"There's my girl!"

The familiar voice of Mama Ruth, the middle-aged east coast native greets her brightly despite it being almost 4 am. Her long salt and pepper loc's are piled up in a tight bun at the top of her head, wrapped in a colorfully patterned scarf that's tied at her nape. Deja's smile immediately widens at the sight of her oldest friend, walking into the family-owned establishment. She shakes the excess rain from her coat as she removed it at the door, draping it over her arm proceeded.

Well, more so limping in her Steve Madden sneakers, lugging her matching bag on her shoulder as if it were full of bricks. Mama Ruth frowns at the stiffness in Deja's step, emerging further from the kitchen.

"You must have put on a helluva show tonight..." she remarks as Deja approached her normal seat at the bar, setting her rain cost down beside her. Ruth comes to stand across from her, regarding her with concern as she dried her slightly wrinkled hands on a clean dish towel.

"You know that's all I do, Mama...oooh ow ow ow.." Deja winces as she attempted to hop up on the barstool. Being sore after a night of entertainment was normal but the maternal concern in Ruth's eyes was always comforting considering she never experienced it before moving here.

Or ever as far as she could remember.

"Mmmhmm...Well, hurry up and sit down....here let me take your bag." Mama Ruth reaches over the bar just as Deja sets the heavy backpack down.

"I got it Mama..." she insists as she unzips it to retrieve a black leather-bound sketchbook and a matte silver pencil case, both items tucked casually between her makeup bag, toiletries, and the several stacks of cash that totaled over $10K in assorted bills, all wrapped in rubber bands.

Catching a glimpse of the money, Mama Ruth's eyes widen and she immediately snatches the bag from the bar.

"Girl give me that.....you shouldn't be walking around with all of this. You know this neighborhood is crazy..." she scolds her mildly and Deja smirks in amusement as she finds comfort in her seat.

"That's why I come straight here every night because I know I'm safe...plus I'm going to the bank today so I won't have that for long. " She shrugs, making Mama Ruth roll her eyes as she grunts at the weight of Deja's bag. She lifts it just enough to clear the bar and kneels to place it on the hidden shelf on the working side, pushing some items aside to accommodate it. As she straightens up, she huffs softly from the exertion, tossing the small towel over her shoulder and putting her hand on her hips.

"Good! It's right under here when you're ready to go home. Staying long?" she asks.

"Thank you..and I don't think so...I probably need to soak in a tub for a few hours or something before going to bed. Got any aspirin by chance?"

Ruth nods with a knowing smirk of her own.

"Being on my feet since 3 am yesterday, you know I do. But first..you hungry?"

"Starving.." Deja's eyes widen emphatically, slumping slightly in her posture pitifully. Mama Ruth tsk at her expression, knowing good and well Deja probably hadn't eaten in over 10 hours.

"Ok...I'll get Chef to whip up your favorite to go," she responds, picking up her towel and smacking Deja's hand with it softly, her way of scolding the young woman for not taking proper care of herself.

"Don't go anywhere until you have some food little girl. I'll get you some tea going.." Mama Ruth pats the space in front of Deja as she turns away, barely catching her grateful smile before disappearing into the kitchen again.

Mama wasn't just something Deja called her, but a name Ruth had unintentionally adopted from many in the neighborhood by always acting as a savior to those who needed it. From making her establishment a safe space for kids to come after school to keep off the streets, raising money for single mothers short on their rent in the area, preparing free hot meals for the homeless, and just being an overall pillar of the community. Ruth and her late husband Gerald were the caretakers of many generations and were well respected.

Deja first met Ruth when she moved into her apartment next door and would often order take-out from the cafe on nights she could afford to eat. Finding her to be a sweet girl, Ruth struck up a deal with Deja that allowed her a free meal every night, not allowing her to pay even after she began making decent money at the club. As long as Deja promised to 'pay it forward in some way' and made sure to visit her after every night she worked so that she knew she was ok, Ruth looked out for Deja.

She never judged her for how she made a living, nor did she care. Hell, she barely knew much about Deja's upbringing or her past. Perhaps she felt sorry for her at some point, ordering the poor man's special and tipping in change. Perhaps there was something about Deja that Ruth identified with.

