Young Avengers, Therapy Vampire, AU, PG-13, Part 2a
Even though I promised this part almost a month ago, I only just now had time to type it up. I still haven't finished part 2b, but that hasn't stopped me from starting part 3. Ah well. I already knew this was going to be one of those stories that I was going to write just the scenes that I wanted to rather than all that I have plotted out.
Part 1 | Bit o' world building
"Teddy wait!" Teddy knew this was a bad idea as soon as he heard Billy's voice. As a therapy vampire, he was not supposed to have any contact with patients outside the clinic. All patients were told this. They even signed a paper stating that neither they nor the vampires could initiate contact. Billy had to know that this was bad.
And yet, that knowledge didn't stop Teddy from stopping on the sidewalk and turning around.
Billy was flushed. It was obvious to Teddy he'd been running, quite possibly since Dr. Kaplan's office in an attempt to catch up with him. He had to catch his breath before he could continue. Even then his words came out kind of breathless. "I wanted to talk with you about what's going on during my sessions."
"Billy, I can't talk with you. I could get into a lot of trouble." Despite his words, Teddy didn't want to leave. To walk away. It took way too much effort on his part just to force himself to turn away from Billy. "I will see you next Thursday."
"I want you to roll me," Billy said. His words blended together and it took Teddy a few seconds to realize what Billy had said.
"Here?!"
"Yes. I mean…" Billy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Not 'here' as in right on the street, obviously. But now. I want you to roll me now."
"I can't, Billy. Not outside a therapy session. Dr. Kaplan needs to be there and…" Teddy started to explain, but Billy cut him off.
"That's the problem. Dr. Kaplan is a great therapist. I really like her. But she's there. Last time I was rolled." Billy talked with his hands, and Teddy had become fluid in interpreting them, especially when Billy had trouble meeting his eyes. As he had spoken they moved in short, nervous gestures. When Billy stopped talking, his hand did too, pausing in mid-air. He licked his lips nervously and tried again. "When I was rolled last time, I lost control. I wound up hurting people. What if I hurt Dr. Kaplan when you roll me?"
"You won't hurt her," Teddy said. He wouldn't let Billy hurt Dr. Kaplan. And given that he was strong, even for a vampire, Teddy was pretty sure he could stop Billy no matter how far gone he was.
"You don't know that," Billy replied. His hands were moving again, and Teddy found himself staring at the abstract shapes they formed in the air. "I can't relax with her around. I can't let you roll me."
"I notice you're not worried about me getting hurt."
Billy rolled his eyes. It was a movement that Teddy caught out of the corner of his. "You’re a vampire. You can take care of yourself."
"Thanks," Teddy said dryly.
"But Dr. Kaplan…" Billy didn't finish his sentence, so Teddy finished it for him.
"Isn't."
Billy relaxed, as some of the tension that seemed a constant part of him drained away. "Exactly." He smiled and Teddy had a feeling that he'd lost somehow.
Teddy took a deep breath and let it slowly. "This is why you want me to roll you outside the sessions.
"Yes." Suddenly, Billy was meeting his gaze full on. It had taken over two months of weekly sessions to get Billy to the stage where he felt comfortable looking Teddy in the eye. And every time Billy did, if still struck Teddy like a physical blow. "I trust you enough to roll me outside of therapy."
"This is a really bad idea," Teddy replied. He didn't see to be able to look away from Billy's eyes. Which was funny. Humans were supposed to be the ones to get trapped in a vampire's eyes. Not the other way around.
"Probably." There was that self-deprecating tone of voice of Billy's that never failed to make Teddy smile.
"I am going to get in trouble." Somehow that didn't seem quite as important to Teddy now as it had before. Billy was smiling as if sensing victory.
"I'm not going to tell anyone." Billy reached out and touched Teddy's sleeve. It scared Teddy a bit how much he wanted Teddy to touch his arm. To feel skin on skin. "Will you?"
"Okay." As soon as he agreed, Teddy felt like everyone in the area suddenly knew what was about to happen. "But not in the street." He glanced to the alley next to them. It was dark and damp, and he could smell garbage, rats. "Not in the alley either."
"No argument here," Billy said as he looked down the alley as well. "Any suggestions?"
Of course, as soon as Billy uttered those words, Teddy's mind went blank. It would need to be private. Accessible. Close. If he was going to do this, Teddy wanted to do it before either of them backed out. "There's a men's bathroom in the subway station."
Billy gave him a look. "Because that's not skeevy or anything." He bit his lip, and Teddy made himself look somewhere else. "There's a hotel just down the street. We can get a room there."
