Another day's work

Gerard stretched his long body as he felt a few spots pop in his back making him groan slightly. It was his passion to take pictures, but now it had also turned in to a job. He was just lucky that he had actually found a studio he could actually work out of. Of course it had to double as his home as well, as well as Xalvador's - when he was home at least. He grabbed his phone from the table, writing to his roommate to ask if he was even bothering to come home tonight. "Am I tiring you already, mister Castell?" the model spoke softly, her features beautiful to say the least. "Not at all, I just needed to check in with my roommate, that's all," he said with a professional smile on his face. Adjusting his back a little he walked back, standing in front of the canvas, fixing some lights around before snapping a few pictures.
It didn't take long before he heard the door unlock, sighing a bit as he reviewed some of the snapped photos. "That must be him," he said with an apologetic smile on his lips. He excused himself before walking out in to the hallway, leaning his side against the wall as he looked at his old friend, shaking his head a little. "Where were you last night?" he asked with a furrowed brow. He eyed the studio door, making sure his client wouldn't hear if they started fighting.

It wasnt unusual for Xalvador to just disappear for a few days. The most unusual was whatever would happen once he returned. Sometimes he had some scars that werent there before or a pretty gnarly wound that he wouldnt really want to talk about. There was only one rule when it came to being around Xalvador; Never ask about how he managed to get money on the table for the monthly rent. He had seen the message his roommate had sent him, but he just scoffed and let it be. Maybe he was, maybe he wasnt. A smile spread on his lip at that thought.
He did however end up going home anyway. A nice new scar along the cheekbone to the collection. He liked that part of himself, where he knew that other vampyres would look perfect down to the smallest detail, he was human enough to get scars, reminders that he was doing something meaningful, well he told himself that it was somewhat meaningful. The sight of Gerard made him smile as the demand to yesterday's whereabouts made him shrug, "Shit," he mumbled as he made his way through the hallway, straight to the kitchen where he grabbed a milk from the fridge. "Must have been some sort of bender, because I dont really remember having a naggy wife to come home to," he chuckled, opening the milk to realize he couldnt drink it anyway. Not because it didnt do anything, but somehow he had managed to catch a lactose intolerance at birth. "Is she hot?" he asked as he eyed the studio door, putting the milk back before he decided to just barge in on his own. "Dios mio, she issss," he confirmed with a few nods of approval.

Gerard sighed at his friend. They had grown up at the orphanage together, grown rather close, but some things were just always going to be secret between them. He followed him lazily to the kitchen, rolling his eyes at Xalvador's remark. "She's smart too if you were wondering," he said in a tired voice, rubbing his eyes a little. While his friend was rarely home, it seemed like Gerard never left the home because of work. "Listen, I know I'm not getting words out of you, but sometimes it would be nice with a heads up?" he said, blinking a few times, afraid he would soon fall asleep.
Eliza, the model, came in to the kitchen, looking at the two men. "Should I return another day to finish the work?" she asked, placing a hand on the seraph's arm. "No ... No don't worry, I am fully capable," Gerard said before narrowing his eyes at his friend. "I was just suggesting Xalvador here to join you in some pictures," he said, a smirk on his lips as he knew it would probably irritate the hybrid. Eliza let go of Gerard's arm, walking over to the newcomer, her eyes a mixture of green and brown as if it was a forrest. "Sounds interesting," she smiled.

"Pretty sure my head is down and out of sight, so I dont know how I'd give it up," he pondered as he scratched his cheek a little. He felt the new scar and felt the slight tickle from the nerve endings growing together all wrong. It would take some time to adjust. He noticed how the model was touching his friend, making him furrow his brows a little. A part of him also wanted an "easy job", getting to take pictures of women all day long, but he also knew that he knew nothing of cameras and how to make pictures look good. Gerard's suggestion made him shake his head, "You know how I feel about pictures," he mumbled, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the counter. "Besides, I wouldnt want to let you make a million off my beautiful face. You'd sell out in a second, I mean just look at me" he said, gesturing around his face with a prideful smile.

