RP LOG with kindredmi6 | Partners & Lovers
[Follows THIS and THIS]
The truth was that Aidan Wright wasn't that well house trained. He excelled at pulling off the Masquerade, but even the most submissive of Kindred could be trouble when they sensed someone they loved was in trouble. Someone they'd claimed. It was all Aidan could do not to try and push his way into the military facility and find Logan. He'd made it back to the place after completing his research. Basically there wasn't much they didn't know already. Blaise and Juliette were certainly two of the most powerful Kindred in this city without a doubt. In fact, it was basically Blaise's city full stop. Juliette was the Toreador Primogen and his mate. They weren't exactly two vampires you'd want to piss off in a hurry, but apparently someone had wanted to by going through Logan's brother.
That connection had been a little harder to track down. In fact, no one seemed to be aware of Rory Buchanan other than he'd accompanied the tiny blonde. And that he was Scottish, loud and only a few knew he was a Hunter.
The Slayer on the other hand was even more interesting. Most of her file that was accessed through local law enforcement only held a few highlights, and the charges had been dropped. For the most part you really could be fooled into thinking that this Buffy Summers was a college drop-out and ordinary Californian girl. Nothing screamed Slayer about her other than a few contacts he had amongst the demon population of the UK. Kindred were aware of Slayers and their history, but since they had never crossed paths for obvious reasons, they'd never bothered to keep tabs on who the Slayer was.
Aidan's leg bounced up and down restlessly and he made a show of complaining about nicotine withdrawal to any soldier that seemed intent on questioning the fidgeting Englishman. If only they knew. As soon as he sensed Logan coming closer - and another Kindred presence - Aidan was up and out of his chair, meeting the lift as the doors opened. His gaze instantly met Logan's before he took in his partner's appearance, the bruise on the side of his face doing nothing to calm him. Then he met Juliette's gaze, his jaw clenching as his nostrils flared. "Some secure fucking military building you got here, love. Send an SIS agent up alone and he comes back down bruised. Always did love the French hospitality."
Juliette didn't flinch from the gaze, even if her head did tilt a little bit in the presence of Logan's SIS partner. He was Kindred. She was hardly going to be able to miss that now that she was this close to the other man. He looked older than Logan, even older than herself. That made his age of Embrace probably in his thirties. He had long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and if it wasn't for the suit, she would have thought him Toreador, but after being with Blaise for so long she knew Ventrue when she saw it. "This hardly my building, Agent...?"
"Wright," Aidan offered, but didn't hold out his hand. He still had his gaze on Juliette even as he took Logan from her. "Cheers for the escort, but I think you've more than done your part, Mademoiselle Rousseau. And yeah, I know who you are. Don't think agents don't do their homework, yeah? Best be getting back upstairs to your pal."
Juliette gave a slight shake of her head, and though she smiled it didn't reach her eyes. "Non, there is no upstairs for me. I am going back home. It was a pleasure to meet you both." With a nod Juliette brushed past them towards the door, not even looking back. Thankfully the sun had set outside well and truly, the dark night a welcoming sight after the constant glare of fluorescent lights.
Aidan still had his eyes on the door until he was sure Juliette was gone before he pulled Logan over to a row of seats and sat him down as he looked over the wound. "Seriously can't leave you alone to do anything, can I? I was only gone for a few hours. I thought it was your brother up there. What the fuck happened?"
Logan sucked in a small breath, his stomach and chest still hurting and bruised from the force that Rory had elbowed him. He had some unbelievable strength, and all Logan could feel was a huge haze of confusion. He went to exhale sharply again, but with the rush of exiting air, just burst into tears again and needed to hold his stomach when the effort of it hurt. He honestly didn't care who was watching by this point. Not after what had just happened with his brother. The image of Blaise feeding on Rory was locked into his mind and he didn't understand anything that had gone down after it. Why had no one tried to restrain the fucker? Put a fucking phosphorus bullet in his arse? He fed on Rory, drained him to the point of needing a blood transfusion and no one batted an eyelid? In fact, the fucking Sergeant was supposed to have expected it? "That isnae my brother up there. I dinnae know who it is," he choked out.
Aidan had Logan up and on his feet again as he guided him towards the exit, intent on getting him to their car. Maybe Logan didn't care who was watching, but Aidan did. He also cared who was listening. In his experience military buildings always had ears. He had a firm hold on his partner as he got them out of there, and didn't let go until Logan was in the passenger seat of the black car before he walked around to take the driver's seat. "Are we talking a metaphorical not your brother, or a genuine not your brother? Because I need to be clear. I also need to be honest. I've heard... rumblings. And they're not pleasant." He reached out for Logan's face again and turned it so he could look at the bruise. "Did he do that?"
Now that they were out of the public eye and in the safety of one of their own cars, Logan hunched forward and broke down even more. His stomach was throbbing, and he wasn't actually ready to have a look to see how bruised he was there. Thank god he didn't elbow him in the nads, though. They had already taken a proverbial knock with Rory tearing him a new one. "He didnae even want to see me. Told me nay to fucking touch him. He was... he wasnae himself, but I dinnae get it. They didnae say he had been drugged or anything. I've never seen him like that before. I've seen him angry, but this was... I dinnae know. Like he was possessed. He went for the lassie, I tried to hold him off, but he hurt me. He really did not want me to be there," he said tearfully, putting his hand up to go and touch the bruise, but it was too sore and he had second thoughts about it. Then the images of the feed returned and he put the hand over his face. "Oh god, I cannae believe this is happening. Nay to Rory."
