A Suitcase And An Explanation

[Trillian]

LAZARUS HAD gathered Ichabod\'s things upon returning home, for he\'d seen a jacket that was his former pet\'s draped over the back of a chair.

"Sloppy shit," he said, though Lazarus himself was a great deal lazier and messier.  He grabbed the jacket and went upstairs, looking for a cardboard box or something he could dump the clothing into.  He found a suitcase nestled at the back of the wardrobe, unused for quite some time according to the musty smell it gave when Lazarus hauled it out.

Unzipping and unbelting the burgundy coloured case, he opened it and threw the jacket inside, wondering if Ichabod had been discovered by Kerr yet.  With his plan now currently in motion, he couldn\'t let too much time pass before speaking with Kerr again - to make sure that the vampire realised that he\'d put Lazarus out.  The blonde would have to end up spinning a wad of lies of course, about how he felt, but Lazarus had no issue with lying - and he didn\'t think Kerr was game enough to hunt around in his head for the truth.

He left things alone and went to sleep when the sun came.

The next night he got to work quickly, rising early with the setting sun and moving about the bathrooms, gathering the things Ichabod had left behind as well as his underwear and other clothing.  He didn\'t bother folding whatever wasn\'t already folded, he merely threw everything into the case and then sat upon it to squash it down so he could buckle and zip it up.  Ichabod\'s glasses, contact lenses, and other little things were inside a pouch inside the case, and these were the only things Lazarus took any care with.  He didn\'t want to be accused of being heartless by delivering broken things.

Struggling with the awkward size and nature of the luggage, Lazarus heaved it downstairs and then called up a taxi service, waiting impatiently until it arrived fifteen minutes later to listen to his abuse.  He\'d had to apologise and quieten down before the cabbie would take him, and this left him in a sour mood during the trip to Kerr\'s apartment.

Once arriving at Capital Building, he discovered the suitcase had one of those pull out handle things, to roll it behind oneself.  Sighing and now actually calm because he was preparing to meet with Kerr and Ichabod face to face (he hoped), he went up in the elevator and was at Kerr\'s floor without further trouble.

Standing before it in a historic red crushed velvet jacket and modern jeans with black cowboy boots, Lazarus ran a hand through his hair, mussing it just so before knocking pertly on Kerr\'s front door.  Three knocks, then he prepared a smile, which widened at the sight of the Irishman.

"Kerr, love, sorry I missed you last night, didn\'t know how long you\'d be. Can I come in?" he asked, and tried to push past.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr blinked, glanced over his shoulder at Ichabod to see how the mortal had reacted to hearing his former lover\'s voice at the door, then turned back with his lips set into a grim line.

"No, I don\'t think so," he said stiffly, holding the door in place determinedly with one hand, the other bracing him away from the doorframe.  Despite looking casual in a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt, upon seeing Lazarus... he wasn\'t feeling it at all.  He was distinctly angry.

"What do you even want?" he demanded, looking the ancient over as if he wasn\'t fit to be standing on his doorstep, let alone entering his home.  He didn\'t approve of the blonde toying so rudely with hisand Ichabod\'s lives, former power in the city - and Ancient to boot - or not.

[Trillian]

Not expecting anger, but not put out by it in any case, Lazarus took a step back so he was again standing in front of the door, now also in front of Kerr, and offered a tight smile.

"I have Ichabod\'s things.  I wished to talk with you, as well."  He was polite, but he was also playing it tensely, his back rigid and straight, and looking at Kerr directly, challengingly, as though the other had no right to be angry while Lazarus had every right (but was playing the part of the bigger man).

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr frowned but endeavoured to remain resolute in the face of such insinuations.  It was clear that Lazarus was presenting a stiff upper lip, but the Irishman found it difficult to believe that the ancient could be so wounded that he\'d go all the way to the Oligarchy to make his pet someone else\'s; that just seemed so... premeditated, rather than passionate.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he demanded quietly, not wishing to cause a scene but not in a mood to be walked over, either.