Gerard shook his head. His friend had a way of taking a simple phrase and turning it upside down. His client entered, making him straighten his back a little, but he remained rather relaxed. The seraph had a way of carrying himself that seemed almost effortless, even when he was more tired than good was.
"Well I think it's a shame that you're not taking advantage of that beautiful face," Eliza remarked, stepping closer to the hybrid. Her eyes studied him, looking at his features before turning around to look at Gerard. "I'll take the offer," she said with a charming smile, walking back towards the studio before looking over her shoulder at the hybrid. "Don't make me wait, handsome," she smiled before disappearing in to the other room.
Gerard sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. "Please ... She pays well," he said before following after the model. He just hoped that Xalvador actually would take up this offer, else it would probably ruin his chances of getting the client back again another time.

Her remark made Xalvador twitch his brows as he wasnt sure if she was joking or serious. He hadnt actually meant what he said, despite it coming off as prideful. He widened his eyes a little as she took up the offer that he was pretty sure he hadnt offered, looking at Gerard with a frown as she made her way towards the studio. He quickly looked at her and smiled in a polite way before he frowned at Gerard. "She pays well my ass! Hijo de puta (son of a bitch), I want to be paid well for this shit,"  he whispered a little sour but as Gerard left, he stood for a bit with an angered expression before he sighed in defeat and went into the studio. He sent Gerard a look that definitely said you owe me, before he once again smiled at the model like nothing was wrong. "I know nothing about modelling," he admitted, folding his hands in front of him to stand straight.

Gerard held his hands up, signing that he had no problem in doing so. He was setting up the lights as Xalvador finally decided to join them, making him feel more at ease. He felt a little bad for dragging his friend in to this, but alas it was how it was. The customer was always right, or so the saying went. "You'll be a natural," he promised with a warm smile on his lips. It was clear he needed to be optimistic while working, even though he was working himself to the bone.
Eliza smiled as the hybrid stepped in through the door. "Relax, take a deep breath," she said reaching out to take his hand, guiding him on to the set. "Do you dance? Or anything like that?" she asked. It was clear she wasn't condescending or even mean. She was actually rather genuine. Regardless of what he replied she would place his hand on her hip as she moved a bit closer to him. "Either way, you don't have to know the next steps, but you have to trust your partner," she explained as Gerard snapped a few shots. "Pretend that you hate her ... But that you still want her," he instructed, moving a bit around to find the perfect angle.  

He drew in a deep breath as she asked him to but it didnt really seem to do much, "Guess that's what works for normal people," he commented, to then flinch his brows at her question. He wasnt really sure what to reply because he wasnt really the type to dance. Sure he could swing his hips from side to side but that was about it. "Wow, okay okay" he exclaimed a little surprised as she placed his hand on her hip, hearing the clicker from the camera go off. He wasnt sure what Gerard meant but he tried doing that, but probably ended up looking more angry than wanting something. He couldnt hold the expression too as it softened up and he started laughing, which was more of a genuine expression. He shook his head, "Cant do this," he concluded, switching between the model's eyes as he let go of her hip. "What are these pictures even for?" he asked, scratching his neck.

He clearly wasn't comfortable, or at least not the way he seemed so surprised. "I'm not going to hurt you," she promised, not that she really could, he seemed rather strong. Judging by his scars however, she wondered if it was something to worry about if he could hurt her. As he pulled the expression, she matched one as well, however her expression seemed softer.
Gerard knew his friend quite well, and he could see he was actually trying. That was when the hybrid started laughing, letting go of the female. "Keep that," he mumbled, snapping a few pictures, but as he started to shake his head, Gerard lowered his camera. "What do you mean, you just had it," he encouraged him, walking closer.
Lifting her hand at Gerard, opting him to stay quiet, she looked at the hybrid. "I'm trying to break out of the stupid underwear modeling ... I want to do something else - that's why I'm here," she explained. "It's for my portfolio," she added, hoping it would explain. She looked over at Gerard, this time hoping he would step in to talk.
"You're always such a loudmouth, but where have that gone now?" the nephilim said. He sighed, shaking his head as he looked at Eliza with an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, Eliza, if he's not up for it I can't force him," he said, walking over to take the model's hand and guiding her away from Xalvador, unless he had decided to change his mind. Eliza looked genuinely hurt for a few seconds, frowning as she looked at Gerard. "I'll make it up to you, don't worry," he promised.

