Chapter 50

“Richie?”

The blond curls popped around the door, his blue eyes curious.

“How’d you know it was me?”

“I could smell your smelly ass a mile away.” Dave pulled a face, not too happy to admit to his strong senses.

“You starting your vamp shit with me and I’m outta here. I have had more than I can stomach right now.”

“Calm the hell down man.” Dave slapped him playfully on the shoulder. Something was weighing heavy on his friend’s mind. “They say it will disappear with time, just until I’m fully recovered. Shit knows when that will be…”

Richie brushed a quick look over the Joker’s face.

“You’re still pale as hell. You sure you’re not turning vamp on me? What you eating?” Richie looked over at the empty box…at least it was pizza.

“They almost sucked me dry asshole. I need some time to get my ass back on track and for your information, pizza, Chinese..lots of it. Happy now? But enough about pretty old me, what’s up with you? Why aren’t you snuggled up to your girl?”

“Do you mind if I crash here tonight?” Sambora wasn’t ready to talk.

“Yeah sure. You wanna a beer?”

“Yeah I guess.” Richie’s long frame unfolded, stretching back against the couch, he twined his fingers across his stomach, his eyes following Dave as he walked towards the mini bar. His dark eyes were stormy, whatever it was, was nipping his ass big time!

“What’s on the tv tonight?” Richie reached for the remote.

“Dunno…I was about to crash anyway, so you can have fun with the remote as much as you want to.”

“G’night then.” Richie’s eyes were fixed on the tv.

“G’night….Rich…you sure…”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine…don’t get all worked up like a little girl…go to bed.” His lopsided smile set Dave’s legs in motion towards the bedroom.

~~~

For some absurd reason Jon felt the overwhelming need to check up on Ksenia. Driving the girl home, he settled her onto her bed, turned and left.

The tiny scrap of a girl’s blood was still strong in his veins , pulsing and heightening Ksenia’s emotions. Something was wrong with her, she was in distress, feeling responsible, he lifted from the ground, making his way towards the hotel room.

His feet touched the balcony floor soundlessly, pricking his ears, he waited, listened, sniffed. Richie wasn’t with her, did they have a fight? Stepping through the glass doors, he made his way towards the heartbroken sobs.

She was crawled into a tight little ball on the couch, her small frame shaking. A wave of pity crashed over Jon and he stepped closer.

“Ksenia?” as his fingers touched the delicate elbow she snapped up, her eyes wild in her tearstained face.

“Are you ok?”

“Jon! What….what are you doing here?” her eyes browsed the room nervously.

“He’s not here. He is close, but not here. What happened? Did you two fight?”

Waving her to the other side of the couch, he settled down next to her, turning his face as she tried to cover herself with the pillow, as much as it would allow anyway.

“Ok so tell Jonny what happened. “

Her blush spoke a thousand words but Jon kept his expression neutral.

“I ..I can’t….” she avoided his eyes, hugging the pillow even tighter.

“Come oooonn now…you can tell  me or I can find out for myself…”

The thought of Jon seeing what happened between her and Richie almost popped her eyes out of her sockets. Jon threw his head back and laughed so hard she jumped.

“Ok, ok geesh! Its rude playing in other’s peoples’ minds you know!” She had the cutest expression of horror on her face, if you can call it that and he burst out laughing again, only to receive a whack on the side of the head with the same pillow she was clutching moments before.

“Whhoooaaa girl! You’re flashing me!” Jon’s shoulders were shaking now, arms flailing, she grabbed at the ridiculous scrap of material, trying to cover herself but to no avail. He held his hand up, covering his eyes, the fits of laughter bubbled from his lips.

“Oh will you shut up! Its your fault, people don’t just walk into other people’s hotelrooms in the middle of the night! Just to think she was naked as a jaybird only minutes before!

“People don’t vampires do.” He winked at her, lowering his hand as he focused on a mountain of pillows dwarfing the tiny girl.

“You look cute like that, you will do well as a plushie.”

“A plushie?”

“A plush doll, bear, what the hell you call it.”

“Oh. “ She blushed, her eyes shining, this time not from tears.

“So now that you are covered and I’m comfy, you gonna tell me what went down tonight?”

Shadows flitted across her face.

“It’s kinda personal Jon.”

A thought struck Jon and his eyes almost popped from his sockets.

“Oh shit! Don’t tell me Sambora couldn’t get it up!” The horror of it ever happening to himself turned his face to a pasty pallor.

It was Ksenia’s turn to giggle.