The everyday monsters in our lives

The explanation made his eyes soften up, shaking his head no at the chuckle, "a mark just has to mean something," he said. Taking a deep breath he moved over to sit on the couch, hopefully the daemon had followed. "Where do you want it?" It was clear that Cesare had made up his mind. If this was what Benjamin wanted, then how could the vampyre truly refuse? It was in his nature to want something like this, but it was also not something you could just retract. He rolled up his sleeves before pulling the daemon down into his lap, just wrapping his arms around him. "If I am to claim you, I want you as close as possible," he admitted. It was a comfort thing. A feeling of knowing that this was right and it was personal to the two of them. Every mark was different. Some used it to claim donors, others to claim lovers. Cesare wondered if theirs would be stronger because of the emotions they had for one another. If he had decided where, he would just sit for a minute or so thinking it through, just being sure because the placement couldn't be moved afterwards.

It would mean something to him. He watched as the vampyre moved over to the couch, following to sit next to him. The question of where was a good one. Because Joe wasnt too sure. He looked around before he frowned. "Where is the default places to get it? And dont say that it's unique for each and everyone. There has to be a place that most people choose." he said, letting the vampyre pull him up into his lap. He lifted his hand to touch the vampyre's shirt, just correcting it a little as he thought about it. "My shoulder?" he muttered. The neck would be too much but the shoulder was just fine. "... Or my collarbone." though he thought that would hurt. But then again, it would be over before he knew it. "I'll miss you." he said with a more vulnerable expression as he swallowed the lump in his throat of emotion.

Chuckling softly he shrugged, "I have seen it in different places and it depends on the meaning behind it; neck and wrist usually means a feeding relationship; breast, thighs or butt for sexual partners .. something like that," he admitted with a thoughtful expression. Yeah, he had seen them placed randomly, even some on faces if it was fanatics they were talking about. He felt the fidgeting hands adjusting his shirt, moving a hand up the daemon's back, just slowly caressing him. "Collarbone?" He asked, thinking that it was an odd placement, but he sorta liked that idea. It wasn't somewhere you would typically bite. He thought about it before nodding, "I can agree to the collarbone," he said with a small smile. He liked that placement because of the uniqueness to it. Cesare wasn't looking to bite Benjamin often if at all, so a placement like that would perhaps mirror that quite well.
The sweet words hurt his still heart, pulling him closer in a tender hug, "I know my little otter, but I'll be right here when you return," he muttered softly. Slowly he released him, helping him out of his shirt. He had to grit his teeth a little at the sight, knowing he wouldn't be able to enjoy this view for a while. His hands moved carefully against his skin, not rushing and making sure he felt every bit of contact between their skin. One hand moved around front, touching his collarbone gently, just finding a spot that would be easier to get to. "Lean your head back a little," he spoke tenderly, his hand on his back moving up to support his head gently. Leaning in, his lips grazed over his collarbone, breathing him in, letting him get used to him being so close. He wanted to make this moment as comfortable for him as possible. "Take a deep breath for me my love," he encouraged him, kissing him along his collarbone until he reached the spot where it would be most optimal for him to bite. He waited for the daemon to relax, taking deep breaths before placing a gentle kiss. Then his lips separated, his fangs showing as he bit him quickly, holding his teeth in him for a little while, just making sure that the connection was made. Releasing him slowly, he whispered sweet soothing words to him, kissing him around the mark, licking his skin gently if he started to bleed. "It's done."

It was rather intimate, but it was perhaps also what they needed. Feeling the daemons warm and strong body just reminded him of everything he loved about him. Even if he had changed it was still his Benjamin, just a slightly bit different. But he supposed he was thought of much the same in that regard. After biting he pulled away, greeting those dark brown eyes that always seemed to fill his heart to the brim with love and need. The need to be close to him, to make him happy and be there for him. The kiss made his shoulders tremble, grasping at his skin as he felt almost terrified to let go. But he had to. "You need to go," he said, not because he wanted him to, but because what they were doing right now was just prolonging the inevitable. And that wasn't fair to either of them. "Otherwise I might chain you to the bed," he scoffed in a soft tease, hoping that his heart could bear to see him go. He wasn't sure, but he would be brave for the man he loved.

The days passing were hard on Cesare as well as Sadie. While the elder suffered more in silence, Sadie often talked to Martin about it. They were patching things up, and actually starting to talk about getting married. Sadie had been hesitant at first, unsure if he felt pressured to it, but he had seemingly made up his mind. She was over the moon. They were sitting on the floor, moving some small notes around for how the reception of their wedding was going to be. The whole clan would be invited, along with some friends and even some alliancing clans. The knock made her frown, but she got up regardless, moving over to the door and opening it. "Yes?" She smiled sweetly before she frowned a little surprised, "Mark?" She was completely stunned, and then she realized that this might not be a safe situation, "Benjamin is not here, so," she took a step back closing the door as she looked down. All that shame came rushing back in regards to what she was now. Martin had sensed that, getting up to stand behind her, looking at the childhood friend with skeptical eyes, "it's alright, you can do this," he told her sweetly.

