Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, they own me. Special thanks to Toby Whithouse and BBC3 for the playground. Beta assistance from TJ4ev & Whimsyfox enables (most of) my grammar to pass muster for Hal. Reviews are love.
Warning for some heavy adult content in this one.
The contrast between supernatural-war-conspiracy theorizing, and breakfast at the Barry Grand was so stark it struck as absurd. The world had turned on its end. If Rook's werewolves were successful, then life as they knew it would never be the same. And yet, everything was exactly that; the same.
The same smell of fry-up and coffee permeated the lobby. The same sickly-sweet smile from Megan with a "Mornin Hal!" greeted him as he passed.
Everything was in its place and normality reigned as king. The steady same-ness of it all should be comforting, but it wasn't. Rook's audacity to assume his help was extremely irritating, but Hal knew his refusal was merely prolonging the inevitable. He did not wish to see vampires flooding into Barry by any means. Nor was he all that keen on a werewolf resurgence. Barry had been safe. Barry was their home. After the Old Ones, Barry had practically been a supernatural deadzone. With the exception of Richard's visit, he hadn't sensed a single other vampire in the immediate vicinity. They were steering clear of the vengeful spirit rumoured to have ended the strongest vampires in the western world.
Hal would have to sort a way to dissuade Rook of the idea that he could convince his fellows of anything. Maybe he could determine a covert way to convince the vampires, maybe he couldn't. He just didn't know. But Richard would. His old partner always kept up with which political powers were at play. He would know exactly who could be persuaded to pass a message.
Settling into his office, Hal rubbed his eyes. He was tired, which never helped. And there was a glaring fluorescent note stuck to his desk which was out of sorts. The hotel manager wished to see him this afternoon, after the Barry Business Club meeting they were hosting upstairs concluded. Hal did not usually work Wednesdays for that very reason, so whatever Edwards wished to speak to him about was outside of his weekly report. Just what he needed on top of all else. He would have to figure out a way to get through this day.
He would have to admit it, and soon. This all seemed so petty now, knowing what they did. This farce of being human. He didn't belong here, his inner voice nagged. Hal pulled up the staff matrix. He needed some actual work to take his mind off things. Looking for a project that would give him at least a few hours, he settled on restocking the maintenance cupboard. Maybe he'd give the room a thorough tidy while he was at it. Satisfied with his course of action, Hal removed his jacket.
When Tom returned to the werewolves warehouse, it was to a softer din of voices than the previous night. In addition to the Gwedores, Tom counted seven new faces seated around a few scattered other wolves in town either already knew how to stake a vampire or hadn't yet decided their involvement.
Milo was not among them.
Maude handed him a warm mug, the steam off the tea rising in curled clouds. It was a cool morning and their warehouse wasn't heated. Irving and Conal were both engaged in separate conversations, but Begley looked up from his bowl of cereal and smiled broadly at him. "Tom!"
"Good morning there Begley," Tom smiled back and Conal glanced his way. The elder man gave him a gruff nod as many of the others landed their eyes on him and a hush settled over their breakfast conversations. Tom suddenly felt shy. He was supposed to teach all of these folk? He didn't know anything about them. Secretly, he was glad not any more had shown up. He only had so many stakes.
Tom set his duffle on an empty chair and his tea on the table in front of him. Every pair of eyes in the room was on him now, and Tom dropped his hands into the pockets of his coat. He remembered his first day of class at the community college, and how the professor had introduced herself, then asked for a show of hands for who had read the chosen material. Tom took a deep breath and cleared his throat.
"Alright then. I'm Tom McNair, if you didn't know that already." Impassive faces stared back at him, except for Begley who kept grinning. Tom was encouraged by the boy's enthusiasm. All these folk were here for him and he wasn't one to let anyone down. Not intentionally anyways. "I've had the wolf me whole life. And my Dad raised me to kill vampires. Who here has ever staked a vampire?"
Conal raised his hand, then hesitantly, one other dark-haired young man in the back, then Irving.
"Who here wants to learn how to do it proper?" Tom asked.
Eleven hands raised high.
Hal was cleaning out the maintenance cupboard, supplies stacked and waiting on the folding table, when he sensed her approach.
"Hiya Hal," she exclaimed brightly, joining him in the little room.
"Hello Megan," he answered without stopping what he was doing.
"Say... do you have a minute?"
Hal glanced up to where Megan was leaning casually against the folding table, one hand on her hip. She smiled when he met her eyes. Hal stood, taking off his marigolds and setting them on the shelf next to where he had been working. He waited for Megan to prattle through whatever inane thing she was going to, but she just cocked her head.
