First Date (cont.) - Garage Apartment

As before, the car ride was relatively short. Once the two had arrived at the garage, Chase turned the car off, got out and once again opened her door for her.

"Lead the way, madam."

The blond got out of the car and walked with him around to the back of the building and up the stairs to the apartment door. A pair if keys were produced from her purse and the door pushed open.
She stepped inside first, leaning over to undo the straps of her high heels. Since honestly, high heels weren't so comfortable that any sane woman would wear them around her own house when not needed to.
"Since it would seem you can ingest normal nourishment, would you like something to drink?" Leo asked, as the shoes were places aside and the clutch chucked onto the small table in the hallway while she moved into the living room that opened into the kitchen area.

The place was tidy, clean, only having a few personal effects here and there, but no pictures. What he would find though was a doberman-german shepherd mix sleeping on the couch as they walked in. One which lifted its head as the two entered, sniffing the air and watching Chase curiously.

"You wouldn't happen to have any gin, would you?" He asked as he presented the dog with his hand to sniff.

The dog, appearing somewhat used to Kindred, gave him a bit of a look. But seeing as Leo was calm enough, sniffed the man's hand and let out a low "humpf" sound that only a dog could ever manage and went back to laying down. Though, with his eyes open now. Watching.

"I'm afraid I don't, sorry" the girl apologized, walking over to a small cabinet and sitting down on her haunches to open it and look through the bottles. "I got some whiskey, brandy, some cognac.." she seemed to be going through the small stock of liquor bottles. "Red and white?"

"No, thank you. I'm partial to gin. I have to be in a mood for whisky and Brandy is more of a social thing," he said as he walked slowly towards her.

His fingertips gently brushed over the tattoo of a swallow on her left should as he asked, "Did you get this after you first came to America?"

The shiver was involuntarily, she was aware of it and yet cursed herself int he back of head for it.
"I got it when I was eighteen. My uncle took me to see New York. I'd been in the country a couple of years by then" she said as she stood up, though she didn't turn to face him right away, since that would make looking at the tattoo kind of difficult.
"It was a good memory. Of the trip and a symbol of freedom" she threw a brief glance over her shoulder at him and smiled. "sounds silly now though, all things considered" you know, blood, vampires, all that stuff.

Chase smiled softly, "No, it doesn't sound silly. Freedom is something I've always fought for."

He gave a momentary pause as he said, "Why did you shiver, just now?"

She looked away, though, she seemed to still be smiling.
"A couple of reasons. One, you" his powers, regardless of the fact that she recognized them, made her feel a certain way. "Two, the blood" which meant anything he made her feel was sort of amplified. He knew that though, didn't he?
"It's nothing, really" she knew how to control it and deal with it.
Self control and willpower, they were wonderful things.

"Tell me something, Leona; if I were to treat you well, and keep treating you well, would you ever even know that the Entrancement was gone?"

He smiled softly.

"I'd know. My own feelings aren't so... vivid" she said with a quiet smile, still without turning around. "I'd prefer it that way. I prefer liking someone because my heart feels it" and quite frankly she'd been forced into feeling this way about someone in the past and hated it. There were some things she preferred not feeling at all.
"You didn't have to, you know? Chances are you could've just talked to me instead.." of making her feel this way. Which was, at the moment, making things a bit difficult given a few circumstances he wasn't privy to.
"But, it's okay. Really it is. I can handle this" she just needed to remind herself that no, it wasn't love even if that's what her head kept trying to convince her. Bloody vampires and their powers. "I'm not unreasonable. I'd be grateful to..." be treated with some dignity. But, she didn't know him. Not at all. And Kindred were such good liars, so she'd experienced.

"Had I known, before, the fact that you were already bound to someone that knowledge would have necessitated my use of Entrancement. You would not be the first person who I've taken from a neglectful Domitor. My own childe was once a Toreador ghoul, as was another of my current employees. Sadly, for a clan which espouses to be so very close to humanity, the Toreador often grow tired of their mortal companions. As a result I do, truly, hope that your Domitor is not a Toreador."

"My reason, however, for using my gift upon you was two fold. The first is that, in my belief that you were a normal person, it provides a level of security to the Masquerade and lessens the shock when the truth comes. The second, in knowing that you are under the blood of another and that she may not return for some time, it prevents another Kindred, a potentially more cruel Kindred, from using it upon you and thus worsening your lot in life. Does that make sense?"

