More fic!
Also, before you read this one, there's another fic AND it's John/Randy. Everyone likes those two, right? Soooo go and read it here: http://eric-idle-rules.livejournal.com/429201.html
Now to this fic. A second fic written for the wwegirls fic exchange. And there mayyyy be more from this little universe later on. :)
Title: Love Bites
Rating: NC-17 to be on the safe side
Pairings: Ted/Cody, implied John/Randy
Summary: Takes place directly after the surrender at Yorktown during the American Revolution. Oh, and there are vampires, so, yes, there’s blood and biting. There also may be a small dig at a certain vampire book series that’s somehow taken the world by storm, despite its being utter crap.
Ted and Cody met when they joined the ranks of the Colonial army in the American Revolution. Cody turned 17 in 1780, and after seeing his brother go off at the start of the war five years prior, Cody knew that if it was still going on when he was old enough, he, too, would sign up. Ted was 19 when he finally broke away from his father, a stout Loyalist, and signed himself up with the Patriots. They were assigned to the same unit, forced to train together, eat together, sleep together. And it was in that time that they fell in love with each other. After Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in 1781, before they went their separate way with the break up of the army regiments, they made love for the first time at an Inn they put themselves up in.
The next morning, many young men started heading back north, including both Ted and Cody. But Cody’s journey ended in Connecticut, whereas Ted had to continue on to Massachusetts. The night before they would reach Cody’s town, they slept together once more, this time not knowing how long it would be before they had the chance to again. After spending so much time together in such close quarters, sleeping in dirt pits, covered in mud and grime, neither one knew just what to say upon their parting. So, just before Cody left, he gave Ted a pat on the shoulder, the gesture saying so much more than any words could convey. They also made a promise to each other to keep in touch.
And keep in touch they did. Though the mail service left much to be desired, they had a steady correspondence going, one letter arriving about every two weeks. But then the letters from Cody suddenly stopped. Ted thought maybe the letter got lost, or maybe something had happened to the carrier. So after a month with no correspondence, Ted wrote again. Nothing was returned. Another month later, another letter. No reply. A third letter was written one month after that. This time, however, there was a reply, but it didn’t come from Cody. The letter was from Virgil Runnels, Cody’s father, and he told Ted that Cody died and to stop writing them.
Within two months of the letter, Ted was married.
One year later, Ted could be found in the bars nearly nightly, practically inhaling the kegs to drown out his depression. And that’s just where he was spotted by the 110 year old vampire, Randal Keith Orton. Randy was attracted to him, would be quite willing to change him, and probably would whether he wanted it or not.
Randy took a seat on the stool next to Ted’s. He knew people were watching. Who was he, a new comer to town, to talk to one of the long standing members of the community? Yet he did. He tapped Ted’s shoulder, catching his attention. Leaning in, he proceeded to tell Ted that he could make him live forever, completely uninhibited by the boundaries placed on him by society.
Ted couldn’t help but ask him, even if he could make him live forever, why on God’s green earth would he want to live forever when his life was so utterly miserable right now.
And that was when Randy smirked, pushing gently on Ted’s shoulder, making him turn to see a man emerge from the dark corner on the far end of the bar. Cody.
He stood from his seat in shock at the sight before him. His Cody. But… But he was dead. His father told him he died. This couldn’t be real; he must have had too much to drink. He was seeing things. The alcohol was finally going to his head. Cody. Was. Dead. With each thought he stepped closer to the dark corner where Cody stood firm. Soon, there he was, standing in front of this man who couldn’t be anyone but Cody. He had to know, he had to touch. He reached out both hands, cupping Cody’s face in his palms. It was solid; it felt like Cody, like the soft skin he remembered, only… “You’re so cold.”
Cody smiled at the first sounds of Ted’s voice, bringing his own hands up to cover Ted’s on his face. “I know.”
“Your dad told me you died.”
Cody’s eyes grew sad. “I know.”
“I got married.”
The smile slipped, replaced by a frown of acknowledgement, “I know.”
“I miss you all the time.”
The corner of his lips played up in a small smile now, “I know.”
