Rod sighed softly to himself as he walked, realizing perhaps he was out far too late once more. Of course... some things were bound to occur. Shaking his head, he glanced back towards his workshop. It was just a few blocks from where he lived, within walking distance. One did not have to worry about having a car, or bicycle even.

Problem was, Rod really liked to work with his inventions. He adored creating new things, helping others fix their own. So he would often work late hours into the night without really realizing it had grown so late at all.

The moon was out, even in this city. Rod supposed it was because a few random street lights were out and it simply was not as well lit as it should have been. He ran a slender hand across his shortly cropped blond hair, violet eyes scanning the area once more before he continued forth.

He really needed to quit working so late. These roads... they gave him the chills.

Raven had left the mansion that he lived in with all the other members of his family...and clan. Though, he couldn't stand it sometimes because of all the fighting and talk about who was gonna get married to who next. The dark haired male just wished that he could walk down to the large living room without hearing the word 'marriage' come up in someone's conversation.

A soft sigh excaped the male's lips as he walked down the sidewalk. The male's gray eyes looked up when he noticed that a couple of the streetlights had gone out. He glanced over to the other side of the street and saw Rod.

The male's tongue slipped out of his mouth and licked his lips hungrily. He hadn't had the taste of human blood in many moons. This was the perfect opportunity, especially since it was just the two of them on the street. He leaned against one of the light posts and watched him.

As he walked quite absently, Rod pulled out a watch from his pocket. It was past midnight he noted with a frown. He really needed to learn to keep track of time better. But when in the middle of a project it really slipped away so darn easily! Pocketing the chained watch once more, he shook his head at his own shortcomings and continued on his path.

His house was what... three or four blocks away from here? Certainly. Currently, he was under one of the working streetlights, and one could see Rod was attired in his mechanic's uniform. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone however, due to the heat of his workshop, and it revealed the man certainly was not lacking in build. Came from working with heavy machinery one would suppose, so despite the late hours Rod was certainly healthy.

He glanced upwards at the broken light with a slight frown. It was unsafe... should he try and fix it? No, no he had better get home as quick as he could. Again, he did a quick look around... only to find he was not the only one on these streets. Violet eyes widened a slight, as he pondered why else someone would be out. Had they worked late too? He hoped as such was the case, because all of his heavier tools were back in the shop. He doubted that a phillips screwdriver and a handful of sockets would be of much help in defense.

'Stop being paranoid...' he chided himself, although hastened his steps a slight. 'Silly boy... he's probably just out for a walk...' But he could not bring himself to quite believe that, and got the chills once more. Just another few blocks... almost there!

Raven continued to watch him, not moving from his spot, unless he got uncomfortable and needed to change his position though. Gray eyes scanned up and down the street once before he started to cross to the other side of the street. The cloak he was wearing flowed behind him as he walked.

When he got to the other side, he stopped in front of Rod, smiling a little, being careful not to show his teeth to him.

"Hello," He said to him. "My name is Raven. May I ask what you are doing out here so late? It isn't safe to be walking alone."

The male's gray eyes sparkled a little in the moonlight as he watched the other. He glanced at his neck and then back up at his face.

At this point, Rod was still rather wishing he had his toolbelt upon him. Just in case... still, still, the other man was being polite he supposed. It was only the circumstances of their meeting that were creepy ths far right? Perhaps the man himself was much like Rod in just being out far too late?

"I'm Rod. And ah well... I live a few blocks away from here," Rod explained. "My workshop is just down the street here, The Gizmo Corner. Since it isn';t too far and I could use the exercise I walk home. But... I finished a lot later today with my projects than I meant to..." he added with a sheepish sort of smile, cheeks blushed bright red with embarrassment.

Rod, being a sharp man, noted the glance to his neck and was more than a slight confused. But he chalked it up to perhaps wandering eyes. "Not that it is any business of mine... but what about you Raven?" Rod asked. It was a natural question to ask, but somewhere deep inside his head Rod had a feeling the answer was unpleasant at best. Still, he had no reason to expect horrible things from a thus far kind stranger right? Right.

