PARALLEL: Battle of the Fledges

[Trillian]

Lazarus met Jake in New York, in some bite club called Liquid Empire. He was one of the groupies in high demand, working the fang crowd and selecting who would be lucky enough to be offered his blood and body. Whoever took him home usually kept him for a few nights but Jake wasn't one who could be pinned down as a pet.

That was what the rumours said, anyway. Lazarus liked the look of the young man - newly celebrating his twentieth birthday when Lazarus first laid eyes on him. The blond vampire wasn't intending on hanging around New York for long because the vampire council ruling this city didn't like him or his spontaneous decision making. He'd had two warnings and he figured there wouldn't be a third. Better to get away. But then he'd seen Jake and hung around. There were too many other ancients sniffing around him, enough with mental talents that wouldn't hesitate to smack Lazarus down. Better to just wait until Jake noticed him.

It took three weeks and Lazarus was getting irritated. He was on his final night to the club, figuring he was going to leave New York anyway, when finally Jake approached and shuffled onto the bench seat beside him. A few seductive words later (mostly on Jake's side, for Lazarus was crass) and they were back at Lazarus' apartment fucking the night away. The little shit left during the daytime and when Lazarus saw him again a couple of weeks later, Jake was throwing himself at another fanger.

Lazarus left shortly after them. The other vampire was only a couple hundred years old. In the confrontation that followed, there was Lazarus, a pile of ash and a young mortal staring wide-eyed at him. Lazarus sired him then and there, in that alley, atop the ashes of the guy Jake was being taken home to fuck.

The start of their relationship was salty. A lot of hate sex that eventually turned into thirsty sex. Their attraction to one another saved them at the beginning. Once Jake admitted that being a vampire was better than being human, they were good to go. They travelled away from New York but still found themselves in a city with a portion in the north-west that touched the ocean.

They settled in the suburbs after Lazarus bled dry the elderly occupants of a nice two-storey house. It was a strikingly modern place with timber shutter blinds fixed to all the windows. A wonderful way to keep the place sunblocked. Lazarus tended to Jake as well as he could - keeping him around longer than any of his other fledges. Most of his other fledges were squeamish when it came to Lazarus' darker side but Jake found that he enjoyed experimenting and he and Lazarus had a lot of playdates with a lot of mortals, and only a handful didn't survive.

It was shortly after the decade long anniversary of Jake's making that Lazarus found the other one. He was at Risk on his own because he and Jake had played with a mortal they'd picked up earlier that night but Lazarus was restless and left them to it, citing he wanted to pick up one of his own. He went to Risk and saw Ben.

Jake's looks were dark and brooding and sexy as hell. Ben was fair and fine-boned and eager to throw himself headfirst into danger to get what he wanted. That kind of mindless dedication towards a goal impressed Lazarus. The problem was extracting Ben from the creature whose eye he'd caught.

Ben reminded Lazarus of Jake in a way - he was offering himself up to vampires, but not as their bite boy. He overheard the conversation nearby and knew Ben wanted to be fledged. Lazarus thought it was cute and figured he and Jake could have some fun playtime holding the promise of that over his head. Except Ben was now being courted by a hideous old monster and Lazarus had thought Ben would retreat, except he didn't. He was on the hook. The old one was doing what Lazarus had intended - dangling promises of siring to lure Ben into his parlour. Lazarus struggled to come up with ideas how to separate them but luck was on his side. The old thing gave Ben a card with his details on it and told Ben to visit him tomorrow night. Ben agreed, but by tomorrow night it would be too late.

Lazarus did the same thing with Ben as he did with Jake, sans vampire to destroy. The blond mortal left Risk and headed for his car parked in a dark street. Lazarus met him there and cornered him with questions about being sired. He could tell Ben was a little scared because he was being antsy, but he was also respectful and went along with whatever Lazarus suggested; which was to climb into the back of Ben's muscle car and be drunk from. The sighs and groans and writhing soon turned to fucking and it wasn't long before Ben's intensity wavered off because of blood loss. Lazarus was livid; he'd meant to drink and fuck and take Ben home for Jake so they could both play and maybe swap mortals. He was also interested in Ben in a way that reminded him of his interest in Jake.