Aidan shifted to get his arms loosely around Logan. He was careful not to touch the other man's middle as he touched his hair gently. Of course he wanted to do some damage. How could he not? Rory might have been Logan's brother, but the prick had just hurt his lover. The more Logan talked though, the more that Aidan believed the rumours of a Scotsman being Embraced were true. Or at least partially true. Aidan had only crossed paths with Brujah a few times, and even that was too many in his book. He'd even arrested one when he'd worked as a copper fifty years ago. "Logan, I need you to listen to me. You need to tell me exactly what happened after Rory attacked you. You're right about him not being himself, he's not. He sounds like he's taken on the traits of Brujah. He's not completely responsible for what he's doing, but he's still dangerous."
"Traits of what? Is that some fecking date rape drug? Why havenae I head of it? I know we arenae narcotics, but we still get memos on the new drugs. My head is fecking killing me." Logan kept nursing his head in his hand, and even though the tears were easing off, he wasn't sure he was done with the emotional explosion yet. It was the first time he had seen Rory in years, he really hadn't anticipated things be this horrible. Nope, definitely wasn't done. As soon as he went to try and tell Aidan what happened, more tears came and Logan rested his head against the passenger's window with a small sob. "I think he Embraced him. Tried to. Fed on him, definitely, right there in front of fecking everyone. They expected it! That chick said the Serg expected it, and then she was all yelling at the other bloke for doing it like she wanted to tear him a new one for it. I-I dinnae get it, but nay my brother! They dinnae get to do this to my brother! I want to fucking kill them!"
Aidan pulled back when Logan retreated into his own corner and the Kindred scratched at his head as he stared out the windshield. None of this was sitting well. "Brujah are a clan of Kindred. Their not exactly subtle. Their traits are exactly what you've been describing Rory as exhibiting. Aggression, anger, focus on violence. When a mortal is drained to the point where Embrace is about to occur, they can start to exhibit that clan's traits. If Blaise was the one that has just drained Rory, as hard as this is to understand, he actually did the right thing. Ventrue will replace the Brujah, and Rory will be... neutralised. Until the Ventrue wears off. I don't understand why his mate was screaming at him. I can only assume there could have been some jealousy in play. In their own way they were protecting him."
Logan was watching Aidan in confusion, wiping at the uninjured side of his face and sniffling so he didn't turn into an elegant ball of snot. The lover of a Ventrue, he had standards to live up to. "I-I dinnae..." he began with a slight confused shake of his head. "A-Are you telling me someone tried to Embrace Rory before? They just said he was attacked. That's why he's there? Why he's with the military? Who is this Blaise? He looks like a politician, but they practically fucking bow to him. I swear, he could tell them to fart the national anthem on command, and they would. They just... they didnae do anything! They stood there and watched him do it! Then he... he wanted him to have a blood transfusion? I think I have brain damage, because I just... I cannae..."
"He's not actually looking to Embrace Rory. Blaise Richelieu is the Kindred Prince of Paris. They will bow to him if there's a need for it. This is his city. The attack happened on his turf. Embracing against a person's will is the worst possible crime a Kindred can commit. Your brother was nearly... He came so close. This military place is like the equivalent of a demon FBI. Their whole deal is to work side by side with the relevant authorities. In this case, it's Blaise. He looks after all the Kindred in Paris. Apparently he's looking after Rory and the others, too. Which makes me wonder what the fuck Rory means to him. That's the one part that's confusing the crap out of me. How did your brother get tangled up with a fucking Prince?"
"Well, he didnae do a fucking very good job of the protecting, did he?!" Logan snapped angrily, his turn to look out the window now, though he was seeing nothing of the views outside. "My brother is in there broken and beaten up with some sort of crazy mental strength to be getting aroond with broken bones and a knock to the head! He's slamming fecking soldiers' heads into walls and verbally abusing everyone who comes within breathing distance of him! That's isnae our Rory! If that is protecting him, then I dinnae want him anywhere fucking near them ever again! Do you think I know why the shitting hell he is here? I dinnae! I havenae seen him since I started dating you! He's a Hunter, and I never even really knew exactly what that meant because he started to cut us off! All I knew was that he might be a threat to you and I just... I couldnae. Rory thinks I'm a copper in London. He knows nothing else. I dinnae know how he has gotten tangled up in all this! He doesnae deserve to be treated like this!"
Aidan reached out to slip his arm around Logan again and pulled him as close as the car space would allow. He dipped his head to catch Logan's gaze and used his free hand to wipe away the tears. "No, he doesn't. Of course he doesn't, but desperate times, love..." His own mind flashed to seeing Logan so sick and injured that Aidan had considered Embracing him. Logan had thankfully taken the decision out of his hands though when he'd woken from the coma. "I know you're having trouble understanding this, but once he's had the transfusion, once's he's woken up again... You'll understand why they did it. It's not going to be him for a while yet, but Rory hasn't gone anywhere. I can't say I approve much of their methods, or the fact he wound up here, but this is Paris. We don't get to make the decisions. I'm sorry you had to keep your brother at a distance just to protect me, but maybe it's time to bring him close again."
