The Messenger

[Trillian]

Todd Wainscott was sometimes called 'Teddy' but only by certain family members and always without his consent or approval. He was the kind of young man who would put on a smile, remembering that his protests during his teen years had never amounted to anything because Grammy would still call him 'Teddy' and his shrieking, annoying younger sisters both followed suit.

After leaving high school and attending a training course for I.T., Todd and hundreds of other hopefuls set out into the city with their associate diplomas that meant fuck all to the tech companies that were hiring. Todd realised he'd put effort into something with a lot of competition and he was only average at. He didn't complain and just got on with it, finding himself a job as a bartender pouring drinks for sad old men in a downtrodden bar before answering an ad for an upcoming new club called Venture, looking for bartenders.

And that was how he found out about the supernatural. The guy interviewing him, Hugh, had liked him and told him how trustworthy, loyal and generous he was - as if he could somehow know such things just by looking at him. Todd had barely said a word throughout the entire interview and got the job anyway but he was hardly going to complain. Along with employment, he got a startling introduction to the vampire world. Bitten by Hugh a few times throughout his stint at Venture, Todd started feeling affection for the centuries-old vampire and was let down gently without him even acting on his feelings. Such was the way with mind readers.

Shipped off to the Luminary as a donor once it opened, Todd made a good impression on Kerr and was set up in a posh apartment with a shitload of money and a very cushy job. He realised he was, effectively, a whore for vampires, but nobody treated him like he was scum and he decided to not get hung up on the single negative about his role, focussing on the good instead. Because that's how Todd was... he focussed on the good.

And that was why Ben sent him to deliver a message to Saraekiel.

"I need a personal touch but I don't want to go there myself," Ben told him, "so your pretty face can tell him my bad news and hopefully he'll forgive me."

Todd found Ben's words a little concerning but he didn't ask not to go or for Ben to choose someone else. Ben was his employer and this message was his job for now. He did wonder if Ben had chosen him because of his 'pretty face' or whether it was just because he was the donor who happened to be rostered off tonight, but it didn't matter. He was the messenger and that was final.

Ben told him everything he had to say and made him repeat it back before he had to wait downstairs in the lobby for a driver to pick him up. He felt very fancy sitting in the back of one of Ben's town cars, having someone drive him through the city. He felt even fancier sitting in his prim black slacks and a royal blue button down because Ben had instructed him to dress up. With a thin silver necklace and bracelet along with a thick silver watch on his other wrist, he felt the part. Until he didn't.

The feeling of being a fraud hit him the hardest when he was standing in the lobby of Grigori staring at the cute redhead asking him 'what it was regarding' about seeing Saraekiel. Standing there, with his shiny shoes that had clicked and clacked across the tiled floor making him feel weird and obvious, he couldn't think of what to say.

"I, um, am here to..." his voice was so soft that he could see the receptionist or assistant or whatever the redhead was, tilting forward to better hear him. Todd raised his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat, coughing into it like he'd had something caught in there. "I have a message!" he said firmly, then cringed with how loudly it had come about.

Of course the assistant wanted to hear the message to pass it on, so Todd shook his head.

"No, I have to see Saraekiel personally and tell him. It's from, uh... it's from Ben?" he said, sounding like he didn't know if it was from Ben or not while in reality he didn't know if the assistant would know who Ben was (but that was stupid, because the whole city knew who Ben was now because of the campaign that he'd lost so very recently).

[Seragil]

It was late and Saraekiel was leaning back in his office chair with a satisfied look on his face and with a half-drunk glass of scotch before him. His day and evening had been filled with some export dealings. Some people in the Middle East were in desperate need of some of his more premium items, which needed to be delivered via Russia and then there were the couple hundred souls he was helping to slip into Europe via the Middle East, a delivery that would add even more fuel to the political and economic fire over there, but it was all for a good course, so what was the harm right? Everyone deserved the chance of a better life after all. As for closer to home, the rest of the so-called District Leaders had apparently disappeared again, and the city was slipping back into chaos, and he barely had to do anything to help get it there. Yes, it had been a very productive day and he could not help but feel a little smug.

