Gale/Eliot - 1 - First Meeting
[Cross posted]
Work had been quiet, not that Eliot minded it let him sort through other things, the note pad that he tended to carry with him was full of scribbled notes and ideas. He'd finished an hour later than usual as Kevin had been stock taking but they'd managed to get a lot of done during the quiet periods so it had only taken him an hour to finish as it had been quiet enough during the shift to start the job. Saying his good nights Eliot headed towards home, note book tucked into his jacket pocket.
The nights were getting warmer, shedding the haze of winter almost made the stars and the moon seem brighter. His walk home took him through one of the older parts of the city tonight, there was no particular reason he was heading home that way just his feet leading him that direction.
There was very little in this day and age that couldn't be done electronically, making it more than possible for Gale to work from Andre's house on various administrative issues. Unfortunately, the world of museums often ran about twenty years behind the technological curve and he had to spend a few hours a week in his office. Even though he was still uneasy being out on his own, Gale relished the freedom he felt as he wandered through the older, lesser traveled sections of the city back to his sire's home.
As he walked down one of the darker streets Eliot's senses kicked in, not just his Were ones but the other ones, the ones that put him on his guard. While he didn't think he was being followed, or if he was it was very badly; you could never be too sure. Eliot picked up his pace as a test to see what the reaction of the other person was, just as he did the wind shifted slightly and he picked up the other's scent - vampire and that made him even more cautious.
A gust of wind kicked up, blowing past Gale and causing his arms to wrap around his torso. He couldn't feel the cold that yet to flee the city, but the reflex was deeply ingrained. Something, however, was different. An unidentifiable scent on the wind that forced Gale to change his course without even thinking about it.
Eliot turned into to the building using the shadow to hide him in the deeper shadows of the night, the following footsteps didn't stop though so he just leant against the building and waited.
That smell, it was like running through the woods on a crisp, clear night and Gale was intrigued as he followed after it. As he got approached, he heared the 'thump thump' of a pulse. That scent belonged to a person? His steps hesitated.
The falter was enough to have Eliot step out from the building cautiously with a touch of curiosity, he knew the scent of a vampire but this one was different. Vamps tended to be earthy, dark, rich, their age colouring every thing. This scent though almost had a human tone to it; their freshness, their warmth and Eliot would have said there was an innocence there as well, which for a vamp was confusing. Turning so he faced the vampire the first thing that struck him was... young? Huh? Not that that made him any the less cautious. "Hello."
Oh crap, Gale's muscles turned rigid, he wasn't quite sure whether he wanted to satisfy his curiousity or run in fear back to his sire. He knew Andre wanted him to be safe, to be cautious but he couldn't be a coward for the rest of eternity. He called out a soft, "hello..."
Stepping out further so that he was in the other man's full view, hands relaxed by his sides Eliot looked for all the world completely at ease. Not that he was - any wrong movement and he was more than prepared to strike, but his past being his past Eliot could project that ease and right now his senses told him that the man standing in front of him was just about to bolt and for some reason his instincts were telling him that wasn't the right thing to happen. Smiling gently keeping his tone soft he introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Eliot."
The man's ease enabled Gale to relax marginally, shoulders dropping he offered up a half smile, "hello, Elliot, my name is Gale."
Still projecting quiet calm Eliot nodded slightly in acknowledgement. "Pleased to meet you..." again making no sudden movements he offered Gale his hand. "... it's a lovely night, though a quiet part of town to be walking..." unless you're looking for dinner of course "... at this time of night, you heading home or something?"
Looking at the prooffered hand for a moment, weighing his options, Gale reached out to grasp the man's hand. "Shortcut home," though really it was his own fear of being surrounded by thriving, beating hearts that kept him to the lesser traveled areas of town.
The touch was cool, but not that much cooler than a humans though his own senses picked up on things like how quiet Gale was, being this close to most humans Eliot would be able to hear their heart, hear their breathing, smell their sweat, sense their emotions even - fear, attraction, sex, on occasion the need to eat even - if the human was starving enough, all things that allowed him to tell a lot about a human. Gale on the other hand was totally silent no heart beat, no pulse, there was the scent of a vampire of course but that didn't carry the notes that human scent carried and this close the differences to vampires he'd known before was even more pronounced. "Yeah, same here - had to work late, stock taking." He knew he was rambling a little but putting the other man at his ease seemed important and he was curious enough to want to know what made the other man different.
"Hmm," Gale could smell the distinct scent of aged paper on the other man, even over the strange nature of his personal scent. That smell alone did wonders in easing Gale's nerves, enough to notice that their hands were still joined. "Sorry," his hand withdrew to scratch at the back of his neck, nerves on the rise again. "Where...where is it that you work?"
Smiling softly Eliot slipped his hands into his pockets. "Not a problem..." Eliot hadn't even realised he'd still been holding the other mans hand. "...Curiosity Kills, one of the many bookshops in the city." It still surprised him how much he enjoyed the job all things considered. "What about you, what do you do?" What makes a vamp smell that way?
"Ah, yes," that explained a portion of the man's smell. "A lovely collection there... I," Gale paused his job was still up in the air. While he had been doing work from home he was unsure of how long he would be able to continue running the place at night. "I'm the director over at Historic New Orleans."
The compliment that Gale had just paid to Kevin really made Eliot smile, a very genuine one, even though it wasn't aimed at him in particular he was the kind of person that tended take pride in his work. "Ahh..." That might explain some of Gale's scent but not all of it by any stretch and really not the usual kind of job that one of Gale's kind had, which added even more to the puzzle. "... not had much chance to visit places like that since I've been back." Eliot wasn't the kind of person to dance round any situation hesitation could have cost him his life in the past, though he was more than capable of discretion if needs be as lack of it could have also ended very badly - but he knew both he and Gale were dancing and he wasn't sure how to stop that without being blunt or very obvious, in the end he went for the obvious. "Too public, need to keep myself under the radar a bit..." As he spoke his eyes shifted holding Gale's for a long moment before shifting back to human. While outwardly still relaxed he tensed expecting either an attack or the other man to take off - prepared for both. "...a bit like your need for the protection of the night."
The invitation for a tour was on Gale's tongue almost instantly but he stalled as the other man continued to speak. He didn't know this person... hell he barely knew what Eliot was and the little stunt with his eyes set him on edge and further confused him. "You... you know what I am?" he took a hesitant step backward in a move of subconsious self preservation.
