Andre Marek and Gale Harold ~ After Kitten is revealed
[Crossposted to bqv_andre and gale_blood]
It was a few hours before dawn when Gale finally returned to his home, Andre's home. He pushed through the front door quietly, though he knew that the effort was futile because any one in the house could know he was home even as he approached.
Lifting his eyes from the book and looking toward the ceiling of his basement apartment, Andre then checked the clock. Gale, could you lock up please?
Can do pops, Gale breathed a sigh of relief that his sire wasn't upset with his late arrival, like a teenager sneaking in past curfew.
Come sit with me for a while please? marking his page, the elder vampire placed it on the side table and poured out a second glass of wine.
"Whats up, dad?" Gale asked after he descend the stairs and poked his head into his sire's room.
"Come, join me." Smiling, he held up the glass of red, "Have a good evening?"
"Yeah, its been really good to get back to work," moving into the room, Gale flashed a smile at Andre and took a seat. "Thanks," he took the glass from his sire. "How about you?"
"Oh, wonderful evening. Very quiet - one customer; had an eye on a few pieces and made a tentative offer." Taking a sip he let the wine warm on his tongue, the flavors bursting. "So - your social skills, you've been doing well with them?"
"I'm doing alright. Being around the humans at the museum is getting less taxing on my self control."
"Excellent." Reaching out, Andre brushed his hand across Gale's shirt, "Shedding?" Extending the fine golden hairs, he twirled them.
"Yeah, I... uh.. had a visitor tonight," his head dipped, a blush would have colored his cheeks had he still been human.
"At the museum? Rather late, yes?" He could smell Eliot in those few strands, the scent very familiar by now.
"Not for those who know I am nocturnal," Gale replied with as little snark as he could muster. "It seems that one can only avoid a were for so long. Fighting the inevitable really."
Turning fully in his chair, he looked pointedly at his childe, "You sound a bit miffed. Care to tell me about it?"
"Not mad... just thought I could make him safer by not being around him," Gale sighed, head lolling back on the chair. "He had other ideas though. I'm glad he did." Turning his face to catch his father's eye, Gale continued, "and a little kitty may have told me that he'd recently been visited by a certain sire."
"Your little kitty has that backwards, he visited me, I did not visit him. And just how did you intend to make him safe?"
"By not being in his life. He's made it clear thought that it really isn't an option," a smile teased at his lips. "Why did he look for you?"
"He wanted to chat." Andre tipped his head to the side and studied his childe, "How did he make it clear that it wasn't an option?"
"Chat?" he raised an eyebrow. "Eliot... he said he was willing to take it slow, figure out where my limits are. It seems like he actually wants to be with me," Gale half shrugged.
"He does. Of that I am certain." Affirming what had been a very small portion of his and Eliot's conversation, Andre took another sip.
"Oh really? And how would you know that":
"Chatted." Placing the glass on the table, Andre smiled.
"You aren't going to cut me any slack here are you?'
"Rephrase your question and bring the attitude down a notch please childe." When Gale had questioned him a moment ago, the Oh really? And how would you know that and a sharp edge to it. Andre as a fledgling and newly made vampire had learned the hard way to show respect, and while he still required it, he didn't wish to be the hard backed authoritarian his maker had been.
"Sorry sire," Gale quickly turned his eyes down, upset with himself for making Andre angry. "I'm just very curious about what you discussed with my... were."
"We discussed you." Reaching over, Andre patted Gale's shoulder, "A lot of things regarding you actually. Limits, abilities, control... he seemed keenly interested."
"What did you think of him?" he had to ask, he needed to know his sire's opinion.
"He's a very attractive man, I can see why physically you'd find him appealing." He smiled, remembering how the man had sat across from him, very much the were but also a man. "What do you think of him?"
"Obviously I like the guy. He's attractive, patient, respectful, a damn good kisser... what more could a baby vamp want?"
"Another vampire?" Tipping his head to the side, Andre held an expression of interest. "Someone who can live as long as you do? Who would have the same interests?"
"Whoa, Debbie Downer," Gale's smile dimmed. "I hadn't really thought through lifespan issues. I don't even know what the lifespan for a were is, or how old Eliot is...."
"So tell me something; when you were human, if you had met someone 20 years older than you and found them to be what you loved most - would their age matter? They'd die before you, grow infirm before you and the world would look and shake their heads asking how can someone so young love someone so old?"