"You're a curious bloke, you know that?" Megan stated. Hal didn't respond. Maybe if he didn't engage she would leave. Her hair was up today, a few wisps sitting lightly against her neck. Hal tried to look away. Anywhere but at that delicate skin where her pulse beckoned. He started counting the stack of folded towels behind her head.
"You really needn't be mooning after someone you can't have, you know."
"Excuse me?" He returned his gaze to her, momentarily befuddled by her statement.
"You could have any girl here you wanted," she pushed off the table with a sultry smile and took a step towards him. "Any."
"And your point is?" Hal tried to sound as utterly bored as he could. He did not need this today. The meeting overhead, with footsteps, voices and the promise of prey, had already been grating against his growing fatigue while he tried to distract himself with work.
Megan arched an eyebrow at him, "Or maybe that's how you like it. I can play that game too." In spite of her words, her fingers were suggestively toying with the collar of her blouse.
As she took a step closer, Hal swallowed, suddenly realizing the brass of this girl's intentions. The scent of her was stronger than usual and quickly filled the room. Mouthwatering. It hit him in the back of his ever-so-parched throat; sharp, sweet and painful. His hunger wracked him heavily - hunger too hollow to be mere memory made his hands to fists, fingernails biting to keep hold. Hal stopped himself from breathing a terrible moment too late. With growing dread, he realized what it was and balked, taking a step back.
"When Sophie said you'd had a fight with Tom, well I couldn't believe it. You two are such chums. But over his speccy girl? I was shocked."
Megan was a mere foot away. Her pulse, clear and strong was drowning out her voice and driving out all reason. The steady flutter at her throat called to him like a compulsion. He knew he should say something, get her to leave, but he couldn't. He was frozen.
"So… she the one you say you've been seeing?"
When Hal didn't answer - he couldn't answer, not daring to open his mouth - Megan misread his silence as encouragement. With a half-cocked smile she leaned in towards him, reaching for his collar. Against his will, Hal took a step forward.
Rag in hand, Alex stopped mid-swipe of cleaning out a sink. There... There it was again. Out of nowhere she had felt a flicker of desperation. Of hunger. The recognition hit her like a blade through her gut, reminding her of the flash she felt on Grimsay. With budding panic, she realized the moment she paused could have been a moment too long.
Alex teleported directly to him. Hal was in the supply room, with Megan. The girl was leaning into him suggestively, hand around his neck. Alex understood the situation in an instant. There was no need nor time for jealousy - she could feel the battle raging in him.
"Hal," she spoke softly, stepping behind him with a steadying grasp of his shoulders. He gave no outward indication that she was there so she dropped her hands down his arms, holding him. He was coiled, tense as stone, muscles rigid in her grasp and hands curled into fists at his sides.
"It would be such an easy thing, you and I," Megan whispered in his ear, her hand trailing down the buttons of his shirt. Hal's eyes had gone wide with alarm. Their overzealous co-worker had no idea how close her throat was to being ripped into. "No one would have to know..."
Alex pulled at his shoulders, "Hal, just back away." She pulled harder, knowing Megan's hand had started to roam towards Hal's waist. "Hal please. This isn't your fault. Just leave."
The movement was small, but Hal began to lean back into Alex ever so slightly. She'd take it.
"We could just," Megan smiled coyly as Hal hitched a breath. Then shockingly, she kissed him, her hand boldly planted on his belt.
Alex didn't know if she heard the soft shift of his teeth, or could merely feel the change taking over him, but she pulled with more force, coaxing him to her. "You don't want to do this. You don't."
"Oh, but I do," Hal murmured dangerously, answering Alex as Megan pulled away, looking at him quizzically. However, despite his words, Hal took a small step backwards, retreating from Megan. It was one step into allowing Alex to extract him and she took the give, keeping her grip on him with telekinesis as well as her hands. She could feel how terribly close he was to losing hold on himself all the way through the pit of her belly.
"Please, excuse me," he breathed to Megan, giving Alex one more step. She kept her grip on him, solid and pleading, willing him to back away. He stepped with her, letting her lead him backwards. One step, two, then he turned, forcing his eyes shut and keeping his mouth firmly closed.
"But - you want me. I can tell..." Megan seemed a little flabbergasted to have been denied.
"Let's walk. There we go... here's the door," Alex consoled, ignoring their co-worker. Hal let her lead him out of the room, his arm firmly in her grasp.