Eliot didn't move in fact anything he probably went even more still; breathing slowing, even his heart seeming to beat slower - his body coiling but still outwardly relaxed. Eliot knew that Gale could probably detect the changes and he certainly didn't do anything to disguise them. It was now a fine balancing act between being open and honest about himself and not startling or scaring the other man. The fact that his own controlled shift had seemed to draw nothing but confusion to the other man's eyes might have given him a slight incling about Gale, but Eliot wasn't willing to act on that just quite yet - he could still be wrong, very wrong and that could be very dangerous. "I've met several vampires in my time, worked for a few - most of them reasonable people, a couple I would have probably called friends under different circumstances." That might have been stretching the truth, just a little - but there were vampires he'd met who he got on very well with and vamps he'd met in New Orleans that given a chance he'd probably get on with, Desmond springing to mind. Eliot's smile was relaxed, friendly and open as was his body language . "... but you're something different and to be honest I'm curious why..." His head tilted to one side slightly for a moment making the comment more of a question, the smile reaching his eyes fully. "...but I understand that turn about is fair play. So can I explain more about myself if you would like?"
"I don't know what you are, though I think I have an idea," Gale tried to control his reaction as one word passed through his head, were. His head dropped in resignation, he knew that he couldn't fight back effectively if attacked. "Are you... I don't mean you any harm, Eliot. I'm not quite sure what you mean about me being different but I assure you that you'll find no beef with me."
Eliot's immediate reaction was to comfort and reassure and as that hit him he realized what had been underlying a lot of the conversation with Gale and that was the instinct to protect and that was totally human reaction. His cat was curious and wanted to know about Gale but there wasn't anything like that inter-weaving the reactions of his other self. Eliot let the his own reactions to that realization slide over and through him something to be dealt with at another time, all of this taking place in the blink of an eye while his mind was turning over just how to put the other man at his ease. Eliot nodded answering Gale's unasked question "Though I'm a tiger, not a wolf - cats tend to be a rather large minority as far as weres go." There was quite some humour in his words the smile easily reaching his eyes.
Keeping mostly still Eliot slipped his hands from his pockets, folding them behind his back the movement smooth and slow, moving much the same way he would have done as young man when working with an unsure horse back on his father's ranch. He really wasn't at any disadvantage if push came to shove, not that Eliot believed for one instance that it would, but really it was the only way he could think of proving that he didn't mean Gale any harm - or rather he knew there was another way, but suspected that kind of offer would totally freak the other man. "Believe me when I say that harming you or anyone else for that matter is the last thing on my mind. I was actually just walking home..." a slight smile touched his lips. "... and to be honest you smell different from any vampire I've known, a lot more human is probably the best way to describe it - but not in the same way as one that has been claimed by your kind would." Eliot shrugged a little, as if not sure if he was explaining himself all that well using that as a cover for the fact that he did know that those last few words could have bring him a lot of trouble in some quarters. "You know, this probably isn't the best place to be having a conversation like this..." still moving slowly, he indicated the sidewalk they were stood on with a nod of his head. "... there's a little cafe not far from here, it's not much but it serves good coffee - if you'd like?"
Gale knew deep down he should be more frightened, more cautious, hell he should just be running for his non life. Somehow he felt safe. Maybe not safe exactly but certainly at ease. A were. Eliot was a were, or a cat was it? Holy fuck he needed to sit. The thought of not finding out about this strange creature made him sad. How could he, curious by nature and profession, give up an opportunity of this nature. "I didn't realize that I smelled different," his voice was soft, there was no need to raise voices with their solitude and close proximity. "I'd like to talk... You won't hurt me," it was a statement more than a question.
And with that Eliot really relaxed the changes though subtle were noticeable as the tension that had been locked into his body in preparation to attack or defend himself if necessary finally slipped away, his smile might have even been a touch brighter though that didn't really change. "No I won't..." the reiteration as soft as Gale's own words but no less lacking in conviction.
The little bell on the cafe door chimed it's warning as they walked in, it was unsurprisingly quite tonight - really too early in the week and in the evening to be attracting many visitors, which was one of things Eliot had counted on. While the place was completely neutral to vampire, were and human alike the last place Eliot wanted to take them was somewhere where Gale would feel uncomfortable. Purposely opting for a table that gave them complete view of the door and an easy exit Eliot offered a chair to the other man. "This okay?"
Taking a quick stock of their surroundings, Gale nodded, "yeah. This works." Taking a seat, he looked across the table, waiting for the were's inevitable questions.
Two mugs of coffee suddenly appeared at their table together with cream the sweeteners already on the tables, Eliot shook his head and gave his thanks with a wry smile. "Ever get the feeling you use a place a little too often?" There was lot of humour in those words, doctoring his coffee he looked over at Gale as he idly stirred the drink, really not sure where to start, eventually decided to go back to the thing that had drawn him to Gale in the first place and that inkling he had. "You know I said that your scent was different to any vampire I met before? I'd never really noticed it before, but it's a bit like some of those books I work with..." As an analogy it probably wasn't one that would have occurred to him before he stared working for Kevin but it seemed appropriate. "... new books smell totally different to the older ones and the older a book gets the more it's smell changes. Does that make sense?"
"Complete sense," Gale knew books. Gale lived books. Would their interactions change once Eliot learned how young he was, easy pickings and all that. "I'm a pretty new book myself..."
"Ahhh..." taking another sip of his coffee, his eyes watched Gale still open and friendly though there might have been a touch of concern as though he might have picked up on Gale's worry "... I kinda thought that might be the case, I've never met a..." he hesitated over the correct word. "... child, childer? If you don't mind me asking how old are you?"
"Less than a year," Gale's fingers wrapped around his mug, warming them on the ceramic while he debated drinking it. "You've known many vampires?" He really hadn't interacted with anyone outside of his family since his change, with the exception of Viggo. Gale hoped that he wasn't too terribly awkward.
"A few..." Eliot nodded a little in acknowledgement the other man's words. "... run across a couple round here since I've been back and I've worked for vamps on occasion, they tend to pay well..." his smile turned into a grin, joking. "...though none in this country. Those outside of the US seem to be different again or those that I've met certainly are."
"Really?" It stood to reason though, people were different from one country to the next, so why not vampires. "I don't really know any outside of my family... I'll have to take your word on it."
The thought that vampires had families was an intriguing thought to Eliot, but he supposed considering the name given to a person that had just been turned it made sense. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"A brother..." somehow he knew that sharing this information wouldn't place his family in danger. "And my sire."
Eliot nodded accepting the information knowing better to ask more than that. The talk of families had him thinking about his own family, parents that he hadn't seen in many years and his own sister, the sadness there flitting through his eyes - it may have been a long time ago but that still didn't lessen the pain. "Would I be right in assuming that to become a vampire was your own choice?"
"It wasn't forced on me," Gale reached out without thinking, laying his hand over Eliots at the flicker of sadness that he saw.
