THE MUSICAL VAMPIRE MYSTERIES OF RORY FLANAGAN
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. It was a lot of fun to write! I bet if you are a True Blood fan, it was instantly obvious to you which characters are parallels to which. There's gonna be more characters introduced this time, and it will start to break away from the TB plotlines a little more by the end of the story. At the time of this writing, I still hadn't decided exactly how long this was gonna be, but it didn't take long for me to decide it was going to be a full length tale, so hang in there with me!
Beta Credit: Ragnarok45, TVTime
Season 1, Episode 2: Learning Curve
Joe Hart was captivated by the voice he heard in the night. It was beautiful—the voice was inhumanly perfect—singing a song that was tantalizingly familiar; every time he thought he'd placed it, the thought slipped from his grasp. Perhaps it was from a dream? Whatever the case, the echoing sound drifted in through his bedroom window, grabbing his attention and forcing him out of bed.
Having snuck out of his home through the open window, the teen began to walk in the direction the sound seemed to be coming from, his feet carrying him forward seemingly of their own accord. He was becoming lost, but something made him not care, the same 'something' that made him ignore the sharp stinging in the soles of his feet as he stepped on debris in the road.
"Why am I at the high school?" he asked the night air, regaining his faculties as his journey came to a close at McKinley High School, right outside the entrance to the gym. The only light came from the single bulb above the door, the only noise the chirp of cicadas. The singing had stopped, but when had that happened?
Joe crept around the school grounds, peeking through the windows, even trying the doorknobs to see if he could get in. He had to get in there, the source of the melodic voice was inside, even if he could no longer hear it; he just knew it was in there. It was calling for him.
"Hello," came a very soft whisper behind him. It sounded airy, light, and feminine. Joe should have felt a chill down his spine, fear inside of him, but no, he felt none of that. Instead it was a type of euphoria that came over him.
"Hi," he said, turning around. Whoever had spoken to him had disappeared. Perhaps he had imagined it? No, he had definitely heard a woman's voice speak to him.
Joe was startled when he felt the gentle touch of fingertips on his shoulder. He spun around quickly, hoping to catch a glimpse of whomever was there. What he saw was a woman, her face in permanent shadow. He could see her hair fluttering in the wind - her long, flowing hair. It was too dark for him to see what she was wearing - her entire body nothing more than a shrouded, ghostly form. The only thing that kept him from thinking she wasn't real was the fact that she still had her arm outstretched, her fingers brushing against his bare shoulder, rubbing her thumb across the hem of his tank top.
Before Joe had time to ask any questions, or even speak at all, the human form sidled up next to him, placing her shadowed lips next to his ear. She began to sing softly to him, but then the noise began to amplify. It was intoxicating yet painful as it got louder and louder. It got quieter for a moment as his eardrums ruptured, blood starting to trickle down the sides of his face. His head hurt immensely, not just from the bursting, but it was as if his brain was being squeezed the way one would squeeze a sponge.
Joe wanted to cover his ears, grab his head, fall to his knees, but something wouldn't let him. He couldn't bring himself to move, despite the fact that every nerve in his body was on fire, vibrating like a tuning fork. He could move his eyes, just enough to look downward and observe his skin stretching dangerously taut, his veins threatening to escape his skin. His muscles went rigid, locking his bones in place as they vibrated and cracked in loud snaps. His organs liquefied, leaking out with the blood, staining his flesh black and brown.
By the time Joe Hart was free to collapse to the ground, the mess that had once been a teenaged boy with long dreadlocks resembled no more than an old black mop on a stack of crimson towels and sludge.
"You're insane! You can't go out on a date with him!" screeched Mercedes, her voice echoing from the kitchen out to the bar. "He's a vampire; he just wants to drink you dry, or keep you as his pet, or something vulgar like that!"
The sight of the stout woman waving her arms around, her large chest bouncing as she spoke would have been hilarious had she not been yelling admonishments at her co-worker and friend.
"I'm only gonna tell ye' one more time, Mercedes, he's not a bad man. He's nice and wants to be friends. There's nothing wrong with that," Rory insisted, spinning around from the freezer to face the woman. "B'sides, I'll date whoever I want to date, and if I want to go on a date with a vampire, I will," he added firmly.
"Kurt, help me out here, would you? Rory is going on a date with that blonde-haired vampire seducer and he refuses to listen to reason," Mercedes pleaded as Kurt came back into the kitchen, wanting to see what all the noise was about.
Kurt's face went from one of curiosity to one of anger. "Are you suicidal, or just stupid?" His hands were on his hips like a mother admonishing her child, except everyone knew that an upset Kurt was more vicious than any angry parent. He raised his finger in his young friend's face, about to go on, but Rory interrupted him.
"I'm not suicidal and I'm not stupid. Now if ye' two don't leave me the hell alone about it, I'll go to Mike and see if he can put a stop to ye'r noisemakin'," the young teen announced, arms crossed, glaring from one person to the other. When their looks of shock told him that they'd gotten the point, he stomped out of the kitchen, making his way up front to see if there were any customers.
Mercedes and Kurt exchanged worried looks. "He never talks like that. Hell, he's never that assertive, either," the teen woman said quietly. "Or coordinated for that matter. I have yet to see him knock over a bottle of ketchup or trip on his own two feet."
"I know. I bet the vampire already has him under his spell. That glamouring or whatever they call it," Kurt replied, peering out into the restaurant. Just as he had expected, Rory was standing at the back table, taking the blonde vampire's order, flirtatious smiles on both of their faces. "I just hope he doesn't get in trouble with this guy."
"If he so much as harms a hair on his perfectly gelled head, I will personally drive a stake right through his dead heart," Mercedes growled. Kurt couldn't help but grin at her theatrics.
"Unless I get to him first. Let's just keep an eye out for now. Making a scene might make it worse," the barista cautioned. Though his words seemed rational, the look of hatred in his eyes was anything but.
