Most liked to stay awake all night. Most preferred the energizing moonlight. But Benji wanted to be a little human. He never asked to fully change, he was forced to, after all. Even if the sun made him a little tired, he liked it a little more---it showed him the world he wanted to draw. But he slept at night. In a bed, rather than on a slab of cool stone or in an industrial freezer others did. It kept their bodies cool, though Benji liked the light tingling sensations that warmth gave him. It felt that way when he touched a human more strongly than that of anything without life, though. It was why most vampires hugged their victims or sources close to them, because of that pleasing satisfaction that came from circulating blood and soft skin. But Benji doubted he'd be able to handle such closeness. After a decade of bottling up his true nature he didn't think he might be able to control himself now.

A light thud woke him from the slight sleep he had fallen into. Immediately worried, he sat up and stood, hurrying from his room in loose silken clothes and glided down three flights of stairs to the bottom floor. "Wren?" He called through the relative dark. The only lights now came from the fireplaces that shone through certain bookshelves and around certain sitting areas. "You still around?" Moving into the back room, where the older yet more recent books were kept, he found Wren still there and standing, looking as if he had hit his head. "Are you okay?" He asked, rather worried now.

He turned around, startled to hear Benji's voice ringing out in the room. Wren hadn't heard the other man walk into the room. It was kind of embarrassing, being caught while thinking of him. A flood of fresh blood rose to his cheeks, making the youth's face red. "I'm fine, just not used to falling asleep in a library, on the couch ..." Actually, it had been a while since anyone cared enough to cover him with a blanket to ward away the cold.

It took a moment for him to notice that the vampire's clothes were made of silk, and flowed in such a way that he couldn't help but stare. The firelight only helped to make Benji seem more alive then he was, warmer. A shiver slipped down his spine as he remembered how cold the other man's skin had been, before blood had warmed him.

Benji looked about, then down to himself. He'd never really been where someone could see him so fully, as these bedclothes could sometimes be a little transparent for their thin and lightweight make. But it was dark enough where he was. "Really, now?" He asked lightly. "Well, I'd guess there's a first time for everything. It's not strange to me to see people sleep all night down here and run off in the morning." Somehow he could smell something else. Other emotions he hadn't quite sensed during the day. Tilting his head, Benji took a few steps forward. "Ah... Wren, are you okay? You have a bit of a different... scent. More, um..." More musky, a little stronger? The scent of blood was more prominent as well, emanating as if nearer to the surface. He couldn't quite catch many changes in skin tone in the shadow and firelight combination. But the scent...

It was so distracting! It infiltrated his mind and tried to manipulate his thoughts, try to make him think of what he could have don if he'd just exerted a little more control over Wren at the right moment... He shook his head quickly.

"I don't have anywhere to run off to right now..." It was too early, too late, for that. Then there was what the vampire said to distract him, eve if he had needed to go someplace. Those thoughts kept going through his mind, the dream flickering behind his eyes. Wren knew he was breathing to fast, and the sometimes transparent fabric the other man wore didn't help.

"My scent? What, is there something wrong with it?" He took a few steps forward without realizing it. Tilting his head back, the artist wondered about how a drawing of the other man might seem in his style. It would be a challenge to capture the somewhat ethereal beauty held in the vampire's features. No, that wasn't right, though he had no idea how to describe it.

Benji shook his head. "N-no, of course not! Nothing's wrong with it, I just..." He put a bare foot back, moving only slightly backward when Wren closed the gap a little quickly. "It's just a... a bit stronger. I can't really tell why." Of course he could. Wren was almost literally dripping life, humanity, a drug to a vampire, especially one starved on the feeling of intimacy. It flooded his mind and nature, and made him twitch. Nowadays one couldn't just meet someone and get past the initial warming period after a few hours, or a day or two. That was unethical, if he recalled, and a little odd for humans. Even newly-turned vampires raised in current affairs felt the same way, but had much more difficulty controlling themselves as opposed to elder vampires.

Benji brought himself back to reality after he realized his thoughts had wandered again. If his heart were beating right now it would probably be audible even to Wren. "Um, well, Wren, if you want to stay around, you're welcome to..." And let his scent perfume the whole bottom floor? It was more than okay. "There's a... few bathrooms down here. A kitchen to the left." He nodded. "But, um, if you want to go home... and want someone to go with you since it's so late... well, just come to the third floor and knock, I'll hear." He turned, quickly drifting away between the shelves and eventually running back upstairs. When the door was safely locked behind him, but still available to Wren to approach, he leaned against it and was thankful he was devoid of blood for the time being.

