princess.”
“As much as…” she would want that. She would really want that. As she flails for a proper response, Leonora pleads her case.
“It would require no effort on your part. Just keep those pretty brown eyes on me.” Clarissa’s heart is racing, adrenaline pumping through her system at Leonora’s words. “Or would you prefer me to do it while I drink? How does that sound? My lips on your neck, my venom in your blood, my fingers stroking your sex—“
“Leonora.” She stops the vampire before it can get any more lewd, pressing two fingers to Leonora's lips.
“… yes?”
“I can do it myself.” Clarissa then drops her hand back on the bed and Leonora glances her over pensively, brow furrows as she thinks.
“I don’t suppose you’d care for an audience.” Clarissa pauses for a moment as the statement whirls around in her head. Watch? As in Leonora studying her as she— as she—
She can’t even finish the thought. Nevertheless, a tingling in her nether regions expresses that she really is interested in doing that. But not now. Not yet.
“… it’s private.”
Leonora purses her lips. “Can you at least think about me when you do it?”
She always does. “I can— I will.”
“Good.” Leonora grins. With an ounce of shame, Clarissa realizes that she is going to be thinking of that exact smile. She gives Leonora a short peck on the lips instead of letting that realization sink in.
“I think this letdown deserves a little more than a peck, Princess.” Clarissa kisses her again. The moment her tongue glances past a fang, she remembers.
“Are you ready to drink yet?” She asks, already knowing the answer. Leonora nods before leaning close to her neck.
“And Clarissa?” The vampire says in a low whisper. ”The offers open for whenever you change your mind. All you have to do is ask.”
Whenever. As if the vampire knew she would break.
She shouldn’t. She definitely shouldn’t. But when Leonora sinks her teeth in her neck, all Clarissa can do is whimper and wonder how it would feel.
It all came to a head at Leonora’s offhand comment.
“My stores are more full than I expected. I can only assume that I haven’t been drinking as much as usual.”
“Isn’t that normal when you supplement with a live source? And human at that.” Clarissa questions, though she doesn’t know how much being a fairy affects her blood. If it does, Lady Lesso has yet to complain.
“Yes. If I were drinking blood from a live human, that would explain it, but I’m not. I haven’t the time.” And Clarissa freezes at the admission. Looking up at Lady Lesso, the woman seems entirely serious about the statement, which makes no sense because—
“And why are you looking at me like that?” Clarissa snaps out of her stupor at the question, tongue unwieldy in her own mouth.
Without thought, her hand reaches for her neck before pausing midair at the misstep. It had been more than a week since that bite. There’s no evidence, no trace.
Throughout her internal conflict, Lady Lesso’s gaze stays on her. Studying and assessing with a hint of confusion.
“No reason.” She squeaks before clearing her throat. The change in pitch must give her away because Lady Lesso frowns.
“Clarissa, you just implied that I’ve been getting my blood from other sources. I think I would remember that.”
“You’re right. I must be mistaken.” She mutters, deciding to make a quick exit. What did this mean? Does Lady Lesso not remember any of her visits? Is that why she never mentioned them?
“Clarissa!” Sometimes, she forgets how fast Leonora can be when necessary. It only makes her want to run more, but that’s… stupid. Still, her feet work faster than her brain, and she manages to make a few hasty steps toward the door before a hand snatches her wrist.
“Clarissa don’t—” when she looks back, the vampire's eyes are a deep red. “Don’t do that.”
Don’t run from vampires. They have predator instincts. Clarissa knows that. Everyone knows that! But the only thing she can think about is—
Storian, this is embarrassing. If there was no evidence of Leonora’s nightly visits, Clarissa would think she had dreamed it all up. Or maybe she had made it up? Maybe none of it was real?
“Could you let me go?” She asks tepidly, and thankfully, Leonora does without hesitation.
“I didn’t mean to—“
“It’s fine.”
“Nothings fine!” She tells Emma, because who else can she admit this to? “I mean… how could she not know?”
“So… this hypothetical friend.” Emma starts as she shakes her head. “Is it you?”
“…Would your advice change depending on my answer?”
“No. You have to tell her.” Clarissa was afraid she would say that.
Clarissa tries. She really does, but how exactly could she force herself to say those words? The opportunity to be brave and speak her truth never arrives. Clarissa doesn’t manage to find Leonora before nightfall, and she’d rather not attempt to break and enter to deliver a message. Part of her feels relief. The rest? Disappointment.
All this does is push her problems to tomorrow. She still has to face them.
Tomorrow though. Tomorrow she could do it. Tomorrow, she could set things right.
She doesn’t make it to tomorrow. It happened that night instead.
The thoughts rolling through her head keep her up that night, and no amount of counting sheep can help.
How would she tell her?
What can she say?
How could she soften the blow?
She remembers clearly, months ago when Leonora said not to worry about her eating habits. Remembers Leonora denying her offer with prejudice. Did Clarissa even think for a second how strange it was that she had changed her mind so quickly? No.
Leonora will probably be livid once she finds out that she had been sleep walking… sleep eating?
Nevertheless, Clarissa is awake and restless when Leonora visits her that night. There was a first time for everything. There was also a last time.
