Taking a Gamble
Who: Jason and John When: around 11pm Where: Heme
Jason had finished his very interesting conversation with the bartender and proceeded to wander the club a bit. It was hard to tell at first glance which were vampires and which were not, but he didn't care too much just being there was a turn on. His fingers ran along the black choker collar he wore as his other hand still clutched his bottle of water. Jason found a table that was empty and paused a moment at it to take a drink without risking running into someone while he tried to do it on the move. God there were so many attractive (and quite a few unattractive) people in the room, he found it hard to keep himself down. Every accidental brush against him from someone passing or casual glance of someone catching his eye sent his insides in a whirl. His eyes catching someone and eyeing them up as well didn't help-like the thin blonde across the crowd. Shit, he needed a cold shower or something.
John was never more at home than he was when surrounded by a crowd. There was something about the ebb and flow, the life of the crowd itself. It was so easy to step aside, to watch unnoticed -- or to be noticed, if that was what he wanted. After half an hour at the club, John had decided that, finally, that was exactly what he wanted. And he had had plenty of time to browse the merchandise, so to speak. Now, lounging against the bar, his eyes connected with those of the young man whose seat he had taken. The vampire had pegged him for an interesting man immediately -- there was something about the way he moved, a certain tension, which had immediately caught John's eye. When their eyes met, his easy, just-for-you smile was at the ready, and he raised his glass to him with a polite, old-fashioned nod. The dark swirl of liquid in his glass was unmistakable. Jason caught a slight breath at the realization that he'd been caught staring. He returned the nod, it was strange how out of his element he felt. He normally was the one to walk right up to a guy, whisper in his ear and end up in the back alley moments later. There was just something so brilliant about being around predators like he was and being terrified, turned on, and a one to react instead of being reacted to. Wishing even more that he'd gotten something stronger he ran his hands down his black fitted coat and rose printed black tshirt and in a moment decided that he had no reason to not be himself- after all they had desires just like all the other boys he'd picked up. Jason slid into a seat at the table, retaining eye contact with the man as he did. He glanced briefly to the seat next to his with a nod before looking back to the man with a questioning glance.
John's smile widened at the invitation, and he spun back towards the bar to consult with the bartender. Money exchanged hands, and, after a moment, John rose from his seat with a drink in each hand. His own had been refilled, and he also carried one of whatever Jason had been drinking. The bartender had obviously remembered Jason -- and his drink. John slid effortlessly through the crowd, slender frame moving with a supernatural grace as he crossed the room. "Can I buy you a drink?" he asked, sounding confident in an affirmative as he flashed Jason another of those perfect smiles.
Jason nodded to the man. "Would love more." Damn for the night -not- to be drinking, why did kids need to take tests anyhow? Couldn't he just give them all Bs and be done with it? "Thank you." He said pushing aside his empty bottle of water and accepting the one from John. "Would you care to join me?" He asked, sliding the chair next to him out with his foot.
"I would," John replied evenly. After almost 100 years in America, there seemed to be no traceable accent left in his voice. In the past century, he had lived everywhere from Brooklyn to Dallas to San Francisco. Here and there, he had picked up a strange inflection of a word, but it was quickly lost, buried beneath the rest of his speech pattern. The vampire smoothly pulled out a chair and sat, his back to the crowd so that he could face Jason fully. It was a wordless reassurance that the man opposite him had his full attention. "You know," he went on, setting his own glass down on the table in front of him, "I hear most humans drink alcohol when they come to a bar." He was leaning forward a little, voice speaking just over the sound of the crowd and music. An amused smirk turned the corners of his lips upwards. "I was shocked myself. What ever happened to the good old days of Prohibition and Social Regulation?"
"Most nights you'd be right. But when there's work in the morning, it's best to avoid hangovers." Especially considering the schoolboard frowned on it. "Besides, alcohol dulls the senses and messes with the mind, who wants their senses dulled in a place like this?"
John could think of a few examples, but he only smiled and shrugged his shoulders lightly. "That's really too bad," he murmured, pausing only to sip his own drink. "I mean, here we are, the whole night ahead of us, and you have to go home early." Although John's eyes shone with good humor, his mouth dropped into a bit of a pout. "That's hardly enough time to get to know one another."
"Sleep deprived and drunk are two different demons." Jason replied. "Never said anything about not being up all night." After all, so long as he didn't smell like a brewery he could pass out the finals and nap in his office.
