Saints Preserve Us-Revisited

Abbadon laughed as he reached for a bottle of lotion sitting near by and began to rub Peyton shoulders once again. "Hmmm. How many have I fucked? Or how many women have I brought to my home?" He teased her as his made their way down from her shoulders to mid-back, carefully placing pressure on the sides of her spine. "Doesn't matter anyway-How many women I've bedded is a secret-one that not even I know. How many girls I have brought to my home however, would depend if you would like me to count my mother and sister. But I'm assuming you mean sexual partners-and while I may be one kinky son of a bitch. I draw the line somewhere, and that would be fucking anyone I may even be mildly related too. So that would bring the grand total of girls that I have brought here to three-including you." He babbled on as his hands slipped lower and lower, until eventually he had them on her upper thigh, still rubbing. "I'm a very private person and as far as I am concerned most women have no business at my home." He placed a soft kiss on her neck as his hands ceased.

Peyton listened carefully while Abbadon spoke. She was highly amused that he had caught onto exactly what her question was directed at. She couldn't supress her surprise, though, as he insisted she was only the third woman to step foot into his home that didn't include his housekeepers, of course. Tilting her head back, Peyton glanced at him with curious eyes. "Why bring me here, then? I find it hard to believe that I am in the ranks of your mother and sister. Your words do flatter me though." She murmured, reaching up to play with his dark hair, dampening it slightly with a hand that had been soaking in the hot tub of water. The kiss at her neck nearly made her melt. Peyton was surprisingly at ease, and finding herself drawn to him on more than just a physical level. "What were they like? Your mother and sister." She questioned, resting her head lightly against him before sliding down further into the water, enjoying the sound of sloshing water that surrounded them.

"To put it frankly-I enjoy your company. Which is rare. Most girls. I fuck them and I'm done. There is something about you that is special." Abbadon was as honest as demons came. He didn't lie, maybe the edited truth, but he did not lie. His arms slipped around Peyton's waist and pulled her so she was leaning fully on his chest. "Well, they aren't dead," He pointed out the past tense word Peyton had used. "but they're about as fun as a dead man. My sister is so self absorbed she makes me look like a humble servant. My mother, well, she's hard to get along with, and quite dreadful" He was short with the explanation of his family. He didn't know them well and he didn't plan to get to know them. He encountered them on occasion and on an even rarer occasion they stayed with him for a few days before they jet setted off somewhere else. Not many demons were such homebodies like him. They weren't big on family either. "I like you though. I plan on keeping you around." Abbadon chirped as he ran his fingertips up and down her arm.

Peyton snorted at the thought of someone being even more self-absorbed than the man she found herself perched against. It seemed next to impossible for that to be the case. She pressed her lips against his shoulder, kissing him thoughtfully. "I'd like to see someone who is more full of themself than you happen to be. I find it hard to believe. Are you certain that part isn't a figment of your imagination?" Peyton teased, lacing her fingers through the hand that had been grazing up and down her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. The knowledge that Abbadon had taken to her well enough to keep her around, and verbally express this, was the highest form of flattery she could imagine. Abbadon was not one for throwing compliments out left and right, after all. He could have his pick of women, yet he chose to keep her around more than one measely night. "I rather like you too, Abbadon Solace. I think we may make a rather spiffy pair, the two of us.

"Oh yes. I am quite certain. She is so concerned with herself that she wouldn't even notice you if you tried to meet her." Abbadon thought about his dear sister. They had never taken well to each other. They had fought throughout their lives but for the most part Abbadon decided it was much easier to tolerate her than start a fight. He felt at ease with Peyton, relaxing under her soft kisses. "Mmm. Those lips." His lips curled into a smile as a hand rested at the back of Peyton's neck. "Spiffy? I haven't heard that used since Eig--" His mouth pressed closed into a firm line. Any sign of the playful smile that had been there at the start of his sentence. He scolded himself for letting his guard down so much that words flowed out of his mouth without a thought. He pressed Peyton off of him as he rose from the tub reaching for a towel and roughly drying himself before he wrapped it around his waist and quickly exited the room without another word. The pair of heavy doors to his bedroom could be heard swinging opening with a loud groan and followed by the louder boom as the weight of them slammed shut.

