Work Text:
She hadn’t even noticed him the first time she saw him.
With the miasma of dark magic over Gotham she had decided to start a bakery and she was imbuing the wares with energy to offset the effects. Some days when business was slow, which was often, she would make batches of things to take to some of the bigger businesses. With a selection of treats, she would deliver them to different departments in various places and leave her information so people might come by or even have her cater their meetings. That should help her stay in business and get a further reach while she continued searching for new ways to address the darker parts of the city’s ancient magic.
She was not allowed on the upper levels at Wayne Enterprises right away. That didn’t really bother her. She wanted to reach a wide range of people so the bigger departments were a better option and less likely to look into her background. They would also most likely be the ones responsible for most of the catering decisions rather than any of the executives. Their assistants would probably be good people to offer to, but reaching them would have the same access issues she had getting to the executives.
Word traveled though for her business and within the companies she visited multiple times. She wasn’t sure who was talking about her, but her business had been picking up some. It wasn't enough but hopefully it was a start. She was always greeted enthusiastically. She was certain that some of the people she had seen before in other departments. Everyone was happy except one man who just watched. No one else seemed to notice his disapproval. Marinette didn’t know who he was, but she had seen him around before. This time, he seemed to be watching her closely. Maybe she was no longer welcome here.
If that was the case, they would have to say something. She was barely able to set the treats down before they were disappearing. Everyone was telling her how glad they were to see her and asking how soon she would come back when they were unable to get the pastry they had preferred. She let them know she just followed the lulls in her business and visited several businesses. She left a couple menus and said that she would likely be able to bring things by if she had a larger order but that people were always welcome at the shop.
She was trying not to outright tell people they could just come buy things but that was the purpose of her visit. She had a business to run and she needed money more than friends. The man watching had pushed himself away from the wall and turned and walked out. It could be just his way, maybe he was a supervisor but she worried that he was planning to get security and have her removed. She would rather leave on her own and without being barred from the building so she scurried away before she found out.
—
She was intoxicating.
He hadn’t intended to keep up his ruse with her. After their first encounter he had simply needed to know more about her. He could hear her heartbeat pick up when he approached her. He tended to have that effect on people. He used to only suspect when someone’s breath caught in their throat and their heart rate picked up. Not anymore; he was better now. Now he could hear it. He reached out to take her hand but instead of shaking it as she had expected he held it in his. He turned her arm over and carefully moved her sleeve up to expose a mostly healed wound on her arm. His fingertips brushed against the skin, it was slightly rough and mostly pink new skin but still had angry red scratches that were healing more slowly.
“That looks like it hurts,” he said softly. “Allow me to kiss it better.”
He didn’t wait for her response before he leaned down to kiss it, never taking his eyes off hers. Her eyes widened at the suggestion. He could see that she wasn’t affected by his charms; she was just watching him warily. She had attempted to retract her arm and was trying to get out her refusal but he had already pressed his lips against the skin. He stayed there for slightly too long and inhaled her scent. She stiffened at that. But hid it with a nervous smile.
She was hiding something.
She suspected he was too. He was but did she know what it was. He glanced down at the treats she had brought and selected a cookie. She was getting flustered and her hand twitched in his slightly. She was trying so hard to keep herself from pulling away and running. He could work with that. A nice diversion to see how far he could push before she had to get away from the danger. He would let her run.
For a bit.
He would allow her to feel like she was safe. That she was getting away. Before he followed. Not followed. Chased. Once she realized he was after her, would she give in or keep running. He was anxious to find out. He bit the cookie as he released her hand. She stayed still. Her heart was still racing yet she appeared calm and offered a tight smile this time. The cookies were amazing. He could eat all of them and still want more. He suspected that was the point, so instead he set it down after the single bite and offered her a small bow.
“It was a pleasure to meet you,” he said.
He turned and walked away as the color drained from her face. He could almost taste her panic and that was far more delectable than a cookie with whatever magic she had imbued it with.
This was going to be fun.
—
Her research was not going well.
That wasn’t true. She was finding answers. Her recipes had improved and she was really feeling like she was making a difference for some of the people in Gotham. Business was steadily increasing and she rarely had days with overflow to give out or the time to get away. That was really great for business. She had been putting a lot of her profits into offering hand outs. She used to go at least once a week to offer a selection to businesses or even just hand them out on the street.
Now she had a good amount of people coming by before work or on their lunch breaks and she was selling batches to coffee shops. She just made sure that she was not selling the same pastry to coffee shops near each other on the same days. They all seemed to appreciate that so it wasn’t a competition to get customers. She would just make a small batch and offer it to the different shops and it wasn’t something she sold in house.
