After Hours {tag Connor}

[Stormy Quattrone]

Valerie was upgrading his opinion of Connor more and more by the second. There were definitely some hidden depths to this man that he hadn't considered the remote possibility of. The Hunter was nervous, but he was working through it, getting right up where he hated being the most - close to Val - and even going to the trouble of exposing his neck. To be honest, Val had no idea what to do with such a generous gift, one of blood AND trust.

Rather than stand there like an idiot, he took Connor's cue and carefully placed a bracing hand at the other man's side, nearer to his ribs than his waist. Val felt it would be smarter to not copy him completely, as it would give the impression and add to the fear that Connor was a prisoner. Or, perhaps worse, make Connor feel as though he was trading in his heterosexuality for the chance to keep their bond from self-destructing, and this was not at all the case. This wasn't a courtship, it was a... a dance, and they were partners in it. Valerie wouldn't deny that he DID want to be the one wearing the pants here, and in some cases he probably would end up doing so, but outside of speicial circumstances, the nature of their peculiar bond didn't want to let them do that. It was their own personal diversity that kept them distant and unequal, not the bond itself. The bond wanted them to be close and mutually comfortable. Sharing power and growing it together, instead of hoarding it or twisting it for their own means.

Valerie was too used to being a weakling loner to readily accept that idea. But if he worked on it... who knew.

He was grateful to Connor for trying to dispell their uneasy mood with a stab at humor. He chuckled quietly, shaking his head slightly in affirmation. "Vampire strength, Hunter; you have nothing to fear." A bit of a lie, Connor had a damn lot to fear and they both knew it, but if they got through this sans disaster than he might have at least one less vampire on the list. Val pressed his lips to the already closed vein on Connor's neck, not really a kiss as much as savoring the pulse. Doing this felt different already. Piercing the skin felt more casual, the taste of the blood less violent. Not a forced tribute, but an offering.

Val tried to let Connor keep his senses while still feeling the best he could feel. The sensation wasn't meant to be overwhelming, but on the off chance that Connor did succumb and start to fall, Val had a free arm standing by to catch him.

[Connor Batten]

Oh, he had a lot to fear, and he knew it.  Anytime you played with a vampire like this, there was the chance of something horrible happening, which was why it involved so much trust to do it voluntarily.  He wanted to give in to the panic and his racing heart and get out of there like the little survivalist voice in his head told him to when he felt Val's lips at his throat, but all he did was tighten his grip on the vampire as a result of his nerves.  If he kept telling himself it would all be fine, he might almost believe it.

Almost.

He chose not to respond to Val's remark about vampire strength and fear, instead just trying not to hold his breath and failing as he waited for the bite.  As the outright pleasure washed over him, he released that breath he'd been holding in a long sigh, and rather than trying to steel himself against the tidal wave that was Val's influence like he usually did, he did his best to just relax and let go.  It took a moment, or what seemed like a moment to him, to be able to manage that, but the whole point of this experiment was that Connor was GOING to succumb, and he was going to do it intentionally.  He'd have truly appreciated Val trying to leave him with his wits about him on other occasions, though.  Ironic that it would get switched up on him.  He tried not to fall, not really wanting Val to have to catch him, but he couldn't have both situations, and his body relaxed against Valerie sooner rather than later.

So far so good.  If he could keep himself from having a panic attack when this was over, then maybe they could make some progress in a direction that involved them not killing each other.

[Stormy Quattrone]

Yep, there he went. Valerie caught Connor around the waist and continued feeding without missing a beat. His feelings about this bite differed greatly from what he had felt earlier when he had pinned the Hunter to the tree. That bite had been an angry one, and he had used its natural intimacy as a punishment instead of a tool for building trust, as it was meant to be in a bond. That bite had made him afraid that he was slowly becoming what he hated most, a vampire who enjoyed inflicting pain and using his natural advantages to bend others to his will. He had let the rush of new power go to his head. He had been arrogant. He had been stupid. He was not going to do that again.

Fortunately, there was no anger in him now. Connor was in his control and Valerie's only intention was to make that an enjoyable and unthreatening experience. Which, strangely enough, was having the effect of making this a pleasant experience for Valerie, as well. He was certainly liking the contact with Connor a whole lot more now than before. Letting go was something he would probably do reluctantly.