Either way, Deja was grateful to have found someone as selfless as her in this gritty city and she always made sure to pay her back in ways Ruth wouldn't notice.

The soft music on the radio and rain transport Deja to another place. The warm steam from the mug of herbal tea Ruth left her was comforting and the tip of her soft lead pencil swirled skillfully over the pages of her sketchbook. She rests her face against her palm, crossing her ankles and humming the melody that played overhead just as the front door chimes to alert a customer entering the cafe.

Deja is too distracted by her task and too tired to care about who was now entering the restaurant, but she's vaguely aware of a male approaching the bar.

"Be with you in a minute!" Mama Ruth calls from the kitchen loudly.

"Take your time." the faceless customer responds. The husk in his voice has Deja glancing over, spotting the rain-soaked figure as he settled on the bar stool.

He's a good distance away, so not close enough for him to notice her gaze or for her to key in on any distinguishing features. But she notes his dark apparel and trembling hands, marked with tattoos that she's too tired to recognize. 

Just as she returns her attention to her drawing, he removes his hood to shake out his damp hair and exhales heavily with exhaustion. The faded blue tresses seemed grey under the saturation, his black undercut sharp and attractively tapered. His eyes scan the warm rustic interior design of the cafe, inhaling the amalgam of human scents as well as the nostalgic smell of human food being cooked in animal fat.

Following the invisible trail of chamomile, the scent he traced here coaxes his gaze to focus on the woman in his peripheral.

She's shed her raincoat, letting it sit on the stool on the other side of her to expose the perfect shape of her body as she sat at the bar. The way her gray sweats stretched against her thighs and rounded backside guided his eyes up the curve of her waist, which is slightly exposed from the way she leaned forward with her elbows resting against the bar's surface.

Damn...

she looks even softer up close...

Jungkook readjusts his position on the stool, placing his elbows on the bar as well to appear more casual. He acts as if he's warming his cold rain-soaked hands with his breath to continue stealing occasional sidewards glances at Deja as she remained occupied a few seats away.

Her hair was damp but not drenched, causing soft rippled waves to form on the strands stemming from her nape and temple. Underneath this lighting, he can see its natural color come through, a pretty mixture of browns instead of the jet black shade it appeared to be under the stage lighting.

The profile he found himself enraptured by in the alley is even more ravishing at this short distance. Her long natural lashes bat softly as she blinked. Her pink lips shined subtly from the slick of her tongue after it swiped over them for the third time in the past minute. Something that had to be a habit when she was consumed by a task.

That was when Jungkook noticed what she was doing, drawing something detailed with full intent. Her focused scowl softens when she tilts her head, her pencil gliding, and shading over the textured paper mindlessly. She pauses to reach for her beige mug, pursing her lips to blow against the steam before putting them against the edge to sip.

As she swallowed, Jungkook's gaze seems to follow the tea as it traveled down her throat. The faint movement of the action has him focusing on the inaudible pulse that thumped just beneath the surface of her skin.

Like the wings of a butterfly, the tiniest sound is magnified in Jungkook's enhanced ear.

Relaxed and steady.

Rhythmically beating in time with the crescendo of the voice he did his best to ignore up until now.

Thirsty...

She's so close...

So fresh...

Thirsty...

Her scent...

So close

So pretty

Want her...

"What'll ya have honey..." Mama Ruth's sudden appearance distracts Jungkook from his fixation and he has to gather himself before making eye contact with the woman regarding him curiously. Her eyes give him a slightly rueful once over but her expression is warm and welcoming as she awaited his response. Jungkook clears the thickness from his throat before speaking.

"Uhm....May I just have a coffee please?" he manages to say, scooting up in his seat nervously. Ruth narrows her eyes at him, tilting her head slightly before smiling.

"Sure...I was just about to put a pot on. I ain't no barista or nothing but I'll do my best." she jokes as she turns away. Jungkook smirks at her attempt at humor, shifting his eyes back to Deja occasionally while Ruth sets out getting the coffee machine going.

