CHAPTER 11
CLASSY VAMP

HADLEY couldn't believe how casual Percy was about almost being murdered. He went on for ten minutes, describing the exhilaration he felt about Aileen Wuornos trying to kill him. Hadley thought his experience with Aileen would have him packing right then and there, but it seemed ... nothing could scare him away. She should've been worried about that, but Hadley never felt more content.

They tried to dress as quickly as they could, just to make it out of the hotel before James could find them and wish them a happy Devil's Night. Hadley knew that if her would-be dad saw them, he would make them stay for the festivities, and Percy wouldn't just be treated like a guest. Amongst a room of dead serial killers, he would be the meal.

Percy allowed her to get dressed in the bathroom while he changed in the middle of the suite. He slapped a hand across his face once he pulled out the costume she got for him. A fucking Greek warrior. The first part of the costume was a simple, white toga hanging off one shoulder, while a small part of the left side of his chest was exposed. Then, there was a brown belt made out of the cheapest pleather, and it just barely fit around his waist. The costume was paired with a few pleather gauntlets and some discounted Greek sandals, which were a bit too big for his feet, but he'd make it work.

When he looked in the mirror, he wanted to run away and hide. There was no way he could wear this in public! He hardly wore t-shirts that showed off his lean arms – this was on another level. Hadley called for him behind the bathroom door, but her voice was muffled. He asked, "What?"

"Can you come in here and help me?" She repeated, allowing Percy another moment to take in his appearance.

He wanted to take this off and refuse to wear it, but Hadley had seemed so excited for Halloween. He'd be damned to make her unhappy.

Sighing at his reflection in the mirror, Percy stumbled off towards the bathroom. He inhaled heavily before opening the door, and she looked over her shoulder to see his costume. She tried biting back a giggle, but it was too strong to keep in. Percy slapped his hands on his sides, realizing that the toga came just a little above his knee. "I know," he said. "I look ridiculous, Hadley."

"No, you look great," she replied. "If we pass by a group of college girls tonight, they'll be all over you. Trust me."

Little did she know that Percy didn't need a group of college girls wanting him. He only needed one, and she wasn't even human.

Hadley gestured to the zipper in the back of her dress. "Can you help with this?"

"Uh – yeah, sure," he nodded quickly.

Percy swallowed hard as he reached out to grab the zipper, fingers just about brushing the small of her back. He admired the exposed part of her pale skin, realizing that her back must've been covered in faint freckles. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled the zipper up to her collar, clearing his throat and taking a step back. Hadley sent him a soft smile before turning to the mirror and fixing her gentle, brunette waves.

He almost wanted to laugh when he took in the vampire costume she'd brought. It was a maroon-colored dress made out of cheap polyester, with a high collar that resembled the look of most Hollywood vampires. She matched it with a pair of sneakers, which she thought was funny. The long sleeves and skirt were cut into ragged edges, and Percy found himself biting his tongue when he saw the slight slit on the corner of her left leg.

Hadley met his eyes in the dirty mirror, arching a brow. "What?" She asked while trying to draw blood dripping from the corner of her mouth with lipstick.

"You ..." Percy gulped. "You look really nice."

She grinned big. "Thanks," she replied, setting the lipstick back down on the sink counter. "It was called, 'the Classy Vamp Costume.'"

Percy released a snort as she spun on her heel to face him. He realized then how close she was, and how her chest was almost spilling out of the neckline of her dress. His vision was getting hazy. His heart was beating rapidly, and he was sure she could hear it. All he could feel was the brash cold of her body temperature, and he reveled in it, wanting nothing more to press his chest against her own.

But he didn't. Percy stayed right where he was, smiling down at the beautiful monster in front of him.

Hadley laid out a hand, lips quirking into a smirk. "Shall we head out, my warrior?"

He took her hand, clutching her small fingers tightly. The cold mixed well with his warmth. With a short chuckle, Percy replied, "Of course, my classy vamp."

•••

Night had fallen by the time they made it out of the Cortez. They managed to escape the clutches of the hotel without running into Elizabeth or James, much to Hadley's excitement. She didn't even know what she would do if they were caught. She was never known to have the best plans.

The moon formed into a half crescent. A dark cloud hovered over the horizon, signaling that the eclipse was near. Both Hadley and Percy stared at it for a long time, and only when the Cortez sign began to flicker above their heads did they finally look down. Hadley met Percy's eyes with a smile and asked, "So what do you wanna do?"

A group of children in colorful costumes sped by them, followed by their parents. Percy moved out of the way before replying, "I don't know. Should we try to trick some parents into giving us candy?"

"Why?" She lifted a trimmed eyebrow. "Because I look like I could be your baby sister?"

Percy swallowed. Far from that.

She then huffed, shoulders sinking as she lifted her chin to the sky. "That's all you got, Perce? There's a realm of possibilities for us!" Hadley counted off ideas with her fingers. "We could ... oh! Steal candy from children, or ... I could show you the best monster hang-out spots – if there's no one around. I'm not taking you anywhere that you could be –"

"How about you show me how you feed for survival?"

