PARALLEL: Hunter

[Trillian]

"As often as possible," Ben replied. Perhaps not the answer Kerr was after but it was one of the more honest answers out of Ben's mouth. He was fairly sure he didn't have to feed daily anymore, but Lazarus liked to wile away his nights drinking and fucking, and Ben had got into the habit of consuming blood daily in order to sharpen his mental abilities.

Already he was far advanced on his sire, but he wasn't going to tell this Kerr person that.

"Don't give me animal blood, either, unless you want me throwing up all over your clean cell," Ben added imperiously.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr brayed a laugh, pleased that the subject had shifted to one he had more definite (and less vulnerable) feelings on.

"What would you throw up? And why would I care? It's not like I'd have to live with it, sleep near it, walk around it," he smirked. "You'll get what you're given. You say you become a beast if you don't get regular blood?" he enquired with interest, trying to imagine what that would look like and how much damage the cage would do to Ben if he lost control. "Does that mean you'll kill yourself because you've got no other option?" he asked with the same amount of feigned sweetness as Ben had adopted when talking about drinking from his thigh... damn, he needed to not think about that.

[Trillian]

Ben stared at Kerr for a long moment, then he eye-rolled. "You only got me here because you're hot and I was horny. And arrogant, I guess."

He fixed Kerr with another stare. Cold, and calculating.

"You're hot for me, and I don't need to see it in your expression even though you give yourself away. I can see it in the dilation of your pupils, hear it in the quickening of your breath and the beat of your heart and see the twitching of your cock beneath your clothes." He chuckled at Kerr's expression, but he had more to add.

"You ask if I will kill myself? I won't have to. You'll take good care of me, because you want to fuck my mouth and find out what it's like to be with someone who doesn't gag or need to breathe. I know you don't like me as a person, but you wouldn't mind slipping it in. I know that look, I've used it to get me what I want - a drink, a fuck, whatever - so I can use it to barter for my life."

Ben shook his head. "I know you'll struggle with the moral dilemma of it, perhaps for a few days, probably more when you either kill Lazarus or he gets away and then there's the 'what if' I present. You'll give in to your temptation because men always do. And the best thing about it is you can call it my 'punishment' for the crimes I've committed against your kind, and feel powerful every time you bend me over or have me on my knees. But that's okay. I'll prepare for that, just in case Lazarus can't get me out of here. My existence won't be much different - just whose cock I'll suck."

He played close attention to Kerr's reaction.

[Existentially Odd]

At first, Kerr was mortified and the thought of being with Ben began to do everything the vampire said but then... it became too much. He said too much. It was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud, stark and obvious. He didn't mean any of it. He couldn't. He was just being pornographic to toy with him, to amuse himself. To get a rise.

Kerr's mouth twisted and he exhaled a disbelieving puff of air through his nostrils. "Oh really?" he asked drolly, getting off his stool and taking a step closer to the cage, folding his arms and peering skeptically down at the shorter man. "You don't strike me as the subservient type. As if you would ever let a simple human be on top," he scoffed. His dark brown eyes glittered, declaring he was pleased with himself for seeing the flaw in Ben's sexual descriptions.

[Trillian]

Ben knew he'd lost him for a moment, but then there was that delicious phrasing.

"I've let mortal men go on top. I like a nice hot cock inside me," he said. "All this sexy talk is getting me horny again. I never did get to play with you," he said, pouting.

Ben undid his pants and reached down into them, beginning to stroke himself in front of Kerr. He lay back on the ground but turned his head to keep eye-contact. It would drive the mortal away, he was sure. Offend his sensibilities. If he stayed and watched, though, that meant Ben might not even need Lazarus to save him.

See what happened.

[Existentially Odd]

It felt like the entire world went still, to Kerr. Everything in him froze as Ben started playing with himself. He felt his eyes widening, his jaw dropping, his heart pounding. He could force his eyes into a squint and clamp his teeth together but he couldn't stop the rest of his body reacting with a mix of horror and arousal.

Oh shit. Oh fuck. His dick, he's really touching it... oh Gods. He's really doing it. Right there. Asshole. He's such a fucking asshole, playing with me like this. Hate him. I have to hate him. Gods but he's beautiful, those eyes... he's getting harder. It's... he's...fuck.

He was so thankful for the ring on his finger that blocked his thoughts, especially when they degenerated into gibbering nonsense in his head. He wanted to walk away - he should just go up and get Ben some blood, that might stop him - but couldn't help feeling like if he did that, he'd never save face again. Ben would have succeeded in intimidating him, which was what this was all about. He didn't care about Kerr, he just wanted to amuse himself while he waited for his sire, and getting under a human's skin was the best entertainment on offer.