Raven nodded slightly at what Rod said to him. "Ah, so you're the one that owns the Gizmo Corner. Its a very fascinating place," He explained to him. At the last question, the male flinched a little bit. God this was going to be hard to explain. A soft sigh escaped his lips and he looked around for a moment before his eyes fell back on Rod.

"Well, I'm actually..." He swallowed a little. "Trying to get away from my family for a little while. I'm getting really frustrated with them, so I needed to get away for a little bit." The male nodded slightly at what he said, slipping his hands in his pockets and slipping his tongue out and getting his lips wet.

The vampire then looked at the ground and sighed. "I have such a large family. Many brothers and sister, aunts, uncles, etc. Hard to believe that most of us live in the same house. It is a rather large mansion, so I guess it is ok," He said, slightly mumbling it to the ground.

"Thank you," Rod said with a slight blush at the mention of his place. "I certainly work hard to keep it interesting for people," he added, knowing that well, boring places didn't usually see too many visitors. Listening to the reply, Rod nodded deciding it seemed plausible enough.

"Well you certainly have more patience than I Sir, living with that many relatives would have drove me insane! But then again, all of my relatives are rednecks..." he added with a sigh,. "Moved out of there at the ripe old age of sixteen..." Wait... why was he saying all of this to a stranger anyways? His brain must have been addled after working so long!

"I certainly cannot blame you for wishing to get away, and certainly this is the best time to do so without being noticed," Rod added, pondering a slight. For a moment he pondered offering the stranger something, but quickly decided against it. One of Rod's biggest weaknesses was that he could be far too kind to folks.

"So then, what shall you do now that you are out and about?" Rod asked, curious. "I mean, you escaped so I'm assuming you had a plan!" he added. "Me, I'm off to watch some History Channel, settle in my chair with a good cup of Chai tea, and call it a night!" Well... at least this stranger... No Raven wasn't it? At least Raven was a nice man.It sounded like, had he met Raven at any other time of the day ,they would get along quite well. So Rod made a mental note to forget the hour, and just treat it as he saw it. It wasn't fair to prejudge things after all.

Raven smiled and bowed slightly. "Not a problem at all," He told him. "And yeah, it is a bit of a pain to have that many people living in one house. Though, I definitely am the favorite of all my younger cousins." A small smile appeared on his face, teeth slightly showing, but it wasn't enough of a smile to show his fangs.

"And what, may I ask, is the History Channel?" He asked. They didn't have a TV at the mansion, only because the elders thought that it would brainwash everyone into thinking that humans weren't so bad after all. And this 'Chai tea' thing? I sounds interesting. Is it good?" He asked, his head tilting to the side like a little kid would do, his eyes glowing with wonder.

"If you wouldn't mind; may I accompany you for a little while? All I normally do is walk around the streets, bored out of my mind," He explained to the other male. "I mean, if it makes you nervous to have a complete stranger in your house, I completely understand where you'd be coming from." Raven ran a hand through his dark hair, revealing there were actually pink streaks hidden underneath that great mop that he called his hair.

"Well, at least tehre is that. With so many people in your house, that must make it a slight easier at least," Rod replied. He had been the outcast in his family, the "weird one making all the doo-dads." Certainly not the favorite. But, he certainly would bet that was a good place to be in.

At Raven not knowing what the history channel was, Rod blinked a moment. "Ah, well, on television it a a channel devoted to history! I watch it really because well, one can never know too much about the past! Plus some of the specials are downright fascinating! I am a huge World War II buff you know. That and the Civil War, but I especially like watching specials on dogfights... and wow. Haha, I bet that must make me sound incredibly boring," he added, shaking his head. Was it any wonder he lived alone with talk like this? Figured.

"You have never had Chai Tea?!?" Rod asked. "It is very good! It has a nice pumpkin with cream flavor that stimulates the mind and gets the creative juices flowing as they say. Really, you must try it. I prefer mine cold, with a slight bit of ice. But it can be drank warm as well, whichever suits ones own tastes."

