Rekindle

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr was nervous. Waiting was torture. Time had stopped, he was certain of it.

He checked his phone again, both because he wanted to be sure he hadn't missed a message and to see what the time was. 12:51am. Why had he specified one o'clock? He'd expected he'd need a few hours to get work done but that hadn't really happened anyway because he'd been too busy getting lost in possible scenarios and distracting himself the whole time. He'd dutifully stayed in his office, though, so that had to count for something. At quarter past twelve, he'd given up and returned to the penthouse to shower and get ready. Choosing an outfit had been another hurdle. Formal? Casual? Smart? He'd finally settled on a pair of jeans, white shirt and a distressed-looking black mohair jumper that Ben always liked to touch him in. He wanted tactile appeal.

Cain was coming to see them.

They'd made the decision to invite him over upon waking and Kerr had called Cain pretty much straight away. Fresh off their latest resolution/reconnection through touching and Ben's punishment, it hadn't seemed fitting to call him the night before so Kerr had waited until tonight. They hadn't even made love but now Kerr was regretting that abstinence. An orgasm would really settle him down. It was far too late for that, though. Besides, if things went well with Cain... well, many things could happen and he might regret not being, er, ready. It was better (just frustrating) to keep his options open. He looked at Ben, so worked up he wasn't sure what feelings came from him and what were Ben's (he was pretty sure his were the worked-up ones and Ben's were the amused ones).

The phone call had gone well, giving him no reason to worry. Cain had sounded wary when he'd answered and there'd been a minute pause after Kerr had identified himself but then, once he'd told Cain he wanted to invite him over to catch up, there'd been warmth and eagerness in the mortal's voice. He'd simply asked a time, Kerr gave him one - and also instructed him to approach the concierge desk so they could use their card to send him up to the penthouse when he got there - and they'd hung up. Simple. Neat. Hassle-free. Yet he was very worked up, wondering how this would work. He was kind of relying on Ben to guide him, but it wasn't like he'd done this before, either, so he was trying to be stoic about it. To no avail.

They were in the lounge room, waiting. The lights were on, which was unusual and prompted Kerr to think hard about what it would be like with a mortal in the apartment. Noises during the day (because he wouldn't keep strictly to their schedule), lights on all over the place at night, the smells of food and a fully-functional male. He supposed air freshener and curtains drawn would become necessary. Normally, their lives were indirectly lit by the skyline and the aquarium but Kerr knew of at least three telescopes from neighbouring buildings that were occasionally trained in their direction on any given night, amateur voyeurs peeping into their private lives for a thrill. Two huge glass walls advertised they were begging for it. He and Ben generally saved their explicit stuff for the windowless bedroom but the peepers had seen plenty of foreplay.

His mind strayed to imagining what they might see once the lights were on and there were three of them living in the house, playing together. It gave him a not-so-secret thrill but his wandering thoughts were swiftly reined-in when he heart the sound of the lift ascending the shaft. A little early, thank the gods. With a smile at Ben that felt cheesy and awkward, Kerr grabbed his hand and headed for the entry to greet their guest.

[Malkavian Riddler]

The exhaust pipes were so loud they were setting off car alarms. Cain shouldn't have felt the glee he did at such a juvenile thing, but he did anyway. He was oddly proud of his bike for being gutsy enough to do such a thing. He pulled in the clutch and revved it, managing to start another car alarm nearby. He parked near the reserved spot at the lifts, seeing a turquoise impala and knowing that was Ben's car, and a cool looking sedan beside it, sleek and silver. It looked like a powerful business man's car and Cain knew it had to be Kerr's.

They hadn't spoken since the Masquerade Ball, when everything went to shit. Cain had privately bawled into his pillow when he'd discovered Kerr had died and felt guilty over it, because he'd been the one to embarrass him and have Kerr take a holiday overseas where he met his death. The results were flaky. The return had been even weirder - he'd gone to the Academy thinking it was a memorial for Kerr and then he was actually there! Alive and well!

Cain had wanted to go up to him and welcome him back to the land of the living, but he'd been with Jimmy at the time. After he'd been plundered for his goods, Jimmy had tired of him and set him loose. The few calls he'd got through the Lovebite app were all mostly interested in having a personal assistant, not a pet. He didn't want to pick up anybody's dry-cleaning.

