Author: sangre antigua.

Rating; Title; Pairing: M; Forced; Eric/Original Male Character.

Summary: Behind Fangtasia, Bentley Miller had the worst night of his life. He was not only almost killed by a vampire, but he was killed by another. Eric/Original Male Character, SLASH.

Warning/Disclaimer: I do not own Eric or True Blood. But the plot and everything is mine. (:

Sorry it's so long. XD

- - -

Bentley Miller watched the clock like he always did, leaning against the front desk with his head balanced in the palm of his right hand. His shift was done at 9:15PM and it was 8:45PM already, but time seemed to have frozen. Customers shuffled in the back of the store, flipping through racks of clothes, checking sizes and styles and patterns, but the needles on the clock seemed to be stuck. Glued to the face of the clock, making his palms sweaty and his brain foggy.

The last half hour of work was hell, especially since the vampires had come out of the coffin. The store used to close down for the night at 9:30PM and open again at ten o'clock the next day, but with the vampires out in the open like "normal people", the owner (being the liberal son-of-a-bitch she was) changed the store hours and hired on a whole slew of vampire employees. At 9:15, a vampire girl came in to start her shift.

Several times, he had tried to close down the store, forgetting that they had another...pool of customers soon to be arriving.

The store was eerie at that time. The AC came on and made the store extremely cold, colder than the store during the daylight hours in the summertime. Bentley didn't dislike vampires, but he didn't like being in the store when they shopped, either. Some of them stared at him funny and asked him questions that were just...weird. Like if the shirt matched their eyes, or complimented their figure. But the questions were more than that. Their smiles were lopsided and almost hungry, it seemed. Like they had ulterior motives, which he knew they did.

He was off, so he usually just smiled awkwardly, told them what they wanted to hear, and bolted. Employees had to be friendly at the store even if they weren't on the clock, but no one ever said anything about cutting the conversation short. Sometimes, when the clock finally struck 9:15, he would rip off his vest and run for the back room, even if Lea, one of his vampire co-workers, wasn't there yet. His boss yelled at him constantly for it, but what was he supposed to do? He wasn't getting paid for her being late. Despite having his head bitten off, Bentley was almost always half undressed by the time he was standing in front of the lockers. That helped sometimes, but usually they smelt him anyway. Smelt the way his stomach got tight as he walked by. Smelt his fear and the eagerness welling inside of his body.

Today, though, he had to wait until Lea was inside the building to clock out. If he didn't, he'd lose his job. At the thought, Bentley grumbled. Lea better be on time.

"Something wrong?"

Snapped out of his trance, Bentley shuffled quickly to regain his composure, damn-near hitting his chin on the desk before him. He flushed softly and searched out the origin of the words. An elderly woman, looking to be nearly seventy, was smiling at him, half amused, half worried. "Excuse me?" he laughed softly.

"You're staring at that clock like you want it to explode," she chuckled. "Why the long face?"

He shifted and laughed again. The woman had graying hair and wrinkled skin, but something about her radiated. Maybe it was her smile, or the light tan that swept over her from head to toe. "I'm ready to get off work," he replied simply. "I work too many hours, y'know. Never get to have a life, myself."

She clicked her tongue and wagged her finger. He had known the woman for less than a minute and was already infatuated with her. She seemed like she'd be the type of grandmother or parent to be very hands on and comical. The kind every kid dreamed of having. "Teenagers need to get out there. Be kids while they can. Your teenage years are meant for school and exploration. You have the rest of your life to work."

If only it were that simple. Bentley had to work, whether he wanted to or not. It wasn't some ploy to get some cash in his pocket. It was a way of getting food on the table. In a shabby apartment about an hour's walk from the store, Bentley lived with his father and his little sister. His mother had walked out years ago and contacted them once in a blue moon, breaking his father's heart and taking most of their savings. Bentley didn't call her "mother" anymore, though. Andrea sufficed.

They got by, somehow. His father worked a dead-beat job twenty minutes away at a car dealership, trying his hardest to sell less-than-quality vehicles. Cars were his passion and he had almost gone to school to fix and modify them, but Andrea had gotten pregnant and they needed all the money they had for their family. He never went back to school, even after Bentley had saved up for months and months to help pay off a semester of schooling. His father, Dawson Miller Junior, politely declined. When pressed, he replied, "Bentley...when Andrea left...she took not only my money, my heart, and my hair, so it seems, but she took my drive to pursue cars. I'm fine where I am. I'm fine looking after you and your sister."

It frustrated Bentley beyond belief, his father giving up and his mother ruining everything. Many times he had said he hated her, but God knew he didn't. Bentley couldn't hate anyone.

Bentley's job payed decently, $7.51 an hour, and he worked quiet often. But with three people, their combined income was still very low. They were late paying the bills half the time and behind on the latest fashion trends. At least they were alive and had a roof over their heads.