"I didnae know he knew anything aboot Kindred," Logan admitted in a hoarse whisper, sucking in a small breath to try and control the tears. "How does he know that? Nay just Kindred, like really, really important Kindred. How the hell is he involved in all this? I just dinnae get it. I just didnae think he would ever... cavort isnae the word. I didnae think he would ever interact with supernatural anything. I mean, socially. He's a Hunter! He lost his family to some sort of... thing, and that was his way of trying to find them and deal with it. This doesnae make any sense. He's sleeping with a Kindred! Nay that I can judge on that front at all but this doesnae seem like him. Then, I havenae hardly seen him in years, mind, so maybe it is him? It was just... seeing that, it totally freaked me out. I dinnae know how to even begin to process that. I feel like I want to cry, or throw up, or maybe even wet my pants. How do I know I can trust these people? How do I know I can trust this Blaise bastard? That isnae exactly protection methods I'm used to dealing with, like. Well... I am, just nay like this."
"Maybe it's to do with the Slayer," Aidan suggested quietly. "She's... It's strange that she's tied up with them as well, and making no move to eliminate the Kindred. It's almost as if they're the guests of Blaise. Kindred have never been known to the Slayer before. There must be a reason for it now. I don't know what's going on any more than you do. It's all guess work. I could only find a little information. I realise you didn't think Rory was the type to get with Kindred, but what about his best friend? Didn't you say something about her?" Aidan reached up to rub his fingers against his chin. "I don't really know how to explain it, but trust me... Rory was a danger to himself and others. You've already felt some of that, but the Brujah in him might have made him even more self-destructive. It might have driven him to be Embraced. It could have driven him to do anything. As much as I hate to admit it, at least the Ventrue influence will keep him calm."
Logan gritted his teeth and sat back in the seat to start carefully pulling his shirt out of the waist of his pants. "What the frig is a slayer? And excuse me for saying this, but her job title doesnae exactly give me any great urges to leave my brother in her presence. She slays anything on him and I'll rip her fucking eyeballs out and feed them to her. I dinnae care if she is the Queen of the world. She hurts my brother, and I'll hurt her right the fuck back." He pulled a handful of his shirt up to survey the damage on his stomach. There was a huge purple and red bruise across the middle around his bellybutton, and even just the sight of it caused him to hiss softly again as he looked at it. He swore softly under his breath and let his head drop back against the seat. "What aboot Airlie? She's his best pal, they went to university together. She's a musician. Why would she know anything aboot Kindred? She only came here because they called her when he got hurt. Dinnae know aboot the dude with the eyepatch, though. He seems nervous about something. Can I trust this Blaise bloke? I'm serious, can I? He keeps looking at me like he's reading my fecking brain."
Aidan cleared his throat as he watched Logan, and fought the urge to growl in response to the sight of the bruise. "Brother or not, I have an urge to smack him around right back. You seriously have to ask me why he needed to be 'taken care of' when your torso looks like that?" Aidan's eyes flashed silver in a moment of anger. "He might be a Hunter, he might be your brother... but fuck. It's going to take some kinda willpower to keep me from him. Maybe some sex. Slayers I don't really know all that much about. I just know that there's apparently one in each generation... Just a girl who's meant to fight vampires, and the forces of darkness. I doubt your brother comes under that. As for Airlie... I have my suspicions after hearing about a few things in Scotland. Eyepatch?"
Logan gave a small, choked laugh at the notion of sex. Just the thought of anything pressed up against his gut right now almost made him want to cry again. He looked at Aidan helplessly, more unshed tears there threatening to spill over. "Please dinnae. He's my wee brother, and you said yourself he's nay himself. Please dinnae threaten him like that, I already feel like a big enough cock for nay contacting him in years. What he said... it's... I just cannae take it, okay? He did this when I tried to restrain him. He didnae hurt me before that. Not physically, anyway." When he got to the part about this slayer thing, however, he just looked at Aidan in disbelief. "If she touches you, I'll kill her. I will. I dinnae care what dark force jedi mojo she thinks she has. Why the hell is she here? I dinnae want her here! I dinnae want her anywhere near you! I dinnae care about all those bastards in there, but if she thinks she's gonna touch you, I'll take her oot. I will. Nay, you've got it wrong with Airlie. Unless eyepatch dude is Kindred too. My head hurts. You, I can handle. All that in there?" He pointed back to the building and shook his head.
Aidan cupped Logan's cheek with his hand, and rubbed his thumb against it softly as his eyes went back to a deep brown. "I don't need you trying to kill her just for me, but the thought's appreciated, love. Very much so. I promise your brother's safe. I just can't help but feel protective, yeah? This is you. I'd do anything for you. I really don't think she's here to hurt Kindred. I just can't understand why she is here. I doubt she'd be in Blaise's inner circle if there was any threat. He'd have had her taken care of long before. As for being able to trust him... I don't know. I think we're just going to have to take it one step at a time. I know you wouldn't want to piss him off. I don't want to piss him off. I'm not on the bad side of the Prince of London, so I'm hardly about to fuck up with the Prince of Paris."