[Connor Batten]

Yes, Connor was entirely in Valerie's control, and that scared him some, actually a lot, but that was precisely what he was trying to get over.  He had a feeling that in the long run, getting over this would make life easier for both of them.  If he was right about this whole situation, and he hoped he wasn't but had the feeling he was, then he was going to be stuck with Val for a very long time.  Fighting constantly would never work, and make them both miserable. 

Not that he was really considering any of that right then.  No, not at all.  At that precise moment, he was swimming in an ocean of endorphins, and didn't care that he was being held up by a vampire, who also happened to be another man, and it didn't bother him that his arms were wrapped around the guy.  It might freak him out a little later to realize just how much he was enjoying this, but he was.  He couldn't deny it any more than he could deny the fact that not only had he tilted his head as far as he could to give Val access to his throat, but he'd essentially buried his own face against the vampire's neck and shoulder through that comfortable, relaxing sensation of pleasure.  This was lacking the suddenness and excitement of the other bites he'd endured from Valerie, and that care they'd both been taking seemed to have translated into a gentler sort of pleasure.  It didn't feel any less good, which was obvious from the way he'd lost his feet but was still somehow keeping as close to the other man as possible, but it was less...violently so. 

Again, the scariest factor was that he'd just let the vampire suck him dry if Valerie wanted to.

[Stormy Quattrone]

It was Connor's total surrender to Valerie that made the biting such a huge act of trust. Valerie COULD suck Connor dry if he so pleased; kill him right here, dispose of the body somewhere outside the country and find someplace secluded to live out the remainder of his life, which would suit him just fine. These were morbid thoughts to be having about the man whose neck he was currently up to his fangs in, but then again, Connor wasn't completely wrong about vampires and their killing instincts, especially Val. The vampire would be the first to admit that he had killed in the past and would do so again, and in most circumstances wouldn't feel too bad about it once it was over.

Murderous thoughts notwithstanding, Val was not here to kill Connor. It was often surprising to himself and others the concentration it took to make sure he didn't kill his victim. Being an expert at ending life didn't make one practiced in preserving it. Valerie ended the pleasurable assault long before he had taken enough blood to be of concern. Connor would notice that he had lost blood, but not so much as to make him panic or weaken him. Just enough that he couldn't write the incident off as never having happened.

Always the gentleman, Valerie cleaned the bite while his bond was still lost in euphoria, then waited patiently for Connor's senses to return. It was important that he remain without tension in his body for Connor to feel. Valerie had kept up his end; he had not forced this, nor had he made it an unpleasant experience. But that was easy. Connor had a more difficult task ahead of him. Valerie wished he knew of some way to help soften the transition from bite-induced bliss back to hard reality. If Connor were a woman, Valerie might have stroked her back, or said something soothing in her ear. But this was Connor, and Connor would probably appreciate tender coddling like a bullet in the foot. Especially coming from Val.

So Val did the best he could. He stayed relaxed, he kept his grip, and maybe he did let his fingers make a few gentle movements over the small of Connor's shirt-covered back, but only because they'd been doing that since the bite had begun.

[Connor Batten]

It was definitely in Val's favor that Connor couldn't read HIS thoughts while he was thinking about just how easily he could kill the hunter and be rid of the body, since that'd probably result in a lot of trouble.  Connor, especially when he was trying to be cooperative, didn't take death threats very well.  Even just in a thoughtful manner such as it was, that would have been enough to put him on his guard.  Val was lucky.

Connor would believe, without a problem, that it was difficult for a vampire to stop before killing the victim they were feeding from, which was part of his problem with the whole situation, but he'd already been fed from enough times that he really didn't think Val was going to just give up and suck him dry.  After all, if Connor remained alive this time, there were fairly decent chances that it'd happen again.  Connor didn't like that fact, but he was just about beyond denying it by that point.

