Arlo James

See what it's like to be a vulture's lunch

Abigail, he was certain, was probably never going to come out of his bedroom again. Even when he moved away from it. Arlo attempted, in that moment, to take up a place on the leather sofa in some effort to give her space or....breathing room or distance from ...his eyes? His eyes, after all, seemed to have been the most offensive part. Her body, or at least, her body without clothing on had always been something of an issue for the red-haired woman. Arlo hardly having forgotten the evening at the hotel when she'd tried on that new swimwear for the first time, the man almost tempted to argue he'd basically seen her naked before this point anyway and really with the amount of times he'd pictured it he basically had seen her naked as it was. Maybe he shouldn't tell her that. In the very least the real thing had been even better than what he pictured. Arlo entirely sure he would remember that image for the rest of his life. The vampire unable to prevent that consideration of just how much he desired to touch her. Everywhere. A short, sharp exhale of air was forced through his nose at the consideration. The man shifting with slight discomfort atop that sofa, his jeans feeling little tighter then he remembered, as the sound of his bedroom door opening at last prompted his attention back toward his still blushing girlfriend. God she was just so.....so innocent! That very innocence was inclined to act as both his greatest concern and a damn turn on all at once. Those very conflicting thoughts hardly further assisted by the sight of her dressed in nothing more than a pair of his boxer shorts and his hoodie.

Fuck. Did she have any idea how she looked in that? Everything about that picture from her slender figure and her flushed cheeks to her beating heart and ruffled hair gave her a thoroughly well fucked look. One Arlo was not entirely sure he was prepared to handle. The vampire near forcing himself to look away before his thoughts continued down that proverbial path. The man at least attempting to make her feel comfortable as Abby at last wandered around to sit herself on the couch beside him. She was so embarrassed it was almost....cute really. His Little Bear so proceeded to wrap her arms about her knees in just the sort of way that only further seemed to portray that cute look. God she was hot like that. The necklace. Right. He should ask about that. His irritation at whoever had given it to her had hardly been forgotten after all. One hand lifted to run through his own dark hair, Arlo allowing those ruffled locks to fall back into his eyes as his gaze met his girlfriends. The Crusnik querying whether or not she was willing to tell him about that jewellery collar now that she was capable of speaking ...non-Panda. Who the hell went around giving gifts like that to other peoples girlfriends!? Abby had said she had a boyfriend to whoever had given it to her, hadn't she? Her voice came out as little more than a squeak, Arlo's own features softened readily once more in an effort to chase away that flustered look from her face. After all, he was hardly mad at her, it wasn't her fault she was gorgeous and people gave her gifts. It was this other vampire he was mad at. Hadn't he smelled him on her? Hadn't he known Abigail was already with someone? God these feelings were so damn...intense. He'd had girlfriends before and yet he'd never felt so ...protective, so possessive over them the way he did over Abby. This relationship was just somehow ...different. It was more. It meant more to him then any of the others ever had and that was almost terrifying. Maybe now was as good a time as any to talk about that relationship before he asked for the rest of the details on that necklace.

He'd only been thinking about it for weeks now after all, waiting for that perfect time and hell, maybe this wasn't exactly the perfect time but he'd already seen her naked now hadn't he? Did it really matter if they moved in together? It wasn't like she had anything to hide anymore now right? Did they have rules about moving in together too? Arlo eased himself back into that chair then, the vampire further contemplating those very words before at last managing to at least broach the topic. This apartment was too small as it was, let alone...crappy. He was doing well now, making more than enough to keep her happy, he could afford something better, something way nicer. Besides, he was going to marry her one day, this was just another step towards that. Arlo more than capable, now, of providing for her. Not that she really needed providing for he supposed and yet still- the thought was, well, kinda nice wasn't it? If he was going to be her husband one day he should be able to look after her shouldn't he? Husband. Maybe that word wasn't so terrifying as it had been once. The Crusnik allowed a faint simper to find his lips at the thought before he continued with that offer- and that query on whether or not it was even allowed by her ...rules to move in with him. Arlo paused then, his gaze resting almost expectantly on her as Abigail seemed to grow uncertain all over again.