Logan's face scrunched up a little when he tried to get his head around it all. "So, he's like real royalty? Closest I ever got to that was that one time we were on watch for the Queen at Heathrow, and I didnae even see her through the crowds. So, what's the chick? Because seriously, she really got her bitch on when this Blaise bloke went for Rory. She was completely pissed. Apparently her and the blonde lassie have been bollocking Rory. I thought the Kindred chick was the Prince dude's wife, but apparently nay. Can you see why I have a sore head here? Other than the fact I got thumped in it, of course. I didnae even know why he was sitting in Rory's room. Nay until now, anyway. I guess he was keeping an eye on him. He's all with the zen calmness and the laser eyeballs reading your soul."
Aidan shrugged slightly. "She's the Toreador Primogen. And his second in command. His mate. She's... everything. Only I suspect their relationship is something beyond romance. You don't survive as many years as they have and still be feeling a need to be all flowery towards each other. However, if she was really that pissed about the Prince feeding on your brother... and she's slept with Rory, then I'm guessing it's your brother she has feelings for. She'll be feeling more than a little territorial. Especially if he's not the type to let Kindred feed on him." Aidan pointed at Logan. "Same as I'd want to tear the fucking head off anyone stupid enough to try and feed on you. I know you understand that I'm hardly monogamous when it comes to feeding... No Kindred can be, but I still don't want some arsehole sinking his - or her - fangs into you. That's what a claim is all about to a degree."
"Aye, I get it. I do. Nay like I want anyone else fanging me anyway. It takes a lot of energy to have an orgasm like that, you know," Logan joked, only because it was always how he tried to cope with bad situations and it was often a trait that got him into a lot of trouble for saying wrong or inappropriate things. "I havenae got no way of knowing Rory's feelings on the subject. With the whole thing with his wife and bairn, I would say that nay, he wouldnae freely let it. Nay without an intense reason, I guess. Rory's a traditional lad. Well, he was. He wanted the simple things in life, and that's all he needed to make him happy. All this... I cannae mind him easily accepting it without confusion and him still trying to hang on to what he really, really wants. Which, knowing him as I know him, arenae things a Kindred could give him. Also, ever since his family died, he doesnae like anyone having control over him. He needs to maintain some of that for himself so he knows he has hold of the situation. I dinnae know if he's still like that, but he was in the early days after they went missing. It was the only way he coped, when he was calling the shots."
"Being Ventrue might actually give him that... In a strange way." Aidan was looking out the window again as his mind struggled to connect the dots. They'd somehow stumbled onto something involving the Prince of Paris and none of it was sitting right at all. Then again, his Ventrue mind did have to consider the benefits of what having a connection to Blaise might bring. Networking in Kindred circles always had benefits. "The confusion is going to probably hit him hard once everything wears off, and I guess right now you just need to decide what it is you want to do. Whatever it is, I'll have your back. Always."
Logan leaned forward and put his head in his hands. He was quiet for a long time as he thought things over, feeling exhausted and sore all over all of a sudden. He wasn't even hungry, and that was telling for him. He usually ate like a horse, one of those irritating people who could put whatever he wanted in his mouth and never put any weight on. Their female colleagues were always bitching at him about it, like he should make some sort of apology or something. "I dinnae know," he eventually said quietly, looking down at his feet through his fingers. "There's gotta be a wee bit of truth in what he was coming oot with in the anger, aye? Maybe he just really doesnae want anything to do with me anymore."
Aidan rubbed his hand against Logan's back. "And maybe he just needs time to process the hurt and shock. It's been a while since you've seen him, since he's seen you. Family is a tricky thing. You'll always be connected, but it can take time for that connection to be prominent again. For there to be happiness in seeing each other. There might be some truth, but it won't be the same as what the Brujah part of him told you. It's all magnified to the extreme. It's not your brother, remember?"
"We used to be so close when we were bairns. Like you wouldnae believe. All three of us... fuck. I gotta call Austin. I wouldnae even begin to know how to explain that to him. But aye, we were inseperable. Then everything took a horrible turn. It was beyond the realms our wee family could cope with. We didnae know how to help Rory, nay really. We tried, but he just kept pushing us further and further away. Mind we kept in touch, though. Now and again, enough to just keep the connection. Mostly birthdays and holidays. Airlie let us know in emails and letters that he was doing okay, too, until she stopped with that aroond a year ago. Then I met you and I knew what R had gotten in to. It just scared the shit outta me that he might have turned on you in some way. So I just backed off. I stopped contacting at all, so it's my fault. I'll take the full blame for that. He just might never forgive me for it." Logan closed his eyes with a small, tired whimper at the whole situation. "I dinnae feel so hot. Do you think we can go to wherever we're staying and lie doon for a wee bit? Maybe take a shower and change."
Aidan wished there was something he could do to stop his lover from being so distraught but there was nothing. As much as it pained him, this wasn't his fight. He was just a bystander. Without a word Aidan started up the car, and turned his head to watch out the back window as he reversed. It was even unsettling to realise he was in someone else's city and his familiarity with the place was next to nothing. He might have been over a hundred years old, but he'd still never really called anywhere else home but England. When they were out on the street, Aidan reached out to brush his fingers at the back of Logan's neck in a soothing gesture and tried to keep the frown from being a permanent fixture on his face. "We'll figure it out, love," he said quietly.