Business was no longer her concern.
The man she had met at Wayne enterprises was. Met and man might not be the right words. He had not given his name and she was certain that he was no longer a man. That was what was concerning her. She had no way to prove he was a vampire without risking herself but she had no way to fight against that either. She was working to stay hidden and was using magic. It just wasn't the magic that would combat a vampire.
Going against a vampire usually would take multiple magic users. But she didn’t know any others. Even among magic users the miraculi remained separate. She was either shunned or hunted for access to the powerful objects.
Now she was being hunted by something else. He had caught her scent and he was playing with her.
—
Dick had made himself the favorite member of management around.
That didn’t matter much to him. He didn’t care what others thought. He did care about his little prey. He was ready to make a move and there was no better way to do that then to have her come to him. He doubted she would even suspect his involvement. She had been in the building multiple times in the past few weeks. She had not seen him any of those times. He could see her as she moved around warily.
He was patient.
He waited until she relaxed. She no longer looked around for him in the shadows. He would not be in the shadows when she saw him. She was laughing and smiling with the others as she set up the food. She didn’t notice him until he was right behind her. He reached past her and picked up a cookie. It was very reminiscent of the last time she saw him when she turned.
He was standing too close for her to be comfortable but she still stood in the space. Her head barely reached his shoulders. Her heartbeat went from a regular, calm beat to a fast pace. She didn’t show any reaction on her face though.
Her eyes met his and studied his eyes. He was certain that she knew what he was and was looking for signs. He didn’t know how much she knew. She knew enough to check his eyes but very few knew what to look for when the signs were hidden. He took a bite of the cookie. The magic was stronger. It still wasn’t something that would affect him. He could tell no other signs of magic on her. It felt different than the other magic users he had met. He didn’t think she had anyone else.
“This is exceptional,” he said.
He was looking at her rather than the cookie.
“Thank you. I have been baking for a long time.”
“But have you tasted these recently? You don’t look like you eat too many of your own treats.”
He offered her a bite of the cookie. With how close he was to her, nearly trapping her against the counter, there was very little she could do to refuse him without making a scene. She opened her mouth and took a bite. She closed her eyes for a second as she tasted it. Whether it was the buttery sweetness or the magic washing over her, he couldn’t know. But he still took the opportunity to lean closer to her, his hand rested on the counter behind her, boxing her in.
“Something so sweet just has to be tasted,” he whispered near her ear.
He heard her breath catch before she tried to even it out but she could do nothing about the pace of her heart picking up again. He looked at her neck to watch her pulse move the skin slightly. As beautiful as she was, that was the most exquisite part. He reached up and brushed a finger against her lip while she remained frozen.
“Mmhmm. Can’t leave the crumbs there.”
She reacted by sticking her tongue out to swipe against the spot, leaving a shiny spot where he had touched. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and smiled just enough to show his teeth. She did try to step back then, only to be reminded of the barrier behind her. He grinned before he turned and walked away.
—
She had left another magic store. They didn’t call themselves that to the public, of course. That is what made them so hard to find. But still she knew that she had missed 2 others this week. Burned to the ground. It was intentional. The artifacts were destroyed. She could only hope that the people had escaped. Many of them would have far more sensitive information in their homes. She had to be careful every time. There was a balance to be reached in the magical community about when to know and be known.
She had to refrain from saying exactly what she was looking for. That would sometimes end up with her leaving with the wrong information but it was a necessary risk. She did the same thing when offering her plants for sale. She never told all she had available to one person. Trust would have to be earned and she was not ready to be fully known. Not until she knew all the risks.
It was when she was leaving there that she felt the shadow. She thought she might have left just in time. There was no way for her to warn them what was coming. She just moved on with her night. It wasn’t dark yet so she took a short cut. That was a mistake.
Marinette was backed into the corner.
She took another step back anyway, pressing her back against the bricks behind her. She tried to even her breathing out. She may be scared but there was no need to broadcast it. She pinned him with a look but he just chuckled at her and took another step forward. Her forced even breath caught in her throat when he put one finger under her chin and lifted it to look at him.
“We need to talk about that kiss,” he whispered.
It was the only sound in the alley. They didn’t even shift. She didn’t know how to respond. Typically he would be threatening her but she was confused.
“What kiss?”
He took another step forward and put a hand on the wall boxing her in even further. She refused to cower away from him. She had dealt with worse than him and she would show no fear.