He stood up and walked towards the big windows offering the best view of the city. The moon was bright and riding high in the sky as he heeled his shoes off, the light reflecting off his earring as he moved his head. He was dressed in black slacks and long-sleeved white shirt which offset his burnished skin perfectly. It being late and not expecting any late visitors, his sleeves were rolled up and his shirt buttons undone a little, revealing slight glimpses of his well-defined chest as he moved. He looked out at the night sky and sighed, it was so clear and stretched on forever, filled with nothing but moonlight. It was perfect for a midnight flight, yet he was indoors and not even able to open a bloody window.

He strolled away back to his desk pulling off his socks as he did so, with the intent of escape and the need for wind under his wings when the phone at his desk rang. He looked at it with hate in his eyes.

“Yes?” His voice was a little short but he listened to what Paddy had to say, the look on his face changing to one of interest and curiosity as his assistant kept talking. “Ask for some credentials or some proof he has actually been sent by Ben then send him up if he convinces you. I’m not expecting a messenger from Ben so if he isn’t from Ben and you send him up, it’s on you Paddy.” He said with a smile as he hung up the phone and moved back to the window, the moonlight falling around him as he waited for the unexpected visitor.

[Trillian]

The assistant asked for credentials and earnt himself a blank stare from Todd. After some sweet talking and hopeful smiling, information that hopefully only a donor would know and lots of gesturing towards the street where Ben's car and driver were waiting for him (and he was pretty sure the assistant clicked the mouse to bring up security camera footage to check on the town car), he was allowed to enter the lift.

It was all quite nerve-wracking and Todd's stomach did a few flips on the way up. When the doors opened with a swish, he stepped out and blinked at the expansive room, feeling really, really small and unimportant. His gaze was drawn to the only other person in the room who commanded the sort of presence that Todd associated with vampires and movie stars.

"Hi," Todd said, listening to his voice fall flat in the huge room. He would have to really project or get closer to the man he was supposed to deliver his message to. He walked across the wood panelled floor, listening to his heeled shoes clack again until he hit one of the lush rugs that peppered the floor, grateful for their muffling effect on his footsteps. Once he was close enough to the smouldering man (what was it about supernaturals and their intense eyes?) he gave him a broad smile that felt too big for his face and introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Todd, I'm here to deliver a message for Ben. From Ben. For you. If you're Saraekiel, that is. I bet you are him because I mean, who else would you be? Not just some random guy standing around in his office, I guess. I better go tell that assistant someone's broken in then, ha ha."

The smouldering expression didn't stop, but it looked a lot more quizzical now.

"I just died. So I'll stop talking." He opened his mouth to say more but clamped it shut and then opened it to speak again anyway. "In case you couldn't tell, I'm a bit nervous. You have a lot of..."

Don't say smoulder.

"...smoulder."

[Seragil]

He waited and watched for the elevator door to open as he leaned his shoulder against the window frame, his body half turned away from the lift entrance. When it did open and the messenger stepped out Saraekiel had to stop himself from gaping with surprise. The kid approaching him with his loud footsteps, uncertain voice and stammering words was very cute, but what had Saraekiel's eyebrow climbing up his face slightly was the fact that he screamed innocence. What was Ben playing at? This guy practically glimmered with purity. his aura barely tarnished by the shit of the world around him.

He slowly raked his eyes over him, a small bemused smile tugged at Saraekiel's lips as he listened to the lad fall over his words, his eyes portraying kind amusement.

Not one of Ben's closest acquaintances, nor very deep in the supernatural world he deduced since the guy had no idea who he was, what he was or where he currently fit in supe society.

smoulder?