Word Count | 4,766
The truth was that Aidan Wright wasn't that well house trained. He excelled at pulling off the Masquerade, but even the most submissive of Kindred could be trouble when they sensed someone they loved was in trouble. Someone they'd claimed. It was all Aidan could do not to try and push his way into the military facility and find Logan. He'd made it back to the place after completing his research. Basically there wasn't much they didn't know already. Blaise and Juliette were certainly two of the most powerful Kindred in this city without a doubt. In fact, it was basically Blaise's city full stop. Juliette was the Toreador Primogen and his mate. They weren't exactly two vampires you'd want to piss off in a hurry, but apparently someone had wanted to by going through Logan's brother.
That connection had been a little harder to track down. In fact, no one seemed to be aware of Rory Buchanan other than he'd accompanied the tiny blonde. And that he was Scottish, loud and only a few knew he was a Hunter.
The Slayer on the other hand was even more interesting. Most of her file that was accessed through local law enforcement only held a few highlights, and the charges had been dropped. For the most part you really could be fooled into thinking that this Buffy Summers was a college drop-out and ordinary Californian girl. Nothing screamed Slayer about her other than a few contacts he had amongst the demon population of the UK. Kindred were aware of Slayers and their history, but since they had never crossed paths for obvious reasons, they'd never bothered to keep tabs on who the Slayer was.
Aidan's leg bounced up and down restlessly and he made a show of complaining about nicotine withdrawal to any soldier that seemed intent on questioning the fidgeting Englishman. If only they knew. As soon as he sensed Logan coming closer - and another Kindred presence - Aidan was up and out of his chair, meeting the lift as the doors opened. His gaze instantly met Logan's before he took in his partner's appearance, the bruise on the side of his face doing nothing to calm him. Then he met Juliette's gaze, his jaw clenching as his nostrils flared. "Some secure fucking military building you got here, love. Send an SIS agent up alone and he comes back down bruised. Always did love the French hospitality."
Juliette didn't flinch from the gaze, even if her head did tilt a little bit in the presence of Logan's SIS partner. He was Kindred. She was hardly going to be able to miss that now that she was this close to the other man. He looked older than Logan, even older than herself. That made his age of Embrace probably in his thirties. He had long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and if it wasn't for the suit, she would have thought him Toreador, but after being with Blaise for so long she knew Ventrue when she saw it. "This hardly my building, Agent...?"
"Wright," Aidan offered, but didn't hold out his hand. He still had his gaze on Juliette even as he took Logan from her. "Cheers for the escort, but I think you've more than done your part, Mademoiselle Rousseau. And yeah, I know who you are. Don't think agents don't do their homework, yeah? Best be getting back upstairs to your pal."
Juliette gave a slight shake of her head, and though she smiled it didn't reach her eyes. "Non, there is no upstairs for me. I am going back home. It was a pleasure to meet you both." With a nod Juliette brushed past them towards the door, not even looking back. Thankfully the sun had set outside well and truly, the dark night a welcoming sight after the constant glare of fluorescent lights.
Aidan still had his eyes on the door until he was sure Juliette was gone before he pulled Logan over to a row of seats and sat him down as he looked over the wound. "Seriously can't leave you alone to do anything, can I? I was only gone for a few hours. I thought it was your brother up there. What the fuck happened?"
Logan sucked in a small breath, his stomach and chest still hurting and bruised from the force that Rory had elbowed him. He had some unbelievable strength, and all Logan could feel was a huge haze of confusion. He went to exhale sharply again, but with the rush of exiting air, just burst into tears again and needed to hold his stomach when the effort of it hurt. He honestly didn't care who was watching by this point. Not after what had just happened with his brother. The image of Blaise feeding on Rory was locked into his mind and he didn't understand anything that had gone down after it. Why had no one tried to restrain the fucker? Put a fucking phosphorus bullet in his arse? He fed on Rory, drained him to the point of needing a blood transfusion and no one batted an eyelid? In fact, the fucking Sergeant was supposed to have expected it? "That isnae my brother up there. I dinnae know who it is," he choked out.
Aidan had Logan up and on his feet again as he guided him towards the exit, intent on getting him to their car. Maybe Logan didn't care who was watching, but Aidan did. He also cared who was listening. In his experience military buildings always had ears. He had a firm hold on his partner as he got them out of there, and didn't let go until Logan was in the passenger seat of the black car before he walked around to take the driver's seat. "Are we talking a metaphorical not your brother, or a genuine not your brother? Because I need to be clear. I also need to be honest. I've heard... rumblings. And they're not pleasant." He reached out for Logan's face again and turned it so he could look at the bruise. "Did he do that?"
Now that they were out of the public eye and in the safety of one of their own cars, Logan hunched forward and broke down even more. His stomach was throbbing, and he wasn't actually ready to have a look to see how bruised he was there. Thank god he didn't elbow him in the nads, though. They had already taken a proverbial knock with Rory tearing him a new one. "He didnae even want to see me. Told me nay to fucking touch him. He was... he wasnae himself, but I dinnae get it. They didnae say he had been drugged or anything. I've never seen him like that before. I've seen him angry, but this was... I dinnae know. Like he was possessed. He went for the lassie, I tried to hold him off, but he hurt me. He really did not want me to be there," he said tearfully, putting his hand up to go and touch the bruise, but it was too sore and he had second thoughts about it. Then the images of the feed returned and he put the hand over his face. "Oh god, I cannae believe this is happening. Nay to Rory."
