Cam hadn’t been through a storm like this in a long time. For a grown-ass man, one who fought literal super villains in his free time, things like this made him surprisingly uneasy. He’d forgotten when he moved here that this place was a literal island in the ocean, and storms like this weren’t uncommon or out of place, and losing power did not help his anxiety in any way. Very reluctantly Cam had left Zeus at home to go get water, candles and a flashlight, all of which he’d yet to buy since moving, but part of him was worried those would be gone by the time he reached the nearest store.
Currently, Cam stood in a crowded entrance to a store, half-drenched with his eyes closed as he tried to think about being anywhere else but here. He could handle this- he handled far worse on a daily basis. Zeus was nervous too and his own nervous energy just made them both anxious. He-
A familiar voice jarred him from his thoughts and a relieved smile eased over his lips.
“Hey! I am super glad to see you,” Cam waved Danny over to him, “why’re you out in this weather?”
Danny walked over to him, navigating around the people that were still crowding at the front. Danny was an observant person by nature, and he could see a bit of nervous energy coming out of Cam and cocked his head as he looked at him, though the smile was still in his face. “It’s really good to see you too! Are you okay? You cold?”
Chucking quietly at himself, Danny raised one hand to scratch the back of his neck as a faint blush spread along his skin. “So... I have been postponing getting food for a while. Now all I have are my kids’ food and I’m not about to touch that.”
Danny stopped to look around them briefly, scrunching his nose for a second before looking back at Cam. “Also batteries. You’d think that at least one of three flashlights I found int he house would have batteries, but nope.”
Cam: Cam sighed softly and leaned into Bronwyn's touch. "What if I don't want you to see me like that?" he asked, staring back down at his hands. "I... hate when I'm like that, I hate people I love seeing me like that."
Bronwyn: “I know.” She gave him another kiss. “It hurts you just as much as it hurts the people you love when they have to see you like that. Believe me, I know. But they have to see in order to help. You have to let them in and let them love you.”
Cam: Cam felt a few more tears well up, and he smiled sadly at his hands, this time not reacting to her touch.
"I think... no matter how much I tell myself I am...or hear you, and luce, and everyone else say I am... deep down, I think I still don't believe I deserve that kinda love," he laughed a little and reached up to press his hands into his eyes, to try and curb the stream of tears that threatened to follow.
Bronwyn: "Well you do, Cam." Bronwyn offered him another tissue. "And we will both tell you as often as you need to hear it, until you finally believe it. We love you and ye're worth so much more than you think you are. You matter the world to us."
Cam: Cam used the tissues to wipe his eyes and took a few more deep breaths to try and calm himself down again.
"Thanks," he sniffed, and after a few more shakes of his shoulders as he tried to stifle the sobs that threatened to bubble over, he threw his arms around Bron's neck and gave her a squeeze. "M sorry...."
Bronwyn: "Oh, darlin', you don't have to thank me." Not for loving him, or believing in his worth, or drying his tears. And definitely not for hugging him tightly as he tried to pull himself together.
"You don't have to apologize to me, darlin'. Just promise me that you'll let me help you and that you'll take care of yerself. That's all I need."
Cam: "I'll try, I promise I'll try."
Bronwyn: "That's all we ask, darlin'." She kissed his cheek. "So will you stay with me for a while?"
Cam: "Yeah... I will. Can I bring Zeus with me? I don't want to leave him alone at the apartment if I can help it."
Bronwyn: Bronwyn's shoulders slumped with relief. She couldn't make all his problems disappear overnight, but at least she could keep him safe.
"Of course you can. You know I love dogs. I'll spoil the both o' you."
Cam: " Zeus and I will not complain about that," Cam smiled, although there was still a twinge of reluctance in his eyes. "Thanks...again."
Bronwyn: "Thank me by lettin' me take care o' you. Startin' with this lasagna. Ye're gettin' a salad with it. You need the vitamins."
Cam: "Alright," Cam chuckled, and he carefully rose from the floor. He offered a hand to Bronwyn to help her to her feet. "I haven't had a good 'ole fashioned home cooked meal in a while. Or a decent salad, now that I think about it."
Bronwyn: Bronwyn accepted his hand and gave Cam another hug once they were both standing. "Well ye're havin' one now. Lasagna won't be long. Why don't you go wash up and we'll have that salad."
Cam: "Sounds perfect," he nodded, and disappeared to the bathroom to wash his face and hands.
"Night," Kelly called, waving to the elder of his two bosses. Tonight was an O'Charlie's night, which meant that not only was it one of the quiet nights, it was one of the nights he got to take the scenic route home.
He could've driven, and the rapid approach of winter might well force him to, but for now he chose to walk. He was in new territory; he wanted to get the lay of the land. To observe the town when it was quiet and empty, when the humans were tucked safe in bed and the only ones about where people--things--like him.
Cam: Tonight was one of those nights. Uncomfortable and filled with emotions he didn't want to deal with, working out was his way to distract himself. He had energy to expend and the more exhausted he was at the end of the night- the less likely he was to have nightmares.
So he stood, shirtless and panting in the middle of a secluded clearing, multiple knocked over trees lay scattered haphazardly throughout. He looked down at his bloody knuckles and sighed, wishing quietly that he felt more exhausted. He walked over to his discarded shirt and used it to dab some of the sweat from his face.
Kelly: It was colder than he expected for this part of the country. Naturally, he wondered, or helped along by something? This town was a mix of scents of all sorts of species, he wouldn't be surprised if the owner of one of those scents was responsible for the snow he'd been warned would be coming soon.
The sharp crack of wood snapping had him stopping in his tracks and turning toward the woods, listening. Not a twig, the sound was too loud. Not someone cutting a tree, there was no repetitive movement.
Kelly turned off the path and moved toward the source.
Cam: Cam dropped his shirt back next to his bag, and he ignored the chill settling over his skin.
It made the parts of his skin flush from the exertion stick out, and the scars littering his body were more apparent. There were multiple that seem haphazard, like accidents marring his pale skin, but others were intentional, surgical, following his arms, lines of muscle, and one large one that followed the length of his spine. The worst was one that marked his left hip, a clean mark on both the front and back side, as if something had gone through Cam, and it was barely visible above the hem of his pants.
Cam didn't care about his scars most days, but today he felt he was isolated enough that it wouldn't matter. He exhaled softly and moved to the other side of the clearing at a speed not natural for a human. From one end to the next he ran, slowly building up speed until it almost appeared as if he were appearing at one side, then the next.
At one point he stumbled, tripping over a root that knocked him out of the speed he was travelling, and hurdled him into a tree. It left a massive dent as the tree cracked and splintered, and Cam groaned as he slumped at its base. A moment later and he was upright again, stretching his back as if he was little more than a little stiff from the impact.
"Fuck- I can't get the timing right..."
Kelly: Despite his unfamiliarity with these woods, Kelly moved as silently as a cat, scenting the air every few feet to try to get a read on what he was coming up on.
Right off the bat, it wasn't Fera. At least not any that he recognized, and he recognized quite a few. It was almost...it smelled vaguely human.
He stopped just short of the clearing, choosing a hiding place that allowed him unobstructed view while still keeping him concealed.
Definitely not a Fera. Most certainly not a human.
The person he saw in the clearing bore an...uncomfortable resemblance to himself in a few key areas. He looked human enough to blend in, but no human he'd ever seen could...
Fuck, he was running. At first glance he'd thought the guy was just teleporting from one side of the clearing to another but no, it was only an illusion. What kind of human could reach speeds like that?
Must be a witch.
Cam: Cam turned and slammed his fist angrily into the tree, causing it splinter further, and with another punch it groaned and slowly fell to the ground with a thundering crash. Cam's knuckles were bruised and bloodied as he pulled them back, but a moment later the wounds knit themselves back together. Cam dusted himself off and sighed, wishing there was something else he could do to push himself further than running and tripping constantly. If he couldn't handle a straight line there was no way an obstacle course was a good idea, but-
Suddenly the hairs stood on the back of Cam's neck and he felt like he was being watched. It was the middle of the night in the middle of the woods- all the noise he was making had the potential to attract some attention.
"Who's out there?" he called into the darkness, turning slowly as if he expected some sort of response. If there was no answer he would do a parameter check and go back to running, he decided. If someone was watching and this wasn’t just his paranoia, they were welcome to as long as it wasn't going to be a problem.
Kelly: Had Kelly been attached to this place it would've pissed him right the hell off that this man was wreaking so much havoc on the trees. It was painfully obvious that this guy had supernatural strength and probably some magic; surely he could conjure himself a better way to...workout? Was that what he was doing? Hell if he knew.
Kelly went perfectly and completely still as the man spoke, something almost smile-like moving across his face. Well then. Looked like the witch had some magic in him after all.
Question now was, should he reveal himself?
Cam: Cam waited for another moment before he ran around the clearing, jumping in and out of his supernatural speeds as he searched for someone he wasn't even sure was there. When he found no one, he stopped back at the center of the clearing. Satisfied, but still unable to shake the feeling he was being watched, Cam started to gather up the damaged trees, lifting them with ease, albeit a bit awkwardly, and began placing them into a pile at the edge of the clearing.