The entirety of the short walk to his office she prayed Megan wouldn't follow. She would have to shock Hal, she knew it. He would drop like a cut marionette and then she didn't know how'd she get him out of here. If they could just get past their co-workers in the kitchen and into his office, she could teleport them out. Alex could sense the sudden edge he was up against with every strained step they made. Safety, confinement was in sight. She guided him in and ghosted the door shut behind them, the bolt clicking to lock them in the small office.
When she turned to face him, arms crossed, Hal's posture said everything. Military rigid and poised, he was standing completely still, his eyes closed and jaw tight. He didn't move, didn't breathe. He wasn't even tapping his fingers in counting. The only indication he was aware of her guard between him and the door was a subtle un-clenching of his jaw.
When his eyes opened clear, Alex relaxed slightly, but Hal remained unnaturally still, eyes locked on her. "What just happened?" Her question came out almost too quiet. When he didn't answer, she reached for his shoulder. "Hal?"
His movement was sudden, startling her with a reflex-quick grasp of her wrist and a step forward. Alex hit the door behind heavily, the back of her raised wrist banging with a thwack as he shoved her. She was too surprised to protest, and suddenly very worried. His eyes were eerily vacant, haunted, but his grip was very painfully solid. An icicle of fear pricked up her belly. Hal wasn't just dangerously close to the edge, he was on the edge; a spun coin in the moment of balance right before the fall.
"Hal," she said again, shakily, cautiously raising her free hand to his chest. At the contact he gave the whisper of a shudder, but tightened his force to keep her against the door. Slowly, Alex inched her hand up, past one button, then the next, aiming towards intentional skin contact. Time seemed to freeze as she braved forth, and all of her senses felt heightened. From the weave of the fabric of his shirt, the coolness of the door against her back and clear to the precipice of control he was balanced on - Alex felt everything.
When her fingertips reached the hollow just below his throat, he swallowed, dropping his eyes and breaking the tensioned spell of danger between them. His grip lessened ever so slightly and his hand at her shoulder slid to the base of her throat, mimicking her. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but she could feel that he was still held in balance. His hand trembled as he traced the line of her neck and Alex was encouraged. Just as they had practiced with their trail running, maybe he could still rein himself back from this. She didn't push him away when he leaned into her, his hair brushing past her lips and chin as his head dropped. Shifting his weight, keeping her wrist pressed to the door, his lips met her chest just above the swell of her breasts. The moistness of his mouth trailed up, kissing the hollow of her collar as his fingers, light as cobwebs, caressed the back of her neck. A shimmery tingle dropped through her groin with desire despite the present danger. How did he do that?
Her free arm was trapped between them, fingers at the hollow of his throat. She edged her hand past his collar to wrap her fingers over the tenseness of his shoulder, then up to his jaw where she pushed against his chin, forcing him to look at her. His eyes weren't black, but had definitely darkened with lust. There was something primal in his held gaze, something that gave way with a shudder as he kissed her. His fingers combed up through her hair in delicious yearning, but an underlying desperation in his movements told her that he was trying to keep hold.
Alex put her strength into kissing him back, stoking their passion instead of his precarious rage. He still held her pinned against the door, but his hand at her neck dropped with the heat of their kiss. Smoothing over the rise of her breasts and tugging her zipper down, he opened her jacket and shoved the material free of her arm, kissing her all the while. Her jacket fell from her shoulder and his hand kept going. Over the silk of her skirt, his thumb pressed into her pubic bone as he cupped her, practically lifting her. Alex hitched a jolted moan which only spurred him on. He hooked under her thigh, lifting her leg and Alex opened to him, the weight of his hips shifting into her groin as she nudged her knee up past his, inviting his hardness to press against her.
"Alex," his voice was a broken growl between kisses. She raised her knee more, boot stroking the back of his leg and he ground into her. She could feel his fingers stroking against the fabric at her inner thigh and writhed in response.
For a moment, they were poised. Hal's kiss slowed, he sucked at her bottom lip then pulled back.
"Just tell me a free room," Alex offered huskily.
Hal closed his eyes, still not fully composed. He couldn't think straight. Not after nearly… not with her so precariously close and all the heartbeats overhead.
The coin fell.
He renewed the full heft his weight into her, holding her up as he cradled her thigh. He caught the fabric that was only real to them, and her eyes widened in alarm when it ripped. One-handed, he freed himself from the constraint of his trousers. Startlingly-quick the laced lingerie she died in was brushed aside as he thrust into her. It was such a small release for him, but Alex gasped, her leg tightening over his waist to keep hold. Hal freed her wrist to pull her jacket the rest of the way off and then caught her hips, gaining a better purchase. Alex staggered, ramming her hand into the corner wall of his small office for counterbalance. Her eyes were questioning his as he cupped her ass, lifting her higher and supporting her weight as he retreated, then buried himself deeper.