He was vaguely aware of Val licking at his throat, cleaning up any stray blood, and slightly more aware seconds later of the vampire's fingers just about stroking his back.  Even worse was that he had no idea when Val had started doing that, and it didn't even occur to him to make the vampire stop.  He was still floating around in his brain, still hanging onto the vampire and being held, and his face was still resting against Val's shoulder, his breathing steady as he slowly tried to pull his thought processes back to the present.  He had just a little too much trouble in doing that to make himself comfortable, but the bite itself felt good enough that he had trouble telling himself that it wasn't worth it if he really thought about it. 

Slowly, ever so slowly, he started regaining his full thinking capacities, though his ability to stand on his own and his awareness of his surroundings returned first.  Finally, his usual reasoning skills resurfaced, and he stiffened slightly upon taking note of just how wrapped around Val he was, and the vampire stroking at his back.  Oh, God....

He didn't freak.  He made it a point not to freak.  He would NOT freak. 

He took a deep breath as he slowly, making sure it didn't look like he was freaking out, disentangled himself from the vampire, and left it to Val to stop with the fingers on his back.  He wasn't going to freak out.  He promised himself that. 

[Stormy Quattrone]

Well, Val hadn't yet been punched, yelled at, or violently shoved away, so they were making progress. Connor was visibly distrubed by how wrapped up he'd gotten in Val during the feeding, but Val had been expecting that. He tended to take that reaction in stride these days, rather than offense. Maybe some day they could work out how else to sate the need for blood and contact without ending up twisted around each other. Just to make Connor feel better, of course, since Val had already proven he wasn't as bothered. Giving into the bond's need for physical contact didn't cause Val as many emotional dysfunctions as it did his counterpart.

"Your wound is healing." Safe, neutral commentary was best. Val released Connor step for step as Connor backed away, letting go no more or less, although he did stop the involuntary back touching as it was causing some tenseness in the muscle there. "How do you feel?"

[Connor Batten]

It was really for the best that Val didn't take offense when Connor freaked out over being too touchy, since it was entirely a Connor-issue.  He knew it was something he should get over, and that he really didn't have any reason to feel like that about it, but he couldn't help it.  He didn't care if guys wanted to be all over guys, and he could even deal with it in his presence since he just wouldn't focus on it.  If the situation involved him all over a guy or a guy all over him, that was when it got to him.  Thus, their current predicament. 

He was trying, though.

"Um, can't say I'm ever going to be cool with finding myself all wrapped up like that, but I'm not freaking out," he answered, as though saying it out loud would help.  It almost did, but not quite.  He wasn't touching Val anymore, and his hand went up to touch his throat, where Val was indeed correct: the wound was healing.  Good.  "I feel a little tired, I guess, but it's not bad.  I'm not going to pass out or anything, so that's fine."  He'd passed out due to blood loss before, so he knew how it felt.  He'd actually been fed from to the point of passing out, which was part of what he was trying to get over with Val.  He was doing okay, he thought.

Oh, right.  He had to make a choice, didn't he?  That had been the whole point of that situation.  He ended up leaning against the tree while his head finished clearing out.  He wasn't paying attention to the way being fed from ended up with him all curled around Valerie, but focusing instead on how it actually felt.  During and after.  He couldn't deny that it felt amazing, and he also couldn't say that it felt horrible afterwards.  The only problem with the 'afterwards' was Connor's dislike of intimate contact with a man.  Val, other than doing that stroking on his back, seemed to be trying to handle things in the least uncomfortable way he could, and Connor couldn't even really argue that he'd hated Val's hand there.  He hadn't had a problem with it until he started thinking.  Did that make it wrong?  He didn't know.  It was just too confusing.  What he needed to decide was if he was telling Val to stop, or giving him permission to keep doing it.  Really, he couldn't imagine anything that could satisfy the bond's need for closeness without them sleeping together or something, and THAT was not something he was ever going to be okay with.  He knew that.  This was definitely better.

"Okay, you can keep doing that," he admitted, fairly reluctantly, but he still said it.  "I don't hate it, just the idea of it, and it feels good.  I'll get over it."  Or at least, he'd try.  It was their best option.  Being food was better than a bed-partner or a snuggle buddy.  He had 'cuddled' with another man ONCE, and they'd been in danger of freezing to death after being stranded somewhere.  Neither of them talked about it, since it hadn't been cuddling for anything but warmth, and that was the only reason he'd have done it.  Being food was more comfortable for him, even if he'd lived his whole life trying NOT to be food.