He couldn't die. But here he was, dying. Lazarus did all that he could; he sired him.

They went back to Risk. Ben's thoughts were loud and invasive, unusual that a newly made fledge could even tap into telepathy at all. Lazarus backhanded him a couple of times and then it stopped. Good. He went through the tedious task of teaching Ben how to drink and not make a mess of it and Ben proved himself a good student. Even better. They took Ben's car back to Lazarus' place and the beat-up Charger burbled into the garage.

Lazarus took Ben's hand and entered the house. He knew Jake was still here but he couldn't exactly tell where. He figured he was still upstairs in the bedroom with the mortal and was about to head up there when Jake's voice surprised him from the direction of the living room.

[Black Philip]

New York had been one hell of a town. It had been better than the Jersey Shore, and the gutter trash town Jake was from. The young man moved when he was eighteen, and found about vampires shortly after. Even before knowing they were real, Jake had dreamed about them. The idea of everlasting beauty and life pulled him deeper into nightlife, searching for the ultimate daddy. He liked men, and more importantly men liked him. His grey eyes, pale skin and dark hair drew vampires to him for study. The first few times the vampires had been in control, and some had treated him like real trash. However, he learned quickly how to play the game, to use the honorific at the right moment, to look wide eyed and stupid to those who wanted it, and nasty and cruel to those who craved it.

Jake wasn't sure how nasty or cruel he was, despite doing many nasty and cruel things. He assumed Lazarus had been drawn to his rather subjective morality, his sire's appetite for blood for exceeding his own. He'd seen Lazarus many times before he'd spoken to him, and it had been intentional. He found him sexy, that long blonde hair and chiseled face calling out like a beacon. Jake had simply learned that they wanted him more if he made them wait, strung them out, and got them all wild. He'd even relished in dashing Lazarus's hopes after their first sexual encounter. It was fun to torture him.

That ended the night Lazarus killed his rebound vamp. The sheer power, and fear took the fight out of him as Lazarus took away his choice. God it had been a cruel stroke for such minor teasing, but it told Jake never to cross Lazarus again, at least not until he understood him more. Despite despising him, Jake wanted and needed him. His fresh blood cried out for his sire's body, and so he had a hate filled sexual relationship with Lazarus, that continued on the basis that it was good. Jake didn't like Lazarus, but he began to understand him. Jake had been his, claimed from their night of passion. He'd taken what was his that night, and Jake resolved to take what was his too, when the time was right.

Overtime, he hated Lazarus less and less, and eventually, he agreed that he was happy for his siring. He felt strong, and old ones they met said he was both young and old as a result of Lazarus's blood. In time, they became a pretty pair of killers, and Jake found the feeling of power addictive. Other vampires had already approached him in recent days. Some said Lazarus was holding him back, and that in a few centuries he would have the world. Jake knew it was true, but in a strange way had grown to love Lazarus. He was a twin of soul, and Jake felt responsible for his maker. He would leave one day, he knew, but he wasn't ready to let go yet, and he didn't think Lazarus would let him leave.

Jake had finished the mortal off, fucking him and then draining him to death. He'd been a good meal, and a better screw, but Jake had given in to his hunger, and regretted nothing. The mortal had been a nobody anyway. He'd only finished disposing of the body, using his limited amount of Celerity to throw it in a dumpster several blocks down before coming back to the house. Jake had only been in the living room for a moment, when he spied Lazarus and someone he didn't know heading towards the stairs.

The kid was cute, with nice blonde hair and full lips. Something was wrong though. Jake felt drawn to him, like he was only drawn to one other, Lazarus. His eyes widened with shock, and he looked at Ben before saying, "what the fuck is this?"

[Trillian]

Ben's shiny blue eyes gave him away almost as much as the blood bond did. Fledgling kin didn't feel one another the same way they felt their sire, but like Jake, Ben instantly knew that they were part of a new little family. Surprise and wariness melted into his expression at the hostile question and Ben turned his vivid gaze up to Lazarus to do the explaining. He only knew one part of the story, himself.

Lazarus dragged Ben closer to him, releasing his hand so he could lock an elbow around Ben's shoulders. Jake wouldn't have cared if Lazarus brought back a mortal or a vampire, but to bring back a new fledge would be a shock. He wasn't ignorant of this fact, though he couldn't summon any empathy for it.