"I don't think I've ever seen you before. I'm pretty good with faces..." she calls over her shoulder. Jungkook gives a tight-lipped smile in response.

"Well, I don't think I've ever come in here before so that might be why..." he nods stiffly.

"Oh? You live or work in the area?" she looks back briefly. Jungkook blinks at her question, hesitant to answer.

"Yeah...I'm not too far from here," he says reluctantly. Ruth seems satisfied enough with his answer not to pry and she remains quiet while resuming getting his coffee brewing. Once it's set up and doing its thing, she turns back to Jungkook and reaches below the bar to produce a laminated menu to set in front of him.

"Well, since this is your first visit. Welcome to Gerald's. I'm Ruth...Mama Ruth to most who come by here regularly. We're family here so don't be afraid to ask for anything and I mean anything. Chef is pretty well-rounded back there so if it can burn, he can make it. Could I interest you in some breakfast to go with your coffee?" she asks, resting her forearm against the bar. She leans in slightly, giving Jungkook an unwelcomed whiff of her scent.

She smells good too...

Thirsty...

perhaps her...

not young but still good...

Thirsty...

"Uh..No, ma'am...Just the coffee will do. Thank you." Jungkook declines politely, clenching his jaw at the pain in his throat from the woman's proximity. Not seeming too convinced, Ruth places her hand over the offered menu.

"Well, it's here in case you change your mind. Your coffee should only be a few minutes."

"Ok. Thank you again.." Jungkook nods as Ruth gives him a sweet smile before turning to return to the kitchen.

"Oh! Mama..."

Jungkook turns his head at the sound of her voice, smooth and attractive as she addressed the woman behind the bar.

"You got some honey back there?" Deja asks, holding her half-full tea mug up.

"Yeah, I'll get you some. Uh...How you like your coffee baby? I'm bout to restock the creams and sugars but we have milk too...." Ruth directs her tone towards Jungkook, making Deja look his way casually.

His eyes widen slightly under her gaze, feeling oddly exposed by the sudden attention. But his eyes soften when he finds Deja studying him with interest, noting his piercings and familiarly handsome features. She says nothing though, resuming her attention to drawing while Ruth regarded him expectantly.

"Oh...Black is fine." Jungkook tears his eyes from Deja's preoccupied profile to say and Mama Ruth nods in understanding.

Deja smirks involuntarily at that for some reason, continuing to scribble away.

"Ok..I'll be back in a second to pour you a cup," Ruth says before leaving the two of them alone in the front.

Jungkook nods, pausing to glance over and find Deja looking away from him again and back to drawing, acting as if she weren't paying him any mind. As they both waited, there was an unnamed shift in the atmosphere that consisted of the occasional awkward sidewards glance and smile when both were caught looking at the same time.

It wasn't lost on Jungkook that he was attractive and he usually felt nothing in reaction to a human's change in scent when close to them.

But this human, in particular, had a questionable effect on him outside of the most obvious.

Swiveling slightly on his bar stool, Jungkook plays another stolen look off as if he's interested in the decor, chewing his lip when Deja finds his gaze on her again. She stifles her smirk, biting down on her bottom lip and lowering her head. But after a beat, her hand stalls on the page as she lifted her head.

"Hey, Do I know you from somewhere?" she asks suddenly and Jungkook turns his head to look at her.

"Hmm? Me?"

Deja squints at the forced obliviousness in his expression, turning a bit on her bar stool to face him.

"You're the only other person here.." she smirks, looking him up and down again. Under her full gaze again, Jungkook stiffens and consciously straightens his posture a bit before shaking his head in denial. 

"Right..Um...no. I don't think we know each other.." he chuckles softly.

"But I've seen you before.." she insists and Jungkook perks his brow.

"I doubt that.." he smirks, knowing the two made eye contact at the club several hours ago. Since it was dark and she'd had a few drinks since then, he hoped the extent of her memory of him was a blur. She probably sees hundreds of people a night. There's no way she'd remember...

"No, I've seen you before. I just can't remember but I've seen you..." she squints.

