In his quieter moments, Dareios pressed himself on why he was seemingly becoming so interested in the young doctor. He hadn't felt infatuated with someone - a human - like this since the end of the last World War. And for so long, the vampire had resisted any semblance of romance in his life. He was rich. He was a public figure. He was a well-known philanthropist. The gossip rags certainly built him up as the city's most eligible bachelor, all supernatural things considered. And Dareios' publicist was sure to set him up on the occasional dinner or gala date for the photo opportunities and to keep the buzz about his eternal "single-ness" not too much on the forefront of the headlines. But Miya, was, well... different. She was pure. Too innocent for her own good. Briefly, he wondered if he was just a stereotype, the blood sucking monster pining after the pretty little virgin. But on his defense, Dareios didn't realize she was a virgin until after these feelings had already taken root. She wasn't who his publicist would have chosen for him, that's for sure. But she was quite remarkable in her own right. There was a playfulness about him as he held his hand out to her in the drizzling rain. For the first time, he was going to share a piece of him, the real him, with her, should she be brave enough to accept it. He scoffs a laugh, flashing an uncharacteristic toothy grin as she tries to process what just happened. "Sure did." He said with a newfound giddy energy. The grin doesn't disappear as Miya let her nerves talk for her. "I promise you'll be okay." He watches as she slips her hand in his. Dareios takes a step closer then, wrapping his other arm around her back before bending at his knees and lifting her, easily cradling her under her legs and supporting her mid-back. He dips his chin and raises an eyebrow. "Ready?" He says, then spins on his heels and takes one step forward on the damp asphalt. The rest is a blur. Dareios moves expertly down the sidewalk, sidestepping effortlessly out of the way of a few pedestrians who are blissfully unaware of his high-speed presence. He turns one block, and then another, and in a matter of minutes, they've reached Miya's neighborhood. In an instant, all motion has stopped, and Dareios is standing squarely at the corner of a quaint intersection. He cocks his head to one side and then the other as he assesses their whereabouts. He remembers vaguely the first time they met - the coffee shop, the spilled donuts, and how he had opted to walk her home so she wouldn't be in the streets alone. He recalls looking up her address and making sure those old bulbs in the streetlights had been replaced. But he can't quite place her actual apartment. "Am I close?" Dareios Auerbach | Vampire | Vinyl |