[Trillian]

Lazarus arced a brow.  "Am I not allowed inside?" he questioned, then plunged on without giving Kerr a pause in which to respond.  "I would\'ve thought you a moral man, Kerr Galvin, but I see that you\'re the type to overextend an invitation.  Are you now keeping me from Ichabod?" he asked, as though the very thought was objectionable.  He looked quite dignified, even with his messy hair, standing before Kerr upright whilst holding tightly upon the expandable handle of the suitcase.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr shrugged, attempting to look uneffected by the Ancient\'s indignation.  "You gave him to me because you didn\'t want him any more; I figure it\'s my right to do with him as I see fit.  I don\'t think you treated him fairly.  I\'d rather you didn\'t have contact with him until Ichabod tells me he\'s ready to deal with you again," Kerr explained austerely.

His head tilted slightly, as if what he said was nothing more than obvious fact, his expression beguiling in its apparent innocence.

[Trillian]

"Kerr, it\'s your fault I don\'t want him anymore," Lazarus ground out.  This much was a lie of course, but the blonde was a most marvellous actor.  He could\'ve won many oscars by now, for all the parts that he\'d played so far.  "Do I really have to have this conversation on your doorstep?" he huffed, a hand running through his blonde strands, mussing them all over again before he placed the hand in a fist on his hip.  "I don\'t want to explain myself to you when you have me hovering in social limbo.  I didn\'t fucking give him up on a whim," he said expertly, and this much was true - but it had a lot less to do with his implied emotion and a lot more to do with his calculations.  Kerr would not know this, however.

[Existentially Odd]

"No, of course not," Kerr countered smoothly, managing to hide his sarcasm.  He and Ichabod had hypothesised the night before that Lazarus was rather cruel in his dumping of Ichabod, so he was either horribly hurt or slighted and interested in getting some of his own back in some form.  Kerr had no idea what way that could possibly be, but the fact that the Ancient declared he wanted to \'explain himself\' did pique the Irishman\'s curiosity - especially since he and Ichabod hadn\'t been able to come up with what he was up to in getting the ownership formalised (if anything).

Kerr pursed his lips thoughtfully and then - with deliberate slowness - turned to look over his shoulder at his \'pet, whom he\'d last left on the couch.  He didn\'t allow the door to budge and didn\'t care that he was hiding the mortal from Lazarus\' view until he was given permission to alter that.  "What do you think?" Kerr asked Ichabod.  "Should I let him in and listen to his \'explanation\'?"

[pinkroses]

Ichabod was sat on the sofa in the living room, waiting whilst Kerr went to open the door. He thought that perhaps it could be Ben, and if it was then he quickly would have made himself scarce by going into one of the spare bedrooms (although there wasn’t much in them right now, he didn’t want to get in the way if the two vampires wished to talk). But when he heard Lazarus’ drawling tone Ichabod froze in place, not sure what to do. He hadn’t thought Lazarus would come back here, let alone so quickly. Maybe he had changed his mind and wanted Ichabod back? It was a small hope, but despite how pissed off Ichabod had been with him, he couldn’t help wishing that it might be true.

But his body was flooded with conflicting feelings, and although he wanted Lazarus to forgive him and want him back, he was also more than glad that Kerr had denied him access to the flat. He hugged one of the cushions to his chest, straining his ears to hear what was being said, as his hearing wasn’t as good as the two vampires and Lazarus’ voice was a little muffled due to him being in the corridor. His eyes were fixed on the floor in front of him until Kerr address him and Ichabod looked up with surprise at being consulted in this matter.

His mouth dropped open a little as he tried to work out what he wanted. He didn’t know how he was going to feel when he actually saw the ancient, right now he was fine with Kerr blocking the view, but even knowing he was there made his stomach turn over with anxiety. After all, he had enjoyed his time with Lazarus, but the vampire had almost killed him and then dumped him on someone’s doorstep. He had no idea what reasons the vampire might come up with for what he’d done… it would probably lay all the blame on him and Kerr and make Ichabod feel completely guilty for what they had done, although he kept trying to tell himself that it wasn’t them, it was Lazarus who had been in the wrong.