Even if the pictures had been good, Xalvador didnt feel quite in the element for it. The encouragement made him scoff, shrugging as he then looked at the model while she explained the whole reason for this. "I'd like to see that portfolio," he chuckled, but he wasnt actually serious. He was the kind of guy to say a bunch of shit but not actually mean it, especially when it came to flirting or seemingly acting like a womanizer. Gerard's remark made him open his mouth like he was offended. "I'm saving all that for later, just for you, mi amore" he protested, winking at his roommate before blowing him a soft kiss.
But as Gerard began to guide her away, he got an idea. "Wait, I'm not giving up just yet," he said before he went to pull off his jacket, revealing a more casual shirt underneath. He had a bunch of scars, especially down his arms, but he had gotten so used to them that he wouldnt think that they could be quite a mouthful to see. He gestured for her to get on his back, and if she did, he would start posing in a more casual manner, wanting to hit the vibe of a good time.

Gerard scoffed at his roommate's remark, chuckling under his breath, but trying to remain professional. It was just hard when they had known each other for so long and knew what made the other laugh. At one point Gerard had even had the biggest crush on him, but those emotions had to be packed away. "Yeah yeah," he mumbled under his breath. However he was quite surprised as the hybrid seemed to change his mind. Eliza smiled, watching carefully as she approached him, chuckling as he lifted her up on his back. Gerard chuckled, lifting his camera to snap a few shots. "Yes, Eliza, eyes here," he instructed.
Finishing up Gerard moved over to his computer, popping out his SD card from the camera and popping it in to the computer instead. With a few clicks they could see the raw photos, a few of them a bit blurry because they moved around, but the others were actually really good. "I told you you'd be a natural," he said, poking at Xalvador just for fun. He sighed, sitting down on his office chair with a small thump. He had a burning passion for his work, but he was also really tired at this point. "You've outdone yourself once more," Eliza said, placing a hand on Gerard's shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. She leaned down to get a better look at the screen. "I guess I owe you both dinner then," she chuckled.

Gerard let out a small incoherent sentence as he was lifted up, but it sounded more like a groan than anything. It was clear he had had every intend of staying up late until the photos were to his likings, but his friend had other ideas. He felt a bit like a prey animal, strung up over Xalvador's shoulders as if he had just been shot. He didn't do much fighting back, mostly because he was so tired. He was almost thrown on the bed, his lungs flattening out by the impact but he surely got air back in his system soon enough. "She'll be disappointed in me," he mumbled, his accent more pronounced now that he was tired. Gerard had come to the orphanage speaking nothing but french, and none of the staff seemed to know how to communicate with him. He had eventually had to learn english all by himself. "But she is beautiful, non?" he chuckled, turning over on his bed to look at him with drowsy eyes. "And if you keep flirting with her, she might stop taking an interest in me, mon ami," he whispered, hugging his pillow close to his body. It was clear he was rambling at this point, but Gerard always had a way with women. Perhaps it was his poetic nature or maybe his sensitive self that drew them in, nonetheless he never seemed to stay with one for too long.
"Will he be alright?" Eliza chuckled from the door. It was clear she had heard everything, but she didn't seem to mind. Her arms were crossed delicately across her chest, her hip pushed to one side, accentuating her features. Her hair she had let down, curly and a bit all over the place, giving her a bit of a wild look to her. "He always seems to exhaust himself and it worries me - but seeing you taking care of him does put my heart at ease," she remarked, moving over to sit on the bed beside Gerard, pushing his hair away from his forehead. The poor nephilim already half asleep, yet fighting for dear life to stay awake. "My driver won't be here for another few hours, would you mind if I stay?" she asked Xalvador, mostly because she didn't wish to intrude on his life.

