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What Are Friends For?
Author: Obsidian Butterfly66
Beta: none
Email: [email protected]
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jean-Claude/Richard
Warnings: none
Request: Jean-Claude/Richard, Jason or Asher would be fun, but no special wishes. Third-person narrative, if possible.
Written For: Misura
A/N: I don't normally write about Richard so I'm not sure if this is in character or not. I hope I gave you what you wanted. Please enjoy the story.
It was two in the morning when Richard staggered from bar, he was stumbling drunk. He weaved from side to side as he crossed the street to where he was parked. He watched the neon lights of the bar dance upon the hood of the car making him even drunker than he already was. He held his hand to his mouth choking back the bile that was trying to form at the base of his throat, he refused to be sick but he was losing the battle.
He never drank, but tonight he had, tonight he had tried to drink himself into oblivion, and soon he would pay for his actions. But that didn't matter, he had hoped he could drink her out of his mind but, it didn't work, she was still there, in vivid color, techno sound even.
Richard scolded himself for his stupidity as fumbled with his keys. He cursed silently under his breath as he tried to unlock the door of his car. He was having a difficulty, it seemed that every time he had the key lined up to the opening of the lock the blasted thing would move on him, or maybe it was he that was moving, he concluded after several attempts.
As Richard continued to chase down the lock on his car, several bar patrons offered their help. But being a man of great principle, not to mention stubborn as a mule, assured them that he was quiet capable of handling the situation himself.
While trying to steady himself he sternly sent them on their way, returning what little attention he had back to the door. Richard continued his assault on the lock for several moments, with little success, when another offer of assistance fell on his stubborn ears.
"Monsieur Zeeman, might I be of some assistance this evening?" purred a silken voice from behind him.
"I shaid NO thank you, I have it!" Richard slurred his hateful remark to the voice, before turning his attention from the lock, to see who it was.
Richard was somewhat surprised to find Jean-Claude standing behind him; the neon lights of the bar made him appear very alive, the reds gave his pallor complexion a rosy glow as the blue hue of the lights made his ebony hair almost glow in the shadows. As always Jean-Claude was a sight.
"As you wish" Jean-Claude said, politely bowing to Richard.
"No, no wait" Richard yelled "It sheems I am.... in a bit of a mess here" spreading out his arms in a look at me kind of gesture to Jean-Claude. "And shince you're already here"
"Indeed" Jean-Claude grinned as he began to walk toward Richard.
Jean-Claude looked at Richard trying to access the damage that the man had done to himself. He knew that the man was drunk but to what extent he was not certain. Jean-Claude leaned toward Richard inhaling the alcohol that consumed his body, turning his nose up at it.
"Mon ami, it appears you have been.....busy this evening" Jean-Claude purred as he caught the drunken man as he started to fall to the ground. Richard had passed out, but not before he had mumbled a single word.
Anita.
Jean-Claude pulled the unconscious man closer, as he called Jason to come pick them up and take them back to the circus.
"Oui, ma petite what have you done this time?" Jean-Claude said to himself as he gazed down at the drunken man in his arms.
Richard awoke startled. He was naked, and in a strange bed. He rose quickly from the bed, causing his head to spin and his stomach to churn. Where was he? He took a moment to look about the room, it was a large room. The room was painted a silvery gray that seemed to shimmer in the amber glow of the candles that served as the only light in the room. There were opaque drapes covering the massive bed that centered itself in the room. On the floor was a black carpet so thick and plush one could use it to sleep on instead of walk on. The d�cor had one person's name on it, Jean-Claude. He must be in Jean-Claude's room, but how? Oh yes he vaguely remembered leaving the bar and seeing Jean-Claude. He didn't want to face him right now that was the last thing he needed. What he needed was to get the hell out of here before Jean-Claude discovered he was awake.
Richard righted himself in the bed and tried to swing his legs over the side but was unable to; he had a hang over, a bad one. How long had he been asleep? He wondered. He lay back on the bed closing his eyes, as the room was spinning and he felt his stomach lurch upward, he was going to be sick.
He was cursing himself, as well as Anita when the door opened and Jean-Claude stood at the doorway. Jean-Claude grinned to himself as he watched the drunken man squirm in the bed, beneath his gaze. Richard continued to mumble to himself, as Jean-Claude entered the room
"Aww Monsieur Zeeman you are awake, how do you feel?" Jean-Claude asked trying his best to keep the amusement out of his voice.
