Rivals for Affection

[Malkavian Riddler]

When the couple got into the car, Cain watched it pull out and leave before he started his own engine, and rode after them.  Coincidentally, he caught up to them at some lights, and eventually was separated by a couple of cars because he wasn't zipping ahead through traffic like he used to.  He'd calmed down in a lot of different ways throughout his life, when he'd decided to settle down.  He'd thought David would be a part of that, but it looked like he'd well and truly made his choice, because he was going home with Bill.

Then the car Cain recognised as theirs turned up a different street and he could no longer call it coincidence that he was turning after them.  He wasn't planning on doing anything, certainly not, but he was curious about Bill's living arrangements.  Also, after David dropped Bill off, Cain would have the chance to talk to David privately.  He wanted to explain he hadn't said anything to Bill, he'd respected David's wishes, that there were no hard feelings, that he was still...

a fool.  Here was a moment that he could've taken a right instead of continuing to follow the car, heading towards his own place.  He didn't follow through, because there was still hope.  All those feelings that had been summoned upon seeing David again, of being rescued by him - regardless of Bill's presence - he still felt bouyed by them.  He wanted to speak to David unhindered, to ask him how things were going (especially after witnessing an argument), and maybe find out that David had regretted his choice and felt stuck with it.  Cain wanted David to know that he was available.  Foolish or not, it was how he felt.

So he followed them, expecting the car to stop somewhere and for Bill to get out.  He certainly hadn't considered the pair were living together.

[Existentially Odd]

As he drove them back in the direction of the house they now shared, it seemed to David that Bill was also conveniently ignoring parts of the conversation and addressing the bits that were less controversial.  While he could appreciate this strategy (since he'd used it himself already to sidestep the Cain reference), he was also vaguely annoyed because he wasn't being told the whole story.  He thought.  He frowned a glance at Bill, then returned to looking at the road, shaking his head slightly.

"I think you're right.  You do need to be more selfish.  Why worry about what happens to people that aren't you?  Thanks to vampires that aren't me?  That sort of shit will do your head in.  It's out of your control, sweetheart," he advised matter of factly, "so focus on us.  If you're telling me that you worrying about random people dying at the hands of vampires is what's stopping you from accepting what I am to you, in your life, I'll be pretty pissed off because you only need to worry about me and what I do.  Are you telling me now that you'd prefer I drank from strangers off the street instead of going to the club or drinking from people I know?" he queried, seeking clarification.

When he drank from people on the street, he Dominated them into submission so there was never any of the messy awkwardness that arose from voluntary donors getting horny and grabby but he'd steered away from that because Bill hadn't liked him taking advantage of the ignorant.  Was he damned if he did, damned if he didn't?  He just wanted to know what the fuck Bill wanted him to do!

[Annalas]

Bill managed to smile a little at the endearment, knowing that what David was saying was true. So far, he had managed to avoid it as much as possible simply with the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ philosophy. Personally, he thought that that had been working quite well for them, but he supposed he had been wrong.

“I don’t want to tell you what to do,” Bill protested, sliding his hand over to David’s thigh. “Just do what you did before. I don’t mind…I just…don’t like to watch.”

He realized that he was being passive aggressive and they had ended at the same place they were in the first place. He didn’t want to watch, David didn’t see what was wrong with it. He sighed, nibbling on his lip.

“It’s not because I don’t trust you. I just…seeing them, with their hands all over you, whether you want it or not. That’s what I have a problem with, when it comes to you. I guess… I am a bit jealous,” he admitted. “I want it to be me.”

He wasn’t stupid enough to think that he alone could suffice for David. Still, he didn’t have a good solution at all, other than him becoming a vampire himself. After all, then he and David could just drink together and there wouldn’t be a problem. The thought of drinking blood at all, though, revolted Bill. He didn’t even like steak—how could he stomach actual blood? Perhaps that wasn’t a solution, after all.

[Existentially Odd]

Because Bill started out being vague again, David felt himself getting uptight but the additional comments unwound that sensation almost immediately.  He slid his hand beneath Bill's and held it, sparing him a smile as he drove with one hand.  "I don't mind you being jealous.  I think it's cute.  But you should know that it is you - only you ever get to put your hands all over me.  They people I drink from are really not as out of control as you imagine, most of them don't even touch, not when I tell them that I'm only interested in drinking from them, nothing more," he reassured his boyfriend gently.

