Drabbles: Coldfire (G to soft R, slash)

[winter]

I should have known better than to offer drabbles to a fic-starved fandom with so many plotbunniers on my f-list, really :) In order of appearance, for alighiera, alice_montrose, fuumasfrog and trobadora.

WORKAROUNDS

Ever since Mount Shaitan, Gerald had been learning to appreciate the simple pleasures in life. For example, at the moment he was lying sprawled across Damien’s broad chest, idly toying with the ex-priest’s shirt and watching the dazed look in Damien’s eyes. Even the cramped quarters only meant that he had an excuse to climb just that close, and Damien had to put an arm around his waist.

Presently, Damien blinked, his eyes turning clearer. “Are we on a ship-“

Gerald leaned in and kissed Damien again until the other man’s eyes were glazed over once more, the guarded question turning into a drawn-out moan before it could be fully phrased.

If he had known getting Damien to enjoy ship travel would be that easy, he would have tried this method ages ago.

-FIN-



SO THE WORLD WILL NEVER FIND YOU

Damien sighed as he pushed through the crowd, taking another drink from a flask of liquor someone had pressed into his hand. At least in the black mask and cloak, even if he did make a fool of himself at the Jaggonath carnival, no-one would be able to tell him apart from every other guy dressed up as a vampire. And a few real vampires, he had no doubt.

He wondered what Gerald would wear. The adept had been reticent about his plans, only setting the meeting place on the outskirts of the city-

Near Karril’s temple, he realised as a woman flung herself into his arms. She was wearing a version of a First Landing uniform, though he was sure the real colonists never had ones that tight.

She kissed him on the mouth. “Praise Karril,” she whispered. “A man is waiting for you, two alleys down. An... urgent matter.”

She laughed shrilly, and as she flung her neck back he saw the imprint of teeth. Not quite Gerald’s type, he thought, too strong, but then he wasn’t Gerald’s usual type either.

He stumbled through the throng of people, found the alley, leaned against a door that opened to rapidly for him to do anything but fall through it to the floor.

A chapel of the Church, he realised as he looked around blearily. Closed down temporarily, with a pagan festival roaring through the streets. Yet there were candles burning, and a fresh cloth on the altar.

Something – someone – moving, and he raised his head as he struggled to his feet.

Layers of silk obscuring limbs and body, so that he could no longer recall their past or present look. A broad collar of beaten gold with a pattern of flames. Dark hair instead of light brown, but oh, never mistaken, and now he remembered too clearly.

“I remember you felt particularly strongly about that dream.” Even the old mocking cadences were back in Tarrant’s voice. “You will enjoy this better than you would have the masquerade.”

Strong hands pushed Damien against the altar before he could think of fear, revulsion, desire, sacrilege.

“Don’t worry,” the man who had been the Hunter whispered in his ear as clothes were quickly, deftly pushed aside. “I won’t let you think.”

-FIN-




PETTY ANNOYANCES

Damien moved his wrists experimentally. The cuffs were far snugger than it should be possible for something lined with fur.

“Gerald, this is vulking ridiculous,” he muttered.

The former Hunter shook his head as he surveyed his handiwork. “You have a habit of tearing buttons off my shirts. I’m running out of outfits, and the shops here are not up to my standards. Therefore, you’ll be chained until I undress myself.”

“Only until then?” Damien asked hopefully.

Gerald’s smile was sweetness itself as he ran a hand down Damien’s bare chest. “Perhaps a few minutes longer than that.”

-FIN-




PROOF OF FAITH

The bracelet was tarnished silver, a streak of near-black on the red velvet lining the box set on the street stall. Gerald’s fingers closed in on it without hesitation. Damien raised his eyebrows, but remained silent as Gerald ruthlessly argued down the price.

He got his answer when they left the street fair and Gerald tenderly wiped the grime and tarnish off a fragile piece of glass. Underneath it was the face of a clock, too small to ever house the appropriate mechanism.

“A watch used to be an important theological analogy, Vryce. As the watch with its complexity proves the existence of a watchmaker, so the world proves the existence of its creator.”

Under Gerald’s touch, a tiny screw turned without resistance.

Tick.

-FIN-

Comments

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Only one now. And bah! Trust William to get poetic when he's getting head :P

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Oi! *pokes*

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Drawn around to face Herbert, William felt his shirt pushed from his shoulders, felt hands roaming him, found his own hands moving. He was pushed back, gently, with kisses and caresses, onto the chaise, breeches lost somewhere in the half-dozen paces, and this time, when lips touched him, he allowed himself to succumb, shivering and twining his hands into Herbert’s golden hair.

Herbert played his body as a master musician would their instrument, making him tremble, making him gasp, drawing the most rare and illusive notes from him, until he was drawn as tight as a bow-string, plucked until his body resonated with pleasure and he collapsed back with a half-cry, half-moan.

Those wicked, sinful lips pressed to his bare thigh and he uttered a moan at the pleasant sting of a bite.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

*pats graphomaniac William* He's really terribly amusing when flustered :D

(BTW, one note - not sure about "their instrument". Someone of William's period and upbringing might be un-PC enough to say "his instrument" ^_~)

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

*pokes at him* Herbie was just meant to tackle him and shag him silly, but merf! They never do what they're told.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Oh dear. That does sound terribly interesting. *does some poking of her own*

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I suspect this is scene and we cut to the morning after, wherein Herbert is strutting and William is limping and mumbling...