"Oh..well I'm sorry. I wish I knew where. Maybe I could help you remember.." he lies smoothly, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth as his eyes dropped to her parted lips unintentionally. As if on purpose, she licks her lips before eventually turning away, shaking her head in mild embarrassment.

"No. You're right. I'm sorry.....It's been a long night..." she back peddles bashfully.

Jungkook follows her gaze, finding her more amusing by the second. Despite the hissing voice in the back of his mind, filling his head with all of the ways he could kill her right now and be done with this conversation, he wanted to hear her talk some more.

"I know what you mean..." he chuffs, his eyes lifting from her sketchbook to her face. probably feeling them on her, she looks over with an invisible blush warming her cheeks. He couldn't help but stare at this point, falling into her gorgeous eyes as she fell into his.

Thirsty.......

" Actually..." Jungkook begins, making Deja's brow perk up curiously.

"Now that you mention it, you do look kind of familiar..." He swivels on the stool to face her, fully securing her attention.

"Yeah?" Her smirk widens more than she intended as she turned to him as well.

"Yeah...." he narrows his gaze, acting as if studying her beautiful features would aid his memory. But he really just wanted an excuse to look at her head-on.

As he did, Deja finds it increasingly hard to look away and she furrows her brow slightly at the deepness of this stranger's dark irises. Her amused expression fades, the corners of her smile dropping slowly.

Yes...

Perfect...

Thirsty...

Seconds pass and Jungkook slips deeper into his element, tilting his head so that she would follow in the way a charmer tempted the python.

Having her where, in any other situation, he needed her to be for him to compel her.

Manipulating her to ignore any inhibition, telling her she was in danger.

The instinct everyone is given at birth for self-preservation.

The chill up the spine.
The rise in heart rate.
The fight or flight.

The tiny voice in the back of your head screams for you to run.

With one lingering gaze, all of that is subdued and disregarded for the predator's kill to be secured.

For the prey's fate to be sealed.

Just as his was years ago...

Suddenly a series of unpleasant memories flash through his mind like lightning, the dramatic play-by-play of his untimely ending giving him an ironic sense of Deja Vu the longer he held her fixed hazel gaze.

Everything he felt back then swarms in to join the pain he was already in.

The anguish and guilt.
The regret and remorse.

He couldn't do it.

He wouldn't do it.

With a deep sigh, the humanity that Jungkook clung to forces him to blink, effectively breaking the trance he pulled the unsuspecting woman into.

The moment he releases her, Deja's lashes flutter dramatically and her soft smile returns. Seeming a tad confused at first, her brow crinkles slightly as he leaned away tentatively to allow her a few seconds to come back to herself.

Her widened pupils shrink back to their appropriate size and she inhales as if she hadn't taken a breath in a minute.

"Wow...I just got...really lightheaded just now...Whoa..." she mumbles, turning on her stool and shaking her head. Jungkook frowns with concern despite knowing what was wrong, watching silently as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Are you ok?" he inquires, feigning ignorance, and Deja nods as she reached for her tea, taking a few sips and setting it back down.

After breathing deeply a few times, her features relax and she swallows down any remaining tea before answering.

"Yeah......I'm good, I'm good. That was weird..." she huffs humorously and Jungkook smiles in relief.

"Maybe you're tired...As you said, it's been a long night," he remarks, earning her hazel gaze once more with a sigh.

She foolishly makes eye contact again and it takes some effort on Jungkook's end to keep his other self from yanking her back into his trap. To avoid it, he turns away shyly, thinking of any way to change the subject.

He clears the thickness from his throat.

"Ahem....anyway, you were saying?" he continues, and Deja chuckles.

"I don't think I was saying anything...You were just about to tell me where you knew me from," she says, reaching for her tea mug again. Jungkook nods in agreement, pointedly avoiding her gaze.

"Right...damn...I hate myself for not having a proper answer. There's no way I'd forget..." he trails off, braving a sidewards glance to catch her side profile as she drank from her cup.

".....someone as beautiful as you..." he says to himself, mentally kicking himself for being in this position.