Hadley blinked, wondering if she heard his response correctly. She repeated the words over in her head, and each time, she felt a mini-heart attack. Licking her lips, she replied, "What?!"

Percy shrugged nonchalantly. "It could make the night interesting," he said, picking up the hem of his toga. "More interesting than these costumes."

"Are you crazy?!" She shrieked. "Absolutely not. That is completely out of the question."

Percy arched a brow, taking a step forward. His expression was defiant, competing against her own insolence, and both refused to find common ground. His chest was inches from hers, and if he were bold enough, Percy would've wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her in, hoping that would convince her to agree to his idea. But he kept his hands right where they were. Instead, deciding to shoot her a quick smirk.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Hadley barked. "I'm not giving into your demands just because you have a pretty face, Percy."

His chest almost caved in at her comment. He felt his stomach drop, but they both ignored the sound, too afraid to approach their own feelings.

"I don't understand what's the big deal," he replied with another shrug. "It's not like you haven't done it in front of me before. Christian and Bobby, remember?"

"That situation is the exact reason why I won't agree to this." Her tone was unwavering. She wouldn't give in – yet. "Why do you care so much about seeing this?"

His shoulders slumped as he tried to think of a response. "I want to see your restraint," he muttered, voice lowering to whisper when crowds of costumed children swarmed around them. "Why do you care so much about not showing me? Is it because you think humans are weak? I'll tell you, I've seen much more than you think I have, and I'm still living –"

Hadley crossed her arms over her chest, bunching up the top of her dress. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?" He edged on, pushing a few blonde strands from his eyes. "Too scary for me?"

She chuckled, and it wasn't out of malice or spite. Her laugh sounded genuine, like the bell tolls on top of a church. "If that were it, I would've turned you by now," she snorted, but once she realized the impact of her words, she swallowed hard and took a step back, almost bumping into a child. Holding a hand to her chest, Hadley continued, "Perhaps, it might be beneficial for you to see exactly how dangerous I am, but ... Your mortality means a lot to me. You need a healthy dose of fear every once in a while. Not every day, Percy. You don't seem to understand the realities present."

"That's just you assuming that I'm scared of you." He paused, watching his words sink in. She glared at him. "You don't scare me as much as you think you do."

Hadley cocked her head to the side. Her eyes formed into slits, but they were still reserved with confusion, wondering what tricks he held up his sleeves. What tricks could he have that would impress a monster?"

"I say, we go to a Halloween party at some ... I don't know, fraternity," he suggested. "We'd be able to get in, and it would be easy for you to find a target. College boys are the worst, right?"

She looked away for a split second, but when her eyes met his again, they were full of mischief. "And the tastiest."

Percy's brow shot up and the corners of his lips quirked slightly. She studied his expression for a moment, wondering how a boy so human could make her cold heart ache. Why couldn't he have been like all the others? Why did he have to be her one weakness?

Eventually, she sighed dramatically, slapping a hand against her thigh. "Fine. Whatever." She then grabbed the collar of his toga, bringing him close so she could stare him down. Percy's stumbled into her, gasping at her sudden touch. "But the second you don't follow my orders, we're going home. Got it?"

He shook his head quickly. Percy would agree to anything she asked.

•••

It wasn't hard to find a frat house. Los Angeles was practically crawling with them. They found a tall, brick building with groups of students lingering around it, as well as a lit up Greek sign above the doorway. Hadley took Percy's hand and dragged him through the crowd, scanning her surroundings for later. There was a lanky boy at the door with a red Solo cup, sloshing around a bitter liquid that reached Hadley's nose in an instant.

"D – Do you guys even g – go here?" He slurred, breath reeking of cheap beer.

Percy gave Hadley a worried look, but she didn't seem to mind. Placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, Hadley leaned in real close – almost too close for Percy's liking – and told him, "You will let us inside."

The aura around them changed. Percy could've sworn her eyes changed color. The conviction in her tone was evident. The lanky boy blinked, as if he was sobering up, and then opened the door to the frat house for them. "Enjoy, miss," he coughed out, holding the door for her.

Hadley sent Percy a wink before pulling him inside. The house was filled to the brink of underaged students, all carrying the same can of beer. Hadley's nose scrunched up as they made their way through the crowd, hand-in-hand, while Percy's heart thrummed against his ribcage. "Why do they all have the same type of beer?" She asked as he took his place beside her. "Don't they buy anything else?"

"It's Pabst Blue Ribbon," Percy explained, keeping her close as they squeezed by a couple tonguing each other in the hallway. "A staple at any college party."

Hadley glanced his way, arching a brow.

"Cheap beer."

"Oh," she said, pausing while they approached the table covered with drinks in the living room. A few bottles of liquor were situated in the back, but most of the table consisted of steel buckets filled with ice and cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Grabbing two cold cans from the bucket, she threw one into his hands and giggled when he caught it. Hadley cracked open the top and yelled over the music, "To cheap beer!"