Eliot's eyes left Gale's face to look down at their hands, the touch had been unexpected but surprisingly not unwelcome, eyes flicking back up to the other man's Eliot smiled his thanks leaving his hand under Gale's. "Is it much different to what you were expecting it to be?"
His fingers squeesed the hand beneath his, but he chose to ignore the question posed to him. "What did I say that made you sad, Eliot?"
Almost unconsciously Eliot's fingers wound together with Gale's returning the squeeze easily accepting the change of subject, even if it was for something potential very painful. "Was thinking about my sister actually. Her passing was an accident..." the guilt he felt even now evident in his eyes if not his voice. "... one that triggered my first shift waking the other part of myself."
"I'm sorry," he knew that his words were inadequate, yet he said them any way. Gale's eyebrows knit together as he tried to process the rest of the were's words. "Shift? I'm sorry, I fear that I am ignorant in this supernatural existance."
A reassuring smile touched Eliot's lips for a moment. "If it's not something you've been around that's not surprising..." this time it was turn to gently squeeze Gale's hand."... shift - to change into our animal selves, to literally shift from human form to our other form, to take our on our animal form in my case to become a tiger." While that may have given a definition of the word, it no way explained the process. But Eliot wasn't completely sure how much Gale wanted to know, so he'd rather let him ask than over load or give information the other man didn't want.
"Oh," he should have known that. Stupid Gale, he chastized himself. He contemplated removing his hand but couldn't bring himself to do it. "Does it hurt? The shifting I mean... that has to be a huge strain on your body."
"Hey..." his voice soft as he spoke still Gale's eyes, a smile and reassurance still there as Eliot seemed to pick up on the other man's reaction, his fingers tightening briefly. "... don't do that to yourself." Eliot didn't specify what exactly but he was pretty sure that the other man would understand. "Usually the first time certainly and that can be made ummm...even more difficult... if your first shift is the result of some kind of trauma, but you get used to after a while..." Eliot smile broadened as though letting Gale into a big secret "...and most of us really enjoy it, love being in our other skins."
If he could have, Gale likely would have blushed yet the reflex to duck his head remained firmly imbeded in his mannerisms and he looked up at the were through the curtain of his lashes. He was having a difficult time reconciling the smiling, friendly man in front of him with the imagine in his head of the were population. An image based solely on his brother's bruised and battered body. "Is it the freedom?" he questioned Eliot. He understood the need for freedom, both as a man who spent most of his life in a rigid profession filled with white gloves and a list of don'ts that could choke a horse and now as a vampire ruled by his juvenile grasp of control and his overwhelming instincts.
There was no doubt that Eliot found Gale's reaction cute - well possibly even more than cute if he was being honest with himself, but that wasn't something for right now and might not be something for ever all things considered. Eliot had never thought of it being freedom, not really to him it was just another part of himself - freedom was a horse at full gallop or the place his martial arts took him. But then the chase round the park with Karl popped into his head and he found himself nodding. "It is, though I've not really ever thought of that way..." even though his smile stayed warm and friendly, Eliot's eyes turned a little more serious. "... it's freedom with responsibility though much like anything else, much the same way I expect there's responsibilities with being a vampire?" The tone of his voice making a question rather than a comment, though the smile was less serious again.
"I suppose you are right about that," a smile teased at the corners of his mouth as his eyes focused on their joined hands. "I was very fortunate to have people in my life to teach me that." At the though of Andre and Jude, Gale wondered how they were going to react when he came home tonight. It was already later than he would typically be out alone, and he was sure to carry Eliot's scent with him when he walked in the door. Though if he were being honest he wasn't going to regret that, if anything he would enjoy carrying the reminder of this wonderfully strange evening.
Gale's slight smile brought a warmth with that interestingly enough made Eliot's cat want to bask, a reaction that totally surprised him though years of controlling his reactions meant that it didn't show 'cept maybe to brighten his smile very slightly his fingers maybe tightening as he noticed where the other man's eyes had fallen. "Not everyone is that lucky, we're both from communities where the changes that happen to us can lead to all sorts of difficulties." Not that that was an excuse for anything, more a statement of fact. "And talking of your family and they going to worry with you being out so late?"
"Yeah," Gale heaved a sigh, sorry to see this time end. "They most likely are..." He pushed his chair out slightly, anticipating the dreaded exit.
Smiling Eliot squeezed Gales fingers before letting go of the younger man's hand. "As we seemed to be pretty much heading the same direction earlier, would you like some company?" He hadn't quite wanted to come out and offer to walk Gale home, but Eliot knew the later the evening became the more chance there was for trouble and he knew he'd feel better if he knew Gale was home safe acknowledging that protective instinct to quietly himself.
"You want to walk a vampire home?" that gave Gale a bit of a chuckle. It was a, dare he say, sweet suggestion but the end result sounded almost like a bad joke. "So there was this werewolf and this vampire walking home from work..." Putting aside the humor with a smile remaining on his face, Gale answered, "I would like that. Very much."
That comment brought a light chuckle and an amused roll of Eliot's eyes. "Tiger, get right...." he smirked just very slightly letting his cat float to the surface a bit. "... I was going to suggest meeting up again one evening, but you know with that joke..." he trailed off leaving the offer in the air as he stood giving Gale plenty of room before holding the door open for him.
"Don't pretend to be offended," Gale joked as he walked through the open doorway. "Call it a curse of ignorance, I've only been a mythical creature for a few months."
"Me pretend?" Eliot raised a brow as though most offended though the laughter in his voice and eyes said very plainly that he wasn't. "I'd say welcome to Oz, but last I checked we don't have any yellow brick roads." His voiced teasing as they stepped out on to a quiet street. "As we're heading to your place first, would you care to lead he way?"
"It's this way," Gale gestured with his a nod of his head. He contemplated grabbing Eliot's hand once again, but deciding against it at the last minute. "I live with my sire right now... above his shop."
He may have just have blinked at Gale's words - though he didn't particularly like the thought of Gale walking back on his own, he hadn't quite put that together with what he assumed was another vampire or vampires come to that, but with other man's previous mentions of family he supposed it made sense. "Sire?" He was pretty sure what the word meant but there was no harm in asking. As they started up the street Eliot kept close to the younger man, not quite touching but close enough that his shoulder occasionally brushed against Gale's.
"He's the one who made me the way I am," Gale answered. A shy smile tugged at his lips as continued, "he's the one who saved me. He runs Time Passages down in the quarter. That's where I live right now."
"Ahh... I know it." Eliot nodded not that he'd ever been in, but he'd been past it. "Saved you?" The query was gentle and asked in such away that Gale could have easily ignored the question, much as he was ignoring the fact that Gale's smile seemed to just make things a little brighter.