Ichabod hesitated for a moment before giving a small nod, deciding that Kerr deserved to hear what Lazarus was going to say, whether or not Ichabod wanted to hear it.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr watched Ichabod through narrowed eyes, hoping the mortal wasn\'t saying yes just because he thought it was the right thing to do but not wanting to question him in front of Lazarus (and he believed any mental communication they might indulge in would be monitored by the Ancient, as well, so he refrained from asking).  It was important to him that he and Ichabod present a united front so he gave a curt nod and stepped back, allowing the door to swing open.

"Fine.  Come in then.  Let\'s hear what you\'ve got to say for yourself," he said at the same time, knowing his words weren\'t at all inviting.  He stood mildly by, waiting for the blonde vampire to sweep into his apartment so that he could close the door behind him.

[Trillian]

Sweep in he did, an entrance with a smirk though somewhat resentful considering Kerr had bothered to ask his pet (his PET) if Lazarus was allowed in.  Hearing nothing but silence and then allowed in could only mean that the teenager had nodded.

The suitcase was trundled in behind him, and he wheeled it up to Ichabod, depositing it in front of him.

"Your things, love.  Go and put them away."  And so Ichabod was summarily dismissed whilst Lazarus made himself comfy on an armchair and looked at Kerr expectantly, thinking that the Irishman would join him.

[pinkroses]

When Lazarus strode into the room Ichabod tensed up slightly, watching him warily. His eyes dropped to the suitcase when Lazarus put it front of him, wondering what sort of state his things might be in. He doubted Lazarus had taken any great care as it was pretty obvious his things were just an excuse of Lazarus to speak to Kerr. He mouth suddenly felt very dry as Lazarus ordered him out of the room and after a moment Ichabod lifted his gaze once more to watch the blonde.

“No. I want to hear this too,” he said, hoping his voice didn’t show how nervous he was feeling, but in truth even if it didn’t the rest of his demeanour would. He glanced towards Kerr as his fingers curled more tightly around the cushion, hoping the other vampire wouldn’t try to get him to leave. If Lazarus didn’t want to have him as a pet any more then Ichabod really didn’t want to follow his orders.

[Trillian]

Lazarus\' eyes narrowed when Ichabod defied him and he glanced quickly at Kerr before seeing there would be no help there.  For some reason the stupid immortal was pandering to his new pet instead of making it the other way around.  He addressed Ichabod directly, putting on his best look of indignation.

"Is this why you fucked him?  Because he allows you to be disobediant?" he snapped, before raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.  "No, no, don\'t answer that, it\'s no longer my business because you\'re now somebody else\'s pet."  Here he looked pointedly at Kerr.

[pinkroses]

Ichabod pursed his lips and scowled at Lazarus’ words and glanced away from the ancient, scowling down at the carpet. In his opinion Lazarus had given up the right to tell him what to do when he dumped him here and signed him over to someone else and he wasn‘t being disobedient as Lazarus was no longer in a position to give him orders. If Kerr told him to leave, Ichabod probably would have done and not just because he was his master. He was more of a friend than Lazarus had ever been and Ichabod now wanted to please the Irishman more than the blonde. He didn’t want to respond to Lazarus’ jibes, he just wanted to hear whatever lies the blonde was going to spout and then hopefully he would leave.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr frowned as he strolled back towards the lounge area, descending the two steps into the sunken area without haste.  He wasn\'t sure if he was seeing true indignation - causing the snarkiness - on Lazarus\' part, or whether he\'d just not spent enough time with the Ancient to know the real him.  He\'d always had a great deal of respect for the volatile vampire who\'d managed to turn a city into a supernatural playground... now he was seeing a whole other, rather more petty side.  One that he didn\'t particularly care for and was struggling to remain open to.

"Ichabod only fucked me because he was bored and I asked him for some fun," Kerr interjected drolly, sitting on the sofa opposite the mortal.  This meant that Lazarus was in the solitary armchair at his left, creating a triangle of the three of them.  "He\'s here by your choice," the Irishman drawled, remaining casual enough to sit his ass back towards the back of the sofa, denim-clad legs spread and his left arm stretched along the sofa\'s arm.  He cocked his head and blinked slowly at Lazarus now, wanting to keep things civil and sedate so as not to upset his recovering charge too much.  "If you\'ve come to explain that choice or change your mind... the floor\'s yours."