He moved away from the window and approached his guest. "Todd, was it?" He asked softly with a quizzical narrowing of his eyes. He moved past him a little and indicated the lounges just to the side of them both. "Take a seat, relax, and yes, I'm Saraekiel" he offered with a warm smile from over his shoulder as he made his way to the mini bar. " Do you drink? Would you like a scotch?" Are you old enough to drink a scotch "I have soda or water too if you prefer."

[Trillian]

"Thank you," Todd said to the seat and headed for where Saraekiel had gestured. He sat down onto a lounge that was more plush than he realised as he sank into the cushion. Comfy. He adjusted his pants legs with some pinches on the thighs when alcohol was offered.

"I'd love a scotch but... but I can't. Ben doesn't..." It took him a moment to remember he was rostered off, that was why he was here delivering a message for Ben. "Yes, I can, actually. Thanks." He gave a self-conscious chuckle and shrugged, eyeing Saraekiel for his next move.

Your pretty face can tell him my bad news

"Um, maybe I should just give you Ben's message?" he asked, figuring Saraekiel might be angry that he'd given good scotch to someone who was only going to disappoint him.

[Seragil]

He arched a brow again at Todd's initial reply as he upturned another crystal scotch glass and uncapped the decanter. Ben didn't what? Like his employees drinking? Drinking on the job maybe? He thought as Todd changed his tune, maybe he had the day off tomorrow.

He poured Todd's drink and refreshed his own before carrying them both over to where Todd was sitting and took the seat across from him without answering him.

"Ben must be rather busy if he couldn't come over and tell me this important message himself." He said with another smile as he sipped his drink. "How do you know Ben? I mean, he must trust you pretty well to send you here with a verbal message" he arched an eyebrow and smiled teasingly. " I assume its verbal or do you have a written letter tucked away somewhere on you."

What game was Ben playing? No doubt things would be made clearer if he just allowed the poor guy to give the message but Saraekiel was curious. Who was this little innocent Ben had sent into his orbit?

[Trillian]

"Thank you," Todd said politely before taking a sip of the scotch. It was potent but it was velvety smooth and that fact made him think it was expensive. Of course a District Leader wouldn't drink the cheap shit. He stared at the dark angel over the rim of his glass, marvelling at his looks. He'd heard about Saraekiel but he'd never seen him, not from afar and certainly never from this close. There were rumours about him and Ben that Todd pretty much had confirmed because of this message he was about to deliver.

"Um, I don't know why he couldn't come himself but..." he began. "Well, I do kind of know because it's not hard to figure out considering I have your message."

He sighed and took a bigger gulp than necessary of the scotch and it burnt down his throat in a way that invigorated him.

"Ben trusts me because I'm one of the donors. I can keep secrets and be discreet." He gave a brief lift of his glass towards Saraekiel in a 'cheers' gesture as a signal to imply that this message was also a discreet secret. "Ben will be flying to Europe with Kerr on Wednesday night," he said, which was three nights away, "and he wanted me to tell you goodbye on his behalf. He won't be coming to see you to say it himself and he doesn't want to see you before he goes because it's too complicated. He doesn't know when he'll be back."

Todd gave Saraekiel a wary look, aware that Saraekiel was most certainly Ben's lover (and he knew Ben and Kerr had an open relationship for he'd been bedded by the blond vampire as well, but there was no way Ben would send a messenger to give Todd the news of his leaving, which meant that Saraekiel was more important to Ben than anybody seemed to realise), and as Ben's lover, he'd literally just been told that Ben was leaving and didn't want to see him.

[Seragil]

Saraekiel was leaning back into the lounge, his arms spread across the back and his drink clasped lightly in his left hand, dangling over the seat of the lounge, a smile on his lips as Todd gulped his drink and delivered Ben's bullshit message. Ben had already told him he was leaving, well, running away, but he had led Saraekiel to believe it was for a short trip till things settled down, a few months at most, now it was indefinite? And telling him in person was too complicated? Too complicated? What was too fucking complicated? He was too complicated? Seeing him? Saying goodbye in person? Getting away from Kerr? Admitting he had gone to see Saraekiel? Why the trip was indefinite?