"My last boyfriend was older, only ten years though. But it was something I had prepared myself for mentally once before."
"And now? How is it different?" Returning to his seat, the elder vampire turned to the side as if seeking something but closed his eyes for a moment, remembering all those he'd lost along the way. "It is our hardest lesson childe, learning to cope with loss. If your were is worth the pain you know will come, then don't let anyone - not me or any other vampire or werewolf tell you otherwise. You have to be ready to fight for him." When he looked at Gale again, his eyes were bright, full of the fire that once burned in them for the loves of his past. "You fight, and let him know you're ready to do that, no matter what."
Gale blinked at the intensity in his sire's gaze. "I... I don't know yet Andre..."
"Then walk away, leave him." Taking another tactic, Andre looked pointedly at Gale, "You have to be certain and if you're not, let him know." He was more certain of Eliot than he was of Gale at the moment, but the elder vampire was almost positive his childe returned the affection, or at the very least it was growing stronger.
"What? No!" he was bristling. "Just because I'm fucking insecure has noting to do with him, Andre. I'm taking it slow because I'm still coming to terms with who I am, but I like him. I do. As selfish as it is, I'm not willing to not see where this is going."
Smiling inwardly, Andre applauded his childe, finally Gale was showing the backbone he knew to be there. In a short while he'd gone from pops to dad to Andre and with an attitude. "Good, that is the spirit you'll need when you're faced with adversity or you question your own decision, childe."
"You're testing me?" his eyebrows rose with his voice.
"Of course." Stating it as if it was obvious, Andre tried to look surprised. "I am your sire, and above all I am the one you should fear most, for by will of my word you would be bound to obey. If I chose to to be such a sire; but I do not. I would rather have your love as that of a childe to parent. After having met with your were and found him to be an intent-honorable man, I can see nor voice any objection to his suite." Sitting upright, Andre appeared the ancient and regal vampire he was, "Your resolve must be strong, stronger than your feelings, however small they may be at the moment. If he is meant to be yours, you must but it forth before the world that it is by your choice and you would have no other."
"I did not realize that it was meant to be that way, you have always treated me with parental affection," Gale's head ducked at his sire's words. "Is that... I don't want that to change. I will, however, heed your words. I'm still trying to figure out my place in this new life and Eliot's place in my life..."
"It is the way of most sires, which is one reason I never took a childe before; it is not in my belief to have full and unarguable control over another. I offered you the gift because I'd come to care for you, to think of you as my son and to see another child of mine die was not something I wanted. I made a vow to myself, that as would any parent, when you 'came of age' you would have all your freedoms, but would always remain my childe." Reaching out to cup Gale's cheek, Andre smiled gently, "My words are those of wisdom, however, they are based on my life, not the one you have in front of you. Learning your way will take time, as will learning your feelings for Eliot. Believe in yourself Gale, and in him, there is strength in his feelings toward you I think."
Gale nodded, his head still supported in his sire's hand. "Thank you, father. I can never thank you enough for all that you have and continue to do for me."
"Above all else, I want your happiness, to find someone to fill your nights with passion and love." Releasing Gale's face, he sat back. "Follow your heart childe, it is the only compass that matters."
"You're a good dad, you know that?" he smiled as he spoke. Reaching forward he grabbed at his sire's free hand, "I'm glad that you are mine eternally."
Blinking away the moisture, unwilling to show weakness, Andre nodded, his smile once more in place. "As am I that you accepted the gift."
"Can I..." Gale hesitated momentarily. "Can I stay with you tonight?"
"You may childe; and any night you need." unless I am occupied with another or not here but in their bed Keeping that thought to himself, Andre rose and picked up the glasses, placing them on the tray to later be brought upstairs. "Shall we to bed then?"
"I'll go change, and let you get ready," he replied stepping across the hall to his own room to change into his pajama bottoms.
Quickly changing into the silk sleeping pants, Andre placed his clothing in the bag to be sent to the cleaners, reminding himself to mention the cleaning service to his childe. Slipping into the bed, he pulled the covers back on the other side, waiting for Gale.
"Thanks for this," Gale mumbled as he slid in between his sire's sheets. "Sometimes I just need to be near my sire. At least this time there are no tears, right?"
"Very true." Dousing the light, Andre settled back, mentally checking the house and it's secured-ness, "I feel in the future you'll not be sharing my bed as often as you do now." Hiding the grin with his words, he snuggled down into the soft sheeting.