He sighed once all four of the trees were stacked, all with their tops severed so the logs laid nicely in the pile and their tops sat in a separate pile a few feet away, and he pat the wood with his hand.
"I'll replace you when it's warm enough and the ground isn't so hard," he mused, and with another set of well-placed punches and healed knuckles the logs were broken down into smaller pieces, closer resembling firewood one could fit into a cozy fireplace at home. He would burn it all later if he couldn't find a better use for it. Then he retrieved his long-sleeved, dark green shirt and his bag and moved back to the center of the clearing.
With another sigh, he flopped down at the center, arms and legs spread out as he looked up at the clear night sky and watched his breath curl upwards in little puffs of air. He closed his eyes and debated his options. He could go home, still not exhausted and try and stay up. Hope that sleep exhaustion would prevent potential nightmares. He could run some more, but after doing it for over an hour he was bored and wasn't sure he could do it for a few hours more.
"Fuuuuck..." he whined and opened his eyes back up. He started to name constellations that he could see instead as a chill settled over his skin. Maybe he could let it get painful enough that it would motivate him to move. Was it even that cold yet? He couldn't tell.
Kelly: Either he was extremely well-hidden or this witch wasn't very good at searching. It was too soon to tell.
What was easily to tell was that whatever the witch was trying to accomplish with all his running and firewood chopping, it clearly wasn't working. The frustration weighed heavy in the air, and a scent like that tended to attract things.
Kelly moved around the perimeter of the clearing and silently emerged somewhere to the witch's left.
"Trees don't work that way," he said casually, voice raspier than usual after an evening of speaking.
Cam: Cam jumped, having settled just enough that he wasn't expecting an interruption. Now that there was one he was on his feet, legs spread and body low - ready for action.
"I- I fuckin' know that," Cam placed a hand on his chest and he tried to steady his rapidly beating heart. The man looked human enough, but Cam had met enough creatures in the middle of the night- in the middle of the woods- to know that this probably wasn't the case. He didn't seem aggressive at least, so he tried to take slow deep breaths to calm down. "I don't always do this to trees it's just-" he bit his lip, "I'm just having a bad day. I'm gonna replant them."
He shot the stranger a tiny glare, but there was no malice behind it.
"Do you normally sneak up on people who can knock down trees with their bare fists?" and with a bright green flash Cam's hand began to glow, he raised it, casting a soft green light over himself and the stranger so he could see the other better.
Kelly: Kelly's stance was far more relaxed, although with his broad frame and height, he was still an imposing figure. More so when the green light emphasized the shadows and scar on his face.
Green light that didn't startle or surprise him in the slightest. He had no reaction to it at all.
Rather than answer the witch's question, he said, "Do it soon. Dead branches won't take root."
Cam: "I... was just going to get new ones in the spring and bring them out here. Is there a way to use branches to do the same thing?" Cam asked as he took in the other man's figure. He was big, handsome, and Cam only glanced at the scar across the other man's face. He had plenty of his own, they didn't faze him outside of an internal question of 'how'- which was generally rude to ask a stranger, so he bit his tongue.
Kelly: A single nod. “As long as the branch is alive and has leaves.” He nodded toward the pile of leafy branches. Plenty to work with.
Cam: "Alright then," Cam turned and approached the area of downed trees. He extended his hands out in front of him and both began to glow. The ground around each of the newly severed stumps began to shift, and each one rose up as if being expelled from the earth. Cam walked over to each one and moved them over to the pile of broken logs that he'd made, and when he returned to each spot he had a new, sizable branch in his arms to replace it.
He maintained the light in his hands until he was finished, using it to illuminate the hole that appeared as he neared each spot and drop the branch inside. Then the dirt wrapped around the branch after Cam placed it, and he knelt down to pat it in with his hands, like a little finishing touch.
"How's that?" Cam asked as he approached the stranger again, and his head tilted curiously to the side. As he worked he had formed some new questions for the stranger, but he held those for after the work was done.
Kelly: Kelly hadn't expected the witch to get started on the reforestation right this minute, but he supposed it was as good a time as any.
He watched the whole process with quiet fascination. This man seemed very well practiced in his craft; he didn't seem to be putting forth much effort at all. The things magic could do.
"Looks good to me." Time would tell of the branches took root in the soil.
Cam: "Good... I guess I'll just keep an eye on them... it's cold so it might not work too well this time of year but I don't really know that much about plants...I'll replant them in spring if they don't take." the glowing stopped, and Cam blinked a few times to try and let his eyes adjust.
"So... you don't seem too put off by all of... this," He gestured to himself, "What are you exactly?"
Kelly: "Time will tell." The frost might very well kill the branches, but not necessarily. Branches were a lot hardier than seedlings.
Well now. That question came a lot quicker than he'd expected, and his answer would be equal parts true, vague, and mysterious.
"Enlightened."
Cam: "Yeah?" Cam asked and a grin flashed over his lips. He crossed his arms over his chest and his head tilted in the opposite direction. "How so?"
Kelly: Kelly gestured to the witch, mimicking what he'd just done.
"To all this."
Cam: Cam's grin widened and his brow raised skeptically. "Okay, so enlighten me. What do you think you know about me?"
Kelly: "You're frustrated. This..." he gestured around the clearing, "isn't working."
Cam: Cam's grin faltered as he hit the nail on the head. "... you might be right about that..." he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Some nights are just... bad ones..." and he wondered if the other might understand what he meant. He couldn't imagine that scar came from your average accident, but that was making assumptions he had no business making.
Kelly: The witch's reaction told him that he was definitely right about that, along with everything else he'd seen thus far. And of course he'd seen a few bad nights himself--more than a few if he was honest. But this wasn't just that. If it was just a bad night, the witch would feel dejected and tired and yes, frustrated, but not to such a degree.
"You need a new strategy."
Cam: Cam eyed the other skeptically, and his hands moved to his hips as he gave the other a slow once-over. "Do you... have a suggestion? Anything else I'd do..." He trailed off, not wanting to talk to a stranger about his various one-night stands or getting so drunk he'd black out. This was his way of avoiding those things. "... just doesn't work."
Kelly: "Of course it doesn't work. You have to challenge yourself to get better at something."
Cam: "I-I'm trying!" Cam huffed, "I keep trying to get my speed under control but there's a point I hit where I just lose it. I try to build it up slowly but if I do anything other than run in a straight line I can't stop and end up breaking more things...."
He gave the other another small scowl without malice. It was filled with irritation more than anything else. "Why am I even talking to you about this? I don't even know your name."
Kelly: "So don't run in a straight line. Pull a NASCAR."
Kelly was asking himself a similar question. Why was he talking to this witch? He didn't normally seek out conversations with strangers; he preferred to watch them. He did know why the witch was talking to him though.
"I'm a bartender. People talk to me."
Cam: Cam smiled at that, and the smallest laugh huffed from his chest. 'Pull a NASCAR was one phrase he wouldn't be forgetting any time soon.
"But we're not in a bar and unfortunately I'm not drunk..." Both of which definitely would have loosened his tongue. There was an air about the stranger that made Cam oddly comfortable despite their current situation-which should have put the average man on edge. He glanced around the clearing and started to mentally map a course he could try to run. So many trees were going to go down if he started this....
"I'm Cam," he offered as his gaze turned back to the stranger.
Kelly: "Not here," he said when he saw the witch looking around. He was all for working out in the forest but it wasn't the ideal location for what this man was clearly trying to do. "A track."
Cam. It suited him. "Kelly."
Cam: "Kelly..." Cam liked it. It wasn't a common name for a guy, but fit the man before him surprisingly well. "I'm glad I have a name now, I was going to resort to 'TDH' soon- Tall Dark and Handsome," Cam flashed Kelly a flirty smirk. Then he blinked.
"Wait- you want me to actually pull a NASCAR- your suggestion is for me to break into and literally run a NASCAR racetrack?" Was this guy serious?
Kelly: Kelly just stared at Cam for a moment. ‘TDH’? Really? That was one of the cheesiest things he’d heard in his life.
“Pull a NASCAR on a running track.”
Cam: Don't worry Kelly, there was bound to be plenty more cheese where that came from.
"Okay- so still breaking and entering, but just a different type of track," he laughed, the first genuine one of the evening. "Alright, I'm willing to try anything at this point. Where am I gonna find one of those?"
Kelly: "Most you'll have to do is hop a fence, maybe not even that. Most tracks are open to the public." At least he was cheering the witch up. "High school probably has one. Community college."
Cam: "I guess I'll just have to search for one. Where I'm from they're not generally public use after a certain time- for the most part. And that just seems a little... Public, when you're trying to practice super speed," his head tilted again and he looked at Kelly thoughtfully. "Thanks."
Kelly: "This is a small town," he said with a shrug. "Security's lax. No one hangs around schools this late." Seemed like the ideal place to practice, but that was just him.
Cam: "....." Cam was quiet for a moment. "...Want to grab a coffee? Or food- or something- with me?" Cam asked, seizing a random urge to try and keep talking to this oddity of a man before him.