“The one you have been hoping for since the moment we met.”
“I do believe you are confused about our interactions. You have been terrorizing me. You are evil.”
He stood up fully and removed his hand from her chin and the wall.
“Oh, my darling. You didn’t know any of that when we met. I was charming and you found me handsome.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“I can still be charming.”
He turned and took a step away down the alley. Marinette let out her breath slowly and relaxed away from the wall. She sucked in air quickly when he turned back suddenly. He pulled her to him and wrapped an arm around her lower back, holding her cheek with the other hand. He leaned down and hovered with their lips nearly touching. She could feel his breath next to her lips. She knew he was going to kiss her but he did not. He stayed right there, waiting. After a moment his grip on her loosened. His thumb brushed against her lip and Marinette closed her eyes. He was right. She had wanted to kiss him then. Worse, she still did even with everything she knew about him.
She barely moved forward but it was enough. Their lips met and he was kissing her far more gently than she had ever imagined. She pushed herself up, against him. Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. He reacted by pushing her against the wall and threading his hand into her hair. They clung together desperately. He lifted one leg to his hip and pressed his whole body against hers. She pulled away reluctantly so she could catch her breath but she would never manage if he kept at it. He moved down to her throat leaving a trail of wet kisses and sucking the skin. She would have to worry about the bruise it left later. She was too lost in the feeling to stop him until he pulled away and grinned at her.
“I do believe you still find me charming.”
She frowned at that pronouncement but her response was cut off when he lunged back towards her and sank his fangs into her neck. His hand covered her scream and she focused on pushing against him. That did nothing for her. He didn’t even appear to be straining. She pulled one hand back and reached under her skirt for her dagger. She plunged it into his gut, hoping that he would be weak to it. The only reaction he had was to grasp her hand and the dagger and pull it away from himself.
He pressed her hand with the blade against the brick behind her and then moaned against her neck. Her knees grew weak as she felt herself give into the feeling. His hand moved away from her mouth and back into her hair as he adjusted himself to get better access. He pulled away, she was dazed and didn’t know how much time had passed. He brushed his free hand against his mouth before he kissed her again. She sank against him returning the kiss and whimpering slightly when he pulled away.
He released her hand with the dagger, pulling the dagger away. He used a cloth to wipe it clean and then the drops of blood that had dripped down her hand. He swiped away a drop on his hand with his thumb and pushed it past her lips. She grimaced at the taste only for a second before he spoke to wipe away her memory of being fed on. The holes on her neck were quickly closing up. He used a finger to wipe away the remaining blood and smiled as she winced, knowing that his bite would leave an unexplained bruise for her to not remember him by.
“Until next time, my love.”
He walked back down the alley. Marinette didn’t know what had made him decide not to hurt her when she was clearly caught but she chose to just get out of there as quickly as she could once he had disappeared.
—
She still didn’t suspect how many times they had met. He wondered if she ever realized that she was missing time. He hated to make her forget everything but she was doing such a good job weeding out all the magic users. Since she didn’t know anyone in the magic community it was completely off the radar. She didn’t even remember all the places she had visited. He had to leave some of the memories or it would be far more suspicious. It had proven to be a risk but luckily the spell on the knife was ineffective against him.
He healed quickly. That wasn’t an issue. But he would have to be more careful. She would still have the piece and not know that it was ineffective. Even still, there was always the possibility that she had learned more since then. He suspected that she was wearing it now as she moved among her plants. The cool breeze of the evening had not alerted her to his presence.
He moved quickly.
—
Marinette weaved through the small path on her balcony to get to all her plants. The day had been hot so she wanted to make sure that they didn’t dry out. She worked hard to get them to grow in Gotham. There wasn’t a sound, but the hairs raised on the back of her neck. She ignored the feeling and tried to keep her breath steady. Maybe if she pretended he wasn’t there, he wouldn’t be. She was suddenly wishing she had chosen something that didn’t expose so much of her skin. It was hot and a tank top and flowing skirt were the only relief she could get.
His breath whispered across the back of her neck before he spoke into her ear just loud enough for her to hear. “Keep your breaths as even as you please, if that makes you feel better. I could hear your heart beat faster when you felt my presence.”
She turned back and placed a hand on his chest to move him away from her.
“I am sure you think that means something, but I assure you it doesn’t.”
She was stopped suddenly and bumped into him when he stood firm, no longer allowing her to push him back. She didn’t have a chance to react to the change before he surged forward and trapped her against the railing on the balcony.
She had to stop herself from reaching out and clinging to him. That was what he wanted.