"It looks like ye'll be me nightly customer," Rory winked as he approached the table Sam was sitting at. "Glad I will 'ave at least one table e'ery night."
"Is that a bad thing? Would you like me to leave?" Sam replied playfully, smiling.
Rory arched an eyebrow. He leaned in a little closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "I'd ne'er ask ye' to leave. Especially after last night. Ye'r like me own bodyguard."
"How do you feel, anyway?" Sam inquired, keeping his voice purposely low and avoiding eye contact with anyone but Rory.
A wide smile spread across the teen's lips. "I feel wonderful. I 'ave all this energy, and I feel... I feel stronger, if that makes any sense."
Sam reached out and touched the boy's hand. Rory didn't recoil, a pleasant gesture for them both. "Don't get too used to that, my friend. It's very temporary. An effect of the blood. You'll probably notice a few other effects as well."
"Like what?"
Sam stared deep into the ocean blue eyes looking at him. "Heightened senses. Better hearing and sense of smell. Increase in agility and endurance. Increased physical strength, and..." He trailed off, the look on his face shifting to one of desire.
"Increased physical strength and what?" Rory asked, never one to miss out on a detail such as that. "What else is there? Is it something bad?" He suddenly appeared worried; concerned that he may be danger.
The vampire chuckled lightly. "No, it's nothing bad. It's actually quite good, depending on how you look at it." He paused, considering a polite way to phrase the effect. "It's increased libido."
Rory broke eye contact with him. "Libido? What's that?" he questioned just slightly louder than he meant to. Realizing his error, he quickly hushed himself and leaned back down. "Sorry. But what's libido? What's it do?"
Sam couldn't help but laugh at the boy's innocence. "It's, well it's ah, let me see how can I explain this properly? Libido, it's what makes you aroused. Sexually," he stated, trying to keep himself under control. "Put simply, it increases your sex drive."
Rory turned deep red at the mention of sex. "Wait, ye' mean I...? Oh me God, It's gonna make me...? I'm so embarrassed!" He blurted out. He began to feel a light tingling in his loins, but as he became more apologetic, it faded.
"Don't be ashamed, Rory. Sexual arousal is a natural part of existence. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. On top of that, the effect doesn't last long either, but in the meantime you might find yourself wanting physical contact a little more than usual," the blonde went on to explain. "Perhaps even the simple need to… have some gentleman's time alone, if you get my meaning."
"Oh, okay," Rory said softly, clearly still shy about the topic but understanding exactly what Sam was referring to by time alone. In an attempt to change the subject, he excused himself to retrieve Sam's drink, hoping that when he returned, Sam would be ready to discuss something else. Besides, it didn't matter about this libido thing anyway: he was still a virgin, a teenager, and a guy. His libido was strong enough as it was, but if he managed to keep it under control already, he figured he could handle the enhancement.
-ooo-
Fifteen minutes before closing, Mike asked Rory to come into his office. Tina offered to finish his cleanup, which made him all the more nervous. The only time anyone ever needed to go to Mike's office was because they were in trouble, or they needed to ask for time off, and since he had no vacation planned, it meant he had to be in some sort of trouble, but for what?
Rory knocked on the door, waiting to be invited in. Mike ushered him inside, asking him to close the door. Closing the door didn't make the Irishman any less nervous - in fact it only set him more on edge.
"Go ahead and have a seat. We need to talk a minute," Mike said in a friendlier tone than Rory had expected. "You're not in trouble, you know," he said, noting the boy's trembling hands. "I just want to talk about this friend of yours. The vampire."
Rory sighed heavily, feeling foolish for not expecting this topic to be the one in question. "His name is Sam. Can ye' please call him by his name? It sounds so mean to call him 'the vampire' all the time," Rory asked quietly.
"Sure, sorry about that. I didn't know his name. Anyway, I want to talk about your new friendship with Sam," Mike announced. The look on his face may have been friendly, but his tone was firm and mature.
"He's a good man, Mike. I promise. He can't glamour me, either, just like I can't see inside his head. Neither one of us knows why. Somehow we're immune to each other," Rory explained confidently. He knew that he needed to muster up every ounce of assertiveness that he had within him in order to convince Mike not to be concerned. "It's refreshing, and… it makes me feel normal."
Mike scratched his chin, looking over the boy. He had long since given up on convincing the boy that he was indeed normal, just gifted. "Rory, you're young, impressionable. You see only the good in people. That can be very dangerous when we have vampires running around. You need to be cautious, no matter how 'normal' it makes you feel."
Rory scrunched up his eyebrows, suddenly angry. "What are ye' trying to say, Mike? That I'm not responsible enough to make me own choices in friends?" he demanded, raising his voice slightly.
"No, I just mean that you need to be careful. Vampires—people are dangerous. You have to be careful who you trust," Mike said calmly. He had a surprising sense of control considering his employee had just started to talk back to him. "I can't tell you who to be friends with, but I want you to promise me something."
"Okay, what is it?"
"Promise me that you'll be careful. At the first sign of trouble, run away. Call for help. Wear some silver around your neck. Don't go home with him, stay out in public. If you're in public, he probably won't do anything," Mike begged. He had given up on ordering Rory to do anything; he knew that would only irritate the teenager and probably drive him even further into the vampire's—Sam's—arms.
Rory half-smiled. "I'll be fine. I'll promise ye' that. I'm safe with him. If anything happens, ye' can tell me 'I told ye' so' until ye' turn blue." He stood up, signaling that he was ready to drop the conversation altogether.
Mike nodded, sighing. It was the best he would get from the kid. He stood up and followed Rory out of the office, back into the bar, where Kurt was locking the doors and Tina was already wiping down tables.
The Asian woman walked up to him and slipped a bill in his hand. "Here, your boyfriend-to-be left this for you. I wish my customers treated me that well."
