Blood Thinner

Chapter 8: Coincidence

*Chapter 8*

A hand grabs protectively onto a sleeved arm. Up, down, up, down...shh, nerves. It's okay, calm down, no one will hurt you, and that's a promise. No, no, don't worry...those icky needles Velvet is breaking through your protective barrier can't hurt you, no sir...at least that's what Angel hopes as he rubs his skin away.

He's not letting her see his arm.

Isn't that something to smile about?

His reaction is exactly what she's looking for.

Her finger twirls around her hair. What an angel. "I know."

Angel squints suspiciously, not liking her devious tone. "Know what?"

"You know what I know."

"...How do you know?"

"I have my ways." Eye bat. Never gets old. She's deeply, deeply disappointed that they aren't coated in Le Volume de Chanel waterproof mascara. Ugh. Bail first, then makeover. She leans closer with an intimidating rope around his neck. "I know that I know, and Halo knows...but does Venny know?"

If one looked closely enough with the world's finest miscroscope, they'd see that little bitty flinch popping from Angel at the recall of his not-boyfriend (you're not funny, Velvet) and digs invisible holes into his sleeve. "No and he doesn't need to." Angel lets one leg dangle over the other beneath the table. "It's not even relevant to literally anything."

She chuckles lowly. "O-ho-ho...but it does now that I'm clued in." She enjoys the look he gives her, the one wondering if she's making a threat that she'll follow through on or if she just needed a game to play and Monopoly was out of stock. "You see, baby...I'm like you. I know you aren't fond of me, but we're much more alike than you think."

"Both of us being in orange doesn't mean anything."

"I know that feeling. From the moment I lept on stage to even now while I'm...locked up." Her hand reaches out to touch his, locking their fingers together and shooting electric shots through their bodies like wires. It burns him. "I'm willing to extend an olive branch to you."

That brought the expected: A scoff.

"Laugh all you want, but you'll want to get in on this." Velvet purrs coolly, hoping to hypnotize him and get him to do her bidding. He's not as easy as Veneer. But she likes challenges. She lives for them.

Angel lets his hair sway with his head-shake and pulls his hand away as if she had infected him. "Aha, you're funny," He deadpans with a fake laugh. "First of all, I'm not into that. Second of all, even if I was desperate enough to be your toy, there's literally no way it would work. So," Tongue click. "Boo-hoo."

Velvet leans back and tilts her head, intrigued by his denial. "So it's a no."

"It's a hell no."

"Fine."