Bad idea. Such a bad idea. Even the phrase "getting a room" implied something else. Then again, this whole thing was a bad idea, and he was going forward. Teddy just had to remind himself that Billy was only talking about rolling. His ridiculous, unrequited boy crush had no place here. "Sounds good. Lead the way."
The hotel that Billy was talking about was an eight story structure with peeling paint and a rickety sign with half of its letters missing. There were small balconies at each of the windows, but the railing was rusted and sagging in places. Metal bars covered the lowest set of windows. The door's glass panels had been painted over in black. Teddy wasn't sure he liked the look of it. If the looks Billy was giving it were any indication, he was having second thoughts as well. Billy didn't hesitate to climb the crumbling concrete stairs, so Teddy followed.
Inside the hotel looked cheap. The carpet had once been red, was still red in the corners of the room, but age and dirt had faded it to gray anywhere people walked. The two chairs and sofa that made up the lobby were all mismatched. Teddy was willing to bet good money they'd been picked up from a curb somewhere. Small lamps gave off pools of yellow light. The wallpaper was dark and peeling and the one picture that hung on the wall was in such muted colors that Teddy couldn't even tell what it was supposed to be of.
One whole was taken up by a scarred wooden counted. Billy walked up to it and rang the small bell next to the sign saying it should be rung for service. A minute passed. When no one came to investigate the sound, Billy rang it again. And again. And again.
From the doorway came a blonde, college-aged woman wearing a tight white button-up shirt and black slacks. She slapped her hand over Billy's as soon as she was within reach. The sound of the bell stuttered and died. "I heard it fine the first time," she said.
"We'd like to rent a room, please," Billy replied, in a voice that totally belied the fact that he'd just spent the last three minutes annoying the ever loving shit out of her. He pulled his fingers out from under the hotel clerk's. Then Billy reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, opened it, and withdrew a credit card.
"Will you be renting it by the night of by the hour?" The hotel clerk asked as she turned towards a computer behind the counter and started typing.
"Um… for an hour?" Billy looked over his shoulder, so the question was directed at Teddy . Teddy nodded once. Rolling Billy shouldn't take longer than that, even if Teddy had to reassure him first. Billy turned back to the woman behind the counter. "For an hour."
The clerk stopped what she was doing and gave Teddy a long slow look over. Undressing him with her eyes. Teddy gave her a bland, uninterested looking while gritting his teeth. Then the clerk went back to looking at Billy.
"Just an hour?" she asked. It suddenly occurred to Teddy what kind of clientele the hotel catered to that only needed room by the hour. He could feel the prickle of a blush on his cheeks. "I'd go longer than an hour."
Oh god.
"Yes, just an hour," Billy gritted out. Teddy wondered if Billy had had the same realization. With his luck, Billy had.
"Your call, Mr…" The clerk took a moment to look down at the credit card Billy handed over. "… Kaplan." She returned to clicking buttons on her computer.
Teddy blinked. Kaplan? As in Dr. Kaplan? He leaned forward so he could speak low enough for only Billy to hear. "Are you related to…" Billy stopped him before he could finish.
"No. We're not related." There was the faintest note of irritation in Billy's voice.
"Okay." Teddy wasn't sure he believed Billy. If Billy was related to Dr. Kaplan, it would explain a lot of Dr. Kaplan's behavior towards him. Before Teddy could press further though, the hotel clerk spoke.
"Please sign here, Mr. Kaplan." She pushed Billy's credit card and a sheet of paper towards him. Billy obediently signed. "Your room number is 301. The key card will stop working when your time is up and someone will be by to check you out. You'll need to return the key card at that time. Have a fun hour."
Billy snatched the key card, turned sharply, and almost ran right into Teddy. His face was bright red and he wouldn't meet Teddy's eyes. They walked in silence to the elevator, and Billy pressed the button. The ride up to the third floor was awkward to say the least. Room 301 was at the end of a short, badly lit hallway with more once-red-but-now-gray carpet and walls that looked like they needed to be washed.
One swipe of the keycard and the light beside the door turned from red to green. Billy pushed the door open and stepped inside. Teddy was right behind him. That was probably the only reason Billy didn't immediately turn back around and leave.
Pink and red. The entire room was in pink and red: from the shag carpet to the comforters on the vibrating beds - "just one quarter for fifteen minutes of fun" read the sign - to the overstuffed chair in the corner. Mirrors lined the ceiling above the bed and extended down one entire wall. There was a closed door, which Teddy was sure led to an equally horrifying bathroom. The coup de grace was the laminated card on the side table that asked them to please use the complimentary condoms in the drawer.