His eyes half-closed, his body still trembling, William slid his tongue along his dry lips, drawing his hands up to rest on his chest. Why he was panting, he could not say, nor could he think, but his breath was stolen afresh when Herbert leaned over him and kissed him easily, so naturally, so comfortably.

“Now, you are a shirtlifter too, cheri,” the cheerful murmur made his eyes open wide and he started to rise, dismay on his face. After everything his mum had told him, he had fallen on his back for one of the worst kinds...

Angelus would find that hilarious too. Not just a soft poet-loving sap, but a shirtlifter as well.

Apparently, his anxiety was clearly marked on his face, for Herbert kissed him hard and all at once, he found himself on his back on the carpet in front of the fire, the other vampire sliding between his thighs.

With a sound of protest, he tried to pull away, to squirm free, but Herbert caught his wrists, pinned him to the floor with a slow and thoroughly wicked smile. “If you are to regret your new taste,” he purred, rolling his hips against William’s, “I suggest we give you something more memorable to regret...”

“No...” William whispered, arching with a helpless whimper as those wicked lips touched his throat again and, like a sensual weapon, Herbert started to murmur that wonderful, beautiful, damned, bloody poem to him, all the while kissing him, touching him, caressing him, making him writhe and pant and beg for more.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

*applause*

I think William will be walking into quite a few walls tomorrow for sheer dizziness ;)

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Herbert promised to give him lots to regret :D And he can't sit down for days, because he has a rather tender bite on his backside ;D

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Herbert's evil. And we love him for it :D

Any more scenes for this one planned, or is that mostly it and I should be planning for beta time?

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I think maybe a morning-after one, but that aside, I can't think of anything else. And when I say morning after, I mean the next night, when the Scourge are leaving and Dru and Darla are all grins, William keeps falling over and Angelus has a bit of sunburn after falling down a ditch :D

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Sounds lovely :) And it's high time for Herbert to get out of these chains...

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

but he looks so pretty and helpless and nekkid ;) Will finish ch. tomorrow in the office and see what I can drag together for the chained up one :)

Now, though, need to meander off and tip into bed. I'm insanely sleepy.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Pleasant dreams. Me, I'm off for a hot bath to try and cure some of the doctor-induced bruising, because OW. No marks on the skin for some reason, but it's a world of hurt :/

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Any luck on the curing-of-bruising? I managed about 9 hours sleep, with random interludes of cracky dreams and tissue-breaks. Stupis me forgot to buy a box of tissues to keep by my bed last night.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Patchouli-and-raspberry bath turned out to be just the ticket - in fact it energised me enough that I've already hit the gym this morning and just got back this instant :) How's your flu-thingie, better after a good sleep?

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I was notably better when I got up, but I think vbraving the outdoors, the gale force winds and the sleety rain has knocked me back a step or two. My head feels like any space there was left has been padded out with prickly cotton wool.

Aside from that, for some reason, I dreamed I was seeing the Lestat musical as a film, but fell asleep/passed out during it and never saw the sneak-preview screening at all, then spent the rest of the dream bitching that I had been knocked out so the screening-people could take my money :D

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

I think the vampires might be getting to your brain just a little ;)

(I, on the other hand, dreamed of POTO. In bloody Japanese. I think I need to listen to my other cast recordings...)

(Which reminds me. Have you heard the Italian POTO movie OST? Because it's of the knock-your-socks-off type.)

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I'm actually klinda glad about vampires being around in the head. They may keep away the evil family-death and real-gore stuff away. Huh. Never thought I'd see the day when vampires were my safety net :D

Oooh? I think I need to hear this Italian one ;) (And is it just me or are the majority of English-language Christines insanely insipid and emotionless when they sing? The only one I saw who was any good was the Canadian understudy on the UK tour)

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

This is probably not the time to mention the fact my flappy-wingsy-Danish-vampire keeps watch over my bed ;)

Will upload in a moment :) Whoever's singing Erik sounds like Gerard Butler with actual operatic ability.

(And yeah, English Christines generally seem to pattern themselves after Brightman, and it goes partially for foreign-language ones too. I'm very fond of the original Japanese one, though.)

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Just randomly, to warn you, have been plotting furtehr prequel chapters. We'll have two somewhere between 1880 (William's intro) and 1898 (Angelus' souling).

One of them is when tough-man Spike is starting to appear, which would probably be about 1894-ish, post their encounter with the Immortal and Herbert just eyes him and when Spike is cheeky to him, lays down a backhand, drags the boy out into the hall by his hair and does naughty things to him ;) (While Angelus, Darla and Dru are sure William's manners are being brought into check (Also, am terribly amused to recall that in "Til the moon" has scruffy, shabby William still happily quoting poetry and Herbie :D))

The next is just pre-souling, so Angelus tries to smackdown Herbie, because he's just found out about the nature of Herbert and William's relationship and is cranky ;)

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Looks like Spike and Herbert are the major Carpe Noctem OTP after all, then ;)

All of these sound delightful. And might turn out actually shorter than the plotty present-day stuff?

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

*grumbles* It was meant to be a sodding one-shot! But with each interaction, they're noting there should be an explanation about why they behave the way they do and gah!

Fingers-crossed. The Angelus one, certainly. The Spike/Herbert #2 encounter? Perhaps, not so much, but I'm not sure...

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

I'm really amazed at how well it all comes together - especially with prequels, I know from experience how hard it is to make things mesh up, but you look like you do it so effortlessly :D

Oh come on. How long can a single molestation scene be? ;>

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

*eyes the library scene* UM... 8 pages?