The vampire chuckled softly at that. "Well," he confessed. "I do like a man who knows how to bend the rules." He always had been one to do a little rule-bending and breaking himself. "As long as you're staying, I'd like to be selfish and keep you to myself." His smile was that of a knight rescuing a princess from a jealous dragon. "I'm John."
"Jason." He replied with a sideways grin. "And I like to think I'm pretty flexible." Jason said, opening his bottle of water and putting the plastic to his lips for a drink.
"I'll keep that in mind," John replied smugly, and although he never faltered in his words, he might have been hinting at something else... "So, Jason, you're drinking water and sitting over here by yourself." He had been by himself, anyway -- John was more than happy to fill that void. "Why are you here?"
"The same reason most are... curiousity. Of course there is the fact that a new club opening in town is a big thing and to -not- go... well is there really anything better to do?" Jason said, pretty much the same thing he'd said to the bartender. "That and there -are- so many new people I didn't know existed, never know what they're going to be like until you meet them." Or fuck them.
"So, it's a matter of curiosity," John interpreted. That was a little disappointing, if only because John, like so many others, were so accustomed to hiding their true nature that to be a curiosity made them a little uncomfortable. Of course, as far as John was concerned, it was also something that could be used to his advantage.
Jason nodded. "The world is run on curiosity, were there none then would the great European explorers ever have sailed across the Atlantic to settle in America? Or would we have inventions such as electricity or the car?" He shook his head slowly and looked down at his water, John was not a student, do not go into a lecture about how the world has changed- hell this man probably lived some of it. "I've found many good things come out of curiousity." Jason said, looking back up to the man. "Met many... talented- interesting people thanks to it."
"Necessity," John corrected with a sip of his drink. "Necessity is the mother of invention. All curiosity's done is kill a few cats." Adages were nice like that. You could turn to them again and again, and, most of the time, they were true. With a secretive smile, he added, "Good thing you're not a cat."
Jason chuckled. "Good thing. Although I still would argue that some discovery was found out of curiousity rather than necessity... but I won't start that... lord knows you could have me going all night. Only a few things can stop a man when he finds a topic he's passionate about."
"Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention," the vampire returned, tone a little teasing. "But which topic is that? History or new discoveries?" His gaze was steady, unwaveringly focused on Jason. "I'm sort of a forward-thinker myself."
"History... I guess I'm kind of a backward thinker in a way- or at least admirer. And a big proponent of learning from past mistakes." Which didn't seem to help in his own life as he'd been caught by the cops for indecent exposure more than enough times to learn. "And a teacher of it- history- at that... so-" He chuckled. "-I'm not unaccustomed to continuous talking on a single topic."
John's eyebrows rose slightly. Passionate about the topic indeed. Or perhaps he was being too subtle, giving little hints when he ought to be waving a big bloody banner. Unless he'd read him wrong and Jason just thought John looked like a good conversation partner. Not allowing that thought to go a step further, John rose from his chair. "Jason," he said, voice more suggestive than commanding. "Shut up." He barely gave the man a chance to breathe before he pressed his lips against the younger man's. A little stereotypical, maybe, but, like his old adages, it was something you could rely on.
What was it about Vampires that made him loose his finesse? -He- was the one who normally initiated these moves, but here it was John doing the moving. Jason's breath was taken at that as he, in the moment, returned the kiss. It only lasted a moment as the taste of the blood hit him a bit delayed and he found himself pulling back and resisting the urge to- gack. "Sorry." He muttered, pulling his water bottle up to wash the taste from his mouth.
For a moment, John thought he was losing his edge -- but, suddenly, a smile curved his lips, filled with genuine amusement. "Sorry," he said immediately with a little chortle. "Forgot I was drinking. Rinse into this." The man slid his glass, empty now, over to Jason. He wasn't accustomed to being able to flirt while drinking yet. Well, you live and you learn. "I'd offer to rinse out myself, but I forgot my toothbrush at home." John waited until the water bottle had been lowered, then suggested, "You're welcome to come along."
Jason did as was recommended, careful not to rudely 'spit' out the water. "I'd love to." He said, looking back to the stranger he'd just met. "And no need to apologize, I figure it's something some people just have to get used to."
"I'm usually better behaved," John said, stepping to the side to patiently wait for Jason to rise. Chuckling, he said, "Well, more gentlemanly when I do misbehave," he corrected himself after a moment. It was more that, really -- he rarely behaved himself altogether.
"I'm not." Jason responded as he rose from his seat.
