Who: Daniel Penbrook & Billy Crowley What: Daniel knows something isn't quite right so goes to check on Billy When: After this Where: Billy's place Rating: Low Warnings: n/a
Billy was roused from his episode of Schitt's Creek by a knocking at the door. He hadn't ordered take out, wasn't expecting any company (which was a damn good thing because his mood was definitely on the wrong side of foul) and he was definitely all up to date with the rent. There was no reason for anyone to be knocking on his door but here they were and he paused the show and got to his feet, scratching at the stubble along his jaw before he pulled the door open.
Well. Shit.
On the other side stood Daniel, looking as crisp and put together as ever where Billy was in sweatpants and his LAPD sweatshirt which was a touch too big for him. His hands disappeared inside the sleeves and he felt his eyebrows lifting, suddenly very glad that the cleaning lady had been by that morning. Grayson's sneakers - his other pair - were still by the door and Billy had purposefully not moved them, or anything else that had been left behind by the werewolf in his sudden, desperate urge to escape so that if he came back he knew Billy really did want him there.
"Daniel," he greeted, a little warily because what was he doing here? "You- uh, you wanna come in?"
He stepped aside, sweeping motion with his arm reinforcing his invite.
Daniel’s eyebrow lifted ever so slightly as Billy greeted him warily and resisted the urge he had to smirk at that hesitation. He’d had a feeling from their text exchange that Billy wasn’t himself and this face to face merely confirmed that suspicion. He had said work was stressful by Daniel got the feeling there was something else at work.
He had not come empty handed however as he’d brought several different bottles of alcohol all laced with his and Billy’s preferred blood types
“I come bearing gifts,” he remarked as he headed in and paused to slip his shoes off until he was left in his socks as it was impolite to walk around somebody else’s home in your shoes. “Alcohol to be exact.” He confidently strode into the kitchen where he rummaged out glasses and rested the collection of the alcohol out on the nearby table.
Billy shut the door and trailed after Daniel through the house, past the lounge and into the kitchen, leaning against the door frame as the older vampire just made himself at home, rummaging out glasses and placing them down as if he owned the place. He might as well, he did help Billy get settled in, after all, and though Billy had long-since paid him back, Daniel had fronted half the money to pay for this very nice house in Los Angeles.
"Okay," he continued, still dragging his words out a little because he wasn't sure why Daniel had turned up now of all times. "I- Really wasn't expecting you today."
“I suspected not,” Daniel remarked as he cracked open the first bottle and poured out two glasses, one of which he offered to the other vampire. “Also, I was concerned. You didn’t seem yourself over text so I thought I’d swing in and check in.”
Daniel had long since moved past caretaker for one of his oldest friends to actually being Billy’s friend and having concern for him.
"I'm fine," Billy responded, though he did take the glass that was poured for him, fingers of his other hand taking the bottle off the counter in a smooth move and heading back through the dining room into the lounge, sitting down on the couch heavily and putting his feet on the coffee table. "Texting is a much better form of communication than the telegram but still. Tone's hard to convey."
"Your grabbing of the entire bottle of alcohol suggests otherwise," Daniel pointed out though he trailed after him, his own glass clasped between his long tapered fingers. He leaned his shoulder against the nearby doorway and tipped his head, a slow sip being taken. "What's going on?"
"Nothing?" Billy replied with a scowl, looking over the couch at the lounging vampire in the doorway. "You coming in or are you gonna linger in the doorway awkwardly?" Even though there was literally nothing about Daniel that was awkward. "You're not gonna drink this, since it's got O-negative in it."
Daniel rolled his eyes because Billy was most definitely in a foul mood, that much was evident, and protest as he might he couldn't hide that delightful scowl plastered across his handsome features. "Your sunny disposition betrays you, Billy." Sarcasm, literally dripping off every word.
He pushed away from the door and wandered in, making himself comfortable in a nearby chair.
Billy rolled his eyes, "I don't think anyone's ever told me I've got a bloody sunny disposition." People had said a lot of things about Billy over the course of the last hundred years - and even more so in the last thirty since he settled in LA - but never sunny. Not seriously, anyway.
He shrugged, trying to work out specifically what was making him feel cranky and deciding that of the four things that were bothering him there was really only one that he was willing to share.
"Just worried about Grayson, that's all."
Okay, wow. Daniel's eyebrows lifted in response to Billy's mutterings, glass being lifted to his lips so he could take a slow considering sip, waiting for the other vampire to finish up his train of thought.
"The werewolf you took in, the one who left?" He ventured, just wanting to make sure he was thinking of the right person. "What's happening that's make you worry?"
"Well, for starters he left," Billy pointed out dryly, "and less left and more bloody ran out of here like his arse was on fire. He went back to sleeping on the streets and is doing a pissing good job of avoiding me even though I've been looking for him. Then his phone was picked up by a detective in my precinct who's investigating missing homeless kids and-"
He downed his drink and reached for the bottle to pour himself another one.
"It's just some shit."
