Luthien

Luthien walked up to the brick building. He liked the blood bank, he even liked the building itself. The low brick building had a flat cement roof and was built small like a free clinic. As a matter of fact, it was built into the side of a free clinic.
         A small bell chimed as he opened the glass door. Luthien raised an eyebrow at the blond man that walked into the lobby from a back room.
“Your idea?” Luthien asked, as he pointed at the bell.
         “It’s a store bell, man” Bryce said, “the blood store finally has a door bell” his light blue eyes were sparkly with excitement, like a little kid with a new toy.
         “Isn’t it awesome!” he looked at Luthien excitedly, waiting for his agreement.
         “Uh, yeah, really cool” Luthien said, not wanting to spoil the man’s fun.
         “Dude, I can smell your insincerity”, he said as he pulled the edge of an army green ski hat down over his eyes with a huff.
         “Aw, don’t be like that”, Luthien said, “it’s cool ok?”.
         Bryce lifted the rim of his hat and grinned at Luthien.
         “Would have been cooler if the boss had let me get the chime with Halloween music like I wanted” he said.
         Luthien laughed, “yeah but I think we might have been the only ones that would get the joke”, he pointed out.
         Bryce opened a swinging gate in the counter to let Luthien into the back room.
         “Take your pick, man”, Bryce said as he unlocked a refrigerated cabinet.
         Bryce hopped up onto a steel table in the center of the small room.     
         “Hey, Man, I got a question,”          
         “What?” Luthien asked without turning back towards him.
         “Well, it’s just that this is gonna run you up like two hundred buck on this trip alone, right?” Bryce asked
         “Yeah, so, I have the money” Luthien said, “over five hundred years of savings can do that to your financial situation”, he added with a laugh.          
         “Yeah, but couldn’t you just drink from Nienna for free” Bryce said, “you know, get a little kinky” he added with a grin.
         Luthien turned around slowly and fixed a cold stare on Bryce.
         “Never. That will never happen” he said and turned back to selecting pouches of blood.
         They were silent for a while, letting the tension dissipate. Bryce sat quietly on the table and stared at his skate shoes like a kid caught by a parent. Luthien continued sifting through pints, checking the labels of some.
         Does he really think that I am that selfish, that I would harm Nienna for my own pleasure. The whole reason I come here is so that I don’t hurt her, or anyone else for that matter. I could kill her if I did that, or at least scare her into hating me. She knows I’m a vampire but she has never seen me, like that. No, I could never do that to her.
         Luthien was pulled away from his thoughts by Bryce who had decided to start up conversation again.
         “Dude,” He said, trying to get Luthien’s attention.
         “Hm?” Luthien acknowledged, still upset at Bryce for his previous “question” and hoping that this would not be another one.
         “Do you have any pictures of you before you were ‘turned’?” he asked. 
         “Sorry Bryce, no cameras back then” he said with a small laugh. [i]Only Bryce would totally miss the fact that there were no cameras five hundred years ago.[/i]
         “No way! Not even those really old ones with the little black curtain” he said dumbstruck.
         “Nope, just paintings” Luthien said as he put another pouch of blood into a small book bag he had brought with him.
         “So what did you look like back then, man” Bryce asked.
         Luthien thought for a moment.
         “Pretty much the same, except that my teeth were shorter”, he said turning to Bryce with a grin that showed off his elongated canines. “And my hair was wavy, since I didn’t straighten it” he added.
         “wait, wait, wait, Dude, you straighten your hair!” he said trying not to laugh and failing miserably. 
         “Yeah what’s your point” Luthien asked.
         “Nothing” Bryce said, trying to suppress another fit of giggles, “just that when a dude straightens his hair it shows a lack of straightness in other places”. Bryce gave up trying to hold back and let a fit laughter escape.
         “’tch” Luthien turned from the cabinet with a roll of his eyes, “whatever, I’m comfortable with my sexuality” Luthien said, “now ring ‘em up”. He tossed the bag he had filled with his selections to Bryce. Bryce caught the bag and made a mocking bow ushering Luthien out to the front room. 
         “Yes master” Bryce said in a bad impersonation of an English accent.
         Luthien rolled his eyes again, “Don’t do that” he said.
         “Why” Bryce asked, “ does it turn you on?” he added mockingly while invading Luthien’s personal space.
         “Wouldn’t you like to know” Luthien said with a raised eyebrow.
         Bryce stopped dead in his tracks with his mouth hanging open. Luthien walked calmly on and with out looking back said, “I was joking stupid, don’t flatter yourself”.
         “Dude, that is so not cool!”