“You haven’t changed a bit.”
“I have a little.”
“How’s that?” Ted had been lost in the icy blue depths of Cody’s eyes, eyes that matched the icy chill of Cody’s skin.
Cody closed his eyes and bit his lower lip, nervous at Ted’s reaction. “Come outside with me. In here isn’t the best place for us to talk.” Ted nodded and followed Cody to the side of the building. Before walking outside, Cody caught eyes with Randy, a silent conversation happening between them, an understanding. Randy knew that soon he’d have made another vampire. No one was out walking at this hour, and the pair was washed out by the darkness. Cody had Ted pressed against the outside of the bar, his hands on Ted’s face this time as he started, “Please, Ted, don’t be scared. Don’t hate me.”
A matching hand was raised to Cody’s face. So cold. So beautiful, but so cold. Had the poor conditions over that year of fighting had that bad an affect on him? He always seemed fine, even during the height of the fighting. All he wanted to do was to take Cody into his arms once more, love him; warm him up. How could Cody ever think that Ted could hate him? “I could never be scared of you, Cody; I could never hate you.”
“You seem so sure of that.”
A second hand was now on Cody’s face, drawing it in closer to his. “I am,” was his whispered reply.
Then, with their faces mere inches away from each other, Cody’s blazing blue eyes opened and his fangs dropped. Cody could see the fear in Ted’s eyes as they widened in shock. He could hear Ted’s heartbeat increasing; see the pulse beating in Ted’s neck as the blood pumped faster. But Ted hadn’t tried to run. Cody’s hands slipped from Ted’s face, pushing him harder into the wall. He bent his head forward and grazed his fangs over the soft flesh of Ted’s neck. “How about now, Teddy?” he muttered into the skin. “Are you scared? Do you hate me?”
“No,” Ted answered. As if to prove his point, he turned his head to the side, exposing more neck. “But… What are you?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the conversation between Cody and Ted went on outside, Randy stayed in the bar. People seemed inexplicably drawn to him, casting glances in his direction, not even realizing what they were doing. And Randy really couldn’t give a damn. No one in this place held his attention for more than two seconds.
And then the door opened. Randy turned his head to the side, looking at the man currently standing in the door frame. His eyes never left those of the man, now making his way inside. People were shooting looks between them, as if they had some mysterious hold over them.
Randy could literally feel the power radiating off of this man. Well, not man, exactly. Not a living one, at least. He was a vampire, too. An older one than Randy. And they had met before. Randy knew that face. He knew that body, it dawned on him. The memories were coming back to him. Before he was turned, that’s when they met. Randy had been 18, out one night, looking for the foxes his mother swore were getting into their crops back at his Pennsylvania home. And that’s when he saw that man for the first time. That man that awoke something inside of him that he never even knew was residing in there. He was the first man Randy ever slept with. But no name was coming to him.
What could have possibly brought someone like him to this little bar? Maybe he’d find out his answer. The man slid onto the stool directly beside Randy, waving off the barman, as he had no need for drinks of any sort.
“You were staring.”
“Sometimes I can’t help myself when I see something I like.”
“Good.” He placed an elbow on the bar and raised an eyebrow. “I’ve seen you before.”
“It’s been a long time.”
“You were still human.”
“You were still dead. I don’t remember your name, though.”
“John,” he answered. “I’m not remembering a name either. But I take it you have one.”
“Randal. But if I like someone enough, I’ll let them call me Randy.”
“Those two outside… Is the brown haired one yours… Randy?”
“He is,” Randy answered with a smirk and a glint in his eye.
“And you don’t have any problems leaving him alone with a human? I don’t want a trail of bodies lining my city because of you two.”
“Your city?”
“My city.”
“I have no problem leaving him with that human,” Randy corrected.
Back outside, Cody and Ted continued to talk. “I think you know exactly what I am.” His fangs were tracing a delicate pattern over the skin, itching to bite into the pulsing vein.
“Was it that man that turned you into this?”
“Yes. And he can do the same for you, Teddy. Then you and I can be together forever.”