Kerr didn't move, didn't unfold his arms, didn't look away. Fuck this crass vampire. He didn't deserve the hollow victory of Kerr's embarrassment. Why should he feel embarrassed? It wasn't like he was rolling around on a cold stone floor with his hands down his pants...

And then, neither was Ben. He was smiling, his pouty red lips an enticing curl in his beautiful face, his eerie silver blue eyes glowing as he pulled his prize all the way out of his pants and stroked it properly. He licked his hand, looking deep into Kerr's eyes and the human began to feel like he was falling, into the hole he wished would open up around him. He wanted to stare defiantly into Ben's eyes, thinking, 'Fuck you, asshole!' type thoughts and showing he was unmoved by this ridiculous show - he was a grown fucking man for fuck's sake, it wasn't like he hadn't seen this sort of thing before - but he couldn't.

He was moved by the show and he found himself watching Ben's hand stroke up and down his lovely cock hungrily, occasionally allowing his gaze to connect with Ben's. Every time he did, it shot through him and straight down into his groin, causing his own hardness to twitch and pulse with want. The hole inside him was as big as the one he was falling into, he was pretty sure. He hadn't slept with anyone for months and now he was looking straight at pure temptation while it performed just for his pleasure.

No, not his pleasure. His punishment. As payback for trapping the vampire in this cage in the first place, stopping him killing innocent boys and to lure his monstrous sire close enough to kill. Kerr needed to keep that straight. Ben was a monster, a sick murderer with no humanity, no respect for human life, no moral compass to guide him. He was...

Ben made a little noise, enticing Kerr to look up into his eyes again and when he did, it was like they were physically touching. Kerr's chest heaved as he did his best to control his breathing when Ben's body shuddered and milky liquid spurted out of him. Kerr watched helplessly as the vampire closed his hand around it and smeared the cum down his length, making it glisten whitely in the muted lighting. Kerr licked his lips and swallowed before he risked speaking.

"Well. I guess I better get you a towel and some soap with your blood," he said huskily and turned and walked away.

It took every last bit of restraint he had not to run up the basement stairs and when he got to the kitchen he practically sprawled across the bench in an effort to hold himself up. He couldn't see anything he was actually looking at, his senses were filled with Ben, the scent of his cum, the shine of his cock, the lust in his eyes. He couldn't think straight and his thirsty body wasn't helping.

Impulsively, Kerr ran up another two flights of stairs, seeking a bathroom as far away from the basement as he could get. When he found one, he lifted the toilet seat, unzipped and masturbated into the bowl unceremoniously. He was so moist with pre-cum, his hand slid easily up and down and he was done in about ten pumps, leaning on his free hand on the cistern, his body shuddering out its obsession with Ben. He hoped.

When he was rational again, he washed his hands three times (though it was very unlikely the vampire wouldn't smell what he'd done anyway), got a fresh towel and the soap and headed back to the kitchen. While he heated a whole bag of blood on a medium heat in the microwave, he searched the kitchen cupboards for a large rubbery container that he could fill with water and push between the bars to allow Ben to clean up. There was no way he was opening the door after that display. He should've thought about allowing him to wash and put a bucket in before he jailed the vampire, but he'd reasoned that he wouldn't need to shower. He didn't even sweat, how smelly could he get?

Clearly, Kerr hadn't had enough imagination.

He found what he was looking for in the laundry. It was a large pink rubber peg bucket. He filled a skinny water bottle with a lid with warm water, put it with the towel, soap and warm bag of blood in the bucket and gathered his tongs to take downstairs. The witch had given them to him with the blood bags, knowing he'd need to pass the vampire's sustenance through the bars to him. They were almost a metre long and made from a shiny black substance he suspected was obsidian. He wasn't sure if they had magical properties or were just good for remaining at a distance. He headed back downstairs to see what Ben had got up to while he was gone.

[Trillian]

Ben had listened to Kerr moving around upstairs, debating whether he should be in a different position when the mortal returned. He hadn't expected to put on a show but Kerr had stoicly watched it (perhaps not so stoic, as Ben had noticed his rod had thickened in his pants into something magnificent).

He lay on the ground, thinking about how to use Kerr's desire for him. The only thing he could do was paint himself as mostly non-threatening. He'd been non-threatening enough in the club for Kerr to pick him up. Their kisses had been passionate, they'd ground into one another, smiling secret sexy smiles and then rushing to Kerr's home together for a night of fulfilment. At least Ben had some of it, though not in the way he'd imagined.