As the door closed behind him, Teddy couldn't help himself. He said in a clear voice that carried throughout the room, "Oh yes. This is much less skeevy."
Billy made a noise that said louder than words that the entire world existed solely to embarrass him.
Part 1 | Bit o' world building
"Teddy wait!" Teddy knew this was a bad idea as soon as he heard Billy's voice. As a therapy vampire, he was not supposed to have any contact with patients outside the clinic. All patients were told this. They even signed a paper stating that neither they nor the vampires could initiate contact. Billy had to know that this was bad.
And yet, that knowledge didn't stop Teddy from stopping on the sidewalk and turning around.
Billy was flushed. It was obvious to Teddy he'd been running, quite possibly since Dr. Kaplan's office in an attempt to catch up with him. He had to catch his breath before he could continue. Even then his words came out kind of breathless. "I wanted to talk with you about what's going on during my sessions."
"Billy, I can't talk with you. I could get into a lot of trouble." Despite his words, Teddy didn't want to leave. To walk away. It took way too much effort on his part just to force himself to turn away from Billy. "I will see you next Thursday."
"I want you to roll me," Billy said. His words blended together and it took Teddy a few seconds to realize what Billy had said.
"Here?!"
"Yes. I mean…" Billy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Not 'here' as in right on the street, obviously. But now. I want you to roll me now."
"I can't, Billy. Not outside a therapy session. Dr. Kaplan needs to be there and…" Teddy started to explain, but Billy cut him off.
"That's the problem. Dr. Kaplan is a great therapist. I really like her. But she's there. Last time I was rolled." Billy talked with his hands, and Teddy had become fluid in interpreting them, especially when Billy had trouble meeting his eyes. As he had spoken they moved in short, nervous gestures. When Billy stopped talking, his hand did too, pausing in mid-air. He licked his lips nervously and tried again. "When I was rolled last time, I lost control. I wound up hurting people. What if I hurt Dr. Kaplan when you roll me?"
"You won't hurt her," Teddy said. He wouldn't let Billy hurt Dr. Kaplan. And given that he was strong, even for a vampire, Teddy was pretty sure he could stop Billy no matter how far gone he was.
"You don't know that," Billy replied. His hands were moving again, and Teddy found himself staring at the abstract shapes they formed in the air. "I can't relax with her around. I can't let you roll me."
"I notice you're not worried about me getting hurt."
Billy rolled his eyes. It was a movement that Teddy caught out of the corner of his. "You’re a vampire. You can take care of yourself."
"Thanks," Teddy said dryly.
"But Dr. Kaplan…" Billy didn't finish his sentence, so Teddy finished it for him.
"Isn't."
Billy relaxed, as some of the tension that seemed a constant part of him drained away. "Exactly." He smiled and Teddy had a feeling that he'd lost somehow.
Teddy took a deep breath and let it slowly. "This is why you want me to roll you outside the sessions.
"Yes." Suddenly, Billy was meeting his gaze full on. It had taken over two months of weekly sessions to get Billy to the stage where he felt comfortable looking Teddy in the eye. And every time Billy did, if still struck Teddy like a physical blow. "I trust you enough to roll me outside of therapy."
"This is a really bad idea," Teddy replied. He didn't see to be able to look away from Billy's eyes. Which was funny. Humans were supposed to be the ones to get trapped in a vampire's eyes. Not the other way around.
"Probably." There was that self-deprecating tone of voice of Billy's that never failed to make Teddy smile.
"I am going to get in trouble." Somehow that didn't seem quite as important to Teddy now as it had before. Billy was smiling as if sensing victory.
"I'm not going to tell anyone." Billy reached out and touched Teddy's sleeve. It scared Teddy a bit how much he wanted Teddy to touch his arm. To feel skin on skin. "Will you?"
"Okay." As soon as he agreed, Teddy felt like everyone in the area suddenly knew what was about to happen. "But not in the street." He glanced to the alley next to them. It was dark and damp, and he could smell garbage, rats. "Not in the alley either."
"No argument here," Billy said as he looked down the alley as well. "Any suggestions?"
Of course, as soon as Billy uttered those words, Teddy's mind went blank. It would need to be private. Accessible. Close. If he was going to do this, Teddy wanted to do it before either of them backed out. "There's a men's bathroom in the subway station."
Billy gave him a look. "Because that's not skeevy or anything." He bit his lip, and Teddy made himself look somewhere else. "There's a hotel just down the street. We can get a room there."
Bad idea. Such a bad idea. Even the phrase "getting a room" implied something else. Then again, this whole thing was a bad idea, and he was going forward. Teddy just had to remind himself that Billy was only talking about rolling. His ridiculous, unrequited boy crush had no place here. "Sounds good. Lead the way."