Peyton's lips found themselves along Abbadon's jawline just as it became rigid. She didn't understand what she had said to offend him so terribly that he would promptly leave her in the bath alone. She found no reason that the word 'spiffy' would be fighting words, especially in the given situation. Perhaps she had become too affectionate, acknowledging they were a pleasant pairing. Biting her lip, she drained the bath of its contents and grabbed a towel to dry herself with. Peyton had recalled not to disturb Abbadon when he was in his chambers. As if she would actually put herself before him again after making a fool of herself. It was no more than ten minutes proceeding the mishap that Peyton was making her way down the stairwell and outdoors. She had her sights set on the barn with the old cart horses Abbadon talked of when they had been looking from her window. At least she would find some solace in their company.

Once he the doors slammed shut behind him Abbadon let his trueself show. It wasn't a pretty sight. Large, leathery wings that had a charcoal color to them, at the end of each bone that ran through them an ivory claw stuck out at the bottom. His pupils resembled a snake's more than a human's. His teeth had transformed into fangs, his fingernails had sharpened into points. This was Abbadon. Not the human form that was nothing short of exhausting to keep his real body hidden in. He flopped down on the dark linens on his bed, looking up at the exposed rafters and beams in the room. It was unfinished compared to most of the house, but he didn't care. He didn't have to put up a front here. His mind was escaping him, he had kept up this human act for so long. He was tired and hungry. Fuck Abbadon bit into his lip, realizing he would need to kill soon. It wasn't murdering that concerned him. It was who it might be. He had brought Peyton all the way here and he had no intentions of offing her now.

The two sorrel Belgians in the barn happily trotted up to the black board fence as they saw someone approaching. Jack, the one with a skewed blaze let out a small nicker and impatiently pawed at the fence line hoping for treats. Molly, the mare with a stripe was more skeptical of the figure approaching them, standing slightly behind her companion.

The crunch of gravel beneath her feet was the only noise that stirred on the large plantation. There was no ruslting of leaves, no birds chirping, and no other sound besides her breathing until she was called faintly from who she knew would be the four-legged friends Abbadon kept as pets. The sight of horses instantly brought Peyton a sense of comfort. Though she didn't have any pets of her own, she was quite fond of the equine variety. A small smile danced about her lips as the friendlier of the two draft horses all but peed himself in excitement. It was unlikely they had too many visitors, especially with their owner gone so often. She made a mental note to visit them regularly, and sneak a few healthy treats for them both the next time she came out on her own. "And who are you, huh? You're an awfully pretty boy." Peyton cooed, stroking his forehead lightly. Peeking around her new friend, Peyton spotted a slightly smaller mare who was much more wary of Peyton than the gelding had been, and decided against disturbing the older mare.

Thoughts rushed through Abbadon's head as he laid in bed. Trying to figure out what he was going to do with Peyton once she started asking questions. It would come eventually unless he quit her. Something would raise a red flag and she'd ask one to many questions. Ones that he couldn't answer. He wouldn't be able to let her go run off with what she'd know at that point. The thinking was wearing him out though and he peeked up at the door to ensure it was locked before he drifted off to sleep.
Jack investigated the hands of the newcomer for treats and eagerly pressed his big drafty body against the fence rails as he stretched over to sniff pockets. He gave a small, disappointed snort at the discovery that the girl had not brought treats but lowered his head for a scratch anyway. Molly stretched her neck as Jack sniffed Peyton's hands. The bribery of a snack was enough to peak her curiosity. She too was a bit disheartened by the lack of treats but she was less cautious of the girl as her buddy seemed to get along well with her and instead of standing far off, she moved closer, to where she was just out of reach.

Peyton smiled as the gelding expressed his disappointment after a less than fruitful search of her pockets. It was nice though, that Jack did not reject her completely as Abbadon had earlier. "I think I upset your Master." She confided, stroking the gelding's nose. "I don't quite know what it was I said to do so, but it was enough that he got a wild hair and left me alone while I was naked. That never happens.." She mumbled, climbing the fence railing. She now sat about four feet from the ground, finding herself right at home with the pair of horses nearby. Her hand rested lightly on Jack's neck, her fingers running through his thick, coarse mane while she thought to herself in silence. The last thing she wanted to do was spoil their little get-away. It suited her fancy to spend time with Abbadon, and it seemed the more time went by, the more affectionate he allowed himself to be around her. Well, that was except for sex - he was still a kinky bastard when it came to love making. As the sun had begun to set, Peyton sighed in frustration. She had enjoyed being away from the home, but taking her chances of it growing too dark while she walked back toward the house wasn't something she was willing to risk. She had always had an immense fear, not of the dark, but rather what was in it. Being in a new place only filled her mind with particularly scary beasts. With one final pat, Peyton hopped from the fence and trudged up the path, finding the crunch of gravel beneath her feet therapeutic once more.