Clarissa feels her bed shift, and her eyes crack open tiredly as she sits up. “Leonora?” She asks, stifling a yawn.
“Who else?” Blinking a few times allows her vision to clear, and she focuses on the vampire as she continues speaking. “How are you doing tonight, Princess?”
“… I’ve been better.” She admits rubbing at the tiredness under her eye in a futile attempt to regain some energy. “I have to tell you something. And I don’t want you to get upset when I say it.”
“Okay?” Leonora’s voice takes a curious tilt.
Clarissa drums her fingers on the bed as she starts. First, she needed to know for sure. “I just— Where do you think you are right now?”
“Right now?” Leonora repeats, tilting her head. “I think we both know I’m in the midst of a rather pleasant dream.”
“No. You’re not.”
Leonora tilts her head, pursing her lips thinkingly. “Then my second guess is that you’re a succubus wearing the face of my… acquaintance. Quite effective if that’s true considering how I feel about her.”
How do you feel about her? Clarissa almost opens her mouth to ask, but her conscience overrides it immediately. Leonora is only saying this because she thinks this isn’t real. Clarissa shouldn’t take advantage of that, especially with everything that had already happened. Everything that had already been revealed.
Before she can refocus on the task at hand, Leonora pulls her into a heated kiss. Clarissa can’t help but lean into it, but eventually, her thoughts remind her of what she needs to say. The words that might make or break their entire relationship.
“Flattering, but I’m not a succubus.” She stammers at the first opportunity.
“Could have fooled me,” Leonora mutters, pursing her lips. “Clarissa, whatever it is that you want to say sounds… rather serious.”
“It is.”
“Perhaps best pondered over with a full stomach…” she trails off, pressing a kiss to Clarissa’s stuttering pulse. “What do you say?”
“I think—“ Is she on her back? Clarissa blinks at the ceiling. When had she lied back down? “I think you would want to know before—”
“How about you tell me after and I just promise not to be upset?” Clarissa ponders it for a minute. Could she really trust that promise?
“You can.” Leonora says, taking hold of her hand. “I’m so trustworthy, Clarissa. You know that.”
Somehow, the statement makes her feel even less assured, but Leonora leans back, meeting her eyes pleadingly. They’re more red than green right now, a stark sign of hunger.
She runs her thumb along Leonora’s cheek before winding a hand behind her neck and pulling her down for a kiss. “You promise?” Clarissa asks softly once they part.
“I promise,” Leonora repeats and Clarissa finds herself nodding, only a little nervous. Leonora promised so… it’ll be alright.
“Clarissa darling, why don’t you relax? You’re tense.” Leonora whispers, and Clarissa shudders. She breathes in and breathes out, allowing her body to go limp, though her lashes flutter when Leonora nuzzles into her neck, trailing kisses along sensitive skin.
Clarissa doesn’t wince when fangs pierce flesh, but a startled moan passes her lips. She had thought she was getting better at stifling those.
Leonora drinks to savor. She sucks lightly, drinking her blood in shallow draughts. She then pulls away, licking at the wound and showering Clarissa with praises that would make any decent woman blush.
She finds herself strangely disappointed when Leonora suddenly pulls away, somehow already finished feeding. Except Leonora’s lips land on the other side of her neck. For a second, Clarissa feels confused.
“Leo—“ She gasps when she feels Leonora’s teeth bite into her neck again. That’s new. She’s never been bitten more than once at a time.
Leonora sucks harshly, drinking down blood before releasing her again. Leonora starts to roam, pressing soft kisses all across the expanse of skin, not staying long in any one place. Clarissa feels her breaths getting heavier as Leonora’s tongue swirls along her pulse; the skin becomes more sensitive with every stroke. Again, Leonora drinks shallowly, then lavishes the wound with attention.
The second she lets her guard down, the vampire drives her teeth into her neck a third time. She can’t help but cry out. It’s not muffled this time at all, and for a few seconds, all Clarissa can think about is how indecent that sound was. That can’t happen again.
She aches to cover her mouth and stifle the noises that keep managing to escape. Leonora’s tight grip prevents her from doing so, and her other hand— where was her other hand? Tangled in soft red hair, she soon realizes.
She’s enjoying this too much. Way too—
“Nor— Nora? I need—” she gasps, unable to finish the thought as ripples of aching need echo under her skin. Tell her. She needs to…
“Hmm? What do you need, Princess?” Leonora asks with a low heady tone and Clarissa squeezes her thighs together, spine tingling at the question. Leonora glances quickly over her face but doesn’t wait for a response. Instead, she tilts Clarissa’s head up with a gentle hand. The vampire licks from Clarissa’s collar up to the recent wound, no doubt chasing an escaped drop of blood, before latching back on.
What did she need? For some reason, the answer escapes her, and she finds herself focusing on Leonora’s actions. Everything felt so good, from the tongue skimming across her racing pulse, to weight settled on her torso, and the hand that released her wrist and tangled their fingers together sweetly. Clarissa’s eyes drift, and she blinks heavily at the pleasurable sensations, squeezing Leonora’s hand encouragingly with her own.
