Title: Reason to live (part II / XIX)
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR
Pairing: a little Henry/Mike, but mainly interaction Vicki/Henry/Coreen
Rating: PG
TV verse: Blood Ties
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money.
Warnings: Misunderstandings, self-doubt
Summary: A misunderstanding disturbs their barely acquired tranquility. Will Henry, Vicki and Mike be able to resolve their issues, before misfortune strikes again?
AN: Thanks to luvinmike for beta-reading
WK: 2850
Part II:
Open-mouthed, Vicki stood just inside the bedroom and took in the view of the two men she loved together in bed, but soon an enormous grin blossomed on her features.
"Am I interrupting something?" she asked with fake innocence.
Having eventually regained control of his bearings, Mike scrambled for the covers while blushing bright red, while Henry just laid there relaxed and totally unashamed of his unclothed state, amusedly watching the humans' reactions.
"Vicki!" Mike called mortified, still frantically rearranging the covers.
"Oh, come off it Mike! There's nothing I haven't seen before! – Although there is a sight new to me that's worth watching!" she said looking from Mike to the vampire with a smirk, while Henry just smiled graciously.
Although meant as a joke, this statement did not have the desired effect. Instead of further embarrassing Mike, he froze. All emotions gone from his face, he reached for his earlier discarded towel and left the bed, monotonously saying on his way to the bathroom:
"I have already taken up enough of your time and am exhausted. Thank you for taking care of me."
And before closing the door, he coldly demanded, "Please let yourselves out!"
Perplexed, Vicki and Henry exchanged glances. Vicki did not understand what had merited the heave-ho, but she knew one when she saw one and knowing Mike, they'd better be gone before he returned. Giving Henry some privacy, she turned and waited in the living room.
***
Once dressed Henry hesitated to leave. He knew something was wrong and was not comfortable leaving without having cleared the air. He went to the bathroom door and called softly:
"Mike, is something wrong?"
For a long time he got no answer until he heard a weak "No, all is well. I am just tired" from the other side of the door.
"Alright, if you are certain…" No answer came. Resigned, Henry left with a last "Good night". He was not sure, but he thought he heard a whispered answering "night".
Far from happy he left Mike's home accompanied by an equally irritated P.I.
The moment they were seated in Henry's car, Vicki turned to him. "Did you put the whammy on him?"
"What? Why?"
"Well, how else did the two of you end up in bed together?"
"Why, thank you Miss Nelson!"
"No, I did not mean it like that! It is just---"she answered apologetically.
"What?! Mike let me feed and yes, he did so willingly! The bed was the best place considering our combined body mass."
"Oh!" Vicki looked guilty and ceased speaking for the rest of the drive.
"Yes, oh!" grumbled Henry. He certainly was no man to kiss and tell and it did not concern Vicki what he and Mike had shared. He was not even sure where exactly that left them. But he had to admit that he felt a little hurt by Mike's behavior. Was the man embarrassed to have been found in bed with him? It did not seem that way until Vick showed up. He could have sworn he saw affection in the cop's eyes, or had it just been post coital bliss? And why did that thought hurt even more and made him feel used?
***
(At the same time in Mike's house.)
The tall detective was furious. For the past ten minutes, he had stared in the mirror, scrutinizing himself. So he was no sight anymore?! He still looked damn fine for his age! All right, he may have gotten a little thin, but in this day and age, thin was not exactly a flaw. He still had a full head of hair, was physically fit, and had not developed any wrinkles yet. How dare she say something like that and in front of Henry, no less?! And as if saying so was not hurtful enough, did she have to openly flirt with the vampire? And that bastard only smiled. SMILED!
Mike could not decide which hurt more; the knowledge that Vicki did not consider him attractive anymore, or that Henry, with whom he had shared not only caresses, but also his blood only moments before that incident, had so easily discarded him while still lying by his side. Heck, in his own bed!
But what had he expected? He had been just another meal to the vampire. It was his own fault if he had misinterpreted the whole – whatever it had been. Fitzroy had only taken what was offered. Hell, Mike had practically thrown himself at the other male! Lord, how desperate he must have appeared to the vampire! Poor Mike Celluci, so starved for a little tenderness that he has to go to a vampire! A vampire who couldn't even stand the sight of him… And to think that they…
Mike suddenly felt nauseous. He could not stay here any longer… here where the evidence of what they had done had not even dried yet. As if hunted by hellhounds, Mike ran into the shower and scrubbed himself until his skin was raw. After that, he hastily packed a bag and went to his car, leaving the 'site of the crime' behind. If nothing else he was sure he could crash at Dave's. Shit, Dave! He had totally forgotten about his friend and colleague. The guy must have been worried when Mike did not call as promised.
Deep in thought, the blond detective never even realized that he was being followed by a black limousine.
