The everyday monsters in our lives

Cesare had missed him more than he was willing to admit. Maybe it would make Benjamin feel guilty if he truly knew. The vampyre was needy, and being away from the man he cared for wasn't something he was good at handling. "Would you promise to try then?" Was that more fair? Just to try. The mention of how Cesare had tricked him made him look down in shame. It wasn't a proud moment, but frankly he had been desperate. Leaning down he kissed his forehead, "I won't ever feed you like that, nor force you .. it was wrong of me .. I will try to do better, but please help by reminding me." It was so clear that he hadn't enjoyed that either. He hated himself for it. But it had been what he had deemed needed. "I love you."

"I love you too," he smiled, joining Benjamin as he went to bed, cuddling up close. In all honesty the next few days that they spent at sea were wonderful, sailing around, swimming in different spots to see new sights under the water. Frankly, Cesare was starting to think the two of them might start developing webs between their toes and feet, though it didn't seem like it had happened just yet. These days had been what the two of them truly needed, and when it came to an end the vampyre couldn't help but feel sad about it. Mostly because he wanted to spend more time together. However things took a turn.
Cesare started to be more absent. He was always busy, but it was never him who picked up his phone. Sadie had tried to warn Joe to just let things run their course. That the vampyre would be back in no time, but it seemed like she knew what was really going on, but with all of the wedding planning and guest lists she felt like she couldn't take care of that too. It was clear that there was more social gatherings going on within the family of sires. None of them really were willing to speak of what was happening, and they had clearly gotten orders about not telling Joe a thing.

One night things got messy. Cesare had been out, drinking blood from who knew how many donors as he stumbled into his hotel room. Effectively immediately he started tearing the place apart, screaming as if he was a wounded animal. Glass flew everywhere, splinters of wood scattering on the floor and the vampyre eventually ended up on his terrace, looking up at the moonlit sky. He was in pain, and it was like he couldn't get rid of it before he just started to laugh hysterically, wrapping his arms around himself as he squealed out laugh after laugh. Had he gone insane?
Soon enough the hotel was the last place you would see the vampyre. He didn't want anyone to fix the broken things inside, telling them a cryptic response that everything was as it was supposed to be. He began staying in abandoned houses, drinking amongst his sires, no clear sign of self control in sight. His behavior erratic as well, his eyes even having dark streaks around them, signaling a truly mad vampyre.

That was when Sadie finally reached out to Joe, sitting him down in the living room of their shared apartment. "Okay, this isn't going to be easy, but I know you're worried and I am too," she said, swallowing as she felt rather guilty for having avoided the topic for so long. "Cesare is .. more complicated than you think," she disclosed, looking down as she knew that Joe was going to try and defend his knowledge of the vampyre, but Sadie didn't care, continuing, "do you remember back when you and him first met? When he shot me?" It was a cruel thing to remind him of, but it was crucial to this.
"Cesare has a good side and a bad side .. you were lucky to see him bad only once, but it comes in different periods of his life," she wanted to do this justice and explain it. "The good side of him is the one that holds you close, tells you that he loves you and is afraid of losing you." She was probably hitting the mark, before she looked to Joe, "the other pushes you away, hurts you and I think that's why he's staying away from you - he doesn't want you to see that side of him." The vampyre was born like this, it wasn't something he could change. "It's more like he becomes a different person; good Cesare is usually out when things are going good, or when happy things are about to happen; bad Cesare .. well he comes and goes as he pleases, messing up the good things to make good Cesare suffer more." Was any of this making sense to her brother?

Sadie wasn't sure this was even a good thing to bring up now. Joe had been so lucky to see mostly the good sides, and maybe speaking of this would ruin the image that the daemon had of his boyfriend. But she also believed that he needed to know and had the right to. The question made her shrug, because in all honesty she wasn't so sure. "All I know is that he's almost impossible to speak some sense into, and sometimes it's just about being there for him while he goes this crazy," that was what she had done so many times. But right now she needed to focus on herself, her own healing after what had happened as well as stay with Martin and work on their relationship. She was to be married and that wasn't some easy feat.
"What I am saying is that you shouldn't judge him when he's like this .. he's still the good Cesare you know and love, he's just hidden a bit," that was an understatement, but she knew that Joe could figure that out himself. Sadie took a deep breath, reaching over to take his hand, "now that you know, I want you to just let him run wild for a while .. he'll calm down eventually and come back as he always will." Joe had things to take care of too, namely coming to terms with his change. She couldn't ask her brother to go out and fix something that couldn't be fixed. "I know you, and I know you want to help him, but right now the best you can do is not get close - because I know Cesare would hate himself if he ever got to harm you while in that state."