With a smirk, John escorted Jason out to his car. The black Lotus Exige, sleek and shiney curves, shone with its own rich radiance in the moonlight. Like a gentleman, John held the passenger door open for Jason, leaning his chin against the top of the car door as Jason approached. "I have to ask you before I take you home. Can I trust you?" He watched him solemnly, not a trace of humor in his pale face. "No ties to law enforcement or any chance you'll rat me out to the police?" A cop, of course, could have simply lied -- but this was all a part of the game.
Jason leaned in the opening and looked at John with a cocked grin. "And have Tabby kick my ass? Hell no." He replied. "Besides, I'm just a guy going home with another guy from a bar right?" He asked as he slid into the car.
"I have a few guests over," John told him with a smirk. He glanced to make sure Jason was inside before closing the car door behind him and circling around to the driver's side. The keys clanged softly as he fished them out of his pocket and joined Jason inside. The car hummed smoothly when the key was turned. As they began down the street, he explained, "It may be legal to be a vampire now, but they haven't gotten around to legalizing blood brothels yet." His eyes slid sideways, just a glance. "Ever been?"
Jason looked at him a moment before shaking his head. Were they what they sounded like. "Are they... what they sound like?" He asked, trying to stay calm and not get excited- yet.
John's smirk was a touch amused once more. "Probably. I run an establishment built on the notion that people are free to sleep with and/or donate blood to vampires. And get paid for it. World's oldest profession." Sort of. It was a little more heavily frowned upon even one hundred years ago, but people were beginning to loosen up. John liked to see that in humans. "It's basically Heme but with fresh blood and sex." Basically.
It was hard for Jason not to get turned on by that. Actually it was practically impossible. While he wouldn't have pegged it as his 'dream place' it was certainly up there. His therapist is going to kill him. "Sounds..." Jason looked over at John, trying quickly to think of a word that wasn't one of the first coming to his mind. "Interesting." Which, while slightly dull, was better than 'a turn on', 'my kinda place', 'fucking great' and the half dozen or so other thoughts that popped into his head first.
John gave him that amused glance of his again, somehow suspecting that John was more interested than that. They were just words, though, and John, more than anybody else, knew you couldn't trust words. "You're welcome to take a look around -- but, of course, the action will be behind closed doors." That reminded him suddenly. "My clients expect discretion. If you see someone you know, I hope you won't begin any rumors..." It was announced sort of idly, as though John already trusted him to behave himself. Already, they were pulling up in front of the old mansion. It looked quite old, and, although there were a few cars parked out front, the house itself seemed fairly quiet.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Jason said, he could only imagine what rumors of himself being there might do. As they approached the house he didn't hide the fact that it was impressive. "Nice place." His heartbeat sped up a little with excitement at the anticipation of what this place held, it was more than a normal 'pick up'- in fact Jason was begining to think that this time it had been -he- who'd been picked up.
"I keep a wing for myself -- and for my guests," John added after a moment with a smile. The door opened to reveal a lavish space, decorated with elegance in mind. The old-fashioned blended with modern, tastefully blending into a style all its own. A woman sprawled on a chaise lounge sofa glanced up when they entered, and a slow, predatory smile crossed her face as her eyes landed on Jason. She offered little more than a wave -- the wiggle of a few fingers -- as John led Jason past her.
Jason gave her a curious look before following John. "Much nicer than my place at least, wonder if your interior decorator does-" He couldn't let the man know he lived in a trailer. "-smaller places."
"I'm not sure," John mused. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere. Perhaps you could meet him later and ask?" With a smirk, they entered John's private wing. Here, the rooms were equally as lavish, but there was a more old-fashioned touch to them. John didn't spend a lot of time alone here -- it looked unused and unlived in, despite the cleanliness throughout. "I'm going to rinse my mouth out and make it all minty-fresh," he said with a joking smile. "Have a look around, if you like."
Jason nodded, it was all a bit to take in. The poor high school teacher who lived in a trailer, he'd been in some nice hotels, but never a house as nice as this one. He wandered a bit as John took his leave, not really wanting to touch anything as he looked around. This wasn't like a normal one night stand, this seemed to be getting a bit more... elaborate.
It didn't take long for John to rinse out his mouth. Touched up with mouthwash and toothpaste -- yes, John brushed his teeth. Just because you were dead was no reason to let yourself go, after all. When at last he deemed his mouth blood-free -- and that made him smile to think of Jason's reaction again -- he stepped back into the living area. He watched the other man a moment, posed against the doorway, then asked, "You look a little...lost."
