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As Beth heads to the kitchen, Josef picks his drink up and sips it thoughtfully, relaxing back into the sofa. He's aware of Mick trying to do the same, but Mick's anxiety is palpable.
Josef projects calm through the bond again, and feels the sofa shift as Mick relaxes.
There's a lot to think about, and Josef prefers his self-examination in very small doses. But he really screwed this up with his avoidance, and he feels the closest thing to shame he's felt in over 100 years.
He's been telling himself – and Mick – for months that he's not Mick's sire, that "re-turning" him was something else. Something inconsequential. He'd blocked off his awareness of their new bond so absolutely that he'd been completely blindsided to learn just how much it affected Mick. He'd really made himself believe that his reaction was only his own control issues trying to assert themselves.
Time for some brutal honestly with himself. He really hates that.
He's assuming now that the reason he's had no trouble dodging Mick the past few months is that Mick has been doing the same. Active avoidance. Yeah, that doesn't sound like either of them.
Even though they neither expected nor wanted it, he and Mick are both reacting like he's Mick's sire. Both have been doing their damnedest to ignore it, and he's clearly not the only one it's taken a toll on.
QED, somehow he's Mick's sire now, protestations to the contrary. 'Another fine mess...' Well, nothing to do but face it. He sets down his drink and looks at Mick. Mick's eyes widen, and he swallows, then offers his neck.
"Get over here." Mick slides over, shaking. There's no hesitation, just need and intense insecurity – not fear of Josef but fear of being rejected – yet again – by Josef. Five months of his sire refusing to acknowledge him has done far more damage to his friend - his best friend - than Josef would have believed possible.
He reaches over, taking both Mick's wrists and squeezing hard enough to crush a mortal's beyond any hope of repair. Mick just makes a choked sound and sways toward him, head back and eyes closed, offering himself.
"Beth?" Josef raises his voice, looking towards the kitchen. She's still puttering about, but turns as he calls, eyes widening when she sees them. "Do you want this kept out of your sight?"
"You want me to go?" She looks willing to leave, but she's clearly upset. Josef has no idea whether it's the sight of them or her assumption that he wants her gone that's caused it.
"No. That's not what I asked. Putting this off much longer will just make it worse, so I'd like to start now. But I don't want you hurt or frightened, and I'm sure Mick wouldn't either if he could think clearly right now. So if you don't want to see," he smiles at her suddenly, "this whole 'vampire sex dominance whatever thing' as you so neatly put it, up close and personal in your own home, I'll take him home with me now and bring him back later. It's up to you."
She surprises him again by pausing for a moment before she answers. "Am I likely to get hurt if I stay? Physically?"
"No, you'll be safe the whole time. Mick might react if you get too close, but if you stay several feet away you won't trigger that – and I wouldn't let him hurt you, anyway."
She nods then, and smiles slightly. "You're looking out for me." It's not a question, and there's not much point in denying it, so he nods and waits.
"I'm actually pretty curious. If you're sure it won't be a problem, I'd like to stay."
Josef looks at her approvingly and then nods briskly, all business. "Don't get within six feet of us. I may move him around, but I'll avoid you. Now, you should have a better idea of what you're getting into – it will be violent and it will be bloody. It might seem sexual to you, but it might not. I need to give Mick the sense of security and connection with his sire that he needs. That's going to be difficult because he's older and stronger than a new turn – and never did have much of a sire in Coraline. And we both know how stubborn he can be. So I won't be holding back. He can take it, and right now he needs this, needs to know I can and will put him in his place, and that I acknowledge him as mine, with everything that means. But it may be – probably will be – brutal, especially if he decides to resist. I'm going to be focusing on his needs, not on yours. If you need to leave at any time, just get out. If you want to leave now, go. It won't be a good idea to try to talk to either of us unless I speak to you first, but you can leave at any time. If you've decided you can't handle this and don't want to leave, tell me now, and I'll take him home with me. Are we clear?"