"Got someone else warming your sheets?" he chuckled as he turned to wrap his arm across his sire's chest.
"Was thinking more along the idea that your sheets are not long for coldness." Lightly slapping Gale's arm, Andre then wrapped his own around him.
"We'll see," his face nuzzled into Andre's chest. "I doubt I'd invite him back here though. So, you approve of him?"
"I do - and as for the invitation, that will have to wait until I'm a bit more certain. I must apologize for that childe, but I can not take chances with yours or your brothers safety." Gently stroking his hand along Gale's arm, Andre realized they'd lost track of preparing his childe's home.
"No I understand that completely, I'm not willing to risk my family's safety for anything," his voice held a sleep vehemence. "It came up tonight, when he wanted to show me his tiger. He asked if there was someplace we could go and that's when I realized for the first time since I was seventeen that I lived with my dad. We could have gone to my place, but I didn't want to risk being there so late that I couldn't get back to safety."
"Do you realize that you're now starting to think like a vampire? You weighed your abilities, time and safety and came to a decision that was best for your and would not endanger anyone else."
"Huh," Gale blinked, eyelashes brushing against his sire's chest. "What'd ya know... I guess I did."
"Okay Gale, you're getting loopy - sleep now." Laughing, Andre rested his hand on the young vampires head, curling around the side. "Tomorrow maybe we can work on something else."
"What will that be, daddy-o?"
"Dear lord, did we just revert to the '4o's?" Lightly tapping the back of his fledglings head, Andre sighed, "What I put up with... Well, I was thinking projecting and directing would be a good thing to work on."
"To what purpose?" he wasn't questioning the exercises, just wanting to know the intended end result.
"Control. Over your mind, thoughts and who may or may not hear them. Who you want to hear them as well."
"So its not just feeding that causes us to hear each other?
"Yes and no." Shifting slightly, Andre turned his head on the pillow. "It strengthens the bond, makes it easier for the sire to find and protect his chlde should the need arise. However, there are some of us who can do that without the blood."
"So there's a chance that I could as well?"
"You have my blood, so to a lesser degree it is possible." Nodding slowly, he began to feel the pull of sleep - more habit than need at his age.
"S nice..." Gale muttered, eyelids drooping down as the sun began its rise outside.
It was a few hours before dawn when Gale finally returned to his home, Andre's home. He pushed through the front door quietly, though he knew that the effort was futile because any one in the house could know he was home even as he approached.
Lifting his eyes from the book and looking toward the ceiling of his basement apartment, Andre then checked the clock. Gale, could you lock up please?
Can do pops, Gale breathed a sigh of relief that his sire wasn't upset with his late arrival, like a teenager sneaking in past curfew.
Come sit with me for a while please? marking his page, the elder vampire placed it on the side table and poured out a second glass of wine.
"Whats up, dad?" Gale asked after he descend the stairs and poked his head into his sire's room.
"Come, join me." Smiling, he held up the glass of red, "Have a good evening?"
"Yeah, its been really good to get back to work," moving into the room, Gale flashed a smile at Andre and took a seat. "Thanks," he took the glass from his sire. "How about you?"
"Oh, wonderful evening. Very quiet - one customer; had an eye on a few pieces and made a tentative offer." Taking a sip he let the wine warm on his tongue, the flavors bursting. "So - your social skills, you've been doing well with them?"
"I'm doing alright. Being around the humans at the museum is getting less taxing on my self control."
"Excellent." Reaching out, Andre brushed his hand across Gale's shirt, "Shedding?" Extending the fine golden hairs, he twirled them.
"Yeah, I... uh.. had a visitor tonight," his head dipped, a blush would have colored his cheeks had he still been human.
"At the museum? Rather late, yes?" He could smell Eliot in those few strands, the scent very familiar by now.
"Not for those who know I am nocturnal," Gale replied with as little snark as he could muster. "It seems that one can only avoid a were for so long. Fighting the inevitable really."
Turning fully in his chair, he looked pointedly at his childe, "You sound a bit miffed. Care to tell me about it?"
"Not mad... just thought I could make him safer by not being around him," Gale sighed, head lolling back on the chair. "He had other ideas though. I'm glad he did." Turning his face to catch his father's eye, Gale continued, "and a little kitty may have told me that he'd recently been visited by a certain sire."
"Your little kitty has that backwards, he visited me, I did not visit him. And just how did you intend to make him safe?"