Bonnie didn't see it that way.

Bonnie was Bentley's younger sister. She was short and thin, resembling a toothpick in almost every way. Her tongue was sharp and she could go from accommodating to venomous in a minute flat. Frequently she complained about not having this or that. It took everything Bentley had not to slap her across the face. His father would pat his shoulder and tell him, "She's just a little girl, Bent. She'll grow up. Just be patient with her." Bentley didn't want to be patient, but he knew his father was right.

Plus, Bonnie was the type to take things personally. Not only that, she was very, very over the top. If he hit her lightly, she was likely to call the police on him. Bentley didn't have the will, nor the money, to deal with something like that. After years of custody battles and seeing divorce lawyers lounging in the living room, he was done with the "justice" system.

"I wish it could be like that," he said in a soft voice as he picked at a sticker advertising an old sale.

The old woman nodded her head a few times and told him, "Chin up, son. One day, you'll be able to run free like a mustang."

Bentley snorted. The old woman cocked a brow and eyed him suspiciously. "Oh--sorry. That was funny."

"How so?" She sounded somewhat annoyed. He wasn't sure if it was mock annoyance, or the real stuff.

"Mustang is a type of car," he replied, scrambling with his words so he could amend the situation quickly. When she nodded at him, looking at him like he wasn't totally there, he continued with, "My dad likes cars. He actually named me after a car--Bentley." He gestured to his name tag. "And my little sister is named after a Bonneville. I just thought it was...ironic..." He laughed dryly, hoping his explanation cleared the water.

Her smile returned and Bentley tried not to sigh from relief. "That is ironic. Well, Bentley...like I said, I'm sure your day will come. Have a good day." And with that, she walked to the back of the store, towards a middle-aged woman and a young boy.

Bentley murmured beneath his breath and closed his eyes. That was weird and kind of nerve-wracking. When he opened his eyes, they fluttered to the clock. Eight fifty two. Weird, but not pointless! He stood up straight and looked around the store before hitting the intercom button. "The time is now 8:52, and the store will be accommodating to vampires at nine. If you are uncomfortable with that, please bring your items to the front desk and I will ring them up. Thank you!" He had already made that announcement twice, like he did every time he worked until nine, but it was to warn the customers. Some of them fidgeted with their items, second-guessing if they really needed them. A few people shrugged their shoulders, while a few other put their clothes back and left. The rest looked at Bentley, smiled weakly (or not at all) and began towards him.

By the time he had finished ringing up the last customer, the sky was turning a dark, rich orange. The sun was just above the horizon, and it was nearly nine o'clock. The rapped his fingers against the register and watched the sky, his pulse raising as the sun disappeared more and more. When it was finally gone, the clock had struck nine. Only a few humans were left in the store, scattered around the store. The vampire customers would start arriving soon. Lea, the vampire girl, just lived down the street.

The AC turned on. In a few minutes, the store would become an ice box. He wrapped his arms around himself in preparation and returned to watching the clock.

At 9:12, his first vampire customer of the night walked in. The male was tall and built, with a headful of dark brown hair pushed to the left and tattoos spiraling up and down his exposed arms. He flashed a cheeky smile at Bentley and laughed as the human shrunk backwards. He smelt strongly of Axe, spicy and very masculine, and looked like the kind of guy who would lean against an expensive car, smoking a cigarette with sunglasses on, even if it was two in the morning.

He made Bentley feel inferior, and not just because he was a vampire. Bentley was tall and lanky with thick, shaggy strawberry blond hair. Because he swam for Bon Temps High School, his body was defined, but not nearly as much as the male vampire who had just entered. He looked like a shrimp compared to that guy. The vampire's teeth were sparkling white and mesmerizing, and his eyes were a smoldering brown. Bentley's teeth paled in comparison, and his eyes were a murky hazel. They sometimes reminded him of a mosaic window that had been tampered with as it dried.

He sighed softly and tried not to let his fear become even more evident. He just had three minutes left. Lea would be there soon. She would take over for him and he could get out.

"Please be on time, Lea," he whispered to himself.

From the back of the store, the male vampire laughed softly. Bentley swallowed hard.

To his dismay, 9:15 came around and Lea was no where in sight. He moved from behind his register and walked to the window, which showcased the busy street in front of the store. Lea's house was just a couple blocks away. He couldn't see her skipping to work like she usually did.

He returned to his station and shrank again. Every minute that passed without Lea walking in made his heart beat faster and faster. If he hadn't been so afraid of her fangs, Bentley might have yelled at her. Anxiously, he eyed the camera in the corner nearest him. It was focused on the register. He thought about dipping out, but he quickly squashed that thought. His manager would see him leaving without Lea taking his spot. Then he'd get fire.