He spent a while longer in the library, flipping through the pages of different books. Wren settled on a few, then tucked them into a plastic bag he found. With the creaking of the old floor, the artist walked up the stairs and knocked at the door with a yawn. It was so late ... Though he'd slept, his eyelids drooped with fatigue and his shoulders slumped.

The fact that Benji would know where he lived, it nearly slipped his mind. It would be alright, he supposed. It wasn't like he hadn't already given the other man that information anyway, on the sign up form.

Benji had decided to change into more secure clothes. He was sure walking or driving about in lightweight clothing that barely covered oneself. It was rather indecent, even at midnight, when people were expected to dress ridiculously if they were even out and about still. When a knock sounded, he stepped out of the third floor full bathroom and through the living room and den, then passed the arch into the dining room and to the door that led out into the stairwell. Wren was there, with a bag of books and appeared to be near collapsing. "Ah, come on then." He stepped out, closing the door behind him. "You signed these out?" He asked, reading the titles of the books through the light plastic. "Well, no matter if you didn't, I'll remember to write them in myself." Despite his tongue working to freeze when he spoke in the presence of Wren's intoxicating scent, Benji managed to play it as cool as possible as he led the way downstairs and to the front counter, retrieving the keys to a red Chevy Chevelle from a locked box underneath. He did have a car, yes, but preferred to walk everywhere. This time, though, the young man's lethargic appearance told him it'd be better to not make him trudge along more than necessary. He paused again only to write down Wren's name and the books he was taking home.

He didn't know what made him do it. Instead of following the vampire meekly, the sleepy young man reached out to wrap his arms around the man. "You wanted me closer, didn't you?" They were downstairs, in the lobby if he remembered right... and he didn't want to leave just yet. The bag of books Wren had been carrying lay forgotten on the floor by his feet as he clung to Benji. His hold on the other man stopped him from loosing balance, no wait.. That thought was nothing more then an excuse. The moment Wren had found out what Benji was, he'd wanted to get closer, and he was too tired to care how it looked.

It was like a true wave of heat, as if someone had opened an oven door and he were standing in front of it. Benji felt as if he were... defrosting the moment Wren was close enough, and then on fire. But a type of fire that was pleasant, a strange type of heat that pulled a slight yelp out of him, mostly in shock. He hadn't expected Wren to hug him like that. No, it was so odd. But so pleasant. "I... Ah, I did..." He admitted. A vampire desired a bit of closeness, especially when dealing with their thrall, if they had one. to put them in the most comfort, to keep them around, to ensure their wish to stay with the vampire. But right now Benji would feel bad about doing anything to the human. He did sound tired, probably not in his right state of mind. Now, though, he'd have the human's scent all over his clothes.

"Wren... We, ah... we ought to get you home." Benji put his hands on the human's shoulders and pushed him back slightly. "Better to do that before you pass out, I think." It was difficult to say so. Benji would have enjoyed having a living body, a beating heart, so close for a night. It would have been a huge change, though. Strange.

Wren looked up dazedly at the vampire, trying to force his sleepy mind into some semblance of wakefulness. "Yes, right. That's right, I really should be getting home now. Work's early tomorrow and all..." At least he'd gotten some sleep in the comfort of the library, surrounded by books. It would have been wonderful to stay.

He let himself be pushed away and walked outside in the the fresh, cool, night air. It sent a jolt of awareness through the human. Wren smiled slightly as he realized how flustered Benji had been earlier. "Nice car." Bright and eye catching red, just the type of thing he'd thought of owning once, when being a famous artist still seemed reachable.

Before following, Benji retrieved the bag of books that Wren seemed to have forgotten on the floor. Closing the door behind him, once again leaving it unlocked, and stepped down to Wren’s side. He smiled at the compliment. “Thanks. I... I’ve had it for awhile.” He’d had it since the year it was manufactured, and drove it rarely. Perhaps a few dozen times a year, as was needed to get deep into the city on a timed schedule, which thankfully wasn’t that frequent. This, he did lock, as his trust didn’t go as deeply as to regard his vehicle as safe outside his business and home.

He opened the passenger side door and ushered a sleepy Wren into the darkly-upholstered seat, placing the books on his lap before moving around to the driver side and getting in. The engine started up smoothly, uncommon in such an old vehicle, and they were off.

