In a Different Light 3
Tal and Thorn
Instant Infamy
Looking more like himself than he had the rest of the day, Claire banged on the dashboard of the antique Oldsmobile. �Can�t this piece of shit go any faster? God, I should have drove,� He slouched back in the seat, crossing his arms. Looking over at Dice with a reprimanding pout, he continued. �This is so the most boring escape ever.�
Dice had had just about enough. �Well,� he said smiling the whole time, �how about I push you out the door and you can escape on foot. I thought you�d be happy they aren�t following us are they?�
Claire didn�t respond, he just turned and looked out the window. Suddenly, he sat up. �Hey, turn left here, and park in that alley!�
Dice turned the wheel. �You have a good place to hide?�
�Absolutely,� Claire grinned at Dice, opening the door before the car was fully in park. �Stay here for just a minute. I have to see someone about a favor.� He walked quickly out of the alley, and turned down the street, disappearing from Dice�s view.
Dice was drumming out the beat of the song he was listening to on the car stereo, trying to decide whether to be concerned that Claire was trying to shake him or not. He wasn�t too concerned, likely Claire would be back and this would be the only peace he had. He quickly turned off an offensive song, as in the one Claire had been singing earlier, and found some sleepy country warbler.
The car door opened, and Claire looked at him offended. �What is that crap?� He threw a bag at Dice and slid into the car. �Put those on. I�m not taking you anywhere looking like that.� Claire propped his feet up on the dashboard, knees nearly against his chest to tie the knee high boots he was now wearing. The Boots were shiny black and wrapped over skintight brown suede pants with a row of diamond shaped cutouts up both legs to the low hips. Claire�s shirt was white with long sleeves and black leather straps and buckles holding it tight against his skin. �Well, hurry up,� Claire looked up from his boots. �If we hurry, there�s no cover.�
�Is this place we are going somewhere you frequent often?� Dice asked as he drew out his outfit. �Where the hell am I supposed to change into this?� He wasn�t offended it was some very expensive looking club gear but was he supposed to change in the car? He decided he could at least put on the hot pink extremely tight long sleeve shirt and the gray fishnet one that went over it.
�It�s either here or behind that dumpster,� Claire pointed to where three men were standing, laughing loudly. �Who do you trust more? Me or them?�
�Them, I have every right to shoot if they touch me.� Dice said but opted to climb in the back to fight with the gray silver leather low riding lace up pants. �Just don�t look.�
�Of course not,� Claire said, facing forward like a good boy, but sneaking a peek in the rearview mirror. �By the way, those boxers will have to go. You don�t want wrinkles on that cute butt of yours.�
�Yeah, yeah, I know how wear a pair of leather pants.� Dice grumbled from the back seat and he shimmied them all the way up his legs and did the ties. �Hand me the bag so I can put on the jewelry.�
�Sure,� Claire cheerfully turned around, kneeling on the seat, and smiled at Dice as he pulled something from the bag. �Guess you didn�t see this, huh? That leather might chafe you in some very uncomfortable places. I�d hate to see you damaged on our first date.� He held out a wad of black fabric.
�I guess I missed it.� Dice snatched the small piece of fabric from Claire and set about undoing getting out of and putting the pants on over it. Finishing that he put on the thick flat shiny metal bracelets and matching collar. Holding up a silver chain with a loop at the end he said, dreading the answer, �I know it�s not a necklace so what am I supposed to do with it.�
Claire, a little disconcerted by Dice�s absolute lack of reaction to his outright leer as he undressed and redressed, shrugged. �It came in a set with the collar and bracelets. I thought it would help you keep track of me,� Claire took the end of the chain and hooked it on one of the silver loops dangling from the collar. �See, you can follow me everywhere I go.�
�Seems a bit more like you can keep track of me.� Dice muttered. �And I saw you looking. I told you not to look!� He said finally displaying his offense at Claire�s hungry leering.