With his helmet in hand and hoping he hadn't under-dressed in his black leather boots, black jeans, apricot coloured button-up shirt with a black leather jacket on top. He rode the lift to the lobby and gave his name to the concierge. He was walked to the lift, the concierge used a fancy-ass gold card and pressed the PH button and then pressed his fingertip to a scanner and jumped out before the doors closed.

Cain was whisked upward at a speed that left his belly on the ground floor. He had time to sift his fingers through his shoulder-length hair and hoped they didn't mind that he'd grown it out. He had the shadow of his beard coming in as well, not having shaved for half a week. It would lend to the grubby look. He'd debated shaving and eventually decided he'd just come as he was.

Butterflies flitted in his stomach as the lift slowed and came to a stop. The doors opened and he spied the couple waiting for him. Smiling naturally, his gaze instantly found Kerr before flicking briefly to Ben and returning to the vampire he so admired.

"Hi Ben, hi Kerr," he said, bowing his head and feeling weird about it. Should he shake their hands? He adjusted his grip on his helmet and kept both of his hands on it, holding it by the mouthguard in front of his crotch.

[Trillian]

By now Kerr had heard about Ben's two attempts to connect with Cain in his absence and that neither time had been sexual, though both of them had tried at least once to get something going. They'd both been too sad and spent their time talking about Kerr. Mostly Ben talking and Cain listening, for he hadn't had the chance to get to know Kerr very well.

Ben had thought Cain would come calling when Kerr returned, but the mortal had stayed away. He hoped it was out of respect rather than shame. Cain didn't really have much to do with Kerr, and he'd still been a teen when Kerr had 'died'. Now he was twenty-one and looked older than Ben... and even back then he'd had a more muscular frame even though he wasn't taller.

When Ben saw him now, he was surprised by the length of his hair. After some nine months of not seeing the guy, he'd grown it. The whiskers were new as well and while Ben didn't mind the rugged look, he would've preferred Cain clean-shaven. His gaze raked the mortal's form, assessing what he liked and didn't like. The motorcycle helmet was a different kind to what he remembered - it looked like a street-style helmet. He wondered what kind of bike Cain rode now, and while he knew nothing about motorcycles, the idea of Cain on one gave him an extra thrill.

He looked more of a man now than a boy, and he wondered if Cain would appeal to Kerr. He thought he must, because his unusual mismatched eyes were still large, pretty and guileless, his face was much the same, he just looked older.

"Hi Cain, it's good to see you," he said, and stepped forward to take the helmet, so he could place it on top of one of the wooden storage lowset cabinets around the place.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr felt a thrill go through him when he saw Cain again, though the spark wasn't the same as it used to be. He was interested in Cain's appearance but it wasn't hollow or based only physical attraction any more. Now, there was the desire to really know him. Cain looked so different, in fact, that it was easy to convince himself he was a familiar stranger. One sweeping glance had Kerr assessing him as more mature, mysterious... but much, muchsexier.

He'd secretly looked at Cain's picture on Lovebite a few times, always getting a little rush of fondness when he did but never the same zing of lust. Those memories were old and they felt like they belonged to someone else now that he was looking at this grown-up version. He found he didn't miss them because he was looking at someone new and improved. Well, mostly. His eyes were the same beautiful, mis-matched blues but Kerr liked that there were more laugh lines either side of them. The hair and beard flat out turned him on; he wanted to touch them.

Once Ben took Cain's motorcycle helmet off him, Kerr would smile and open his arms, alerting Cain of his intention before stepping in to give him a hug of greeting. "Hello again. Long time no see. Welcome, come in," he would say as he did it, intending on keeping the hug friendly but brief before pulling back and ushering him in to the lounge.

[Malkavian Riddler]

When Ben moved to him, Cain's attention diverted and he shifted slightly towards the blonde vampire, expecting a kiss hello but then Ben just took his helmet and moved away. Without his shield, Cain stood awkwardly in front of Kerr but it wasn't long before the taller man stepped forward, his arms up and out in an obvious desire for embrace.

Cain stepped into it like he was coming home. Being here was like being in a parallel universe, one where if things had gone differently, he could've been one of their donors, lived in this opulent building, bypassed the whole heartbreaking romance with David where he'd come in second best and then floated aimlessly for a year, taking short bursts of holidays with the payout money he'd been given even though he'd broken a contract.