"Someone new to play with, love," Lazarus said, noting that he could hear no heartbeat in the house. The mortal was gone. He didn't care how. "Jake, say hello to... uh..." he looked down at the pretty young man. "Ben?" he hazarded.

"Yes, Ben," Ben replied, expression betraying his unhappiness at being so insignificant to the Ancient that his name had already been forgotten after being sired. He looked at Jake, hopeful that Lazarus' other fledge would accept him. "Hello," he said. He couldn't say he was pleased to meet Jake. He was still reeling in shock that there even was a Jake.

[Black Philip]

Jake liked Ben's shiny blue eyes, and Jake couldn't deny an attraction. He blamed it on the blood they shared. He was attracted to Lazarus, so of course he'd be into another of his bloodline. He wasn't sure how to feel, but for the moment pontificated betrayal. Was Lazarus bored with him so he made another? Was the day coming where Lazarus would leave Jake a note and say he and this one absconded to Paris? He couldn't help but see this Ben as a replacement. He didn't approve.

He looked at his sire, his fury being evident through their blood bond. His face was pleading for an explanation beyond the obvious dribble the ancient had just put out. Ben looked fun in that way, but they could've used him and dumped him as a mortal. Now, they were stuck with him. What a happy little family Jake suddenly had.

"Hey Ben," he said warily, a sense of judgement layering his voice. "So did he murder someone before he forced himself on you like me, or did you just fuck him?"

He knew he was asking for a slap to the mouth, or worse, but Lazarus had brought this mess into their home, and Jake was quick to let both of them know he wasn't happy about it. He didn't have anything against Ben though. How could he? They'd never met. However, the mere fact that Ben existed in this context was enough to stoke Jake's rage.

[Trillian]

Lazarus smirked at the anger that hit him. He knew Jake would be salty about Ben's siring like he'd been salty about his own siring, but hopefully he'd come around sooner rather than later. Because Jake interacted with Ben directly, Lazarus let it play out.

Ben could feel Jake's rage as well. It was a peculiar sensation, something that reminded him of heat and smelt like charcoal. Jake's words struck him with a double blow; first about his siring being forced on him (but it wasn't something he'd minded because he'd been looking for a sire after all), and second about having sex with Lazarus. He'd gone along with what Lazarus wanted even though he hadn't intended on behaving like a worthless groupie, but he hadn't expected to have sex in the back of his car. The feeding had brought out something intense in him and he'd been horny as anything, and all he remembered was being drunk from, being fucked and then being put through a fast-paced lesson on drinking from someone. His siring had started off peaceful, in the back of his car, but then Lazarus had returned him to Risk and everything was a haze of colour, light and sound.

Still, Jake's challenge made him feel cheap and dirty and he looked down as the colour in his cheeks rose with the fresh blood he'd ingested and the fact he was still new. His emotions radiated outward.

"Aww, love, you made him feel bad," Lazarus laughed.

[Black Philip]

Jake had an idea, and decided to ask. The worst case was Lazarus would tell him no. He smiled at the thought of getting Ben alone. They could have a little chat.

"Let me play with him," Jake said, looking to Lazarus with a much kinder face. "It will make up for me not being there when you claimed him."

He looked like all would be forgiven if he just got Ben alone. He couldn't always succeed, but Jake had learned he could sometimes manipulate his sire. It normally meant flattering him, or convincing him things were his idea, but sometimes Jake got ahead by offering to make tension go away. Lazarus might say no, tell Jake the new one was his, and to piss off. If he did, Jake would wait to see what his sire had in mind. He always had something in mind.

He looked at Ben, enjoying the negative feelings he'd stoked in him. It was adorable to watch him squirm. "You're cute when you're shamed," Jake observed. "Good to know."

[Trillian]

Lazarus narrowed his eyes at Jake, knowing from experience that he could be destructive. He didn't want Jake to destroy his new prize, though it would be interesting to watch. At least they could have a few rounds of Ben and see if he was worth keeping. He'd never destroyed a fledge without being attacked first before, but he was still attached to Jake and he liked how they'd developed as a pair and he wasn't done with him yet, so if it came down to it, he would dump Ben to fend for himself or let Jake try out his powers on him. Lazarus didn't stop him from practising them, but there was also a rule that he couldn't use them on him. Perhaps Ben could make for target practice.