Not looking sorry at all, Claire muttered an apology. �Let�s go. It�s still early. We might be able to get a space on the speakers.� He pulled the keys from the ignition, and jumped out of the car. �Hurry!� He opened the door and grabbed Dice�s leash.
�Hey who said you could take those!� Dice got up out of the car not that he had much choice. But he let Claire lead him forward. �You might be surprised though how well I can keep up.�
�By all means,� Claire looked over his shoulder, hand on his hip and smirked. �Surprise me.�
He dragged Dice into the back door of a store. �But first, I have to finish you up.� He pulled out a black first aide kit from a shelf on the side of the door. He opened it and approached Dice with a small paint brush in one hand and a tiny pot of some black liquid.
�What are you going to do with that?� Dice back up a step. It was understandable; the latest rage with Black Tab was putting it in eyeliner and lipstick.
�I�m going to put on your makeup,� Claire replied. �Now hold still, or I swear I�ll put your eye out.�
Barely putting up with being made up, Dice waited for Claire to finish. �Do I have the right look now or should duck over to the store and get some fingernail polish too.�
�There�s some here, just not the time to do it right,� Claire stepped back and smiled, satisfied with his work. �Let�s go.� He grabbed Dice�s arm and led him down a flight of stairs to a dingy basement. Moving quickly through the dark, Claire pulled open a trap door in the floor. �Down here. You go first, shutting this door can be tricky.�
�You�ll forgive me if I question your motive. I�m not na�ve I know the sort of things that happen in places like this I could go through that door and never be heard from again.� Dice nonetheless grabbed the ladder leading down. �But because I hear the music and see some wild lights down there I�m taking your word that this is a rave club or something.�
�You�ll have fun, and get paid for it. What could be better?� Claire asked, following Dice down the hole.
�I don�t know what kind of guy you think I am�� Dice started as he jumped the little ways down to the floor from the ladder. It wasn�t one of the places he knew about and he knew about most of them. At first glance it looked fairly harmless. There were a lot of people most of which were dancing. �Not the kind of hangout I�d have expected for Vampire.�
Claire landed and put a hand over Dice�s mouth. �Don�t. I�m not that here. And I want to keep it that way.� He turned to the room, and quickly headed down the stairs into the mass of dancers.
�Sorry.� Dice muttered shrugging. He went to put his hands in his pockets but remembered there wasn�t room for pockets with the tight leather he was wearing. Well, fine he could fit in here. He walked confidently behind Claire trying to ignore the gawkers they were both attracting just walking to the dance floor.
Claire was accosted by an angry looking blonde girl as he tried to push his way onto the raised dance floor. �Where the hell have you been?� She yelled loud enough for Dice to hear even with the loud music. �You stood me up!�
Claire shrugged. �I was busy.�
�You�re always busy.�
�Um... is that your girlfriend?� Dice asked wondering who would talk so bossily and abruptly to Claire. This was a different world.
Some guy twice his size was asking him to dance... well he thought that was what the guy was saying. It was hard to tell with the loud music and the other guy�s level of intoxication.
�Yes,� the girl said at the same time that Claire virtually screamed �NO!�
Claire sighed and gave the guy bothering Dice a glare, pulling him closer so he was obviously occupied. �This is Reese. She� Well, we had this arrangement, and��
�Blue lost a bet, and now I own him,� Reese supplied, much to Claire�s utter horror.
�That isn�t exactly how��
�Liar.�
Dice held a hand over his mouth to hide the laughter he had little chance of stopping. It didn�t help. He took a deep breath and tried to say something... anything but just started laughing again. Trying again, he managed, �You didn�t tell me you had to keep an appointment with your keeper.�
�She�s not�� Claire shrugged. �Never mind. I�ll get us some drinks. I can guess what you�re on tonight, Reese. How about you, what�ll it be?� He looked at Dice expectantly.
�Something a little sweet, and a little sour and definitely with a twist of Blue.� He said referring to a popular drink�and Claire�s club name. It was a club and it didn�t hurt in this world to have a little fun. Maybe even flirt with Claire just a bit.
