Blood Pact

Fairy-like steps touched the powdery white sand as Jenny sprinted towards Lucas's room. The specks of sand that burst with her every footstep got caught on the hem of her gown but it didn't bother her for it didn't matter, really. A wave of memory started to fill her mind as she flew past cabana after cabana, making her smile in the process.

Months ago after Le Bal, a starving Jenny Huang lay restless on the bed. She wriggled and fidgeted when her mind would not stop talking to her, telling her that she badly needed a burger at three in the morning. It took her months to prepare for this one night only event and to say that she starved herself to keep her weight in check was an understatement.

Another round of gurgling sounds from her belly made her spring up and out of the bed in an instant. She grabbed a thick white robe that she threw on the edge of the bed earlier, putting it on as she walked towards the balcony to check the sleeping streets of Paris. To her surprise, a man's silhouette welcomed her. She planted her left hand on her chest to ease her drumming heart while her other hand held tightly on the doorknob.

"Big Brother Lucas! You're smoking?!" she asked in a wide-eyed manner. Lucas nodded his head towards Jenny and pulled away the roll of cigar from his agape mouth, offering it to the girl.

"No, thank you. I don't smoke," she curtly replied before she sat down on a chair. The two didn't talk for a few minutes, each minding their own space, their attention trailed to the farthest landmark their sight could reach. However, their comfortable silence was shortly interrupted when Jenny's stomach, once again, demanded food in the most humiliating way; churning and gurgling like metals on a machine that badly needed lubrication.

Lucas shifted his focus to the little girl who leisurely sat in the chaise and smiled. Stepping out from the wall that camouflaged him from the rest of the world, he asked if she'd like to join him on a search around the city for a grub.

"My French is bad," Jenny's cheeks turned rosy from her disclosure. It was the real reason why she chose to stay in bed rather than go out and find herself something to eat. She had been ordering from the hotel's kitchen for a few days now that she's starting to have food aversion from their menu. "It's ok. Me too," Lucas replied before extinguishing his cigar on the crystal ashtray and disposing it into a bin. He threw his jacket to the neighboring balcony and motioned for her to move to the corner so he could jump from his side to hers.

"Are you out of your mind??? FYI, you can use the door," Jenny cautioned the daredevil, pulling her robes tighter after Lucas successfully landed on her turf. "I just wanted to try if I can jump over," Lucas replied, his face grimaced when he felt a twinge in his knee. They both laughed when he had a hard time standing up, forcing Jenny to walk forward to help him on his footing.

Jenny quickly changed into something casual and warm: a gray cable knit sweater dress that reached her ankles paired with her ever-reliable white sneakers. Lucas held her oversized mink coat and assisted her in wearing it. Jenny and Lucas left their suite and walked to the valet where a sleepy attendant stood straight upon seeing the pair.

The attendant rummaged through the drawer filled with assorted keys, his grogginess taking its toll. Lucas eyed the drawer and found the key himself, patting the attendant on the shoulder after. The poor guy bowed his head and said 'Thank you very much for your help' in French before switching it to a simple 'Thank you' in English.

A few minutes later, a low beam could be seen not far from where they were standing. "The car's coming," Lucas said, gently pulling Jenny by the elbow so she could step away from the curb. She looked past her shoulders, her sunny smile giving life to the cloudy Paris night. Soon, an onyx black metallic Volvo sedan pulled over. Lucas circled around to the passenger seat and held the door for his little sister before circling back to the driver's seat to drive.

"So what do you want to eat? I know a place that's open 24/7," Lucas asked after checking Jenny's seatbelt to make sure it was buckled. He moved about and buckled himself too before rolling out of the driveway and into the empty streets of Paris.

"Noooo! Bring me to McDonald's. I'm done with french cuisine," Jenny exclaimed, followed with a deep inhale as she imagined the juicy burger, fries, and sundae combo that she would be gobbling up in a while.

"Wait a minute! You said you don't know how to speak French? Then how come you drive around like a local?" Jenny raised a brow to her big brother. His gummy smile gave her the answer that she was looking for. She could not help but giggle and continued talking.

"So does that mean I'm a confidant now that I know one secret?" she cheekily asked in an attempt to get more from scoops from her big brother but what should be her triumph turned into an unexpected frown when Lucas shook his head and said nothing. The smug look on his face irritated Jenny more than his disinclination to be her friend. How she wished she could wipe off that handsome smug on his face with her bare hands.

The car slowed down when it reached a Mcdonald's drive-thru where Jenny ordered a feast that they brought back to their suite. Jenny and Lucas ate all the garbage that was called fast food, wasting the remaining hours of the night exchanging stories about their individual interests which revolved around security systems and artifacts.

Birds flew by outside the window yet neither of them felt the crack of dawn on the horizon as the sun itself peeked out, its brilliant rays began to warm the air. Lucas stole a glance at his watch, surprise written all over his face, his brows raised at how much time had passed. It was almost six in the morning yet oddly enough, he didn't feel sleepy at all as he continued to listen and nod to the girl's incessant ramblings, taking in all the information that he could get.

"Big brother! Are there more secrets that you are keeping? Now is your best chance to spill it. I can be the keeper of your secrets." Jenny twisted in her seat and faced her big brother, her elbows propped on a throw pillow. Lucas knew the little girl is young and curious so he gave her a random reply to veer off the topic and said, "Only my wife can know more of my secrets."

"Then make me your wife," Jenny said without careful thought, her words half-meant, half-insincere. For her, big brother Lucas was not a bad catch. She's known him since time immemorial and there's a great chance of them marrying at the end of the road too. Either they naturally fall in love or they would be forced for business purposes.

Lucas's eyes fleetingly turned dark with desire at Jenny's declaration taking her aback that she dropped the pillow on the floor. He tilted his head and scratched his temple to gather his thoughts on how to escape the awkward situation.

When the air finally cleared, he bent down to pick up the pillow on the carpeted floor at the same time that Jenny clumsily bent down too. Their foreheads collided, and their noses brushed after they jerked their heads away from each other. Jenny felt her heart skip a beat and as if on instinct, she cupped Lucas's face and kissed his lips. The taste of cigar that lingered on his lips intoxicating her to the point of no return.

Lucas pulled away from Jenny, his gaze bore into hers, making her nervously bite her bottom lip. Jenny's heart raced when she saw his far from innocent look as if he's ready to devour her any second now. She could also tell that he's contemplating on his next step, afraid to cross the imaginary line between them and she berated herself in her thoughts as to why she had to make the first move. 'Blame it in my raging teenage hormones,' she said in her thoughts.

Seeing that the guy was just sitting motionlessly in place, Jenny mustered up all the ounces of courage and strength left in her body. She softly kissed Lucas one last time and bit his lips.

He was at a loss for words as his mind tried to keep up with the little girl who had transformed into a bewitching fairy at the speed of light. A part of him wanted to stop yet his manhood told him to do otherwise.

Lucas winced when he felt an ant-like bite sting on his lips. He rubbed it with his thumb and saw a smear of blood. Jenny giggled and held his hand with hers, sucking the blood off his thumb.

"It's our blood pact. You're mine now, Lucas Co."

And that was the last straw for Lucas as he lifted the girl to straddle on top of him. He knew it was her first time to kiss a person what with her sloppy kisses. A devilish smile escaped his lips before he pried her mouth open and locked lips with hers, leaving Jenny no room for escape.

Rays of the sun graced the Earth with its splendor making all things clearer than ever before as a new day has been born for Lucas and Jenny.

Edited by Swaning