Beth is pale now, and her jaw is set, but she looks at him steadily and nods. Well, she can't say he didn't warn her, and maybe it'll do her good to see just how different this is from the idea of 'lovers' she'd had. He smiles at her reassuringly and then ignores her, turning his attention back to Mick.
He's still holding Mick's wrists in a brutal grip, and Mick is still swaying slightly, eyes closed. Josef squeezes harder and Mick moans softly, head dropping further back. Josef opens the link, cautiously, reaching out. Need. Anger. Painful insecurity. Fuck. He takes a few minutes to settle himself, accepting the bond and enjoying the sight of Mick swaying in front of him. He looks relaxed with the bond established, and that won't be lasting long. Best to let them both enjoy it for a few minutes.
He waits long minutes and finally hears what he'd been waiting for – Beth has settled down opposite them. He doesn't need to look to feel her attention. Showtime.
Josef changes, yanking Mick forward and growling in his face, "Who am I?"
Mick's eyes fly open, whites showing before his eyes turn silver and his face changes. He snarls back, "You told me you weren't!"
Josef growls threateningly and Mick throws back his head, baring his throat again, brief resistance gone. Josef noses along the line of it before speaking. "I was wrong. We both know that. Who am I?" Mick is quivering against him, physically submissive yet stubborly silent at the same time. He would have to make this difficult.
Josef narrows his eyes, growling, then swiftly transfers both Mick's hands to one of his own and backhands Mick with all his strength, snapping his head back and knocking him half off the sofa, his head hitting the floor sharply. "Who am I?" he demands again, jerking Mick back up. He's distantly aware of Beth's gasp, but shuts it out again. She needs to deal or leave on her own.
Mick starts struggling in earnest now, swearing and snarling, trying to break free. Josef is surprised at the fight he's putting up. Mick's fighting with single-minded intensity, unable to break Josef's grip and almost howling in frustration. Josef backhands him again, splitting his lip, which heals almost instantly. Micks panicking now, but he's at a disadvantage: he's already given Josef control of his hands, he drinks only packaged blood, and he's centuries younger. Josef cuffs him again, viciously, yanks him to his feet, then kicks his legs out from under him and knocks him face-down to the floor, landing on top with all his weight and using the shock of impact to resecure Mick's hands behind his back and pin him between the sofa and the wall – and away from Beth's sight.
Despite his words to her, Josef would really rather not have to beat Mick into submission. She's going to have enough to process without seeing that. Josef yanks Mick's head back, growling directly into his ear, and Mick quivers, but he's still struggling. Time to play dirty. Josef pitches his voice out of her range and says clearly in Mick's ear, "Is this really what you want your Beth to see, Mick? You want her to believe this isn't something you need – something you're craving? That you'd rather be beaten than submit graciously to me? Is that what you want?"
Mick stills then shakes his head almost imperceptably.
"Then you will answer me. Now. Loudly enough for Beth to hear you. Who. Am. I?"
Mick drops his head down, saying shakily, "You're my sire."
Josef hisses and slams his head into the floor, roughly. "Loudly, damn it. Who am I?"
"You're my sire, Josef. I'm-" his voice cracks, but he swallows and then continues, "I'm yours." Josef nods, approvingly, then pulls Mick before slamming him up against the wall hard enough to rattle the french doors. He snarls, pinning Mick with his entire body and biting deeply into his neck. Mick doesn't resist, moaning softly as Josef drinks, letting Josef support his weight.
It's coded deeply inside most vampires – your sire's fangs in your neck, their right to your blood and your life acknowledged by you before they drink, and the bond deepens, sometimes so strongly that it's impossible to break again. Josef finally pulls frees and stands back, letting Mick drop to the floor. He lands on his knees and sways, leaning into Josef's legs, and Josef smiles down at him for a moment, strokes his hair, before moving back to the sofa.
