*Hi guys, I've written lots of different fanfiction stories, but this is the first one I've published. Please give me some feedback, positive or negative, it's all appreciated :)*

"Come on, get out." Brody Nolan ushered the last few stragglers out of the bar she was working in. They were always reluctant to leave, especially when she was working as she was the most "fun" barmaid that worked there. She was usually the one who acted fun because she was really the most troubled. Most people who are troubled hide it by acting outgoing and fun.

"Brody, you're the most beautiful girl in the world." One of her regulars – John – drunkenly slurred at her.

"That's sweet, but no, you're not getting a lock-in."

"That's not what I was getting at."

"Sure it wasn't. Goodnight John." She closed the door and locked it. She turned to take in the bar which was not very wide, but very long. She had been working alone all night, which made her muscles ache from the sheer amount of walking she had done. She loved this bar though, and secretly thanked whichever God there was that she had gotten this job when she moved to Dallas. It had a rustic aesthetic to it, which was pretty special since it was in a city as big as Dallas. It was generally very busy, and most of the people were regulars. Even someone such as Brody, who rarely socialised outside of university and work, was an integral part of the social circle here.

"Here we go." She sighed as she began collecting glasses - this cleanup would take forever. She was subconsciously singing along with the song on the radio – Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon, not realising she was actually being watched. She turned around to face the bar and dropped two of the glasses she was holding which shattered and flew everywhere.

"I'm very sorry to have frightened you." There was a young man sitting on a barstool facing her. She had seen him earlier, and although she noticed immediately how stunningly beautiful he was, she didn't have much time to do more than note it as she was busy working. She had actually looked for him when she was clearing up but was disappointed to find that he must have left… obviously he hadn't.

"That's okay; you just need to give me a second to restart my heart." Brody joked and the man smiled. "I saw you come in, but I thought you'd left."

"I was sitting alone in the back… in my own world you might say. Do you want me to leave?" He gave off a distinct aura of loneliness and Brody felt a rush of pity for him, although not entirely sure why. He looked young, but his eyes looked wise yet weary.

"No, it's okay. Your penance for almost scaring me to death is to talk to me while I clear up. It's boring when you're on your own."

"I know what you mean." He nodded in agreement.

"So what's your name straggler?" Brody looked down to gage the damage the two dropped glasses had created. It wasn't too bad, she just needed the sweeping brush and a dustpan.

"My name is Godric, and yours?"

"It's Brody, nice to meet you." She saluted. "Back in a sec." She went through to the back cupboard and retrieved the dustpan and brush. She came back out to find Godric standing. Damn, he was fine. He was very pale, but so was Brody, and since she was anaemic she assumed he was too. It was a very common affliction these days.

"Allow me." Godric said in his rather luscious deep velvety tone. He held his hand out to take the dustpan and brush from Brody.

"Oh no, it's alright. I'm the one that dropped them."

"Which you would not have done had I not startled you. I insist." He looked at her face intently and for a few seconds she was struggling to remember why she was holding a dustpan… or what her own name was.

"Alright then, thanks." She gave in and handed them over. While she cleaned glasses she watched him sweep the glass up slowly and deliberately. She had let him stay behind for two reasons, the first being that she rarely got to speak to such beautiful men, and Godric was beautiful in every sense. His face was perfectly structured and without a single blemish. He had dark honey coloured eyes underneath dark eyebrows. He wasn't very tall, about 5'9" if she had to guess (she was only 5'3" herself) but his physique seemed to be firm and perfect, from what she could tell from the light coloured jeans and long sleeved grey jumper he wore. The second reason was that he had seemed lonely, and as someone who was very lonely herself, she completely sympathised with him.

"So that's an unusual name – Godric." She tried to make conversation, although their silence was companionable.

"It is?" He showed no expression of emotion.

"Yeah but I like unusual, normal is boring."

"You seem perfectly normal to me." He seemed amused.

"I'm normal on the outside."

"As am I."

"I don't think so." Brody blushed as she realised what she had just said. She looked down at the glasses she was cleaning to avoid Godric's gaze. When she sneaked a glance up she realised he was right in front of her and she jumped.

"I'm sorry… again." He apologised.

"I think you're intent on giving me a heart attack Godric. You move like a ninja." He smiled again, making Brody's heart flutter but she tried to ignore it. She had given up on romance a long time ago. When she touched humans, she could hear their thoughts…every single thought they'd ever actually had. Romantic relationships were a complete non-starter. There was also the problem of her other "talent". Aside from reading minds, she could move things with her mind. She tried as often as possible not to do this, but sometimes when she had a sudden burst of emotion she couldn't help it. It was like she had said to Godric – normal on the outside.

"I insist you let me help you clean up."

"Oh I couldn't do that."

