Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards

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Men.

The opposite-sex, males, objects of desire. Just sex. As a vampire, it wasn't easy finding a partner to shake the sheets with. Sex with a human was just too... Stressful for me. It had its appeal, obviously but I didn't want to bite every single man I wanted to bed.

Because of what I am, most male vampires, well the slimy ones I've happened across, seem to see me and think, "Oh! Another vampire! I'm one, she's one, that's fair enough reason to fṳck!" That's actually a quote. I actually overheard that conversation years ago.

Then you have people like me. Protégé's. And people like Christian, a maker. You could just about see the invisible thread between a protégé and maker. They think they have some sort of claim to you; sure they make a vampire but I disagree with it completely. There are usually only three common types of relationships between them: the first is worship. They see them as their saviour, their parent or sibling figure. Second is a lover. Like my best friends' and their husbands. They made them into a vampire long after they fell in love. And last is a hater. A protégé made into a vampire by force causing them to despise what they are and whoever did it to them.

And then there's me. I fall into a completely different category. I felt nothing for Christian other than annoyance. He was a thorn in my ass and I couldn't reach it to take it out.

"...Chelsea?"

Loosening my grip on the hammer, I looked down at the mangled piece of metal and met Tim's eye. He looked between me and the metal in my hand and sighed. "Something wrong?"

"Nope," I forced a shaky smile. "The rocks are a bit tougher around these parts, I might have to get another one."

"Okay, dear... I'm going for the day do you want anything before I leave?"

"I'm good but thank you. Have a good evening." I replied watching him walk away with a shaking head.

He knew I was on the odd side but he never commented on it which I truly appreciated. I mean, who would honestly stand there and not question how I crushed a piece of metal in the palm of my hand? Not me that's for sure.

I sat down against the wall of the tunnel and sighed. It was hotter in here today than it usually was. Wiping the back of my palm against my forehead, I reached for my towel and wiped the back of my neck. I was glad we could get away with wearing shorts and a t-shirt down here but only when nobody was around. Didn't want to get a kick in the ass for being disrespectful. And even so, I always brought a pair of jeans with me just in case.

Christian had thrown me out of sorts since the day he got here and I hated myself for letting him. After that night he made himself known, the first thing I did - the morning after because both Kate and I had a head banging hangover - I called Evie.

"You know it's 2am?" She'd croaked over Skype. "Anna has school in the morning."

"Well, I'm not calling you for your seven year old's opinion am I?"

Evie's hand rubbed over her wayward red hair before she gently lay her head onto her palm. "Then what's up? You look terrible, were you out last night? What time is it over there?" She yawned.

"It's ten o'clock and Christian's in Cairo."

That woke her up. Although Amy was the one both Evie and I would call if there was a problem to think about, she wasn't the fighter. Evie was the fighter. The one that came up with both the solutions and the war strategy.

"I thought he was in Iceland...?"

"Well, we all thought he was in Iceland but he isn't is he? What am I gonna do? Now he's going to interfere and probably follow me around town and," I gasped. "Oh my god what if he talks to my friends. What if they talk to him?! They might even..." I cringed. "Like him."

Evie started smiling. "You know Christian isn't that bad."

I narrowed my eyes. "He fed from you when you first met him!"

She waved it away like it really didn't mean a thing. "That's in the past. I forgave him for that years ago."

"You're unbelievable. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you to watch out for the R.I.P section in the Vampire Herald because I'm going to surely kill him if he keeps doing this."

And with those parting words and Evie's laugh echoing in my ear, I'd hung up.

I glared at my muddy hiking boots and scowled. I hadn't seen him since that night but that made it worse. I didn't know when the ass was going to show up. At work? Where I lived? He probably already knew where I lived. Since turning there was really very little I knew about him, but that was through a fault of my own. When I was new, I acted like a petulant child until I started getting used to the heightened emotions. And as soon as that happened, a part of me was swallowed by a dark half of me I didn't like to be reminded of.

Shaking and locking away those memories, I rolled my eyes. Hell, why am I still thinking about him? See this is what he did! The Christian seed is aggressive. Kind of like a weed...

"Thinking of me, aren't you? You always get this little tick to the corner of your mouth whenever you do. And a fiery scowl as well, can't forget that."

I pointed my glare from my shoes to his face above me and glared as hard as an angry woman could. His smile never faltered.

"What do you want now?" I sighed. "My soul? Because in a way, you already own it."

"I'm surprised you still think you have one."

The fiery hot poker of anger stabbed at my back as I stood up to face him. A soul. Again, I shook my head of the upsetting thoughts and clenched my hands into fists. "Get the hell out of my work space, Christian. That was unneeded."

I wasn't surprised to see the flash of regret pass over his steely eyes and his smile finally falter. There was one thing Christian knew about me that not anyone else did, not even Evie or Amy and it was near the beginning of this life. When I was lost. When that half of me consumed me. It wasn't for a very long time, hence why nobody but him knew about it but he was there to pull me out and for that and only that, I was grateful.

"I'm sorry."

Unclenching my hands and stepping back, I took a deep calming breath and darted my gaze over his attire; a pair of khaki combat pants and a simple black t-shirt. His face was still sprinkled with more hair than usual and his dark hair floated left right and centre probably from his hand countlessly running through it. It was a habit I knew he couldn't shake, even when he usually had it so neat.