As he spoke, there was an air of kindness about him, his voice was soft, almost appologetic in some ways. But he believed she deserved a Domitor that would at least show her some degree of interest and compassion.

The blond turned around, simply rotating in place where she was so she could look up at him, even if she had to tilt her head back slightly to do so at this distance.
"Miss Williams is Toreador..." she smiled softly. "But a kind one. At least she never threw me out when I became boring or dull. Unlike the one who took me into this life.." who had, quite easily dismissed her as soon as something better came along. "She's only tried to give me a life after it was taken away from me, but, she never had a real use for me" meaning she was mostly just there.

"Unless you turn out false like others though... you are right... it's better to have this feeling tied to someone who wouldn't mistreat me. Though I've yet to get to know you, and Kindred speak such pretty words when they want something" so pretty, and so sweet...
"Why would you want me? You don't know me. You don't know what I can do. I'm just another face in the crowd, Chase..." the girl smiled softly. "What would you have me do for you? In return for your kindness..?"

His hand gently touched her cheek as he looked down at her. He smiled softly as he said, "I am a liar, I am a thief, and I am a cheat. But I swear to you, I will never lie to you, I will never steal from you, and I will never cheat you. And all I ask for in return is your honesty, your skill, and your companionship."

His smile broadened slightly as he added, "Not necessarily in that order."

She watched him closely, gray green eyes trying to determine the truth. Though with the Entrancement clouding her mind, it was made all the more difficult. So she asked the one question she knew she had to ask, because experience had taught her as much.
"Companionship...?" the blond said quiety, not moving, not pulling away from his touch, simply watching him. "What do you mean...?"

"Our lives, as you know, are very long. If we do not have people in our lives, people who can share our lives, we become... lonely, bored. As a result we fall to becoming monsters. I would rather share my life with people I trust and care about and I believe that you, my dear, are fast becoming one of those people."

Really, that was the best he could say without jumping the gun and possibly making an ass of himself.

Stupid powers, stupid blood... She was usually so good at keeping those blood enhanced desires under control. Because she had to. But he'd made that very, very difficult by having taken the first step through use of his powers.
So she didn't answer, not right away anyways as she continued to look up at him, unafraid to meet his gaze as if somehow, if she stared long enough, she would be able to get all the answers she needed.
Answers, and hope he didn't notice the involuntary increase in heart beat.

His hand still gently touched her cheek. For a Kindred as old and as powerful as he was, it must have seemed a feather light touch. He smiled softly as he said, "I fear maybe I've stumbled into the deep end of the emotional ocean..."

"Depends" came the honest answer. "If you want my friendship then give me time, and if your promises keep true you'll have it. If you want me physically" fuck it, blunt beat discreet when she just needed to know. "Then tell me it's just sex. Tell me it's just want and desire... please?" she just didn't want sweet lies. Not again. Even if the question probably had her sounding incredibly self centered.

Six hundred plus year of seduction. That was his training. Regardless of the fact that he honestly cared and wanted to give her something... better, he knew that the long game was always the best to earn trust and build credibility.

He leaned in and kissed her. It wasn't hard and passionate, it wasn't full of lust and want for the taking. No, it was slow and sweet and it lingered, full of a unique passion. And when their lips parted from each other, his eyes still closed, he whispered to her, "You will have all the time you need."

Damn it..
Damn it...
Damn it....

He had no idea how long it had been...

The girl trembled briefly, her own eyes drifting shut as her hands lifted to rest on his chest.
"Please don't lie to me..." she whispered quietly against his lips, having returned the kiss with a small gasp.

He looked into her eyes, his own were dark, almost onyx in color as he said, just above a whisper, "I already told you, I will never lie to you. I have lived my entire unlife, and even before it by a code, Leona. I don't intend to start breaking it now."

"I'll break your knee caps if you do..." she said with a hint of a smile, trying to be funny in place of all the damn emotions he'd managed to stir up in her. "I'm a mean bastard with a wrench..."
If she got screwed over a second time...
Urg, she rather not think about it.

"Well then, that's all the more reason not to lie to you, now isn't it?" he said with a smile.

Leo nodded.
But no, she didn't move. She was already straining her willpower as it was so he would have to be the one to move.
"I guess... that means I'll work for you..." try it at least. It couldn't honestly be worse than past experiences. Right?

"I'm glad to hear it," he said with a soft smile as he gently caressed her cheek. Was he pausibly pushing those buttons on purpose?

Maybe...