All In

[Trillian]

Win nodded, offering Cub a smile at the touch and the suggestion. He felt a growing radius of warmth in his chest from the response that cub wanted him to stick around. Groovy.

"I take it Murphy is the guy Lazarus sired vindictively?" he asked. At Cub's nod he nodded himself, mirroring the movement. "Sounds like good advice."

He felt like they were winding up and licked his lips, still feeling the sensation of their kissing upon them. Would Cub take him straight to this Murphy guy or somewhere for Win to stay the night? Would he take him home? Win didn't think so. The conversation had taken a jagged turn thanks to Lazarus.

[pinkroses]

"I'll text him and set it up," Ichabod said with a small nod to himself. He had Murphy's number from the brief time the three of them (he, Murphy and Ben) had lived together, but he didn't think he'd ever actually used it.

His gaze drifted back to Win, watching his tongue dart out in that enticing manner. "I'll have to get your number before I drop you off, can't have you just disappearing into the city on me," Ichabod said with a teasing grin, leaning forward to lightly brush his lips against Win's. He was definitely hoping for a repeat at some point, but he guessed it would to do with how things went with Murphy.

[Trillian]

Win was delightfully surprised when Cub kissed him lightly. He reciprocated eagerly with little pooching kisses, smiling in between.

The fact Cub knew Murphy's name and number and that Murphy was the one Lazarus had vindictively sired, made Win think that Cub was involved in whatever had happened. He didn't want to ask for details and stir up those bad feelings. He wanted to shunt Lazarus aside (because he'd been shunted aside so many years ago) and continue forward on his own merit.

"You can definitely have my number. I'll probably end up texting you first," he warned.

[pinkroses]

"I can accept that, I'll look forward to it. I'm shit with that kind of thing," Ichabod said with a smile, a bit surprised at how this had gone from 'never seeing him again' to swapping numbers, but it wasn't a bad surprise. Although his confidence had grown in certain things, Ichabod knew he'd have to work himself up to be the first to text.

Same with Sam, he was going to text first too. Ichabod wondered who would text first. Would he get to go on a date with Sam before hooking up with Win again? If he'd drunk more recently Ichabod's cheeks would have coloured as he realised he'd just assumed that their next meet up would be a hook up. Even though they'd just been talking about meeting up with Murphy. Fuck.

Ichabod found himself wanting to please Win, wanting to keep him safe, but what if he was wrong? What if Win was like Lazarus and ending up hurting Murphy more?

"Murphy and I, we don't really know each other so it might take a bit of time to set up you meeting him," Ichabod said, chewing lightly on his lower lip, "But maybe we could do something before that? Like I could come see when you find a place, or you could come round mine one night, or we could just... do something else," Ichabod said, internally reprimanding himself for sounding so awkward.

[Trillian]

Win's smile grew as Cub starting suggesting different places for them to go next time they met up. He didn't tease Cub this time for his awkward speech, finding it endearing and positive.

"I'd like that," he agreed. "If you know where there's work, I'll take any suggestions there, too," he said. "I don't really want to set up the whole gypsy she-bang again," he laughed, hinting that he'd taken on the role of a clairvoyant in the past for money. Being a mind-reader had its uses.

[pinkroses]

"I'll have a think," Ichabod said with a chuckle, imagining Win choosing being a gypsy as a career choice. He didn't know him well enough to start offering him jobs at the Academy (and that was where Sam was anyway!!).

He felt a small spark of guilt thinking of Sam again, but pushed it to one side. They hadn't even had a date, there was nothing to be ashamed of.

"I'm going to need to feed again before long, we should probably head off. We need to find you somewhere too," Ichabod added a little disappointed that this (mostly) relaxing evening was coming to an end.

[Trillian]

Win chuckled with Cub before the laughter died down and the other vampire mentioned drinking. Win could go for another as well to take the edge off his own craving, though Cub was likely to feel something a lot sharper. He made a noise of agreement and got to his feet, offering a hand to the other to get up (not that he needed it but it was another excuse to touch him). Still holding onto Cub's hand he walked with him to their clothes - not too far away.