“It does mean something.” He traced a finger down the side of her face. She was gripping the railing behind her to keep herself upright so she couldn’t shove the hand away. “Your breaths are no longer steady. Are you going to assure me that means nothing as well.”
“It means you nearly shoved me off my balcony.”
He put his nose against her neck and nuzzled before he responded. His voice was muffled against his throat. “You didn’t think I would let you fall did you?”
She twisted away from him but there was nowhere to go until he allowed it. He didn't seem to be inclined to allow it.
“I didn’t think it would be a mistake.”
“You are cute like this, you know.” He pulled back enough to look at her. His eyes lingered as they trailed down her body and then back up to her eyes. “So frail and exposed. Yet here you are playing with your magical plants.”
She froze, stopping in her struggle against him before she responded.
"I don't know what you mean by magic plants."
Her moment of hesitation might be her undoing. He was able to work himself closer to her. Their eyes met. A calm came over her.
"Of course you don't," he said indulgently. "I know how you like to pretend but you are not the first person to try getting information by feeding me something meant to stop me."
She tried to break eye contact. He pulled her away from the edge and against his chest. His eyes never left his and she couldn't look away.
"The plants were not for you."
She knew she was fading but she couldn't give in. "It was just a coincidence."
"But I think you enjoy feeding me," he leaned close and whispered against her lips. "I certainly enjoy it."
—
He pulled back but she followed him. She leaned in to him but then pulled back herself and tried to look away from him.
"What am I doing? I can't do this."
He let her feel like she was making an escape but she was still half under his influence. She turned and moved the other way but his arms caught around her waist. He turned her head until their eyes met again.
"You say that every time," he whispered.
He pulled her back against him and turned her head, he covered her mouth with his. She twisted up to reach him better and her hands behind his neck. His hand trailed down her side and she didn't even think twice before adjusting to give him access. His hand moved down her leg and quickly found the strap for the holster. She didn't even flinch when the dagger clattered to the ground.
He pressed her against the wall as his lips moved down her jaw. Her hands moved back and forth from his neck to his sides, trying to find a place to hold on. He ignored it as he moved around her neck until he found a spot he liked. She writhed against him as he licked and sucked the sensitive spot for several minutes.
She whined as he pulled away. He blew on the wet skin to make her shiver before he sank his teeth into her skin. Her hands kept moving around, more desperately, trying to scratch or hit him. He shrugged them off but eventually caught them up and grasped her wrists in one of his hands. When her body started to relax, he reluctantly pulled away.
He licked at the wound to get the last drops of blood. He lifted her up and bent over to retrieve her dagger before carrying her inside. She was barely conscious when he laid her in the bed, smoothing her hair back away from her face.
“Can you hear me, Darling.”
“I’m so tired. What happened?”
Her voice was soft and slow. He knew she would be asleep before long and he would lose his chance if he didn't fix her memory before then.
“What else did you do to the dagger, Love?” he asked. “Did you remember that it didn’t work?”
“Hmm. I had a bad feeling about it. I had it re-spelled by someone stronger. He knew more about vampires.”
“It’s a shame you lost it then,” he said, watching her eyes to make sure she was still under his influence.
“I really liked it. I think it fell off the balcony.”
He bit his lip to get a drop of his blood and then leaned down to kiss her. Then he told her when she woke that she would only remember dropping her knife off the balcony before she fell asleep.
—
She could see him before she turned the light on.
His silhouette was framed against the window. He sat in her chair. Not anywhere else. She had a couch and barstools lining the counter.
He chose her favorite overstuffed chair that she would sprawl out on after a long day.
Today had been a long day.
She would be in the chair already if he weren't there.
Waiting.
He lifted a staff that he had with him. With a slight movement he activated it. Blue electricity curled around it. The brightness of it against the dark in her apartment made her close her eyes and stumble backwards. She fell down. Her arm covered her eyes but she still had bright spots covering her field of vision. She couldn't get up before he was standing over her. She pushed herself so her back was against the wall when he put his foot down on her newest weapon before she could use it against him.
He waited for her to look up at him and recognize his victory.
She would not. He used his escrima stick to lift her chin. Her eyes are shining with malice, refusing to admit defeat.
"It doesn't have to be this way, Love," he whispered. "Come with me and we can both win."
"You will never convince me. My death will prove everything I already know about you."
"Oh Darling. I'm not going to kill you."
The confused look took over her features for a fraction of a second before he activated the escrima stick. She lost consciousness quickly. He tutted as he lifted her. She would be joining him. She merely chose the hard way.