Then he flashed a cheeky grin at Kelly. "It would be nice to get a better look at the handsome new coach who I found- well- who found me I guess- in the middle of a dark forest." An odd meeting, but a fateful one, if Cam believed in that stuff.
Kelly: The offer made Kelly take pause. This witch was...far too eager to spend time with him. He knew the aura he gave off; it was meant to warn people away, not draw them closer. And that didn't even begin to touch on the insistence on calling him handsome.
"Coach?" Oh god, was he this man's coach now? Just because he'd made a suggestion? This was treading entirely too far into the realm of off-duty social interaction for his liking. "Is there anything open now?"
Cam: Cam chuckled at the question.
"It was a joke, don't worry," Cam reassured him with an amused smile. There were no expectations with this social interaction, only gentle teasing and flirting if Can didn't read it as making Kelly uncomfortable. So far it hadn't, which he took as a good sign.
"There's a little diner I like that's open 24 hours. It's kinda secluded, and their coffee is terrible, but it's good for nights when you don't want to sleep. Plus they have amazing burgers, and I'm pretty much ready to eat 5 of them." He smiled hopefully up at Kelly.
Kelly: "Uh...all right. Sure." Hell if he knew why he was agreeing. The witch could very well see this as something it wasn't, or worse, as a go ahead for more at some point in the future.
He fully expected to regret this later on.
Cam: Cam's expression brightened as Kelly agreed, and he reached down to grab his pack and sling it over his shoulder.
"Follow me!" He chimed, and he waved for Kelly to follow as he headed for the nearby path.
Kelly: Good God, he thought, utterly bewildered that his legs were actually carrying him forward. What the hell had he gotten himself into?
Cam: Silence followed as they walked, and Cam adjusted so he could walk beside his new acquaintance. It was comfortable, at least for Cam, but after a bit he couldn't resist the urge to break the silence.
"What were you up to tonight, outside of meeting me?"
Kelly: The lack of conversation came as a pleasant surprise. Considering everything that had just transpired, he fully expected the witch to be a chatterb--
Ah, hell. There it was.
"Work."
Cam: "Done with a shift at the bar and going for a walk? Or do bars require you to go on late night walks?" He glanced over at Kelly with his head tilted curiously.
Kelly: "Done with my shift. Bar closed. I was walking home."
Cam would quickly learn that Kelly always gave the most succinct, monosyllabic responses to questions.
Cam: Cam didn't mind. He was happy to fluctuate between short bursts of conversation and silence, and Kelly wasn't the first person he'd met where Cam had to facilitate most of the conversation.
"What bar do you work at?"
Kelly: "O'Charlie's and Pete's."
Cam: "Never been there," Cam replied. "What kinda bar is it?"
Kelly: “Never been to which one?”
Cam: "Either."
Kelly: “Pete’s is a pub with food and music and O’Charlie’s is a regular bar.”
Cam: "Do you like working there?"
Kelly: “Keeps me clothed, fed, and sheltered.”
Cam: "Is that the same as liking it?" He chuckled.
Kelly: “I like it well enough. It’s early days.”
Cam: "Early days? Like you get out early? This late at night?"
Kelly: “I mean I just started working at both places.”
Cam: "Oh- you new to the area then?"
Kelly: Kelly nodded. "Yeah. Just moved here."
Cam: "I've only been here a couple years myself," Can explained as they found the edge of the forest. He led Kelly on in silence from this point, enjoying the cool night air as they approached the edge of the small city. He followed the few lights that glittered their way from the edge and the few souls still awake at this time.
Cam led Kelly to a small diner at the edge of town, fashioned like it was something straight from the 50s, but well-kept and full of spirit, down to their energetic staff, despite the time of night.
Cam smiled to waitress as she recognized him, and led him and Kelly to a booth that would comfortably fit the two. Cam slid into one of the benches, and started looking at the menu she offered them both, despite already knowing what he wanted.
Kelly: "About a week and a half for me." He was still mostly living out of boxes and eating takeout most days. He probably needed to buckle down and finish unpacking, not that there was much to unpack. Small as his new house was, it was still going to be fairly empty when he was all settled in.
The diner seemed nice enough. Clean, normal looking employees. Even if this all went up in flames, he potentially had a new place to eat.
Kelly sat and shook his head at the offered menu. "Just coffee, thanks."
Cam: The waitress nodded and turned to Cam expectantly, who, based on her reaction, seemed to order his usual. He'd only been here a few times, but his appearance wasn't one that was easy to forget. The waitress disappeared to put in Cam's order, and a few minutes later she returned with a full coffee cup and a bow with packets of creamer and sugar.
When she disappeared Cam smiled at Kelly and tilted his head to the side.
Cam: His look was thoughtful, and he gave Kelly a slow once-over.
Kelly: Kelly gave the waitress a small nod in thanks and grabbed four packets of sugar, tearing them all at once and stirring them in. No cream for him.
"You're staring at me."
Cam: Cam watched Kelly mix his coffee, and his smile widened as he nodded.
"You're just more handsome in the light," he grinned, "my powers make everything kinda eerie-looking in the dark."
Kelly: “I am eerie looking in the dark,” he deadpanned, sipping his coffee. It wouldn’t win any awards but he’d had worse.
As for the handsome comment, he was absolutely ignoring that.
Cam: "Everything looks eerie in the dark in the glow of a green light," Cam corrected with a pointed look and he stuck out his tongue at Kelly.
Kelly: Kelly squinted over the rim of his mug. Had a grown man really just stuck his tongue out at him?
Cam: The waitress brought Cam his soda, and he flashed Kelly a cheeky smirk from around his straw.
"So where ya from?"
Kelly: “Up north. Near the French-Canadian border.”
Cam: "I'm from the Midwest, not nearly as close to the border like that, but close enough to freeze my ass off and get buried in snow each winter..." He chuckled and smiled up at the waitress as she brought him his food. Cam picked up a few of his fries and popped them into his mouth.
"Ya sure ya don't want anything, sugar?" She asked Kelly, her head tilted to the side.
Kelly: Speaking of. “Does it snow down here?”
Kelly shook his head at the waitress and gave her something that could almost be called a smile. Almost.
“I’m fine, thanks.”
Cam: "Yeah, not nearly as much as back home, but it's a good amount. makes everything pretty 'n white," he smiled as he watched Kelly... smile? Was that a smile? Cam was uncertain, but now he was determined to find a way to see a real one from Kelly.
"Alright Darlin' - just take some 'ah his if you get hungry," She flashed Cam a cheeky grin as he mock glared at her, a full bite of burger in his mouth. "Let me know if you boys need anythin'," and then she was gone.
"You like snow?" Cam asked once he'd managed to swallow his bite.
Kelly: Another vague almost-smile for the waitress before Kelly returned his attention to his coffee.
"I tolerate it. Was just curious."
Cam: "What kinda weather do you like?"
Kelly: "Cold. Rain. Clouds." Gloomy weather to match his disposition.
Cam: "Thunderstorms are my favorite," Cam piped, and he took another bite if his burger. He hummed happily and set the food down. "What kinda stuff do you do for fun? Outside of startling strangers in the middle of the woods at night," Cam winked playfully the next time Kelly caught his eye.
Kelly: Kelly was the farthest thing from playful as he sipped his coffee and watched the witch over the rim of his mug.
"Workout. Fish. Hunt. Be outside." And...that was it, really. He liked the outdoors.
Cam: That only made Cam's grin widen. "Outdoorsy guy, huh? What's the biggest fish 'ya ever caught?" He asked, eyes alight in genuine curiosity.
Kelly: "Caught a salmon once. They get pretty big."
Cam: "How big?" He made a gesture with his hands as if asking Kelly to show him the estimated length.
Cam: He knew it looked a little silly, but he seemed to be enjoying himself.
Kelly: "Between two and three feet, more or less." There would be no physical demonstration of length, just a factual one.
Cam: Cam pouted a little when Kelly didn't make any hand gestures- but no matter! He was still smiling. "I've never gone fishing, my dad wasn't much into that kinda stuff. I've wanted to try it, but I know it takes a lot of patience and sitting still..." Neither of which he was very good at.
Kelly: “Patience and sitting still help with a lot of things.” Another sip of coffee. There was something comforting and familiar in how bad it was. “Both would help with your training.”
Cam: "Then- I don't suppose I could persuade you somehow to teach me how to fish?" Cam asked with a hopeful smile.
Kelly: Oh, god. He knew this would happen if he agreed to socialize. Although...
They had just established that fishing was a quiet, still activity. Besides, this was a grown man and fishing wasn’t that hard. At most it would require one sacrificed morning. That wasn’t so bad.
“Gotta get up early.”
Cam: The way Cam's eyes lit when Kelly agreed to teach him was due more to the fact that he agreed at all, than the idea of him actually teaching Cam how to fish. Sitting still for hours at a time was not Cam's specialty, but, as Kelly said, maybe the pointers Kelly would give him would help his training too.
Cam's nose scrunched up a little at the thought of getting up early, but he didn't look entirely put off.
"Alright. What else?"
Kelly: Kelly did his best not to sigh. The witch's enthusiasm was filling him with all kinds of dread. He regretted this already.
