Author's Note: I have committed songfic... It was bound to happen, I guess, seeing as how I constantly listen to songs to be inspired for my stories. This is on my Vicki/Henry playlist (yes, I actually made one). I've been playing it a lot lately as I've been making my first foray into Blood Ties fic, fleshing out a couple of ideas. Then, the idea for this took hold of me and wouldn't give me any peace until I wrote it. So, here we go. It does help if you've listened to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, but it's certainly not necessary. The other song I reference in this story is She's Like The Wind by Patrick Swayze. Reviews are welcome!
Genre: Romance/Songfic
Pairing: Vicki/Henry
Rating: A solid PG-13 (I'm out of practice writing anything more than that.)
Warnings: Implied mild sexual behavior but not explicit (see above rating). If it bothers you, please don't read.
Spoilers: None. This takes place outside of canon. If I had to place it somewhere, I guess it would be between Norman and D.O.A. But nothing relating to those plots is within.
Archive: Please ask first.
Hungry Eyes
I've been meaning to tell you
I've got this feeling that won't subside
I look at you and I fantasize
You're mine tonight
Now I've got you in my sights
With these hungry eyes
One look at you and I can't disguise
I've got hungry eyes
I feel the magic between you and I
I want to hold you so hear me out
I want to show what love's all about
Darlin' tonight
Now I've got you in my sights
With these hungry eyes
One look at you and I can't disguise
I've got hungry eyes
I feel the magic between you and I
I've got hungry eyes
Now I've got you in my sights
With these hungry eyes
Now did I take you by surprise
I need you to see
This love was meant to be
I've got hungry eyes
One look at you and I can't disguise
I've got hungry eyes
I feel the magic between you and I
I've got hungry eyes
Now I've got you in my sights
With these hungry eyes
Now did I take you by surprise
I've got hungry eyes
I believe hungry eyes
Now I've got you in my sights
With my hungry eyes
Got you in my sights
"Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen
She heard the strains of music the moment the elevator doors opened and smiled. It appeared Henry was in need of inspiration tonight. It didn't happen too often, but whenever he was stuck on a part of his latest story, he'd always look to music for inspiration, or at the very least distraction. She'd discovered that he had a very broad range of taste in music; an effect she supposed stemmed from being around long enough to hear how it's evolved. She paused for a moment in the hall, listening to the faint notes that carried through the door. The drums came through almost as a muffled heartbeat and she had a flash of thought, wondering if Henry found music in the heartbeats he heard, wondering if he found music in hers and did he like it if he did? The thought was just as quickly dismissed, but not before Vicki felt a slight blush creep into her cheeks. She took a deep breath, resolutely pushing her emotions back as she had been doing for months now. Concentrating again, she thought the music sounded familiar. A smile started to lift the corners of her mouth as she approached his door. She was positive she'd heard this music before.
She opened the door cautiously, mindful of the last time she'd managed to surprise him. The sword had created enough of a breeze as it passed her to make her shiver. It was the first time she'd ever managed to sneak up on him, he'd been so absorbed in the music and the movement of his hands and body wielding the sword. And even if he was expecting her tonight, and the music wasn't quite at the same volume, she thought it much wiser to proceed slowly.
Vicki shut the door behind her with a soft click. Glancing around, Henry wasn't immediately visible. But the smile was firmly in place on her lips now. She knew this song, this whole album very well. It had lived in her tape player for months after the movie had come out. Her smile cracked a little wider. It just didn't seem like a soundtrack that would be in Henry's collection, no matter how varied his tastes were. Had he seen Dirty Dancing too?
She walked towards his drawing area, leaning to look around the partitions.
"Henry?" she questioned softly.
He'd be able to hear her over the music, she was sure. He glanced up sharply from the panel he was working on, his eyes flashing an emotion too quickly schooled to casual grace for her to see.
He nodded at her, "Vicki."
"Dirty Dancing, Henry?" she couldn't help the tease in her voice.
His smirked briefly, "Yes."
"Really?"
"Really. Why?"
"I never took you for someone who watched chick flicks."
Henry made a face, "I will never understand why society persists in classifying perfectly good films that way."
"Because men don't watch them."
"Why is that?"
"They're too girly," Vicki shot back, barely containing her laughter at the irritated look on his face.
"Only men who are insecure with themselves would feel threatened by a romantic movie."