He would have to approach this in stages, and he'd have to play the role of 'horndog teen' that Lazarus liked so much. In that respect, he and Kerr hadn't seemed so different. Looking young helped. He'd also have to be careful to say just enough, for Kerr had appeared dubious during some of Ben's chat with him. He'd have to channel his inner Goldilocks.

When Kerr came back, Ben was in the same spot. He was giong to play the 'long time to recover from orgasm' card. Hopefully, Kerr would let his guard down over it. How many times would it take? Ben didn't know if he had the kind of stamina required to take on the role. Horndog teen was getting results already, though. Might as well keep going.

Keeping his eyes slightly unfocused, Ben sat up and used the water bottle to pour away his semen and then dried himself with the towel. It didn't take long before he was drinking out of the blood bag; and if it wasn't human, he really would feel nauseated and travel to the bars to chuck it up.

[Existentially Odd]

Controlling the tongs and poking everything through the bars one thing at a time without touching them - he pictured a game of 'Operation' and wasn't sure if he'd get zapped like Ben had if the tongs touched - had been challenging. Still, it occupied Kerr's mind enough that it kept his focus, rather than him looking at Ben still laying on the stone floor. He was roused by the blood being put n the floor of the cell and it must have been human blood the Oligarchy supplied, because he didn't vomit it up.

There were another six bags still in the fridge. He'd had a week's supply. He prayed he wouldn't need it all.

While Ben drank, Kerr ran back upstairs and fetched his laptop, Returning to his former seat, he set the computer up on the other stool, pulling it between his legs, and began shopping online for the things he wanted to make this space liveable. Some of the shops were open twenty-four hours so he found quickly he could place orders now, then he'd just have to go in and collect them once the sun came up and Ben was asleep - or meditating, whatever. He'd be back at the house in no time, set up and then he could sleep for the rest of the day, too.

Sharing this space wasn't going to be as easy as he'd thought it would be when he was only planning to be close to Ben to better intercept Lazarus. Ben had seen to that. But he was determined to act like it hadn't bothered him and go ahead with his plans anyway. Lazarus could turn up in sixty minutes or sixty days. He needed to be vigilant and ready.

~*~

When Ben came out of his meditation (which looked a lot like sleep, as far as Kerr was concerned, but he didn't want to start an argument about it) the next evening, he would find Kerr had transformed the area between Ben's cell and the basement stairs. He'd set up a camp bed much like Ben's against the far wall (with manchester, because it was easier to get out of in a hurry than a sleeping bag was) and two trestle tables running perpendicular, bearing his laptop, a large television screen, a collection of notebooks and a line of early-alert stones. There was also a small cook top with a pot on it, a kitchen chair, a bar fridge with a loaf of bread and some fruit on it and, in front of the tables, a recliner armchair and an enormous four-bar electric heater. He was sick of freezing in this stone hell.

He'd picked up all his purchases as soon as he was able, had created his living space and was asleep by ten o'clock that morning. He'd slept for six hours, which wasn't much but he'd wanted to be awake before the sun went down. He'd done a workout (at the other end of the basement, he'd set up a workout space with floormats, a sit up ball, bench and some free weights), run a few laps around the cavernous space and showered. His hair was still wet. He was wearing jeans, his boots and a black T-shirt tonight. He'd also shaved, liking the feeling of being completely clean... before Ben woke up and no doubt muddied his clear-thinking waters.

He was making himself a ham sandwich when he noticed Ben wake up. "Do you want blood straight away or do you prefer to have it at the same time you got it last night?" he enquired politely.

[Trillian]

Ben ignored the question in favour of looking at Kerr's setup.

"Does the house upstairs have a smell you can't get rid of? Because you can use baking soda for that. Or spray some room freshener." He looked back at Kerr. "Hang on. Is all this because you're infatuated with me?" he smiled, delighted.

[Existentially Odd]

"Yes," Kerr smiled, opting for uncharacteristic sarcasm. "I find I can't be more than ten metres away from you at any given moment and the beds upstairs are just too damn comfortable. I'd much rather be in this freezer with you, just so I don't miss a moment of gazing upon your pretty face. This is all because of you," Kerr finished warmly, nodding as he spread his arms wide to indicate his little home, butter knife still in hand.

After a moment, he went back to making his sandwich. "You didn't answer my question," he pointed out drily.

[Trillian]

Ben's lips curled into a smile. "It's because of what I did for you yesterday, wasn't it? You sure you don't want to sample the goods?" he approached the bars, keeping his hands away from them, feeling the tingle when he got close. He was able to press his face between the bars and stick out his tongue, proving he could reach a fair distance. "Come here. Let me taste what I missed out on yesterday." He sank to his knees. "Just the tip. Go on. I can't bite you if I'm licking you like a lollipop." He grinned and curled his tongue for good measure.