She opened the door when he was done yelling, mostly because she wasn't sure how to really handle this. "Come in," she just said, stepping aside to let him in. She walked over to the small kitchen, putting on the kettle for tea. "Excuse the mess," she said, sending Mark a careful smile. It was strange seeing someone from back then so grown up. He must've really had a growth spurt. Swallowing she looked down, "Benjamin is going through some stuff right now," she admitted, wrapping her arms around herself. It was strange planning her wedding and not having him bud in at every opportunity to mess with her or make her laugh. "I don't know when he'll be back, but right now it wouldn't be safe for you to be around him," she confessed. Was Mark frightened of her? She couldn't really tell.
Martin was packing some of the wedding magazines away, making room for them at the small table. Sadie was rather grateful for that help. "Still two sugars, right?" Fuck why did she remember such trivial things? Maybe because it was really all she had left from when she was a kid. Pouring each of them a mug of tea, she put a bit of blood into Martin's one. Mostly because he still struggled with liquids like that. Not that Sadie got anything out of the tea, but she just liked the feeling of a warm mug between her palms. Gesturing for him to sit down, she handed Martin his mug and then the one for Mark.
Sitting down across from him she breathed out in a small sigh. "A lot of things have changed, I mean, just look at me," she scoffed, looking down as she was still uncertain, but Martin rested his hand on her back so she knew she was in safe hands. "Benjamin was turned into a daemon a small while back."

Was he supposed to stand out there begging till she at least talked to him? He almost would do that if that was what it took. She however opened the door while he was catching his breath, making him thank her before he entered. He shook his head at the mention of mess, though he noticed the wedding stuff all around. "Getting married? Congratulations." he said with a nod, being rather respectful despite how surprised he still was to see her. The confession about Benjamin made him look rather worried but he also didnt want to intrude too much. "Not safe to be around him?" he repeated, finding that rather odd. He knew that Benjamin had a temper but it had never been dangerous to be around him.
He hummed at her question, though he chuckled as he realized that she remembered. He sat down at her gesture, pulling the tea closer to lightly blow on. "Yeah, but you look good." he smiled in a friendly manner, before he looked at his mug to not make it weird. She laid it clear that Benjamin was no longer a human and Mark looked a little confused at first before the worry took over. A little sadness too? "I'm guessing he's not coping well with it." he said with a frown, turning the cup a little around while he looked at it. He ran his index down the handle before he nodded. "Well, I hope he figures it out." he muttered, lifting the cup to take a light sip. "How do you feel about it?" he asked, tilting his head only slightly.

She nodded, sending him a slight smile as he congratulated them, though she wasn't keen on answering his repetition. As they sat down she scoffed softly at his friendly remark, though she didn't take it to heart. Struggling with her self image she would rather not comment on it. "She is beautiful," Martin said in a mannered tone, his thumb caressing her back and making her smile, looking down as if she was blushing.
However the conversation sooned took a darker turn, and she had to be serious about this. "He's doing his best," she said, taking a short sip of her tea, clearly uncertain about how to truly describe it. She had struggled herself back then, even if she had asked to be changed, she hadn't been fully prepared now that she looked back. But she had a choice and it seemed that Benjamin didn't exactly, though she knew not the deal he made with the Dream Lord. The question about her feelings made her frown before her face softened up, looking to Mark with a slight smile. "He's my brother, and despite what was done to me, I will not cast him out," she said, looking to the wedding plans where Benjamin was placed right by her side. She just really hoped he would come once they had settled on a date. "He's strong, and while I miss him every day that passes I do hear from him from time to time," she admitted, though never directly. Always from what Cesare told her. And some days those reports were far between.
"I suppose it is strange to see me .. I'm certainly surprised to see you after all these years," she admitted, looking towards Mark before her lips pulled up in a smile, "how have you been?"

He was trying his best. That was at least good. He smiled at the notion, already imagining that the former human was far too stubborn to just give in. "He's too thick skulled to do anything else. I guess even more now as a daemon" he remarked with a chuckle. Her reply to his question made him grin softly. "I'm glad to hear that." he said rather genuine. He of all knew where they came from and how fucked up it had been. Hearing that he also kept her updated was nice. His worries were soothed by it somewhat.
The notion that it was strange to see her made him chuckle but he had to nod. "Yeah. But it's good to see you too. That it's not all shit from back then." he shrugged. Her question about him made him pull a thoughtful expression before he smiled and hummed. "Uh. I've been working but I'll be studying the supernatural, which probably sounds weird, but I guess it makes sense that getting away from that town only peaks interest of what we were robbed as children." he explained with a shrug. He looked down into the mug again before he sighed. "I'm glad you were willing to talk." he said, knowing where they were from made her reluctant. It just made sense. "I uhm. I can see that you're busy, so I shouldnt intrude more than necessary." he smiled.