"I was hoping to show you that tonight, in fact but... well, I guess I let that opportunity get away from me when I went after... Cain," he finished with a frown, clearing his throat as he said his ex-boyfriend's name.  He felt awkward just saying it now that Bill had met the mismatched-eyed beauty.  Cain certainly wasn't one of the controlled donors he was trying to reassure Bill with and that didn't bear thinking on right now.  Suddenly, he couldn't think of anything else to talk about, though, for fear of saying something obvious or weird.

[Annalas]

Bill smiled, curling his fingers under David's. He only had his own experiences with feeding to go on, but the desire had always been there for him. Even he couldn't control it, most of the time. He had ended up on Emil's lap before, and though the vampire no longer fed from him, he doubted he was the only one with that problem. David's words were reassuring, however, and he found that they led to a comfortable silence between the two.

"Do you still have to feed?" Bill asked after a long moment. "I could check on my dad, if you want…there are plenty of people around there."

They had done something similar before in the past few weeks. Bill could go in to check on his father while David hunted, the prey usually abundant in that area. Or at least, Bill thought it was abundant; he wasn't exactly an expert on hunting humans, after all.

He didn't bring up Cain any more, letting the matter drop. It was obvious that while Bill could be gracious (he had won, after all), Cain harbored plenty of bad feelings towards him. It was really something he would rather not think about, it be honest.

[Existentially Odd]

"Nah, I've had enough - unless you want to go visit your father?" David queried, instantly beginning to recalculate the route he was taking.  They weren't far from home by now but he started looking in mirrors, instinctively checking traffic around him to see if he get across to the lane he needed to be in in order to head for Mr King's place.

After drinking well from Bill the night before, the glass at Venture was enough to sustain him though, so he didn't need any extra to drink.  "I'd rather go home and just... be with you, though," he added softly, abandoning his mental traffic dodging in order to look at Bill.  They still weren't right; he didn't feel right about them and he knew it would take some time and intimacy to get things back on track.

[Annalas]

If Bill had a choice, it was unlikely he would ever choose to see his father again. Unfortunately, pity and guilt made a heady combination that forced him to go back time and time again to check on his father. John King might be a grown man, but Bill couldn't help but think he had to take care of him. How many times had he returned home in the past few weeks to find the fridge and cupboards empty of anything but alcohol? Thomas was gone, so the duty fell to Bill to take care of his father.

"Not really," he answered with a small smile. "I can do it tomorrow. Was just wanting to so you could drink."

He curled his fingers around David's as he turned his attention to looking out the window. There was a bike following them, but otherwise, traffic seemed light.

"Home sounds nice…maybe the couch and a movie or something, if you're up for it." He glanced back at David. Bill craved cuddles almost constantly, and David was always happy to give them, it seemed. And if it led to more…well, that was fine with him.

[Existentially Odd]

"Of course I'm up for it," David said dismissively, frowning as he tried to remember Bill's schedule, "but how late can you stay up, you don't have to work until next week... right?"  He recalled Bill saying something about getting a new job but he'd been slightly annoyed by his boyfriend's insistence on earning a living (despite his insistence that it was entirely unnecessary) so he hadn't been enthused enough about the news to solidify when it was happening.

That had been one of the first points of friction between them and, really, David should've predicted the pattern he was now stuck in right then and there: Bill was a good guy.  Someone concerned with animals enough to not eat them, with people enough to worry pointlessly about their safety and him enough to continue to work, even though it wasn't necessary.  His heart was in an entirely selfless, frantic universe where everyone else mattered, except him.  David thought Bill's father and brother likely had a lot to answer for in that regard and he became preoccupied with that thought as he continued on the familiar road to home.

[Annalas]

"Monday," Bill confirmed with a smile. He would probably pass out far before David was ready to settle down for the night--or the day, whichever--but he was grateful to be able to enjoy David's company nonetheless. And he had a lead!

Bill couldn't begin to figure out how he was going to get his hands on those records, but he knew that he had to. Just think, somewhere in the city was a record of his brother, and supposedly where he lived. Well, Cain hadn't expressively said the records would give a current address, but he seemed to hint that they held a clue to his brother's whereabouts. It was by far the most he had gotten in quite a while.