Ah. Beth. She's settled in one of Mick's armchairs, all huge eyes and flushed cheeks, but she looks neither panicked nor angry. And she has a... Josef chokes out a laugh at the sight and she blushes. She's put a tray of food on the table next to her, still untouched. And a glass of wine. Evidently he and Mick are her live supper show. He really needs to stop underestimating the woman. He smirks at her until she shrugs and smiles weakly and he laughs again, shaking his head. "You're quite a woman, Beth Turner. Enjoying your own live vampire porn?"
She turns pink again at his baiting. "That was hard to watch, but interesting." She gestures at the untouched food. "I wasn't expecting it to get so intense so quickly. I thought I'd have time to eat if I hurried, and I thought I'd disturb you less if I wasn't moving around too much." She glances curiously at Mick. He hasn't moved, doesn't look up, just sways in place with his eyes closed. "Are you done already?"
Josef shakes his head, leering at her. "Oh, no. Not at all. Enjoy the show." Her eyes widen and he can see questions forming, so he shakes his head. "Shhh." She nods and he settles opposite her on the sofa, sprawling comfortably. "Over here," he orders suddenly, and Mick – oh, good boy – crawls over to him without attempting to stand. He stops in front of Josef, nuzzling at one knee.
Josef tangles a hand in his hair, grip painfully tight, and leans in, pulling Mick up and kissing him possessively before pulling back to look at him. Mick's eyes are fully dilated, strange-looking in the silver eyes, and he's intently focused on Josef. Josef looks him up and down, and then releases him. "Strip."
Mick pulls everything off quickly, back on his knees in an instant. Josef is pleased to see how eager Mick is now that he's stopped fighting. He pulls him half into his lap, trailing the claws of one hand up his flank just hard enough to draw blood. Mick moans and nuzzles against him, and Josef unbuttons his shirt and slides a claw across his own chest, cutting deeply before he pulls Mick closer, urging him to the blood. As Mick mouths the wound, licking and suckling at it, Josef groans, sinking back into the cushions, fisting Mick's hair to hold him in place.
The bond deepens further, Mick's blood in Josef; now Josef's blood in Mick, opening them more to each other's feelings and thoughts. Suddenly Josef yanks Mick further up his body, angling his head to kiss him again, echoing his moan.
Josef breaks the kiss, pushing Mick aside so he can stand, then stripping and hanging his clothes over the back of the empty chair near Beth. She isn't meeting his eyes now and he doesn't push her, instead ignoring her as he moves back to the sofa. He sits again, pulling Mick back into his lap and kissing him again, this time making the kiss rougher, each of them cutting the other's lips and tongue, exchanging blood again.
This time when he pushes Mick back, their faces are both bloody. He pushes Mick onto his back, pressing him down into the sofa with claws dug sharply into the flesh over his heart, blood welling slowly up. Mick's writhing sensuously under his hand, making happy, needy growls and whimpers, and Josef is suddenly shaken by how much this affects him to see Mick – after their months of avoidance and estrangement – so open and trusting, accepting him completely as his sire.
He'd started this wanting to make things right for Mick, with Mick, not realizing that he needed this just as much. He closes his eyes for a moment, struggling to calm himself. He feels Mick's concern through their bond, Mick's love, Mick's acceptance of his love, and a wall he's been holding up for years – since Sarah? – comes crashing down. He leans over and laves Mick's chest, kissing over his heart, stroking hands up and down Mick's sides as he cleans the blood from the already healing marks.
He looks up then, sliding his hands down Mick's arms to his wrists and pushing them up to pin them beside his head as he slides up his body. "Mine," he says fiercely, staring into Mick's eyes, challenging him to deny it.
But Mick nods, answers him. "Yours, sire. Josef..." and tilts his head again in invitation. Instead Josef lowers his head to Mick's, forehead to forehead, shaking, and as his grip loosens Mick brings his hands down, stroking Josef's sides now, his back, then wrapping his arms around him and turning them both so Josef is behind him against the sofa, protected and shielded while he's vulnerable – even from Beth's gaze, although neither is aware of her now but only of each other and the bond.