Where would be the best place for a vampyre this time of night? Oh, well at a blood feast of course! A giant party held in an abandoned house and no way to trace who started it all. Donors were basically standing in line to get in, and the vampyres could afford to be picky. Cesare was being celebrated and welcomed back as some of his old friends joined him. Each had already picked their donors and they were quite beautiful women. Cesare however was eyeing another donor. Short blonde hair and curves for days. Making a come-hither motion with his finger she smiled and was clearly flattered. Cesare greeted her, pulling her into his lap, running his fingers up the inside of her thigh. She whimpered, flashing her neck to him and he leaned in, sucking softly on her skin before he bit through.
Blood filled his mouth, and he made sure to have his fill, perhaps maybe even more than he should've, as she soon fell limb in his arms. Scoffing he pushed her away in disgust, getting up on his feet as he moved around the party, much to the guests' amusement. "We are children of Caemille; she told us to take every pleasure in life, and look at us doing it!" He celebrated, many of the vampyre's cheering him on. He got up on a table, pulling a donor with him that looked flattered to be chosen, lifting her arm up, "brothers and sisters, let us live forever to honor our creator; our goddess!" Flashing his teeth as he leaned down, chomping on the donor's wrist, making him shudder as blood left his body rather fast, the vampyres only cheering him on.

The group of vampyres here had a single purpose in life: reeving havoc to drink as much blood as possible. Cesare was perhaps one of the ringleaders in this society. He was the oldest, the smartest. He had lived to see so many events and he still had eternity left to behold. That was when he smelled something that made him chuckle, turning his head to look right at Benjamin. "My love has finally joined me," he spoke with a grandeurs gesture towards the daemon. People quickly moved out of the way, some even muttering apologies for even looking at him. Cesare waved him closer, "come, my love, come and see what I have made for us," his eyes were wide and a hint of madness behind his normally calm seafoam green eyes. No, these eyes could not rest, not a single moment.
If Benjamin didn't come willingly, the crowd would slowly push him forwards until Cesare took his hand, pulling the daemon close and burying his face in his head of soft brown hair. Breathing him in, there was a satisfied sigh to follow before he pulled away. "I'm so happy that you're here to see me," he whispered alluringly. He had perhaps never sounded more like he truly wanted the man he was currently holding close. "Are you hungry?" He asked, almost caringly, snapping his fingers as a couple of people were pushed forwards and made to sit on their knees in front of them. Cesare chuckled, turning Benjamin to let him inspect them. "None of them will be missed .. they've lived meaningless lives, so it's only fair that their death at least gets to mean something," he mused, letting go of the daemon to inspect the two candidates. The vampyre cocked his head to the side, touching along one of the female's cheek, slowly cutting it open and letting blood drip out. "We could share her," the corners of his lips twisting up in a chesire smile.

Cesare chuckled at the daemon's response, gritting his teeth to push the girl down, putting his foot on her skull as she whimpered from the pressure he was clearly putting on it. The others started to cheer and chuckle, but it was clear all eyes were on the pair. "I did tell you all, didn't I?" He spoke to the crowd, his eyes scanning over them all before he looked to Benjamin. There was something in the vampyre's eyes. Hurt? Pain? Fear? It wasn't easy to decipher, that much was sure. "As soon as he saw who I truly am he would see just how barbaric and insane I truly am," he grit his teeth harder, staring at the daemon he loved so much before stomping down, the sound of her skull giving in, blood and brain splattering all over the floor. The crowd went wild.
Cesare then looked to Benjamin, his eye twitching a little, "that was barbaric," he nodded towards the floor, spitting on what was left of her face before leaning down, picking up a piece of her brain, suckling the blood out, dropping the lump in front of the daemon, "and that was insane." He turned on his heel then, walking up the stairs chuckling and cackling like a mad man. Sadie hadn't been kidding. This was a whole different version of Cesare. One that didn't abide to logic. One as dangerous as he was crazy.

The crowd loved a good show, and Cesare knew how to perform. He was absolutely mental, and nobody was even trying to stop him. He felt invincible! Nobody could tear him down now! He moved upstairs, the crooked floorboards made him skip slightly, chuckling to himself as people around him made way, some even stopping to flirt with him or be down right suggestive. Cesare brushed them all off, though he did snatch a donor with him. A donor who blushed, smiling as she gladly, and rather scantily clad, followed the vampyre's pull. They entered a bedroom, though the furniture was pushed up to the walls, and the floors were littered with paper that had sketches and long passages of words written on it.
"Immortality," he hummed, moving over to the window, dumping the donor on the floor on some of the scribbles that seemed to have gone through the paper and into the wood below. Cesare chuckled, grabbing a knife that he toyed around with. "I've lived for so long I've seen it all," he scoffed, turning around, he moved over to the donor, kneeling down in front of her, handing her the knife, though she looked confused. He sighed, placing a few slaps against her cheek before he got up and looked to the daemon if he had followed. "You'd think that perhaps my time should be up?" His smile widening as the crazed look in his eyes became more apparent. He still had a bit of blood clinging to his chin, sticking his tongue out to lick it clean.
"I was truly sad when you were changed," he hummed, nodding to himself, "you see, I had always imagined that it would be a mortal that would take my life." He chuckled, looking to the girl on the floor who still wasn't catching up. "Oh, darling, I'm sorry you're in this lover's quarrel," he babied her, squeezing her cheek and leaving a nasty bruise on her pink skin. "Tell me, my love, when are you planning to kill me?" He looked to Benjamin with serious eyes.