�Right, don�t be picky or anything,� Claire muttered, walking towards the bar.
Reese turned to Dice, eying him up. �You Blue�s new boy?�
Just how the hell should I answer that? "You could say that, I suppose.� He played with the silver chain twirling it around his finger. Once he had a drink he could relax a little maybe even slip back into the part of himself that could be comfortable here. He should probably introduce himself. He�d just use his old name from life in the darker places of Judoh. No one here would know it. �I�m Aura.�
�Nice. You�re the first he�s brought down here, you know. Most of them are from here, regulars, you know. Where�d he find you?�
Think fast... what was the name of that one place? Or maybe I could say... no that wouldn�t work. �I wish I could remember but you know Blue. I can�t keep track of how many different places we�ve been just in the last couple nights.�
�That new, huh?� Reese patted Dice�s arm. �You don�t have to put on any act for me, Aura. Tomorrow, he�ll have a new one hanging on him. They never stay long. Blue can�t stand anybody getting close like that.�
Dice�s green eyes fell just a little but you�d have to really know him to notice. �Who said I was looking to leave here with him tonight?�
Reese smiled. �You did. I saw the way you were looking at him,� she answered plainly. �You seem like a nice guy, I thought I�d warn you before you got hurt. Blue doesn�t� Well, he�s friendly enough and I�ve seen him get a little hot and heavy a couple times, but he just doesn�t act like pretty much everyone else here. He�s�� She shrugged as Claire approached, holding three glasses up high to try to keep from spilling them.
�Reese talk your ear off yet?� Claire asked, handing Dice a tall glass of some toxic green drink loaded with ice.
�Huh? Oh no, she didn�t say anything," Dice answered taking his drink and sipping it fast lost in thought. Right, why did I think he was being anything other than playful? I can�t believe I was picturing him coming around to my little hovel his half naked body standing there in the moonlight n the balcony�I really need to stop visualizing that�and that... and most definitely that.
�Sure she didn�t,� Claire looked at her accusingly. He downed his drink in two gulps, and slipped away, towards the dance floor. �Coming?� He asked Dice, smiling.
�Yeah. Um,� he handed Reese the last third of his drink. �Could you hold this? I guess I should enjoy tonight any way but thanks for the warning. I don�t want to turn into some silly little lovesick boy over him.� He smiled in a way that made his true feelings as unreadable as possible.
�Have fun then,� Reese waved and headed towards a row of tables against the farthest wall.
Claire was already deep in the dance floor, shamelessly gyrating with a couple of boys who might have been twins. He waved Dice over and disentangled himself.
Ok Claire. I have a bit of experience with this. It was a great way to entice new clients. Try to keep up. Dice moved to close in on Claire and started a very rhythmic grind just a millimeter from his body.
Claire watched him for a moment, smiling. Then he put one hand on the small of Daisuke�s back and matched him, his other hand moving over Dice�s upper body and face, not quite touching. �You�re good,� Claire muttered in Dice�s ear.
Dice response was to bend in ever so slightly so his ass was rubbing against Claire�s groin then he moved down using his arms to entice Claire to follow his lead. Claire didn�t see any reason not to, so he kept one hand firmly on Daisuke�s hip, and followed suit, thrusting his hips forward just enough for Daisuke to feel his growing erection.
This wasn�t enough to throw off Dice�s rhythm. He was still fully clothed he was still in complete control of his body. He planted his feet firmly on the floor and used only his hips and his spine which he was leaning further back with to keep up the tempo.
Claire leaned forward, and tongued the side of Daisuke�s neck. His hand slid a little forward, around Daisuke�s hip to nearly his cock. Claire began to step by slow step, steer Daisuke towards the other side of the dance floor.
Letting only the music lead him, Daisuke let his hands reach back and run over the sides of Claire�s legs. It was easy as long as he didn�t think about it too much. The stray thought of how easy it would be to make the man he was dancing with pay for more went through his mind and it almost stopped his heart. This was Claire not some guy he was trying to lead off to�oh but if Claire wanted him to he would. In a heartbeat.