"Yeah," Gale smiled, looking over at the were just as their shoulders brushed. "Andre and I were friends, he was a donor to my museum. I got really sick," his voice lost myrth as he relived the story. Thank goodness for happy endings. "By the time Andre found me, I was basically dying. He offered me a choice."
Not thinking about it Eliot reached for Gale's hand and gave it a quick squeeze before letting go again. "I'm sorry." He offered he words with a gentle smile and concerned eyes. "Not really a difficult one to make then?" There might have been a little humour in those words softening them with a smile but really they meant 'I'm glad you took it.' even if Eliot didn't quite get that's what he meant.
"Yeah, I like to think that it worked out for the best." Gale looked at the man walking beside him, taking him in. "Being mythical sure beats being dead."
"Yeah, I suppose it does..." He smiled round the words and at Gale though thinking about it for a moment Eliot realised that actually he probably didn't know, having been aware all his life that he might carry a were gene. "... though having at least known I could be all my life it seems, I dunno, normal to me - being mythical that is." His smile broadened into a grin 'cause he knew damn well normal was not a word that could be used to describe his life at all.
"You knew?" Seeing as how he had no real knowledge of weres, Gale was bound to ask questions.
Eliot nodded. "Yeah, in my family at least the gene is recessive, bit like having brown eyes..." he grinned slightly at the analogy "... and as both sets of grand parents had a tiger in them, there was a good chance that both my parents carried the gene and at least one of their children would be a tiger as well." This time there an easy smile came with his memories. "Can you imagine explaining to a young child why they have grand parents that turn into a big pussy cat every now and then?"
Chuckling, Gale shook his head at the mental image. "I can only imagine how... colorful your childhood must have been, Eliot."
"Actually it was fairly normal, my Dad worked on a horse ranch so there was plenty of places for cats and people to run, but other than that it was the usual things, my folks could still get into trouble if I didn't go to school..." Eliot's shoulder gently nudged against Gales "...neither of my parents are weres and they gave us as normal a life as possible - we rode, I played football, went to the dojo, all those kind of things." Up until the accident it had been almost idyllic and that's how Eliot looked back on it and that showed in the way he talked about his family and that time.
"Dojo," he chuckled a bit under his breath. Discussing this man next to him as a tiger didn't get a giggle but the word dojo had him giggling like a 3rd grader. "So you are a ninja kitty, then?"
"Hey, do you mind?" Eliot's spluttered laughter joined Gale's, this time he purposely bumped his shoulder against the other man. "I'll have you know I've black belts in Kenpo Karate and Aikido." Though totally serious there was still a lot of amusement there as well. "So no not quite a ninja."
"Well pardon me," his tongue traveled over to poke at the inside of his cheek. "I didn't mean to offend your delicate sensibilities."
The comment brought an amused snort and a raised brow it was on the tip of Eliot's tongue to make something what could be considered a possibly inappropriate comment causing his lips to twitch into a smile at the thought. "No, sensibilities to offend." The comment was light and amused. As they walked round the corner the scents became stronger raising the hairs on the back of his neck. "Close to home?"
"Yeah," Gale's head dipped in unnecissary embarassment. "There are three of us living there... I'm sure that doesn't smell like a bed of roses for you, huh?"
His smile stayed in place even though it might have slipped from his eyes a little, but not much. "It's no different to a lot of places in this city." The 'though I'd usually give them a wide birth' left unsaid. "And it's your home, though I'm sure you'll understand if I don't come in for coffee." The joking was back in his voice as was the smile in his eyes.
"Yeah... I can't imagine why," Gale gave a tenative smile to the man... er... were, kitty, whatever, beside him. He would like to assure Eliot that his family would do him no harm, but considering Jude's history with weres and his father's protectiveness he could not be certain. "This is it," he pointed out the shop unnecissarily. The comination of the sign and smell told Eliot the same information.
A good part of him wanted to hug the younger man and tell him that it wasn't a problem, but they both knew it could potentially be even though he was very much of the live and let live principal that often wasn't the view held by most of his kind or theirs for that matter. "Even if it's probably not a good idea for me to meet the family, fancy meeting up one evening or something?"
"Sure," Gale answered without hesitation. If it were possible, he was certain a blush would have crawled up his cheeks as he realized how enthusiastic he sounded.
Gale's reply brought a smile that made blue eyes twinkle. "Cool, what you feel like doing?"
"Not really sure about that," Gale confessed, looking up into the were's mirth filled eyes. "Not entirely sure what the mythical do with a night out."
There was a quip on the tip of his tongue about unicorns but it actually gave him a good idea. "Do ride, as in horses?"
"Never," he confessed. Never much of an opportunity growing up with city dwelling parents who detested unnecissary expenses.
"Wanna try? There's a place in one of the parks in town that's open late and has some quiet horses." There might have been a little foot shuffling as he asked suddenly more than a little nervous.
"That sounds... nice," biting his bottom lip, Gale's hazel eyes looked into Eliot's blue ones. "Horses won't be spooked by me, will they?"
Hold the other man's eyes Eliot reached out catching Gale's hand for a moment. "No they'll be fine, probably used to vamps and weres I think. I've never asked." Eliot smiled wrapped round the words again as it seemed being with the younger man made him smile more than he had in a long while.
Leaning against the door, Gale felt an easy smile cross his face. "When?
"Next week, sometime - I'm working most evenings but we could go afterward? Mid-week or something?" Not wanting to sound to much as though as he really really wanted to see the other man again, which it was probably obvious that he did.
"It would need to be late anyway," an eyebrow arched as he spoke. "Gotta make certain that the sun is down after all."
Eliot's own brow raised in response the look say 'like I'd forget that', though it was softened with another of those smiles. "No problems there, I don't finish until way after sun down."
"Sounds like we have a plan then..."
Reaching into his pockets Eliot fished out one of Curiosity Kill's business cards and scribbled his cell number on the back and offered it to Gale. "Yeah it does, call me any thing changes? Other than that I'll see you Wednesday, want me to pick you up?"
"That would probably be best, considering I don't know where we are going." Gale grabbed at the card, fingers grazing Eliots as he pulled away.
There was a little spark of feeling as Gale's fingers brushed over his, different from when they'd been holding hands but just as pleasant. "Here or at Curiosity?
"Curiosity," he replied after thinking about it for a moment. He wasn't sure how his family would react to a were meeting him on their doorstep.
"'Kay, I'll see you then." There was a temptation, a very strong temptation to lean over and bush his lips over Gale's check but Eliot stomped on it fairly hard instead offering his hand.
His fingers wrapped around the warmth of Eliot's hand, "Eight... yeah?"
"Eight is good." Eliot might have held on to Gale's hand a little longer than he should have done before letting go and stepping back. "See you then"
"Later," he spoke softly as he watched the were move away, into the night.