Sadie just nodded, grasping a little more around her mug, mostly to not think of the things back then. Martin noticed it, pinching her back gently just to ground her a little. "A study in the supernatural?" She was genuinely surprised by that, chuckling a bit as it was almost hard to believe saved for the fact that he looked so serious about it. "Have you perhaps learnt something worthwhile yet?" She asked before he tried to excuse himself shaking her head no, "no, you are not allowed to just run away," she said in a charming tone. "Not before I have a chance to maybe plan out when to see you again - I think it would be good for me to talk to someone who knew me back then." She said rather seriously.

Sadie was happy that he would leave his number with her, and she noted it down for later use. It was rather nice to see a familiar face, and as he left her and Martin resumed to their planning. There was still a long way to go, or so it felt like. And as the days passed the planning was interrupted by their duties and whatnot. One of those duties were having a meeting with Cesare, but as he was curious about their planning, they had set it up in the apartment.
The hammering at the door made Sadie frown, getting up but even before that she heard a familiar voice. Her eyes lit up as she ran to the door, "really?" She asked, clearly excited and amazed. She let him in, ushering him to show her the message, and rightfully so there it was. She looked to Martin with a hopeful smile, but what she didn't see because Cesare's calm façade was the fact that his heart was breaking. Not once. Not once had Benjamin asked to see him since he had left. Not once had he demanded to see him and he was going crazy with worry for each passing day. And here this guy came in, barely in town for two days and he was already meeting up with the daemon?
Cesare stood up, towering over those around him before he held out his hand, a charming smile on his lips, "I'm terribly sorry, I don't think we have been properly introduced." He didn't show it, perhaps because he was well mannered, but he felt the jealousy within him like a warm flame. "I'm Cesare .. and judging from your familiar voice, you must be Mark, correct?" Tilting his head a little. Sadie chuckled, giving her sire a light push. "Stop being such a charmer; Benjamin might get jealous if he saw you like this," she teased.

He was let in and he showed her the message with a big grin on his face. He then noticed that another guy was there, frowning as he worried that he was intruding once more. The tall man got up and Mark looked at him a little uncertain. But the guy smiled and apologized for the lack of introduction. He sounded familiar, but Mark wasnt sure where. Though as he quickly named him and his familiar voice, he narrowed his eyes. "You were the guy on the phone with Benjamin." he said before he reached forward and grabbed the cold hand. He was a little surprised with how cold it was but he then looked at Sadie. "Would you want to come with me?" he asked, seeing that it was Benjamin's sister after all. He didnt really know what Cesare was to Benjamin except some kind of jokester on the phone.

"Indeed," he nodded politely, though he wouldn't just give away what him and Benjamin was. In fact he wasn't even sure how much of what they had that the daemon wanted public, so he clearly had no authority here. The suggestion surprised Sadie a little, looking down as she fiddled with her fingers a little. "He didn't invite me .. so I don't think it would be wise to come along," she spoke softly, and while she was dying to see her brother again, she also knew that sometimes seeing those you loved were harder than just regular friends. She knew that the two boys had been very close back then. "But if you would say that I miss him a lot .. and if he could perhaps give me an address where I could send him the invitation to the wedding to?" She thought they were narrowing in on a date, and she really wanted to make sure that her brother at least knew about when it would be.
"I'll be going again," Cesare spoke candidly, nodding to Martin and then to Sadie, the latter looking a little confused after her sire, but she couldn't tell him what to do. Heading out and down to the street, he took out a cigarette, placing it between his teeth before lighting it. He had resorted to smoking again. Perhaps because it passed time. Perhaps because he truly missed Benjamin. "Please excuse him, he's a little stressed as of late," Sadie smiled at Mark, being rather apologetic on her sire's behalf. "He's sorta the best man," she chuckled, not really mentioning the fact that he was paying for all of it, and would stand in in the case of Benjamin not showing. Not that she planned for it, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Sadie shook her head, she wasn't sure if she was even ready to be seen by Benjamin either. Though the mention of Cesare made her look to the door before she sighed, "I think he would," she said, but it was a lie. She knew he would. She hadn't been blind to the façade he put up whenever someone mentioned her brother. "Just .. try not to provoke him .. he's rather close with Benjamin and I guess he feels a bit abandoned these days," she admitted, but she couldn't go deeper than that. It would be a breach of trust.
Cesare was simply smoking, giving the small cube a squeeze, but he wasn't even sure if there would be an answer. He felt a little hurt. All he truly wanted was just to see him. Maybe hear his voice? Was that truly so horrible, or had the former human changed his mind? Cesare could worry about this endlessly, and as the cigarette wasn't giving him the comfort he needed he just snuffed it out against the side of the wall, popping the bud back into the package. He was frustrated, and sad, and so lonely that he felt like some days he could barely function. And yet he went on, he continued, because he felt selfish for even wasting time on something he couldn't change.

