Losing the Knack

[pinkroses]

Ichabod was happy to let things go quiet as they walked through the crowds – he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was taking someone back to his apartment, someone he didn’t know, who in turn didn’t know he was a vampire. So many things could go wrong with this scenario, but why not take a chance?

Ichabod found it a little easier than James to slip through the crowds – as often the people approaching him felt the need to move first. It was a fun little test for himself, a distraction from worrying that he shouldn’t be taking James home. But the fact that occasionally he still had to move out of the way showed him he still needed practise and he knew he would do for decades, if not centuries.

“Oh, my parents live out on the east side of the city, boring suburban area, I grew up there,” Ichabod explained. They hated going into the centre of the city, they were happy out there so Ichabod didn’t worry about running into them. He’d thought about telling them everything, but they were happy getting a postcard or a call from him every now and again to tell them he was alright, so there seemed little point in disturbing their happiness.

“What about you? Have you always lived around here?” Ichabod asked, glancing towards James and giving a smile as he noticed how James’ gaze stayed pretty much fixed on him, but he was still weaving through the crowds quite effectively. If James had grown up here he might remember the weirdness of the chaos of when Lazarus first took over – but Ichabod had experienced that as a human and hadn’t questioned the stories of the gas leak which were circulated. Still, it might make things a little easier to explain if it ever came to that.

[Existentially Odd]

"Nah, we moved to this city about four years ago.  From Boston before here, but my mother was headhunted from her law firm and the money was good enough that they didn't think twice about moving so we did.  I've always lived in the middle of the city, though.  I think I'd probably freak out if I tried to sleep in the suburbs where there wasn't the constant sounds of traffic, crowds and sirens," James grinned, stepping up to the door of Subway and gallantly opening it to let Ichabod in.

There was a method to his madness, of course; when Ichabod accepted, he walked straight into the building and towards those illuminating flourescent lights, under which nobody looked great... except this, guy, apparently.  James' expression fell into one of hopeless adoration as Ichabod smiled his thanks at having the door held open for him and walked past casually.  James wasn't feeling at all casual after getting a good look at Ichabod, his body was zinging and there was something truly chemical about the way he wanted to get closer to the other man.  And he'd already kissed him?  He could hardly believe his luck!

He walked in and got in line to order his sandwich, smiling at Ichabod and finding himself repeatedly looking at the other man, whether he stood close by to chat or hung back so that he didn't take a needless place in line.  Every time he made eye contact with Ichabod, the feeling of it tingled all the way down to his groin and made his tummy flip with wonder.  He wasn't generally someone led by his hormones but he also had to admit they'd never been jangled this hard before, either.  He was smitten with Ichabod and he wanted to do a whole lot of very indecent things with him - things that distracted him from ordering his chicken fillet sub on wheat bread the first time without stuttering, so he eventually had to calm himself down and concentrate.

When he got through the ordering process and to the payment section, James asked to make his foot long a meal deal so he could get a drink and two cookies.  He smiled over at Ichabod.  "Which cookie is your favourite?" he quieried, planning on sharing one with his new friend.  Even if he was full, surely he had room for a cookie!

[pinkroses]

Ichabod would have had to have been blind not to have noticed the way James kept glancing in his direction and if it wasn’t for the look on James’ face Ichabod would have thought he’d managed to smear something off all over his. It was more attention than he was used to, but it definitely wasn’t unpleasant, just… unnerving.

He had been eyeing up the menu above James when the cookie question came his way and Ichabod lowered his gaze to James with a look of surprise. Before he’d been sired Ichabod had thought he would miss all of his favourite foods, but the cravings for sweet and savoury just didn’t come. The smells were nice, but didn’t draw him in like they had when he’d been a constantly hungry teenager.

“Oh, no, thank you, I won’t have one. It’s… uh… blood sugar levels and stuff,” he said with a small shrug, giving the first excuse which popped into his head and instantly wishing he hadn’t picked something which involved blood. He could feel the eyes of the cashier on him as well as James’ and his gaze flickered to the kid behind the cash register who smirked knowingly in a way Ichabod didn’t find at all comforting.

“The best have to be the Smarties ones though, I’m like a kid when it comes to the colours,” he said with a grin at James, moving closer from where he’d been hovering out of the queue and casting an eye over the display as he rested a hand lightly on James' shoulder. “What are you going for?” he asked, hoping James wouldn’t linger on Ichabod’s supposed issues with his blood sugar.

[Existentially Odd]

James smiled automatically as Ichabod got closer to him, realising belatedly that he could answer his companion and order at the same time by turning around and telling the employee on the other side of the counter, "Two macadamia and white chocolate."  When the guy moved off to bag his cookies, he pulled his backpack off (sorry to forcibly move Ichabod's hand off him) and rested it on the counter so he could fish his wallet out.  "I love the macadamias, not so hot on the chocolate - I wish the mix was more skewed in favour of the nuts," he smiled, finding himself staring at Ichabod's face in wonder yet again.

He paid for his food, shrugged back into his backpack, took his bag and filled his soft drink cup at the machine, mixing half cola and half lemon drink to achieve the tang he liked.  He thought about Ichabod being diabetic as he did and realised he wouldn't be able to share his drink, either.  He hoped it didn't become awkward with him eating and Ichabod not... but then again, he imagined having something to do besides gawk at how good looking his companion was was preferable.  They left the Subway restaurant and headed down the block to the Capital.

(Continued in 'Gaining Momentum')