Chapter Twelve #2
That startled a laugh out of Julien. “Oh yes, you disagreed that bars in Greensfield had better music than Harris.”
“The bars in Harris do have better music, Greensfield panders too much to the country crowd,” Luis said defensively.
Julien laughed again. “Believe it or not, arguing with Karim also worked in your favor.”
“I was so embarrassed afterward,” Luis confessed. “I don’t even know what came over me, arguing with him like that. I didn’t even know him.”
Julien hummed. “Well, it landed better than the flattery some people tried.”
“Really?” That surprised him.
“Mhm,” Julien said. “I don’t care for flattery, especially from strangers. Often it comes with strings.”
“It always comes with strings,” Karim corrected, striding in. “Especially when it comes to Jules. I mean, you see his face. People lose their minds trying to get into his good graces.” Karim rolled his eyes as he dropped down onto the opposite couch.
“Oh, hush,” Julien said, but it was affectionate.
“It’s true. Sometimes I have to beat them off with a bat,” Karim said.
“He’s never beaten anyone with a bat,” Julien said to Luis.
“Only because my fists did the job better,” Karim said with a grin.
Luis couldn’t help the laugh. Julien was making a disapproving tutting noise, but Karim looked pleased with himself.
Karim shrugged. “What? Sometimes violence is the answer.”
Luis couldn’t even disagree. He only vaguely remembered Karim taking care of Eric, but he couldn’t say he was upset the man had gotten roughed up.
“Anyway,” Julien said loudly.
“Yeah, anyway. So, Luis, are you going to let Jules bite you?” Karim looked between the two of them with interest.
Oh. Luis hadn’t considered the Karim of it all. That’d he be watching.
Heat flooded his body.
“We could do it here,” Julien said, “or,” and he turned to eye Karim pointedly, “in my library for privacy.”
“Boo, spoilsport,” Karim exclaimed. Julien shot him the shut up look.
“The library,” Luis said at once, because no way was he prepared for Karim, the spectator.
“Perfect,” Julien said, rising to his feet. “Karim, you can get yourself a drink from the fridge while we’re gone.”
Karim made a derisive sound. “I think I’ll just wait for the bar,” he said grumpily.
They left him grousing on his phone, and Luis followed Julien upstairs to the library. Julien flicked on the warm overhead lighting as they entered.
Luis remembered this room from the tour.
Beautiful built-in bookshelves lined three of the walls.
The fourth wall had a faux fireplace, and before it were two small couches set on a large, expensive looking rug.
The room was cozy and well-used if the clutter of bookmarked books on one of the side-tables was anything to go by.
Julien led him to one of the couches and they sat.
“This is only your second time, correct?”
Luis nodded.
“So, we’ll do this the same way it happens at the bar,” Julien said, “Except,” he paused, drawing out of his pocket a packet of antiseptic wipes. “Karim mentioned you had a reaction to these. I’m fully prepared to use them for sanitation reasons if you want, but–”
“No,” Luis said quickly, interrupting. “No. If–if we could do it without, that’d be great. I mean, if it’s safe?”
“It’s safe,” Julien assured him, setting the wipes aside. “It’s window dressing more than anything. There’s nothing we can catch from each other.”
Luis let out a relieved breath.
“I’ll time it for twenty seconds,” Julien explained, pulling his phone out, “but if at any point before that you want me to stop, you may say so or tap on my shoulder.”
He was being overly-cautious again, but Luis let it slide. It was sweet that Julien cared.
“Do you have any other questions?” Julien asked.
Luis shook his head.
Julien shifted on the chaise, thigh pressing up against Luis’s. He was suddenly close, and the sight of him made Luis’s heart trip. Fingers touched Luis’s chin, tilting his head to the side.
“Breathe,” Julien instructed.
He tried, he really did. But then Julien’s breath tickled his skin, and his heart went skittering.
Luis caught the smell of violets as Julien leaned in, something he’d come to unknowingly associate with Julien.