Jason turned around and shrugged slightly. "New places." He replied. "Nicer than I'm used to I'll admit." His thumbs tucked into the pockets of his black jeans he glanced around again. "I will admit I'm impressed." But scenery isn't really what he was hoping to have come here to discuss.
"Good," John answered. "I wouldn't have it any other way." His eyes moved over the younger man, lingering a moment, before he stepped forward. "Now," he murmured, unabashedly stepping right up to him. "Wanna try that kiss again?"
Jason smiled and leaned in, letting his lips press to the other mans. The taste of blood was gone, which was good. It felt strange to have his warm lips pressed against Johns cold ones. Almost like an exillarating shock to the system.
John tilted his head back, instinctively searching for that angle that would give the taller man complete access to his mouth even as he brought their bodies together. His hands moved searchingly over the other man's backside, one lifting to press gently on the back of his head while the other settled at the small of his back. He always enjoyed the first kiss, whether it was just a kiss on the cheek or something like this, something to open and passionate that it could set the heart racing -- or would have, if his still worked.
Jasons hands similarly slipped around John, he always enjoyed every aspect of a meeting... kinda why he had such a problem. He could feel the shape of John's fangs as his tongue ventured into the mans mouth. His kissing partners heart might not be able to race, but Jasons sure was, pushing blood through his veins and warming up his extremities.
Kissing, he thought with amusement, was one of the things that had changed. When he was alive, kisses were more chaste, even, he suspected, between husband and wife. To him, there remained something dirty about this kiss -- although, it wasn't, necessarily, something to be avoided altogether when done properly. And he had to hand it to Jason -- he knew what he was doing. John's hands moved to find the other man's shoulders, and they rested there a moment before giving a little push to send him sprawling backwards on the couch. The vampire would not leave him there for long; he all-but dove forward to resume the kiss, now straddling Jason's lap.
Jason fell back against the couch almost straight on, his back hitting the back of the couch with a soft 'thump'. It semed like less than the time of a blink later that John was atop Jason their lips reconnected. The excitement grew quickly- other things grew slowly- and his entire body tingled with it.
Unlike some vampires, who enjoyed a little nibble with their sex, John preferred not to mix the two -- although that rule was not without exception. Habits formed both in life and in his unlife made him prefer one or the other...especially at first. Besides, he knew from firsthand experience how strange sex with a vampire was. Its very nature -- one partner alive, the other dead -- was in itself a strange enough experience without biting your partner as well. At some point, they had migrated into the bedroom, although, to be honest, John couldn't say at exactly which point that had been. Heavy curtains hung over the windows, blocking out the night's stars. Even with the lights on, the elaborate room was drenched in its own darkness of hardwoods and deep reds. The light seemed somehow pooled around the giant four-poster bed, fading away into shadow all around them. John lounged against the pillows, a slight smile of content wound over his face. It had been...most satisfying indeed.
If it had been any other encounter in an alley or hotel room Jason would have been up and dressing by that point, but this was different. John had taken him back to his house- into his room. A hand brushed over his forehead beaded with a little sweat, despite his partners cool touch Jason had gotten quite warm. It amazed him still how different sex with a vampire was, though logistically it was very similar, it really wasn't the same. Maybe in this case it was the many years of experience in his partner that added to the event, whatever the case Jason's 'hit' was very strong and his craving was very much quenched.
With an amused glance at his partner, John rose to his feet and moved softly across the room. His feet padded softly against the hardwood floor as he made his way to the windows. Throwing open the drapes, he stood there a moment, simply looking down at the town below. The view from the window was lovely. The mansion itself was set on a bit of a hill, so the ground itself sloped away until it turned into houses and streets. Then, John unlatched a window and lifted it, and the sounds of the night bled into the room, carried along by the night breeze. "Better?" he inquired.
Jason smiled and turned on his side to face John. "Almost hard to believe it's still night out." Time had passed so strangly, seemed that what they did should have taken longer, though that is not a complant.
"Think so?" John asked curiously with a glance over his shoulder. There was still an hour or two before he would have to close the curtains on the world again, before the living would once again rule the world. He was as comfortable in his nudity as he would have been with clothes on. Other than being pale and with a few assorted scars, after all, he was in great shape. He'd been killed in the prime of his life, the muscles he had built in life apparent. And Jason wasn't bad-looking himself. John settled back down on the bed, sitting up and leaning back against the headboard. "You're welcome to get some sleep, if you want. Otherwise, I'm sure we could find you something to eat."
"If I go to sleep now, I might have trouble waking back up. Would hate to miss work. And with only a few days left... that could be bad." Jason chuckled. Summer was just around the corner, he had to remember that.