Cain's arms wrapped around Kerr and he held tightly, resting his chin on Kerr's shoulder and closing his eyes, imprinting the feel of the cool, hard body pressing against his, into his memory. "Thank you," he said close to Kerr's ear. When Kerr made a move that felt like he wanted to disengage, Cain let him go and stepped back. "You haven't aged a day," he said with a smile.

[Trillian]

There was a sideboard around the wall that made up the entry and Ben stepped around it to place the helmet on it. He heard the soft whisper of a hug and after a longish moment, more swishes and a footstep and then Cain's joke.

Cute.

He moved back around the corner to look at them both. "Let's sit in the lounge."

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr chuckled, grinning as he released Cain. "Well, you have and I must say it looks fantastic on you," Kerr complimented as they followed Ben into the lounge. He resisted the temptation to take the mortal's hand but their arms and fingers brushed against one another as Kerr kept close to him while walking, the wool of his jumper brushing against the leather of Cain's jacket with soft little swishes. Perhaps only supernatural hearing would pick it up, though. Kerr liked the sound, it felt... compatible.

The couches were big enough for them all to sit side by side but it made conversation less comfortable, always having to turn sideways. For that reason, Kerr directed Cain to one of them and sat beside Ben on the opposite one. It might feel like they were staring at him a little but he tried to make light of it and explain his reasoning at the same time. "Please, sit there. I want to be able to look at you properly. I love the beard and long hair," Kerr enthused, resting his hand on Ben's leg once he sat. His other hand mimed its way around his own face while discussing the beard. "Tell me. What've you been doing with yourself? Are you working? You're on Lovebite - are you unattached?"

Kerr pressed his lips together lightly and raised his eyebrows, forcing himself to stop talking before Cain felt like he was being interrogated. He was too eager to know everything all at once! Particularly the last part. If Cain was seeing anyone or even had the possibility of a relationship developing (he thought of Ichabod and Win), then even the potential for their proposal would die before it was born.

[Malkavian Riddler]

Cain walked alongside Kerr, not brave enough to take his hand even though he wanted to. He heard the creak of his leather jacket as he walked and when shown where to sit, he took it off and folded it before setting it down on the cushion beside him. Sitting opposite the couple made him feel like he was being properly interviewed. Just so he wouldn't have his legs splayed apart while sitting before them, he extended his legs and hooked one booted ankle over the other, trying to adopt a more relaxed pose. It was uncomfortable until he slouched a little and then he was good.

He listened to the questions, waiting until all of them were asked, heard the expectant pause and then filled the silence with his answers.

"Thank you, I've been thinking about growing a beard to hide my babyface." He wanted to present himself as older and his large, doll-like eyes weren't helping. "I finished my apprenticeship but I became a donor in Vomas' ranks for a while so I left the company I was with. After leaving him I kind of floated between jobs here and there. I'm just a casual worker for a few places now, nothing fixed. I haven't had a call in months but I still have savings." He smiled when thinking about Lovebite. "I like the Lovebite app, it's really cool. I've met a few vamps on it but I don't think they knew what a pet is. I think they needed a secretary or something. I'm not in a relationship with anybody either."

His heart picked up speed as he thought about where this might be going. He didn't think anything about it until the 'unattached' question. Why would Kerr phrase it that way if he wasn't thinking of bringing Cain into the fold? He'd heard that there were donors here. He'd walked out on Vomas, spouting about his pride and how he wasn't into that lifestyle anymore, but then he hadn't known what to do with himself.

Coming back to it would be returning to something he knew. Coming back to it also meant he would be in Kerr's circle again. He licked his lips and added a line that was so familiar it was almost a recording.

"I don't smoke, drink alcohol or do drugs. I keep myself fit and clean." It was like being at Venture. "I don't vape either," he added. It was a new trend.

[Trillian]

"I like your face," Ben said immediately after Cain's 'babyface' comment. He gestured for Cain to continue speaking. The line at the end struck him as out of character and planted there. Was Cain just hoping or had Kerr unwittingly clued him in during the phone call? Or perhaps Cain was just a wily kind of guy. Funny, he hadn't figured Cain for being smart.

