Death: Have a grape.
Dream: I do not want a grape.
Desire: I could make you want one.
[Season of Mist - Neil Gaiman]

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Will tried to advert his glance from the scene below him, while still maintaining an appearance of calculated interest. Of course, he was never that good at calculation and his sire knew better than to think the boy was ever at full attention. Angelus grabbed him by the collar roughly, a sharp, soundless tug of warning. Then, a low growl.

I'm a vampire, Will tried to remind himself. A bloody creature of the night. I am not allowed to get squeamish over this.

"He's a good catch," Angelus murmured, and the young vampire's head snapped to up to catch the lesson. "Saw the lad about two months ago. He's been earning his money in this alley ever since. Seems pretty good at it from the looks of things. Do you know who's down there with him?"

Was he supposed to? "Dunno, can't see his face too well," he said.

A dry laugh. "Jacob Rowle. Can't imagine his wife would take too kindly to cheap blowjobs back alleys. She might need some comfortin' after that. Of course, I'm sure we could oblige."

That wasn't fair! All the time they wasted stalking the bloke on the bloody rooftop and they now weren't even gonna kill him? He snapped, "That why we here, then? For some upper-class bint?" He paused, thought, then added, "Sir?"

Angelus took his eyes of the scene below them for the first time, flashing a warning of yellow at his childe. When he responded, however, his voice was calm. Will relaxed for a second, then Angelus said, "If I beat you now, boy, we'd lose our quarry. You know very well why we're here."

"Yeh, well, if ya did that wouldn't be me givin' us away, would it?"

"Would you like me to be harder on you, lad? If you find me lacking in your punishment, please, let me know. I can only improve." Angelus had turned away from him again, and moved in closer to the edge of the rooftop they stood on. Will glared at his sire's turned back, opening his mouth to speak when the older vampire raised his hand. "Come here, boy."

Will took a hasty step forward, trying--failing--not to make a sound.

"They're almost finished. Lad will be done for the night, he doesn't make it a habit of staying out any later than this. Rowle will pay him nicely for this job, I think."

"Yeh, he's got that grin."

"Thought you couldn't see his face, boy," Angelus growled back.

Will shoved his hands into his pockets and scowled. "Better angle."

"Always wait till the money's exchanged," Angelus whispered, "When Rowle leaves the alley, I want you to go down. Use that mouth for something useful, get the lad to stay outside."

The younger vampire jerked, looking at his sire in shock. "You want me to blow that--"

Angelus growled again. "No, William, I want you to talk to him and keep him from going into the building where he keeps a room. Though-" his smiled slightly in amusement, "if he's your type, don't let me interfere."

Will's hands clenched and his eyes narrowed, but he didn't wait for his sire to turn around. He had gotten away with enough insolence for the night; he didn't need another beating so soon. And anyway, Dru said she'd be waiting for him at home, and there was no point in giving that pounce any more of a reason to keep him away from her. 'Jealous of the competition?' he once asked. Angelus laughed, took off his belt, and let it explain to both Will and Dru who their master was. The younger vampire never said it again, but secretly still figured he was right.

As Will walked into the alley, he sized up the lad. Much shorter than he was, hair that was probably cut with a dull razor. Dirty clothes and smooth cheeks. Young. A runaway? Yeh, they always were runnin' from something. Perhaps an orphan, trying to make it on his own? Will cursed. Angelus would probably ask what he made of the situation, but William never saw the point in knowing so much about the near-dead. He had no bloody clue--and really couldn't bring himself to care--who the boy was.

"'Ello," Will said in the way of greeting, bringing himself into the human's sight range.

Boy blinked and stepped back, not used to seeing people down here he didn't bring himself. "Been my place for a month."

Will smiled, leaned against the wall closest to the boy and lit a cigarette. He was proud of himself, having effectively maneuvered his prey into what would be a corner, positioning himself at the opening if he were to run. "Want one?"

Want, and then suspicion, both emotions the vampire didn't need to be dead to understand. He had felt that mixture enough alive, seen the patterns desire draws across your face, the way they shift into position. "For what?"

"The pleasure of your company."

The boy blinked, and Will shifted, a little uncomfortable at the implications he was making. "Can I have a smoke first?" the boy asked.

Will handed him a cigarette and moved in closer, striking the match and lighting it for him. He took a deep breath and tried to remember what Angelus had told him. There was a mixture of fear, the smell of--he paused. Reached up and stroked the boy's cheek with one finger as shock dawned over his features. The human was watching for it, but William was faster. He reached down, grabbed the boy's chest and felt a lump of flesh in his hand that did not correspond to the anatomy of the stronger sex. Just as quickly as he touched it, his hand went through the body of his victim, grasping nothing, as if his victim was just blank air.

"FUCK!" he swore loudly. "What the bleedin' hell?"

The boy, who Will now realized was not, in fact, a boy, took a drag of the cigarette and moved to pass. Her voice shook slightly. "How about I keep this, and we call it even, mate?" she said, indicating the cigarette with one hand. "You don't say nothin' and I'll get out of your town."

William was saved having to respond, as Angelus cuffed him roughly from behind. He should have known the older vampire was wasn't far off, waiting for the smallest mistake to correct. Though, Will scowled, this had been a fairly big one. Bet the bastard was right pleased, he thought to himself. Gets a reason to beat me on top of it. "This better be good," Angelus hissed in his ear, looking at the whore. "You cost me dinner, I'll make sure you scream."

Will just glared, knowing that his sire already intended to punish him. Git probably did before he invited him to hunt. Instead, he took the defensive, pointing out what--he hoped--was Angelus's mistake. "It's--she's--a bloody girl!"