"Alright, that sounds reasonable. I'll watch, though. I don't want you marking or breaking him before I have another go."

Ben listened as the pair of them negotiated over him like he was steak. He frowned first at Lazarus then at Jake when the other said how cute he was.

"Hang on a minute, I only had sex with Lazarus because the bite made me... want to," he explained, his outrage fading on the last few words as they sat awkwardly on his tongue, but when he tried to pull away from Lazarus and couldn't, he turned on his new sire. "You can't just pass me around to whoever you want."

Lazarus looked down at him, a cruel glint in his eyes. "Oh, but I can, love, and I will if that's what you need to get your attitude adjusted. It's my blood in your veins. I own you." The ancient's hand moved to Ben's hair - in need of a haircut judging by its slightly shaggy appearance - and he gripped it and pulled his head back. Ben cried out, his hands raising to hold Lazarus' by the wrist. "I can snap you in two, so be a good boy like you were in the back of your car, and do what I want. What I want for you is to play nice with Jake. Got it?"

Ben hesitated just enough for Lazarus to give him a little shake. "Got it! I got it!" he shouted.

"Good boy," Lazarus said, and let go.

[Black Philip]

Jake internally scowled at not getting Ben alone in a room. He wouldn't be able to say or do certain things with old Lazy around. That didn't mean he was mad at Lazarus. He enjoyed having an audience for which to put on a good show. He looked to Ben, and motioned for him to approach with a crooked finger. He then took off his shirt, and tossed it in the corner.

"Strip," he commanded, and looked to Lazarus for a sign he was doing this right. In their early days, Jake had enjoyed his sire teaching him how to drink, how to fuck and how to kill. He would only be doing one of the three tonight, but as he looked at Ben's delicious form he considered the possibilities. Once Ben was naked, Jake ran hands up and down his body.

"Do you fear me," he asked softly, his tone like a lover.

[Trillian]

Petulant venom shot at Jake through Ben's eyes. Rage and hatred spilled into the triangle that was their blood bond and a strong desire for rebellion. But Ben stripped anyway. He did it without show, lowering his eyes when he started removing his clothing. He did it with all the care and attention as one does before hastily getting into a shower.

He kept his face turned away so he didn't have to look at either Lazarus or Jake. At the roaming touches at first he flinched in place and then he closed his eyes, willing himself not to react more than he already was. Jake would notice now that Ben was breathing even though he wasn't talking, a habit he hadn't yet lost. His mind hadn't caught up to the fact his body no longer required it for him to continue living.

"No," he replied, because it was Lazarus he feared, not Jake.

[Black Philip]

"Wrong answer," Jake whispered just as softly. He would be made to fear him then. Jake liked when people were afraid of him. He knew Lazarus would never be. Even without mental powers there was little he could hide from his maker. Mortals normally had to do, but they were so temporary. Jake now had a little brother, to love and torment and help, in his own way. He'd start helping him now.

"Look at me," he said, putting mental force behind it. Jake wanted to force Ben's eyes to stare into his own. A hand grabbed Ben's flaccid member, and lightly stroked. "Fear will help you survive as one of us."

It was a tiny bit of real advice. Jake wasn't aware that he had shared something personal concerning immortality, but he had. "Unbutton my pants, and pull me out," he instructed, keeping Ben's eyes on his own. "This doesn't have to hurt if you play nice."

He remembered hearing words like that, from one of the vampires he'd experimented with before Lazarus. This sin wasn't nearly Jake's worst, but it was strangely cruel and personal.

[Trillian]

Ben looked at Jake immediately upon the command. Whether or not he was going to look at him without it was unknown. Ben was acutely aware of Lazarus standing near them, watching. He didn't turn his head to look but it gave everything an oddly unrealistic feeling. It could be dangerous to think in such ways. Detachment meant he was likely to do whatever was asked of him. When the instruction came hand-in-hand with a threat of pain, Ben's earlier glare of infection returned.