He swallowed hard.

By 9:31, Bentley's heart was beating so quickly he was sure everyone, vampire or not, in the store could hear it. Where the hell was Lea? Fangs or no fangs, Bentley wanted to chew her out. Rip her head off or something. The blond pulled on his hair.

There were four vampires in the store already. The male from before, and now three females. They looked to be in their 20s, but only God knew how old they really were. They eyed him like cats and smiled like they knew something he didn't.

At 9:44, Bentley pulled out the Employee Log and searched for Lea's number. By 9:45 he had found it and was listening to the dial tone as the phone called out, waiting for someone to answer it. When someone did, Bentley opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Lea, herself. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Bent! I overslept, I'm sorry! I'll be there are in ten. I'm so sorry!"

She sounded genuinely sorry. Bentley huffed. "It's okay," he lied. "Just, please hurry?"

"Roger that!" And she hung up.

Lea was fifteen minutes late, not ten. But Bentley decided to hold his tongue about the extra five minutes. She rushed in like a bat out of hell, her curly, dark red hair bouncing vivaciously. "I'm so sorry, Bent," she moaned. Together, they walked into the back room, Bentley a few steps behind her. Lea was a few inches shorter than him and was as curvy as a mountain road. And she was sweet, so sweet. She appeared to be nineteen, but was actually forty-five-years-old.

"Thank you for covering for me," she said, watching him clock out and clocking in quickly behind him. "I had a rough night yesterday and...yeah..."

He didn't know vampires could have "rough nights". Either way, it didn't matter. "It's fine. It's fine. I'll see you tomorrow." They nodded at each other and she thanked him again before he made his way to his locker. He removed his work shirt and his work shoes. Then, quickly, he shimmied into an old t-shirt and a beaten pair of trainers.

As he made his way towards the door, his work shirt and shoes in a backpack that was slung over his shoulders, he noticed that the store was packed. There were so many vampires--his stomach knotted up. A few of them stared and smiled. Some of them giggled. Some of them watched him with curious gazes, and he could have sworn that one of them licked their lips. He was determined not to see them, though. He marched to the front of the store and shouldered open the door.

The cool summer air swirled around him and calmed him down. He crossed the street, his eyes focused ahead and his hands gripping tightly on the arms of his backpack. He had survived work. Now all he needed to do was get home.

Usually when he got off, the sky was a little light still, even with the sun down. He could see his way perfectly and all of the cars around could see him, too. But now, it being so late (10:09 his watch confirmed), the sky was a dark blue and he was just a blob in the darkness. He gripped the arms of his backpack tighter. Why did he have to live so far away? And why hadn't he gone and taken the final portion of his driver's test? Bentley sighed and kept walking.

A few minutes into his walk, he felt eyes on the back of his head. Not the eyes of people in their cars, but the eyes of someone behind him. He checked over his shoulder a few times, only to find the sidewalk vacant besides himself. That should have been a good thing, but with vampires out like they were...and like they were...it felt like a horrible, terrible thing. He sped up and tried not to think about the possibility that someone was following him.

When he reached the little forest between the main road and his apartment complex, Bentley heard soft whistling. He stopped just before the thicket started and looked over his shoulder. Back on the sidewalk he had just left was a man. In the darkness he could only make out his silhouette. Tall, built; definitely a man. Human or vampire? He tensed up and entered the thicket quickly. Behind him, he heard laughter. Now he was scared.

He began running, dodging trees and bushes. Around him he could hear crickets chirping and small animals both waking up and falling asleep. Not to mention his labored breath. He could also hear something swiftly running, dodging trees and bushes just like Bentley, but for a different reason entirely.

At the tiny creek, he came face-to-face with the man following. Or, well, face-to-chest. Bentley collided with the man and crashed backwards. As he moaned with pain, the man before him laughed.

Oh shit, he thought. Holy mother-fucking shit.

"Aw, what's the matter?" the male asked, quirking his head to the side. Bentley looked up at him shyly, scooting backwards. It was the guy from the store. The one that intimidated him.

Holy mother-fucking shit.

"I...uh...uh..."

The vampire laughed again. He circled Bentley a few times. The mortal felt like a trapped, wounded animal. As the vampire walked around him again and again, Bentley tried not to be too noticeable as he looked around for a weapon. Nothing. Only grass and dirt. No sticks here.

Thirty or so feet away, a car zipped past. If Bentley could just fend the vampire off and get to the road, he could flag someone down and get out of this situation. If no one passed, then...Bentley was in trouble. The forest between his work and his home was right next to Fangtasia, the notorious vampire bar. He passed it on a daily basis and still got the chills from it. Now, his chest felt frozen. If he did manage to get away, but no other human was around, he was a goner.