Her voice, when it came, was soft once more. Her head shaking slowly. Arlo, this time, unable to prevent that soft sigh that left his own lips. Maybe he should have expected this and yet...he'd been hoping, for the first time ever, that a girl might actually want to live with him. Whatever words he had been about to offer were caught upon his lips as Abby continued, the woman offering that explanation of the customs in Nepal- along with her father's thoughts on them. Arlo's own features rapidly shifted into a look of confusion. What sort of fucking place was this Nepal? She belonged to her husband? Like a puppy? Was that even legal? Maybe Nepal wasn't in Nebraska like he'd originally thought. This sounded more like a...Georgia thing. Arlo's own head shook in near disbelief, his features nothing short of baffled as he continued to eye her. That lack of understanding clear upon his face.

"Babe, I don't want to...own you or stop you from ever staying over at your parents place again or anything that.....intense. Nepal seems like it has some really, you know, hardcore rules. Is it really necessary we follow them all when we aren't even in this Nepal place? Is the Nepal ...government going to know or anything? Are you worried they are going to come after you? If your Irish do you even have to follow all the rules?"

Who or what exactly did Abigail fear was going to come after her? Did Nepal have a government agency in charge of...virgins? Those ideals, those values, they were so far from anything he'd ever known. Arlo, this time, struggling to...comprehend that very way of thinking. The man inclined to lift one hand back to his head again, his fingers scratching at the back of his neck in that ner small display of the internal stress he struggled to prevent Abigail from seeing. That idea she would ask her Father hardly filled him with confidence. Meeting the parents had never exactly been his skillset. Arlo once more inclined to find himself almost nervous over the idea. What if he didn't like vampires? His species wasn't exactly ...popular. Worse than that, what if her Father just didnt.....like.....him? Parents never tended to like him. Even his own parents didn't like him and yet the thought of somehow fucking up this relationship was, christ, he didn't even want to think of it.

"Did you want me to come and ask your dad with you?"

Would she even want him meeting her Father? The very idea that she might not had hardly occurred to him until that moment. Maybe Abigail didn't want to introduce him to her Dad. Arlo hardly sure just what emotion he felt at that realisation in turn. The vampire falling into silence for several long moments at that contemplation seemed to turn within his mind. What if her Dad didn't like him? What if he said they couldn't move in together until they were married? Really, he supposed, he could live with that even if it wasn't ideal. The idea that he might not want Arlo marrying his daughter was a far more...terrifying idea. Arlo, for now at least, forced that thought to the back of his mind, his blue gaze shifting back to Abigail's own.

"Maybe you can come look at a few places with me, somewhere we both like and then if your Dad says it's okay, you can move in after that."

That easy grin seemed to find his features once more, despite that internal worry that clawed at his stomach. Arlo, at the very least, attempting to....reassure her that everything was fine. God he couldn't stand it when she looked upset, even if that worry was over him.

"You know, I kinda wanted to ask you about something else too but I'm pretty sure I already know the answer now."

He'd been, well, an idiot to think they might be allowed to do.....anything else when it came to those intimate activities. Maybe sex was off the table until they were married but he'd been hoping that they might be allowed to do....well....other things. If they weren't even allowed to live together though the idea of those 'other things' seemed distinctly...out of reach. In more ways than one. That near baffled (if not slightly concerned) look on Abby's face readily coaxed that grin to his own then, Arlo shaking his head once more as that light chuckle hummed from within his throat.

"It's nothing bad, Babe. I was just kinda hoping that if we can't have sex that we could at least do the other things..."

That near blank look he was rewarded with at last managed to coax an almost wary look to his own. She knew what he was talking about didn't she? She had to. No one could be that innocent could they?

"You know like...touching and ...using your lips too...er....you know? Although, judging by the look on your face Ab's im kinda starting to think you don't know."

Great. Now she looked scared. Sort of. Christ he was bad at this. How would Sebastian have worded it? Something fancy but ...polite. Was there even a polite way to say it? Maybe he could just show her a picture? Although really the pictures would probably only terrify her more.

"It's like intimate touching. Putting my hands on your breasts or slightly more....intimate places and letting you put your hands on me too, under my shirt, or my pants, when we make out. It's not sex its, well, I guess its foreplay really but if we're not allowed to do that either its fine, really it is, you know Im happy to wait until your ready and we get married. I'm just ...checking."