“This is a lot to take in,” he said, overwhelmed by the fact that Cody was here, actually standing here in front of him, his Cody in the flesh, and with this offer that was being propositioned to him.
“Let him turn you.”
“Will it hurt?”
With that, Cody finally let his teeth sink into Ted’s neck, lapping up the blood that dripped out. He drank it down, loving the taste; of course, he already knew he’d love the taste of Ted. Ted gasped as he felt teeth penetrating his neck, but it seemed as soon as the teeth were in, they were removed. Then all that was left was Cody’s tongue and mouth licking and sucking until the blood flow stopped. “I’m sorry, I just… I had to taste you before Randal…” His eyes locked onto Ted’s as he brought his own arm to his mouth and bit, letting his own blood flow. “Drink some; you’ll feel less light headed.”
After a slight hesitation, Ted gripped Cody’s arm and began to drink. He didn’t have much, but Cody knew it was enough. He could already feel Ted inside of him; know his feelings, his emotions. “It’ll also let me know what you’re feeling. I wanted you to drink from me before you drank from Randy, just like I wanted to taste you. Think it over. You don’t have to be turned. But just think about it, you and me, Ted, you and me for the rest of eternity.”
“Eternity is a long time.”
Cody placed a kiss right on the small bite marks he left, quickly healing as his blood’s healing properties spread through Ted, before standing upright to look directly into Ted’s eyes. “Exactly. Come spend the night with me, Teddy. Let me be with you again. I know you missed it as much as I have.”
“But… Kristen.”
A light kiss was placed on Ted’s lips. Such a sweet kiss after all that time spent apart. “I had you before she ever did. Tell me you didn’t miss this.”
“Always.”
“Then come with me.”
“But what about him?”
“Randy? He’s been wanting me to bring someone back with me since he turned me, but I usually resisted. And now I have you again. But only for a couple more hours until the sun rises. After tonight you can, if you want, go back to your wife, go back to how you were living before you saw me here again tonight. What do you say to one more night with me?”
Ted bit his lip. This was overwhelming. Cody was suddenly back in his life, and he wanted noting more than to make love to him once again, to feel Cody’s strong body under his, on top of his, next to his. But could he leave Kristen? Yes, he realized in that instant. Yes, he could leave her, because she meant nothing to him. It’s not as though they had any children; he wasn’t leaving much behind. He and his father, mother and older brother were still not on good terms because of their respective sides in the war and his younger brother had no idea why his older brother suddenly left, just that he was a traitor to the king. He had no family left. “No.”
Cody’s eyes dropped. His fangs retracted. The hands that had been gripping onto Ted’s shoulders fell to his side. Two steps backwards. Confusion and sadness overcame him. “What?” he whispered.
“No. I’m saying no to one more night with you. Because I want to spend all my nights with you.”
In an instant Cody was on him again, this time with his hands tangling in his hair as lips crushed against lips and teeth bashed against teeth and tongue wrestled tongue. Cody broke the kiss first, wanting to get back to the house so they still had some time to be together before the upcoming sunrise. “Follow me.”
“Where are we going?”
“You know that old house close to the woods, the one with the dead tree stump in the front yard?”
“Where the Hackett’s used to live? You’re living in their old house?”
“They had one daughter who’s living with her husband. Both of them died of disease; no one wants to live there. And they have a cellar, which is perfect for mornings.”
“How long have you been living there? Cody, how long have you been living a stone’s throw away from me?”
“Nearly eight months.”
“Eight months?” Ted couldn’t believe it. All this time he had been suffering through an absolutely miserable marriage, thinking of Cody non-stop, and nearly all that time, Cody had been right there. “Why…” he trailed off, unable to say anything further.
“Why didn’t I come see you sooner? Because it wasn’t up to me; Randy’s the one that makes all the decisions, and I have no say in the matter. But, Teddy, I could see you. I could see you in the bar, hear you talking to people. I’ve never seen her, but I know of her, and I’ve wanted to come to you so badly. I could see how sad you were, trying to go out every night and drink your problems away. I just wanted to go over and tell you that I was there and that it would all be ok, and that we could be with each other again. I couldn’t though, not until Randy gave his ok. And Randy decided that tonight was finally the night. Now come on, we don’t have much time together.”