Leonora once again detaches from her neck, before piercing her skin for the fourth time. Clarissa can only muster up enough energy for a low, needy moan. She spasms lightly, an insistent heat building up from her lower body. That isn’t going to go away, she soon realizes.
Leonora’s knee gently nudges its way between her thighs, and Clarissa comes to an abrupt realization. This is what she needs. Her hips canter upwards as Leonora’s knee presses mercifully at her core. Another shuddering moan escapes her as she finally finds an avenue for relief.
Leonora finally releases her wrist, hand settling on her thigh instead as Clarissa grinds against her knee. She couldn’t possibly stop. Not now. Not yet. So she continues to melt in pleasure at Leonora’s ministrations while also chasing pleasure with her own efforts. Leonora’s chest rumbles against her own before she makes a sudden shift.
Clarissa is unable to stop herself from whining in frustration when the knee withdraws just as she is about to—
She opens her eyes to find Leonora staring down at her, eyes somehow still red with bloodlust. The vampire runs her thumb across Clarissa's cheek, and it comes away wet.
“You’re crying,” Leonora states, licking away the evidence on her thumb. “Does it feel that good?”
Clarissa barely musters up the energy for a response, nodding her head as she looks up through blurry vision.
“I’ll make it even better,” Leonora states, leaning closer. There’s no room for disagreement.
Clarissa has unshed tears in her eyes when the vampire bites down again, satiating her thirst with blood from a fresh wound, and the feeling of pleasure threatens to drown her. Clarissa can’t keep doing this, she needs—
She reaches to cover her mouth to stop herself from expressing herself. Clarissa couldn’t possibly ask that. Leonora moves quickly, capturing her wrist as if she senses her intentions.
“I need to hear you.” The vampire coaxes softly, and she stops thinking. Her eyelashes flutter as she registers the demand.
“Nora— please? Please—“ She begs breathlessly, and soon the knee is back. She sags against the bed in relief, this time determined to finish before the redhead decides to pull another cruel trick.
The vampire mutters her approval of Clarissa’s actions, low encouraging words that make her head spin. Leonora tells her not to cover her mouth, so she doesn’t. Leonora tells her to tug hard on red hair, so she does. Leonora tells her to grind harder— faster, so she does.
Leonora’s name is a mantra— a prayer on her lips. She pleads for relief, and soon her prayers are answered.
It becomes too much, far too soon, and Clarissa gasps out. The fragile thread holding her back from relief snaps as the vampire smiles, nose buried in her neck. “You did so good, Love.” Clarissa revels in the soft, comforting words spoken against her skin. Love. Her heart thumps at the word. Does she mean it?
Leonora hums contently, lips finding new locations of interest as she nuzzles into Clarissa’s neck. Clarissa, however, is in a much more frazzled state. Shaking and dazed by the waning waves of pleasure as she tries to catch her breath. It takes her a minute to recover her senses, but the vampire still hasn’t stopped her attentive actions.
Leonora is no longer sucking, and no longer biting, instead placing gentle kisses wherever she pleased. For a second, Clarissa considers basking in the afterglow, but reality sets in quickly. Why hadn’t she just told her beforehand? Now she’s gone and…
This isn’t real to Leonora. None of it is. She squeezes Leonora’s hand, wondering how. How could she mistake the time they’ve spent together as a dream? How cruel would it be to wake her up?
“Clarissa?” Leonora’s voice breaks her out of her melancholy thoughts. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just a bit— it’s not something I do in front of… anyone,” Clarissa admits, and she feels Leonora laugh silently against her chest.
“Oh. Then I’m special.” The vampire says, pressing a kiss to Clarissa’s tender neck. Her pulse flutters in response. Is that a permanent affliction? “How special do I have to be to touch?”
“I give you an inch, and you take a mile.” Clarissa snorts, a soft smile on her face. A minute. She can cling to this for that long, then…
“You’re the only woman I’d go a mile for. I might even cross a river for you.” Clarissa laughs at the absurd statement.
“A river?”
“A river,” Leonora repeats, somehow sounding even more serious the second time. “Who knows how many more of these I will have anyway, Princess?”
“How many more of these—?” Clarissa cuts herself off. Now's the time. She can’t wait a second longer.
“… dreams.” The redhead whispers fondly.
“Leonora, this isn’t a dream,” Clarissa admits as seriously as she can. She cups the vampire’s cheek and looks her in the eye to make sure it sinks in.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m really Clarissa. You’re in my room. In my bed. This isn’t a dream. It never was.”
“This is a dream. It has to be because if it's not…”
Clarissa can practically feel Leonora withdrawing. “This is happening. It's been happening for months now.”
“Months?”
This was going over just as well as Clarissa expected.
“Only since that day I offered—“
Leonora’s eyebrows furrow. “Months?” She repeats disbelievingly. “Why the— why didn’t you say something to me?! Anything?!”
“I’d appreciate it if you lowered your voice. There’s no need to yell.” Clarissa says placatingly.
“I have every reason to yell, Clarissa.” Despite the response, Leonora lowers her tone. There isn’t an ounce of calm to be found in that whisper. “I’ve been attacking you for months, and you’re only saying something now.”