"Mike never watched it," Vicki mumbled.
She knew his response from the way his eyes lit up mischievously, "Exact - "
"Don't," she interrupted holding up a hand to stop him.
She regarded him for a moment, taking in that superior smirk of his, the gleam of his eyes, and started to laugh. His smirk widened into a grin at the sound and her heart trembled briefly. She turned away from him, moving out of the suddenly claustrophobic space of his drawing area into the open living room. She felt the heat rush back into her cheeks and cleared her throat self-consciously, giving herself a firm mental slap. She made a pretense of looking out his window as the music slipped back into her consciousness. Patrick Swayze was lamenting his love. Out of my league. Huh, now why does that sound familiar? Vicki thought. Ok, that thought was not helping. She cleared her throat again; she could feel Henry's gaze from across the room.
"So, why are you looking to a chick flick for inspiration anyway?" she said as nonchalantly as she could manage.
There was no immediate answer, and she finally turned. As she thought, Henry regarded her intently from across the room. His arms were folded across his chest and he leaned against the wall closest to the partitions that separated his working area. He looked at her like she was a puzzle to figure out. She gave herself another mental shake; these thoughts were not helping anything right now. The casual black linen pants and white silk shirt flowed around him when he moved towards her silently.
"The music fit the mood I was trying to create in my story," he finally answered.
He stopped halfway across the room, his arms benignly at his sides. She looked at him carefully, her eyes sweeping features she had long ago memorized, even against her better judgment. She didn't know what it was, couldn't put her finger on one specific thing, but he looked for all the world as if he was inviting her. She just wasn't sure to what. She took a few steps forward of her own, but stopped abruptly upon realizing it.
"Besides," Henry continued, "Dirty Dancing is much more than a chick flick."
"I agree, it's a classic," she said, her voice a little more breathless than she meant it to be. His eyes darkened almost imperceptibly.
"Victoria Nelson likes chick flicks," he teased, his voice dropping to an intimate tone that caressed her ears like the softest velvet. She felt the heat start collecting in her cheeks again. That tone of voice from him always affected her in a primal way she was uncomfortable with and now was no different as the heat in her cheeks match that pooling low in her belly. Her heart sped up and she knew he could tell.
"Hey," she managed, her voice dropping to a quieter level to match his without her realizing it, "it used to be one of my favorite movies, even if I had to sneak to the theater with my friends to see it."
Henry took a few steps closer, a soft smile on his face, "You had to sneak in to see it?"
"No, sneak out. My mom was pretty strict and I was only twelve. She thought I was too young to see it. So, of course, I had to see it. I told her I was going to study at a friend's house." Henry laughed quietly, picturing her at that young age, every bit as defiant as she was today. Patrick Swayze's voice was beginning to fade as the song wound down.
"It's been a favorite of mine ever since," Vicki continued after a moment, walking closer towards Henry. She was only a few feet away now and he could touch her if he wanted to. He did want to.
"It's a favorite of mine too," Henry replied, his voice dropping to something that was just above a whisper.
"Why's that?" her voice dropped to match his.
"It's a very erotic movie, Victoria, don't you think? Look at the way the music and the dancing brought the two main characters to see their own passion for each other."
She thought for a brief moment that she probably wouldn't watch the movie the same way again after this conversation.
"Well, it's easy to look that way for a professional dancer. I've never met anyone capable of actually dancing that..." she had been meaning to go for a flippancy she was far from feeling at the moment, but trailed off, unsure how to finish her thought.
"Sensuously?" Henry supplied, his hand raising and brushing her hair behind her shoulders gently. Vicki couldn't control the goosebumps that raised on her arms.
"Yeah," she breathed into the silence between songs.
She held her breath after, not certain what to expect next. The drum beat that signaled the beginning of the next song almost made her jump. Henry let a gentle smile lift the corners of his mouth. It took Vicki a long moment to realize he was offering her his hand. The words of the song began to float into her mind. She looked into his eyes, that same inviting expression in them that she couldn't figure out before. Trust me, let me, they seemed to say. She took a shuddering breath and slowly raised her hand to his. He smiled fully for a moment before tugging her to him, securing his arms around her waist. Her own hands traveled up to rest on his shoulders. He began to move them to the music, slowly at first, almost as if he didn't want to scare her.
