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Phoebe woke up to get a glass of water. Despite being exhausted, it seemed she was always very thirsty in her sleep.
A man, blood covering the front of his checkered button up burst in through the front door.
The two looked at each other for what seemed an eternity.
Phoebe just looked at him and shrugged, "Okay, then." If this is how she was going to go out, she supposed a cute guy, covered in blood wasn't too bad.
Didn't have to deal with any more rich idiots at work.
Marcus, however, was surprised by how calm this woman was, "Miss, I can explain-"
Phoebe interrupted him, "There are leftovers in the fridge and sticky notes on the counter if you want to write a serial killer note. I'm going to bed. Goodnight." And she did
Phoebe was surprised that she woke up the next morning.
He was gone. And her fruit bowl was empty, a nice jacket was thrown over one of the stools at the kitchen counter. A sticky note, which she had directed him to had been written on.
"Thank you for the fruit. Sorry about the blood on your carpet. Not mine!
Dr Marcus Whitmore."
She googled the name. No social media, not even LinkedIn. However, she found him on John Radcliffe hospital website.
Dr Marcus Whitmore. Trauma. Teaching.
"Radcliffe hospital. Hmm." She was doing something stupid, but the man had broken into her house, left his jacket, ate her fruit and didn't kill her. Strange.
Very strange. But very intriguing and she loved a good mystery.
"Hello, I'm looking for Marcus Whitmore." She asked at the front desk of John Radcliffe's trauma unit.
"And you are?" The woman replied.
"Um..."
"If you're one of his impressionable medical students-" The woman began angrily and Phoebe raised an eyebrow
"Miss Taylor." Phoebe turned around to see Marcus Whitmore. He was a lot less bloodier, more professional looking with a stethoscope wrapped around his neck.
"It's alright, Janine." Marcus said, looking at her curiously, "She's with me." He indicated she follow him.
They went to his office. His very nice office. Phoebe looked around with interest. The certificates caught her eye - Oxford, Harvard, UCL and Edinburgh.
"Here is your jacket." She handed him it and he smiled.
"Thank you. You were very calm." Marcus said, "How did you find me?"
"A good old google search." Phoebe replied, "May I ask why you broke my door last night?"
"I'm a doctor. A&E" Is all he replied.
"Who left mid-surgery, a patient bleeds out all over him and runs into a random woman's home."
"It was a bad evening."
"..."
"You aren't buying this are you?"
"No."
"Huh."
Phoebe sighed, "I told you, should've killed me."
"Now, killing someone as intelligent and beautiful as you would be just awful," Marcus smirked, "Have you called the police?"
"No." Phoebe admitted.
"Good. I'll see you around."
"Hope not!" Phoebe replied walking out.
Three days later, Phoebe received a fruit basket. And a very nice man fixed her door, reinforcing it with a stronger lock.
Marcus Whitmore was strange.
"Stalking is illegal, last time I checked," Phoebe said, opening the door to let him in.
He had come over a week later, lilacs in hand.
"And yet, you are very calm around me. Do a lot of strange men break into your house?" Marcus asked, handing her the flowers.
"No, but I don't know if they would be as polite as you." Phoebe replied, taking them.
Marcus grinned, "I was raised well."
"Is there something about my house that interests you?" Phoebe demanded. He was walking around, looking again in the living room and kitchen.
She didn't realize he was sniffing, checking if another vampire had been around.
"It's very nice, who decorated?" He liked the calm colour scheme, old-style furniture that still looked cosy. Her cat was lounging on the sofa and hissed upon seeing him. He rolled his eyes.
"I did." Phoebe said and stood in front of him, "So, are you here to tell me why you burst into my house, how on earth you broke my door-"
"-I paid to have it fixed-."
"Still broke it. With considerable force, might I add." Phoebe pointed out, "How did you do that?"
"Adrenaline."
"Bullshit."
"Oh, you are good." Marcus said, "Fine, I'm a vampire."
"Do you need help?" She had a friend who was an NHS psychiatrist. Surely she could help him get sectioned.
"No. Do you?"
A few days later, he was in her house yet again. This time, he was politely sat on her staircase and she wasn't as startled as she should be upon seeing him.
Just more considering which part of the mental health act he should be sectioned under.
"Do you have a key?" Phoebe asked.
"No, you left your door unlocked."
"Oh." Phoebe hadn't realised she had done that. She did have a rushed morning.
"You should get more iron in your blood." He could smell the anaemia, "Probably why you're tired."
"And do you know that because you are a vampire or because you are a doctor and could easily access my medical records?" Phoebe retorted.
"It's because I'm a vampire. You smell anaemic. Your period is also going to start soon," He motioned to the brown 'Boots' bag on the counter. She looked inside, and surely there was a mixture of tampons, pads and ibuprofen.
She turned and he was gone. Phoebe frowned, annoyed.
She hated that he was right.
"Do you not have anything better to do?"
He was sitting at her bedroom window, when she was going to go to sleep. Usually she would be a little subconscious about this man seeing her in a bonnet.
But Marcus always called her beautiful. Annoying but sweet.
"This is the best thing I do."
"Why?"
"I like you."
"I think you're insane."
"People would agree."
By the end of the month, she had grown used to and fond of his visits. She started buying extra fruit, so he didn't eat all of it.
"Is Whitmore you're real name?" Phoebe asked one evening.
"No." Marcus admitted, "I told you, I'm a vampire."
"You could just be a cannibal," Phoebe suggested.
"I'm not human."
"Prove it." She challenged.
"i don't want to scare you." Seeing a vampire's abilities could be shocking.
Cautiously, he moved towards her and Phoebe looked up at him. What was he going to do?
He gently took her hand and placed it over his chest. His hand was cold.
"It isn't- How- it isn't beating." Phoebe observed.
"Wait.."
A slow 'thump' and she gasped, looking at him again.
"Okay, say I believe you. Why are you here?"
"There's another vampire who has been hanging around. A dangerous one. That's why I was covered in blood when we first met. They'd killed someone."
"And what, this is your territory?" Phoebe mocked.
"Yes, it is."
"Well, its my house." Phoebe pointed out, "Take your vampire pissing match elsewhere."
Marcus clicked his tongue, "I can't, I'm under orders."
"You don't seem like the type to follow orders."
"I have a uncle who owns a guillotine. I'm sure it's for me if I don't catch this vampire and deal with it." Marcus said.
"Fun family."
She didn't see him for two months. At first, she was worried.
Then lilacs started turning up on her doorstep twice a week and Phoebe smiled to herself whenever she'd see his handwritten note.
Shit. She really liked this weirdo who had broken into her house.
He knocked on her door on a Saturday afternoon when Phoebe was researching a piece of art.
Marcus stood on her doorstep with a grin and a dozen pink roses.
"You don't need to knock." Phoebe said, letting him in.
Marcus shrugged, "If I was going to ask you out on a date, I figured I should knock this time."
"Smooth." Phoebe smiled, "So, did you catch your vampire?"
"Yes. He's been put down," Marcus said, "So, dinner?"
"I'm not on the menu, am I?"
"We're thinking of two different things when you ask that. I guarantee my idea is a lot more fun." Marcus smirked, "I can eat, just not often. Rare meat and red wine."
"Why not? You can't be worse than some guys I've dated." Phoebe teased.
He leaned down and kissed her gently. And Phoebe was quite glad he broke into her house.