The little fucker couldn't even be bothered to pick up a phone and tell him that way, instead he sent a pasty faced lackey to do it for him. Fuck, a Dear John letter was more personal then this bullshit!

"I see." He said softly in response after a small silence had arisen after Todd had spoken. All in all he thought he was handling the building anger within him just fine, till the tinkling sound of shattering crystal reached his ears and a sharp pain from his hand registered in his brain.

He looked at his left hand, the last shards of shattered crystal falling from it and joining the rest of the broken shards and the remainder of his drink that was now soaking into the seat of the couch amidst the glittering remains of his glass..

He watched as his hand then started to leak with his ichor, the black liquid shimmering with the thin strains and swirls of gold contained within it as it started to drip onto the mess bellow.

"Well, that's just bloody great" He hissed as he pulled his hand towards himself, his eyes quickly searching the table for some napkins to staunch the blood, and finding none.

[Trillian]

The smoulder rose in intensity - how was that even possible? - until Todd could imagine smoke pouring out of Saraekiel's eyes. He jumped at the sound of glass, shattering the silence as effectively as it shattered in the dark angel's hold. Todd's gaze lowered to Saraekiel's injured hand where he saw what looked like ink and glitter pouring out of it. That was dark angel blood?

A quick glance at the other man's face revealed the pain mixed with seething anger and he saw how Saraekiel scanned the table for something to wrap around his injury. Todd looked too, standing up and then spinning around to search the minimalist style room. Unless Saraekiel wanted to press his hand on one of the rugs, there was nothing to staunch the flow.

Todd thought about using his socks, then figured Saraekiel probably wouldn't want something on his wound that came from Todd's feet. He unbuttoned his shirt as quickly as possible instead, speaking as he did.

"Okay, so obviously dark angels don't heal like vampires do, which would be really handy right now," he said, shrugging his shirt off his shoulders and approaching Saraekiel quickly, he scanned the floor for a large shard to use and he carefully picked one up to cut into his shirt, making a couple of ribbons of cloth out of it. When he had three longish strips he set the shard down on the coffee table and moved close to Saraekiel.

"Here, let me do it because you can't do it one-handed. Well, not easily anyway," he said before wiping Saraekiel's ink-and-glitter blood away. "I don't see any glass in there but it's really hard to tell with your fancy blood. Has Ben ever...? Never mind, not my business." He spoke even as he wound the strips of his fancy blue shirt around Saraekiel's palm and wrist, adding another strip to finish the job. "I don't get squeamish or anything so sometimes I help out at the Luminary's clinic because you see all kinds of things in there. I saw an imp with a broken tail, once so the doc had to set it in a cast and it looked really weird with half of his tail sticking out in a cast and the other half all limp." He laughed to himself before shaking his head. "I shouldn't laugh because the guy was in a lot of pain. It's not..." Todd glanced up at Saraekiel and was suddenly hyper-aware of how closely they were standing to one another, and with him shirtless. Ben probably wouldn't like that.

Oh no, what if Ben saw him coming back to the Luminary without his shirt? What would he think happened? And then it hit him that maybe Ben had sent him and his pretty face to Saraekiel to appease the dark angel in order to earn Ben's forgiveness. He wasn't just a messenger, he was a donor, and Ben had all kinds of people working for him that could've delivered the message. He'd specifically chosen someone that whored themselves to vampires.

His heart started beating more rapidly when he thought back to some of the other comments Ben had made, about how Luminary guests had praised Todd for how relaxed he made them feel, that he was great at making them feel better after a tough day. He'd thought he was just getting some good feedback but Ben was priming him for Saraekiel. Fuck, how could he have been so damned dense?

He stepped away from the dark angel and folded his arms across his chest before realising that could read as hostile so he dropped them but then he felt too naked so he folded his arms again.