Everything that followed once they were in the house felt so right. That was the only way to put it. Right. And perfect. They undressed each other quickly, as they knew they didn’t have too much time left. Cody had to be gone before sunrise. Soon they were naked in bed, Cody holding down Ted’s arms as he straddled Ted’s hips, pressing lips to lips. “Bite me again,” Ted mumbled in the kiss.
Cody pulled back, knowing exactly what Ted said, but asking, “What?” anyway.
“Bite me again,” he repeated, rolling his head to the side to expose his neck.
Instead, Cody shimmed downwards, his mouth hovering close to Ted’s cock. And then he turned, his fangs sinking into the veins running through Ted’s leg, causing a gasp to escape Ted’s mouth, and Cody knew it was from both pain and pleasure. As the blood steadily flowed out, Cody licked and sucked, drawing out more and more. But never too much. He withdrew his fangs from the skin, again licking up the trails of blood left dripping from the open wounds. “Like that, Teddy?”
“So much,” he answered.
As Cody began to move upwards on Ted’s body, he grabbed one of Ted’s legs and hooked it over his shoulder, readying himself for his entrance. After little preparation, Cody was inside of him, hitting all the right places, just like Ted remembered. And then, during their second time, Ted was on top of Cody, bending forward to kiss him, the fangs scraping his lips and teeth, as he thrust inside over and over. Perfect. There was no way that he could not have this man in his life, not after his misery over the past year thinking that he was dead, that there was no chance to ever see him again.
Afterwards they lay together, Cody’s ever cold body embraced by Ted’s still warm one. “How much longer can I hold you?”
“A little while longer,” he answered, his voice muffled by Ted’s chest.
“What’s it feel like? Being… a vampire, that is.”
Cody nipped playfully at a nipple, his teeth yet to retract as he lay there in post-orgasmic bliss. “You can feel the power inside you. It’s intoxicating, Teddy. At first it’s frightening; you can’t even begin to comprehend your own strength. You really don’t know what you’re capable of. And then there’s that no sun thing. Takes some time to get used to, but it happens. Still, the thought of never being able to see another sunrise… I’ll think about that sometimes, when we woke up before the rest of the guys and sat on the field that one morning, watching the sunrise through the fog and the smoke of the battle the previous day. But I’m getting sentimental. Anything else you want to know about being a vampire?”
“I heard a rumour… Someone around town was saying that vampires sparkle in the sunlight.”
A grin grew on Cody’s face, “If by that you mean erupt into a pretty ball of fire then, yes, we sparkle.”
“Do you…” Ted’s voice dropped to a whisper, “eat people?”
Cody couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t eat people, exactly. But I do drink… eat… from people.”
“Do you kill them when you eat from them?”
“I have… Back when I was newly turned, just days old, Randy wasn’t near me like he always is, and I was out. There was some drunken man just walking down the street, I don’t know what town we were in, doesn’t matter, but I was hungry and I wound up drinking too much and he was struggling, and I wound up snapping his neck. Randy doesn’t like leaving a trail of dead bodies, because it raises suspicion. I’ve been more careful since… But, you know, some people like it. Getting bitten.” Cody smirked and tilted his head up to look into Ted’s eyes. “Like you did.” He brought his head up to place a kiss on Ted’s lips. His tongue slowly snaked into Ted’s mouth, deepening the kiss until Ted pulled back.
“Only because it’s you. But why didn’t you bite my neck again?”
“Harder to hide bite marks when they’re in plain sight,” Cody answered, running his fingers over the spot he bit earlier that night. “You will let him turn you, right?”
“Yes.” Ted answered. This was his way to Cody. Forever.
“This Saturday night. Meet Randal and I at the same bar. That’ll be the night he turns you.”
“Why not tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, well, later today and tonight, you spend them with your wife. Don’t go out tonight, just make her happy. And then tomorrow night, Saturday night, before you come see us, tell her that you won’t be coming back. She’s still young, she doesn’t have children, she’ll be able to find someone new. Because you belong with me.”