"Gotta touch worms, sit in a boat, and be quiet."
Cam: "I can do that!" He paused and flashed a cheeky grin, "especially the first two." He popped a few fries into his mouth and took another bite of his burger. "When do you wanna teach me to fish?"
Kelly: "I have to work the next couple days but I should be free on Tuesday."
Cam: "Sweet! Can I get your number so we can arrange where to meet?" He asked innocently, having no ulterior motives in that question at all. At all.
Kelly: Absolutely not. "We'll meet at the boat rental place on the river at five a.m. It's called Wyatt's. Dress warmly."
Cam: The tip of Cam's tongue stuck out at Kelly at that. His plan was so expertly foiled! But no matter, he'd try again. "Alright, it's a date then," he grinned and finished off his food with a few more bites and a sigh. "How's the coffee?"
Kelly: Date was on the list of prohibited terminology. “Just a fishing trip.” Which he fully expected to be a study in frustration for the witch.
“Terrible. Great.”
Cam: Cam smiled to himself at that but didn't argue.
"It hits the spot for me on certain nights," he leaned back in the bench and his expression softened a little.
"Thanks for... humoring me. I haven't just gotten food with anyone in a while... or made plans to just... do something- let alone to fish!" And his mind felt little less tumultuous. It could be wishful thinking, but he might actually sleep tonight and avoid what he was sure, only a few hours before, would be a fit of nightmares. His smile was genuine and soft, and he looked down at his soda for a moment as if to avoid looking at Kelly in his little moment of vulnerability. A small crack in the usual mask of smiles and winks. "I know we've only just met, and I only half expect you to even show up on Tuesday but, thanks." This is the most normal thing I've planned to do in a long time.
Kelly: Kelly knew exactly the kind of nights Cam was referring to. “Bad coffee usually does.” Either that or just straight booze.
He sensed the moment coming as soon as the witch’s expression changed, and he did his best not to recoil or cut the witch off. He was so...not suited for things like this. It had been years since he’d had to deal with someone being emotionally vulnerable around him.
At least he didn’t have to talk really. Just listen.
When Cam had finished, Kelly nodded and offered him what was almost a smile.
“I’ll show up. You’re welcome.”
Cam: Booze was Cam's usual drink of choice on nights like this, and with the way the night was going he was probably on his way towards downing most of a bottle of whiskey he had waiting for him at home. Kelly seemed to have interrupted at just the right time, because even if the nightmares did come tonight, Cam felt a little more at peace than he did before.
He smiled at Kelly in turn, with a hopeful look in his eyes as he set money for his food and Kelly's coffee along with a generous tip.
"See you Tuesday," he nodded, grabbed his bag, and with a wave he parted ways from his new acquaintance and into the chilled, early morning air.
For once, Cam was the first to wake in the morning. He yawned and stretched as sunlight began to peek through the blinds, and he rubbed at his eyes with a groan as he realized it was far earlier than he would normally wake up. He started to roll over to try and return to sleep when he noticed his sleeping companion stir beside him.
He smiled and took a second to admire the ripple of Danny’s muscles against the early morning light, something he normally wouldn’t see when he slept in, and when Danny settled again Cam propped himself up on his elbow. Then Cam leaned into Danny’s side as he draped an arm over Danny’s chest.
“Morning, sleepy-head,” Cam hummed as he placed a gentle morning kiss against Danny’s lips.
Danny had been dozing for a little bit, the bed was warm and comfortable and he didn’t really want to open his eyes so he stayed in that half asleep space for as long as he could. Faintly, as if from across a dense fog, Danny heard little noises around him and he started to stir, a small frown in between his eyebrows.
However, when he felt Cam against him and the kiss on his lips, Danny smiled instead, his own arms going around him as he sighed happily. “Hmm, morning, babe,” he slurred slightly, blinking his eyes open slowly. “Well, that’s a nice wake-up call.”
“Fuck…” Cam groaned as he picked himself up off of the floor, and the man he’d just tackled to the ground to move him out of the way of the floor caving in above him. Cam coughed and tried to wave away the cloud of dust settling around them, and when he glanced down who he tackled to the ground struck him like a slap to the face.
Danny.
Thankfully, Cam had his Domino mask on and his hood pulled up, but that didn’t change the fact that there was still a risk of Danny identifying him in such close quarters. This wasn’t how he wanted to tell Danny he was a vigilante, so he had to try and keep his distance if he could.
“I said not to follow me in here- this whole building is unstable,” Cam said gruffly as he lowered his voice, hoping it would further hide his identity. He brushed himself off before taking stock of their surroundings, and with a sinking in his gut he realized they were trapped. The entrance to the stairwell was blocked with the newly fallen debris, and a portion of the ceiling in the hallway, leading further into the basement, looked like it had been knocked down before they arrived.
Probably knocked down by whatever was in here before them, to stop them from following it and it’s escape. Huge gashes were carved out of what Cam assumed were once support beams, and he knew that furthered the instability of the house. He would have to be careful- if he started to move anything to clear their way out of here, one wrong move could bring the whole building down.
This wasn’t the first encounter with this… thing that Cam had- reports of a large animal causing massive property damage had been reported in the area over the past week, and based on the details Cam had managed to scrounge up- it was likely this thing wasn’t an animal at all. So he’d started tracking it, tracing it’s movements until he found this abandoned building, and as it turned out- he wasn’t the only one. But why did it have to be Danny?
Right now Danny was regretting volunteering to go check out the building explosion HPD had called about. He was regretting getting out of bed and away from Cam in the morning, he was regretting not calling out the rest of the week. He was even regretting staying in Five-0 in the first place. He didn’t mean that very much, it was mainly the fact that once again, he was trapped somewhere and had no clue when he would be able to get out.
It was just a first visit to the scene, since HPD had called to say that there was some sort of explosion in a office building and crime scene couldn’t figure out what cause the burst, so they called in the task force. Danny had been instructed to go check it out and see what he could find over there before calling for backup if necessary. He wasn’t really expecting to find someone else there. Hadn’t expected to be tackled to the floor and the world collapsed around them either.
“Excuse me,” he said, coughing quietly as he tried not to let the panic bubble up too much. “This badge right here says that I don’t have to follow your orders, it’s quite the other way around. And what on Earth are you doing here in the first place? And who are you?” He asked quickly, one question coming out after the other, since trying to stay focused on something else would probably help with taming the claustrophobia.
Cam felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He hadn’t been entirely honest with Danny, but he also wasn’t sure how to explain his powers, or being a vigilante. Plus- would he even be okay with it? Technically Danny’s job put him on the opposite side of the law from Cam, and he was reluctant to do something that would put him or Danny at risk.
“I… I know, Danny. I like that part too- you trusting me. I just… you don’t know that much about me Danny….” he looked off to the side.
Danny cocked his head as he looked at Cam, a soft smile on his face as he shrugged gently. “I’m sure that’s true,” Danny agreed with a quick nod. “You don’t really know everything that is to know about me either.”
Danny sighed quietly, shaking his head once. “Doesn’t really matter, though. I see the way you are with me, the way you are with Zeus. And I really like that. Really like you. So... yeah, I trust you.”
Cam took a seat as guided, and he folded his legs beneath himself. He placed his hands in his lap and stared down at them as he listened to Bron explain. He was quiet for a little bit after she was finished. "I knew I didn't get to back out," he said softly, "I don't even react to it like everyone else- I don't have any feelings for him or any of that shit. I wasn't even having a problem with it until everyone else started to act weird about it. He's not a bad guy..."
Bronwyn’s eyes widened. “You knew that it was a permanent condition and you still went back? Cameron!” She usually made it a point not to yell but it was becoming increasingly difficult.
“I don’t know what’s been happenin’ or what ye’ve been feelin’ but /vampire blood/ isn’t the answer! You don’t need an edge, Cam, that’s what heroin addicts say!” Okay she was yelling. She couldn’t do that, it would get them nowhere. “You better thank the good lord you don’t react to it like other people but that doesn’t mean it’s okay. The fact that this vampire saved you speaks well of him but don’t for one moment think that means ye’re safe. There might well come a situation he /can’t/ save you from, have you thought about that? And that situation might well be him.”
MJ: It was 2 in the morning where MJ was, requiring a moment to count backward and hope Rudi was somewhere in California. What was that, 10 PM?
He would take the risk and -
text instead.
{Text} Headin back to the west coast this week. I'll probably be at Xavier's place Thursday
{Text} Missed me? 😘
Rudi: Rudi had always been a creature of the night, so MJ's text earned a response that was a little too quick. The sharp shift in attention from his book to the phone MJ had given him was a little too eager, and Rudi had to pause before sending his hastily written reply.
{Text} You only wish 🙄
He did, but he wasn't about to actually admit that to MJ. Still, that didn't stop the text that quickly followed.
{Text} I'm free that day if you'd like to meet
MJ: If you'd like, said the familiar. He hadn't always been so transparent. He would have believed Rudi despised the very molecules that made him if not for those side glances, for his determination to see to his wounds, for showing up, again and again, every time his master made them available.