Aidan shifted to get his arms loosely around Logan. He was careful not to touch the other man's middle as he touched his hair gently. Of course he wanted to do some damage. How could he not? Rory might have been Logan's brother, but the prick had just hurt his lover. The more Logan talked though, the more that Aidan believed the rumours of a Scotsman being Embraced were true. Or at least partially true. Aidan had only crossed paths with Brujah a few times, and even that was too many in his book. He'd even arrested one when he'd worked as a copper fifty years ago. "Logan, I need you to listen to me. You need to tell me exactly what happened after Rory attacked you. You're right about him not being himself, he's not. He sounds like he's taken on the traits of Brujah. He's not completely responsible for what he's doing, but he's still dangerous."
"Traits of what? Is that some fecking date rape drug? Why havenae I head of it? I know we arenae narcotics, but we still get memos on the new drugs. My head is fecking killing me." Logan kept nursing his head in his hand, and even though the tears were easing off, he wasn't sure he was done with the emotional explosion yet. It was the first time he had seen Rory in years, he really hadn't anticipated things be this horrible. Nope, definitely wasn't done. As soon as he went to try and tell Aidan what happened, more tears came and Logan rested his head against the passenger's window with a small sob. "I think he Embraced him. Tried to. Fed on him, definitely, right there in front of fecking everyone. They expected it! That chick said the Serg expected it, and then she was all yelling at the other bloke for doing it like she wanted to tear him a new one for it. I-I dinnae get it, but nay my brother! They dinnae get to do this to my brother! I want to fucking kill them!"
Aidan pulled back when Logan retreated into his own corner and the Kindred scratched at his head as he stared out the windshield. None of this was sitting well. "Brujah are a clan of Kindred. Their not exactly subtle. Their traits are exactly what you've been describing Rory as exhibiting. Aggression, anger, focus on violence. When a mortal is drained to the point where Embrace is about to occur, they can start to exhibit that clan's traits. If Blaise was the one that has just drained Rory, as hard as this is to understand, he actually did the right thing. Ventrue will replace the Brujah, and Rory will be... neutralised. Until the Ventrue wears off. I don't understand why his mate was screaming at him. I can only assume there could have been some jealousy in play. In their own way they were protecting him."
Logan was watching Aidan in confusion, wiping at the uninjured side of his face and sniffling so he didn't turn into an elegant ball of snot. The lover of a Ventrue, he had standards to live up to. "I-I dinnae..." he began with a slight confused shake of his head. "A-Are you telling me someone tried to Embrace Rory before? They just said he was attacked. That's why he's there? Why he's with the military? Who is this Blaise? He looks like a politician, but they practically fucking bow to him. I swear, he could tell them to fart the national anthem on command, and they would. They just... they didnae do anything! They stood there and watched him do it! Then he... he wanted him to have a blood transfusion? I think I have brain damage, because I just... I cannae..."
"He's not actually looking to Embrace Rory. Blaise Richelieu is the Kindred Prince of Paris. They will bow to him if there's a need for it. This is his city. The attack happened on his turf. Embracing against a person's will is the worst possible crime a Kindred can commit. Your brother was nearly... He came so close. This military place is like the equivalent of a demon FBI. Their whole deal is to work side by side with the relevant authorities. In this case, it's Blaise. He looks after all the Kindred in Paris. Apparently he's looking after Rory and the others, too. Which makes me wonder what the fuck Rory means to him. That's the one part that's confusing the crap out of me. How did your brother get tangled up with a fucking Prince?"
"Well, he didnae do a fucking very good job of the protecting, did he?!" Logan snapped angrily, his turn to look out the window now, though he was seeing nothing of the views outside. "My brother is in there broken and beaten up with some sort of crazy mental strength to be getting aroond with broken bones and a knock to the head! He's slamming fecking soldiers' heads into walls and verbally abusing everyone who comes within breathing distance of him! That's isnae our Rory! If that is protecting him, then I dinnae want him anywhere fucking near them ever again! Do you think I know why the shitting hell he is here? I dinnae! I havenae seen him since I started dating you! He's a Hunter, and I never even really knew exactly what that meant because he started to cut us off! All I knew was that he might be a threat to you and I just... I couldnae. Rory thinks I'm a copper in London. He knows nothing else. I dinnae know how he has gotten tangled up in all this! He doesnae deserve to be treated like this!"
Aidan reached out to slip his arm around Logan again and pulled him as close as the car space would allow. He dipped his head to catch Logan's gaze and used his free hand to wipe away the tears. "No, he doesn't. Of course he doesn't, but desperate times, love..." His own mind flashed to seeing Logan so sick and injured that Aidan had considered Embracing him. Logan had thankfully taken the decision out of his hands though when he'd woken from the coma. "I know you're having trouble understanding this, but once he's had the transfusion, once's he's woken up again... You'll understand why they did it. It's not going to be him for a while yet, but Rory hasn't gone anywhere. I can't say I approve much of their methods, or the fact he wound up here, but this is Paris. We don't get to make the decisions. I'm sorry you had to keep your brother at a distance just to protect me, but maybe it's time to bring him close again."