"Do you know…" he began, trailing off as he considered the fact that David hadn't quite expressed the desire to help Bill in his endeavors at all. In fact, he had seemed pretty damn dismissive back at the club, but Bill supposed most of that had been a heat of the moment type thing. He did so love to think the best of people.

"Does the district leader have an office or something?" he asked instead. He had meant to ask if David could help him get to the records, but he supposed he was on his own for that one. Either Emil didn't know about the records, or as he had mentioned many times before, didn't want to get caught up in any politics. David might well be the same way.

[Existentially Odd]

David was startled out of his thoughts about how good a person Bill was by the question of an address for the district leader.  He pursed his lips, thinking he'd seen something recently but not able to place it... then he had it and his expression cleared.  "Oh!  Yeah, they display the addresses at Venture.  It was on the screens sometimes, scrolling across the bottom.  I... don't remember them, though," he admitted sheepishly because even though he'd read those marquee announcements, he hadn't really taken them in.

He looked at Bill.  "You want me to turn around so we can go back and get them and then go see one?" he offered and this time, instead of just mentally planning a new route through the traffic, he checked his mirrors, indicated and hastily pulled over to the side of the road, bringing the car to a stop so he and Bill could discuss their next move.  He kept his foot on the brake rather than put it in park.

"But I thought... didn't your friend Emil hire a private detective or something to get to your brother?  Surely they already went through the Oligarchy's records?" he asked Bill, his stare on his lover earnest.  "I mean, I'm definitely not opposed to going back and checking out this lead, don't get me wrong - if it helps you, I'm all for it, I just thought that the official channels was a pretty fucking obvious place to start and if they really wanted to help you, that would already be done.  If you'd asked me to help you, that's where I would have started!"

[Annalas]

Bill shook his head as they pulled over, leaning over to hug David soundly. He would have crawled onto David's lap right then and there if there had been room, honestly.

"Maybe another night," he compromised, knowing that David would have to feed again. Besides, he could probably get the information from Emil.

"Yeah, he did, but…nothing came of it," Bill admitted, resting his cheek on David's shoulder. "Detective never even called back. I dunno if he found something he doesn't want to share or…what."

He pulled back slightly, leaning up to press his lips against David's. He was intensely reassured by his lover's offer to help, if it had been an offer. He figured it was an offer, anyway, since David had asked if Bill wanted to go back to the club.

"Can we just go home? I want you now…can follow up on any leads tomorrow."

[Malkavian Riddler]

When the car pulled over, Cain had to do the same thing lest he zip past them.  An angry driver honked at him as he slowed and pulled in suddenly, but he made no gestures beyond watching it drive past.

He hadn't expected David to pull in so suddenly, the car he'd been following had been giving no clues that it was about to make such a manoeuvre and so he'd been fooled.  Also, this wasn't the type of neighbourhood that he associated with the likes of Bill.  He was making judgements based on outward appearances, he knew, and it was something he knew had happened to him so often that he'd resigned himself to being misjudged, and it was hypocritical of him to do it to others, but still, it was there.  This was a yuppie neighbourhood and Bill was no yuppie.  So why was the car here?

He waited for someone to get out, but nobody did, so he let his engine idle, feeling obvious because only a single parked car separated them.

[Existentially Odd]

David accepted the hug and blinked at the kiss, quite surprised with Bill's sudden affection.  He couldn't piece together that he'd somehow given approval because, in his opinion, he'd never retracted it, just kept his nose out of something that was a 'Bill's other friend' deal.  If he was going to get relationship bonus points out of this bewildering turn of events, however, he certainly wouldn't argue it.

"You want me?" he repeated lightheartedly, raising imperious eyebrows.  "That's quite a shift from a movie - I like it though, let's get to that!" he enthused with a grin that was feeling more sincere by the moment.  He coaxed Bill gently back to his side of the car with a return kiss, checked his mirrors and began indicating that he intended on pulling out into the sparse traffic.  He noticed the bike behind the car behind him had his light on because it was shining in his direction but he was of the opinion that it was about to pull out as well.  As far as he was concerned, it had been there before he'd pulled over and now they were pulling out into the road at the same time; he completed this manouevre successfully, not giving the rider following much thought.

(Continued in Quiet Night In)