The world was shrinking. Claire knew that he had a reputation here; he knew that he was going to make things harder on himself later. But that didn�t matter. The club, the other dancers were ceasing to matter. Every moment he spent with Daisuke this close, this suggestively touching and allowing himself to be touched, the rest of the world became more and more of a blur. Just a couple more steps and they would be off the floor. A couple steps after that, and they would be in a dark corridor. Not glamorous or even all that clean, but it didn�t matter. Claire had to be alone with him. Had to find out if this was all just an act.
Aware they�d left the dance floor but not terribly in a hurry to break the contact. Dice let himself be led to a place where the spinning lights barely reached.
Claire pushed him against the wall and leaned against him, hands holding Dice�s wrists at his side. Claire stared into Dice�s face for a long moment before kissing him softly, breaking the contact quickly.
Dice blinked just once then his eyes seemed to hold Claire�s, he only twitched his wrists slightly not fighting Claire off. He searched for something to say and tried to hide how much he wanted something anything from Claire. �I hope I�m as good a date as any other. I get the feeling you�re practically judged on what you deign to dance with here.�
Claire smiled. �More like what deigns to dance with you.� He leaned close again, kissing Daisuke. This time, he let his tongue slid into Dice�s mouth, tentatively searching. Dice let instinct take over and he tried to taste every part of Claire�s mouth trying to make the kiss stronger deeper... then he snapped his head away. �I said before I�m not na�ve, I know what kind of things happen here, Blue. Don�t pretend on my account.�
�Right,� Claire stepped back, releasing Dice. He looked like he was searching for something to say. The song changed, and he bounded off. �That�s my favorite. C�mon!�
Dice stood there unable to do anything for a moment. This wasn�t good. The longer he stayed, the more he watched Claire, the more he danced with Claire, the worse it was going to be. Initially he was just going to have fun. Play. Flirt. But he�d wanted that kiss badly and it had been more�well just more. Just thinking about how it felt was too much. It led to trying to figure out how to get another. He found himself back on the dance floor facing Claire and reverse mirroring his every move. Touching again. Moving as one again. It was worse than bad. Claire was bringing out something in him he really tried to keep in check. His addictive nature. It was why if a guest came to his house more than once, the flavor of beverage was always different. It was why he never seemed attached to anything.
Claire had never met someone with such a lack of personal space issues. The idiot clinging girls his father had tried to get him interested had always kept their distance. Even the boys he distracted himself with here didn�t press so close or stay there for so long. It was a little unnerving. Mostly because he didn�t really mind. His mouth found it�s way to Dice�s neck again. He tongued the flesh, and left a couple playful bites in his wake.
Dice tried to reason with himself all the while melting into Claire�s touch�the music�the dance. But there was not a great deal of reasoning to be had once his human side began to want something and his celestial side accepted curiosity. He had to slow down had to get off the floor. Blinking he found his reason he pulled back, cold eyes fell on Claire. �I need some air, I think, or maybe just another drink.� But his eyes communicated clearly I need to get away from you right now just don�t ask me why.
Claire�s smile faltered just a little. �I�ll be right here when you get back,� he said quietly, releasing Dice, and half-turning to dance by himself. He probably wasn�t going to stay much longer. The fun was rapidly going out of the night, and Claire just didn�t know how long he could stand to be here once that happened.
Dice found his way back to the mercifully unoccupied corridor. He punched the plush covered wall, a few times. He wanted it all to disappear. His growing need to be near Claire. To hear his voice. Feel his breath on his neck. Gone. Gone. Gone. There had to be a way to make it gone.
Claire made his way off the dance floor. He needed a drink. He should leave. Daisuke would be able to find his own way home. And the last thing Claire needed was to get attached to some one else who would inevitability betray or abandon him. This was a bad idea. He was too impulsive sometimes. Claire didn�t even make it to the bar when he decided that he had to leave. He circled around, heading for the corridor that would lead to the second exit, closer to the casino.