Cesare looked to the human as he spoke to him, clearly surprised to be asked, however the notion that something might happen made him frown. It was at least an excuse should Benjamin get mad at him. "I am not busy today .. so I'll go with you," he said, being rather formal about it all. This was Benjamin's childhood friend and insulting him would only lead to more trouble. "I suppose he gave you an address?" He asked, looking at it he frowned a little, "We can take my car; It would be quite the way to walk," he said gesturing to the parked beautiful car that had a black shining polish to it along with tinted glasses.
The vampyre walked towards it, unlocking the car and holding the door politely for this Mark to enter. Once he had he walked around to the other side, getting in in the drivers seat before the engine was turned on and revving to life. It sounded well kept, and the interior was rather beautiful as well, though it was clearly an elder model that was just really looked after. Driving off he let the radio play lowly as the city moved by them. "Benjamin mentioned you grew up together but that you left at some point; how come?" He asked, just keeping the conversation casual while he was driving.

Mark looked rather relived as Cesare agreed to come with. "Thank you. You're really doing me a solid." he nodded quite thankfully. The question about an address made him hum softly before he showed the vampyre the message. It was probably quite far away to walk so Mark agreed to take the car. Looking at it he scoffed. "Benjamin would love this one." he remarked, but he eyed the vampyre like he wasnt sure if he already knew that.
They got in and Mark was maybe a little on edge, but also excited to see his friend again. The question made him frown lightly as he looked down in a ponder. Mostly he thought of how to say it. "I guess you've talked to him a lot about the place we grew up if you're as close as I think." he said before he drew in a deep breath. "I didnt want to get stuck there with all their shitty ideals and smallmindedness. And I knew that Benjamin didnt either." he explained before he looked out the window. "I asked him to come with but he never showed up when we had agreed. So I just left on my own." he shrugged. He looked at the vampyre, being rather curious too. "Did you butt heads with him when you first met?" he asked, not to be mean. It was just sort of... unexpected.

He hummed softly at the remark about Benjamin liking the car, "well I suppose he might get a chance to see it today then," not really disclosing anything. Caring for the man he loved meant not outing him if he wasn't ready for it. That was the daemon's business. As they drove he wasn't sure how to understand the remark, "how close do you think we are?" He was curious by nature, but perhaps Mark could shed some light on things. He listened as they drove, humming as he could imagine the then human being terrified of leaving or even thinking about going. But then again he had seen enough of his past to know that it hadn't just been an easy answer.
The question made him scoff softly, the corners of his mouth turning slightly upwards in a smile. "You could say that," he agreed with a small nod, "He hated my guts." He knew that wasn't understating it. Benjamin had been downright disgusted by him at times, or so it had seemed. He wasn't quite sure if that was something he would ever be able to forget truly. "But I have a suspicion that much of that hatred stemmed from where you grew up - plus I had been the one to sire Sadie," he spoke rather candidly, but he supposed it would be best this way. "I know he sometimes still struggle with what I am, but he's come a long way."

"Then you also know how trivial it is for him for me not to disclose anything," he simply replied. Mark was spot on, but Cesare also knew of his struggles. Never once had he wanted to out him, nor force him to be publicly physical unless he had wanted it. "I can only speak for myself, and I am indeed in love with him." Cesare just said. They were more than just in love. But for now he kept things casual. The question regard the daemon change made him grip a little harder around the wheel. "Well," he said, explaining that it had happened a fair few weeks back at this point, but of course Cesare knew exactly how long since he had seen the man he loved.
"He needed to find himself again, so I hope he is succeeding," he said, though he knew it could be a long and painful journey. He missed him a lot. Mostly during the night that seemed so long and endless because he wasn't in bed holding the man he loved. He wondered what he had done before him, but he couldn't really recall. So he just worked or helped his sires or went out to social gatherings. But he never felt that true joy. "But you must mean a lot to him too, seeing as he's invited you to see him and all," he remarked, though his neutral expression showed no sign of jealousy. But he was on the inside brewing. Part of him angry and part of him hurt that this childhood friend would get to see him before Cesare. Sadie he could've understood, as blood was thicker than water, but he had at least expected after that.