Daniel ignored the dry commentary and let Billy get things off his chest because you didn't live as long as Daniel did without learning a thing or two about knowing when to talk and when to hold your tongue. "So, you're worried that he might be in trouble the same way the other homeless kids are?"
Missing homeless wasn't an uncommon trend because they were by the very circumstances in life the ignored and forgotten.
"'s not just that," Billy admitted, "It- fuck, they- there's people that have taken advantage of him and, shit, I hate the thought that he'd going back to that."
Daniel's brow creased as he read between the lines and honestly he'd feel the same as Billy if it were one of his children out on the streets especially if there were people out there willing to take advantage of that vulnerability.
"You think he would?"
"Yeah," Billy said without a shadow of a doubt. "Yeah, I do. Since he expected-"
His fingers tightened around the glass, hearing it creak seconds before it shattered in his hand, spilling what little was left of the drink he'd downed seconds before. "Fuck."
Daniel grimaced faintly before he placed his glass to one side and moved rather smoothly to Billy's side, plucking any lingering shards of glass off the other vampire's hand and arm. "I suspect that's the reason he bolted? He tried something with you and you being the good man you are made it very clear that was not the reason you were helping him."
He noted a cut on Billy's thumb and lifted it to his mouth, bathing it with his tongue and then pulling it back to watch as the skin knitted itself back together.
"Embarrassment is a rather strong motivator."
"He kissed me," Billy admitted, watching as Daniel lifted his hand and licked the wound. He swallowed, slipped his other hand into his pocket and turned his gaze to watch the skin knit together as though he hadn't shattered a glass with his bare hands.
“That would explain the bolting,” Daniel murmured with a nod of his head as he released Billy’s hand. “I imagine he was pretty mortified.”
"I think so," Billy said, clearing his throat and running his forefinger along the freshly-healed pad of his thumb, ignoring the stuttered hitch of his breath. Daniel always ended up making that happen to him.
His tongue touched a fang as he turned away to carefully start picking up the glass, wanting to at least put a little space between himself and Daniel - for his own sanity as much as anything else. "Doesn't make him running away any easier to swallow."
Daniel rolled his neck and simply inhaled to ensure he retained his perfected composure as whilst he had agreed to watch Billy for an old friend he had definitely crossed a line in Black Velvet. One that was impossible to forget it would seem.
“I can imagine,” he popped the buttons free on his shirt sleeves and began to roll the material up as he shifted to help pick up the shattered remains of the glass. “I assume the shoes near the door are his?”
Billy glanced up, having crouched down to draw the shards together. "I've- I've got this, Daniel," he reassured, though he'd already started rolling up his sleeves and Billy knew that meant whatever was happening would continue to happen until it was finished. Daniel was well known for his follow through.
Things might have been easier, for Billy, if he knew that Daniel too thought about what had happened that evening. As it was, non-work basic observational stills eluded him.
"Yeah, he's got some shit upstairs, too. Haven't touched it or moved it. I figure if he wants it he'll have to come back and get it."
He wet his lower lip, glanced up again. "It's just a mess."
Billy was right. Once the sleeves were up it meant the elder vampire was going to see it through regardless of what that something was.
“Smart,” he affirmed with a nod of his head. “Hopefully he’ll come to his senses sooner rather than later.”
Billy glanced up again and bit his lower lip, tugging the small waste bin he had by the table closer and dropping the glass into it. "Looks like I gotta call someone in to clean my carpet," he muttered, with a little grin. "I'm really okay though, Daniel. I mean- I- yeah, I'm fine."
The other shit going on was irrelevant, really, and Billy knew he was just being a dick.
Daniel did much the same with the glass he had collected before he caught the edge of his hand in his mouth as he’d spilt a bit of the blood infused alcohol onto his skin.
“I’m still having a hard time believing you,” Daniel remarked dryly as he looked up at Billy.
Billy's eyes ducked for a moment, watching before he caught himself and shrugged, "Not sure what else you want me to say, mate." Largely because he'd been caught out, he shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't as though he could easily come out with the absolute truth.
Daniel watched Billy for a long intense moment before he released the other from his gaze. “If you insist but my door as you know is always open and I’m always on the other end of a phone.”
There was definitely something else but Billy wasn’t forthcoming and sometimes it paid to play the long game.
“I’ll grab you another glass.”
"You wanna grab the kitchen roll too while you're there, please?" Billy asked, visibly sagging with relief when Daniel looked away. He knew that was a terrible tell that something else was happening but he genuinely lacked the strength to do anything but be relieved that Daniel wasn't going to try and pry the reasons behind Billy's ridiculously out of place jealous behaviour.
Daniel had amazing peripheral vision so he caught the visible sag which nagged at his unresolved concern. Billy had a reprieve, for now, but no telling how long it would last. Daniel had a habit of rooting out the truth.
He trailed into the kitchen and rummaged out a glass along with the kitchen roll, returning to Billy with both extended. “You should talk to Georgia, she has a knack for getting blood and alcohol out of things.”
