The Worth of a Coin (BxB)

Chapter 4

-Ruarc Brennan-

That was the most awkward day I had ever experienced, and I had experienced quite a few days. Quan was intriguing, but he was also closed-off, caged, cold, and criminally attractive. It made it extremely difficult to work with him. I preferred to do things, which meant that the investigation at the library was one of the highlights of my day. Even going to the cafe across the road was more interesting than staying in Quan's office.

I couldn't argue with Candice much. She knew my situation, and she knew how desperate I was to get out of it. I'd been involved in quite unsavoury things for years, even before becoming a vampire. I was surprised when Candice offered me the job, and I wouldn't regret taking it.

Yet, as I stood outside of my new front door, I pondered over what the future was going to look like. If I had to look at those same four walls as I had today, I would be driven insane. I would lose all control and end up creating a bloodbath or getting killed. With an angel a few doors down from Quan's office, the latter is more likely. Not to mention the several other vampires and werewolves who worked at the station.

I took a deep breath as the moving van pulled away from my new house, and looked down the road. Quan's house looked small in comparison to the others, he lived right in the middle of the street.

I wasn't going to waste any time, so I approached his door and knocked. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and considered abandoning the idea altogether. I could've waited until tomorrow, maybe I could've asked him at work. I could come up with a story as to why I'm knocking. Maybe I could ask to use his kettle? Or maybe I could ask if he had a rug or something? Most of the ideas which flew through my head were useless and quickly brushed off, but they became even more ridiculous as the door opened.

My eyes were immediately caught by the mug clasped in Quan's right hand. It was a very large mug, about the size of his head, and the brilliant white was a stark contrast to the cosy-looking black jumper that he was wearing. The knitwear covered his hand almost completely and reached his knees just about. He was a mass of black, save for his face.

"Hello?" he asked with the same unimpressed tone he had used with me all day. "I'm guessing it's Mister Brennan?"

I cleared my throat and nodded, before mentally slapping myself and saying, "yeah. I was just wondering..." I trailed off a little bit. What was I wondering? "And call me Ruarc."

"You're not coming in," Quan stated firmly. "I haven't invited anyone in my house, and I'm not starting now. And I don't think I'll be deviating from Mister Brennan anytime soon."

Why not? Why did he insist on being so formal all the time? Jade and William didn't seem to have any issues calling me Ruarc. I had even heard Quan call them by their first names a few times. My shoulders sagged. "But not every threat needs to be invited in," I argued. "It's not just vampires you need to watch out for. Humans and demons-"

"Humans don't know we exist," he interrupted. "As for demons, most know not to come around here. There are enough demons on this street to scare strangers off."

I bit my lip. Quan looked like he wasn't going to take many arguments, and he would have a retaliation for each one. The addition of other demons being on the street wasn't a comfort either.

"What are you drinking?" I asked as I leaned against the wall just outside of his house. "Coffee?"

"Mocha," he answered. As though to prove a point, he took a sip. "It's getting cold."

"Eh, I wouldn't know," I commented casually. I could feel the cold, but I didn't quite know what it was like for a human. Temperature differentiates highly on whether or not there's enough blood in a vampire's system to feel it. "If you let me in, you'd be able to get warm."