At the last part, Rod pondered for a moment once more what he had been thinking about before. Finally, however, his good nature won through and he nodded. "Sure, you can follow me," he replied, continuing upon his walk. "I can make you up a cup of Chai tea in fact! Hot or cold?" he asked, as they continued to walk. Rod led them down the street a few more blocks until they reached a house that seemed normal enough from the outside. Rod pulled from his pocket his keys, unlocking the door.

"Er... it might be a bit cluttered inside, I hope you don't mind..." Rod commented as he opened the door. "Please, come inside!"

((Split into two posts, Ill describe the house's insides next post > >))

Raven blinked a little at the other's sudden outburst about what the history channel was. "Wow. That's...amazing?" He asked, tilting his head once again. A small smile appeared on his face again as the other said that he could go with him to his house. He kept his hands in his pockets as he walked. "So, do you like living by yourself?"

It wasn't meant to sound like a personal question but if it did, he really didn't mean it. The male shrugged at the hot or cold question. "I don't care. Whichever you enjoy making more. I guess you could make both, that way I could taste the different between the two...if there is a difference." When they got up to Rod's door, for some reason Raven became nervous. He didn't know why, but he was.

Though, he pulled himself together and walked into the house, looking around a bit. He nibbled on his lip slightly and didn't move any farther into the house than where he was.

{Is he gonna have a cross in there? That would definitely be a good way for Rod to figure out he's a vampire.}

Rod laughed at this. "Well it is to me but many other people find it boring. Although, for variety... I'll admit to tuning into Boomerang every now and then..." he added, a slight sheepish smile crossing his face as he did so. Guilty pleasures.

"Right then, I'll do just that!" Rod added, nodding to himself. It really wasn't so hard that. The house itself wasn't the largest of places. In fact, to most it would be considered downright small. But Rod found the place cozy, and about the right size. Leaning against walls or in cabinets and display stands, one could find dozens of strange metallic things, or radios, clocks, whatever needed to be fixed. Some were of his own invention, but there seemed no end to them.

"As for living alone, well, I work most of the time so I suppose it doesn't make much of a difference. I mean... it can be a bit too quiet sometimes but I suppose such is the life. I made my decisions and stand by them." Perhaps why he hadn't put up too much of a fight in his mind as to whether or not to allow Raven in.

"Just take a seat in the front room and the tea should be done in no time!" Rod added. Of course, he didn't realize the problem with sitting in the front room. At least, the problem for Raven. Sitting in front of a bookcase was soemthing Rod was working on for the local church, a decorative piece for the outside. It was ready to be brought to them tomorrow actually, which was why it was in the house for safe-keeping: the cross-shaped top of a steeple.

Haha, tehre. Because I'm just evil like that > >))

Raven listened to Rod talk. He leaned back against the door because he felt weak and he didn't understand why. The male eyes jotted around the room, his eyes landing on the cross. He swallowed hard and reached his hand behind him to the door. A part of him wanted to leave because of the cross, but he really didn't want to just leave Rod's house.

Man, how was he going to ask Rod to remove the cross without giving away that he was a vampire? The pale man walked into the kitchen. "R-Rod...I have a question for you," He said, leaning back against the counter. "Um...could you move the cross? I'm not really...religious and...they freak me out." God I hope that sounds un-vampire like. He thought as he watched the other.

{sorry for the short post^-^;}

Rod blinked a moment, popping back into the front room with an arched brow. "The cross? What cr- OH! That one!" Rod replied with a facepalm. "I am sorry, local church asked me to help and I agreed. Couldn't find a safe place for the darn thing..." He walked in, picking up the steeple with a bright blush.

"My apologies Raven," Rod said, with a deep bow of his head before walking back into the house. This time he took the back door, leaning it against his workbench out there. But along the way his ever- active mind was working once more. Why would someone be that freaked out over a cross? It seemed strange, almost as strange as when the man had looked towards his neck earlier...

Wait. Wait wait wait. Crosses... neck..could he be? No way... no way. That just was not scientific! There was simply no way. 'Quit being silly,' he chided himself, when he heard his pot of water boil. Moments later he came back to the front room with a tray he sent on his front room table. It contained three cups of Chai tea... two cold and one warm. He took one of the cold ones and sipped it deeply, grateful it turned out well. Beside this as well was a tray of assorted cookies that went with them.