Rory smiled, not even looking at the amount of the bill—it was a twenty—stuffing it in his pocket. "I could let ye' wait on him if ye' need some money," he offered.
Tina giggled. "Thanks, but I wouldn't dream of taking away your favorite customer. I doubt he'd leave me such a good tip, either. Apparently girls aren't his type."
"I doubt that's why he leaves me those tips," Rory argued with a chuckle.
"Well, you do give some stellar service, I must say." They exchanged smiles at her compliment. "Go on, I got the tables. Go balance out your tickets so you can go home. It's inventory night, so I'll be here with Mike late anyway."
"Thanks, Tina. I appreciate it," the teen said, walking toward the register. He couldn't help but find it odd that Mike seemed so wary of Sam, and vampires in general, yet Tina was not only more open minded, but she even encouraged him. Sometimes the Asian couple could be total opposites, but they never showed one bit of discontent with each other.
-ooo-
As Sam had promised, he picked Rory up exactly on time. He actually owned a vehicle, much to the boy's surprise. After the super-speed trip from Sam's to his own home, Rory had just assumed Sam ran everywhere he needed to go. Instead, the vampire drove an old Ford truck. It had to be from the 80's, but there was a certain charm about riding in an old style vehicle – one that was older than Rory himself.
"Shouldn't I meet your parents before we go? It's the proper thing to do, isn't it?" Sam asked as Rory emerged from the front door of his home, dressed in khaki pants and a light green polo shirt.
The teen shook his head. "They aren't me parents. I just stay here. Me family is back at home, in Ireland." He followed Sam to the truck, where the older man politely opened the door for him, helping him climb up inside.
"So, you're from Ireland," Sam stated. "How long are you staying here in America?" he asked as he crawled into the truck himself. Rory hadn't seen him zip from one side of the vehicle to the other, moving so fast he may as well have teleported.
"Until graduation. I'm a junior this fall, so I 'ave two years until I go home. It's really lonely, ye' know. I mean, I 'ave me friends here, but I miss me family so much back home," the teen lamented.
Sam smiled. "I could always get you there, if you wanted. I can buy you plane tickets when you need them, and then you could visit your family." He reached down and started up the truck, putting it into gear.
Rory grinned but politely declined. "I couldn't do that. It's way too expensive, and e'eryone would ask questions. I'm not sure me family would approve of me being friends with a vampire," he said, lowering his eyes. "I'm sorry, we should talk about happy things. I don't want to ruin our date talking about stuff like that."
Sam slid his hand over and placed it on top of Rory's. His hand was cool, but not icy the way most people claimed vampire skin to be. It felt great to feel the touch of another person without fear of drawing out their memories. "You're right," Sam agreed. "Tell me more about this… ability of yours. I'm quite intrigued."
"It's kind o'weird. I mean, I touch people, and I can see into their heads," the teen began. Sam listened intently, but kept his eyes on the road, his hand on Rory's. "For as far back as I can remember, anytime my skin would make contact with someone else's, I couldn't control it. I saw so much I ne'er wanted to. It was really disturbing as a wee one. Findin' out me fourth grade teacher was into weird, kinky sexual things was just too much. I ne'er looked at her the same after that."
"That would definitely upset me, too. That falls into the 'too much information' area. So you're like a mind reader?"
Rory scrunched up his face. "Sort o'like that. I can't see what's goin' on in their mind right at the moment. I can see their memories. Thoughts they already had, things they remember. I can't tell what they're thinking right then."
Sam thought a moment. "Have you ever tried? To read their thoughts, I mean. What they're currently thinking."
The Irish teen nodded his head. "I tried, but it just doesn't happen. It's like reading a book, except I'm always a page behind. I can't see the page they're on, and I can't see the next page, but I can see anything before. Well, almost anything. The flashes aren't always real clear. Sometimes it's random memories, other times just random thoughts. If the memory is really clear, really detailed, it plays kind o' like a movie. Otherwise it's like a slide show."
"And for some odd reason when you try to look into my head, nothing happens, right?"
Rory nodded again. "I touch ye' and there's nothin' t'read, like an empty book. No thoughts, no memories, just emptiness. I can usually block out someone if I concentrate, but I'm not concentrating with ye'. I know ye' 'ave to 'ave memories in there, I just can't get to them if that makes sense to ye'."
Sam chuckled. "Maybe there's just nothing in there to see. I never was the brightest vampire around," he joked. Rory looked at him strangely, not understanding his joke. "I'm kidding. Maybe your ability just doesn't work on vampires, and since you never met one before, it's the first time you've noticed something different."
"Could me ability be the same reason ye' can't cast a spell on me? That… mind control thing?" the teen asked nervously.
"Maybe. It's not a spell, though. It's called glamouring, and it's an innate ability to vampires, much like your own memory reading. We have to be taught how to do it though, and practice to get skilled with it. All it is though, is we just plant suggestions in your mind, making you think something that isn't real," Sam explained.
"I guess it's a good thing ye' can't glamour me then, because if ye' could, I couldn't 'ave accepted ye'r date because I actually wanted to."
Sam smiled mischievously. "That's a very good point. However, if I recall correctly, we were just going as friends. It was you who wanted it to be a date. I can't influence you, so I guess that's a good sign."
Rory's face turned bright red and he began to perspire with nervousness. "I… I don't really do that, I just… somethin' made me want to do it. Made me want to ask ye' to make it a date. If ye' can't glamour me, though, then I must really be interested in… in maybe being a little more than friends."
"Perhaps so. We'll find out. You need to spend time with someone before you know if you like them or not. Spend some time with me, and we can find out together," Sam said cheerfully. "Of course, only do what you're comfortable with. If you choose not to go out again, don't feel afraid. I won't pressure you into anything. I really would like to make a friend of you. If it turns into something more, that's wonderful, but if not, I hope we can still be friends." He removed his hand from Rory's and took control of the gearshift, pulling the truck into a parking space and cutting the engine.