The rhythm of his thrusts increased. It wasn't like him, pressing and forceful. The shock was startling but he only deepened his strokes. Dizzyingly urgent, Alex could feel the shuddering thread of their bond, tight and impaling them both. The lifeline beating between them full of a quickened feeling; her weight and the filling friction of his movement in her. And underneath it all his desperation pushing through and lifting her up, relentless. She came in blinding surprise with him, in shocked spasms wrapping around him and crying out. They nearly slipped; her grip on him was a difficult thing, and his fingers bit into her skin, sharp and bruising as he caught her bare arm.
The catch made him stop, frozen and deeply buried in her. Hal had her pinned and time once more seemed to halt. The surface against her back was cold and hard, their position precarious. She barely wanted to breathe or utter a sound for fear of tipping the balance, but slowly, carefully, she brought her hand to his hair. His breath was ragged at the touch but he leaned into her and dropped his face to her chest, cheek against her breast as he caught his breath. He trembled as he released his iron grip on her. When he lifted his head again and opened his eyes, it wasn't to look at her, but at his fingers. She felt his muscles tense; his stomach tightened and his exhale was a shuddered sob. She turned to see what she couldn't have in her peripheral vision.
Blood. It was barely there, but the nails of his index and middle fingers were reddened. He had drawn blood. Her non-existent, post-corporeal blood. Hal's trembling increased, his whole body seemed to shiver and harden against her.
"Hal," she hazarded and he winced his eyes shut.
His voice came out haggard and choked. "Home. Now." As if emphasizing his point, his eyes opened to full, monstrous black.
Instantly, they were home, pressed against the back of his door. He faltered, nearly losing their balance, but his eyes blinked clear. After several slowing breaths he slipped free of her and eased away, adjusting his pants. Her foot touched down as he let her go and Alex caught hold of him for steadiness. He seemed unresponsive and dazed, so she pushed him, leaning with a little force. She kept pushing, guiding them both to the bed where he hit and sank, still keeping his reddened fingers aloft. Alex couldn't tell if she was still bleeding, but didn't think it mattered. She held him, her arms wrapped around him while his knees pressed against her thighs. He suddenly seemed to wake from his trance and started to fight against her, but Alex held her ground, arms hugged around his. His struggle was weak, or else she really had grown stronger, and he shuddered again as she held onto him and hugged his head to her chest.
Eventually, he stilled and each breath grew more even. She could almost feel him mentally counting. She was mentally counting with him. At a hundred and nine, she hazarded to ask, "Are you okay?"
"Am I okay? Jesus Alex," he sputtered. He lifted his head away from her chest and she let him, cautiously loosening her hold. His eyes were deeply sad as they flicked to her bare arm. Her bare arm which began to sting as soon as his attention was upon it. She had never rent-a-ghosted without her jacket reappearing. Not only that, her tights were still ripped from where he had forced the material away. A panic, foreign and encompassing, welled up in her and she took a step back. Once free of Hal she rent-a-ghosted again in place. At the comforting weight and creak of her jacket she breathed a sigh of relief. Her tights were restored; her skin was once again unbroken, now hidden under her comforting leather armour.
Hal fastened his trousers as he stood shakily, with his shirt still untucked. He didn't say anything as he rigidly headed towards his sink. He turned on the faucet and immediately stuck his hand under the water, reaching for the soap. Furiously, he scrubbed away the miniscule amount of her non-existent blood, steam rising as the water heated. She stood still in the centre of the room and watched him purge the temptation from himself with an unnecessary excess. Water still running, he suddenly dropped his hands to grip the edge of the porcelain basin and leaned into it. A shot of pain pierced through her gut and Alex nearly doubled over as well. She was feeling his hunger, clearly, as if it were her own.
She backed away to drop into sitting at the foot of the bed as the feeling overwhelmed her. Eventually, Hal turned off the faucet with an unsteady hand. Their eyes met and he held her gaze, his breathing still rushed as he bore into her. Alex tried her damndest not to let on what she was feeling, and it was a relief when he looked away and dropped to the floor. He started counting crunches and all Alex could do was sit, balling the blanket under her fingers into her fists. The pain wracking through her came in waves and kept coming. She focused on his voice, counting and steady until eventually, well past a hundred, the sensation began to fade and recede, and finally she could let go. She smoothed the blankets just as he came to a stop, laying on the floor and quieting his breath. She took a deep breath herself, and he sat up, leaned against the sofa and stared at her.