“You did not attack me.” Clarissa clarifies swiftly. “You came for my blood, which I had already offered you by the way, and then you left. No harm, no foul.” And certainly no reason to overreact. Why didn’t Leonora trust herself? “My only regret is that you didn’t know. I— I should have said it the moment you walked in here but—“
“But I promised I wouldn’t get upset, didn’t I? So much for that.” Leonora scowls.
“It’s not your fault.” Clarissa should have told her sooner. “Leonora, I truly didn’t know you thought you were dreaming this whole time.”
When Clarissa reaches out, Leonora pulls away, planting her feet firmly on the floor and turning her back. “You figured it out this morning, didn’t you? You should have told me the second you realized, Clarissa!”
Clarissa opens her mouth to reply, but… it’s true. “I barely understood it myself. And I didn’t have any evidence. I thought I might have imagined it altogether.” She moves to sit beside Leonora, yet the woman still doesn’t look at her. “And then I didn’t want to upset you,” she admits softly. “I felt guilty. Like I should have realized sooner. It's just…”
She was happily blind until the truth was too glaring to ignore.
“You seemed so aware, especially when you were talking to me. And asking me for… things.” At the mention of talking, Leonora runs a frustrated hand through her hair.
“Things?” Leonora frowns. “To kiss you? To touch you? I treated you like you weren’t real. Like you were just a—“
“No.” Clarissa shakes her head. She places her hand gently on top of Leonora’s for comfort. “You must know that I—“
“I have to go. I need some space.” Leonora jerks away from the contact and walks away, but she pauses right in front of the door. “Clarissa, if I come back to you at night, I need you to deny me.”
“What? No.”
“This isn’t up for debate!”
She stands frantically, confused at the demand. “I will not refuse you, Leonora. I could never—”
“You can and you will.” Leonora retorts, giving her a stern look. That might work on her students, but Clarissa is no easily frightened child. “I will no longer be risking your life for my wants.”
“Your health has been getting better. You have been getting better.” Clarissa approaches the vampire calmly. “Ever since you started feeding from me, you’ve been more energetic and focused. You haven’t even been complaining about your headaches. You don’t stare off into the distance—“
“My health is none—“
“It is my concern! I care about you, Leonora. About your health, and your wellbeing, and your happiness.” Her voice cracks at the last word. Leonora doesn’t say anything, but she does reach out, cupping Clarissa’s face in her hand. Her finger glows purple, and Clarissa feels a flush of magic across her skin. Leonora lets her go in the next instant. It's so abrupt, so… cold.
But Leonora had healed her, magicking the wounds off her skin. Clarissa inhales sharply as Leonora meets her eyes with an ice-hard gaze. “If I come to you again, deny me, " she repeats. When she leaves, the door slams behind her hard enough to shake the wall.
Clarissa stands stunned for a few seconds before she sits defeatedly on the edge of her bed. “Stubborn as a mule.” She mutters under her breath.
She hopes Leonora heard that.
As predicted, Leonora stops her nightly visits and absolutely refuses to speak on the topic. Aside from reminding Clarissa to send her away if she shows up unexpectedly. On that point, they’ll never agree. More than that, they’ll probably never agree again.
Leonora starts to avoid her. It’s not obvious, but it’s a far cry from their previous interactions. They don’t have private conversations anymore. Any message Leonora needs to deliver is related to their work and sent by a third party. The vampire refuses to be alone in a room with her. It stings.
If Leonora doesn’t want to feed from her, that’s fine, but was all this really necessary? To go so far as to avoid her presence…
Perhaps a simple apology would not suffice.
But Leonora doesn’t want an apology. She wants Clarissa to start avoiding her in kind. She wants Clarissa to arm herself against an attack, one she is not fearful of.
Silver jewelry, poison, a knife? All the while, Leonora’s pallor is getting worse. And when confronted, the vampire strikes a devastating blow.
She’s going to drink from someone else.
“There are animals in the forest, though I hate to stoop so low.” Leonora says flippantly. “And there are people in the village since apparently my stores are no longer sufficient.”
“People?” Clarissa had repeated it incredulously because it was unbelievable. It wasn’t a desire for human blood that rattled Leonora. It was the desire for Clarissa’s blood. Leonora just didn’t want to drink her blood anymore.
And again, it stings. Far worse than any bite Leonora had bestowed upon her. Leonora had sang her praises just a week prior, but now she was no longer worth a passing glance.
Apparently, Clarissa was frail, dainty, and in need of protection. Ironic, considering Leonora looked like a stray wind might blow her away. She leaves, no longer wanting to bother with the frustrating vampire, and her feet lead her directly to Emma’s classroom.
“There’s another woman. In the village.” Clarissa says as she confides in her friend.
“She hasn’t gone to the village yet.” Emma points out, but it hardly matters.
“But she will. She’s going to find someone there and—“ do everything with them that she was doing with me. The thought causes a pit of dread to fill up in her stomach.
“Isn’t it just good that she’s drinking from someone? Even if it’s not you.” Yes, the answer comes unbidden.