"We're here?" Rory asked, noticing they had arrived at BreadStiX. "I didn't know they served Tru Blood here."
"Oh, I checked. They do. There will most likely even be other vampires here." Sam got out of the truck and, in a flash, was opening Rory's door for him, offering his hand to assist him out of the vehicle. "I hear they also have some amazing Italian food, as well as old fashioned American cuisine."
Ever the gentleman, Sam held the door open for his date, stood until Rory had slid into his seat at the table, and let him order first. Having never been on a date before, Rory wasn't used to such treatment, and it was refreshing to experience compared to always having to watch everyone else being treated so special.
The waitress gave the pair a funny look as Sam ordered a Tru Blood while Rory ordered actual food. They exchanged pleasant conversation while they waited-Sam inquiring about Rory's studies in America, his home back in Ireland, his family. The teen appeared a little saddened as he thought about home, but quickly cheered up again when he felt Sam's cool hand on his across the tabletop.
"So, ye've asked me all about me home and e'erything, but I don't know much about ye'. It's ye'r turn to tell me about ye'." Rory said inquisitively. "How old are ye'?
Sam chuckled. "Well that was abrupt. I'm one hundred and seventy years old." The much younger teen's jaw dropped, his eyes wide. It was common knowledge they were often quite old, but the realization that Sam really was over a hundred years old was just hitting the teen. "Vampires keep their physical appearance the same as when they were made. Physically we never age. I suppose you could say I'm lucky—at least I was turned still looking youthful."
"I would ne'er know ye' were so old. Ye' only look seventeen or eighteen at most," Rory said. He considered what he had just said and quickly backpedaled. "Not to say ye'r old but I mean, well, just, well," he continued to stumble over his words, fearing he may have offended the man, but Sam simply smiled.
"It's okay, I know what you meant. a hundred-seventy isn't exactly young. I was born in 1843 and made vampire in 1860. I doubt you have living grandparents that old," the blonde joked. As soon as he said it he realized just how creepy it sounded, but it must not have bothered Rory, who was laughing heartily at the comment.
When the waitress finally arrived with their orders, Rory dug into his food right away as Sam casually sipped his Tru Blood, which the waitress had poured into a large glass mug with the restaurant logo on it.
"Uh, Sam, can I ask ye' something?" the teen inquired. Sam nodded, signaling for him to continue. "That Tru Blood, does it taste like real blood? Can ye' tell it isn't real blood? Does it come in different flavors?"
Sam chuckled at the slew of questions, amused by the boy's open curiosity. "It tastes close enough. Nothing will ever taste like real blood. Just like a strawberry flavored drink will never taste as good as a real strawberry. I can tell it isn't real blood though—not because of the taste, but it doesn't have the same... energy to it." Rory scrunched up his eyebrows. "Energy, as in life force. When a vampire drinks human blood, there is a certain thing in it, a nutrient you could call it,that has a certain taste—a certain feeling—that you can't get with Tru Blood. It has to be genuine."
"A nutrient?"
"It's hard to explain. Think of it like caffeine. Your body has a slightly different reaction to caffeinated soda, which is artificial, as opposed to coffee, which has natural caffeine in it. Maybe it's something only vampires can relate to. As for flavors, it comes in blood types. A, B, AB, O, positive, negative, they all taste a little different, much like teas taste different," the vampire explained casually. As he sipped the liquid some more, he noticed Rory staring at the mug inquisitively. "Do you want to taste it?"
Rory seemed startled by the offer despite the fact it was obvious he was curious to try the synthetic beverage. It couldn't possibly be much different than the taste of actual blood, which he had already had a healthy portion of nights before. In fact, that taste had been oddly pleasant at the time. "Is it gonna do the same thing to me that ye'r blood did? The senses and strength and… stuff?"
Sam shook his head, an amused smile crossing his features. "No. For one, this is meant to simulate human blood, and even if was made to taste like vampire's, it lacks the actual 'nutrients' in the vampire blood that cause the bodily reactions. That's why people sell it as a drug; because they want the real thing, the stuff that gives them the sensations they're looking for."
"Ye' mean the same things that I felt after I drank ye'r blood?"
Sam nodded. "Of course, it usually acts like more of an aphrodisiac, but perhaps you're different. Whatever gives you your special ability might be lessening those kinds of effects perhaps. Thankfully, whatever it is that gives you your ability didn't interfere with the accelerated healing. I'd be quite sad if you hadn't made it."
Rory cocked his head to the side, not even bothering to ask what 'aphrodisiac' meant but more interested in Sam's last comment. "Ye' would?"
"Yes. I don't like to see people being hurt, especially people who are kind. I may be a vampire, and my kind has a history of murder and death, but I long ago abandoned that and prefer to live in society," Sam explained. He sipped his drink once more, and then pushed it over to his date. "You wanted to try it, right?"
"Yeah, just a tiny bit," the teen replied. He put down his fork and took hold of the mug with both hands. He brought it closer to his face, his big blue eyes watching Sam. His lips touched the edge and he very cautiously tipped it up so he could get just the smallest bit into his mouth.
The beverage was hot. He hadn't expected ninety-eight point six to feel quite so warm. He drew some of the liquid into his mouth, Sam watching him intently, awaiting a reaction. He got what he was searching for as Rory scrunched up his face and quickly set the mug down on the table, grimacing.
Sam chuckled lightly. "Not the same as my blood, is it? Curiosity quelled?" Rory nodded his head vigorously. Sam handed him a napkin and motioned for him to wipe his lips. Rory pushed the mug back to the other side of the table as if it were toxic, accepting the napkin and wiping his mouth clean.
"Ne'er gonna try that again! It was awful! It was worse than me own blood when I bite me lip!" he exclaimed. He then picked up his own glass and chugged down half of the soda. Sam giggled, amused. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Rory continued to eat his meal, happy to get the dreadful flavor out of his mouth.