"Hal, what happened today?" She asked him softly as they faced each other from across the room. Hal looked away, sullen, but she pressed, folding her hands into her lap. "Please - I need to understand."
"How did you know?" Hal answered her question with one of his own.
"I," Alex started, then looked at the floor. She didn't have to say it, because he concluded from the look on her face.
"Its growing stronger, isn't it?"
Alex bit her lip, then reluctantly nodded.
"Megan," Hal shook his head in disbelief, gaze dropping to the floor. "She thought... after my fight yesterday with Tom, she thought I was sweet on Allison. She offered an alternative."
Alex guffawed - anything to break the tension between them. "Bloody likely!" At Hal's evasive look she knew there had to be more to it. "Megan's annoying, but that is hardly reason for you to..."
"No. It was far more primitive than that," he answered with vehemence. "Simple proximity. Megan was menstruating." Hal let that lag. At first, Alex wanted to laugh. It was absurd. Then the gravity hit her. Hal recognized her dawn of understanding and his gaze bored into her again.
"If you hadn't... if we hadn't..." He shook his head, clearly hating to complete the thought. "Tell me you understand just how close..." he gestured with his hands, then let them fall open to his lap.
"You mean if I hadn't known, and we hadn't -"
"I would have killed everyone," he uttered, his gaze intense and with complete sincerity. "The staff, the conference - the entire hotel. One slip and it wouldn't have been just one dead girl. The risk is far too severe. I can't do this Alex. I shouldn't be allowed out. I should be thrown down a well."
The completeness of his self-hatred hit her square in the chest and she dropped off the bed and came to kneel next to him. She took his hands in hers firmly and he flinched. "Hey - hey," she soothed and he looked up at her. "But you didn't," she said. "I found you, and you didn't. You stopped it. You saved her."
"This isn't heroic Alex. Today, maybe, but what of tomorrow? What of the next day or the day beyond that? What if you're gone? I can't go back."
"But -"
"I must not." Hal's tone was final as he pulled his hands free from hers and abruptly stood. "I need tea," he said to her questioning look. "And… something to eat," he sighed.
Alex's painful memory of hunger was still close. "Will that… help?"
Hal's mouth hardened. "Not really," he admitted. "It's more of a distraction."
"Oh," she answered. He started to walk away and she stood. "Are you…" Alex started, then stopped, not quite knowing how to phrase it.
"Still a risk?" he filled in her question for her and she bit her lip then nodded. "Always," he concluded then stressed, "Always."
Hal left her with that, hoping she understood - needing her to understand. She remained standing in his room.
Downstairs, the phone rang and he answered it automatically. Perhaps he shouldn't have as he recognized the voice of his employer.
"Hal? This is Edwards. Did you forget that you are on shift today?"
"There was an emergency. At the house. I left not long ago. I apologize."
"Hal," his manager paused awkwardly. "You've been doing a smashing job, really you have. You keep on top of your reports and the scheduling flawlessly. But… This is twice now that you have left early without asking."
"I am aware."
"Well, I'm afraid if you keep this up I'll have no choice but to let you go."
"No," Hal answered, already knowing what he had to do.
"No?"
"No, because I will be terminating our employment agreement."
"You're quitting?" Edwards asked, disbelief evident in his tone.
"Yes, I'm quitting. Good day."
"But -" Edwards started and Hal hung up.
There. It was done.
Hal stared at the phone set for some time before he picked up the receiver and dialed.
"Hello," the voice was clipped and prim in the greeting.
"I'm in," was all Hal had to say.
"Debriefing at sixteen hundred," was all Dominic Rook said in reply.
"What did you just do?" she asked him, leaning in the doorway and arms folded.
"What I must."
She gave him an unreadable expression as their eyes locked, then she unfolded her arms and took a step towards him. Crossing the room, she caught him by the shoulders, still holding his gaze. He wanted nothing more than to retreat, to pull away from her - but she stood her ground, and so did he. Then she hugged him, pulling them together close and tight with caring. He couldn't believe she still wanted anything to do with him. He had hurt her - actually hurt her, and they had - oh God. She had let him.
He wrapped his arms tenuously around the solidity of her, feeling her warmth and illusion of life through her ever-returning jacket. The shampoo-fresh scent of her hair mixed with that undeniable sharp and spirited Alex smell pierced through his core. He returned her embrace and swallowed in a vain attempt to push down everything he felt for this woman.
"I don't deserve you," was all he could say. She gave an exasperated sigh into his shoulder, but held him tighter.