"Feel free to help yourself, I baked way too many last time," he admitted with a soft sigh. "And again I am dreadfully sorry about that! I had forgotten it was tehre... long workday you see," he added. No... no way Raven was a vampire right? Right. Rod knew he was just being silly...

Raven sighed a little when he noticed that the cross was gone. The male moved out into the living room once again and sat down on the couch. A small smile appeared on his face as he snuggled into the cushions. Oh man, this was an even more comfortable couch than the one that they had at the mansion. He closed his eyes, though he opened them when he heard Rod talk.

His gray eyes looked at the chai tea and he reached down and picked up the hot one. He examined it for a moment and then took a good sip of it. The male rose an eyebrow and put it down. "Ok...that was interesting," He muttered and then picked up the cold one. After examining that one too, Raven took a sip of it. "Ok. I definitely like the cold one better," He said, smiling a little bit.

The male then eyed the cookies and picked one up. He slipped it into his mouth, a quick glance of his fang could be seen. The male chewed it up and swallowed it. "W--Wow! These are amazing. You're a really good baker," He complimented and then ate another, still drinking his chai.

Rod laughed at that. "I do as well!" he replied, settling into his seat as he pondered whether or not to turn the television on. For the moment he decided against it, figuring human company was better. "Cold seems to bring out its flavors more but not too strongly... plus seems to go better with cookies," he mused.

Strange, when one thought of a man like Rod making cookies. But oh well, everyone needed hobbies right? Right.

Speaking of which, Rod noted with a slight smile his guest seemed fond of them. However, his sharp violet eyes noted the flash. Was it a trick of his mind? It looked like a...

He didn't believe in vampires. Did not believe! It simply was not possible, nor scientific, nor logical. No way. Especially since if that was the case, Rod knew he was in a lot of trouble. He HAD to be wrong... Raven simply was different surely?

"Thank you," Rod replied with a slight blush. "It gives me something to do on my days off!" Though, his mind pondered his next action. It would be rude to just close... but he could be in very real danger. Was he being prejudiced? Something uneasy rested in him. He felt like something this night was going to occur, something that might just change things.

He did what he could think of next, yawning a slight. Afterwards he blushed, bowing his head slightly. "Terribly sorry about that... it is getting late and I am afraid my body isn't as awake as my mind is..." he commented, shaking his head.

Okay.... maybe tat would do it? Maybe, somehow, Rood could get out of this without screaming like a fool? Unless vampires could read minds. Then he was screwed over royally. He still was hoping to believe Raven was not a vampire. He seemed so nice...

Raven smiled and nodded in agreement. "If you ever get bored of your current job, you should definitely open up a bakery. Sell all sorts of cookies and other delicious pastries," The dark haired male told the other.

The male blinked a little bit and put his chai down. "Well, I won't keep you up any more than I already have then." And with a swift movement, the male stood up and bowed to him. "Thank you for your hospitality. Maybe next time we will be able to watch the history channel together."

Then the male went to the door and opened it. "Sleep well, Rod. I hope to see you tomorrow night." And with that, the vampire left.

He nibbled on his bottom lip a little bit as he walked down the street, thinking about if he should tell Rod that he was a vampire or not. Man, that would be an interesting conversation. "Rod, I'm a vampire," He whispered to himself, starting to play out the whole thing as he walked home.

Rod blushed a slight at that. 'Really? You think so?" he asked, curious. He never heard much about his baking, most guys just grunted or nodded in response.

"I hope so," Rod replied, giving a light nod. "I really do." Rod was tired really, that part wasn't a lie. He just also needed time to sort things out logically in his mind. There had to be some LOGICAL explanation!

And so with that the weary mechanic headed to bed, pondering the night's events.

* * * * *

The Next Evening...

Rod, despite having things to keep him busy, found himself thinking upon his guest all day. Why? Well... he supposed it had been some time since he had nice company like that. And he still felt guilty over ending things so abruptly.

And... besides. Rod decided it didn't matter to him. Say vampires did exist. Say that they did... Raven still seemed like a nice guy. And, if anything... Rod had enjoyed his company however brief. He would like to have a longer evening, he knew.