[Seragil]

“Ummm, thank you” He said as Todd stepped away from him and crossed his arms across his chest. He almost felt bad for not telling the lad about his bedroom, bathroom and first aid kit that was contained within it but he had enjoyed looking at Todd a little too much, Ben certainly knew what he was about when selecting his personal donors. Not that he wanted to have sex with Todd, Ben was the exception more so then the rule in that department. Sex for him tended to be nothing more then another weapon in his arsenal which is why Ben confused him so much, why his attraction to Ben confused him so much.

Fuck Benjamen Samson.

And Yet

Why had he sent this guy as a personal messenger, why send one at all? Unless…He ran the scenario back through his mind, he considered Todd’s surprisingly soothing nature and his good looks and came to the same conclusion Todd had. He wasn’t just a messenger, he was a gift, a bauble from Ben’s personal collection sent to him to play with, to do what? Sooth him? Pleasure him?

Fuck Benjamen Samson!

And Yet…

Todd was so shiny!

He stood up and slowly unbuttoned his own shirt and shifted out of it, as he drew it over his bandaged hand his attention was drawn to the slight smudge of ichor staining it and he didn’t know whether to mourn or celebrate its colouring, once it was golden, like glitter filled sunlight, after the Ritual it was still golden, but with splashes of spilt ink swirling through it, now…well, he was what he was and the telling was in his blood.

“I can’t let you return home without a shirt” He said as he held out his for Todd to take. Let Ben think what he will when he smelt his scent all over Todd. “And no, Ben never…” he indicated his hurt hand and his blood. “We enjoy each other’s…bodies but I never offered him…that.” His storm coloured eyes narrowed slightly as he studied his bandages anew. “You know…. I don’t think anyone has ever tended me like this before.” He said as he turned his gaze towards Todd and smiled warmly. “Thank you, truly.”

[Trillian]

"Sure," Todd said to the thanks, relaxing after his initial shock of understanding. Saraekiel wasn't anything like he'd expected - not that Todd had expected anything at all. He didn't have a lot to do with supernaturals beyond vampires. It was perhaps the reason why he was so intrigued by the different species in the world.

Todd watched Saraekiel with confused interest when he started to unbutton his shirt. It felt like the District Leader might've figured out Todd's potential role as a messenger. His body tensed again and he stood up a little straighter, muscles clenching, including his ass, like Saraekiel was going to whip himself out and jam himself up there or something. Todd snorted at his own imagination and then stared at Saraekiel, stunned when his shirt was offered to him in exchange.

The wide-eyed look remained fixed on his face when Saraekiel blithely spoke of sharing Ben's body, like it was no big deal that Todd should know. Flashes of them together connected on the bed pushed itself into Todd's mind and he blushed at the visions, madly trying to think of something else so he didn't get horny. He didn't think Saraekiel would speak so candidly about being Ben's lover. He'd thought it was all on the down low.

"Um, you're welcome," he said distractedly, his gaze shifting to Saraekiel's bandaged arm. He slid into Saraekiel's shirt, finding the material just as nice to the touch as the fancy shirts Ben had provided for him and the other donors. They both had expensive tastes. The shirt was too big around the shoulders and chest but Todd buttoned it up anyway.

"Um, should I go?" he asked, not wanting to dismiss himself without permission.

[Seragil]

"Sure, if you want to." He moved out of the way, making the path to the lift open and padded his way back to the mini back, his belted pants riding low on his hips and moving just right so that the dim light played shadow games over his muscles and the burnished skin of his upper body. He didn't want Todd to go, he intrigued him and if Ben wanted to throw such interesting toys his way, who was he to complain.

"However..." He picked up the decanter of scotch and turned back towards Todd, shaking the bottle a little. "I have more scotch if you want some and truth be told...I could do with some company." He sighed heavily and sunk a little as a wistful sadness washed over his face. "To talk I mean." he clarified after realising his desire could be read as something else entirely.