"I won't ever forget this moment," he breathed. A promise usually spoken to a lover, Ben uttered them in a way that made it sound like something with longterm consequences. Yet he did as told, staring Jake in the eyes as he felt his way to his zipper and worked it down, pushing his hand into the clothing and finding him bigger and stiffer than he'd expected. Wrapping his hand around it along with Jake's stroking upon him made his own cock gain girth and weight, fattening under Jake's touch. Ben trembled and closed his eyes to settle himself.

[Black Philip]

Jake laughed at Ben's proclamation. "You'll forget," he corrected. "Eternity is a long time."

Ben was hard now, and Jake grabbed by his chin. "Don't tremble," he said annoyed. "Did you break him when you made him," he called out to Lazarus. There was a day when Jake would've understood how Ben felt. He wasn't always as confident and monstrous as he currently was. He remembered times of feeling unsure, sheepish and scared. He'd been a teen older men had loved, and he'd hardened into steel from those early days. Lazarus was his longest and most stable monster relationship, but it was far from his first. Jake didn't have the cognition available to recognize he'd become the beast of his early youth, or that he was paying forward his own pain to Ben.

"On your knees," he instructed, giving Ben a few seconds to do as he was told. If he resisted, Jake would force him to his knees. This was happening.

[Trillian]

"He was willing for me," Lazarus replied, excited to watch these two.

Ben twitched, meaning to look over at Lazarus except his face was held in place by the chin. Ben was disappointed that his new sire wasn't interested in protecting him at least on his first night. He sank to his knees in front of Jake, the other vampire's hand no longer holding and stroking him. Ben still held Jake, though, and with his erection pointing aggressively at his face, Ben spoke.

"Stick it in my mouth and I'll bite it off," Ben said, his voice shaking. "Even if you kill me for it, you'll still have no dick for the rest of eternity."

He wasn't serious because he'd rather give a blow than risk his life over it but if there was a chance Jake believed him and didn't go through with it, then he would take that win. Ben knew - the instant he'd been backhanded in Risk - that he was going to be in a world of hurt, but he'd thought it would only be at Lazarus' hand. Having two tormenters was a lot more than he'd bargained for.

And still, with Lazarus' ancient blood in his veins, and the supernatural ability to see everything, and being told that he would live for eternity... it was worth it. It was an abusive world. He'd endured emotional abuse from his parents for years. He'd only had a few years away from and his life had faced financial hardship and constant uncertainty that he'd make rent or be able to buy food or find the next casual job. So now he was facing sexual abuse, most certainly physical abuse, and it didn't reallly surprise him. Just something else to navigate.

[Black Philip]

Jake scoffed at Lazarus's obvious tease, smiling a bit to show he wasn't a terrible sport. The threat had real spirit to it, and Jake did not want to lose his dick. He didn't take Ben seriously, and supposed he could just make him do it. No, that was no fun. The new meat needed to be punished for his refusal. Jake would've been happy for an oral treatment, but now he wanted more, and Ben would give it to him.

"Well I can't have that," he said, pausing long enough to give Ben hope that this was all over. "Turn around and show me your hole then."

He crossed his arms over his chest, and if Ben tried to suck him now he'd smack his head away. It could've been easy, but now because of his spunk, it would be a whole lot harder for him. Jake didn't understand why he was so set on doing this. Normally people lined up to get him alone, but something about Ben's refusal was stimulating in a new way. It was fun to conquer someone stronger than a human, but still weaker than him. As he inspected Ben's exposed ass, he wondered if this was how Lazarus felt throughout history.

[Trillian]

Ben was getting angrier. In spite of Lazarus' order to play nice, he didn't think the blond ancient was going to interfere after all. He was staying out of it, watching them. He hadn't said or done anything when Ben had refused Jake. Maybe this was a test from Lazarus to see if Ben would give it away to others. Since he didn't want to, he had a refusal in mind.

"No," he said, and he took pleasure in the word. He would fight Jake if he had to. No way was his blood that much older than his own. He looked just as new as Ben did. Barely ten minutes ago he hadn't even known Jake existed. If he was older and an important companion to Lazarus, then Ben would've been eased into it.

Lazarus laughed his delight. "How many people have said no to you, love? Not many," he said, answering his own question.