Jack rubbed his head against Peyton's hand, leaving her to do no work but hold her hand there. He was an attention and treat hound. His ears pricked forward as Peyton spoke to him, though he couldn't understand the words he picked up on the down trodden tone and pulled on her shirt in an attempt at what always seemed to amuse the two-leggers that came to see him. His head dropped as she hopped off the fence and began going back to the house. He watched her until she had made it up the short staircase to the main door before he returned to grazing on the lush Bermuda grass, hoping the girl would bring a treat next time she came to visit.
Abbadon may of been a heavy sleeper, but he had lived alone and had the house to himself for so many years that he would awake at the sound of a mouse scurrying across the wood floors, Peyton's soft footsteps in the foyer were no exception to that. His eyes fluttered open in a panic before it dawned on him that he had brought someone back home with him. His wings were stretched out over the bed and took up nearly all the space, he stretched them as he stretched his arms when he rose from the bed. He wasn't ready to see her again. He didn't know how to explain himself to her and he was too tired to shift back to a human form.

Peyton gingerly pushed the front door closed, listening for the quiet click of the handle securing her from the outside world. She found herself wandering toward the kitchen, notcing the sound of someone rummaging around and the clinking of a metal pan. Soon after the aroma of what she knew would be her dinner filled her nostrils and made her stomach yearn for whatever was being prepared. She had skimped on her breakfast that morning, only chowing down on half a bagel before Abbadon had stolen her away on a flight to Louisiana, and it had to be nearing seven o'clock in the evening by now. Peyton noticed a plump woman chopping an assortment of vegetables on a slightly worn cutting board on the furthest side of the room. "Excuse me, would you like some help?" Peyton questioned, hopeful that she didn't frighten the woman weilding a knife. She was not the type to cook often, but as out of place as she felt at the moment, anything to take her mind off of the scuffle she had with Abbadon was welcome.

The woman looked up at Peyton, clearly startled and confused. She looked her over carefully, setting the knife down. "Well. Mr. Solace failed to inform the help he had a visitor. And such a pretty one at that!" The old lady's expression changed from one of bewilderment and a beaming smile replaced it. It was clear that no one here was use to company in the house. "You must be a special one for him to bring you here. We haven't had anyone to clean this old house up for in years!" She patted her apron as she spoke. "I don't think I'll be needing much help-I've been doing this for years. Unless of course you had something special in mind that you would like you dinner. I'm not too far into dinner to change it yet!" She reached for a bowl to put the sliced peppers in. "I'm Janice Abbot, just call me Janice!" She leaned against the counter as she waited the reply. Wondering what had made this girl special enough for her employer to bring home. Also wondering if the girl was like him or at least in on what was going on. She surely must of at least noticed something odd was going on.

Peyton flushed slightly as the woman complimented her beauty. She tucked a strand of her golden hair behind one ear before stepping into the kitchen and giving the much older woman a polite smile. Again, she was reminded of how few people Abbadon had ever brought home, which only made her turn more crimson than before. "I would like to hope he's taken a liking to me, Janice." She said softly, leaning forward onto the counter as she overlooked the lively cook. It was nice to stumble across someone who she could actually converse with while Abbadon was away or locking himself in solitude. Her eyes flickered up at the mention of changing dinner plans. "Please, don't make any changes for dinner, that's the last thing I would want you to do. I was only wondering if you would like some help. I can't seem to find enough ways to occupy my mind. I'm afraid I said something to upset Abbadon earlier. He decided he would lock himself in his chambers." Peyton admitted, toying idly with the bowl that Mrs.Abbot had thrown the peppers into. She hadn't meant to let her personal relationship issues slip in front of this woman so freely, but perhaps Janice would have a few words of advice for her when it came to the peculiar creature named Abbadon Solace.