Funny how things will change.

[Stormy Quattrone]

"Um, can't say I'm ever going to be cool with finding myself all wrapped up like that, but I'm not freaking out."

Val nodded. That had been his guess. He felt contratulations were in order for Connor keeping it together, though he doubted they would be appreciated. "We can try to work around that. I do not necessarily have to bite that particular spot." Val didn't have to send Connor spiraling into bliss, either, but again, that would be something to work on later. The biggest question had been whether or not Connor would let Val near him with fangs at all. So far it seemed the answer was 'yes.'

Still... perhaps Val should be clear about Connor's rights regarding the other end of the spectrum. While the Hunter was overcoming fears, Val was going to have to work to create a trust that he had been actively working to break before it was even there. He didn't want to go back to forcing Connor into each and every bite. "Very well." A pause. "However... Understand that I will accept your refusal, as well." Perhaps it was a bad analogy, but Val felt like some kind of molester apologizing for forcing himself on Connor. Should he? It wasn't his fault Connor's first reaction during a bite was to get cozy with the vampire gnawing on him. Val just ended up being the one in the awkward position of having induced the bliss that made Connor get cuddly in the first place, so it looked like it was his fault.

So the whole thing was just awkward no matter how they looked at it.

[Connor Batten]

This whole situation was a mess, as far as Connor was concerned.  He liked the biting because it felt as good as it did, even if it went against everything he'd been trained to believe all his life.  Taking that bit out would make his discomfort regarding the closeness away, but it might eliminate the closeness that pleased the bond at the same time.  He didn't know if it was the act of feeding or the physical closeness, or perhaps the mix of the two, that did it.  Besides, he couldn't imagine that he'd want a vampire gnawing on him if it didn't make him feel good enough to forget what was actually happening.  They'd have to try it out. 

Really, he was just hoping that he'd be capable of refusing later on.  Sure, he could be all indignant and say that he didn't want Val to do it anymore, but he liked it.  A lot.  He wondered, based on how rarely he said no already, if he would ever do it later on.  If he stopped fighting it, why say no later?  That'd be like having sex with someone all the time, then suddenly stopping and saying that you've decided to save yourself. 

And there was Connor's problem.

He associated, whether he liked it or not, the feeling and intimacy of being fed from with sex.  He couldn't help it.  Val's analogy really wasn't all that bad, because Connor made the connection in his own mind, which was why he was having issues with it being a male vampire.  Of course, he didn't like female vampires at all, so that would have been even more cruel right then.  It really WAS awkward no matter which way they looked at it.

"Thanks, I guess.  I don't see how saying 'no' later on is going to do anything, but thanks for the offer," he said with a shrug.  This was awkward.  "Like I said, I'll get over it.  It could be worse."  Much worse.

[Stormy Quattrone]

With so much tension in the air, Val fell back a bit on his old, cynical self and snorted. "That is certainly true." Things were so much easier when Val could just bully Connor. This whole paying attention to feelings crap was going to give him some kind of vampire heart condition. His bond with Hiroshi had never been this complicated, mainly because when Val swept the boy up into a hug and sank his teeth into his neck, there was no awkward part afterward where Hiro doubted himself into a frenzy or got twitchy about how much he enjoyed being so close to Val. Hiro didn't even react the same as Connor, in fact he was far less clingy. Connor reacted like there was something fun coming next... which was the reason he freaked out over it.

Well. More silence, and wasn't this still awkward. In the spirit of further dissapating the tension, Val put a hand in his pocket and observed some trees away from Connor. "So. Unless we have anything further to discuss..." Valerie really hoped not. "Perhaps we should call it a night."