He settled into the seat with a tired sigh, letting his head flop to the side. The young man slipped an arm up and rested it tight against the plastic and glass of the door, and this arm of his became a pillow to dream upon and let flights of fancy take his mind away. Wren couldn't think anymore, could only fall into slumber as he heard a voice speaking distantly, and feel something nudging his legs with every move and swerve of the car as he was chauffeured home.

Sleep was evasive still, and yet he lay so near it when they stopped. The artist didn't want to move, even though deep inside he knew it was necessary.

Benji drove quietly, still so amazed at how quiet the car was from the inside. The engine rumbled low like a sleeping giant, and through the quiet streets. He took a shorter, more deserted route to Wren’s home, recalling the place from having passed it a few times on walks. It was quaint, so far as Benji could describe. Certainly hardly like his home and work, which had been renovated only where absolutely necessary. These buildings weren’t as old, and more modernized.

He came to a stop, and glanced over to Wren. He couldn’t help but smile at the way he seemed just about asleep, but still able to understand the world if he tried a little. “Don’t forget your books.” Benji said, reaching over to put a hand on Wren’s leg. “Do you need help with anything?” Perhaps getting up the steps to his place. Unlocking the door. Cleaning something up he wouldn’t have time to get to. Just a moment longer in the presence of Wren’s sweet smell.

The moment he felt the pressure of touch upon his leg, his mind leaped from rest to full wakefulness, as did another part of his anatomy. He didn't think he'd be able to fall asleep again so soon, not after that kind of awakening. The young man twisted his head around, something akin to hunger in his eyes as he let his gaze rove over the vampire approvingly. It was still late enough that Wren was far more inclined to act upon impulse then follow any kind of rational thought. He got like that when he was tired and wide awake at the same time.

"Actually, there is something you could help me with. I just found something hard in my pocket, but I don't think I could take care of it on my own." He was definitely tired if he was using such an odd and out of whack pick up line as an invitation to follow him into his home, and up to the room. Wren had to bite his lip to stop himself from groaning at the embarrassing turn of phrase.

Benji was sure that if he had blood in his veins still, he'd have felt his face turn red and grow warm all over. It was a pretty transparent line, sure, and it was difficult not to figure out what Wren was talking about. But Benji would have to bite him again... He shivered, a very slight shake of the head. No, he wasn't like that... He wasn't like his kin at all! They'd have been all over Wren at the drop of a hat, at the first whiff of his scent, his drug-like blood. For a moment Benji wanted to take that easy route, give in like any of his siblings, elders, fledglings... God, he would give in so quickly... The thought made his mouth water, but it was bad. He would be going against his own ethical code... To respect humans.

"Um... I don't know if I'm, y'know, equipped." He muttered. He didn't have blood, after all---he'd need Wren's. Maybe the idea would back him out of the thought. He was tired, after all. Tired, that was a good excuse---Wren wasn't thinking right.

He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Wren knew very well that his neck was exposed, the tender flesh a pure feast for the eyes of someone like Benji. "Isn't there an easy fix?" The words sounded more like a purr then anything else, deep and husky, certainly inviting. The thought of what he hoped would come to pass made him shiver in delightful anticipation.

Wren really didn't care how tired he was. He'd felt the same when he'd been more awake then he was at the moment, and knew thoughts of something like this would have plagued his steps the next day, and for a long while after that. One thing he did know. Somehow, he just had to convince Benji to go upstairs to his room.

Benji's breath caught at the sight. A flawlessly human complexion, so brimming with blood. Red, warm blood, pumping hard with every beat of a lively, excited heart. If his were still beating it would have been racing as well, blood flowing, flowing, without his control, darkening in his face, making him warm. It was as if his teeth itched to feel skin part around them, and his mouth grew dry as though he were already biting into a living human, making way for the blood to flow freely, like two small streams of pure life, giving him a taste. And perhaps feeling more of Wren. Seeing more. Feeling his own stolen life, mingled with the human. And he was basically a stranger, so new to Benji, so much to discover. The vampire never made a habit of doing this.

His shaking hand turned the key to shut off the car's engine. It would be stupid to jump him here, where anyone could see if they were curious enough. "Lead the way." He growled, grinning enough so that his teeth would flash in what little amount of light was available. In anticipation his canines grew a little sharper, curving inward like little hooks to pull the skin away and force more blood to flow quicker.

Benji's attitude had certainly changed with his acceptance of the offer. The sight of fangs, the look in the other man's eyes, it all worked to send a thrill of excitement through Wren. He really couldn't wait... Hastily, the young man bent down to grab his books and then scrambled from the apple red car. The door slammed shut under a push of his hip.