"I see you have recovered from your blood adventure," the blonde joked when Rory finally finished eating and slid his plate aside.
"Yeah, that's an adventure I ne'er want to repeat! I could ne'er survive bein' a vampire if I had t'drink that stuff." Rory took another sip of his beverage before continuing. "Anyway, Sam, tell me about ye'r life before being a vampire. What was it like back in the early years?" The question seemed both random yet logical and was a wonderful way to change the topic from the taste of blood types to something slightly less supernatural.
Sam laughed. "There really isn't much to tell. It's not that exciting. My family consisted of farmers in what is now Nashville, Tennessee. I grew up doing chores first thing in the morning, going to school until the afternoon, and coming home to help with the farm until supper, when momma would make a nice meal and then I'd do my homework, maybe help with the kids. When I was taken out of school, I worked the farm full time with my father."
"Ye' had siblings? Why did ye' leave school?"
"Yeah. Two. A brother and a sister. Stacy was six and Steven was eight. Mom already had Stacy out helping feed the hens and collect the eggs. Steven would help with milking the cows and feeding some of the other animals. Papa and I, we did all the hard labor," the much older teenager went on. "I stopped school because my father needed so much help with the farm. It was really big, and required a lot of constant work."
Rory looked thoughtful a moment, trying to imagine what it must have been like. He pictured a typical farmhouse with a barn, animals all over the place, and Sam and faceless family members moving about, doing their tasks. "What did ye' do for fun? Ye' had to 'ave some spare time, didn't ye'?"
Sam grinned. "Yeah, I got some spare time, but not much. My dad would let me have a few hours on Saturdays and then aside from feeding the animals, we didn't do any hard labor on Sundays, the Lord's day. That's when I'd get to see friends and have family time."
"What did ye' do?"
"Me and my friends? We'd play sports in the empty fields. Go swimming in the lake. Run around the woods, wrestle about," Sam replied. He then gave a mischievous grin as he disclosed some of his less innocent acts. "Sometimes we'd smoke a little herbs, talk about girls, release some tension. Most of the time we just hung around, maybe shot off some rifles at cans for practice."
Rory raised an eyebrow. "Girls?"
"Yeah. Back then I was into girls. I even had relations with a few. It wasn't until I became vampire that I explored outside the realm of simple things with girls. I got more... adventurous." Sam thought back on his human life, back when things were hard. Well, harder. Life was hard as a vampire, too, but there were certain freedoms he could enjoy that he couldn't as a human. Freedom in general, but he missed his family. That was the hardest part - having to leave his family behind.
"How did ye'... ye' know, become a vampire?" Rory asked next. Sam knew the question was coming up, but he had no desire to discuss it, not now. He knew the boy was only curious - being sixteen and meeting his first vampire, of course he had a lot of questions. Sam couldn't be mad at that, but it was also bringing to light some sad memories for him. He almost wished Rory could just touch him and read his memories like the boy could with humans. Of course that would mean they wouldn't have as much to talk about.
Sam sighed lightly. "Can we not talk about that right now? It's kind of unpleasant, and we're having such a nice time. I'll tell you about it another time, I promise."
Rory smiled and nodded. "That's okay. I don't want to bring up anything bad for ye'."
"So we've chewed the fat over my past, now tell me about yours. Tell me what life was like for you growing up and how it is now. I imagine it's vastly different being a teenager now than it was in my time. Tell me all about it."
For the rest of their time at the restaurant, Sam asked Rory the same questions - what it was like at home, what his family was like, how he entertained himself. The boy had already told him about school and minor details about his family, but Sam wanted to know more. He asked Rory to recall as early as he could from his childhood, where he had grown up, everything. When it came down to it though, things weren't vastly different as far as concept. Rory, too, had chores, went to school, spent time with family and friends. The main difference was the fact that Rory and his friends played with electronics like video games instead of shooting tin cans off of fence posts and they certainly didn't smoke or release tension together.
When the check came, Sam wasted no time in snatching up the bill, even as Rory began to dig through his wallet. "This is my treat. It's a date, and I asked you out, so I pay the bill." He smiled as Rory opened his mouth to politely argue and remind Sam who had actually requested it to be a date, but Sam placed his finger on the boy's lips to silence him.
No sooner had they returned to Sam's truck and gotten buckled in, than Sam's phone rang. He took his phone from his pocket and looked at the caller ID. "Excuse me, I have to take this. I'm sorry," he said in an apologetic tone. Rory just shrugged, smiled, and looked out of the window, trying not to pay attention to his friend's conversation. Unfortunately he couldn't help but pick up Sam's end of the exchange. Apparently he was speaking to someone named Sebastian, who wasn't concerned with what Sam was doing at the moment, and wanted him right away. When Sam terminated the call, he was visibly distressed.
"E'erything okay?" Rory inquired, turning to face the man beside him.
The blonde put his fingers against his forehead and sighed. "Rory, I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid we have to cut the date portion short. I've just gotten a call from the sheriff, and he needs me to meet him urgently."
"That's okay, I understand. I didn't know ye' were friends with the sheriff though. Does he know ye'r a vampire?" the teen asked innocently.
Sam laughed. "He's a vampire sheriff. They're in charge of this area. Every state is split up into areas, each with a sheriff. It's like the local government sort of. They keep order. And I would not say we are friends. If anything, I dislike him very much, but I have no choice but to answer to him. When a sheriff makes a 'request', you don't ignore it."
"Oh," Rory replied, blushing at his own ignorance. "I'm sure I'll see ye' again soon though, right?"
"You aren't going home yet. I'm sorry. When he says immediately, he means immediately. Your home is in the opposite direction of where we need to go. I'll have to bring you with me."
The young teen shrugged again. "Okay. I don't mind. It could be fun. Where are we going anyway?"