And that was how Rod found himself walking down the same street, at the same time. Only this time he stopped and leaned against one of the broken lightpoles, hoping history might repeat itself.

He would deserve it if it didn't... but he would like it if things did very much. But, just in case, he did have more of those cookies at home, and tea ready too! He was sure to anyone else, his actions might have looked insane but... he trusted in his thoughts. He wished to trust in others too.

((I figured a timejump was the ebstw ay to deal with things *nods* ))

Raven, however, had not been out that night. Unfortunately for him, he barely made it back to the mansion before sunrise. The male was sitting in his bedroom, drawing in his sketchbook. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he laid back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"When did I ever follow the rules?" He asked himself.

Raven got up and he changed his clothes. He went to his window and opened it, looking down. Fortunately, he was only two stories up, so this wouldn't really hurt. So, Raven jumped out of the window, landing on the ground. He then quickly snuck off the grounds, going to see Rod.

It was one of those rare days off, which was another reason Rod hadn't minded being out late during the night. But he had realized that well, tonight just would not be the night. Had he made a grievous error? Had he spooked too easily? There had been his one great chance to find a friend and... and he royally blew it. For all of his people skills, he certainly wasn't good with people. Of all of the ironies.

As such, he was back at his place. He had delivered the steeple to the local church earlier. Rod never attended himself, for he was no religious man, but it felt good to do something for the community like that. He didn't mind repairing items for people free of charge, if only they asked.

And as such, today, he found himself working upon various gizmos, radios, and assorted appliances for people. He earned most of his money from his inventions and patents, not from the shop itself. The shop really was just fun for him to run!

So it was out in his backyard where one might find him, tinkering with wires and gears. If anything, it helped keep his mind off of things. In the background, one could hear a Beethoven piece playing, a strange contrast to the gears and machinery. His backyard, perhaps, was stranger than the inside of his house. In the corner he worked from, it looked like a strange maze of parts and contraptions, most of which it was anyone's guess what it did or did not do. Part of it was set up like a miniature Japanese garden complete with koi.

Out at the front of the house, a small white, very overweight cat named Mog kept watch, green eyes surveying all he saw with disdain. But that was just the way the cantankerous feline was. Still, he kept a sort of watch on the place for his keeper.

Raven snuck off the grounds, going to see Rod. He went to the first spot that the two of them had met, though he didn't seem to be around. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he looked around. He remembered where the other's house was, so maybe he should go look there. So, off he went, to Rod's house. He glanced up at the moon every once and a while, his eyes shining when he looked at it.

When he got to the house, he started walking up the steps, but stopped when he heard a cat hissing. The male looked straight into the cats eyes, staring at it. After a while, the cat became silent and ran off into the backyard. Raven smiled a little and he went up to the door, knocking on it lightly.

He stood there for a little bit, waiting for Rod to answer the door. The male blinked a little, though he knocked once more, seeing if the other just didn't hear him. A soft sigh escaped his lips after a little while longer.

Since no one was answering the door, Raven went the way the cat had gone, into the backyard. He opened the gate and knocked on it a little, seeing Rod there. "Hey Rod," He said, smiling a little, his teeth not showing in this smile.

Of course, Rod had still been thinking he had totally messed up. Like completely and royally messed up. Such was his luck with people. Rod, at the moment, had been working on rebuilding a bus engine for a school. After all, when someone said they would do work for free, folks tended to take advantage of it!

When he heard his name called by a familiar voice however he blinked, then a great big smile broke free. He popped out of his shed, although blushing a slight realized he still had a bit of grease upon his hands. "Raven!" he called, the bright smile still there.

"Hey! Haha, sorry, I've been fooling around with this darn engine all day. Come in, some in!" he added, waving towards the backdoor. Rod led the way back into his house, and making sure Raven had followed then went to the kitchen and washed his hands. No good having guests around with greasy hands!

"It's nice to see you again," Rod added, as he put some water on the boil and pulled out some cookie dough. "I was afraid I might have scared you off the other day. But I have been mindful to get a bit more rest," he added. As he talked he had separated the dough into various cookie shapes, before popping them into the oven. Finally satisfied everything was set, he started for the front room.

