111. Meeting (1/1)

bit ooc but here you go. prompt from redrachxo: chloe/bertrand - first meeting. takes place in the same universe as 'study'.

disclaimer: not mine.

"excuse me." chloe turned; she had to stop wandering around after dark on her own, it seemed to

ing out the weirdos. this man seemed well-spoken and neatly dressed, but that didn't mean he wasn't a psycho killer. still, it would do no harm to see what he wanted; he looked a little lost.

"can i help you?""i'm looking for... is there a hotel nearby? i'm new to the area, and i'd really like to have somewhere to stay by dawn.""funny way of phrasing it." her voice was casual, but her hand strayed towards her bag and the stake concealed inside it. well, it was a wedge doorstop, actually, but it was pointy and made of wood and she was sure it would do the job if it came to it. "what are you, a vampire or something?" if he wasn't, she could always pass it off as a joke."vlad said he'd mind-wiped everyone." the stranger seemed to realise his mistake. "i mean... yeah, a vampire, funny. a hotel, please?""you know vlad?"

she'd led him, in the end, down the main road to the travelodge just outside town, and used the phone there to tell her parents she was staying with a friend. she wasn't sure why she was trusting this vampire – bertrand, he'd told her his name was – but he hadn't killed her on the way here so she supposed he might not be too dangerous after all."why are you here, then?""vlad threw me out." she suspected there was more to that than he was letting on, but she didn't question it, too busy wondering if she could beat him to the door. she'd hoped he was a friend of vlad's, but... "he thought i was working against him. blood, i hope he's alright."

chloe peered at him anxiously; he seemed genuinely exhausted,

oken somehow."when was this?" she barely realised she was thinking out loud until he answered."three nights ago. i thought it best to make sure i wasn't followed. i'd hoped to find robin

anagh, but... i'm so tired.""he's my

other," chloe explained, "and he'd probably punch you. he was

oken up when vlad left, and then when the mind-wipe wore off..." bertrand nodded."he has that effect on people. though his mind-wipes have improved." he sighed. "you don't have to keep me company, you know. it's very kind of you, but-""but you probably want to sleep. sorry, i'll get out of your-""i just meant that you don't know me, and i'm a vampire. you should probably just leave me alone."

chloe liked to think of herself as a sensible girl. people often said she showed a wisdom far beyond her seventeen years. so, if anyone asked, she'd blame the late hour and vampiric charisma for what happened next. bertrand seemed as startled as she was to find her lips on his, her tongue probing; he opened his mouth to gasp in shock more than to give her access, but she took the opportunity to savour the taste of him. at last, he came to his senses and pulled away, and she hung her head apologetically."soy," she murmured, "i think i'm safe." there was silence, and she dared a glance up from beneath her eyelashes. bertrand was staring at her, fingers absent-mindedly tracing his own lips."...good," he managed at last, "it's nice to have someone to talk to."

she wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she stood and began fiddling with the tv in the corner; as she'd half-expected, he watched her as if she was landing a dragon on the moon, all wide-eyed awe and incomprehension."vampires, you just can't do technology, can you? here, this is how you work it." she handed him the remote and guided him through it, surprised when he switched it to a local news

oadcast and got her to show him how to mute it. "what's wrong with sound?""it would be rude to let the thing talk over you." she settled onto the small sofa – he'd got the best room they offered – beside him and shook her head."i'm not saying anything. no doubt you'll want to scope the place out." he hesitated, then turned the sound back on, her fingers

ushing over his on the remote as she reminded him how to do it.

by the time they'd reached the end of the main story, her head was on his shoulder and he was sitting as straight as he could, stiff as a board, clearly uncomfortable. she would move, any second, but her eyes were closing and she just needed a few more moments to gather her energy...

chloe woke that morning in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room. raising her head, she noticed that the tv had been turned off. she also spotted her shoes and coat by the door where she'd left them, and realised she was otherwise fully clothed. on the sofa sat a weary-looking vampire, head cushioned on his hands on the back of the seat. she glanced at her watch; she was going to be late for college if she didn't get home soon."bertrand?" it was the barest whisper, but he sat up as if she'd poked him with an electric cattle prod. "thank you. you should have taken the bed, it's yours." he blinked at her, and she wondered what vlad had been up to recently for bertrand to seem so bewildered by simple courtesy."you were tired.""so are you." she stood and retrieved her coat, slipping her shoes on as she spoke. "i've got to run. would it be ok if i came round again this evening? just to see how you're settling in." he nodded, frowning, and she couldn't resist holding her arms out for a hug. he granted her unspoken request as if in a daze, and she pecked him on the cheek for good measure. "i'll see you tonight, then. go to bed, bertrand."

she wasn't sure why she was taking such an interest – she wasn't robin, after all, vampires held no particular fascination for her – but she found herself ridiculously glad she'd run into that stranger in the dark. it wasn't as if she especially lacked friends, but she couldn't help thinking that bertrand du fortunesa was going to be among the very best of them.

the evening couldn't come fast enough.