Master. He hated that fucking word. Hated that for Rudi. Didn't that mean something, when most of the time he couldn't care enough to hate?
{Text} Lemme clear up my schedule my liege
Rudi: The way his heart fluttered when MJ teased him, confirming the date they'd see each other next, made Rudi's cheeks warm. Why was he suddenly embarrassed to be so excited over a visit?
{Text} Understandable, anyone would be excited to be in the presence of royalty once again.
Rudi: {Text} What time should I meet you?
MJ: How a man like Rudi had his kind of humor he didn't know. The best goddamn luck in the universe. The vampire was smiling like an idiot.
{Text} I could hit a black bear on some dirt road in Colorado, get outta the van and go to fisticuffs. I can't tell ya an exact hour
{Text} I'll break every speed limit on the way, how bout that?
Rudi: There was an eyeroll from Rudi before he responded.
{Text} Please don't be an idiot and injure yourself- or get arrested. I don't like having to wait.
MJ: {Text} I'll give the bear a pickle bandage and be on my way, got it
{Text} That eager to hit me again are you ?
Rudi: {Text} Just stay safe, if anyone is going to hit you, it should be me! I think I know how to do it quite well
MJ: {Text} Shuttup and get back to your turnips
A minute would pass before the final text message.
{Text} 😚
Rudi: Rudi shook his head and laughed.
{Text} You're ridiculous, see you Thursday 🙄
MJ: But Thursday came and went. Sun high in the sky, MJ's van wouldn't be seen on the graveled path leading to the mansion. No one would expect him until the sun descended behind the tree tops. And yet, when the sun had drowned in the leaves and branches, there was still no sign of him.
Rudi: The longer the night stretched on, the more frustrated Rudi became. He paced the mansion lawn, mumbling to himself and glancing at his phone to check the time. Deep down, he was concerned- MJ had never stood him up before, and it was odd for him not to send a message if plans needed changing. That would be the courteous thing to do, right? Yes, Rudi said he didn't like waiting and MJ liked to tease him, but making him wait this long seemed... excessive. Downright rude, honestly. The longer Rudi stood uncomfortably in the cool night air, glancing toward the mansion to see if anyone questioned why he awkwardly lurked in the yard, the more his frustration turned to anger.
"What the hell is he doing? Is he just trying to piss me off?"
Rudi: Finally, tired of waiting, Rudi dialed the only number programmed into his contacts, and waited for MJ to pick up.
MJ: Rudi's call went straight to voicemail and would continue to do so until Friday evening. The van rattled and groaned past the gates along the dirt road, which turned to gravel and eventually to concrete.
Five long gashes stretched the length of the vehicle on the passenger's side. Torn through no differently than sheets of cardboard. It wasn't Xavier or Rohan that MJ hollered for, but a 360 spin in search of a familiar.
He would follow his nose, limping towards the scent he needed to apologize to.
Rudi: When the Friday morning sun started to rise, Rudi felt a mix of different emotions. Frustration and annoyance were the most prevalent, but they were meant to mask the intensifying worry steadily building in his chest. He wanted to avoid thinking of a worst-case scenario, so he chose to get angry and believe MJ forgot about him instead.
By the time Friday night arrived, Rudi was back pacing the lawn, gearing up to leave MJ another annoyed voicemail, but he paused when he heard the sound of a vehicle. It didn't sound like MJs, but there was no denying it once it was withing sight. It was then Rudi approached, a string of expletives readied on his lips that instantly died when he saw the passenger side. He froze, and all of the worries he'd been ignoring rushed to the surface.
Rudi jumped at the sound of the door opening, startling him from the trance of horror he'd imagined could leave those marks, and he rushed to the other side to see MJ limping towards him.
"MJ?" he started, concern in his voice as his feet picked up the pace the closer he got.
MJ: He expected those expletives. He expected shouting or a cold shoulder. A punch or pretending he didn't exist. It was the absence of both extremes that gave him worry, even guilt as he forced a smile, arms open for a hug that wasn't going to happen.
"I told the guy t'give me a strongly worded email. When that didn't work, I tried givin' him a treat. Bad doggie."
Maybe if Rudi slapped him, all would be right in the world.
His arms fell with heavy weight.
"M'fine. It's fine."
Rudi: Rudi rushed to MJ, completely missing the offered hug as he began to circle the vampire and gently touch him, searching for injuries.
"A werewolf?!" Rudi assumed, given the comment and the damage to the vehicle. "What were you thinking!?" He asked, the anger seeping back into his tone. "Are you actually fine!?" He snapped, finally turning to look MJ in the eyes, "Cause the other side of your van does not look fine!"
MJ: "I mean, I guess it was? Didn't stop t'see if it was a coyote. Maybe. Maybe a really, really pissed off fox."
But his jokes weren't doing shit this evening. Not after what he had put Rudi through. Was it nothing more than waiting that had disturbed him? Had to be... right?
He didn't know why he was trying to convince himself of a blatant lie.
"It broke my ankle, or I did. I dunno. Phone got flattened like a pancake, so... yeah. Whoopsie."
Rudi: Rudi scowled, his irritation spiking at MJ's joke, but this time he held his tongue. He didn't see blood, but he figured MJ had been through enough without Rudi yelling at him.
He was too proud to admit how much he had worried about MJ, and maybe feeling a little guilty for thinking he'd left Rudi hanging on purpose.
Rudi closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, and took a slow breath to try and quell the anger in his voice.
"Gods- how do you not know how it got broken? Don't vampires have the means to heal themselves? Wait- why are we standing here then if you have a broken ankle?" Rudi asked his string of questions without waiting for an answer. He glanced towards the van, then the mansion. "Should we go somewhere else?" Rudi asked. He could take them next to anywhere, and would, if MJ asked.
MJ: He was ready to answer one question when swiftly pushed to the next and the next. At last, he squeezed Rudi's shoulders. An attempt at grounding him - though he didn't know to what. Every question was relevant.
"Answer one: All happened fast. Two: What d'ya fuckin' think? Three: You, you idiot. Four, I guess: Yeah! Where ya wanna go, to the movies? Stare at the stars in a clearing? Ya tell me, I'm there."
Rudi: Rudi finally settled when MJ squeezed his shoulders, and his cheeks warmed when he realized he'd been working himself up into a tizzy. MJs touch was surprisingly grounding, and he took a moment to collect himself.
"No- no I just-" he paused, suddenly unsure of what to say exactly. "I only suggested going somewhere else in case you wanted to get away from..." He gestured towards the van, "the memory of that." Then he looked off to the side, not wanting to meet MJs gaze. "I don't want you to put yourself through further pain because of me." Yes, he'd put MJ through plenty of pain, but that was Rudi, not some random werewolf.
"So you- don't have enough blood to fix the ankle?" He asked, looking back to the vampire in question. He knew the answer, but it was better to confirm.
MJ: "Ah, right." He didn't believe him, and maybe Rudi knew that, but he was willing to play along. Appearances were important, or something.
His hands slid down the familiar's shoulders, rough fingertips lightly brushing the back of his hands. Reminding himself not to think too deeply of this - far too late, mind you - MJ took a stumbled step back.
"Yeah. I wanna sink my teeth... everywhere."
Sure, right. Don't think too deeply. Not about why he was standing in front of his van with a broken ankle trying to comfort someone other than himself.
Rudi: The urge to grab MJ's hands nearly overpowered Rudi, but as quickly as the moment was there, it was gone. As MJ stumbled, Rudi took a step forward as if to catch him, but he stopped when MJ explained.
There was a beat of silence, and something tightened in Rudi's chest. MJ had still come back to him, despite being injured and needing blood. It felt like he had been more concerned about telling Rudi what happened, than healing himself...
"You could have some of mine," he replied before he could stop himself, and his heart leapt into his throat. What the hell was he thinking? "There are side effects," he added quickly, "that's the only thing."
MJ: Did he really understand what he was saying? Surely, Rudi had some small clue to the truth of his statement. He wanted to sink his teeth everywhere... in just one person. His fanged had ached for the chance since their first consented punch.
"Ya know what my bite would even do?"
Rudi: "I know they do different things, depending on the vampire type," Rudi answered, trying to appear more nonchalant than he felt. He'd be lying if he said there wasn't a type of bite he preferred MJ had, but his heartbeat, now racing steadily in his chest, was the only hint to his thoughts.
"But even if it was one of the... less desirable ones, I'd want to help," and he meant it, his eyes never leaving MJ's. Why he wanted to help, he could barely admit to himself. "What does your bite do?"
MJ: "The vampire type," he echoed, a fondness somewhere in the back of his throat.
Rudi's hand was taken, squeezed. He didn't know why, he just wanted to. Sometimes that was good enough.
"Ya can find out. Ya won't scream bloody murder. Way better than a kiss."
Rudi: The fondness in MJ's voice made something flutter in Rudi's chest, and when the vampire squeezed his hand, Rudi squeezed back.
Why? He wasn't sure, but because MJ started it, Rudi wasn't about to be the first to let go.
"Better than a kiss..." The familiar repeated, his heart skipping a beat as MJ confirmed what he'd been hoping. "Then you should know, familiar blood can be intense. It's basically laced with magic, a lot of it, in my case- because of my age. It will make you feel more powerful, enhancing your abilities in a way that some find... arousing."