"The street's pretty far from here." Damn. "Why don't you look up at me, hm? I was considerate enough to let you walk until now, so...you could show some gratitude." He went to brush back some of Bentley's hair. As the mortal boy jerked back, the vampire laughed. Such a dark laugh. Bentley swallowed hard.

"Yo...You don't have to do this. Fangtasia is just over there. You don't have to bite me, or nothin'. You can just go there and get someone willing." He sounded so dumb. Why would a vampire want someone willing when he had the tail of a frightened one beneath his shoe? "Isn't attacking humans against the law?"

The vampire clicked his tongue, like the old woman had. But hers was teasing. His was mocking. "Why would I do that? Taking blood always tastes better than having blood donated to you." He pulled Bentley to him by the collar of his t-shirt and took a deep breath. Bentley held his breath and closed his eyes tightly. "You smell like fear," he whispered, his voice light and poetic. Then he laughed and pulled Bentley to his feet.

Keep him talking. Kick him in the balls and run! Or...oh God, this sucks so bad...

Bentley felt the urge to vomit.

"If you're a good little boy, I'll let you live," he whispered, pushing Bentley against a tree. "You can choose as to what you'd rather 'live' as. Whether you'd like to be a weak...delicious mortal, or a strong, beautiful vampire." The vampire brought his hand down Bentley's t-shirt and to the band of the mortal's khakis.

When the vampire's fingertips were in Bentley's pants, Bentley screamed out and pushed the vampire away. Or, tried. He stumbled back a step or two and closed in on Bentley like nothing had ever happened. Bentley's head was forced upward as the vampire clamped down on his throat.

He clicked his tongue again. Bentley's eyes stung and his feet dangled in the air. "Looks like you're not going to be living. Period." His fangs were in Bentley's neck before the boy knew it. They stung when they entered, but otherwise they didn't hurt. It was the sucking that made him nauseated, and the fact that the vampire was going to not only kill him, but rape him in the process. He squirmed and the vampire laughed into Bentley's throat, his hand worming its way into the khaki pants it was previously denied access to.

He felt dirty and completely horrified and lightheaded. He was trying to pry away the cold hands that were squeezing his neck, but they just wouldn't give. He tried to scream, but nothing came out. Just a gurgle and a butchered sob.

Butchered. Bentley felt his eyes fill with tears. His eyes were closed so tightly that he saw stars on the back of his eyelids. He was going to die in the forest he had known for years, just a few minutes from his apartment complex. He was going to rot while the world went on. His father and sister would wonder where he was. The world would go on, but he would be missing.

Bentley didn't like that thought. Something in him bubbling up and gave him the strength to scream. Just once. Nothing changed, though. There was still a vampire touching him and killing him. He was still going to die.

His head hurt. He was getting cold and sleepy. So this was what dying felt like? Bentley shuddered.

Neither of them heard the stirring in the trees near the street. Neither of them saw the creature running towards them. Not until the vampire was pried off of Bentley and sent flying. The vampire crashed into a neighboring tree and Bentley slumped to the ground. Instinctively, he touched at his neck, but his vision was swimming so badly that he couldn't focus on his hand.

"There is a law that says feeding on humans against their will is forbidden. And there is a law against rape. Normally, I wouldn't give a shit, but you are right here. It looks suspicious on my part," a voice said. It was male. That was all Bentley could make out. He couldn't see anything clearly and he felt like conking out then and there. How much blood had he lost? What the hell saved him?

Bentley was forced on his feet. As soon as he was standing straight up, though, he toppled over again. The person who had picked him up grunted. "He's as good as dead," he moaned unhappily.

"Pity," a woman said sarcastically.

"He's not going to survive much longer."

"You could just let him die and then move the body. Or you could finish what's been started."

"Change him? I really, really don't feel like being buried tonight."

"It's your call, Sheriff."

The male groaned again. He slapped at Bentley's cheek and barked, "What is your name, human?"

"Bentley," the mortal croaked.

"Well, Bentley. It's a beautiful night to die, isn't it?"

Before he could protest, there were fangs in his neck again. His head began spinning wildly. In a couple of seconds, everything faded to black. His body went limp. The only thing keeping him up was the vampire retracting his teeth.

"Well, Pam," the vampire huffed, shuffling Bentley over his shoulder. "I guess we're going to the cemetery."

"Oh, goody. I get to ruin another pair of shoes." Pam huffed loudly. Together, Pam and the male vampire exited the forest and walked towards Fangtasia. Parked in the back was a black Charger. The rims were painted a shimmery maroon color. The windows were tinted almost as dark as the car, itself. The license plate read "F4NG5".

The male vampire chuckled.

Pam raised a brow. "What?"

"That never fails to amuse me," he mumbled, opening the car door and lying Bentley down.

"Anything to amuse you, Eric. Now, to which cemetery?"