They separated in order to get to their own clothing.

"I have a towel," Win said, grabbing it and tossing it over to Cub so he could use it first. Only their lower halves were really wet anymore, sitting in the water more than lying in it. His hair was half-dry and already returning to its usual curls. As Cub caught the towel, Win rubbed his hands over his curls to inspire some bounce back into them.

When his towel came back he used it to dry himself off and then he pulled on his clothes. Underwear, jeans, socks then boots, and then he grabbed his shirt. He'd stolen glances at Cub while he'd dressed, admiring the look of him in the moonlight with a scenic backdrop. Having had a glimpse of Cub's personality left him wanting more time with him, and it looked like he was going to get it too. A secret thrill rushed through his body and had his skin prickling with awareness - or perhaps it was the water drying on his skin. No... he was feeling it on the inside.

Once his tee-shirt was on, he draped his towel over a sleeved arm and put his backpack on. He walked by Cub's side when he could, falling in step behind him when the trail thinned too much on their return to Cub's car.

[pinkroses]

Ichabod tried to keep his eyes to himself as they made their way to their things, dried and dressed, but on feeling Win's gaze on him, Ichabod allowed himself a couple of glances. Now they were out of the water Ichabod could get a proper look at his companion and it was a very nice view. If he wasn't hungry and aware of all the things they needed to do before dawn, he would have been more than happy to continue where they had started.

He focused instead of thinking it was a relief Win had a towel with him as the trek back to the car, short as it was, wouldn't be comfortable in wet clothes.

Ichabod led the way back to the car, idly wondering on occasion what it might be like to be pressed up against one of the trees they were passing by Win and feel those lips on him again. It was best it wasn't a long walk, otherwise he could well have become too distracted, especially when Win came up beside him and their arms brushed together.

"So, uh, there's a few hotels around, I guess you haven't had a look into any yet?" Ichabod asked, trying to get himself to focus on something else and pulling his phone out of a pocket to look up some different options, happy to run through them as they walked.

[Trillian]

"I trust you to choose for me," Win said. "I'll use my boogedy-boo mind-tricks for the first night until I can get my hands on some decent cash. I'm not really into stealing if I can help it."

He'd been about to reach out and take Cub's hand, trying to make it as casual a move as possible when following his statement Cub pulled his phone out... likely to check for hotels. Win pocketed his hands and felt mildly self-conscious about the peculiar statement he'd just made.

Smooth, buddy.

[pinkroses]

"Well, if money's no object..." Ichabod said, flicking through a couple of suggestions his phone had offered up, then slipping it back into his pocket, oblivious to Win's idea of reaching out for him, "I'd go for the Warwick, it's nice, really nice, and discreet. And you can use your boogedy-boo without too much suspicion I'd bet," Ichabod added, glancing sideways at Win with a teasing grin.

Of course, there was one which would be more suited to a vampire, but Ichabod knew the Warwick could (if in a slightly less swish manner than the Luminary) and there was no risk of his brother finding out he'd brought one of Lazarus' fledglings practically into his home without warning by staying there.

"This way," Ichabod added as they came to the clearing where he'd left his car. "Maybe once I perfect getting free stays in hotels, that's when I'll go travelling the world," he said with a grin, moving to the boot to open it in case Win wanted to put his rucksack inside. Money wasn't the issue, not by any means, but joking about it made him feel better about not just going for it. And it was a pretty impressive trick.

[Trillian]

Win laughed when Cub threw his phrase back at him. He smiled to himself before directing it at the other. "The Warwick it is, then," he said, agreeably. "Have you stayed there before?" he asked, thinking about the discreet line. He wandered to Cub's car when he realised that it was Cub's car, and threw his bag in the boot, closing it and then hopping in the car himself, sitting beside the cute driver.