***
"… think hard, Henry, something must have triggered this! Mike never throws me out of his house! From a crime scene, yes, but never out of his home!"
Coreen looked up, greeting the arriving duo with a big smile.
"Mike kicked you out?" she asked amused "Why, did you two smooch in front of him?" she asked jokingly.
Vicki turned to her assistant: "Funny that you should mention that because I was not the one found 'smooching' in bed!" She winked at the gothette, who started to squeak excitedly.
"Who?! I thought Mike was not feeling well? No, let me guess – Kate!"
Both Vicki and Henry turned to her simultaneously, sporting the same disgusted expression.
"What?! She has the hots for him and you know he's not getting any younger. You can't expect him to wait for you forever…" the angry look on her boss's face told her to shut up. "… just saying." She added meekly.
"No, not that Asian flunky."
"I thought you like Chinese!"
"Yes, food! But we are changing the topic. Guess who I found in bed together when I came back?"
This time Vicki looked grinning at the silent vampire.
Quickly catching on Coreen stared at Henry open-mouthed "No way!"
"Yes, way! Like a happy couple!" she smirked like a Cheshire cat and Coreen again started to 'squee' with excitement.
Henry was getting irritated by their immature behavior.
"You done yet?" he said a little more forcefully than he'd intended.
"Whoa! No reason to get all defensive!"
"Exactly because that is not the problem at hand! He was fine, before you came along."
"So, now it is my fault that Mike kicked us out?!"
"I did not say that—"
"Wait! Could we please start at the beginning?" Coreen interrupted their little argument.
"What's the matter? Tell me what happened minute by minute?"
Before Vicki had the chance to say anything, the vampire started his report. "Detective Celluci woke at about 9 p.m. He had a headache so I gave him an aspirin. When he returned from a shower, he felt a bit dizzy and lay back down." Now he hesitated.
"Yes, and then?" Coreen asked fascinated by each word he had uttered.
Realizing, that he might as well spill the proverbial beans he continued.
"He might have caught me looking at his neck." Both women grinned. "It is a nice long neck! I am an artist and can appreciate a thing of beauty when I see one!"
Now they openly giggled and Vicki asked, "Right! So, let me *giggle* get this straight. You see Mike - big, blond detective you hardly are able to have a civil conversation with- come out of the shower and – she desperately tried not to laugh, "- get peckish?" Now she simply could not keep it in anymore. Coreen on the other hand looked dreamy. "Yea, I would not mind a little nibble either…"
Both the vampire and the P.I. looked scandalized at the young woman.
"What?! Have you seen that bod of his?! I know twenty-year-olds who would kill to look like that! And let's be honest that jaw and--"
"Wait a second!" Vicki interrupted, when did YOU see Mike's body?" That too caught the vampire's interest and Coreen looked bashfully on the floor.
"Oh, ah, you remember the case with the fertility clinic and the Schwarz Elven? Well, the day of your appointment, Mike came here straight from work and freshened up while you were packing. I sort of stumbled in while he showered. I believe he got soap in his eyes and before I could say something, the shower curtain opened and Mike reached out, feeling around for the towel." She ended, shrugging her shoulders innocently.
Both Vicki and Henry looked adoringly at the young Goth.
"Ok, so we have all seen Mike naked. My, if he only knew… Now Henry, you saw our admittedly gorgeous police officer come out and?"
"Again" he sighed. "Celluci had a bit of a dizzy spell and lay back down. I may have looked at his neck and he saw it."
"So?" the women urged him to continue.
"Nothing, really. He offered, I accepted. End of story."
"Ohhh" Coreen uttered disappointed. "So no hot man-sex? What a pity!"
"Coreen!" Vicki chastised her help, though amused at the same time.
But Coreen did not seem ashamed. She actually did not react at all, but watched the vampire's face instead, which had become suspiciously blank.
Vicki recalled the situation once more and suddenly remembered that BOTH men did not wear clothes.
"So, Henry," she said, "if it was only a feeding, then why did you too only wear your birthday suite?"
"He was naked too?!" Coreen's eyes practically glowed with excitement.
"Mike was wet."
"Yea, and why dry-towel when you can shed your clothes! Come on, Henry, you have to do better than that!"
"It is of no consequence to you what might or might not have happened between Michael and myself. It has nothing to do with us being asked to leave."
"Ah, Michael, is it now?!"
Henry was starting to get really annoyed. "This is not helping!" he said, gritting his teeth.
"No, it's not. All right, I will let it rest. For now!" she continued: "As I mentioned, I arrived at Mike's and went straight to his bedroom to see if he was still asleep. I was greeted by the rather surprising view of my friend and partner together in bed and teased Mike a little bit as he hastily grabbed the covers. Then suddenly he went all Mr. Freeze, scrambled out off bed and into the bathroom, thanking us for our time and care and said we could let ourselves out.