Clarissa purses her lips in silent protest. As long as Leonora was healthy, that’s really all that should matter, but…
“I suppose you’re right.” Maybe this is what they needed for things to go back to normal. It just felt… heavy. Like she lost a battle, she didn’t even get a chance to fight.
She catches Leonora upon her return from town. The vampire’s face is smeared with blood; her lips, her chin, it’s dripping down her neck. Her shirt is practically drenched in it. Upon the sight of her, Leonora freezes, licking her lips.
“You ate,” Clarissa says, stating the obvious with a soft exhale.
“Yes.”
“How—” Clarissa closes her eyes as she asks, the bitter taste of jealousy clogging her throat. “How do you feel?”
“Better.”
That makes one of them. She presses her lips together before brushing past the vampire, not saying a word more.
There was nothing else to be said. Leonora had made a decision, and Clarissa had to accept it.
A vampire visits the school for good and evil two weeks later. Antoinette is her name, or Anty for short, and that’s all Clarissa manages to get out of her before Leonora guides her away to talk business. Whatever that meant.
Clarissa runs into Antoinette again right before the brunette takes her leave. Clarissa is polite, but she’s also curious enough to extend an invitation for a more private meeting. The offer is accepted without hesitation.
“Blood?”
“A few moons worth of it.” Fortunately, merchants have no restrictions on speaking about clients. “Animal blood, to be more precise.”
But why? “What about the blood she already has in storage?”
“I’m taking those off her hands, actually,” Anty replies with a simple shrug. ”Seems to me that human blood no longer suits her.”
That couldn’t be right. Not with the way Leonora had returned from the village all those weeks ago. She still didn’t know who—
Clarissa shakes her head, intent on not focusing on that matter. It always seems to cause her frustration.
“So… what’s going on between you and the big bad wolf?” Anty asks curiously as she leans forward in her seat.
It wasn’t hard to figure out who she was talking about. “Nothing.” Not anymore, at least.
“I find that hard to believe. She warned me away from you pretty good earlier.” The woman replies, and Clarissa feels a rush of surprise. “And you are far too curious about her business for nothing to be going on.”
“Something was, but… there’s nothing now. She went to town. Found someone else.” The flare of jealousy and anger that rolls through her is still hard to get used to. Clarissa isn’t accustomed to feeling so possessive but it was hard not to be.
“But you want her back.” The very prospect has Clarissa focusing her full attention on the brunette. Had she made it too obvious? Was it wrong of her to go to a third party to see if there was another way in? If so, it’s too late to back down now.
“Yes.” Clarissa admits with a shallow huff. “That’s not what she wants, though.”
“You’re all she wants.” Anty chuckles behind a closed fist. “I asked about you just to see how she’d react. She may not have claimed you, but in her head, you’re hers.”
“Claimed?”
“Normal bites will fill your system with a paralytic cocktail popularly known as venom. The mark will disappear within a few days.“ Paralytic cocktail? She must be talking about the venom. But its not numbing to Clarissa, it just makes her feel… tingly. Floaty. The special ingredient that makes her hormones skyrocket as if they weren’t high enough already. Clarissa focuses on the woman’s words, trying to make them stick. This is important, all of it. “A claim is different. Permanent. It’ll never go away and every vampire that sees you will know better than to touch.”
“I see.” Clarissa ponders this revelation quietly. So Leonora might still be interested; she still has a chance. She narrows her eyes. “You said you had an idea.”
“A bad one, yeah. But—“ Anty squints, nodding to herself. “Well, you seem desperate enough.”
Insulting? Yes. True? Also yes.
“What is it?” She asks without even a second of forethought.
“If you were to get some venom in your veins from someone else… well. She’ll probably come running.”
“But would she stay?”
“I think that’s a chance you’re just going to have to take.”
It really is a bad idea. No doubt about it. But what is an adventure in love without risk?
“Would you do it?” Clarissa asks. To her immense fortune or future regret, Anty nods.
Hopefully, this decision wouldn’t come to bite her in the—
The first words out of Leonora’s mouth when she invades Clarissa’s office are—
“Did she bite you?”
“Pardon me?” Clarissa blinks at the abrupt entrance. Leonora, on the other hand, is doing nothing to clarify her request. Instead, she snaps her finger, causing the doors and windows to close. The curtains shut soon after, and Leonora stalks forward angrily.
“Did. She. Bite. You?”
Stall. Clarissa should stall. “Why do you ask?”
“Why don’t you just give me an answer?” Leonora demands. Interesting how the vampire suddenly has time for her. This is the first time they’ve been alone in a room together in weeks, and the woman is furious.
Leonora is standing right in front of her now, stiff and tense, and Clarissa feels a pang of guilt. Clarissa wanted her back, yes, but perhaps making her this angry was… a terrible idea. Just like Anty had said. “She did. Yesterday evening after our chat.”
“Chat?” Leonora laughs. It doesn’t sound like a humorous kind of laugh though with its sharp edge. “What did you talk about?”
“Uhhh…” There was no correct answer to that question. Leonora stares and Clarissa? Clarissa maintains eye contact as best she can. It’s far too late to back down.
“Where did she bite you?”
Clarissa crosses her arms and shakes her head, not responding to the question. Leonora wouldn’t be able to tell either. The gold-laced cream dress Clarissa is wearing today has full coverage.