"Has my daily hour of torture commenced?" I asked leaning back against the wall and resuming our usual game of back-and-forth.

Thankfully, he copied me and leaned against the one behind him. "Actually, I've just come to check up on you. I wasn't too far from here and I thought I'd say hello."

"Hmm. Not too far from here?"

"That's right."

"In the desert. Ten miles from the city."

"Correct."

I tilted my head to the side and watched him carefully. "Doing what exactly?"

"I told you, Chelsea, I have business here." He said shielding his emotions completely which wasn't any different to usual to be honest.

Men, hm? He told me next to nothing and yet he wanted to know every nook and cranny of what I was getting up to. The male mind is an intriguing thing.

"Alright, I won't push for an answer. For now." I smiled and I was elated to see his smile turn into a hard frown.

He pushed from the wall and picked up my backpack. "You won't get one, kitten. How are you getting back to the city? You're not walking are you?"

I ignored the nickname and noted the way he swiftly changed the subject. I snatched my bag away from him and sneered, "I may be a vampire but walking or even running ten miles is not ideal in this heat. We're not made to walk around during the day and this necklace or your ring barely changes that. I get a ride with my colleague."

"Great. I'll come with you."

Pressing my palm to his chest to stop his pursual, I pushed lightly which halted my own steps. "No."

"Why not? Oh, don't you trust me around your friends Chelsea?"

"No." I repeated narrowly avoiding his hand when he tried to grab mine from his chest.

"You'd think I'd be wounded by your insults, but somehow over the years I've become immune. I actually got a lift here so I don't have any way of getting back." He admitted with a smirk.

Hm... let him walk in the desert for ten miles in this sweltering heat? Or let him come with me... This is like when Ross had to choose between Rachel and that bald chick at the beach house. Obviously, my choice was as easy as choosing Rachel:

"You can walk." I smiled, fluttering my eyelashes.

Even if I hog tied him to a tree in the desert he still would have followed me to the car and ignored my pleas to not compel the poor girl. She would have said yes to give him a ride anyway.

"You didn't have to do that." I grumbled to him sitting with a shit-eating grin in the back seat. "She would have said yes."

"I'm sure she would have, but it's rude to talk about someone when they're less than a foot away, Chels. Speaking of which, before you start the car Sophie can you tell me a few things?"

Like a hypnotised patient she turned around and obliged with a lazy smile. "Anything."

"Have you worked with Chelsea long?"

I couldn't stop yet another roll of my eyes. "Christian, for the love of-"

"Since the beginning of this dig. She's a great geologist."

Oh, well that was nice of her considering we barely talk.

Christian pressed further, "Are you an avid geologist? Do you enjoy your job?"

Why did this even matter...

Sophie nodded enthusiastically. "I love my job. I can't wait to further my career."

Clearly satisfied with what she said, he leaned back and muttered, "Forget everything I said and let's go."

Back to normal, she started the car and for the entire car journey, she had the music up as if Christian wasn't even here. I seethed quietly in my chair, waiting for my chance to throttle him and was glad for the chance when she dropped us by my apartment.

"What is wrong with you? What kind of questions are those?" I punched his arm and he didn't even wince or answer. Stomping passed him, I grumbled a few profanities that my poor mother would have slapped me for, all the way up to my front door. He followed me upstairs like I knew he would and I watched him pause at my door.

Now, usually a vampire had to be invited into a home but because my name was on the lease, he strolled right in without a hitch. "You should get Katherine to put up a spell to stop other vampires from entering."

I dropped my keys on the table with a shrug. "What's the point?" Even though inside I cursed at myself for not thinking of that. I could have kept him out indefinitely.

I sat at the edge of my couch and watched as he wandered around my living room, picking up a few framed photographs. His footsteps were always silent, he never made a sound. The one thing I could admire about Christian was his fluidity, and the way he carried himself. He was always so sure of himself, he never paused, and never hesitated when it came to something he wanted. I had the opportunity to see that first hand when I was a new vampire.

"Where is she?" He asked coming to a stop near my window and peeking through the curtains.

"Meeting Callum at the airport." I said. "He's staying until I go onto my next dig in Jordan. Now, can you tell me why you compelled Sophie's life story from her?"

Still ignoring me he eyed me. I met his stupid stare with a confused one of my own especially when he came out with, "You know, you should really think about blending in a bit more."

"Excuse me?!"

"Your blonde hair and blue eyes are pretty easy to pick out of a crowd here."

Blanching I was ready to spit fire when I was lucky to notice a small crack in his demeanour. If I had blinked I would have missed it. His eyes. Christian was a master but everyone slipped up every once in a while. And the way his pale eyes darkened just a fraction was his. I leaned forward. "Now, why should I care about blending in?"

He barely had the opportunity to reply before Katherine and Callum waltzed in. He was hiding something. I didn't know what but I was going to sure as hell find out. Katherine embraced Christian heartily and I continued to stare at him. Christian may actually be here for business but what kind of business? And why on earth should me 'blending in' come into any of this? Oh, Christian. Cal and him shared a brief hug and a shake of the hand before he caught me staring. What have you done now?

And then Callum, my brother born probably to my ancestor's mother pulled me out of my thoughts with a bear hug and drawled, "Chelsea! Holy hell, Kate wasn't lying Chris has followed you to the ends of the earth... again."

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