Work had been quiet, not that Eliot minded it let him sort through other things, the note pad that he tended to carry with him was full of scribbled notes and ideas. He'd finished an hour later than usual as Kevin had been stock taking but they'd managed to get a lot of done during the quiet periods so it had only taken him an hour to finish as it had been quiet enough during the shift to start the job. Saying his good nights Eliot headed towards home, note book tucked into his jacket pocket.
The nights were getting warmer, shedding the haze of winter almost made the stars and the moon seem brighter. His walk home took him through one of the older parts of the city tonight, there was no particular reason he was heading home that way just his feet leading him that direction.
There was very little in this day and age that couldn't be done electronically, making it more than possible for Gale to work from Andre's house on various administrative issues. Unfortunately, the world of museums often ran about twenty years behind the technological curve and he had to spend a few hours a week in his office. Even though he was still uneasy being out on his own, Gale relished the freedom he felt as he wandered through the older, lesser traveled sections of the city back to his sire's home.
As he walked down one of the darker streets Eliot's senses kicked in, not just his Were ones but the other ones, the ones that put him on his guard. While he didn't think he was being followed, or if he was it was very badly; you could never be too sure. Eliot picked up his pace as a test to see what the reaction of the other person was, just as he did the wind shifted slightly and he picked up the other's scent - vampire and that made him even more cautious.
A gust of wind kicked up, blowing past Gale and causing his arms to wrap around his torso. He couldn't feel the cold that yet to flee the city, but the reflex was deeply ingrained. Something, however, was different. An unidentifiable scent on the wind that forced Gale to change his course without even thinking about it.
Eliot turned into to the building using the shadow to hide him in the deeper shadows of the night, the following footsteps didn't stop though so he just leant against the building and waited.
That smell, it was like running through the woods on a crisp, clear night and Gale was intrigued as he followed after it. As he got approached, he heared the 'thump thump' of a pulse. That scent belonged to a person? His steps hesitated.
The falter was enough to have Eliot step out from the building cautiously with a touch of curiosity, he knew the scent of a vampire but this one was different. Vamps tended to be earthy, dark, rich, their age colouring every thing. This scent though almost had a human tone to it; their freshness, their warmth and Eliot would have said there was an innocence there as well, which for a vamp was confusing. Turning so he faced the vampire the first thing that struck him was... young? Huh? Not that that made him any the less cautious. "Hello."
Oh crap, Gale's muscles turned rigid, he wasn't quite sure whether he wanted to satisfy his curiousity or run in fear back to his sire. He knew Andre wanted him to be safe, to be cautious but he couldn't be a coward for the rest of eternity. He called out a soft, "hello..."
Stepping out further so that he was in the other man's full view, hands relaxed by his sides Eliot looked for all the world completely at ease. Not that he was - any wrong movement and he was more than prepared to strike, but his past being his past Eliot could project that ease and right now his senses told him that the man standing in front of him was just about to bolt and for some reason his instincts were telling him that wasn't the right thing to happen. Smiling gently keeping his tone soft he introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Eliot."
The man's ease enabled Gale to relax marginally, shoulders dropping he offered up a half smile, "hello, Elliot, my name is Gale."
Still projecting quiet calm Eliot nodded slightly in acknowledgement. "Pleased to meet you..." again making no sudden movements he offered Gale his hand. "... it's a lovely night, though a quiet part of town to be walking..." unless you're looking for dinner of course "... at this time of night, you heading home or something?"
Looking at the prooffered hand for a moment, weighing his options, Gale reached out to grasp the man's hand. "Shortcut home," though really it was his own fear of being surrounded by thriving, beating hearts that kept him to the lesser traveled areas of town.
The touch was cool, but not that much cooler than a humans though his own senses picked up on things like how quiet Gale was, being this close to most humans Eliot would be able to hear their heart, hear their breathing, smell their sweat, sense their emotions even - fear, attraction, sex, on occasion the need to eat even - if the human was starving enough, all things that allowed him to tell a lot about a human. Gale on the other hand was totally silent no heart beat, no pulse, there was the scent of a vampire of course but that didn't carry the notes that human scent carried and this close the differences to vampires he'd known before was even more pronounced. "Yeah, same here - had to work late, stock taking." He knew he was rambling a little but putting the other man at his ease seemed important and he was curious enough to want to know what made the other man different.
"Hmm," Gale could smell the distinct scent of aged paper on the other man, even over the strange nature of his personal scent. That smell alone did wonders in easing Gale's nerves, enough to notice that their hands were still joined. "Sorry," his hand withdrew to scratch at the back of his neck, nerves on the rise again. "Where...where is it that you work?"
Smiling softly Eliot slipped his hands into his pockets. "Not a problem..." Eliot hadn't even realised he'd still been holding the other mans hand. "...Curiosity Kills, one of the many bookshops in the city." It still surprised him how much he enjoyed the job all things considered. "What about you, what do you do?" What makes a vamp smell that way?
"Ah, yes," that explained a portion of the man's smell. "A lovely collection there... I," Gale paused his job was still up in the air. While he had been doing work from home he was unsure of how long he would be able to continue running the place at night. "I'm the director over at Historic New Orleans."
The compliment that Gale had just paid to Kevin really made Eliot smile, a very genuine one, even though it wasn't aimed at him in particular he was the kind of person that tended take pride in his work. "Ahh..." That might explain some of Gale's scent but not all of it by any stretch and really not the usual kind of job that one of Gale's kind had, which added even more to the puzzle. "... not had much chance to visit places like that since I've been back." Eliot wasn't the kind of person to dance round any situation hesitation could have cost him his life in the past, though he was more than capable of discretion if needs be as lack of it could have also ended very badly - but he knew both he and Gale were dancing and he wasn't sure how to stop that without being blunt or very obvious, in the end he went for the obvious. "Too public, need to keep myself under the radar a bit..." As he spoke his eyes shifted holding Gale's for a long moment before shifting back to human. While outwardly still relaxed he tensed expecting either an attack or the other man to take off - prepared for both. "...a bit like your need for the protection of the night."
The invitation for a tour was on Gale's tongue almost instantly but he stalled as the other man continued to speak. He didn't know this person... hell he barely knew what Eliot was and the little stunt with his eyes set him on edge and further confused him. "You... you know what I am?" he took a hesitant step backward in a move of subconsious self preservation.