Wren shot the vampire a glance, to make sure he followed, then stepped from the dark asphalt up onto the curve leading to his home. It seemed like it took forever for him to fumble out the keys and open the door, but somehow Wren managed. Once inside he turned around and waved Benji inside, blood rushing to his face and anticipation making him drop his burden to reach out and tug at the other man's sleeve forcefully.

The stairs were a sturdy wooden affair, all the better to hold up to impatient steps pounding up them.

It was so fascinating to see Wren’s immediate change. Perhaps it wasn’t entirely his own will pushing him on, but that of Benji’s vampirism. One easily captured a human should they want to, and for once Benji did, though he’d never tried before. Still, he followed quickly, locking the car just in case and following Wren, surprised at his rather forceful nature as he was stumbling into his place. The human was rough when he wanted to be, it seemed. If he liked to put up a fight, it would get his heart beating fast. And if his heart beat fast, Benji would be able to take more blood safely.

Once upstairs, Benji moved more quickly than he had until that point. He pushed Wren against the nearest wall and put a hand to his neck, feeling the pulse of blood flow and rush with each beat of his heart, a little quicker now. His finger twined through the human’s hair to move it aside, and his teeth found living flesh.

Wren’s sweet, musky scent permeated the blood, Benji’s senses overrun with the excess overflow of hormones that had spiked in such a short amount of time. His arms wound around the human to keep him up in case his legs buckled, as Benji’s cool mouth filled with lively blood, energizing him.

He didn't know what he'd been expecting, but being pushed so roughly against the wall, and then being touched so gently, sent a thrill through him. Wren grinned slightly, then lapsed into a shuddering state. He gasped when sharp teeth plunged through is skin, and wrapped his arms automatically around the other man. The young man forced an arm up to let his fingers rove over the soft skin at the nape of Benji's neck. There was too much to concentrate on, too much to think about ... So Wren didn't, he simply moved, pressing himself against the vampire like a cat seeking heat.

Benji tightened his grasp around Wren, pulling him closer and forcing himself to remove his fangs, then bring his tongue over the puncture wounds to close them up. The room had become far brighter, a sign he had taken in a more than acceptable amount of blood to sustain him for at least six hours---he’d done well to estimate the times long ago, depending on how much blood he took at any given time.

His hands wandered, then, keeping Wren pressed close to him in case he lost any strength. They slid down the human’s back and found the edge of his shirt, sliding underneath and up his bare back, lightly bringing his sharp nails down the skin. The sweet artist types always harbored some surprising secrets... Some they’d rarely show another.

The young man gasped, one arm flying up to wrap around the vampire and the other to clutch at the other man's hair. He was glad for the support offered by Benji, otherwise he might well have fallen to the ground. Wren wasn't sure how it happened, or why, but the stinging sensation of nails had him murmuring soft words of encouragement. He wanted more, wanted to feel all he could as he let a hand slip down to the other man's hip to clutch and pull until it felt like the two of them were fused together, though of course their clothes still separated them. Such a frustrating thing! Yet Wren didn't have the presence of mind to remedy the situation.

Benji felt the itching loss of control begin to slide into his consciousness like a parasite, accompanying the uncomfortable-but-irresistible pressure against him. It was a little less than impossible for him to control the direction of his hands or the twitching of his fingers that searched for some breach in the restrictive cloth covering both of them. In a moment, though, something soft was beneath him and a lively form pressing him down into the soft thing. The human, Wren, was held in Benji's grasp, and he could finally use his hands to pull the human's clothes away slowly, in a way that teased, no doubt tormented, the artist. Though when skin finally met skin it was all the more thrilling, spurring Benji's normally motionless heart to beat quickly, pound in a way that made it seem to want to burst out of its cage. Benji pushed one of his fangs into the human, just enough to pull a bit of blood to the surface and bring the artist stronger sensation.

It was a dangerous game the vampires played, mainly dangerous to them, but Benji couldn't deny his desire to bring that to the intense situation while he still had a little control over his thought process.

He was thrilled, exhilarated, by every action the other man took. All he could was follow Benji's lead, and try to remain aware enough of everything that he could savor each moment. At the piercing of his flesh, he let out a loud groan and threw his head back. Wren clung to Benji, leaned against him. It was all he could do to keep track of what was going on. He didn't know how, or why, but somehow they'd found their way to the bed and as he writhed about, he couldn't help but be grateful for that in some small conscious part of his mind.