“Let me see it.” And where were her manners?! Who was she to make demands without even a proper greeting?
“I don’t think this is an appropriate location to start undressing,” Clarissa says as she decides to be just as difficult.
“The door is locked.”
“Let me clarify: I’m not going to undress.” The level of agitation the vampire projects has Clarissa’s heart racing with a mixture of fear and excitement.
“Clarissa…” Leonora frowns. The woman is radiating tension. “Let me see it. Now.”
“No.” Clarissa refuses to crumble at her demands. Leonora quickly realizes that and she sighs, shoulders stooping as she practically deflates. “Please.”
Clarissa could swear she had misheard. Her vacant stare must say the same because Leonora says it again.
“Please.” The redhead repeats. Clarissa reaches out for her, cupping the woman’s soft cheek with her palm. A second later, Leonora cradles her hand, holding it there. The most contact they’ve had in weeks. She decides to agree because she can feel tears welling up in her eyes.
“Okay.” She nods as she performs her own feat of magic. A simple transformation spell. When her finger glows, she imagines herself in new attire. An off-shoulder dress with no sleeves, a formal updo, and no necklace. She didn’t want Leonora to think she was hiding more than one.
Leonora’s gaze is piercing. She glances over her thoroughly and Clarissa’s skin warms at the focused attention. The vampire cups her chin, guiding it upward to make certain that there is no mark to be found on her neck.
When Leonora doesn’t spot a bite mark she looks lower, glaring at Clarissa’s dress skirt as if that would allow her to see through it. She couldn’t possibly think— Clarissa ends the charade by offering the vampire her wrist, who frowns upon the sight of the partially healed bite.
Leonora glowers at the proffered limb, tugging it upwards until their bodies are pressed together. Her green irises are tinged red, and Clarissa is breathless at the sight. Beautiful. But deadly. Entirely worth the risk.
“You did this because I refuse to drink your blood?” Leonora demands. And she’s angry. Again.
“What makes you think this has anything to do with you?” Clarissa’s replies with a frustratingly false bravado. It does, though. It has everything to do with her.
Leonora scoffs. “Be serious. Do you not understand the danger you put yourself in? I need you to be— she doesn’t care about you! What were you thinking?”
“I just…” ‘I wanted you to be as jealous as I was when you returned from the village with another woman’s blood on your lips.’ She thinks to herself, but Clarissa couldn’t say that. Couldn’t admit to being so petty and spiteful and jealous. It’s so unlike her. “It doesn’t matter what I was thinking. It happened, Leonora. Besides, you don’t want my blood. You made that clear enough.” Unless something’s changed, she challenges silently with a glare. Leonora scowls, looking away. “Why does it matter what I do with it?”
“I don’t want anyone drinking your blood, Clarissa.” Leonora backed her into the desk, eyes filled with intense frustration. Clarissa remained calm, though. She was not afraid at all.
“Well… it’s not up to you, is it?” Clarissa responds primly. Her statement is followed by a few seconds of tense silence.
“You’re right.” Leonora agrees pensively. Her sudden calm is… off-putting. “But it should be.”
She quickly understands why.
When Leonora kisses her, it’s not soft or gentle. It’s rough, possessive, and demanding. Clarissa relishes in it. She barely notices when she ends up sitting on her desk, Leonora having swept away any obstacles with an indiscriminate hand.
A fang slices her bottom lip, and Clarissa feels the vampire shudder against her. Leonora flicks her tongue along the wound just once, before capturing her bottom lip fiercely.
When Leonora pulls away, she makes a stunning claim.
“Clarissa, if I bite you again, I don’t think I’d be able to let go. Is that something you’re willing to risk?” Leonora’s lips brush softly against the shell of her ear as she speaks. “Your life on my whims?” Yes.
“Yes.” She repeats aloud as she looks Leonora in the eyes. The dark red pools are nearly hypnotic, though they flicker with hesitation. “I trust you. Bite me.”
Not a second is wasted between her statement and Leonora’s actions. The vampire sinks her teeth into the junction between Clarissa’s neck and throat.
For once, it burns. Clarissa gasps, clinging to Leonora like a lifeline. The vampire bites down even harder, latching onto her with intent.
She’s used to a light tingle, a certain amount of numbing, simple, blissful hazy feeling. None of that happens. Leonora doesn’t even take a second to drink.
“Leonora?” At the sound of her voice, the vampire releases her. It’s tender, almost apologetic— the kiss that’s placed on the wound. That doesn’t take away from the unexpected pain, though.
Before Clarissa can question this, Leonora distracts her with another kiss. It’s soft. Gentle. A far cry from the last one. The taste of her own blood is sweet on the vampire’s tongue. That can’t be normal. Not at all.
“We’re not finished.” Leonora’s mumbles against her lips. She hears something tear a flutter of fabric down her back. Her dress suddenly feels far looser than before. Did she just—?
Leonora is breathing heavily against her neck leaving tender kisses in her wake. Clarissa is far less tender with her actions. She rips off Leonora’s jacket, her tie, her top. The distant sound of buttons clinking on the floor make a symphony.