Eliot didn't move in fact anything he probably went even more still; breathing slowing, even his heart seeming to beat slower - his body coiling but still outwardly relaxed. Eliot knew that Gale could probably detect the changes and he certainly didn't do anything to disguise them. It was now a fine balancing act between being open and honest about himself and not startling or scaring the other man. The fact that his own controlled shift had seemed to draw nothing but confusion to the other man's eyes might have given him a slight incling about Gale, but Eliot wasn't willing to act on that just quite yet - he could still be wrong, very wrong and that could be very dangerous. "I've met several vampires in my time, worked for a few - most of them reasonable people, a couple I would have probably called friends under different circumstances." That might have been stretching the truth, just a little - but there were vampires he'd met who he got on very well with and vamps he'd met in New Orleans that given a chance he'd probably get on with, Desmond springing to mind. Eliot's smile was relaxed, friendly and open as was his body language . "... but you're something different and to be honest I'm curious why..." His head tilted to one side slightly for a moment making the comment more of a question, the smile reaching his eyes fully. "...but I understand that turn about is fair play. So can I explain more about myself if you would like?"
"I don't know what you are, though I think I have an idea," Gale tried to control his reaction as one word passed through his head, were. His head dropped in resignation, he knew that he couldn't fight back effectively if attacked. "Are you... I don't mean you any harm, Eliot. I'm not quite sure what you mean about me being different but I assure you that you'll find no beef with me."
Eliot's immediate reaction was to comfort and reassure and as that hit him he realized what had been underlying a lot of the conversation with Gale and that was the instinct to protect and that was totally human reaction. His cat was curious and wanted to know about Gale but there wasn't anything like that inter-weaving the reactions of his other self. Eliot let the his own reactions to that realization slide over and through him something to be dealt with at another time, all of this taking place in the blink of an eye while his mind was turning over just how to put the other man at his ease. Eliot nodded answering Gale's unasked question "Though I'm a tiger, not a wolf - cats tend to be a rather large minority as far as weres go." There was quite some humour in his words the smile easily reaching his eyes.
Keeping mostly still Eliot slipped his hands from his pockets, folding them behind his back the movement smooth and slow, moving much the same way he would have done as young man when working with an unsure horse back on his father's ranch. He really wasn't at any disadvantage if push came to shove, not that Eliot believed for one instance that it would, but really it was the only way he could think of proving that he didn't mean Gale any harm - or rather he knew there was another way, but suspected that kind of offer would totally freak the other man. "Believe me when I say that harming you or anyone else for that matter is the last thing on my mind. I was actually just walking home..." a slight smile touched his lips. "... and to be honest you smell different from any vampire I've known, a lot more human is probably the best way to describe it - but not in the same way as one that has been claimed by your kind would." Eliot shrugged a little, as if not sure if he was explaining himself all that well using that as a cover for the fact that he did know that those last few words could have bring him a lot of trouble in some quarters. "You know, this probably isn't the best place to be having a conversation like this..." still moving slowly, he indicated the sidewalk they were stood on with a nod of his head. "... there's a little cafe not far from here, it's not much but it serves good coffee - if you'd like?"
Gale knew deep down he should be more frightened, more cautious, hell he should just be running for his non life. Somehow he felt safe. Maybe not safe exactly but certainly at ease. A were. Eliot was a were, or a cat was it? Holy fuck he needed to sit. The thought of not finding out about this strange creature made him sad. How could he, curious by nature and profession, give up an opportunity of this nature. "I didn't realize that I smelled different," his voice was soft, there was no need to raise voices with their solitude and close proximity. "I'd like to talk... You won't hurt me," it was a statement more than a question.
And with that Eliot really relaxed the changes though subtle were noticeable as the tension that had been locked into his body in preparation to attack or defend himself if necessary finally slipped away, his smile might have even been a touch brighter though that didn't really change. "No I won't..." the reiteration as soft as Gale's own words but no less lacking in conviction.
The little bell on the cafe door chimed it's warning as they walked in, it was unsurprisingly quite tonight - really too early in the week and in the evening to be attracting many visitors, which was one of things Eliot had counted on. While the place was completely neutral to vampire, were and human alike the last place Eliot wanted to take them was somewhere where Gale would feel uncomfortable. Purposely opting for a table that gave them complete view of the door and an easy exit Eliot offered a chair to the other man. "This okay?"
Taking a quick stock of their surroundings, Gale nodded, "yeah. This works." Taking a seat, he looked across the table, waiting for the were's inevitable questions.
Two mugs of coffee suddenly appeared at their table together with cream the sweeteners already on the tables, Eliot shook his head and gave his thanks with a wry smile. "Ever get the feeling you use a place a little too often?" There was lot of humour in those words, doctoring his coffee he looked over at Gale as he idly stirred the drink, really not sure where to start, eventually decided to go back to the thing that had drawn him to Gale in the first place and that inkling he had. "You know I said that your scent was different to any vampire I met before? I'd never really noticed it before, but it's a bit like some of those books I work with..." As an analogy it probably wasn't one that would have occurred to him before he stared working for Kevin but it seemed appropriate. "... new books smell totally different to the older ones and the older a book gets the more it's smell changes. Does that make sense?"
"Complete sense," Gale knew books. Gale lived books. Would their interactions change once Eliot learned how young he was, easy pickings and all that. "I'm a pretty new book myself..."
"Ahhh..." taking another sip of his coffee, his eyes watched Gale still open and friendly though there might have been a touch of concern as though he might have picked up on Gale's worry "... I kinda thought that might be the case, I've never met a..." he hesitated over the correct word. "... child, childer? If you don't mind me asking how old are you?"
"Less than a year," Gale's fingers wrapped around his mug, warming them on the ceramic while he debated drinking it. "You've known many vampires?" He really hadn't interacted with anyone outside of his family since his change, with the exception of Viggo. Gale hoped that he wasn't too terribly awkward.
"A few..." Eliot nodded a little in acknowledgement the other man's words. "... run across a couple round here since I've been back and I've worked for vamps on occasion, they tend to pay well..." his smile turned into a grin, joking. "...though none in this country. Those outside of the US seem to be different again or those that I've met certainly are."
"Really?" It stood to reason though, people were different from one country to the next, so why not vampires. "I don't really know any outside of my family... I'll have to take your word on it."
The thought that vampires had families was an intriguing thought to Eliot, but he supposed considering the name given to a person that had just been turned it made sense. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"A brother..." somehow he knew that sharing this information wouldn't place his family in danger. "And my sire."
Eliot nodded accepting the information knowing better to ask more than that. The talk of families had him thinking about his own family, parents that he hadn't seen in many years and his own sister, the sadness there flitting through his eyes - it may have been a long time ago but that still didn't lessen the pain. "Would I be right in assuming that to become a vampire was your own choice?"
"It wasn't forced on me," Gale reached out without thinking, laying his hand over Eliots at the flicker of sadness that he saw.