He raised an eyebrow as Gerard seemed to ramble in his sleep. He ruffled up the curls and leaned down to kiss his hair; Just an old habit from back at the orphanage. "Yeah yeah, you get some sleep french casanova, the ladies will be there again tomorrow" he chuckled, only to freeze for a moment as Eliza's voice came from behind. He quickly turned and clearly wondered just how much she had heard of that. He then realized she had asked a question, looking back at Gerard before he shrugged. "For now sure. But if he keeps on this way, he'll find himself a way to an early grave, eh?" he chuckled, then her remark made him frown a little as he seemed to put on a more serious demeanor. After all, he didnt really know who she was, so it was limited for him to know how much of himself he could show her.
Her question made him shrug, folding his arms as he looked at Gerard, "Guess it would only be polite, seeing as sleepyhead wont be up any time soon," he said before he nodded towards the kitchen for her to follow. He went to the fridge and grabbed a bloodbag from it, looking at the date and type of it before pouring it into a mug, just so it wouldnt look as frightening as it was. "Help yourself," he urged as he was far too preoccupied getting his own drink. He closed the bag and placed it back in the fridge before he grabbed his mug and turned his back against the counter, leaning against it as he held his mug in one hand, folding his other arm over his chest. "How long have you known each other then?" he asked unable to think of anything else to ask.

It didn't take long for the nephilim to drift off in a deep sleep. His face relaxed and mouth slightly open as he snored lightly. It sounded more like a purr than an actual snore, but it was clear he had needed it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she apologized before he started speaking about the sleeping seraph. A light smile came upon her face as she nodded in agreeance. Perhaps she was reckless, but Eliza was someone who trusted rather easily, all you had to do was be nice to her, and it often ended her in situations she couldn't control.
Following him out to the kitchen seemed simple enough, and even though she was a human she didn't seem to notice his blood drinking. Nodding her head at the offer she walked over, touching the pot of coffee lightly to feel if it was still warm. It was somewhat, so she poured herself a cup after looking in a few cupboards for one. Sitting down at the kitchen table she stirred in some sugar. She would usually add some cream as well, but she didn't feel like it today. Then a question came that made her frown. Hadn't Gerard at least mentioned her? Looking in to her cup of coffee she moved her teaspoon around to help dissolve the sugar. "Well, when my parents and brother died a few years ago I was really terrible with being alone; I had my cousin, but he's off studying and asking him to come home just to see me seemed a bit redundant," she explained, feeling like she was tripping a bit over her words. "Either way ... I was visiting my aunt a year later and there I met Gerard; He pointed out the book I was reading and recommended me some more," she said, a small smile on her lips. "He just had a way of talking to me like I was not just some grief stricken little girl, and since then we've kept in contact," she explained, taking a sip of her coffee as it wasn't too hot. "I guess it's strange really, but he is always there when I need him, and when I told him I wanted to try out modeling he encouraged me - But I'm not letting him do it for free of course," she pointed out, letting him know that she was not about to just use the kind nephilim's talents.
"How about you? Gerard always speaks of his roommate, but I guess he's afraid that I might lose interest in him," she chuckled, revealing that she had heard what the sleepy seraph had said.

He sat down in front of her after concluding that standing up would just somewhat make it a little more awkward, if not for her then for him. Her explanation made him frown a little but he was curious enough to listen through all of it as he sipped from the mug of blood. "He's good at heart like that," he remarked with a raise of an eyebrow, placing his mug on the table. He tilted his head a little to the side as she seemed to turn turn the question back at him. He looked away and made a thoughtful expression. "Well, I dont know how much he has told you about himself. But we've been friends since we were children," he explained, frowning a little as their story wasnt really that happy and bright. "I was just transferred here from another country to this one, not knowing how to speak the same language as everyone else," he said with a shrug. It wasnt really that visible. "I was very small, so I quickly learned. Gerard was a little older, so he had to take his time, I guess, I just felt like I had met someone who understood the struggle" he said before he lifted his mug to take a sip. "We've been inseparable since we were children," he said with a smile. He knew he was being quite vague, but obviously he wasnt too comfortable with just spilling all the beans at once.