Percy laughed, knocking his can against hers before taking a large gulp. He almost gagged the second the alcohol coated his tongue. He definitely didn't miss college parties, but he'd go to any of them if Hadley asked. She didn't seem to bat an eyelash as she sucked down the whole beer in a minute, lifting her arms in the air before smashing the can against the table. "Maybe I should go back to college," she grinned big. "I already fit right in with the times!"

"What you should be doing is finding a victim," he said, leaning down to her ear.

With his close proximity, Hadley tried to ignore the vein in his neck that constantly tempted her. Instead, she focused on the vast majority of veins gathering around the room. She focused on their heartbeats, the rhythm of their pulses. It was like a kaleidoscope of sounds in her ears. Hadley shut her eyes, concentrating on the erratic beats, the ones that signaled approaching anger. Gasping under her breath, her attention became fixed on one voice in particular.

"All my victims are assholes," she muttered, heading for the angered voice without warning Percy.

He tried calling for Hadley over the music. He almost lost her for a moment, but managed to rake through the groups of sweaty bodies, refusing to be swallowed up by the crowd. As she halted her footsteps in the back of the living room, Percy suddenly realized what she was doing. He watched her approach a guy hovering over a blonde girl, lips ghosting her neck as she tried pushing him off. The blonde was clearly in distress, begging for the man to get away. Hadley's lips curled into anger, but the second she gripped the back of the guy's neck, they pulled into a sneer. The man's bushy brows furrowed, and he pushed his dark mane of hair from his eyes to get a better look at her. Percy felt a pang of jealousy when Hadley leaned into his ear, but he had to remind himself the endgame, and that she was doing this for him.

Eventually, Hadley had the man tugging on her hand to go outside. Percy watched them with curiosity, afraid to move an inch as they headed for the back door. Hadley met his stare, urging him to follow with her eyes. Percy nodded and lingered behind for a minute, until he finally pushed through the bodies once again to reach the back door.

It led to a dark alley. Percy almost stumbled down the steep steps as he opened the door. He blinked, searching for Hadley in the pitch blackness. The moon was his only source of light, and even then, it was shrouded by darkness. The eclipse was minutes away.

"Get off of me!"

Percy's head swung in the direction of her voice, and then he was running, going against all his better judgment. He shouldn't be within five feet of her while she was hungry, but he didn't care and she was crying out for help. He wasn't going to leave her in the arms of a skeezy guy, even with her monstrous abilities. Percy wouldn't allow anything to happen to her.

He found them at the end of the alley, with the dark-haired man ravaging Hadley's neck as she hovered a switchblade against his spine. She caught sight of Percy running, eyes widening with horror as she waved for him to stop, but he couldn't – he wouldn't. Before he could stop himself, Percy was grabbing the collar of the man, trying to throw him to the ground. The guy stumbled back, eyes crinkling towards Percy with confusion. "She said –" Percy huffed. "– Get off of her."

The man laughed. Percy's anger spiked, and he swung a punch in his direction. But this guy was faster – so much faster – and his fist was colliding with Percy's lip before he could register it. Percy fell to the gravel, making sure to grab his head before it could hit the ground.

With hazy eyes, he looked up, watching Hadley yank on the male student's tie, hissing under her breath. She whipped the pink switchblade out again, and the second that Percy blinked, she was already slashing the guy's neck, hooking her mouth onto the wound. Hadley didn't waste any blood. She drank to her heart's content, sucking the man so dry that his skin turned a pale blue.

Percy jumped when the body fell in his direct line of vision. Blood pooled around him, making him crawl away on his hands and knees. His back hit the surface of a brick wall, and he took a moment to catch his breath. He was scared to look at Hadley, scared to see the monster that she hid so well. But then he reminded himself that it was nothing he hadn't seen before. Percy had never been scared of her, and he wouldn't let it start now.

When he turned his head, he realized she was already in front of him, kneeling by his right side. Blood dripped down her chin and stained his white toga. The whole costume was covered in dirt at this point. Percy didn't move away when she reached out, but he did feel himself shudder when her cold fingers brushed across his lip. As she pulled her hand back, he noticed the blood coating her fingertips.

"Shit," he muttered, bring a hand up and dabbing at his busted lip.

Hadley swallowed hard and rubbed the blood on her dress. Lifting her head, she met his piercing eyes, and her expression went soft. "Are you afraid of me now?"

Percy's brow creased. "No."

The blood on his lip was gushing – not enough to pain him, but enough to tempt her. He tried dabbing at it more, but the blood was unstoppable and all Hadley wanted to do was attach her lips to his. But not in the way that he wanted. No – in a hungrier way, in a way that threatened his own survival. She wanted to take his bottom lip into her teeth and suck until there was nothing left.

Hadley blinked. No, she told herself, you're stronger than that.

"Percy?"

"Yeah?" He asked, looking up at the dark sky.

Hadley followed his stare, sharp eyes focusing on the eclipse burning above their heads. She sighed and faced him with a soft smile. "Let's go home."

•••

A/N: Guys I miss Michael so bad that I've resulted in buying Apocalypse on Amazon for like $20 and I've been rewatching every AHS season wHAT IS WRONG WITH ME