Vicki looked deeply into his eyes as the first chorus started. Hungry eyes. That certainly fit Henry right now. He had never really bothered to hide his emotions from her. She'd known from the start he wanted her. She wasn't surprised to see the desire there now. But there was hunger too. Not for her blood, but for her; all of her. She shuddered and he pulled her closer beginning to move them more earnestly into a dance. The hunger in his eyes would've scared her at any other time. But there was something else, tempering that hunger. Something that made her breath catch. Trust me, let me, the words floated back into her mind. Vicki was so tired of fighting this.
She moved closer, pressing herself fully against Henry. His eyes widened as he read the acceptance on her face. The moves of their dance became more sensual, his leg finding its way between hers as their hips moved together. Vicki let the contact of their bodies thrill her. She knew beyond a doubt that Henry could hear her heartbeat speed up. She let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes, trusting Henry to lead their dance. She felt his lips brush her forehead and fought to keep her eyes closed. She sighed as his lips found her temples, her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks, her chin. She smiled at him, content to keep her eyes closed and just feel. The music of the song wrapped the couple in a cocoon, their bodies still moving perfectly to the beat, guided by the vampire's impeccable sense of rhythm.
Henry pulled back only for a moment. He greedily took in all the features of her face in this moment. He knew he'd have to draw it later. This moment, when she finally let him in. When she stopped fighting herself and him. When she gave him her trust, her passion, her heart. In almost half a millennium, Henry Fitzroy knew he'd never seen anything as utterly gorgeous, as sexy, as this. He lowered his lips to hers, capturing Vicki's muted sound of pleasure. His lips were soft but insistent and she opened under their pressure. The first touch of his tongue and her hands convulsed, squeezing his shoulders tightly. He smiled in their kiss, not releasing her mouth. He explored her mouth slowly, taking his time to learn everything about her that she let him. Finally, he released her to catch her breath. He watched her face, her eyes still closed, but he could sense the peace in her expression and it made his heart swell in his chest. He tightened his embrace and watched her smile and tip her head back, her body following. She dipped herself backwards deeply, trusting Henry to keep his firm hold on her. He smiled again and lowered his lips to the skin left uncovered by her v-neck shirt. He used lips and tongue to work his way up her neck, lingering over her pulse point and feeling the blood rushing there. Her hands moved from his shoulders to run through his hair and he could just picture the teasing smile on her face. He gave her a short playful bite over her pulse with his blunt teeth and heard her huff a breathless laugh. He tugged her upright and her eyes snapped open to focus on his. He actually trembled at the emotions there.
"Is that a supposed to be a tease?" she whispered conspiratorially. He really couldn't help it when his blue eyes flashed to onyx then back again. He felt her catch her breath, but knew it wasn't from fear.
"It's a promise."
Her pupils widened and she leaned up to kiss him as the music began to fade. Henry quickly dug in his pocket for the stereo remote, shutting it off before the next song could start. They stood still for a moment, his arms wrapped around her waist, hers around his neck, bodies flush together, each unwilling to break whatever spell had shrouded them.
"Now what?" Vicki finally whispered. Henry smiled tenderly at her, taking one of her hands from around his neck, bringing it to his mouth. He kissed her knuckles, then turned her hand over, kissing the palm, her wrist and up her arm before intertwining their fingers. She smiled at him, amazed. How could she have been scared of this? How could she have thought any consequences might not be worth it? How could she have missed that emotion hiding behind his hunger? He sensed thoughts whirling in her head.
He tapped the side of her head with his free hand, "Stop thinking."
She smirked at him, "Only good thoughts, I promise."
"Really?" he asked a bit incredulously. This was Vicki after all.
"Really," she said, her voice a little stronger now.
He watched her for another moment. God, he loved this woman. He tugged her to him and headed towards the French doors leading to his bedroom. The words could wait. Tonight was about feeling. About letting her discover everything he'd always known was in her heart. About letting her discover everything that was in his heart. As he closed the doors behind him and followed her to the bed watching as she pushed herself to lie back into the pillows, he knew. Knew that the wait had been worth it. Knew that whatever the future brought them, they could face it. Knew that they could and would beat the odds. He crawled his way up her body, his lips trailing over clothes that might as well have not been there now that she had finally taken down her barriers. And as he covered her lips with his own and her body with his, he knew that words were unnecessary. Her hungry eyes told him everything he needed to know.