"Well I'm making shrimp gumbo-the best in Louisiana or at least the best from here to the front gate! I'm use to cooking by myself so I'm not sure how much use I can make out of you but it's so nice to have another girl in the house, pull up a seat!" Janice expressed her southern hospitality as she pulled out some shrimp from the steel fridge and began to de-vein them. "Oh don't you mind him. He's always been moody. The littlest thing in the world will set him off into a tizzy. It's clear you must have some sort of good mojo going for you with him if he brought you here. I think I could count everyone he's ever brought over here on one hand and I'd still have a couple fingers left over. He likes his space. He isn't too fond of most people and most people aren't too fond of him." She tossed a handful of shrimp into a bowl. She had worked for Abbadon for many years, she knew him well. He knew her well too. He thought of her more as a mother than he ever had his own even though he was well past grown when he met her.

Peyton expressed a quiet thank you as she took a seat next to the counter while she listened to Mrs.Abbot chirp about what she was preparring for dinner. She, too, was thankful for a woman's company, especially one that wasn't so absorbed in petty little things. There was actually room for pleasant conversation between the pair, unlike many women Peyton encountered. "I've only known him for a short amount of time, just under a month. So far I have gathered that he can be tempermental, but he's never gotten so frustrated that he would do so much as leave the room. He would become quiet, perhaps, but never leave." Peyton was careful not to spill too much of the gritty details to this woman. She was promiscuous, yes, but she still felt entirely embarassed discussing the gory details of her sex life, especially when that was what she and Abbadon's relationship was mostly comprised of. "Tell me about yourself, Janice. Where are you from and how did you end up working for Abbadon?" Peyton questioned, leaning forward onto the counter, resting lightly on her elbows for support.

"He probably wasn't in a position to go somewhere where he could be alone. He spends an awful lot of time locked up in that room of his and he won't let anyone in it. He likes to have his space." Janice began to melt some butter over the stove on a cast iron skillet, whisking it constantly as she poured flour into it. "I've worked for him for many years, everyone who works here has been here for just as long as I have if not longer. He acquired most of us through friends of his mother." Janice had learned very well over the years what Abbadon considered an acceptable answer, and that was a good one. He didn't find it necessary for people to know that the help in his home were his servants that he had bought. That was what happened to humans who found out too much. Servitude to the supernatural side or death. They use to live on the property but as Abbadon began to trust them more and more, he allowed them to move and have lives outside of his home. They knew the punishment if he had to come looking for them and everyone had always stayed in line for the most part.

Peyton listened thoughtfully. Janice had been the first employee she had seen on the premesis, but she knew good and well it couldn't have been just the three of them on such a large plantation. She couldn't imagine that Abbadon put the older woman over all the duties in the house. "How many people do you work with?" She questioned. Peyton watched carefully as Mrs.Abbot was able to cook with what seemed to be no effort or thought. If she had attempted to do much more than boil noodles or bake something in the oven, it would likely turn out burned or with some other unfortunate demise. "Will you teach me how to cook sometime, Janice? I'm afraid nearly anything I attempt turns out worse than what a five year old is capable of." Peyton admitted, grinning sheepishly up at the other woman. She knew that she was full of questions, but she hoped that the did not annoy Mrs.Abbot in any. The last thing she wanted to do was talk her new friend's ear off.

Janice removed the skillet from the stove as she ventured back from the fridge once more with more vegetables in hand. "Well, we have Jeff the gardener-he also takes care of all the critters, Matthew is the handy man of the place, then there's little ol' me. I cook and do all the housework." Janice listed off the handful of workers with her slight Cajun accent. Abbadon didn't find it necessary to have more people on his property than needed. By the way Janice spoke of him it was obvious she had a much better relationship than most people did. "Of course I can! I'll find something for us to make up tomorrow but I'm warning you-if you learn how to cook that boy may never let you go!" She spoke of Abbadon as if he many decades her junior when the quite the opposite was true. Her tone while joking did hold a slight bit of seriousness to it. Janice's mind shifted through the mentally cataloged recipes trying to find something that would be an easy enough success for the girl. The last she wanted to do was make the house guest feel like a failure.

A polite thank you was expressed before she went on listening to Janice, careful to refrain from her typical Chicago behaviour and instead practicing southern manners as best she could. Peyton instantly perked up at the phrase 'all of the critters'. She sat a little straighter in the wooden chair - which creaked from obvious old age - and leaned further onto the counter, eyes lit up in curiosity. Aside from her equine pals, she hadn't noticed any other forms of life on the plantation that weren't human. "There are other animals running around that I haven't seen? I noticed two horses out back. That's where I was before I interrupted your cooking, actually. " Peyton admitted, toying with a curl that fell upon her shoulder. "The gelding is awfully sweet, I think I've found a friend in him. It wouldn't be an issue if I brought the two of them treats the next time I went out, would it?" She, too, found herself energized and awfully perky in the company of Mrs.Abbot. It wasn't until Janice had mentioned that Abbadon would likely keep her around quite some time if Peyton learned how to cook that she grew silent. Quite frankly, the thought was both one that gave her butterflies, which she quickly beat to death out of her own fear of commitment.