Julien’s hand shifted to his shoulder, to hold him steady.
The scent and Julien’s easy touch folded over his nerves like a comforting blanket.
It was the same way he’d felt with Karim just before it’d happened, that steady presence guiding him, assuring him nothing bad was going to happen.
“I’m going to bite you now,” Julien said.
Luis sucked in a shaky breath and then soft, warm lips were at his throat. A heartbeat later sharp incisors touched the skin and pressed in.
Pleasure crackled to life the second the fangs pierced. Last time had been a steady build, but now it slammed into Luis, shockingly intense. His whole body curled itself toward Julien, desperate and wanting. The flood of feeling was intoxicating.
The bite deepened, Julien pressing closer. There was a burst of wet heat–his blood. Julien sucked, and Luis felt it ricochet through him. It was between his legs, a quick and heady unfurling of desire. He reached for Julien, fist clutching at his button up.
A breathy and vulnerable sound slipped from his lips. Julien paused only a moment, then there was another hard suck. Luis quivered, holding tighter to Julien, pulling him in.
He wanted more, needed that sweet pain-pleasure to consume him. Needed Julien’s hands and mouth everywhere.
Julien held him tighter, and Luis moaned helplessly. Everything felt so good. His nerves were buzzing, pleasure climbing up and up and up.
Luis was hard, panting. The wet sounds of Julien drinking from him made him want to squirm and touch himself.
His cock throbbed, and he moaned when there was another suck. Luis was drowning and didn’t want to stop. His hands were clamps, holding tight to Julien, not letting him get away.
Then, he was so close. Just a little longer, and he was going to come. His breath caught on the final rise, almost, almost–
Julien pulled away with a hot swipe of tongue over the wound just as the alarm started going off. Despite Luis’s grip on the shirt, Julien stumbled up and off the couch, the shirt pulling and a button clattered somewhere across the floor.
Without support, Luis collapsed back against the couch, dazed and confused. He was hazy, floating. He’d been so close, but instead of coming, he’d been dropped into a glassier space.
The bite haze, he thought vaguely.
But where had Julien gone? He blinked his eyes open to find the man across the room, leaning against one of the far bookcases. His mouth was agape, fangs out, and there was blood smeared on the corner of his mouth.
Luis’s blood.
He stared. What… had happened?
There was bright color high on Julien’s usually pale cheeks. His normally tidy shirt was gaping open at the chest, missing two buttons.
It was obscene, the image he made. The most undone Luis had ever seen him.
“Apologies,” Julien said raggedly, a hand coming up to cover his mouth. He was breathing heavily–panting. “I–that was twenty seconds.”
“You could take more,” Luis said it before he thought about it. His whole body was still vibrating. He wanted more.
Wait.
Julien was staring at him, but he looked off. There was something intense about the way he was death gripping the bookshelf. Like he was trying to hold himself there.
“I–I can’t. Not, not right now, thank you,” Julien said, words pinched.
Luis’s head was still swimming through molasses. Something was happening, and he couldn’t grasp it. Why was Julien across the room? Why did he look so tense?
Luis tried to push himself up to a normal seated position. His limbs felt like rubber. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Julien snapped. Something passed over his face, almost regretful. “Excuse me, just–excuse me a moment.”
Then, without waiting for a response, Julien turned and fled the room.
That… didn’t seem good. Luis fumbled out his phone. With clumsy fingers, he found the texts to Karim.
Luis: something’s wrong with Julien
Karim, replied immediately.
Karim: on it
Good. That was good. Luis relaxed back against the couch. He didn’t think he could stand and help anyway. He focused instead on breathing, on getting his thoughts to move quicker than honey in winter.
He had no idea how long it was before Karim texted him again.
Karim: you can come back to the living room. Julien’s ok.
Okay. That was good.
Luis sat up again, and already his muscles were stronger. The haze was passing. Still, he took it slow getting to his feet.