"No big deal though.....So...where are you from?" he ignores his instincts to say and Deja smirks in amusement as she set her cup down.

"Is it that obvious that I'm not from here?" she counters and Jungkook shrugs.

"It's just a question."  he defends casually and Deja's mouth shrugs in agreement.

"Ok...Well to answer it, no...I probably lost my accent but I'm from Tennessee."

"Tennesee? Wow...what the hell made you leave all of that good weather for this?" Jungkook inquires with genuine interest and Deja smiles bashfully, rolling her eyes.

"I wish I had a dollar for everytime someone asked me that....The weather is NOT that good. Too much humidity. Too much sun.." she waves her hand at the memory. Jungkook's smile falters at the thought, having not seen the sun with his own eyes in years. He tilts his head slightly, chuckling as he turned back to face front in his stool.

"Sun? What's that?" he asks sarcastically, making Deja laugh at the sulk in his tone.

"I know right? Sounds like some mythical thing that only exists in another part of the world these days. I don't mind it though...I like the weather here." she shrugs, reaching for her mug. Jungkook swivels back to glance at her curiously, his eyes occasionally falling to her throat.

"Yeah? You enjoy the perpetual gloominess and smog?" he chuckles and Deja scoffs.

"It's not that bad. We get enough sun for the plants to survive at least."  she shrugs. 

"At least," he mutters, biting on his lip ring habitually as they shared an unreadable gaze between them that shifted over different parts of their faces. Jungkook grits against the urge to look her directly in the eyes but damn.....

How could he not?

Just then, Ruth emerges from the back with Deja's honey and sets it on the bar.

"Here baby..." she exhales before turning to attend to the fully brewed coffee pot on the back counter. Deja is first to break their lingering gaze to attend to her tea, picking up the warmed dispenser and drizzling the liquid gold into her mug.

The flow of the thick honey is slow, its consistency slightly reminiscent of something Jungkook found savory. Hes momentarily distracted by it as its amber hue darkens to red in his mind, reminding him of how deprived he felt just as a large white coffee mug is placed before him on the counter.

"Here you go hon'....careful it's hot," Ruth says, breaking his conflicted trance. The overwhelming scent of the coffee invades his heightened senses and he has to stop himself from snorting at it like a flustered dog.

Too many smells..

Thirsty..

Dont want coffee..

Want her...

Dont drink that!

Hurry and finish this..

Before its too late...

Staring at the steam that swirled from the blackened liquid caffeine, Jungkook's eyes flutter on the onslaught of voices his thirst chastise him in. He knew coffee was NOT what he needed or would ever need for that matter.

Hell, if his thirst had it's way it would take both women right now. Brutally and messily, and anyone else that got in it's way. He knew this because not only did he hear it say so. He saw it through it's demented eyes, showing him exactly what it wanted to do while he carried on a casual conversation.

It was unbearably distracting.

That's when it occurred to him that the strength of the stench was just what he needed to distract himself and repulse his thirst from lunging across the bar stools and sinking his fangs into this women's unassuming necks.

At his beeif heaitiance to take it, Ruth frowns.

"Is something wrong? I could get some sugar or something if..."

"No no no...this is just fine, Thank you!" he says appreciatively, picking the hot mug up from the bar with both hands . He put it to his lips, stifling his grimace at the smell while also having zero regards for its temperature.

"Careful, I said.." Ruth warns but Jungkook is already swallowing down the bitter beverage in a few exaggerated gulps, mixing with the venom that coated his tongue.

Ew.

No no no.

Stop drinking!!

Jungkook sighs after swallowing down a third of the mug, finding the all-consuming flavor and aroma of the black coffee dulls the effect of the human scents surrounding him.

The taste was horrible. Even when he was human he never took his coffee without at least one shot of cream. But this was a necessary evil to avoid another.

Though he could still consume the food and drinks just fine, gritting and bearing the lack of sustenance it provided, none of it could compete or compare in taste to....

"Ouch!"

Jungkook stills at the sound, his gaze on the ripples in his mug and his brow twitching reflectively when Deja hisses sharply through her teeth from beside him.