[Connor Batten]

Connor actually might have thought it was easier when Val could just bully him, too.  Considering the hunter never took crap from Val without returning it just as much (except for the biting, there was no human equivalent of that. At least, not anything Connor was willing to do), it wasn't exactly a bad thing to him when they were arguing.  It was much easier to fight and antagonize each other than it was to take each other's preferences into consideration.  It was especially easier for him to get angry after being bitten, since it made him feel both uncomfortable and embarrassed.  Of course a child wouldn't react to something like that the same way, especially with Connor's fixation on sex.  If he wasn't dating someone seriously, like Capri, then he was sleeping around.  The only exceptions were when he was badly wounded, and since he'd been marked up by that bitch, Tabitha.  It was a little awkward to have a one night stand with designs carved into your back.  Naturally, the level of pleasure Val and the bond could put into that bite made Connor subconsciously think sex.

He really, really wished that wasn't the case.

Awkward, yes, very awkward.  At least Val wasn't being an ass over it.  "Yeah, I'll be hating myself in the morning for not getting to sleep earlier, I'm sure," he remarked, trying not to seem at all awkward.  It wasn't working, even if they'd seemed to have made some progress with that experiment.  "Uh, thanks, Val.  For not being an ass about that.  And, good night."

[Stormy Quattrone]

Someday, Val would have to put Connor and Hiroshi in the same room and introduce them. It would be an interesting experience to say the least. Both his bloodbonds, but each having a very different relationship with Valerie.

Val refrained from mildly commenting that he had no place in particular to be tomorrow and could sleep in as late as he wanted. With as little as he technically had to get done, it was sometimes astonishing that he didn't get bored out of his mind. The next day wasn't even a school day,* so he wouldn't have to drive Heather home. There was only so much that a vampire could do in one city to amuse himself. Outside of eating the locals, that is.

He said his "Good night" in response to Connor's. Then, after a momentary contemplation, he added, "You're welcome." They had both given each other a lot to digest (some in more ways than others) and could do with some time away from each other. Mentally and emotionally, at least; the bond, as always, still insisted on staying together. Val often wondered if they would get along better if they didn't feel so obligated to be in each other's presence.

Their farewells said, Val took that as his cue to turn and head off into the trees. He was parked some distance from the party location for safety reasons, not trusting a huge mass of vamps and Hunters and god knew what else in one location, not even when they all swore to behave themselves.


((*I'm too lazy to look up and see if it was mentioned what day the party's taking place on. <_< ))

[Connor Batten]

What was this?  They'd managed to say their goodnights and NOT try to kill each other or horribly insult one another?  It was truly a step.  In the right direction, Connor could only assume, though who knew?  At least Val hadn't mentioned anything about having a lot to 'digest' out loud, or that step might have included backpedaling a bit. 

Connor actually waited a moment after Val turned off towards the trees, just thinking about everything that had happened, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair.  He'd ruined it earlier, partially because he couldn't stand feeling all neat for so long, and then part of it was to annoy Val.  He could admit that now.  He straightened it a little, ensuring that he didn't have any blood on his throat or collar, and straightened himself.  More than likely, he'd have to face one or more of the hunters, and he couldn't do so looking a wreck.  He couldn't even blame this on a tryst in the woods, considering his situation with Capri.  There was no excuse that would work here, and so he was going to do his best to avoid NEEDING one. 

He was just intending to check back in with a few people, proclaim that he was tired, and head home.  He actually WAS kind of tired, considering he'd been snacked on not once, but twice, but it wasn't anything extreme enough to call for instant attention.  He was done for the evening, though.

[Stormy Quattrone]

Val didn't feel it immediately, but only because he wasn't paying attention. Once he was paying attention, however, it was impossible to miss. And once he deciphered what it was, it sent an icy wave through him that froze the blood settling in his gut.

Something was hurting Connor.

~*~

The decision had been made before the Masquerade, whom the target would be. It was only luck that their prey was weakened. The brunette who had been hiding in Adele's shadow smirked to herself and murmured a thanks to Valerie for making his bloodbond easier prey.
"Couldn't have done it without you, Valencia."
It wasn't the brunette who appeared first in Connor's vision, however, it was another female vampire who hadn't been present at the party. The brunette hadn't exposed ALL her aces. That wasn't smart, and the master had no time for her mistakes. She watched from some distance away as her underling laid in the first attack. If the underling fell, no matter. There were others. Their instructions had been that they were allowed to toy with him, so long as they left him dead. Some of the brunette's vampires, who were newer than the rest, would find accomplishing that against Crimson's leader to be trouble.