Billy snorted, "Yeah, I've got someone who works with the precinct too and unlike Georgia, he owes me a favour." He smiled a little, shifting how he was kneeling as he started dabbing at the slight stain on the - admittedly already dark - carpet.
He hadn't intended on asking, but Daniel's eyes were still on him and he could feel it and the pressure of conversation was crawling up his spine.
"How's your Childe settling in?"
“Remarkably well,” Daniel shared as he rested the newly procured glass on the nearby table before pouring Billy a glass. “Making friends it would seem which is surprising to say the least because if you’d met him you’d know just how not social he is.”
Sebastian was a prickly thing but he was never that way with Daniel so honestly that was what mattered.
“I’ve got him set up at Black Velvet.”
"Well, I haven't met him so I don't know," Billy pointed out wrly, thanking Daniel for the glass and taking a sip, getting back to his feet before returning to the chair he'd been sat on, leaning back into the cushions and rolling the new glass between his palms. "Glad to hear it, though." He drew in a breath and tipped his head, "That he's settling in well, I mean."
"We should rectify that," Daniel commented as he rose back up onto his hunches and then eventually to his feet. "Sooner rather than later."
He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
"And if you're sure that everything is as fine as you say it is I suppose I'll leave you be."
Billy swallowed, torn between wanting to ask Daniel to stay - because Daniel was one of the only friends he had here - and letting him leave which, Billy felt, was what Daniel wanted to do.
He rubbed his hand over his head, scratched his fingers through his hair and knocked back his drink. "I- uh- yeah, I'm sure you're really busy. People to see, stuff to do and all that."
Daniel narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at Billy because he knew something was wrong but the other vampire was playing his cards close to his chest.
“Are you sure that the only thing bothering you is the issue with Grayson?”
Billy wet his lower lip. “It’s stupid,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck again and stood up, “it’s nothing- don’t- yeah, don’t worry.”
“You sure?” Daniel pressed as he’d learned a long time ago that sometimes you had to push.
“Y-yeah, it just- I’m being an arsehole.”
Daniel gave a nod. “Okay, as long as you’re sure. You know you can talk to me about anything.” No topics were off limits.
Billy opened his mouth to say something and then thought better of it. “I- I- fuck.” Both hands resting at the back of his neck, Billy looked at Daniel and sighed heavily. “I’m- I dunno, I just-“
Daniel’s brow furrowed as he stepped closer, a hand moving to catch Billy’s shoulder. “What is it?”
“I miss my Sire,” he admitted softly, “knowing your childe’s in town reminded me that I’ve- there’s no one who-“ he shook his head, hoping he didn’t look as crushed as he felt.
Unfortunately he failed at not looking as crushed as he felt and Daniel in spite of his otherwise cold and standoffish demeanour stepped in, tugging Billy into a hug.
“I may not be your Sire but you do have me even if one of my children is in town.”
Billy leaned forward as Daniel's arms came around him. "I know," he mumbled, "but it's not the same."
"Tsch," Daniel murmured softly with a shake of his head. "That's gratitude for you." His lips did curl into a slight smirk.
"It's not that and you know it," Billy groused, "it's just- it's just the reminder that I'm not-" He wet his lower lip. "It's the reminder that I'm not anyone's priority, y'know?"
Daniel snorted as he leaned back, frowning when Billy admitted to feeling like he wasn't anyone's priority. "Have you reached out to Michael lately?" He knew his old friend liked to travel, move around, but he couldn't imagine him abandoning his childe if his childe needed him.
Billy looked at Daniel with a very level, deadpan expression. "I haven't spoken to him in thirty years, Daniel." He shrugged, detangling himself from the hug he suddenly felt unworthy of and folded his arms around himself. "I- Not since-"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "You do realise he isn't the type to change his phone number or phone unless something drastic happens, right? I affectionately refer to him as the dinosaur of the vampire world. If you wanted to you could reach out or I could do it for you." He shrugged. "It's up to you."
"I'll think about it," Billy mumbled, feeling that deep sense of shame wash over him again. "I don't even have his number."
"I have his number," Daniel replied. "Do you want it?"
Billy swallowed. "He- he probably doesn't want me to have it." He shook his head, "It- this is stupid. I'm fine, just having one of those weeks, I think."
"I think you could do with getting out of the house." Being stuck indoors wasn't always a good thing especially if you were in a bad place. And Billy might be reluctant to reach out but Daniel wasn't, he'd do it for him as it was evident that Billy's sense of self worth was so low that he was under the misguided impression that past wrongs would be held against him forever.
"I've been at work, Daniel," Billy pointed out. "That involves a lot of outside." He raked his fingers through his hair and then waved his hand. "I kinda get the feeling this is one of those comments where you're pretending I have a choice."
Daniel rolled his eyes in a dramatic fashion before he smirked when Billy finally realised just how futile his attempts at refusal would be. "You'd be right about that." He helped himself to a jacket hung up on the nearby hook and he tossed it at Billy. "Time to get out of here."
Billy grumbled as the jacket was thrown at him and shrugged on. "Fine, fine, lead the way." Because maybe it would be just what he needed. Maybe it wouldn't be.