Sam sighed once again. "It's... a bar. A vampire bar, called Scandals. The sheriff owns it and his progeny runs it with him." Sam had already put the truck in gear and was driving as he explained what was about to go on. "A progeny is what we call someone a vampire creates. It means that she was turned vampire by him, and so she is forever connected to him."
"In a way that almost sounds kind of… like slavery," Rory said, frowning. Sam shook his head.
"No, it's not slavery. It's more like parent to child. Except a progeny often has a physical, even loving relationship with their maker. Anyway, listen to me, okay? As long as you're with me, you're safe. Don't go wandering around on your own, don't talk to anyone, just stay right by my side," the vampire instructed.
Rory's eyes suddenly showed nothing but intense fear. "Is this place that dangerous? Are ye' sure I should go in? What if I waited in the truck?"
"No. You are not waiting outside. You'll be fine if you stay by my side and keep quiet," the blonde repeated sternly. He looked over from the road to see the brunette had a hurt look on his face—the look of someone feeling shunned. Sam softened up. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to scare you, or talk to you like a little kid. I don't like going to Scandals, to be honest. Sebastian is a pompous ass, and his progeny is kind of… not nice. I just don't want anything to happen to you before our next date."
The young teen's eyes perked up. "A second date? Ye' really want a second date?" he asked enthusiastically.
"Yes, very much. A second, and a third, and maybe more. Right now, I just have to see what Sebastian wants with me, and get through this little visit," Sam said. His friend smiled and watched the trees passing by the window, a comfortable silence between them as they both mulled over the idea of spending more time together.
Rory sighed happily as he felt Sam's cool fingers reaching out to intertwine with his own. Reassurance and affection, two things Rory knew he was going to need to get through the night.
-ooo-
Still keeping up with his gentlemanly routine, Sam opened the door to let Rory out of the truck, taking his hand and holding on. "You're with me, so nobody should ask any questions." Rory wasn't sure what to make of that statement but he shook it off and stayed by Sam's side, gripping his hand nervously.
The door to Scandals was guarded by a tallish, round woman who was sitting on a stool, reading of all things, a science textbook. Her shirt had her name stitched on the fabric—Beiste. She nodded at Sam, obviously familiar with the vampire, but said nothing as they went inside. Rory's eyes went wide as he observed the various goings on in the building. Colored strobes flashed in various patterns as numerous male and female strippers danced erotically on poles mounted atop tall platforms. The women were topless, while both genders wore bottom garments that barely covered anything at all. His cheeks turned pink as one of the topless women met eyes with him and winked, reaching up and caressing her breast.
Rory moved his eyes to the opposite side of the room only to see a long bar with more dancers on the counter, the bartenders conducting business between shuffling legs. There were tables all about with patrons sitting at them, talking, making out, or throwing back shots. People were dancing on a large dance floor, bumping and grinding erotically. Men and women together, men and men, women and women. Vampires with vampires, humans with humans, and vampires with humans.
One thing he didn't see, however, was any of the vampires feeding. He had expected to see at least a couple of them latched onto someone's neck or arm, draining away their life force as if it were a martini. The next thing he wondered was how the vampires were able to stand the loud rock music blaring in the bar with their enhanced hearing. It was giving him a headache and he was only listening with human ears.
Far in the back of the bar was a stage, complete with curtains, except there was no play or performance going on. Instead there were only two people watching the bar, both looking almost bored. At the center of the dais, spotlights highlighted the tall, dark haired man sitting in what looked like an over-the-top throne, an equally tall, raven haired woman stood right by his side, her sleek, shiny dress reflecting in the bright light, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail that gave her a severe look. The man's eyes played across Rory's body, not making any effort to hide the fact he was lustful for the boy upon first sight. Sam looked to his side, right at Rory and gave him a curt, encouraging nod. Rory gulped and walked onto the platform with his friend, stopping directly in front of whom he assumed was the sheriff.
"Good evening, Samuel," the man said, the corner of his mouth turning up in a sly grin. He was admittedly handsome with a youthful face, only the slightest hint of stubble on his chin. He wore a black button-down shirt that was halfway undone, exposing his smooth, pale chest. "Who is your friend? He looks positively… delicious." His mouth turned up in a slight smile, his eyes roving over Rory's body.
Rory squeezed Sam's hand, already feeling himself sweating in fear. He had hoped that perhaps he would be ignored, or just casually noticed, but the sheriff, although sitting down, was an imposing man who made no hesitation in asking questions.
"He's human. His name is Rory, and he is mine," Sam stated protectively. He squeezed his hand twice, hoping that Rory would get the hint to just go along with whatever he was saying.
"Is that so? A handsome human male specimen. A shame he's spoken for." The man raised his arm up slightly and motioned for Rory to step forward. The teen looked at Sam, who nodded his approval.
"Go ahead. You're in no danger," Sam assured him. He let go of the boy's hand and reluctantly allowed him to approach his sheriff. He prayed that he was speaking the truth; it was vampire law not to harm another vampire's human, but a sheriff could always make an exception if he truly wanted to, though the decision may still hold unknown consequences.
"Greetings, human. My name is Sebastian Smythe. It's a pleasure to meet you," the sheriff announced. "As I said, it's a shame you have been spoken for."
Rory could tell that Sebastian was challenging him, the way he made his statements deliberate and firm. It occurred to him that the only way he was going to make it through this little meeting was to do exactly as Sam had told him, and play along. "Y-yes sir. I am his. Only his," he stated, trying his hardest to keep the terror out of his voice.
Sebastian chuckled. "Point taken, young man. You may step back."
"Sebastian, are all these theatrics really necessary?" Sam inquired, shaking his head. "I'm pretty sure you've made an impression." He took Rory's hand again as the boy stepped backwards, Rory refusing to take his eyes away from Sebastian for fear that something might happen if he looked away for even a second. Upon touching Sam's hand, Rory felt comfort and safety flow through his body once again.