"So what have you been up to? Family driving you nuts again?" Rod asked, as he nodded towards a chair for Raven to sit in. Literally, the best chair in the house. "Haha, still have that History Channel if you're interested, today's the special on Dogfights!" He flushed then, shaking his head.

"Sorry, I must be talking a mile a minute. You're just the first person to come see me in... well, huh. Since we last met!" he finished. Rod was relieved that Raven was here actually, and looked forward to another pleasant night.

Raven smiled as he followed Rod into the house through the back door. He wanted to stop him from going into the kitchen and tell him that he was a vampire, but he didn't know how to piece the words together. Rod, I'm a vampire. But I don't want to bite you. I enjoy your company very much. The nicest human that I've ever met, He thought in his mind.

The male sighed and when Rod came back out into the living room and offered him the seat, he gladly took it. "Thank you," He replied happily. Raven sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and nibbled on it for a moment. He went to say something again, but then Rod brought up the History Channel and what was showing that night. "Sure," He nodded, smiling, though not as much as he usually does.

"And yeah...my family was bothering me once again. I just can't understand them," he said after Rod had stopped talking. "I'm technically not supposed to be out right now. I'm kind of under...I think its called house arrest. I'm not supposed to be out of the house tonight until I learn to respect the time that I need to be home by."

Rod, once he had relaxed back himself, had noted that Raven seemed a slight bit more uptight than usual. He pondered about it, until it was explained about the house arrest. He grimaced a slight. "Sounds terrible," the mechanic replied, shaking his head. "Out of curiosity, if it is not too much, why do you stay there?" he asked, a brow raised. He set the television on in the background, almost having forgot in his concern.

"I take it that is what's bothering you? Or was it soemthing else? Sorry, I just noted you seemed a bit tense is all," he added, flushing a slight. "Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong though! Dad always did say assumptions would be the death of society." That was, before his Father had passed of course. His mother would never even think to say such contemplations.

"I'm just here to listen, if you need it," he added. Of course, this was the point in the back of his mind where his brothers would tease him for acting like 'such a girl. Be a man and come wrestle with us in the dirt!' They always said things like that. But they were not here with him, so Rod decided it did not matter. He could act as he wished, and right now that would be as a friend.

Raven sighed, relaxing his body into the chair. "I stay there because it's the only place I feel protected. Besides your house, of course," The male said, smiling slightly. Raven sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and nibbled on it, not really knowing how to answer the question.

"It isn't that living there bothers me, its just...I'm scared. Scared of what my family will think when they know I've been hanging out with you. They aren't really used to well...outsiders as they say." Raven sighed and closed his eyes, covering his mouth as he yawned. He moved his hand away after his mouth was closed again. "Thanks, Rod."

After a bit though, the male got a whiff of something. "Hey...do I smell something burning, Rod?" He asked, opening his eyes, looking at the other.

"Ah, I see..." Rod replied, pondering this a moment before tapping a finger against the arm of his couch. "That is understandable. I was much the same way when I lived with my family. But I decided that my freedom was well worth the risk. And certainly, there have been some hard times and occasionally still continue to be, but it was well worth it!"

At the second part Rod frowned deeply, pondering how to respond. "And soemthing tells me that they shall not merely accept my word upon my company being sound correct?" he asked. "That is most troublesome..." he added, his mind working to try and find a solution but so far none came to him.

He blinked then at the yawn. "Oh dear, the last night it was me and now it is you!" Rod commented, shaking his head. "Are you certain you do not need to rest?" he asked, concerned once more when his eyes widened at the mention of things being burned.

"OH GEARSHIFTS!" Rod swore, as he dashed into the kitchen. He quickly put on a pair of mitts and pulled the cookies out, but it was far too late. He sighed deeply, setting the burned cookies aside. At least the tea was ready...

Spraying a bit of air freshener to try and cover up the burnt cookies, he came back in a slight bit later with a tray of two cups of iced Chai tea. "Aheheh... tehre were cookies with these but I sort of burned them..." the mechanic mentioned with a slight blush. "Sorry about that... I have some muffins I can warm up if you prefer..."