“You want me to spend the night with Kristen? Why?”
“She deserves to be treated right. You know that if you hadn’t met me before, you’d be happier with her.”
“But I did meet her before I met you. She was part of this group I went to, a group of children of Loyalists who believed in our independence from England. She liked me, and I’ll admit I had a slight attraction to her, but I never intended to marry her some day. And then I joined the war, and then I met you. And after that, I certainly never intended to spend my life with her. But then when I thought you died… On my wedding night, she asked if I saved myself for her.”
Cody smiled at him, knowing that he had, in fact, been the first person Ted had ever slept with. “What did you tell her?”
“I couldn’t tell her I made love to a man I fought with in the war, could I? So I told her yes. Cody, I’ve been lying to her for so long, since the start, since I told her I loved her.”
Gently pulling himself out of the embrace, Cody said, “Teddy, I don’t want to leave you, but I have to.” He crawled out of bed and pulled on his pants and shirt as Ted asked, “Where are you going?”
“To the basement. Sun’s coming up, so unless you want me to sparkle… Feel free to sleep. Just promise me that you’ll go home tonight, ok?”
“I promise.”
Cody started walking out of the room, Ted following. As they stood before the door to the cellar, two figures brushed past them, and that gave Cody pause. Two? Only he and Randal lived here. Which means Randy not only brought someone back, he brought back a vampire. The door closed, leaving Ted and Cody alone again. “Saturday, ok?” Cody asked.
“Ok,” Ted replied with a nod.
“I love you, Teddy.”
“I love you, too.” Ted grabbed Cody’s shoulders and pressed his lips to Cody’s again in a final kiss.
“I’ll see you soon.” Cody smiled and headed into the cellar, leaving Ted in front of the door. Alone. Confused. And then the thought flashed through his mind that he saw two men enter the cellar before Cody, one of them obviously not there normally, given Cody’s confused face. So, if the man that turned Cody, Randy he thought it was if he remembered correctly, was into men, had Cody ever been with Randy? He shook his head; he shouldn’t be thinking things like that. Maybe he should get some sleep before going back home. It’d give him some time to clear his head. So, that’s just what he did. He turned back into Cody’s room and fell asleep for a few hours.
Finally home, Ted stood before the front door, not wanting to go inside, not wanting to face Kristen. But Cody told him to spend this final day with her. So he would, if she’d even take him in. He opened the door, starting the woman in the kitchen. “Ted!” she yelled, relief washing through her. She stopped kneading the bread dough and ran to embrace him, leaving flour handprints on his dark shirt. “I was so worried about you. Why didn’t you come home last night?”
Ted had been thinking about what to say to her. He didn’t want to lie. “I was at the bar.”
“Oh, Teddy…”
“And I had a lot to drink. I was on my way out when I ran into my old friend, Cody.”
“I thought you said you had a friend named Cody that died last year?” Kristen questioned.
“He was really sick. His recovery was a miracle. Anyway, we got to talking. It got late, and he said I was still in no state to go home. So he told me to stay with him at the room he was staying at. He was right, though, I was in a bad way last night. I didn’t want you to see me like that. I took him up on his offer and stayed with him overnight.”
So he told her a half truth. For now, anyway. “I wish there was a way I could have told you; I didn’t want you to worry. And to make up for it, I’m not going out tonight.”
The smile didn’t appear to be leaving Kristen’s face any time soon.
However, the following day, after being with Kristen for the night, thinking of Cody the entire time, things went downhill. Ted had no idea how to tell her that he wouldn’t becoming home again. Ever. He had been silent most of the day, avoiding her when he could. He waited until after dinner. They sat there at the table, Ted unable to look her in the eye as he asked, “Do you love me?”
“Do I love you? Of course I do, Teddy.”
A furtive glance up to look at her, “You shouldn’t. Kristen, you deserve someone who loves you in return. Someone who can treat you right.”
“What are you saying?” she asked, completely confused as to what was going on.