MJ: Years ago he never would have taken a man's hand, human, familiar, or otherwise.
But they were alone, despite how many people were just yards away. He wasn't thinking about them.
Was he insane? Was it the broken ankle talking? They both knew what he offered was sex. At its core, there was no pretending.
"You're gonna be aroused, I'm gonna be aroused... might as well have a cigarette ready."
The familiar was pulled closer by his hand, slowly brought to MJ's shoulder.
"Ya ready for this?"
Rudi: At this point, Rudi was sure MJ could hear the heart beat thundering in his ears. Nervousness and anticipation hummed beneath his skin, and for a moment he wondered if he'd gone mad. He was never this forward, never truthful about he wanted, never open enough to let someone see more than the vain facade he meticulously staged. Yet here he stood, stepping closer to MJ until their bodies hovered an inch apart, as if afraid to close that last bit of distance, both hands reaching for MJ's shoulders as one was guided into place.
For once in his life, he desired someone within his reach, someone who seemed to desire him in return, and Rudi wasn't sure if he was ready to take the leap. They both knew what this meant, did he trust MJ enough to catch him if he fell?
"Yes," he answered, his heart skipping a beat. What the hell had this man done to him? "But we should..." Rudi glanced back at the mansion, clearly uneasy at the thought that someone could be watching, "...go somewhere more- private."
MJ: Though he couldn't hear Rudi's heartbeat, he could feel his pulse in his hand, and his scent, the one he wouldn't admit longing for during his travels. Now it saturated his senses.
But he could counter the overwhelming beauty with the scent of rain and mint. Was that what Rudi liked? He couldn't recall with clarity. Broken bones and fear of death tended to do that.
The familiar was pulled again, closing the gap to wrap his arms around the small of his waist. They didn't have to overthink this. They could just enjoy the moment and see where the next moment took them, and the next, and the next.
"Where ya wanna go?"
Rudi: When the familiar scent of rain and mint met Rudi's nose, he blinked in surprise. A rush of old memories caused him to blink back tears, and he quickly looked away to compose himself. MJ's arm around his back, closing the last bit of distance between them, grounded him, and Rudi wondered how MJ made this feel so... easy. Parts of him were screaming for him to run away, warning him that this would only end badly for him- as it always did when he dared to want something for himself- but his life, his freedom, was different now. He didn't have to live like that anymore.
When he looked back up at MJ, he wrapped his arms around the vampire's neck, drawing him just a bit closer.
"Hang on tight," Rudi breathed into MJ's ear, and as he squeezed the other's shoulders the ground gave out beneath them. One moment the world tilted, and the next their feet returned to solid ground in a beautifully furnished bedroom.
Rudi stepped back just enough, without letting go of MJ, to gesture almost shyly around the large room. They stood on the half of the room closest to the four-poster bed, a door to the adjoining bathroom, and large floor to ceiling windows with the blinds drawn shut. The other half had a large walk-in closet and an ornately carved fireplace surrounded by couches and chairs. "It's a little old fashioned, but this is- this is my room." He paused, his cheeks warming as he gave MJ a small smirk, "You should feel very special, you're the only person I've ever let in here outside of Leon and Waylon."
MJ: Those tears were curious for the Ravnos. He didn’t understand their meaning, their history. He was a simple creature. At least that’s what he told himself. He knew scents Rudi favored and offered them just because he – what? Just wanted to please him. A throwaway token of goodwill. Yet the glistening in his eyes tightened his grip around his ribs. Protective or apologetic, he couldn’t tell. It wasn’t in him to search for the answer. It was Rudi’s decision to open his mouth and reveal his precious secrets.
MJ closed his eyes. A habit from Xavier and Abel’s unique magicks. One eye opened, then the other. He was still in one piece, and his stomach was still in the correct place.
“Huh.” What made his teleportation so different from Abel? Weren’t they the same? He shrugged at his unspoken question, giving Rudi a squeeze of gratitude.
“Could fit my RV in here,” he marveled. His arm remained fixed to Rudi’s waist, giving as good as he got. The room was every bit as impressive as the man. He would expect nothing less of luxurious from a man as kempt as him.
“Waylon, huh? Why’s Waylon up in this room? Should I be jealous?” he grinned.
Rudi: While Rudi was startled by the old and familiar smell, the tears were not all negative. He gave MJ's neck a gentle squeeze in return, and wondered if he'd be able to explain them to MJ one day. For now, he had other more... pressing things on his mind, like the body against his own.
He cocked his head to the side at MJ's shrug, and he glanced around the room when he mentioned the RV. "Yeah, I guess you could."
Then Rudi rolled his eyes, the smirk verging on a smile.
"Are you jealous?" Rudi asked with a long pause, giving MJ a pointed look to gauge his reaction. "My room is in Leon's apartment above the shop, and Waylon is welcome to come up here to ask questions when he's working, if I'm not down there with him." Rudi began to slowly guide MJ towards the bed, letting the vampire lean on him if needed.
MJ: "Me? Tsh." He would walk back his words with no remorse. "I used the words 'should I' in that sentence. I dunno this man." Only glimpses here and there. Another face from Edenton, he knew that much. One of those who never had the displeasure of meeting the first baroness of the sleepy fishing town.
Not that any of that was on his mind. Rudi was walking backward to the bed, and he felt obliged to kick off his boots, leaving them where they fell with as much consideration as their subject.
Limping was a foreign concept to this body, having years of experience as undead. Rudi would have to endure the chill of his skin a few moments longer. Breathing life into his body, he feared, would cause more considerable pain than what was already shooting up his calf.
"How ya want me?"
Rudi: "Right, of course," Rudi smiled to himself, liking the idea that MJ might be even a little jealous over him, despite denials.
The familiar had no problem supporting MJ's weight, and in truth he didn't mind the chill. There was a time where he would have found the sensation unsettling, but he was used to it by now. Maybe he even liked it a little, since it was MJ.
When they reached the edge of the bed, he guided MJ to sit up against the headboard, propped up by a few pillows. He figured this would be the easiest position for MJ to feed without having to put weight on his ankle.
"Here, until your ankle is healed," Rudi kicked off his own shoes and set them neatly beneath the bed. Then he summoned all of the courage and confidence he had, turned to MJ with a smirk, and languidly slid onto the bed, straddling his thighs. The familiar bit his lip as his hips pressed to MJ's, and he began to undo the buttons of his vest. "After that, you can move us however you like," he promised with a wink, and he ignored the frantic summersaults of his stomach marveling at how bold he'd suddenly become. He only hoped he didn't seem too eager, if that were possible.
MJ: Guided he was, without another word. As rare as it was, he wasn't trying to fill the room with the sound of his voice for the sake of filler. He didn't know what to make of this situation they had created. This was their own doing, consensually and with a bit of tripping. Pretending, at some point, this was nothing more than business as usual.
He just managed to shrug off his jacket before Rudi made himself at home. The audacity of this familiar, sitting so comfortably, undressing so casually, winking so brazenly!
His arm found its way home, squeezing Rudi's waist, tugging him down to his chest.
"I'm a poor broken man. Gotta help me with my shirt, lil bat."
Rudi: If Rudi thought for too long on what they'd gotten themselves into, he was certain the little doubts in the back of his mond would overpower him. Of course, he desired MJ in more ways than one, he had since the first day they'd met, but the thought of this just being business only would be a little disappointing. Instead, Rudi focused on the task at hand, and the fact that MJ wasn't pushing him away. He wanted to enjoy this moment, not talk himself out of it.
As he was tugged to MJ's chest, the familiar removed his vest and tossed it in the direction of MJ's jacket. Then his hands slid down MJ's sides, teasing lower and lower until his fingers hooked around the hem of MJ's shirt, fingertips brushing the chilled skin beneath.
"Don't worry," Rudi hummed and leaned forward, teasing MJ with a potential kiss before pausing just a breath away, "I'll take care of you." And instead of stealing that first kiss, Rudi leaned back with a playful grin and hoisted MJs shirt over his head.
MJ: Had Rudi voiced his thoughts, he would have discovered them to be of like mind. Labels were for packages, MJ would say, and laugh. They were friends, and possibly lovers, they were sweet on each other, smiling as Rudi's fist connected with his jaw every visit. They were weird and unique and it was theirs. It was no one else's business.
The vampire was all smiles, albeit tired. There was peace behind his lashes. He raised his arms long enough to remove his shirt, bringing them around Rudi's waist the moment he was free.
"You're so warm," he marveled. "How are ya not burnin' up?"
Rudi: It wasn't often that Rudi chose to trust someone other than himself, but MJ had earned the familiar's respect with each visit. Today their attentions were... different, but Rudi felt strangely comfortable, despite offering his blood to a dangerous predator.
"I think you're just cold, I'm used to layers," he blushed and started to undo his own shirt. His fingers faltered around the familiar buttons, a bit of nervousness plaguing his motions knowing MJ was watching. The weight of his hands on Rudi's hips urged him forward, and he finished the last one. Then he tossed the shirt by the discarded vest and jacket.