"I mean, its not every day you get dumped right?" He asked with a sardonic rise of his eyebrow and an upraised corner of his lips.

[Trillian]

Todd watched quietly as Saraekiel moved to the private bar and grabbed another scotch for himself. Todd gestured with a light nod of his head that he would stay and have another drink.

"I don't think he's dumping you," Todd said, lowering himself back onto the couch. "I mean, he's an immortal so time is meaningless. And he wouldn't have sent me if he's dumping you. He wanted to soften the blow of his leaving."

But Todd's mind zoomed at a million miles a minute about their relationship. He couldn't ask because it wasn't his business but he burnt to know the truth and if Saraekiel was in the mood to talk to him and he was here... yes, well, Todd wouldn't divulge anybody's secrets and that included the District Leader.

"Are dark angels immortal too?"

[Seragil]

"Hmm" He huffed in response to Todd's opinion of whether or not he had been dumped, the reasoning was pretty but it was what it was regardless of how time moved for any of them.

"Immortal is a misnomer, but yes, I have the potential to outlive this world and it's sun. I won't age, nor get sick." He carried the decanter and a glass back to where they were sitting and placed them on the table before sitting sideways on the lounge beside Todd, his right leg curled and tucked beneath him. The position he discovered was more comfortable then sitting with his back against the seat, either squishing his wings or pushing against his bare back, a foreign and disquieting feeling. This way he could at least feel the air behind him. "But like most timeless supernaturals I can be hurt enough that I could die, and as you saw, I don't come with the ability of rapid self healing."  He hadn't stopped searching for something that would change that though.

He poured them both a scotch and held out Todd's glass, waiting for the lad to take it before taking a sip of his own.

"How about you?" he asked after the amber liquid had burned a smooth smokey trail down his throat. "What does being a Donar entail exactly?" Ben and he never really talked about their lives and so he was interested to hear how vampires had worked in such a modern and technology driven world.

[Trillian]

"Cool," Todd breathed when Saraekiel spoke of outliving the sun. He wondered what the dark angel and the other immortals would do when that happened. Continue existing in the dark, he supposed. Or die with the sun if it engulfed the planet, or became a black hole and sucked the planet in. By that time, maybe everybody would be living on another planet. Oh wow, vampires in space? They might've figured out how to make fake blood they could live on by then, or have a giant space station that -

His rambling thoughts were interrupted when Saraekiel spoke again about being hurt and dying, and being unable to mend supernaturally. Todd made a soft, thoughtful noise as he took his glass. Bringing it to his lips and taking a sip, the question posed to him was something that he debated with himself over answering because he'd signed a non-disclosure contract... but this was Saraekiel, Ben's obvious lover... but Ben hadn't explained it himself so...

Yeah, because they'd been getting down and dirty, not talking about Ben's setup. Duh. He wasn't going to divulge vampire secrets here; the hotel information book explained about the donors and was available to everyone who stayed at the Luminary.

"Okay, so I've been working as a donor from the start. I used to tend bar at Venture and they sent me to the Luminary when it first opened. There were only a few of us at first but there weren't many guests either. Now almost all the spots are filled and there are lots of vampire guests staying so the rosters are in full effect. I get paid to hang around at night until a vampire requests a donor and then I go to their room. Afterwards, I sign out and then I'm off duty for ten days so I can recover, then the process starts again. Ben and Kerr don't usually drink from the donors because they're taking away from the guests but Kerr drank from me before I signed on to check how I would react and how much control I have during, which isn't much I tell you," he added with an embarrassed chuckle, "and Ben's drunk from me a couple of times but not recently. I'm rostered off at the moment, five days into my waiting period. It's why I'm enjoying this really nice scotch with you now." He grinned, feeling naughty and cheeky over not keeping his blood clean... but sometimes the vampire guests gave him alcohol before they drank from him so it wasn't a huge issue, he figured.