�What is it about him?� Dice was still enjoying a rare tantrum. As much of one as he would allow himself.
Claire rounded the bend and stopped. Dice was leaning against the wall, looking rather distraught. He considered offering some kind of assistance, but thought better of it. He was too fucked up himself to even try to help someone else. He just tried to walk by without Dice noticing him.
�Anyone.� Fist pounded into wall. �But.� Again. �Him.� He pulled back his fist letting it fall to his side and clenched right back up. Looking at the mirrored ceiling he said before seeing Claire in the reflection. �Someone else I could have dealt with but I don�t need�� He turned. �Cl�I mean, Blue, how about we get you back where you want to be safely.� Nice Daisuke had immediately replaced real Daisuke without missing a beat.
Claire�s wounded expression fell away almost immediately, replaced by an evil smirk. He took a step towards Dice. �Not yet. I�m not done here.� He could feel the dull ache in his shoulder, signaling the need for painkillers, but Claire didn�t care just now. He had to purge out the pain inside of himself first. He ran one hand up Dice�s arm to cup his face. �There�s still one thing left undone.�
Dice with infinite calm even he didn�t know where he got it from breathed in and said, �And that is��
�This,� Claire�s hand moved quickly, grabbing a handful of Dice�s hair, and twisting it. He kissed Dice, violently this time, tongue invading his mouth, heedless of what his lip ring was doing to either of their lips. His other hand grabbed the laces on Daisuke�s pants, and in his fervor, broke them.
Daisuke could feel his whole body flush and taste the coppery tinge of his or maybe Claire�s blood. Damn lip ring. But it just added to the sensation which was nearly overwhelming, he knew it wouldn�t last. One of the worst parts of this whole celestial thing was losing the sensation soon after you feel it. This either made a true celestial aloof or a half-human near crazed with need. Dice�s hands were trying to help Claire find a good use for his.
Claire nearly tore the leather pants while he peeled them back. Using on hand to bat Daisuke�s away, Claire�s other hand closed around Daisuke�s cock. He used the man�s hair to force him to his knees, and knelt himself. Angry, desperate fingers held almost too tightly to Daisuke�s shaft as he stroked it. Claire�s mouth didn�t let up on Daisuke�s either, his tongue becoming more demanding, and his teeth occasionally finding Daisuke�s lips.
�Once you let the drug in your system, it will rule you.� His brother�s warning and so applicable here but he didn�t care. There was nothing but Claire. The warmth of his mouth, the harshness of his soft, silky fingers. And Dice could only moan through the kiss. He tried to fight with his eyes tried to use the power within him to imbue fear or a chill something to slow Claire. But even that was waning and he was now feeling the heat of tears touching the sides of his desperate to lie eyes.
Claire removed his mouth from Daisuke�s, but his hand, freed from the blonde hair at the base of Daisuke�s neck, covered his mouth quickly. Claire�s harsh kisses and bites fell on Daisuke�s neck and shoulders, while two of his fingers worked their way in and out of his mouth. His hand on Daisuke�s cock resettled its grip, the stroking speeding up and getting rougher, Claire�s fingernails scraping lightly over the sensitive skin. He stopped biting long enough to hiss in Daisuke�s ear. �Come. Now.�
Daisuke was near molesting Claire�s fingers with his tongue, the sound of Claire�s menacing voice would have put him over the edge anyway had he not known the touch of an angry hand and a demanding man. He bit down on Claire�s fingers as he complied with absolute lack of any control.
Claire released Daisuke, and pushed him back onto his butt. Kneeling over him, Claire started to laugh, his frightening Vampire laugh. He stood slowly, violet eyes wide and clouded with pain. �Guess you�ll need professional help to deal now, Dice,� he hissed, and turned on his heel, a shaky hand retrieving his cell phone from his belt clip. Claire headed for the exit, trying to get a dial tone on his cell phone.
Part Four |
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