The hotel that Billy was talking about was an eight story structure with peeling paint and a rickety sign with half of its letters missing. There were small balconies at each of the windows, but the railing was rusted and sagging in places. Metal bars covered the lowest set of windows. The door's glass panels had been painted over in black. Teddy wasn't sure he liked the look of it. If the looks Billy was giving it were any indication, he was having second thoughts as well. Billy didn't hesitate to climb the crumbling concrete stairs, so Teddy followed.
Inside the hotel looked cheap. The carpet had once been red, was still red in the corners of the room, but age and dirt had faded it to gray anywhere people walked. The two chairs and sofa that made up the lobby were all mismatched. Teddy was willing to bet good money they'd been picked up from a curb somewhere. Small lamps gave off pools of yellow light. The wallpaper was dark and peeling and the one picture that hung on the wall was in such muted colors that Teddy couldn't even tell what it was supposed to be of.
One whole was taken up by a scarred wooden counted. Billy walked up to it and rang the small bell next to the sign saying it should be rung for service. A minute passed. When no one came to investigate the sound, Billy rang it again. And again. And again.
From the doorway came a blonde, college-aged woman wearing a tight white button-up shirt and black slacks. She slapped her hand over Billy's as soon as she was within reach. The sound of the bell stuttered and died. "I heard it fine the first time," she said.
"We'd like to rent a room, please," Billy replied, in a voice that totally belied the fact that he'd just spent the last three minutes annoying the ever loving shit out of her. He pulled his fingers out from under the hotel clerk's. Then Billy reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, opened it, and withdrew a credit card.
"Will you be renting it by the night of by the hour?" The hotel clerk asked as she turned towards a computer behind the counter and started typing.
"Um… for an hour?" Billy looked over his shoulder, so the question was directed at Teddy . Teddy nodded once. Rolling Billy shouldn't take longer than that, even if Teddy had to reassure him first. Billy turned back to the woman behind the counter. "For an hour."
The clerk stopped what she was doing and gave Teddy a long slow look over. Undressing him with her eyes. Teddy gave her a bland, uninterested looking while gritting his teeth. Then the clerk went back to looking at Billy.
"Just an hour?" she asked. It suddenly occurred to Teddy what kind of clientele the hotel catered to that only needed room by the hour. He could feel the prickle of a blush on his cheeks. "I'd go longer than an hour."
Oh god.
"Yes, just an hour," Billy gritted out. Teddy wondered if Billy had had the same realization. With his luck, Billy had.
"Your call, Mr…" The clerk took a moment to look down at the credit card Billy handed over. "… Kaplan." She returned to clicking buttons on her computer.
Teddy blinked. Kaplan? As in Dr. Kaplan? He leaned forward so he could speak low enough for only Billy to hear. "Are you related to…" Billy stopped him before he could finish.
"No. We're not related." There was the faintest note of irritation in Billy's voice.
"Okay." Teddy wasn't sure he believed Billy. If Billy was related to Dr. Kaplan, it would explain a lot of Dr. Kaplan's behavior towards him. Before Teddy could press further though, the hotel clerk spoke.
"Please sign here, Mr. Kaplan." She pushed Billy's credit card and a sheet of paper towards him. Billy obediently signed. "Your room number is 301. The key card will stop working when your time is up and someone will be by to check you out. You'll need to return the key card at that time. Have a fun hour."
Billy snatched the key card, turned sharply, and almost ran right into Teddy. His face was bright red and he wouldn't meet Teddy's eyes. They walked in silence to the elevator, and Billy pressed the button. The ride up to the third floor was awkward to say the least. Room 301 was at the end of a short, badly lit hallway with more once-red-but-now-gray carpet and walls that looked like they needed to be washed.
One swipe of the keycard and the light beside the door turned from red to green. Billy pushed the door open and stepped inside. Teddy was right behind him. That was probably the only reason Billy didn't immediately turn back around and leave.
Pink and red. The entire room was in pink and red: from the shag carpet to the comforters on the vibrating beds - "just one quarter for fifteen minutes of fun" read the sign - to the overstuffed chair in the corner. Mirrors lined the ceiling above the bed and extended down one entire wall. There was a closed door, which Teddy was sure led to an equally horrifying bathroom. The coup de grace was the laminated card on the side table that asked them to please use the complimentary condoms in the drawer.
As the door closed behind him, Teddy couldn't help himself. He said in a clear voice that carried throughout the room, "Oh yes. This is much less skeevy."
Billy made a noise that said louder than words that the entire world existed solely to embarrass him.