[Existentially Odd]

Something very similar to those actions had occurred in Kerr's dreams, causing him to awaken to his afternoon alarm erect and wanting. He'd run it off, pleased to not succumb to Ben - even though it was Dream Ben - again. Still, because it aroused the memory of that lust in him, he blushed and coughed slightly around his ham sandwich, forcing himself to chew a couple more times before he swallowed so he didn't choke. He deliberately avoided eye contact.

Tonight, he'd set himself up for a long night of ignoring the younger vampire and waiting for his sire to arrive. He felt like tonight would be the night, which was why he was eating early. He needed energy. "Maybe later," he told Ben, pleased with how cool and calm he sounded. He got a can of Coke out of his fridge and took it and his sandwich over to the swivelling recliner at his trestle tables, inspecting his alert stones carefully for anything so much as a wobble.

As he sat, he pulled his nearby journal over to re-read the notes he'd taken while the witch talked, telling him which stone went with which zone of the house's protection.  He pondered taking notes on Ben next. Other hunters would be interested in anything he learnt, spending time in close quarters with a vampire.

He'd already learnt that Ben liked blood every night, which meant he was possibly not as old as predicted. But did he need the blood or just like the blood because it was available? He supposed, because he'd never got an answer about when Ben wanted to drink, he'd find out by the end of the night. He'd heard numerous stories of vicious vampires, glowing red eyes, bloodied fangs and ripped open throats. He'd never seen it himself

Ben's eyes are the most amazing silver blue, they don't look real but they'd never turn red, surely?

but with a prime specimen locked behind ten layers of protection, it could be the time to find out. Maybe after Lazarus was dead. It didn't seem safe to tempt fate and have Ben turn rabid before then.

He switched his sandwich to his other hand and reached for a pen to make note of these thoughts in his book.

[Trillian]

Not getting much of a rise, Ben lay back on the cement floor and placed his legs up on the bars. The ceiling of his prison was quite tall, and he'd wondered about the size of it - the how and why.

After half an hour of staring, he had a question to ask. "Can I have books?"

It was deathly boring. Kerr was doing nothing but scribble down notes. He'd worked out it was notes from the way Kerr moved his pen across the page. A different motion would be sketching. Ben wondered what other kinds of entertainment he'd be allowed.

"And a guitar. And some watercolours and paper to go with." He couldn't see Kerr from his position on the floor, and his legs and raised feet were blocking his view of the mortal who'd captured him.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr swivelled on his recliner, turning to face the cell. His journal on his lap, he leant back to contemplate this request. He realised that Ben's boredom could work in his favour., if he was clever. He didn't really want to give the vampire books because he was wary of supplying his enemy with missiles that could be hurled at him but the benefits could outweigh the risks.

Without saying anything, he went upstairs. It took him a few wrong turns to locate the library he was sure he'd walked past at some stage but he found it. It had a large collection of books but it was very eclectic, giving the impression that many of them had come to be here when they were abandoned by their owners during brief stays. He gathered up a collection of fifteen books, ranging from a Mills and Boone romance to a self help business guide. In between, there were a few bestsellers, Stephen King novels and some science/psychology/astronomy titles.

Kerr stacked his enticement carefully and held it close while he got it down the stairs. He placed it near the cage, where he'd left his tongs, then dragged the kitchen chair over. He sat, a pen and his journal in his lap once more. He looked expectantly at Ben. "How about I trade you books for information? If you tell me things I want to know and I feel they're the truth, I'll give you exactly the book you want." He reached over and made sure Ben could read the spines of all the titles as he spoke. "If you don't answer or I think you're lying, you either get no book or one you don't want. What do you think?"

If Ben didn't agree, the stack of books could just stay right where they were and no-one would read them. It didn't worry him.

[Trillian]

He listened to Kerr moving about upstairs, trying to imagine what rooms were where. He was fairly certain he knew where the library was, because there was no sound in the world quite like removing a book off a shelf. The cell didn't interfere with his hearing, anyway. He wondered where the kitchen was and how much blood Kerr was able to give him tonight.

Once Kerr returned with a good collection of books, Ben sat up and eyed their titles. He laughed at Kerr's negotiation tactic, thinking it transparent and infantile. He couldn't suggest or charm Kerr into giving him the books because of the cell's magic. He couldn't refuse to play without giving up the boks. A puling, resentful part of him wanted to turn his back on them because Kerr's idea was just... stupid. Except he wanted the books too much.

"Fine, ask away," he invited, and sat cross-legged near the bars, ready to take one when it was offered to him through the cell's openings via the black tongs. Kerr wouldn't know a truth from a lie anyway.