"I didnae know he knew anything aboot Kindred," Logan admitted in a hoarse whisper, sucking in a small breath to try and control the tears. "How does he know that? Nay just Kindred, like really, really important Kindred. How the hell is he involved in all this? I just dinnae get it. I just didnae think he would ever... cavort isnae the word. I didnae think he would ever interact with supernatural anything. I mean, socially. He's a Hunter! He lost his family to some sort of... thing, and that was his way of trying to find them and deal with it. This doesnae make any sense. He's sleeping with a Kindred! Nay that I can judge on that front at all but this doesnae seem like him. Then, I havenae hardly seen him in years, mind, so maybe it is him? It was just... seeing that, it totally freaked me out. I dinnae know how to even begin to process that. I feel like I want to cry, or throw up, or maybe even wet my pants. How do I know I can trust these people? How do I know I can trust this Blaise bastard? That isnae exactly protection methods I'm used to dealing with, like. Well... I am, just nay like this."
"Maybe it's to do with the Slayer," Aidan suggested quietly. "She's... It's strange that she's tied up with them as well, and making no move to eliminate the Kindred. It's almost as if they're the guests of Blaise. Kindred have never been known to the Slayer before. There must be a reason for it now. I don't know what's going on any more than you do. It's all guess work. I could only find a little information. I realise you didn't think Rory was the type to get with Kindred, but what about his best friend? Didn't you say something about her?" Aidan reached up to rub his fingers against his chin. "I don't really know how to explain it, but trust me... Rory was a danger to himself and others. You've already felt some of that, but the Brujah in him might have made him even more self-destructive. It might have driven him to be Embraced. It could have driven him to do anything. As much as I hate to admit it, at least the Ventrue influence will keep him calm."
Logan gritted his teeth and sat back in the seat to start carefully pulling his shirt out of the waist of his pants. "What the frig is a slayer? And excuse me for saying this, but her job title doesnae exactly give me any great urges to leave my brother in her presence. She slays anything on him and I'll rip her fucking eyeballs out and feed them to her. I dinnae care if she is the Queen of the world. She hurts my brother, and I'll hurt her right the fuck back." He pulled a handful of his shirt up to survey the damage on his stomach. There was a huge purple and red bruise across the middle around his bellybutton, and even just the sight of it caused him to hiss softly again as he looked at it. He swore softly under his breath and let his head drop back against the seat. "What aboot Airlie? She's his best pal, they went to university together. She's a musician. Why would she know anything aboot Kindred? She only came here because they called her when he got hurt. Dinnae know aboot the dude with the eyepatch, though. He seems nervous about something. Can I trust this Blaise bloke? I'm serious, can I? He keeps looking at me like he's reading my fecking brain."
Aidan cleared his throat as he watched Logan, and fought the urge to growl in response to the sight of the bruise. "Brother or not, I have an urge to smack him around right back. You seriously have to ask me why he needed to be 'taken care of' when your torso looks like that?" Aidan's eyes flashed silver in a moment of anger. "He might be a Hunter, he might be your brother... but fuck. It's going to take some kinda willpower to keep me from him. Maybe some sex. Slayers I don't really know all that much about. I just know that there's apparently one in each generation... Just a girl who's meant to fight vampires, and the forces of darkness. I doubt your brother comes under that. As for Airlie... I have my suspicions after hearing about a few things in Scotland. Eyepatch?"
Logan gave a small, choked laugh at the notion of sex. Just the thought of anything pressed up against his gut right now almost made him want to cry again. He looked at Aidan helplessly, more unshed tears there threatening to spill over. "Please dinnae. He's my wee brother, and you said yourself he's nay himself. Please dinnae threaten him like that, I already feel like a big enough cock for nay contacting him in years. What he said... it's... I just cannae take it, okay? He did this when I tried to restrain him. He didnae hurt me before that. Not physically, anyway." When he got to the part about this slayer thing, however, he just looked at Aidan in disbelief. "If she touches you, I'll kill her. I will. I dinnae care what dark force jedi mojo she thinks she has. Why the hell is she here? I dinnae want her here! I dinnae want her anywhere near you! I dinnae care about all those bastards in there, but if she thinks she's gonna touch you, I'll take her oot. I will. Nay, you've got it wrong with Airlie. Unless eyepatch dude is Kindred too. My head hurts. You, I can handle. All that in there?" He pointed back to the building and shook his head.
Aidan cupped Logan's cheek with his hand, and rubbed his thumb against it softly as his eyes went back to a deep brown. "I don't need you trying to kill her just for me, but the thought's appreciated, love. Very much so. I promise your brother's safe. I just can't help but feel protective, yeah? This is you. I'd do anything for you. I really don't think she's here to hurt Kindred. I just can't understand why she is here. I doubt she'd be in Blaise's inner circle if there was any threat. He'd have had her taken care of long before. As for being able to trust him... I don't know. I think we're just going to have to take it one step at a time. I know you wouldn't want to piss him off. I don't want to piss him off. I'm not on the bad side of the Prince of London, so I'm hardly about to fuck up with the Prince of Paris."