"We have Jack and Molly, the two Belgians, use to be carriage horses out in New Orleans but they got to old to do that so they came here to live. He keeps a parrot in the study-talkative thing it is. I believe he calls it Aggie or Aegis-you'll have to ask him. There aren't anymore pets but there are some deer, squirrels, and if you get too close to the pond I'm sure you'd spot some gators. Jeff just makes sure they don't get hung up on any fencing and leaves some food out when we get a cold snap." Janice tossed everything into a large pot on the stove and covered it up to simmer and began to wash the dirty utensils in the sink before setting them on the drying rack. "Jack is a very friendly fellow, Molly is a bit stand offish but once she realizes you have food she'll warm up to you. I don't think anyone would mind if you took them a few treats." She dried her hands with a towel as she spoke then peeked under the lid too see how her gumbo was coming along.

Peyton's eyes widened, slightly fear-stricken as she heard the mention of alligators that could be wandering about on the plantation. Of course she knew they were natural inhibatants of the south, what she didn't think too much into was that she could find herself face to face with one at any given moment. "I won't be going anywhere near water while I'm here then." She muttuered, shifting uncomfortably in the creaky chair once more. Though she wasn't afraid of animals, anything that was capable of eating her alive posed a serious threat in her mind. The sound of food simmering in the large pot made her stomach rumble quietly. It made her question where the staff would be eating their dinner, and if they lived full time at the plantation as well. "Janice, will you be joining me and Abbadon for dinner toinght? I would greatly appreciate it. Your company is one I've taken a liking to." Peyton chirped, hopping from the wooden chair and examining the contents of the refrigerator for something to parch her thirst.

An amused smile plastered on Janice's face given the information that Peyton was more scared of an alligator than the creature she had just bedded. She decided to assume that Peyton wasn't in on what was really going on at the old house and assumed it was her duty to keep it that way. "I'm afraid I won't be, I usually head out of here before it get dark. Abbadon isn't a fan of a formal dinner either. He usually just eats at the counter. If you're hungry though I'd be happy to whip you up a quick lunch!" Janice chirped as she set a large pot full of water and rice on a back burner. Just as she did Abbadon stepped into the kitchen-looking well rested in his human form, dressed in black slacks a lavender button up. "Hello." He peeped as he grabbed a drink from the fridge before he pulled a bar stool up to the island. "I see you've met Janice." he took a sip of the iced tea and rested an elbow on the counter. It wasn't being short, but it was clear he had just woken up and wasn't all there yet.

Peyton's smile waivered slightly as the news that Janice would not be joining the for dinner was announced. She shook her head though, running her finger around the rim of the glass she had been sipping from. "Don't worry about me, I think I can scrounge something up for lunch if need be. You really should join us for dinner sometime though, I insist." The voice she expected to hear was not that of Janice, but instead Abbadon approaching the kitchen as well. She jumped slightly, not having heard his footfalls as he zoned in on the two women, but quickly recollected herself, offering her lover a slightly self-concious smile. She still hadn't managed to shake their odd scuffle in the bath. "I did. She's quite charming, Abbadon, I see why you keep her around." Peyton chimed, offering Janice a genuine smile. As she made her way toward Abbadon, she smoothed over the collar of his button down before gently massaging his neck for a few minutes.

Janice flashed a look of concern in Abbadon's direction. She didn't know his intent with the girl. He must of been interested in her as she had come home with him, but also, it could of just been an easy place to get away with murder. Abbadon brushed her off with a hand gesture. He planned on keeping her around. "You know your more than welcome to stay Janice." Abbadon looked down at the speckled granite counter, he knew he wouldn't be taken up on the offer. No one stayed at his house past dark. Superstitions were high in the area and the staff was no exception. "I need to get home soon-if that's alright." She dusted the flour off her hands and onto her apron as she spoke. Even Janice had learned to tread carefully on Abbadon's temper. "As you wish." He put a hand on Peyton's arm and his eyes flickered up to her, offering her a slight smile. He may have overreacted earlier, but the last thing he wanted to do was give away his identity and have Peyton run for the hills.