Then it was his turn to pause and marvel at the fact that they were both shirtless, and the handsome man beneath him wanted the familiar to be there. Rudi vaguely wondered if this might be something Leon would disapprove of, but he quickly forgot any passing thoughts as he placed hands on MJ's chest and began to trace a line of muscle. He swallowed and leaned into the other, bringing his neck ever closer and shivering as his warm skin pressed to the cold of MJ's.
MJ: Rudi had always danced between masculine and feminine energy. He was assertive and graceful, strong of voice yet gentle with his fingers. The way he dressed, his magic, his confidence - the familiar was beautiful. But he was quickly discovering more facets of his personality with every article of clothing. A shyness he hadn't anticipated. The way his shoulders tightened, the way he leaned into his touch.
He wanted to possess him, the way only intimacy like this could possess someone. To hold and be held. Of course, he was fond of him. Had been for many months. What he felt was more than the same old same old. Like the volume being raised on swelling orchestral music, finally able to decipher instruments unnoticed in the background, muted by the louder violin, the louder drums.
He loved his nuance.
"Hey..." He had nothing. He just wanted to look him in the eyes. Think of something. Anything.
"I'm gonna bite ya, now."
Rudi: Knowing that there was someone who could stand him, who enjoyed him enough to want him like this, would be a miracle to Rudi in the morning. He knew he could be vain and abrasive. He knew he could be hot and cold, giving mixed signals despite his best intentions. He knew most could not see past his defenses, and yet MJ stuck around- even asked him to be around of his own volition. He trusted Rudi enough to harm him, and it wasn't often he was entrusted with such... responsibility.
Few people stuck around long enough to see his walls come down, and yet MJ... he could see something in Rudi worth keeping. MJ was rough around the edges- unpolished, as Rudi's arrogance might describe, but MJ took Rudi's comments in stride, teased him as an equal, encouraged him, and, when Rudi really considered his effect, MJ made the familiar want to be... more. More than the same way he's always been. He made Rudi want to explore, to test the edges of his neatly constructed comfort zone, currently, in particularly intimate ways.
"Well..." the familiar locked eyes with MJ, and it struck Rudi how close they were. For a moment Rudi forgot to breathe, and he was sure MJ could feel his heart beating wildly now, bare chest-to-chest. "Don't keep me waiting," a clearly poor attempt at impatience, and a breath before they took the plunge.
MJ: Rudi claimed to know what his bite would entail, but did he really? He hadn't heard of someone else's teeth in his flesh. Perhaps he had read something in one of his books. He wouldn't put such things past his little bookworm. Being little had nothing to do with his width of shoulders or length of bone. The familiar was small and vulnerable in his arms.
They had stood on ceremony for too long. The dull ache in his ankle was becoming a quiet internal scream.
One arm held fast to Rudi's waist, his hand buried in his dark hair, holding his head in place. Slowly his neck outstretched, laid bare for his aching teeth. Not two but four sharp points pierced his delicate skin. The rapid sensation of orgasmic release was one shared. Blood, yes. Blood like the finest whiskey. Better than the taste of childhood nostalgia. Better than he could comprehend.
The familiar was squeezed with barely measured strength. Moans became growls, became moans. His hip rose high and plummeted, rolling up and up in frustrating hope for friction.
Rudi: MJ was a vampire of many firsts for Rudi, and he hoped to tell MJ more about it when the time was right. For now, he needed to focus, and the chill of MJ's skin was distracting enough.
A shiver ran down Rudi's spine as MJ's fingers curled into his hair, making him all the more vulnerable to the danger nearing his throat. The thrill of knowing the damage MJ could cause and trusting him not to stoked a pleasurable heat in the pit of Rudi's stomach. He trusted MJ in a way that felt foolish and frightening, and as MJ's fangs pierced his flesh, Rudi gasped, and his nails dug into MJ's bare shoulders.
The rush of pleasure that followed was disorienting and intense, and Rudi clung to MJ as he gasped, his fingers raking marks down the other's skin. His gasp curled into a moan of undeniable release, and for a moment Rudi saw stars. He'd never felt a bite like this, never felt pleasure so overwhelming he struggled for words. Intense, aching desire pooled hot between his legs as he hardened against his slacks, and he breathily whimpered MJ's name while his hips rolled, seeking the same friction. Rudi's blood now linked them together, and knowing his taste alone was enough to elicit such delicious sounds from the other man made Rudi preen with pride. He knew his blood could take effect quickly, and he hoped MJ would enjoy the surge of power, the high, as Rudi did now.
MJ: His ankle instantly itched. In his effort to ignore the pain-adjacent sensation, his foot jerked and his leg lightly quivered like a cramp. And then it was gone. Never had he healed so quickly. Rudi had warned him of the potency of his blood. He had taken him at his word, but the results exceeded expectations.
None of that was on his mind. Not for but a second. He was hard, and he was never hard, despite the orgasmic pleasure of his bite, becoming hard was a conscious effort. Again, he thought, fleeting as a blink, it must have been the blood.
And he wanted more. He realized he wanted everything. He wanted the familiar to writhe in his arms. More of his name in his ear. He wanted the neat and polished familiar ruined and bouncing on his cock.
But... he was never this aggressive. He was the one no one expected on his knees, begging for dominance.
The blood... the blood.
His hand remained a vice in his hair. The other traveled south, encouraging the grind of Rudi's hips. Demanding without words for him to enjoy himself.
Rudi: And enjoy himself Rudi did. His hands searched for purchase, something to ground himself as waves of pleasure washed over him. His nails dragged over skin, his fingers curled into hair, and his body arched languidly as MJ's hand guided his hips. In a way, it felt strange to feel so vulnerable and needy, especially when their dynamic thus far had been Rudi heavily in the driver's seat. He liked to feel in control, it felt safer to work from a distance during their sessions, and yet here he was, pinned in place with a hand in his hair and MJ drinking freely from his neck. It was electrifying, submitting a little bit of that control, but soon Rudi's neediness swelled in intensity, and he moaned, a desperate hitch pitching his voice upwards.
"MJ-" he groaned, his body shifting slightly as if to pull away, "I- I want- I need more." A demand or a plea, Rudi couldn't tell, but he reached a frantic hand between them to fumble with the button of his slacks. His other hand held MJ's shoulder in a vice grip, as if letting go would cause him to lose the last bit of control he felt he had left.
He wanted more of MJ, to see the man just as disheveled and undone, and he'd be lying if he hadn't considered other places MJ could put his fangs to use. He wanted so many different things all at once, and he wondered just how dangerous this greed would become.
MJ: His body had healed some time ago. Realization only stirred the moment Rudi spoke. His vitae had reached every nook and cranny of his body, warmed him entirely, and tingled between his legs. This was a high, no different than the shit he smoked in college. Donated blood paled in comparison, and this was a problem. The greed which concerned Rudi concerned him as well because asking him to unsheathe his fangs was damn near impossible.
But he could flip them. Using that momentum to force his mouth away, gasping for air he didn’t need. He quickly swiped his tongue over the wound to prevent precious waste. A decent excuse just for one more taste. He would have another chance.
But this was them. This was Rudi, now on his back, splayed and vulnerable and beautiful. Good god, how did they get here?
There was no time for that. Pondering was for poets. Both hands reached between them, smacking the familiar’s hand away to finish what he had started.
“Lift,” he commanded, pulling everything away and over the bed.
Rudi: MJ's gasp and swipe of his tongue earned a moan from Rudi, and his body arched into the vampire's with a shudder. Then the world tilted before he could respond, and suddenly Rudi found himself on his back, his pale skin in stark contrast with the dark red comforter.
For a moment Rudi started to protest, but the sight of MJ above him, his ruggedly handsome, intense gaze focused solely on him, chased away the last semblance of Rudi's control. He'd made up his mind when he suggested this in the first place, as MJ had trusted Rudi so many times before, and Rudi knew he could do the same.
With a nod and arch of his back, Rudi lifted his hips to help MJ remove the last of his clothes. The rush of cool air around his flushed, hardening cock made him shiver, but he was more focused on propping himself up on an elbow so he could tug at MJ's jeans expectantly.
MJ: For a moment, all MJ could do was stare in awe. There he was; no longer using his imagination, and his imagination paled by comparison. Could they do anything they wanted, now? They could stop pretending? To ask that, he had to ask when they had dropped the charade to begin with.
But pondering was for poets.
In this instance, he didn't care about himself. He dropped to his stomach and, without ceremony, sucked Rudi into his mouth. Could he... be himself? Reveal what he wanted without having to explain himself, sans apology?
Rudi would just have to wait for his nudity. Just a moment. Just long enough to enjoy his taste.
Rudi: The longer MJ stared, the more Rudi wondered what MJ found so captivating. No one he'd shared a bed with had treated him as anything more than something to be taken or exchanged. No one had ever looked at him like that- like he was someone to be admired, adored even. Yet here MJ sat, with Rudi at his most vulnerable, drinking in the familiar's appearance like it was something he'd been dreaming about. Had he been dreaming about this? Rudi's thoughts had strayed so often that it hadn't occurred to him MJ was seriously doing the same.