Was it not clear enough that Cesare wasn't only out of his mind but that paranoia also had set in? He chuckled as the daemon spoke so plainly, questioning his reasons, "why would you not? I mean, weren't you trained to be? Weren't you hunting the supernatural before me?" Oh yeah, he had found all of Benjamin's little dirty secrets. How could he not when his network stretched to even the underbelly of the world? Words travelled fast amongst the decrepit and the venom of the world. "Come on, don't play stupid with me," he smiled, walking closer, cupping the daemon's cheek with one hand, looking at him with his crazed eyes, his lips still pulling up into that signature chesire like smile. Leaning in he kissed his forehead, breathing him in, though nothing could truly calm him down when he was in this mood. And it was clear he was intending on hurting both of them in some way. Cesare was self destructive, and even worse so when he was in this state of mind.
"Oh great hunter, slay me down," he whispered against his skin before stepping away to gesture at the girl. "Or you could slay her?" He shrugged as the donor looked frightened, but also intrigued. It was a strange combination but the name Cesare Leone had a different ring to it this part of the city. The donor got up, holding the knife with one hand as she looked towards the daemon. Cesare chuckled, moving over to stand behind the woman, wrapping his arms around her, snaking down to touch her lower abdomen. She sighed, leaning back against him, even rubbing herself up to him. He scoffed, "sorry, little darling, but you couldn't turn me on even if you tried." It was truly a waste. The only one capable of that was Benjamin, but he was almost hellbent on ruining even that.
"Now, my one and only boyfriend; don't you see how cruel I am .. and can you honestly say that I deserve to live?" He grinned with his twisted smile growing wider by the second.

Cesare sighed, rolling his eyes at the pleas he made. It always had to be about the daemon, didn't it? It was always him that was above everything else! He was the one who was allowed to go away and do as he pleased; he was allowed to act out and be violent. But if Cesare did that? Oh no, how the world would crumble. "Is that all I am to you? A glorified teddy bear?" He scoffed, shaking his head and pushing the girl away and to the ground, the knife gliding across the floor to somewhere unknown. He kept his distance, sneering at him as there was hurt and anger in his eyes. "It's always about you .. everything; you are struggling; you are hurting; you miss me," he shook his head, clearly not believing a single word. Who truly missed Cesare? His family? No, that was long behind him. His friends? No, they often encouraged this side of him. His sires? Alas they were probably relieved to be rid of him for the time being. "But fine; I'll sweep my needs under the rug for you again; I'll put on a smile even though I know that what I do will never be enough to soothe you or your high standards," he was perhaps projecting a lot of his own insecurities, but in this moment he was fully convinced that this was how things were. "Tell me one thing that you have done for me that you haven't benefitted from .. one thing, and quickly!"

This was Cesare's problem. He didn't want to be without Benjamin. He loved him so much and would do anything in the world to be with him. But while the daemon had been away, his mind had been poisoning itself and feeding him false ideas. Ideas like his boyfriend rather wanting to die than be alive. Ideas like how it was Cesare's fault that Benjamin was so unhappy with his new existence. On the inside the sweet and caring part of him was crying out for his boyfriend, but he couldn't reach him. It was the wrong part of him that was in control now, and he was hellbent on ruining everything that the two lovers had built together.
The demand was made, but it would be left unanswered as the commotion downstairs increased, but clearly not in a good way. He barely registerred that Joe was pushing him, but instead wrapped an arm around him. "You think me so weak that I couldn't defend myself and you against some low life vampyre hunters?" He scoffed at that thought before he looked down at him. For a moment his seafoam green eyes flashed, and the real Cesare within was looking out. However his eyes soon enough hardened and held around him closer. "Let's get out of here," he muttered, seemingly more calm with Benjamin close to his chest.
He hoisted the daemon up in his arms and made an exit through the back door, running into the night. He didn't know where they were going. He just knew he had to get his love away from such a horror.

Cesare was torn as he ran, but facing gods knows how many hunters would be a higher risk than fighting. He knew that those smart enough would get out, and those who would be lost could be mourned afterwards. It was the tough reality of a vampyric life when you lived like this. As he ran he did feel how Benjamin was hiding his face away. His Benjamin who had begged for comfort. His Benjamin who had wanted nothing more than to love and be loved in return.
He didn't stop before he had reached the sea. Stopping by the edge of the beach before sitting the daemon back down on his feet. He wasn't even sure if he could speak, but he felt more in control than he had in a while. His body was shaking before bloody tears started running down his face. "Benjamin .. I'm .." Would apologizing even make a difference? He had ruined everything now. He had broken the trust between them all because he was a mess.