"By not being in his life. He's made it clear thought that it really isn't an option," a smile teased at his lips. "Why did he look for you?"
"He wanted to chat." Andre tipped his head to the side and studied his childe, "How did he make it clear that it wasn't an option?"
"Chat?" he raised an eyebrow. "Eliot... he said he was willing to take it slow, figure out where my limits are. It seems like he actually wants to be with me," Gale half shrugged.
"He does. Of that I am certain." Affirming what had been a very small portion of his and Eliot's conversation, Andre took another sip.
"Oh really? And how would you know that":
"Chatted." Placing the glass on the table, Andre smiled.
"You aren't going to cut me any slack here are you?'
"Rephrase your question and bring the attitude down a notch please childe." When Gale had questioned him a moment ago, the Oh really? And how would you know that and a sharp edge to it. Andre as a fledgling and newly made vampire had learned the hard way to show respect, and while he still required it, he didn't wish to be the hard backed authoritarian his maker had been.
"Sorry sire," Gale quickly turned his eyes down, upset with himself for making Andre angry. "I'm just very curious about what you discussed with my... were."
"We discussed you." Reaching over, Andre patted Gale's shoulder, "A lot of things regarding you actually. Limits, abilities, control... he seemed keenly interested."
"What did you think of him?" he had to ask, he needed to know his sire's opinion.
"He's a very attractive man, I can see why physically you'd find him appealing." He smiled, remembering how the man had sat across from him, very much the were but also a man. "What do you think of him?"
"Obviously I like the guy. He's attractive, patient, respectful, a damn good kisser... what more could a baby vamp want?"
"Another vampire?" Tipping his head to the side, Andre held an expression of interest. "Someone who can live as long as you do? Who would have the same interests?"
"Whoa, Debbie Downer," Gale's smile dimmed. "I hadn't really thought through lifespan issues. I don't even know what the lifespan for a were is, or how old Eliot is...."
"So tell me something; when you were human, if you had met someone 20 years older than you and found them to be what you loved most - would their age matter? They'd die before you, grow infirm before you and the world would look and shake their heads asking how can someone so young love someone so old?"
"My last boyfriend was older, only ten years though. But it was something I had prepared myself for mentally once before."
"And now? How is it different?" Returning to his seat, the elder vampire turned to the side as if seeking something but closed his eyes for a moment, remembering all those he'd lost along the way. "It is our hardest lesson childe, learning to cope with loss. If your were is worth the pain you know will come, then don't let anyone - not me or any other vampire or werewolf tell you otherwise. You have to be ready to fight for him." When he looked at Gale again, his eyes were bright, full of the fire that once burned in them for the loves of his past. "You fight, and let him know you're ready to do that, no matter what."
Gale blinked at the intensity in his sire's gaze. "I... I don't know yet Andre..."
"Then walk away, leave him." Taking another tactic, Andre looked pointedly at Gale, "You have to be certain and if you're not, let him know." He was more certain of Eliot than he was of Gale at the moment, but the elder vampire was almost positive his childe returned the affection, or at the very least it was growing stronger.
"What? No!" he was bristling. "Just because I'm fucking insecure has noting to do with him, Andre. I'm taking it slow because I'm still coming to terms with who I am, but I like him. I do. As selfish as it is, I'm not willing to not see where this is going."
Smiling inwardly, Andre applauded his childe, finally Gale was showing the backbone he knew to be there. In a short while he'd gone from pops to dad to Andre and with an attitude. "Good, that is the spirit you'll need when you're faced with adversity or you question your own decision, childe."
"You're testing me?" his eyebrows rose with his voice.
"Of course." Stating it as if it was obvious, Andre tried to look surprised. "I am your sire, and above all I am the one you should fear most, for by will of my word you would be bound to obey. If I chose to to be such a sire; but I do not. I would rather have your love as that of a childe to parent. After having met with your were and found him to be an intent-honorable man, I can see nor voice any objection to his suite." Sitting upright, Andre appeared the ancient and regal vampire he was, "Your resolve must be strong, stronger than your feelings, however small they may be at the moment. If he is meant to be yours, you must but it forth before the world that it is by your choice and you would have no other."
"I did not realize that it was meant to be that way, you have always treated me with parental affection," Gale's head ducked at his sire's words. "Is that... I don't want that to change. I will, however, heed your words. I'm still trying to figure out my place in this new life and Eliot's place in my life..."