"Like I could run a freakin marathon!" Richard commented sarcastically, before he leaned over the side of the bed relieving himself of the drink from the night before.
"Oui, I see." Jean-Claude said, glad that he didn't have to breathe and smell it. He walked to the bathroom, retrieved a wastebasket and a cool towel to place on Richard's forehead. "Indeed you are in excellent health" Jean-Claude smiled as he returned from the bathroom.
Jean-Claude placed the wastebasket on the side of the bed under Richards head to catch what he no longer wanted, or more correctly what his body didn't want.
"Cut the crap Jean-Claude" Richard growled as he pulled himself back on to the bed, clutching his stomach and then his head. "I know your just loving this" Richard maoned "Have any aspirin, by chance?" he spat out before another wave of nausea hit him.
Richard ached all over; his head felt that it would explode at any given moment and his eyeballs felt as if they were loose, rolling inside of his skull, he was miserable, and the fact that he was in Jean-Claude's bed sick from drinking too much didn't help matters.
Jean-Claude sat on the bed, avoiding the mess that lay on the floor at his feet. He patted the wet towel on Richard's forehead then his cheeks. "Oui, I have to admit I am somewhat amused by your current situation" Jean-Claude purred as he continued to wipe at Richards sweaty forehead. "But I am also concerned by it; after all you are a part of a triumverate" Jean-Claude stated sounding more serious than he had since he encountered Richard last night.
"You mentioned our ma petite last evening just before you succumbed to unconsciousness." Jean-Claude stated as he continued to pamper Richard. "Is she the cause of your discomfort?"
Richard shifted his gaze away from the vampire, and then back again as he knew it would not do for him to lie, Jean-Claude would surely know.
"Yes and no" Richard said to his caretaker. "She is just so...so" Richard gripped the fabric of the blanket trying to find the right words to explain his discontent. "Stubborn!" Richard yelled out, then grabbed his head and moaned from the pain he had caused himself.
Jean-Claude smiled in amusement at the man. "Oui, she is that" the Master Vampire leaned forward and whispered. "I will go see if there is some aspirin for your headache." "Do you wish anything else..... Richard?" Jean-Claude asked with sympathy.
"Yeah, a new head if you happen to have one lying around" Richard softly laughed trying to ease the tension, as Jean-Claude left the room. Maybe Jean-Claude wouldn't rub it in after all he thought to himself as he held his aching head.
Jean-Claude left the room in search for something to ease Richards's pain, but he knew that his headache was not the only source of the pain and that it would certainly take much more than an aspirin to relieve it.
Jean-Claude himself had been through the same torment where Anita was concerned; she indeed was a complicated creature. He was drawn to her as a moth to a flame; he craved her, needed her, and yes wanted her. He dreamed of possessing her fully. And to have her completely they would have to share the forth mark. Jean-Claude knew though that the forth mark would never happen, Anita would never allow herself to be fully possessed by any man, weather it be a Master Vampire or a Lycanthrope.
Jean-Claude had learned where he stood with Anita, his place in her life. He accepted it. He knew that it would take time for Richard to also figure out his place in her life. Neither he nor anyone else could show him, Richard would have to figure that out on his own. Hopefully it would be soon.
Jean-Claude returned to the room with aspirin in hand as well as a remedy that Jason recommended. He offered Richard the bottle of aspirin, then went to the bathroom once again to get a glass of water. Richard was sitting up in the bed holding the tablets in his hand, staring outward in thought.
"Richard" Jean-Claude spoke holding out the glass to him.
Richard turned to Jean-Claude taking the glass from the pale fingers of the vampire, popping the tablets into his mouth, swallowing a gulp of water, and handed the glass back to Jean-Claude.
"Well, I guess I'll get dressed and go" Richard sighed as he attempted once again to get out of the bed.
"Non, mon ami you are still in no shape to leave, stay as long as you like" Jean-Claude said as he gently pushed the weaker man back on to the bed.
"But, I have been nothing but trouble for you Jean-Claude" Richard whispered as his head began to pound again.
"Non, Richard, I do not mind." Jean Claude whispered back as he turned and walked to the door.
"What are friend's for?" Jean-Claude smiled as he closed the door.
The End
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