But being on his feet seemed to help. The first step was wobbly, but his body strengthened as he made it to the door. He was cautious on the stairs back down, but by the time he’d reached the living room, he felt mostly normal again.
Karim was there on the couch, but Julien wasn't.
“He’ll be a few more minutes,” Karim said, gesturing for Luis to take a seat beside him. Luis did, and then caught Karim looking at his neck.
On reflex, Luis reached for the spot. His fingers touched something tacky. Blood.
The spot he’d been bitten had already closed up though. He could only feel the raised scab.
Karim cleared his throat and reached for one of the side tables. He produced a sealed wet wipe and offered it to Luis.
“Here.”
Luis took the wipe and quickly cleaned himself off. When he was finished, Karim took the wipe and wrapper and went to dispose of it.
“What happened?” Luis asked when Karim returned.
“Similar to the bite haze, but for vampires. Doesn’t happen to all vampires, but some are more sensitive, like Julien,” Karim explained. “Doesn’t happen with all humans. It’s like… an allergy sort of, some reaction to certain chemicals.” Karim waved a hand carelessly.
“An allergy? Is he okay?” Had Luis hurt him?
“Not an allergy in the dangerous way. Just in how random it can be. I’m not explaining it well, I’ve never experienced it. But I’ve seen it happen to Jules before. He just needs some quiet time and he’ll be okay, don’t worry.” He eyed Luis. “But thanks for texting me. That was the right call.”
“Oh,” Luis said. “Okay. Uh, yeah, no problem. And you’re sure he’ll be okay?”
Karim nodded. “Oh yeah. It passes just like your bite haze. How’re you doing, by the way?”
“Good, better. Steady now,” Luis said. He felt more relaxed than he should in this situation, but he wasn’t upset about that lingering reaction. It was nice not to have the anxiety gnawing at him.
“While we wait for him…” Karim nudged a bottle of juice at Luis and then pulled out his phone. “Want to play?”
“Yeah, sure,” Luis said. The distraction was welcome. Luis opened the juice and sipped it as Karim tapped on his phone. At the buzz in his pocket Luis pulled out his phone to play.
Eventually Julien reappeared, dressed in a fresh, new button-down. Luis flushed to remember how he’d been holding so tight he’d torn buttons off Julien’s other shirt.
“I’m sorry about your shirt,” Luis said. “I can replace it.”
But Julien was already waving him off. “There’s no need.” He came and took a seat across from them.
“Luis, I should apologize–” Julien started.
“It’s fine,” Karim cut in. “I explained it. You’re fine and he’s fine, no harm done.”
“Yeah, I’m good,” Luis said sincerely. “And you’re okay?”
Julien nodded, though he looked uncomfortable. “Yes, I’m sorry, I didn’t expect that reaction. I didn’t realize there’d be a difference between your blood from a cup and having it directly.”
“Yeah, that’s a first,” Karim said. “I didn't know it was so… body dependent.”
“Me neither,” Julien said. “So I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you up there by yourself.”
“Oh, it’s fine, really. The haze passed quickly and I’m okay. You didn’t even take that much blood,” Luis said.
“Still, I apologize,” Julien said.
“Alright, and now we’re done with that,” Karim said, bumping his shoulder to Luis’s. “Everybody’s good and Luis is drinking his juice,” Karim nudged the bottle that was still half full.
“Oh, yup,” Luis said promptly and brought it to his lips again.
The tension on Julien’s face eased. “Alright,” he said. “Well Karim, you still haven’t eaten. Are we… going out?”
Luis nodded. “Yeah, I’m good to go,” Luis said, and he meant it. He didn’t want Karim to suffer through a bottle of blood if he could help him get something better.
“Great,” Karim said, throwing an arm over Luis’s shoulders. “I’m starved.”
The last word felt like it was pressed into his ear, and it took everything in Luis not to shiver in reaction.
Just another Friday night.