Eliot's eyes left Gale's face to look down at their hands, the touch had been unexpected but surprisingly not unwelcome, eyes flicking back up to the other man's Eliot smiled his thanks leaving his hand under Gale's. "Is it much different to what you were expecting it to be?"
His fingers squeesed the hand beneath his, but he chose to ignore the question posed to him. "What did I say that made you sad, Eliot?"
Almost unconsciously Eliot's fingers wound together with Gale's returning the squeeze easily accepting the change of subject, even if it was for something potential very painful. "Was thinking about my sister actually. Her passing was an accident..." the guilt he felt even now evident in his eyes if not his voice. "... one that triggered my first shift waking the other part of myself."
"I'm sorry," he knew that his words were inadequate, yet he said them any way. Gale's eyebrows knit together as he tried to process the rest of the were's words. "Shift? I'm sorry, I fear that I am ignorant in this supernatural existance."
A reassuring smile touched Eliot's lips for a moment. "If it's not something you've been around that's not surprising..." this time it was turn to gently squeeze Gale's hand."... shift - to change into our animal selves, to literally shift from human form to our other form, to take our on our animal form in my case to become a tiger." While that may have given a definition of the word, it no way explained the process. But Eliot wasn't completely sure how much Gale wanted to know, so he'd rather let him ask than over load or give information the other man didn't want.
"Oh," he should have known that. Stupid Gale, he chastized himself. He contemplated removing his hand but couldn't bring himself to do it. "Does it hurt? The shifting I mean... that has to be a huge strain on your body."
"Hey..." his voice soft as he spoke still Gale's eyes, a smile and reassurance still there as Eliot seemed to pick up on the other man's reaction, his fingers tightening briefly. "... don't do that to yourself." Eliot didn't specify what exactly but he was pretty sure that the other man would understand. "Usually the first time certainly and that can be made ummm...even more difficult... if your first shift is the result of some kind of trauma, but you get used to after a while..." Eliot smile broadened as though letting Gale into a big secret "...and most of us really enjoy it, love being in our other skins."
If he could have, Gale likely would have blushed yet the reflex to duck his head remained firmly imbeded in his mannerisms and he looked up at the were through the curtain of his lashes. He was having a difficult time reconciling the smiling, friendly man in front of him with the imagine in his head of the were population. An image based solely on his brother's bruised and battered body. "Is it the freedom?" he questioned Eliot. He understood the need for freedom, both as a man who spent most of his life in a rigid profession filled with white gloves and a list of don'ts that could choke a horse and now as a vampire ruled by his juvenile grasp of control and his overwhelming instincts.
There was no doubt that Eliot found Gale's reaction cute - well possibly even more than cute if he was being honest with himself, but that wasn't something for right now and might not be something for ever all things considered. Eliot had never thought of it being freedom, not really to him it was just another part of himself - freedom was a horse at full gallop or the place his martial arts took him. But then the chase round the park with Karl popped into his head and he found himself nodding. "It is, though I've not really ever thought of that way..." even though his smile stayed warm and friendly, Eliot's eyes turned a little more serious. "... it's freedom with responsibility though much like anything else, much the same way I expect there's responsibilities with being a vampire?" The tone of his voice making a question rather than a comment, though the smile was less serious again.
"I suppose you are right about that," a smile teased at the corners of his mouth as his eyes focused on their joined hands. "I was very fortunate to have people in my life to teach me that." At the though of Andre and Jude, Gale wondered how they were going to react when he came home tonight. It was already later than he would typically be out alone, and he was sure to carry Eliot's scent with him when he walked in the door. Though if he were being honest he wasn't going to regret that, if anything he would enjoy carrying the reminder of this wonderfully strange evening.
Gale's slight smile brought a warmth with that interestingly enough made Eliot's cat want to bask, a reaction that totally surprised him though years of controlling his reactions meant that it didn't show 'cept maybe to brighten his smile very slightly his fingers maybe tightening as he noticed where the other man's eyes had fallen. "Not everyone is that lucky, we're both from communities where the changes that happen to us can lead to all sorts of difficulties." Not that that was an excuse for anything, more a statement of fact. "And talking of your family and they going to worry with you being out so late?"
"Yeah," Gale heaved a sigh, sorry to see this time end. "They most likely are..." He pushed his chair out slightly, anticipating the dreaded exit.
Smiling Eliot squeezed Gales fingers before letting go of the younger man's hand. "As we seemed to be pretty much heading the same direction earlier, would you like some company?" He hadn't quite wanted to come out and offer to walk Gale home, but Eliot knew the later the evening became the more chance there was for trouble and he knew he'd feel better if he knew Gale was home safe acknowledging that protective instinct to quietly himself.
"You want to walk a vampire home?" that gave Gale a bit of a chuckle. It was a, dare he say, sweet suggestion but the end result sounded almost like a bad joke. "So there was this werewolf and this vampire walking home from work..." Putting aside the humor with a smile remaining on his face, Gale answered, "I would like that. Very much."
That comment brought a light chuckle and an amused roll of Eliot's eyes. "Tiger, get right...." he smirked just very slightly letting his cat float to the surface a bit. "... I was going to suggest meeting up again one evening, but you know with that joke..." he trailed off leaving the offer in the air as he stood giving Gale plenty of room before holding the door open for him.
"Don't pretend to be offended," Gale joked as he walked through the open doorway. "Call it a curse of ignorance, I've only been a mythical creature for a few months."
"Me pretend?" Eliot raised a brow as though most offended though the laughter in his voice and eyes said very plainly that he wasn't. "I'd say welcome to Oz, but last I checked we don't have any yellow brick roads." His voiced teasing as they stepped out on to a quiet street. "As we're heading to your place first, would you care to lead he way?"
"It's this way," Gale gestured with his a nod of his head. He contemplated grabbing Eliot's hand once again, but deciding against it at the last minute. "I live with my sire right now... above his shop."
He may have just have blinked at Gale's words - though he didn't particularly like the thought of Gale walking back on his own, he hadn't quite put that together with what he assumed was another vampire or vampires come to that, but with other man's previous mentions of family he supposed it made sense. "Sire?" He was pretty sure what the word meant but there was no harm in asking. As they started up the street Eliot kept close to the younger man, not quite touching but close enough that his shoulder occasionally brushed against Gale's.
"He's the one who made me the way I am," Gale answered. A shy smile tugged at his lips as continued, "he's the one who saved me. He runs Time Passages down in the quarter. That's where I live right now."
"Ahh... I know it." Eliot nodded not that he'd ever been in, but he'd been past it. "Saved you?" The query was gentle and asked in such away that Gale could have easily ignored the question, much as he was ignoring the fact that Gale's smile seemed to just make things a little brighter.