"dammit..every time.." She complains under her breath. Both Mama Ruth and Jungkook look over and he lowers the mug to find Deja scowling at pages of her sketchbook.

"...oh no..." Jungkook thinks, his eyes following her hand.

Her pained expression fades as she turned over, lifting her index finger closer to her face to put pressure on the tiny slit at the tip of it so that a tear-drop-sized bead of blood forms from her flesh.

"......shit..."

"Damn what'd you do?" Ruth's brow crinkles with concern and Deja sucks her teeth with annoyance as she squinted at the tiny wound.

"Papercut...This sketchbook gets me every time.." Deja mumbled distractedly, flipping the cover over to shut the cursed thing.

Not that the cause mattered to Jungkook. He hadn't heard anything after she hissed in discomfort seconds ago..

....because the moment her skin broke, he smelled it.

Rich, potent, and fresh...

"...blood.." he released a a layered whisper, his expression fallen and consumed by the tiny crimson pearl being sucked away between Deja's full lips.

Envy didn't compare to the feeling that swelled from deep within him and it takes a considerable amount of effort for him to pull himself from its trenches.

He stands abruptly from the stool, digging in the pocket of his pants.

Both Mama Ruth and Deja watch him yank his wallet from his pocket, fishing out a $20 bill and slamming it on the bar next to the steaming cup of half drinken coffee.

"Thank you for the coffee...keep the ch..change.." he stammers as he fumbled to put his wallet back in its place. His sudden change in demeanor is offputting and Ruth shoots Deja a quizzical look, returned by an equally confused face as she shrugs.

"You alright?" Ruth asks as he steps away from the bar. He keeps his head low and avoids eye contact so she isn't privy to the way they're now surrounded by thin black veins, as well as the way his brown irises were completely blacked out.

"Im fine. Thank you again..." Jungkook continues to stammer, tensing at the ache swelling in hus gums as his fangs tried to emerge. He's pulling his hood back over his head as he turned away from the bar and begins walking briskly towards the cafe's entrance.

Deja frowns at his back as he went.

"Um..ok, well...Have a good day...." Ruth calls after him just as he reaches the door but theres no response amid its chime and sudden closing, making both women flinch at the volume of it.

"Well....damn. Must have had somewhere to be" Ruth huffs, putting her hands on her hips and clicking her tongue. She then collects the money he left with a pout, holding the bill up to the light before walking towards the register.

"$20 for a $3 coffee. The boy's weird but he's generous...kinda cute too." she mumbles, making the corner of Deja's mouth perk up in amusement. It eventually falls again in a pout over the handsome stranger's odd behavior and part of her wishes she at least got his name before he ran out of there so suddenly.

She sighs before turning back to her disregarded sketchbook, subtly reminded of how weird the people of this city tended to be, and opts not to be too surprised.

Or disappointed.

"Order up!" a deep voice billows from the kitchen and Ruth promptly shuts the cash register to scurry to the back of house while Deja began preparing her things. She drops down from the stool and is just about to shrug on her raincoat when Ruth emerges from the kitchen with a white plastic bag that's weighed down by a styrofoam food carrier.

"Thank yooooooou" Deja drawls in a high pitched voice, making Mama Ruth chuckle and roll her eyes.

"Theres more Aspirin in the bag, along with extra butter and hot sauce." Ruth sighs as she sets it down on the counter. Deja smiles at the bag as she zipped up her coat, waiting for Mama Ruth to bend below the bar to retrieve her backpack.

She sets it on the bar beside the food and steps back as Deja unzips it to stash her drawing tools inside.

"..and you damn well better be going to the bank with all of that as soon as you get up today." she commands. Deja zips up her backpack and pulls it from the bar to put over her shoulder.

"Yes Maam..." she chuckles, picking up the plastic bag by the handles.

After refusing to allow Deja to pay for the 1000th time, Ruth wishes her a good day even though she knew a greater part of it would be spent sleeping. Deja turns to wave when she reaches the door, pushing it and causing its chime as she stepped into the night.

Missing the way Mama Ruth's warm smile shifts to a frown of worry at her departure.