"Yes you could, and you will." He smiled and picked up the cloth on the bar and took it to clean the tables. Brody smiled to herself. She was still cleaning glasses and quietly sang along with a Rolling Stones song that had come on.

"You have a very pretty singing voice." Godric commented and Brody blushed. She hadn't realised he could hear her.

"I uh, I sing at university. Well I don't just sing. I study music." Brody realised that had sounded garbled and rambling, so she blushed yet again.

"What kind of music?"

"Any kind of music, musical theatre, history of music, practical music and lots more."

"That's very interesting. Do you play instruments?"

"Oh yeah, I play piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, cello, and violin. I'm learning to play a few more, but those are the only ones I could really claim to be able to play."

"You don't seem like the type that likes classical music, what music do you like?" She assumed he was referring to how she was dressed and how she looked. She was wearing tight black jeans and a red and black plaid shirt tied up at the waist to reveal her midriff. She also had chin-length black hair which was pulled back in the tiniest ponytail and half of it was falling in her pale face. She had thick black eye-liner on and a hoop piercing in her nose.

"I do like classical sometimes, but I suppose my favourite genre is punk rock."

"Punk rock?"

"Yeah man, punk." With that she launched into a monologue of what bands she liked and why, including who was better live, and whose guitarists could use a bit of extra practice. Godric continued to clean but seemed genuinely interested in what Brody had to say.

"So what kind of music do you like?"

"I don't think you would care for it."

"Try me, I'm pretty eclectic."

"Perhaps some other time." He held up the cloth. "Finished."

"That's great, thanks man. I think you've earned a drink, what's your poison?" To Brody it looked as though Godric was feeling very awkward, but he seemed to compose himself as he said:

"I don't suppose you have any TruBlood do you?"

"Sure we've…" Brody trailed off as the realisation of Godric's words hit her. "Uh… are you a vampire?"

"You really couldn't tell?"

"I didn't even think for a second." She subconsciously backed away a step or two. "You're not going to bite me are you?"

"Of course not." His face looked pained.

"You swear? It would be really shit of you to drink my blood man."

"I swear. I can leave if you wish."

"No I don't want you to leave." Brody said so quickly that she blushed.

"Good. I didn't want to leave."

"Sorry, I shouldn't act shocked. It's not like you should have to announce yourself or anything like that."

"No, I should really."

"Don't be ridiculous. I didn't introduce myself as Brody the human, did I?"

"But that is assumed."

"Well in my opinion, if you're one of the good ones then it doesn't make any difference. You're still Godric and I'm still Brody, correct?

"What are you?" Godric looked amused.

"I'm complicated. What type do you want?" She smiled and turned around to get his TruBlood.

"A negative if you don't mind."

"Not a problem." She put in the microwave under the bar.

"You really don't mind me being here?"

"Not at all. I didn't mind before I found out you were a vampire, and I don't mind now. I was just a bit shocked because I've never met a vampire before."

"Really? We've been out for a few months now."

"I know there are vampire bars and stuff like that around Dallas, and some of the girls from my course go a lot, but I keep to myself most of the time."

"You're not from Dallas are you?"

"How could you tell?"

"Your accent suggests a more northern background."

"You're right. I'm from Washington DC."

"And you chose university in Texas because…?"

"Now that is a very long story."

"I have until 4am."

"Is that your bedtime?" Brody teased and Godric actually gave a short laugh.

"Well yes I suppose it is."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You may."

"How old are you?"

"I think that would slightly overwhelm you."

"Try me."

"Two thousand years old."

"Holy shit, that's amazing."

"Amazing?"

"Yeah. I think it's cool that you've lived so long. How old were you when you were turned?"

"I was eighteen."

"Yeah you look young."

"You look rather young yourself."

"I know, it seems like I actually haven't changed a single bit since I was eighteen. I'm 21 now."

"You do look about eighteen."

"Well like I said, normal on the outside."

"You think you're not normal on the inside?" He sat on a barstool and Brody handed him his TruBlood that had been heating up.

"I know I'm not."

"That's silly."

"If only you knew Godric."

"Then enlighten me."

"That's another very long story."

"I'm hoping you're going to share some of these long stories with me someday."

"Someday I just might."

"Are you working tomorrow?"

"No I am not." Brody smiled.

"If you have no other plans I'd very much like to see you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Sure, that'd be cool."

"Cool? Oh yes, I'm not completely sure of the current sayings, but cool sounds appropriate." Brody laughed. "You'll have to teach me a few more of them." He stood up and put his bottle down. "Should I meet you here just after dark then?"

"I'll be here." She smiled and blushed.

"Then I shall see you soon." Godric smiled and left.

"Yes!" Brody cheered to herself. Now, what does one wear when hanging out with a vampire? She pondered.

*Let me know what you think guys :)*