"Aww, come on, Sam. Let him play it up a little to impress the human. The only ones we ever get in here anymore are fangbangers, and those are so boring," the woman standing behind Sebastian said, leaning over and tracing her fingers across Sebastian's chest. She paused just long enough to gracefully unbutton the next tab of his shirt, exposing more of her maker's chest. She seductively licked her lips ever so slightly, furrowing her brow. Her cleavage was shamefully abundant, her dress barely holding her breasts inside as she leaned down. She sounded flirtatious but it was obvious she held disdain for their guests.
Sam sighed. "You're just as dramatic, Santana. No wonder you two are such a perfect match." The woman, Santana, rolled her eyes and huffed, drawing her hand away and leaning up against the back of the chair. She then smirked at him, knowing that Sebastian wasn't about to give up his charade.
"I think we should talk alone, Samuel. Without prying ears," Sebastian said, nodding toward the human standing beside his summoned quarry.
"No. He stays. He is mine and I keep no secrets from him. I don't trust these fools around him, either," Sam said, motioning around the bar with his free hand. "They're so filled with bloodlust they may not remember the concept of ownership."
"You really are a self-hater, Sam. Get over yourself and give in already," Santana scolded him. She grinned and quickly closed the distance toward Rory. "You are handsome. Has nice guy Sammy had a nice little feed off of you yet?"
Rory gulped, the woman slightly taller only because of her high heels, but her slender figure still intimidating. "N-n-no. Not yet."
Santana scoffed, looking over at Sam. "Figures. Sam, you really are such a bad example for our kind. Lucky for you, I'm not in charge, or else I'd make you feed off him right here, right now. That sweet, Irish accent, I bet the boy tastes of potatoes in his blood." She leaned her head back, cackling in an overly dramatic manner.
Sam scowled at the woman, his eyes dark and filled with hate. "What do you want, Sebastian?" he asked coldly, still keeping his eyes on the seductive progeny.
"Well, you probably don't know, but a body was found in the area, not far from where you live. It's a human, and normally I wouldn't much care unless a vampire was the guilty party, but there was something abnormal about these leftovers," the sheriff began. Rory flinched at his use of the word 'leftovers' to refer to a dead human corpse.
"What was so weird about it? If it wasn't a vampire that attacked, it was most likely a wolf, which I really don't intend to start a fight with," the blonde stated.
Sebastian smiled and stared up lovingly at Santana, the pair exchanging a moment of affection before the man returned his attention to the men before him. "The body wasn't drained. In fact, it looked like none of the blood from the victim was even taken. No bite marks, no marks of any kind as far as teeth, claws, blades. Just a broken, liquefied body. Picture a melted wax dummy, or perhaps you'd care to take a look for yourself?"
"No, that's alright. So what do you want me for? Clean up?" Sam asked sarcastically, annoyed. He knew he was being rude, and he knew he should calm down in front of the sheriff, but he and Sebastian had history, as did Santana and himself, so they were on a slightly more 'casual' level than most.
Sebastian sat upright and stiff, irritated. "Listen you cocky little shit, that body was shattered from the inside. Every bone inside was turned to shards and grit. Its organs were liquefied in a way I've never seen. This wasn't something we're familiar with and what I want with you is to do a little recon mission and see what you can find out in that Lima shithole. So here's the deal. You turn around, taking your handsome little toy with you, go home, and then go out hunting the area, see what you can find. Hopefully answers."
Santana chuckled in delight as her maker harshly gave orders to Sam, the younger vampire whom she had extreme distaste for. Ever since Sam had rejected her advances upon his arrival in Ohio, she had been bitter and angry at him, feeling insulted when he refused her offer of a three-way relationship with her maker.
"Fine," Sam stated firmly. "But I only do this once. After that, I'm done. I'm not part of your brigade that goes around solving vampire crimes. You know I am a loner, and I intend to stay that way."
"So arrogant," Sebastian said, rolling his eyes. "You know I chose you for this job for the very reason that whoever, whatever this perpetrator is, they won't be expecting you. They would see a 'brigade' from a mile away. Now quit being Mr. Big Cock in front of your human and get out and get to work." Sebastian remembered his agreement with Sam when the young vampire arrived in town. It was an agreement that left Sam out of most vampire politics as he preferred not to nest with others of their kind. In exchange, Sam would never speak of his rejection of Santana and Sebastian nor would he interfere with the lives of any other vampire in the area.
Sam said nothing in response, but just gave both of the vampires a cold stare before tugging on Rory's hand, pulling him along to leave.
"Wait," Sebastian ordered. "Come back here, I want to see the boy again."
Sighing, Sam led his friend back up onto the stage where Sebastian scooted to the edge of his seat, staring into Rory's deep blue eyes.
"I sense something… different about you. How curious. What are you?" Sebastian asked Rory, scrunching up his face.
"I'm a waiter, a student. Nothing special," the teen replied, feeling slightly more confident now that he had seen that Sebastian was really the pompous ass Sam had made him out to be.
"Hmph. No, there's definitely something special about you. I've never before met a human I couldn't glamour, and you, you are like trying to force a brick wall to move by staring at it."
Rory gulped again before finding his voice. "That's right. Glamouring doesn't work on me, so I am Sam's by me own free will. That means a great deal more than someone who becomes ye'r slave because ye' force them to with… mind magic."
"Ho, ho!" Sebastian squealed in delight. "Oh yes, boy, you are indeed something special. Don't lose that confidence; you'll need it. I wish to see you again, and soon," he said. He then looked back up at Sam. "Take your… whatever he is… and get going, but I mean it; I do want to see him again. I need to figure him out. I'm intrigued. I sense something very different, very special about him, but I can't place my finger on it."