"It is the way of most sires, which is one reason I never took a childe before; it is not in my belief to have full and unarguable control over another. I offered you the gift because I'd come to care for you, to think of you as my son and to see another child of mine die was not something I wanted. I made a vow to myself, that as would any parent, when you 'came of age' you would have all your freedoms, but would always remain my childe." Reaching out to cup Gale's cheek, Andre smiled gently, "My words are those of wisdom, however, they are based on my life, not the one you have in front of you. Learning your way will take time, as will learning your feelings for Eliot. Believe in yourself Gale, and in him, there is strength in his feelings toward you I think."
Gale nodded, his head still supported in his sire's hand. "Thank you, father. I can never thank you enough for all that you have and continue to do for me."
"Above all else, I want your happiness, to find someone to fill your nights with passion and love." Releasing Gale's face, he sat back. "Follow your heart childe, it is the only compass that matters."
"You're a good dad, you know that?" he smiled as he spoke. Reaching forward he grabbed at his sire's free hand, "I'm glad that you are mine eternally."
Blinking away the moisture, unwilling to show weakness, Andre nodded, his smile once more in place. "As am I that you accepted the gift."
"Can I..." Gale hesitated momentarily. "Can I stay with you tonight?"
"You may childe; and any night you need." unless I am occupied with another or not here but in their bed Keeping that thought to himself, Andre rose and picked up the glasses, placing them on the tray to later be brought upstairs. "Shall we to bed then?"
"I'll go change, and let you get ready," he replied stepping across the hall to his own room to change into his pajama bottoms.
Quickly changing into the silk sleeping pants, Andre placed his clothing in the bag to be sent to the cleaners, reminding himself to mention the cleaning service to his childe. Slipping into the bed, he pulled the covers back on the other side, waiting for Gale.
"Thanks for this," Gale mumbled as he slid in between his sire's sheets. "Sometimes I just need to be near my sire. At least this time there are no tears, right?"
"Very true." Dousing the light, Andre settled back, mentally checking the house and it's secured-ness, "I feel in the future you'll not be sharing my bed as often as you do now." Hiding the grin with his words, he snuggled down into the soft sheeting.
"Got someone else warming your sheets?" he chuckled as he turned to wrap his arm across his sire's chest.
"Was thinking more along the idea that your sheets are not long for coldness." Lightly slapping Gale's arm, Andre then wrapped his own around him.
"We'll see," his face nuzzled into Andre's chest. "I doubt I'd invite him back here though. So, you approve of him?"
"I do - and as for the invitation, that will have to wait until I'm a bit more certain. I must apologize for that childe, but I can not take chances with yours or your brothers safety." Gently stroking his hand along Gale's arm, Andre realized they'd lost track of preparing his childe's home.
"No I understand that completely, I'm not willing to risk my family's safety for anything," his voice held a sleep vehemence. "It came up tonight, when he wanted to show me his tiger. He asked if there was someplace we could go and that's when I realized for the first time since I was seventeen that I lived with my dad. We could have gone to my place, but I didn't want to risk being there so late that I couldn't get back to safety."
"Do you realize that you're now starting to think like a vampire? You weighed your abilities, time and safety and came to a decision that was best for your and would not endanger anyone else."
"Huh," Gale blinked, eyelashes brushing against his sire's chest. "What'd ya know... I guess I did."
"Okay Gale, you're getting loopy - sleep now." Laughing, Andre rested his hand on the young vampires head, curling around the side. "Tomorrow maybe we can work on something else."
"What will that be, daddy-o?"
"Dear lord, did we just revert to the '4o's?" Lightly tapping the back of his fledglings head, Andre sighed, "What I put up with... Well, I was thinking projecting and directing would be a good thing to work on."
"To what purpose?" he wasn't questioning the exercises, just wanting to know the intended end result.
"Control. Over your mind, thoughts and who may or may not hear them. Who you want to hear them as well."
"So its not just feeding that causes us to hear each other?
"Yes and no." Shifting slightly, Andre turned his head on the pillow. "It strengthens the bond, makes it easier for the sire to find and protect his chlde should the need arise. However, there are some of us who can do that without the blood."
"So there's a chance that I could as well?"
"You have my blood, so to a lesser degree it is possible." Nodding slowly, he began to feel the pull of sleep - more habit than need at his age.
"S nice..." Gale muttered, eyelids drooping down as the sun began its rise outside.