"Mmh," Coreen said thoughtfully. "And you say that Mike had been normal before and around the time Vicki arrived?"
The vampire nodded.
"OK, what exactly did you say to tease him?"
"Why? It was only fun!"
"Vicki, humor me, ok?"
"All right… Mmn… oh yes, Mike, as I said, was hastily trying to cover them and I found it funny that he made such a fuss when I have seen him naked countless times. It would have been more in Henry's right to act all blushing virgin like, so I said that there was nothing I had not seen before. Mike turned all red and I just simply had to exploit that unique situation a little more and indicated that I liked the sight."
"No, that is not quite right. I believe your exact words were: 'Oh, come off it Mike! There is nothing I have not seen before! – Although, there is a sight new to me, that's worth watching'. " The vampire quoted.
"Aha!" Coreen proclaimed triumphantly. "You did not, by any chance, look at Henry while saying that?"
"No, I looked from Mike to Henry, indicating the two of them."
"And you are sure Mike got that?"
"Well, what else could it possibly have meant?!"
"Oh, Vicki!" Coreen shook her head sadly. "Aging men 101: never, under any circumstances, say something, that could make them feel old or inadequate!"
Both partners looked at her cluelessly.
"Come on you two. Mike felt shitty and insufficient already after all that happened with his job and then you basically tell him that his body is also nothing special, but the sight of the younger male next to him is. How would you have reacted if Henry said that while you lay next to me?"
"I would never say such a thing!"
"Nor, did I! It was a misunderstanding! I just wanted to tease him for being in bed with another man that, as far as I know, never happened before! It was prime blackmail material! And you, Mr. High-and-Mighty, did not exactly act indignant. If I remember correctly, you smirked at me, as much amused by Mike's antics, as I was!"
"Great, even worse!"
"How could it possibly become any worse?" both asked at the same time.
"Double betrayal!" she said looking at them sadly.
"Come again."
Coreen took a deep breath and explained it as if they were little children.
"Vicki said Mike had never shown any inclination to the same sex, right? So, even if nothing happened apart from the feeding, must this have been an enormous leap for Mike. The bite in itself is already highly intimate. Now how much more do you believe a naked feeding would rate? With a male vampire? Who is equally naked? Now picture being caught and ridiculed by the one person you loved the last decade of your life. And the one you just allowed this enormous intimacy with, not only not standing by your side, but joining in. Do I have to get any blunter?
Both looked horrified at her. "Your honor, I rest my case!"
Vicki sat down heavily. "It was only supposed to be a joke!"
"Well that one backfired!"
"I don't know about you, Vicki, but I for one would like to return to Mike and clarify this misunderstanding so it won't fester."
"You're right, Henry, let's go!"
***
Mike did not go to Dave's after all. He called him instead and after that Kate, to assure them that he was all right.
Wanting a little peace and solitude, he went for a walk downtown, looking at the lights of the city. He did not know why but after some time he could not shake the feeling of being followed. And when he walked past the Hard Rock Café, he was suddenly joined by a stranger.
"Beautiful evening, is it not?" Seeing the conspicuous pale skin, Mike had a terrible suspicion.
"As a matter of fact it is," he answered politely "But you should see Toronto at dawn, when the sun is rising and just emerging over the great lake, painting the sky in pastel colors. That is real beauty to behold. If you would excuse me. It was nice meeting you, but I have to go."
But Mike did not get far. Luckily, he managed to reach inside the pocket of his jacket undetected and dial Vicki on speed dial before the stranger could utter in a hypnotic voice:
"No. You want to stay with me. We will take a little walk and then you will join me in my limousine."
Mike stopped, looking blankly ahead, but soon started to blink. Trying to somehow walk away was fruitless for it was as if being held by invisible strings.
"Ah, I see you are a strong one!" The stranger now walked in front of him, black eyes meeting blue ones.
"You want to come with me! You will cease all resistance and follow me peacefully."
But when the vampire moved Mike did not follow. His whole body shook with the effort of resisting the hypnotic command, but somehow it worked. The dark haired man chuckled amused.
"Ah, yes, Fitzroy has always had a keen sense of finding worthy companions," he mustered Mike from head to toe, "and such a beauty you are!"
He drew closer now standing right in front of the taller blond and smelling the detective's neck. Mike could do nothing against him, for his body did not obey him anymore.
"I look forward to tasting you!" The vampire whispered in Mike's ear.
"God! NO." Mike pressed somehow forth, which resulted only in the vampire laughing and pressing a kiss right on the detective's neck. There he stopped again, smelling one particular spot in-depth.
"So, he tasted you… All right, I will respect that claim – for now."
The last thing Mike remembered was a hit to the back of his head.
***
tbc