They lie like that for long minutes, and the connection keeps deepening. Even with his own sire Josef hadn't felt anything this intense, and nothing since can compare. It feels like Mick is inside him somehow, that he's inside Mick. There's almost a sense of double vision – his eyes looking at Mick and Mick's eyes looking at him, and he's not sure which of them is dizzied by it, or if it's both of them.
Finally it recedes slightly, and suddenly his need for Mick's blood flares up. Josef sits up, pulls Mick up to straddle his lap, licks over his neck to the carotid. He pulls back to kiss Mick first, then rubs his own arm against Mick's mouth, watches Mick bite before turning back and biting gently into Mick's neck. They stay locked together, blood mixing, bodies overloading on pleasure again and again until both are finally sated. Mick pulls back first, laving Josef's arm until it heals, then Josef does the same with Mick's neck.
They sink back down into the cushions, and it's long minutes before Josef remembers Beth. He shifts, turns them both to look at her. She's looking a bit discomposed, but not upset. At Mick's unspoken question Josef nods, and Mick asks her softly, "You okay?"
She nods, but doesn't speak, and he goes over, eyes darkening and features smoothing out as he squats at her feet and takes her hands. "You sure?" She nods again, shakes her head, nods.
"I don't know, really. Are you okay? Both of you?" She looks them both over anxiously – both are still covered in traces of blood, although all the wounds are completely gone.
"Never better," Mick assures her, and she can't help believing him. He looks lighthearted, his demeanor open and relaxed, the tension he'd seemed under the past few months completely gone. She transfers her attention to Josef, who seems as comfortable as always in his usual sprawl on the sofa, seemingly unaware of his nudity.
He raises an eyebrow at her, and she laughs a little shakily, "Well, you did warn me it was vampire porn, after all."
Josef snorts inelegantly, then glances at Mick and nods, reaching for his clothes and re-dressing, quickly and efficiently. "So we didn't scar you for life, scare you away from all things vampire, anything like that?" he asks.
Beth flaps a hand at him in mock irritation, hopelessly short of connecting. "Nope, not going anywhere. You'll have to try harder than that."
"A lovely plan, but not tonight." Josef holds out a hand to Beth, pulling her to her feet, then surprises her by moving in and kissing her gently on the cheek. "Thank you." Beth gives him an impulsive hug and kisses his cheek in turn.
"You're welcome. I... you're welcome." She really means it, and he can see that.
He shakes his head, bemused, and tells her, "Some day I will learn to stop underestimating you. I hope." Beth grins and Mick laughs outright, and Josef grins, looking surprisingly boyish for a moment. It's gone as suddenly as it appears, and he nods coolly to them both as he slips out the door, pulling it to behind him.
"So things are a little better now?"
He shakes his head, "No, things are a lot better. All this time and I thought it was just me, and he thought it was just him, and we were both too-"
"Pigheaded?" Beth offers helpfully.
"...stubborn, to do anything but avoid each other. If it hadn't been for you and Simone... did you put her up to asking Josef if something was going on?" Mick looks intently at Beth, suddenly suspicious.
"No. But we've talked about how odd you both were acting, and that you seemed to be avoiding each other." Beth shrugs. "We disagreed on what to do about it, though. I said you needed time and would work things out when you both wanted to. She worried that there was a problem from Josef changing you back and that it might be why he wouldn't even discuss changing her. She doesn't know about Sarah, so..."
"Well, I'm glad it got worked out now, no matter how it happened."
"Yeah, I could tell." Beth grins at him mischievously, tugging a handful of his hair playfully, "I'm glad, too."
He lets her pull him closer, and nips gently at her ear. "I think we should do some bonding of our own." He lifts her up, and she wraps her legs around his waist. Her kiss is the only answer he needs.