When MJ started to move, while also ignoring Rudi's silent request to join him in the nude, Rudi felt protests rise to his lips with his frown. He stopped as MJ lowered himself between Rudi's legs, and he decided just to go with it and accept whatever was to come. Rudi wanted to stop pretending, to stop acting like he wasn't loving MJ's attention and had been for months, and he wanted MJ to do the same- to be himself, however that may be. Before he could think any further, he was taken into the perfect, wet, heat of MJ's mouth.
Rudi gasped, his head falling back against the bed as one hand gripped the comforter and the other reached for MJ. His fingers curled into the other's dark hair, and he mewled as his thighs trembled, struggling to stop his hips from bucking up towards the promise of MJ's lips.
MJ: Heat was exactly what he was giving. With Rudi's blood warm in his stomach, his entire body felt as close to alive as he had felt in years. Had he activated his body? He couldn't recall willing himself to appear mortal, warm and breathing, but he was. It had to be the blood. Akin to adrenaline, he realized. He wanted sound from Rudi's mouth down his throat. He wanted to taste happiness.
The familiar could do whatever he pleased. Could roll his hips or try to keep them still, it wouldn't stop MJ from sucking down to the hilt, fondling his scrotum, from swallowing him against the back of his throat. He wanted to witness this exquisitely trimmed man at his most disheveled. He wanted to know what he would do when that final knot came undone.
It hadn't occurred to him to reach between his legs. Without willpower, his cock was soft. His wants and needs were all between Rudi's legs, and between them, he was elevated.
Rudi: Relief crashed over Rudi like a wave as he finally gave in to his desires. There was a freedom to accepting them, to accepting his pining for everything it was, and the sounds that poured from his lips were no longer restrained. He wondered how much of MJ's bite still lingered in his system, but each touch, fondle, and swallow made the answer matter less and less.
"M-MJ..." Rudi moaned, his hips rocking in time with MJ's attentions, his breath stuttering as the vampire's throat tightened around him. The pleasure was perfectly overwhelming, stoking the smoldering coals of heat between Rudi's legs into a raging fire that burned with need wherever he touched. It was beautifully torturous, the release of control as he was brought closer and closer to his end. Rudi's breath hitched and his fingers curled tightly into MJ's hair as he chanced a glance at the beautiful sight between his legs, wondering for a moment why such a handsome man had any interest in him at all.
MJ: His name from that mouth wasn’t a dream. A malevolent, self-depreciating part of himself wanted to believe somehow, some way this was an illusion manifested by another Ravnos. Rudi was perfectly imperfect.
When had he become an object of his obsession? The answer was there, in their very first meeting. He loved his bratty attitude. The way he cleaned up. He loved every freckle and the way his chest rose and fell when perplexed and aggravated by his antics.
He could love him without romantic intention, he told himself.
But he had traveled all this way just to keep a promise.
It didn’t matter what flavor of love this was. What mattered was the taste of Rudi in his mouth. Even if he had to spit his prize. When the moment finally came, he wouldn’t close his eyes. He would watch every glorious second of writhing, panting, and witness every second of noise until pleasure became whimpers of sensitivity. Only then would he release him with a satisfying pop from his lips.
Rudi: When Rudi finally came undone, his back arched and his breath hitched as his fingers curled tightly into MJ's hair. He tensed, his thighs trembling as his pleasure reached it's peak, and with a breathless cry he finished, his body writhing as the last vestiges of pleasure were wrung from MJ's lips. Rudi panted as MJ did not release him right away, and he whimpered as hypersensitivity made every brush of MJ's tongue a torturous jolt up his spine.
When MJ finally released him, Rudi collapsed against the bed, his chest heaving slightly as he struggled to catch his breath. His fingers relaxed in MJ's hair, but did not let go entirely.
MJ: MJ smiled at his lover, taking his time kissing his thighs and stomach. A few gentle, teasing kisses on his scrotum and spent cock just to get a reaction. He nuzzled and breathed in his scent, relishing what he would commit to memory.
"Aren't you messy," he smirked. "Filthy bat needs a shower."
Rudi: "If I'm messy, it's your fault," Rudi replied with a breathless huff, and he gave MJ a lopsided smile in return. He shivered and squirmed at the attention, his grip twitching in MJ's hair as his lips grazed sensitive skin. It was strange, receiving affection like this, let alone being the first to finish. Most of Rudi's previous... encounters, did not include generous lovers.
With a gentle tug of MJ's hair, Rudi propped himself up on his elbow so he could meet MJ with a kiss.
"And this filthy bat" he gave MJ a look, "will shower if you join me. I also have a lovely tub that could easily fit 2..."
MJ: "Guilty as sin." He took the offered kiss with gusto. His arm lazily wrapped around his lover's waist, gently he squeezed to feel his frame against his warm body. A quiet claim, however brief.
A gasp. "Do we get bubbles? Gonna let me wash your hair? I'll give ya a mohawk." But, one more kiss before they had to get up. One which lingered, almost loving.
Rudi: "Would you like to be turned into a frog? Because if you try to give me a mohawk, I promise I'll-" A lie of course, Rudi had no such ability in his arsenal of magic, an empty threat that died on Rudi's lips as soon as MJ kissed him.
As the kiss lingered, Rudi's heart skipped a few beats. Something... new, something freeing, blossomed in his chest, and Rudi wondered when his feelings for MJ had truly started to change. The way MJ treated him was different from anyone Rudi had ever known, and just thinking about him left the familiar's stomach twisting into giddy, uncertain knots.
Foolish. Childish. Dangerous... a familiar voice echoed in his mind, one that used to be so close, so familiar, so all consuming... and one he now wished to banish from his mind entirely. His former masters controlled him no longer, so he chose to linger too, savoring MJ's taste a few more seconds as their tongues danced between their lips.
"But... but I do have bubbles..." he added reluctantly, and the look he gave MJ was sheepish, almost embarrassed. Quickly he looked away, as if meeting MJ's gaze while he said this was too much. Never mind this man had just seen him come undone- been the cause of it even, and yet Rudi still struggled to admit to something he wanted. Had he ever had a bath and done something so... silly- with bubbles? Maybe it didn't sound so terrible...
"And I'll let you wash my hair as long as I can wash yours first." Perhaps he also wanted a turn to touch MJ in other ways as he pleased, but that was the closest he could come to admitting something so embarrassing as that. For now.
MJ: Rudi's heartbeat was a quiet vibration on his lips, but he said nothing about it, or dwelled on how it made him feel, that steady, heavy pulse. It was a hunger, more than his flesh and blood, but a hunger for his company - too many things he refused to linger on. Rudi was fastened to his master's side, whether he liked it or not, whether he could do anything, and he doubted there was anything he could do for those shackles. He would never understand familiars, but he wasn't looking to understand a species, but a man. The one he marveled underneath him.
Looking away would not be scolded, but embarrassment was a sin. He nuzzled against his lover's jaw, eyes playful and mischievous.
"Bubbles, yay. Hair washing, double yay. We gonna stay in our birthday suits the rest of the day?"
Rudi: Rudi paused, his cheeks flushing at such a suggestion. Lounging around naked with his... his lover all day... could he ever do something so self-indulgent? So indecent. Before he could contemplate the nature of what they'd become too deeply, Rudi leaned into the nuzzle with a sheepish smile on his lips. "I... wouldn't hate that, I suppose."
MJ: "You suppose," he chuckled. "And then what?" Reality hadn't escaped him. The sentimentality of lying together naked and what it would mean for the rest of their lives. It could mean nothing. Could mean something more than an hour of bliss.
"Ya got a big golden tub, don't ya?"
Rudi: "And then what?"
The question hung in the air between them, giving Rudi pause to study the man beside him. What did they do next? Rudi hadn't thought this far ahead when they'd stumbled into bed, and now he had a choice to make. Or choices, more like, and all of them revolved around MJ.
"I... I don't exactly know. I've never... done whatever this-" he gestured between the two of them, "-is before." An honest admission, as he'd never taken a lover of his own volition, let alone dated someone before. "I would like you to stay... if you have some time."
Rudi blushed and looked off to the side once more.
"And no- I don't have a gold tub..." he paused, the red in his cheeks creeping up to his ears, "only the feet of the tub are."
MJ: "You want me to stay, I'll stay." The words escaped his mouth without a shred of consideration. They had to have a talk. A proper grown-up conversation about expectations, but... Rudi already knew. In his gut, he knew that he knew. He had been around, in the background of his life, witnessing his merge with another vampire's soul. The MJ from a decade ago had ceased to exist. Rudi had witnessed the breakup of every intimate relationship he had ever had, after the merge.
The vampire nuzzling into him, smiling at him, was a clean slate, and still every bit as dangerous to an unsuspecting heart.
"Oo, fancy." There was something so terribly addicting about that blush. This proud, chin-high, prim and proper familiar, utterly ruined, sweaty, and blushing in his arms. What he felt was akin to the cuteness aggression he felt for his pets back in the RV. If he could just squeeze this man and claim him utterly.
"Come on," he sighed, skin already cooling. "Let's get you clean."