Logan's face scrunched up a little when he tried to get his head around it all. "So, he's like real royalty? Closest I ever got to that was that one time we were on watch for the Queen at Heathrow, and I didnae even see her through the crowds. So, what's the chick? Because seriously, she really got her bitch on when this Blaise bloke went for Rory. She was completely pissed. Apparently her and the blonde lassie have been bollocking Rory. I thought the Kindred chick was the Prince dude's wife, but apparently nay. Can you see why I have a sore head here? Other than the fact I got thumped in it, of course. I didnae even know why he was sitting in Rory's room. Nay until now, anyway. I guess he was keeping an eye on him. He's all with the zen calmness and the laser eyeballs reading your soul."
Aidan shrugged slightly. "She's the Toreador Primogen. And his second in command. His mate. She's... everything. Only I suspect their relationship is something beyond romance. You don't survive as many years as they have and still be feeling a need to be all flowery towards each other. However, if she was really that pissed about the Prince feeding on your brother... and she's slept with Rory, then I'm guessing it's your brother she has feelings for. She'll be feeling more than a little territorial. Especially if he's not the type to let Kindred feed on him." Aidan pointed at Logan. "Same as I'd want to tear the fucking head off anyone stupid enough to try and feed on you. I know you understand that I'm hardly monogamous when it comes to feeding... No Kindred can be, but I still don't want some arsehole sinking his - or her - fangs into you. That's what a claim is all about to a degree."
"Aye, I get it. I do. Nay like I want anyone else fanging me anyway. It takes a lot of energy to have an orgasm like that, you know," Logan joked, only because it was always how he tried to cope with bad situations and it was often a trait that got him into a lot of trouble for saying wrong or inappropriate things. "I havenae got no way of knowing Rory's feelings on the subject. With the whole thing with his wife and bairn, I would say that nay, he wouldnae freely let it. Nay without an intense reason, I guess. Rory's a traditional lad. Well, he was. He wanted the simple things in life, and that's all he needed to make him happy. All this... I cannae mind him easily accepting it without confusion and him still trying to hang on to what he really, really wants. Which, knowing him as I know him, arenae things a Kindred could give him. Also, ever since his family died, he doesnae like anyone having control over him. He needs to maintain some of that for himself so he knows he has hold of the situation. I dinnae know if he's still like that, but he was in the early days after they went missing. It was the only way he coped, when he was calling the shots."
"Being Ventrue might actually give him that... In a strange way." Aidan was looking out the window again as his mind struggled to connect the dots. They'd somehow stumbled onto something involving the Prince of Paris and none of it was sitting right at all. Then again, his Ventrue mind did have to consider the benefits of what having a connection to Blaise might bring. Networking in Kindred circles always had benefits. "The confusion is going to probably hit him hard once everything wears off, and I guess right now you just need to decide what it is you want to do. Whatever it is, I'll have your back. Always."
Logan leaned forward and put his head in his hands. He was quiet for a long time as he thought things over, feeling exhausted and sore all over all of a sudden. He wasn't even hungry, and that was telling for him. He usually ate like a horse, one of those irritating people who could put whatever he wanted in his mouth and never put any weight on. Their female colleagues were always bitching at him about it, like he should make some sort of apology or something. "I dinnae know," he eventually said quietly, looking down at his feet through his fingers. "There's gotta be a wee bit of truth in what he was coming oot with in the anger, aye? Maybe he just really doesnae want anything to do with me anymore."
Aidan rubbed his hand against Logan's back. "And maybe he just needs time to process the hurt and shock. It's been a while since you've seen him, since he's seen you. Family is a tricky thing. You'll always be connected, but it can take time for that connection to be prominent again. For there to be happiness in seeing each other. There might be some truth, but it won't be the same as what the Brujah part of him told you. It's all magnified to the extreme. It's not your brother, remember?"
"We used to be so close when we were bairns. Like you wouldnae believe. All three of us... fuck. I gotta call Austin. I wouldnae even begin to know how to explain that to him. But aye, we were inseperable. Then everything took a horrible turn. It was beyond the realms our wee family could cope with. We didnae know how to help Rory, nay really. We tried, but he just kept pushing us further and further away. Mind we kept in touch, though. Now and again, enough to just keep the connection. Mostly birthdays and holidays. Airlie let us know in emails and letters that he was doing okay, too, until she stopped with that aroond a year ago. Then I met you and I knew what R had gotten in to. It just scared the shit outta me that he might have turned on you in some way. So I just backed off. I stopped contacting at all, so it's my fault. I'll take the full blame for that. He just might never forgive me for it." Logan closed his eyes with a small, tired whimper at the whole situation. "I dinnae feel so hot. Do you think we can go to wherever we're staying and lie doon for a wee bit? Maybe take a shower and change."
Aidan wished there was something he could do to stop his lover from being so distraught but there was nothing. As much as it pained him, this wasn't his fight. He was just a bystander. Without a word Aidan started up the car, and turned his head to watch out the back window as he reversed. It was even unsettling to realise he was in someone else's city and his familiarity with the place was next to nothing. He might have been over a hundred years old, but he'd still never really called anywhere else home but England. When they were out on the street, Aidan reached out to brush his fingers at the back of Logan's neck in a soothing gesture and tried to keep the frown from being a permanent fixture on his face. "We'll figure it out, love," he said quietly.
Word Count | 4,766