"He's special because he's an accepting and caring human being. He's special because he's a good person. Otherwise, he's a normal human. Now, goodbye, Sebastian. I'll give you a report by dawn," Sam said harshly, tugging Rory along one more time. Sebastian watched with delight as the two men quickly made their exit.
Back in the truck, Sam put it into gear and started to drive back where they came from. "Where did you get that sudden burst of confidence from? You're usually so timid. I was impressed you stood up for yourself."
Rory shrugged. "I don't know. It just kind o' came out o' me. Maybe ye'r blood is still 'aving its effect on me." They rode in silence for several minutes before Rory asked something that had been bothering him since they left. "Sam, what did ye' mean when ye' said that I am ye'rs?"
"I was staking claim to you. I should have explained before we went in. See, a lot of vampires will 'adopt' a human to be theirs, sort of like a partner. They voluntarily let the vampire feed from them, and in most cases, they have a romantic relationship. It is forbidden for a vampire to lay hand or fang on someone else's human. By telling Sebastian that you are mine, it secured you from being harmed. I'm sorry if I offended you, but it was for your safety." Sam looked away from the road again and glanced over at the teen, searching for a response.
He didn't get a reply, but instead was greeted by silence. Sighing sadly, Sam took Rory's hand in his own and held it as they drove back to town. Rory didn't pull back, so he must not have offended him too badly. Sam thought a moment and realized Rory's silence could simply be a result of an overload of strange and new experiences for one evening.
"That place… it was awful," Rory finally stated, still staring out of the window. "E'eryone was all o'er each other. It was like the start o' one o' those dirty movies on the internet."
"And how many dirty internet movies have you been watching then?" Sam teased. Rory's cheeks flushed deep crimson as he realized that he very well might have given himself away. Every teenaged boy with a computer watched porn online, but it wasn't exactly something all of them admitted to, Rory included. "Relax, I'm joking with you. I'm trying to make you feel better."
"Thanks, Sam. I'm okay, it was just weird. I mean, ye're so polite and kind and modest, and just seeing all those other vampires in there acting all sexual and perverted, they were the total opposite o' ye'."
Sam smiled as the teen finally looked back at him again. "Rory, I'm not going to lie to you. I have my sexual side, too. I just don't choose to make it as important as those people. It's much more important to me to have a relationship than to get in bed with someone for the sake of it. It's empty and unfulfilling. Intimacy with someone you love is much better."
"That makes sense. I guess… I guess o'er the years ye've had lots of… intimacy."
The vampire nodded. "Yes, I have. Most of it was not with people I cared about, and that was during a time when I was different. I'm a better person now, and I very much desire a meaningful relationship with someone. I hope that doesn't scare you away."
"No, it doesn't scare me. I agree with ye'. I've seen in people's minds the sick, meaningless… sex… the fetishes and creepy things they do and I've seen some really happy memories o' people with their mates. That's what I want, happy memories with a special person," the teen confessed. His cheeks had not returned to their pale color, but were still flushed as he told the man private thoughts he hadn't shared with anyone else before.
Sam squeezed his hand again. "I'm going to assume then, that you're pure, a virgin," he began. Again the boy's cheeks blushed deeper still. "Take it from me, save yourself for someone special. Don't do it just because the chance comes along. You'll be glad you did when you remember it later." He smiled, pulling their intertwined hands toward his lips and gently kissing the top of Rory's hand. "Sorry, I don't mean to lecture."
"No, no it's okay. I feel better now. Knowing that ye' want the same thing I do. It makes me feel like less of a lost cause," Rory said. "I used to think I was the only one who really felt that way, except for me friends who already 'ave someone special. Mike and Tina. Kurt and Blaine. Mercedes is single, but she has her eye on a boy named Shane. I see in people's heads and all they remember is hardcore sex. Some of it very… scary. Stuff with no one special."
"You're not alone. Lots of people feel the way we do." The pair was silent for a few more minutes before Sam spoke up again. "I want you to know that whatever comes of our friendship, I'll always be honest with you. I may not always do the right thing, I might make mistakes, but it's always because I care about you. Friend or more."
Rory smiled adoringly at the man. "I promise to do the same."
When they arrived at Rory's home, Sam jumped out of the truck to let his friend out. As he held out his hand to help the boy out of the vehicle, Rory instead pulled himself forward using the proffered hand and planted a soft kiss on the blonde's lips. Sam was taken aback, unsure of how to respond at first, but realized that it was simply an innocent sign of affection, nothing more.
"Thanks for a wonderful night, Sam. Even with the weird bar, it was fun," Rory admitted.
Sam grinned "I'm glad Sebastian and his bitch- uh I mean progeny didn't ruin it for you. Good night, Rory. Get some sleep, and I'll call you tomorrow evening, after I wake."
Rory gave him another quick peck on the lips and then started to walk away. When he got halfway up the drive, he turned, Sam still watching him. "Ye' know, since we want each other to be honest, I think I 'ave to tell ye' something. I think I would like it very much, if ye' would let me really be ye'rs. Like ye' said. Can I really be ye'rs? I know it's so soon, but… I really feel like it's the right thing. So, can I be ye'rs, Sam?"
The vampire smiled widely and nodded. "Yes. You can really be mine. I'll protect you and spend plenty of time with you, and I promise, I won't feed off of you. I don't look at you as food. I look at you as an amazing young man. The only way my fangs would find their way into your skin was if you requested it—something I will never obligate you to do."
"Thank ye', Sam. I trust ye'." With that final statement, Rory turned back around and made the rest of the trip up the drive, unlocked the front door, and slipped inside. Sam stood by the truck for a moment more, smiling at the knowledge that not only had he kept Rory safe from harm at Scandals, but that he also now had the devotion and affection he had been craving for decades since becoming alone; something that no fully grown human or vampire had given him in all that time. They hadn't expressed love yet—it was still too soon for those words and emotions to come through, but something told him that someday it would be the right time, that if they followed this path, everything would turn out just fine.