She nodded. Gerard really had a good heart, one that you rarely saw these days. "He has told me very scarcely, but I guess it's to be expected ... He seems to carry a lot of hurt," she remarked, looking at the hybrid in front of her. He seemed rather genuine, and she wondered how he felt about having her in his home. Was he feeling like she was intruding? She listened as he spoke, nodding as she got the idea that they might've grown up on the same street or perhaps even under the same roof. She couldn't be sure, but she was not going to be nagging to know more if he wouldn't himself disclose it.
"Having friends are good, but I'm afraid I lost many when my family died," she said with a bit of sadness to her voice. She still mourned them, and knew that she would never stop, but it just got easier with time. Sometimes she still woke up in the middle of the night, wanting to run to her brother's room and tell him about her dreams, but when realization hit she was almost inconsolable. "But I have my books, and when Gerard has time we spend time together, so I'm not too bad off," she chuckled, taking a sip of her coffee. "What do you do for work? I mean despite how creative Gerard is, I doubt he's the one bringing in all of the money," she smiled, wanting to take the focus off of herself for a while.

He seemed to stay rather neutral to her remark, though he knew why; if it wasnt already obvious. Though it wasnt his place to speak about Gerard and he would end up revealing things about himself too. When she said her family died he seemed to get a hurt expression, unsure whether he wanted to console her or tell her how she wasnt completely alone in that regard. But Xalvador was still a cautious man, he had to be.
The mentions of books made him sigh and roll his eyes a little, not with the intention to be rude, but Xalvador wasnt exactly the type to be found dwelling in a book. "Comics are better," he muttered under his breath but it had been such a long time since he had read one like that. He remebered it clearly how he and Gerard had been scouting around in dumpsters and he had found one in the bottom of a stinky one; The pages were torn and it was like a quarter of a story, but it was still something they had found together. The memory made him smile in a subtle manner.
Then she asked him about work and he frowned as he crossed his arms in a defensive manner. "I'm afraid I cant talk about it. Or I'll have to kill you right afterwards," he said and he wished he was simply joking as it might have come off as. He sighed and leaned back into his chair. "It's far on the other side of the law. I havent even told Gerard," he said before he looked away for a bit. "Well, it's not exactly condemning. But it's not good either," he corrected himself in case he had made it seem like something evil.
"It's been nice weather lately," he quickly tried to switch the conversation with a polite smile. Just anything but work, because he feared he might say something he would regret.

Chuckling at his mutter she shrugged. She wouldn't know the first thing about comics, but it was perhaps also because she had never really given them a chance. Books had always been where she had found most comfort; Sitting on the couch, her mother humming as she was cleaning something, her father sitting across from her, his glasses having slipped down his nose. The memory made her both happy and sad, but what she missed the most was hearing her brother play the piano while she read. There had just been something about it that had made it all that more exiting to indulge herself deep in to a universe far away.
His words about killing her made her chuckle, but as she saw he was serious she grew more curious. He went on to explain and she looked a little surprised. "Alright, I guess I'll have to take your word for it," she said, showing she wasn't going to dig deeper than that. Frankly it didn't matter what he did for work, as long as he was a decent person. Good thoughts, good words, good deeds. That was how her parents had raised her.
Speaking of the weather made her chuckle, mostly because it was a bit absurd going from speaking about something that sounded that exciting to something so mundane. "It has, hasn't it? Even though it feels like summer is coming to an end, I feel like we are still being given some good weather," she said, taking a long sip of her coffee. Looking at him it was hard to ignore his scars, but she was so used to people having rather plain features that he seemed so different. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but do you go out in the sunlight?" she asked, maybe it was a stupid question, but she didn't know much about vampyres or anything.