"Yeah," Gale smiled, looking over at the were just as their shoulders brushed. "Andre and I were friends, he was a donor to my museum. I got really sick," his voice lost myrth as he relived the story. Thank goodness for happy endings. "By the time Andre found me, I was basically dying. He offered me a choice."
Not thinking about it Eliot reached for Gale's hand and gave it a quick squeeze before letting go again. "I'm sorry." He offered he words with a gentle smile and concerned eyes. "Not really a difficult one to make then?" There might have been a little humour in those words softening them with a smile but really they meant 'I'm glad you took it.' even if Eliot didn't quite get that's what he meant.
"Yeah, I like to think that it worked out for the best." Gale looked at the man walking beside him, taking him in. "Being mythical sure beats being dead."
"Yeah, I suppose it does..." He smiled round the words and at Gale though thinking about it for a moment Eliot realised that actually he probably didn't know, having been aware all his life that he might carry a were gene. "... though having at least known I could be all my life it seems, I dunno, normal to me - being mythical that is." His smile broadened into a grin 'cause he knew damn well normal was not a word that could be used to describe his life at all.
"You knew?" Seeing as how he had no real knowledge of weres, Gale was bound to ask questions.
Eliot nodded. "Yeah, in my family at least the gene is recessive, bit like having brown eyes..." he grinned slightly at the analogy "... and as both sets of grand parents had a tiger in them, there was a good chance that both my parents carried the gene and at least one of their children would be a tiger as well." This time there an easy smile came with his memories. "Can you imagine explaining to a young child why they have grand parents that turn into a big pussy cat every now and then?"
Chuckling, Gale shook his head at the mental image. "I can only imagine how... colorful your childhood must have been, Eliot."
"Actually it was fairly normal, my Dad worked on a horse ranch so there was plenty of places for cats and people to run, but other than that it was the usual things, my folks could still get into trouble if I didn't go to school..." Eliot's shoulder gently nudged against Gales "...neither of my parents are weres and they gave us as normal a life as possible - we rode, I played football, went to the dojo, all those kind of things." Up until the accident it had been almost idyllic and that's how Eliot looked back on it and that showed in the way he talked about his family and that time.
"Dojo," he chuckled a bit under his breath. Discussing this man next to him as a tiger didn't get a giggle but the word dojo had him giggling like a 3rd grader. "So you are a ninja kitty, then?"
"Hey, do you mind?" Eliot's spluttered laughter joined Gale's, this time he purposely bumped his shoulder against the other man. "I'll have you know I've black belts in Kenpo Karate and Aikido." Though totally serious there was still a lot of amusement there as well. "So no not quite a ninja."
"Well pardon me," his tongue traveled over to poke at the inside of his cheek. "I didn't mean to offend your delicate sensibilities."
The comment brought an amused snort and a raised brow it was on the tip of Eliot's tongue to make something what could be considered a possibly inappropriate comment causing his lips to twitch into a smile at the thought. "No, sensibilities to offend." The comment was light and amused. As they walked round the corner the scents became stronger raising the hairs on the back of his neck. "Close to home?"
"Yeah," Gale's head dipped in unnecissary embarassment. "There are three of us living there... I'm sure that doesn't smell like a bed of roses for you, huh?"
His smile stayed in place even though it might have slipped from his eyes a little, but not much. "It's no different to a lot of places in this city." The 'though I'd usually give them a wide birth' left unsaid. "And it's your home, though I'm sure you'll understand if I don't come in for coffee." The joking was back in his voice as was the smile in his eyes.
"Yeah... I can't imagine why," Gale gave a tenative smile to the man... er... were, kitty, whatever, beside him. He would like to assure Eliot that his family would do him no harm, but considering Jude's history with weres and his father's protectiveness he could not be certain. "This is it," he pointed out the shop unnecissarily. The comination of the sign and smell told Eliot the same information.
A good part of him wanted to hug the younger man and tell him that it wasn't a problem, but they both knew it could potentially be even though he was very much of the live and let live principal that often wasn't the view held by most of his kind or theirs for that matter. "Even if it's probably not a good idea for me to meet the family, fancy meeting up one evening or something?"
"Sure," Gale answered without hesitation. If it were possible, he was certain a blush would have crawled up his cheeks as he realized how enthusiastic he sounded.
Gale's reply brought a smile that made blue eyes twinkle. "Cool, what you feel like doing?"
"Not really sure about that," Gale confessed, looking up into the were's mirth filled eyes. "Not entirely sure what the mythical do with a night out."
There was a quip on the tip of his tongue about unicorns but it actually gave him a good idea. "Do ride, as in horses?"
"Never," he confessed. Never much of an opportunity growing up with city dwelling parents who detested unnecissary expenses.
"Wanna try? There's a place in one of the parks in town that's open late and has some quiet horses." There might have been a little foot shuffling as he asked suddenly more than a little nervous.
"That sounds... nice," biting his bottom lip, Gale's hazel eyes looked into Eliot's blue ones. "Horses won't be spooked by me, will they?"
Hold the other man's eyes Eliot reached out catching Gale's hand for a moment. "No they'll be fine, probably used to vamps and weres I think. I've never asked." Eliot smiled wrapped round the words again as it seemed being with the younger man made him smile more than he had in a long while.
Leaning against the door, Gale felt an easy smile cross his face. "When?
"Next week, sometime - I'm working most evenings but we could go afterward? Mid-week or something?" Not wanting to sound to much as though as he really really wanted to see the other man again, which it was probably obvious that he did.
"It would need to be late anyway," an eyebrow arched as he spoke. "Gotta make certain that the sun is down after all."
Eliot's own brow raised in response the look say 'like I'd forget that', though it was softened with another of those smiles. "No problems there, I don't finish until way after sun down."
"Sounds like we have a plan then..."
Reaching into his pockets Eliot fished out one of Curiosity Kill's business cards and scribbled his cell number on the back and offered it to Gale. "Yeah it does, call me any thing changes? Other than that I'll see you Wednesday, want me to pick you up?"
"That would probably be best, considering I don't know where we are going." Gale grabbed at the card, fingers grazing Eliots as he pulled away.
There was a little spark of feeling as Gale's fingers brushed over his, different from when they'd been holding hands but just as pleasant. "Here or at Curiosity?
"Curiosity," he replied after thinking about it for a moment. He wasn't sure how his family would react to a were meeting him on their doorstep.
"'Kay, I'll see you then." There was a temptation, a very strong temptation to lean over and bush his lips over Gale's check but Eliot stomped on it fairly hard instead offering his hand.
His fingers wrapped around the warmth of Eliot's hand, "Eight... yeah?"
"Eight is good." Eliot might have held on to Gale's hand a little longer than he should have done before letting go and stepping back. "See you then"
"Later," he spoke softly as he watched the were move away, into the night.