Clarissa had said she wasn’t going to undress in her room, and if she couldn’t keep that promise, then she wouldn’t be alone.
She relishes in it though, the cool temperature of Leonora’s skin as she tugs her closer. It felt familiar. It felt right. She had missed it so much.
The next bite is upon her left breast, right above her heart. Her pulse pounds distantly in her head as Leonora’s hand snakes under her dress.
Clarissa tilts her head back as she twists Leonora’s hair in her hands. The vampire drinks shallowly from the second wound. Almost as quickly as she starts, she stops, pulling away.
Their eyes lock, and suddenly, Leonora looks uncertain. Fearful.
“What are you thinking?” Clarissa asks as she holds Leonora tighter. It’s a bad omen. She feels that with clarity.
“I just— I shouldn’t have—“ Leonora stutters before finding her voice. “I’m sorry.” Sorry? Clarissa’s brows raise to her hairline. An apology out of Lady Lesso? Entirely unheard of.
Leonora grabs Clarissa’s hands as she steps out of reach and drops the contact half a second later.
She then disappears like a ghost. Clarissa can only balk at the sudden turnaround. She glances over the room frantically, but the vampire is nowhere in sight. The door is still closed, as is the window. Where had she gone? How could she—
As the haze of lust dissipates, Clarissa remembers her attire.
“Oh no.”
Her corset strings are ripped, the side of her dress torn, not to mention her—
Her underwear?
“Leonora Lesso!” She shouts angrily, but only the heavens can hear her wrath. The vampire is long gone.
In the darkness of the night, it’s hard not to think about Leonora.
Clarissa sighs, rolling over. As soft and comfortable as her bed is, she can’t sleep.
That woman. So frustratingly headstrong and determined to treat Clarissa as if she were made of glass. How could she express her desires so clearly and pointedly, then turn tail and run?
The bite above her collar heals and fades like all the others. The one on her breast? It doesn’t go away. Not after an hour, not after a day, and not after a week. All the ones prior had mostly disappeared within three days. This one seems content to stay,
And worst—
Worst of all, Lady Lesso was still avoiding her. Oh sure you could say it was a coincidence that she froze with guilt upon the sight of Clarissa then disappeared around the corner. She can barely get a peek at the woman, forget asking about the bite mark. Infuriating.
Clarissa sighs, rolling over once more. She’s restless, once again too lost in her thoughts to sleep.
Clarissa just needs answers or closure, at the very least. And most of all, she wants her friend back. She misses her.
She misses their conversations, both friendly and not. She misses Leonora’s sharp wit and knowing smile. She misses just being with her.
At this point, she’s just at a loss.
Clarissa would never bother her about blood again if that’s what it took to get her back. She rolls again, landing on her stomach with another sigh.
There’s too much adrenaline, too much energy pumping through her veins. Rest isn’t an option, she soon realizes. Truly, the only way out of this mess was through it.
Her desperation for answers leads her to do something foolish.
Truthfully, it’s almost alarming how easy it is to break into Leonora’s rooms. To anyone else, reaching the high ledge would be a trail, but Clarissa can fly when its convenient.
She just doesn’t stick the landing as well as she should have. Thankfully the balcony door is open, so after struggling to her feet and brushing the dirt off her gown as she tiptoes inside.
It’s dark in Leonora’s room. Not a single candle light to guide her way, but the glow of her finger helps. She finds Leonora’s bed in the middle of the room, the vampire resting upon it as still as a rock.
Her finger glows brighter as she sighs.
“Clarissa?” Leonora blinks disbelievingly, though Clarissa knows her eyes have no trouble adjusting to the dark. The vampire chuckles. “Great. Now I’m hallucinating.”
“Oh, no. I’m actually here.” Clarissa feels an odd sense of Deja vu that she shakes away.
“… why on earth— no. Why the hell are you here!?” Leonora asks, jerking upward. She doesn’t get far with the chain around her wrist, only managing to sit completely upright.
“Why are you chained up? Who did this?” The light cast in the room is low, but from this distance, Clarissa can see an angry red marking on the woman’s skin. Allergy to the silver, no doubt.
“I did this. For safety reasons.” The vampire grumbles a bit under her breath, far too low to hear, but the language is clearly agitated.
“I see…” a failsafe in case she started sleepwalking again. All because Clarissa refused to agree to her terms. “I shouldn’t have pushed you. About drinking my blood, I mean. It was rude of me.” She says as she settles herself on the far end of the bed.
“Have you finally realized that you don’t actually want me drinking your blood?”
“No.” Clarissa shakes her head. “That’s far from the truth. I just felt— irritated. Especially after you went to the village.” Because Leonora clearly felt that there was someone out there better for her.
“Do you still feel it?”
“Yes.”
“Then I suppose we’re even.” Leonora huffs, flexing her fingers. “After that stunt you pulled with my supplier.”
“Oh. Anty.”
“Anty?” Comes Leonora’s incredulous response. Her eyes narrow into a chilling glare. “Call her Antoinette, no— Miss Knight. Actually, never make eye contact with her again.” Never offer her your blood again, went unsaid. Clarissa clears her throat, desperate to get back to the topic at hand.