Angelus took the news with ease, and smiled over at the girl, who had moved further away from the two vampires, but not in the direction of her freedom. In the split second she had to escape, she chose to move towards the broken down door on the side of the building rather than the mouth of the alley. Not a wise choice for her, Angelus mused, but lucky for Will.

"Well, lass," he said, smiling at her. "You're the first one to fool me in a long time. My friend here wasn't able to tell until he saw that pretty face of yours. We were in the mood for something different tonight, but it would be rude of us to get you worked up like this just to turn you down."

Her back was against the building's old door, white knuckles clasped around the rusted knob. Angelus smiled, and placed his over hers, twisting her wrist roughly to break the handle off, rendering the door pretty much useless for those who did not possess superior vampire strength. It was a slight loss, he noted, as the rather sturdy room inside ensured this alley always had a vagabond occupant, but he was hungry, and the door could always be taken care of later.

"My stuff was in there!" the girl said, her fear quickly replaced by anger.

"You won't be needin' them," Angelus told her, leaning in for the kill. He could smell her mixed in with the dirt and cum. How did he ever think she was a male? He must be getting old, or perhaps spending too much time fucking his new fledgling. Distracted by his boy, he must have lost some knowledge of the fairer sex. It was probably time to let his childe go, spend more time between his sire's legs... The thought broke off, as his fangs failed to sink into their target. He opened his eyes. The girl's neck was in front of him and she was shaking so hard Angelus would be willing to bet she was unable to move. He could hear her heartbeat pounding. Yet he was unable to bite or even--he realized, reaching out a hand--touch her at all.

"Boy," he said softly, turning around to face Will, who was still watching the scene in front of him with a defiant look. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"He's a girl," Will said, looking up at Angelus and talking as if the vampire was a very slow child.

"Something else?"

"Oh, yeh. I couldn't touch her. I mean, I could, at first, but then I couldn't."

"And you failed to mention this?" Angelus's voice was soft and calm, a tone that always promised trouble.

"Because she's a bloody girl!" he said, as if Angelus had just asked something painfully obvious. He seemed to notice his sire's disapproval at the answer, and added, "Uh, and I didn't get a chance? Sir."

To some degree, William's shock amused Angelus. It had been obvious that the boy was turned a virgin, but the lack of cultural understanding amazed him. This was--judging by the reaction--the first time Will had ever seen a girl dressed in boy's clothing. If his upbringing had been sheltered enough, it was possible that he never had imagined such a thing was possible. It was probably part of the reason, Angelus mused, that Will was so squeamish around male homosexuality--unless, of course, it involved his sire. Interesting, Angelus mused, and something to be stored away for later.

Right now, there was a more pressing problem. From the smell coming off the girl, she knew of how close to death she was. And her shock and surprise at the transformation of Angelus's face lead him to believe that she wasn't aware that non-human creatures shared the city with her.

The situation might still be salvageable.

He stepped away. "Why don't you tell me your name, lass?"

She closed her eyes and swallowed, "Addison."

"Why can't I touch you, Addison?"

"What'daya mean?" she said, trying to play dumb.

"When my friend William over there was waking up all of London with his cursing, you said you'd leave the city. You said not to tell."

"Yeh."

"What don't you want us to tell? That you're a girl? Or that you're evil?" She looked away from him. "Is it both, Addie? Are you a devil? I wonder what they would do if they knew there was a little girl, living here all by herself. A witch girl that likes to dress in boy's clothes. Tell me, what sins have you committed to be cursed so?" It was a grab for straws, especially with Angelus's demon visage still in place, but she flinched at the words. If his centuries with Darla had taught him anything, it was that old cliches were the most effective weapon against humans.

"What'daya want?"

"I want to know how that man was touching you. I want to know how he had your hair balled up in his fists while you so expertly sucked him off. I want to know how my William here touched you twice while I cannot lay a hand on you." He threw his fist through her face, hand colliding with the door behind them.

"That hurt?" William asked her curiously, finally getting the courage to stand near the other two, but keeping his distance from his sire.

Addison shook her head. "You can't touch me."

"Why's that, luv?" the younger vampire asked, cocking his head at her.

Angelus was quiet, letting his boy talk. William lacked--tact, perhaps precision--but the job usually was done in the end.

"You want another smoke?" Will asked, shaking his head while pulling a box of matches out of his pocket. "Cause I bloody well need one."

"You gonna hurt me?"

"Naw, won't even charge ya nothin. Though, gotta say never seen a livin' lady do that with her mouth. Figured ya couldn't."

Angelus snorted.

Their fingers touched as he handed her the cigarette. As soon as they connected, he lashed out to grab her hand but she was expecting the trap, and he ended up with nothing. "Can't even touch my smoke, now, can I?" he mused, watching her bring it to her mouth.

She shook her head, "Not if I don' want you to." She reached out for the match.

"That it?" Will asked her. He seemed bemused. "Ruddy talent to have. People go around makin' you want shit all the time. Desire ain't something you can control."

Angelus moved suddenly. "Why don't you come stay with us, lass? You know we can't hurt you. We'll feed you, give you a place to live, something nice to wear."

"For what?"

"Out of the goodness of our heart," Will said dryly, flicking his ashes. There was curiosity in his eyes, too, and both faces watched Angelus for an answer.

"The devil takes care of his own," Angelus said.

Addison flinched; Will smirked.

"Food?" she asked, her eyes locked on Angelus's.

"Of course."

"Why?"

"Let's just say you're my new project."

She stuck out her chin. "What if I don't wanna be?"

Angelus smiled. The events had taken an interesting turn. It was a new twist to an old killing--making someone want.

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