"That's a line I've heard before, as have countless others," Ben said, tangoing with an insulting implication. He watched the mortal's reaction closely. "Does that mean you're still on the scene, giving blood and hooking up?"

When they'd last spoken, Cain had said outright he wasn't doing that anymore. Had he gone back to being a good little groupie like a junkie needing just one last fix?

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr relaxed when he heard Cain was unattached, his smile changing into something hungrier. He could feel his interest shift, realising he'd been holding himself back until he got confirmation that he could start hoping. It trickled through him like rain on grass. He chuckled at Cain's assessment of vampires needing assistants, not pets.

When Ben picked on Cain's 'all the ways I'm clean' line, Kerr was mildly surprised but his expression only showed curiousity. He quickly realised that Ben was testing the mortal, wanting to see how he'd deal with being challenged. It was what Ben was looking for in a pet, after all.

It was a breathless moment for Kerr. He hoped like hell Cain would fight back - otherwise he wouldn't hold much interest for Ben - but he didn't feel confident it would happen.

The Cain he'd known had never been anything but meek.

[Malkavian Riddler]

"Thank you," he'd breathed softly after Ben's announcement that he 'liked his face', before he continued on with the answering.

The attack was surprising. He'd been looking at Kerr most of the time as it was his questions Cain replied to, but Ben's remark that Cain had been had by many others hurt him in a way he hadn't expected. They'd both mourned for Kerr and he'd listened to Ben talk about Kerr for hours when they'd both thought him dead and gone. He'd thought that meant there was a friendship between them. It didn't seem that was the case after all.

"No, but I went back a couple of times. I thought I missed it but my memory played tricks on me. I was feeling sorry for myself after my..." he paused when he thought about what David had been to him. A boyfriend? No, not really. They'd dated and David had a choice to be either Cain's boyfriend or go with the other guy he was seeing. He chose someone else. "After a relationship fell through. So I went back and got picked up but... it's a risk who I end up with. I used to think that was part of the fun but I don't like that side of it anymore."

His gaze remained on Ben, to see if his answer impressed.

[Trillian]

Ben saw his question hit a sore spot. It was in the way Cain micro-flinched at his words. To his credit he gave a straight answer.

"And if you get picked up by the wrong kind of vampire? Do you refuse or just do what they say?"

After Ben got the answer to that question, whatever it was, he followed it up with another.

"You said that those vampires who were interested in you being their pet didn't know what it meant. What does it mean to you?"

[Malkavian Riddler]

"I do what they say," Cain replied. He'd thought Ben already knew that about him but maybe not. If he hadn't thought that this 'catchup' was a job interview for being a donor before, he certainly thought so now.

Until Ben asked that last question and he was floored. He blinked, his lips parting in his shock and he struggled to get his thoughts in order. They wouldn't be asking about a pet if they wanted him as a donor, right? His breath returned to his body when his mind started piecing together a different kind of story. Maybe the pet question was a segue towards offering Cain a donor position, saying it was just like being a pet but to VIPs only. That was okay, he could live with that... though his first thought had got his heart racing and his body flushed.

"Like having a blow-up doll for a boyfriend, only more realistic."

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr listened to Cain respond to Ben and thought he was standing up for himself reasonably well... until his pet explanation came. Kerr frowned, sensing Ben's reaction through their blood bond. He was filled with trepidation.

It was a shallow answer and didn't show that Cain had put a lot of thought into what he wanted - or perhaps he had and there was just something he and Ben weren't understanding... ? No, even Kerr couldn't think of a way to make that answer profound. He leapt in to try and help, hoping to tease a deeper explanation from him.

"Uh... don't you think that's a bit simplistic? I mean, I imagine it's a complex relationship, don't you? if you were a pet, don't you think you'd be part of the vampire's life? You'd represent them, in a sense. You'd be around for more than just giving them blood, you'd be a partner. As a pet, how would you expect to be treated - not just as a blood doll, surely?" Kerr prompted.

[Trillian]

Ben gave Kerr side-eye before his gaze returned to Cain. Yeah, this was what he'd expected. The guy was nice enough, and nice-looking enough, but there must've been a reason why his relationship had failed and why he'd been aimless after cutting loose from being a donor. There wasn't a lot of substance to him. Cain was a typical groupie, and the sooner he made peace with that, the better.