“I just want things to go back to normal. Please stop avoiding me. I’ll never bring it up again. I’ll even—“ Clarissa pauses, licking her lip before forcing the words out. This concession spelt the end of her blood donation days. “I’ll even drink the potion if that’s what it takes.”
“You would do that?” Clarissa nods, a slight grimace on her face. She wouldn’t like it, but she would do it.
“…If that’s what it takes.” She repeats with a pang of disappointment. She would miss the feedings. She knows she will, but the loss of Leonora wasn’t worth it.
“Thank you for saying that,” Leonora says after a few seconds of pensive silence.
“You’re welcome,” Clarissa says, shifting awkwardly on the duvet.
“I’ll stop avoiding you,” Leonora says, and Clarissa feels the weight on her shoulders evaporate away.
“I just feel… I’m sorry. When I bit you last time…” Leonora trails off.
“You claimed me,” Clarissa finishes, and the vampire’s gaze flickers to her guiltily.
“I didn’t mean to— well… I meant to. I shouldn’t have done it, though.”
“I said it was alright.”
“But you didn’t know. And even now, you’re understanding. I don’t get it.” Didn’t she know, though? She presses her lips together. Maybe it was best not to bring up Anty again.
“Get what?”
“You offer me your blood, and your time, and your attention. You worry about me. You’re mad at me when I make unhealthy choices. I don’t understand why you care about me, Clarissa. Especially when it’s not in your best interest.”
Clarissa frowns. ‘Her best interest.’ Isn’t it in her best interest that someone she cares about is healthy?
“I just don’t… what do you get out of this?”
“I told you,” Clarissa says, playing with one of the curls on her shoulder. “I like you.”
“Enough to deal with my jealous streak? Because unless I can find a way to undo that mark, it’s…” Permanent. Well that answered that question.
“You were already jealous. That’s why you did it in the first place, right?”
“…right.”
“It’s alright. I get jealous, too.” That day Leonora returned from the village comes to mind, and she frowns, making herself a bit more comfortable.
“You get jealous?” Leonora asks disbelievingly, and Clarissa blushes.
“Yes.” She remembers quite vividly. “When you told me you were going to the village to find a human to drink from, I was… upset. It took Emma reminding me that it was good you were drinking anyone’s blood at all that it simmered down. But…”
“But?”
“When I saw you that night it all came back.” Clarissa fiddles with the fabric of her nightgown. “Just… I thought of you doing with them what we did together.”
Did Leonora kiss them, too? Did she cuddle them? Call them pretty and say their blood was the best thing she ever tasted? She wishes she could say the thought didn’t bother her.
Leonora stares at her blankly for all of three seconds before her eyes widen. “No! I didn’t—“ she jerks up, only to immediately be pulled back by her chain. “Clarissa, I swear I didn’t— I bit someone, yes. But I couldn’t even stomach her blood. It ended up in the dirt.” She explains hurriedly.
“So, whose blood…?” Clarissa trails off, but Leonora understands the unfinished question well enough to answer. Vaguely.
“Dear, you don’t want to know the details.” Well, maybe that was for the best. It had been a lot of blood. Perhaps Leonora was being kind by sparing her that information. But knowing that it wasn’t something more was incredibly reassuring.
“Oh.” She says with a soft, relieved exhale. “So there was nothing…”
“One bite, Clarissa, and I swear I regret it,” Leonora says before giving her an assessing look. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Your one bite from her. Do you regret it?” Oh. Does she?
“… I regret that I upset you.” But if Anty had never bitten her, Leonora might have ignored Clarissa until the end of time. “ She told me that if she bit me, then you would come back. “
“She was right.”
“And wrong.” Clarissa can’t help but sigh at the turn of events. Yes, Leonora had come back to her, but she also disappeared in practically the same breath. A quick-fix method that didn’t actually address any of the problems beneath the surface.
“How did it feel?”
“How did what feel?”
“When she bit you.” Leonora clarifies. “How did it feel when she bit you?”
“Numb. I didn’t feel much of anything really.” The vampire looks relieved by the answer.
“How did it feel when I bit you?”
“… warm. In all the best ways.” She admits. It takes a minute for her words to settle between them, but when Leonora stares at her in adoration, she blushes. Was that too earnest?
“Clarissa, I’ll hold you, and kiss you, and we can lavish each other in affection,” Leonora says, holding out her free hand, which Clarissa leans forward to take. “And if you’re still willing to feed me, I’ll drink from you.”
Clarissa almost doesn't believe it. What had changed from the moment Clarissa had snuck in here to the moment Leonora decided that she did want this? As far as Clarissa can tell, nothing. A conversation? An apology? Clarissa admitting she was jealous?
Or was it just acceptance that bridged the gap between them? Did it matter? Should she ask?
“I am,” Clarissa says, smiling softly. That hasn’t changed at all. She lays down, curling up beside Leonora as she hugs her waist. They could talk about that tomorrow, “… but this chain has to go. I need a proper cuddle.”
Leonora snorts in agreement. “Sunrise. Can you wait that long?”
“For you?” Clarissa smiles. “I’d wait an eternity.”
She had waited this long, after all.