Well, it couldn't be said John didn't offer to be a good host. "You teach history, right?" he asked curiously. "What age?" And did they know how their teacher spent his free-time?
"High school." He replied. "Mainly Juniors and Seniors." Jason ran a hand through his hair. "And this is finals week."
Different times. "That's the end, right?" John asked, perhaps betraying his age -- and his experience in the educational field. Hell, when he had been that age, he'd been a man. Very different times.
Jason nodded. "Yes, until the end of summer at least, when it all starts up again." He dared something he normally didn't do- well with a one night stand at least- and slid closer to John.
John moved instinctively, shifting so that he could put his own arm around Jason's shoulders. "And you teach history," he murmured thoughtfully. "What's your favorite period?"
"I like it all, though the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries are probably some of my favorite, I find it's more different aspects of each period that stands out as favorite." Jason replied. "Wars of the twentieth, inventions of the nintheenth, discoveries of the renaissance, neo-gothic archetecture of the middle ages, philosopy of the greeks and romans... Please stop me now." He chuckled.
"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't interested," John countered gently. More curiously yet, he asked, "And what do you think of this Light of May? What do you think the history books are going to say?"
"I think it's still too early to tell but it'll probably read either like the civil rights act... or the holocaust." Jason replied honestly.
John nodded thoughtfully. It was a strange thing, something which, he had been told, the elders of all vampire families had had a hand in. He had to wonder if that was true, if his elders had participated in arranging this. Well, there was nothing they could do abut it, now was there? "I've never really cared much for history -- or current events."
"Then what is it you care for?" Jason asked with a curious smile. Evading the 'teacher talk' was always a good thing, helped not blend the two parts of his life.
"Me, mostly," John told him honestly and with a grin. "Houses like this aren't cheap." He paused. "And there's that survival thing, too." The survival thing was made more difficult by John's gambling addiction, whether it was with coin or with his life.
Jason nodded, respecting the honest answer. "Couldn't've lived as long as you had if it wasn't right?" He asked, slipping an arm around John's cool chest.
"And how long do you think I've lived?" John asked, both curious and amused. John wasn't as hard to pinpoint as some vampires. Many of his elders had a difficult time learning to live in the twentieth century. John liked to think of himself as adaptable -- you had to be, if you meant to swindle as many people out of their money as John had. Still, he knew he wasn't entirely modern, for all of his attempts. Some things just stayed with you.
Jason shook his head. "I would only hazard to guess that you've been living well for a while at least, after all it probbaly takes a while to get a place like this.
With an amused chuckle, John said, "I actually won the title in a game of poker." It had been one of his better nights, one where he had been able to walk away from the table a winner. "I probably spent more fixing it up than it was worth, really. The woman I won it from hadn't lived here since the...seventies, I believe she said." It was worth it, though. It was a nice, comfortable home in a town that welcomed vampires. And, he made money here as well. It was a dream come true.
Jason chuckled. "So you play poker?" He asked. Jason had never been much of a gambler. One addiction is good enough thank you.
"I play...everything," John answered with a grin. There was a certain gleam in his eye when he spoke. "When I have the money and when I don't." That was part of the reason John skipped from town to town -- he usually left with a bad reputation. "Las Vegas is still my favorite city." Thoughtfully, he said, "I saw Minsky's Follies. That's not something a lot of people -- dead or alive -- can say." Back in those days, that had been a racey act. Now, it would hardly lift an eyebrow. It had class, though.
"So... do I get a Grand Tour?" He asked, sitting up a bit. "Or just your 'personal' area?" After all Jason was very curious about this area, vampires feeding and what not.
"And here I thought we were just going to stay in bed until you had to go," John replied with a chuckle. "Throw on some clothes -- or don't, but I can't guarantee you'll get to work on time if that's your choice." He smirked and stood, throwing a robe over his shoulders. It hung open and loose as he strode towards the window and worked with the curtains to close them again. It wouldn't do to have them wide open should the sun come out, would it?
Jason got himself redressed, as much as he would have loved to stay in bed, he was very curious about the rest of the house, and what went on there- and seeing as his craving had been satisfied he was ok to do so for a while without other things preoccupying his mind.
John tied his robe closed, waiting patiently for his guest to finish dressing before he began the grand tour. They'd already seen most of his wing. There were still some empty bedrooms, but they were hardly important. It seemed he was just as eager to show off his little business as Jason was to see it. "I think most of the clients have probably gone home by this hour," he noted.