"Well he's told me you drink blood in passing, so I just assumed vampyre," she said with a small smile on her lips. She had found it a bit odd that a seraph and vampyre could live together and nothing go wrong, but she guessed there was weirder things in this world. He went on to explain himself, but she was surprised to hear that he didn't even know fully what he was. The mention of being given up made her look down. A guilt forming in her stomach because at least she had known her parents before they passed. "I think it's fascinating, I mean you clearly need blood to survive, but if you can stay out during daylight it gives you some clear advantages - even if you can get scars," she smiled, trying not to overanalyze him, but more shed the things he did have in a good light.
"Do you have a heartbeat then?" she suddenly asked, as if she couldn't hold back on asking questions. "I'm sorry, you of course aren't obligated to answer," she said, frowning as she shook her head. She just found him interesting. Perhaps because she was never really around darker creatures. Her family didn't keep her away from the world, rather they shielded her a bit. They wanted to protect her, but from what she wasn't sure. Of course she was way too trusting for her own good, but alas she had a hunch it wasn't just that.

The way he spoke so casually about him getting torn apart made her worry a bit. Mostly because she didn't like to think of that. He seemed so kind and even if he felt a bit uncomfortable with her being there, he hadn't said so. He had made her feel very much at ease and relatively happy. Gerard really knew how to pick his friends, she thought.
His question made her stammer, looking around as she tried to find her words to apologize even further, but then he grabbed her hand. First she thought he was going to throw her through the room, but then she felt his chest against her palm. The gentle rhythm of his heart making her smile softly as she looked at her hand. In reality it didn't matter if he had a beating heart or not, but she just had to know. He let go of her hand, but she let it linger for a bit before removing it. Chuckling a bit, she placed her hand in her lap. It was strange, feeling his heartbeat somehow made her know more about him.
His words startled her a bit, but he seemed so relaxed about it, so she quickly softened up, smiling once more. "More than a few," she confessed, chuckling a bit as she emptied her cup of coffee. She sat for a bit, looking in to the empty cup, contemplating her next words. "Do you date?" she asked, but her question came out wrong. "I mean ... Would you perhaps go on a date ... With me?" she clarified, feeling like she was tripping over her words. Her cheeks went a little red. "Just as friends - I uhm, I really like you, you're easy to talk to."

When he spat out his blood she got a horrified expression on her face, her eyes fluttering as she felt so embarrassed, looking down as she might've overshot this. She was silent, swallowing her nerves as she contemplated just getting up to leave. It would be the easiest thing to do, and then he didn't have to reject her. However then he seemed to agree to her suggestion, making her eyes move back to look at him with a bit of disbelief. His schedule was tight, he said, so she was expecting him to just give out a date far off in the future, however his suggestion of the upcoming Friday made her surprised once more.
Nodding she agreed. "Yeah, I'm free Friday," she said with a shy smile, feeling butterflies fly around her stomach with a bit of nervousness. Maybe it was lame for a young woman her age to be free on a Friday, most people went out partying or something of that sorts, but she usually spent her weekends reading. "What do you like to do? I mean, I would like to go to a museum, but if that's too boring for you we can find something else," she said, clearly wanting his opinion on the matter. It felt a little weird, mostly because she wasn't usually the one to suggest these sorts of things. "But if you like comics I think you'll enjoy the exhibition about artists through time ... It's relatively new, so I haven't seen it yet," she said. She went very often to any sort of museum she felt in the mood for. She liked arts, but she was also fascinated by ancient civilizations.
Feeling her phone buzz, she knew it was time to say goodbye as her driver had arrived. Digging in to her pocket, she pulled it out, to look at the number calling. She simply hung up before handing her phone to the hybrid. "Type in your number," she encouraged him. If he did she would send him a quick message, letting him have her number as well. "I must be going now ... But I'll see you on friday, yes?" she asked with an excited smile. She got up from her seat, placing the cup in the sink before she went towards the door. Stopping for a second she looked back at Xalvador, chuckling a bit as she lifted her hand to wave goodbye before she finally left.