[pinkroses]

"Yeah, about a year ago," Ichabod said, smiling softly at the memory. James had received brilliant results in his exams, so Ichabod had treated him to a long weekend in the hotel. It had been last minute so he hadn't sorted out going anyway (since he hadn't travelled as a vampire really without Kerr organising it), but a night in a plush hotel making use of the facilities, the room service, the bed. It had been a brilliant weekend, over too soon.

And whilst not all of the staff were up on their supernatural beings, the receptionists and concierge knew how to treat their... special guests.

As Win dumped his bag in the boot Ichabod moved to the driver's side, sliding in gracefully. He tapped his fingers lightly against the steering wheel, then pulled out his phone again, lighting up the screen which showed a non-descript pattern which came on the phone's standard package. He'd removed James' picture from the screen when they'd broken up and hadn't replaced it with anything else. Kerr was the person who meant most to him, but having his photo on there felt like it would mean their relationship was something other than what it was.

"What's your number? Before I kick you out in front of the hotel and you disappear off into the night," Ichabod said in an obviously joking tone (although he was keen to get it before they parted ways and not wanting to forget). There was a part of him which wanted to suggest they go somewhere to feed together, maybe go dancing, maybe go back to the hotel afterwards... But he was also aware that they'd just been swimming in a lake so probably didn't look suitable for one of the vampire clubs.

Maybe just back to the hotel? Fuck. He wasn't about to invite himself back to Win's hotel either. It was weird how he hadn't thought about sex for months then suddenly after being asked out on one date he'd suddenly become so horny and up for it. And with practical strangers no less.

[Trillian]

"Are you doing a dump and run?" Win laughed. "What? Does that hotel not cater to our kind? You can't come up with me and order something for yourself from the menu?"

He didn't think Cub would put him in a hotel that didn't have access to blood. If that was the case, Win could always pull someone from the lobby. He didn't want to say goodnight to Cub just yet, they'd been having a good time so far.

"Give me the phone, I'll put my number in," he said. Once it was handed over he plugged in his name and number and then sent himself a text message. He heard the muffled 'ping' in the trunk over the noise of the car, road, Cub's voice and radio. It was a high-pitched familiar sound. "Should I put it in here?" he asked, seeing a few hollow compartments in the dashboard that would hold a phone.

[pinkroses]

"Oh, no, I can do," Ichabod said, feeling himself relax slightly as Win invited him up and giving a grin. "It's just a kind of... call the concierge instead of room service type of place. They'll give you a number when you check in so you can call down," he explained.

Ichabod handed over his phone and started driving as Win entered his contact details. Wouldn't it have been typical for Sam to have picked that moment to text? Thankfully that didn't occur and Ichabod gestured to the spot the phone fitted best in.

"It's a good thing there's not many roads out here, I don't come out here much, I wasn't really planning where I was going when I came out here," Ichabod said, following the only clear road, knowing it headed back to the city.

[Trillian]

Win deposited the phone where it was meant to go and grinned at Cub when told about the concierge. It made things both good and bad, that the hotel was used to serving his kind.

"If they know what we are, I'm thinking they'll not let me get away with my rinky-dink magic tricks after all," Win shrugged. "Guess I'll be dipping into my bank account after all," he said, remembering that Cub had called the place 'pricey' but if he was keen to come up and they could be provided a drink so Cub didn't have to go anywhere else... then it was totally worth it. Win hadn't treated himself in a while so maybe it was time to remind himself what comfort was like.

"Lucky me," Win said after a moment, "for being off the beaten track at the right time." He sat half-turned in the seat, his hand across the centre console so he could touch the top of Cub's leg, just for contact. Maybe a little hand holding. Goofy, sure, but he liked touches of that sort... and he had the impression that there would be more touching soon.

/end


* Win and Cub visit the Warwick and Win books and pays for a room. They have some blood sent up to the room for them. After drinks Win initiates sex and they spend the next couple of hours reacquainting themselves with one another on a more intimate level. Ichabod showers then leaves for his own place an hour before sunrise. They have each other's contact details.