“I’m saying that I’m no good for you. I don’t love you. Never have. When I told you I stayed with Cody, I didn’t tell you everything. I spent the night with him. Actually spent the night together. That’s why I didn’t come home. I was with Cody, loving him, being loved by him. And it’s nothing like with you. It actually means something with him.” He just couldn’t stop himself. Everything was spilling from his lips directly to Kristen’s shocked ears. “You know, I never saved myself for you.”
“What?” came the shocked, angry, confused breathed question from Kristen.
“On our wedding night, remember? Well, I’m telling you now that I didn’t. I slept with Cody before I slept with you. And, guess what? I only want Cody. Now you see why I’m no good for you.” He looked outside, watching the final rays of the sun dip below the horizon. “I am sorry I hurt you.”
“How do you expect to carry on here?” she asked, finally regaining some conscience thought, actually putting together what she was being told. “How do you expect to live with a man? I’ll have your name damned by the city.”
“You’ll never see my face in Boston again. I hope things work out for you,” he told her as he stood from the chair. When he started walking to the door, he couldn’t help but feel nervous about the upcoming events, but there was a spark of excitement there, as well. The door was open, Ted about to take the final step, never to enter the house again.
“I hate you,” Kristen said, her voice low. At first.
Ted paused, but he didn’t turn around.
She began yelling, hatred seeping out of her as her entire world was flipped on its head. But she hadn’t moved from her seat at the table. She couldn’t move.
And then Ted shut the door behind him.
Cody was, as planned, at the same bar in which the pair reunited after over a year apart just two days prior. He could sense that Ted was nearing, and he was off the seat and out the door before Ted could take a single step inside. He felt Ted’s emotions, slightly angry, nervous, excited… turned on. “Are you ready, Teddy?” he asked, looking Ted dead in the eye while running his hand down the back of Ted’s head and neck, raising goosebumps on his skin.
“Yes,” he answered, rolling his head back into the touch.
“Good. Follow me.” Cody led him back to the house and into the other bedroom, the one Randy had been in. “Randy will be here soon,” he told Ted as he pushed him backwards onto the bed.
A door opened. Randy was here with John. And then they, too, were in the room, looking on as Cody straddled Ted’s hips, pinning his hands above Ted’s head. “Everything’s all set? You have a place to lay with him now?”
Randy smirked as he cast a sidelong glance towards John. “Yes, he and I scouted a place for us.”
“What do you mean?” Ted asked. “Lay with him where?”
“John’s grave,” Randy answered.
Cody felt Ted tense up underneath him. He looked quickly to Randy, then back to Ted. He let go of Ted’s hands and placed them on his face as he pressed small kisses over him. “You’re going to die tonight.” Now that really put the nerves into overdrive. “Calm down, Teddy. Please. You’re going to die, but then you’ll come back. Come back to me. Randy is going to drink from you, drain you. And you’ll drink his blood, too. Drink a lot of his blood.”
“What if something goes wrong?”
“Nothing will go wrong, Teddy. So, are you ready now?”
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, answering, “Yes.”
One kiss on Ted’s lips, and then Cody was off of him. A new weight was on his body. Bigger, taller. And then before he knew what was happening, teeth were digging into his neck, drinking the blood from him, not stopping like Cody had nights before. Then, for a brief moment, the teeth were out and a bloody wrist was held in front of his face. Ted felt Cody next to him, picking up his hands and placing them around Randy’s arm, pushing it closer to Ted’s mouth. He started drinking down the flowing liquid as Cody held it in front of him. And then the teeth were back in his neck once more. God, so much blood was being drained from his body. This didn’t feel right; he felt weak, tired, ill… off.
“Drink more,” Cody whispered into his ear. “Drink as much as you can.” He knew that Ted was scared, but he knew that soon, Ted would be returned to him. He could feel the life leaving Ted’s body; there wasn’t much time left. And then he knew when it was over.
In a flash, Randy was off Ted, the deep red blood dripping down his chin. Unable to control himself, Cody leaned in a licked up the stray trails from off his master’s face, needing one more taste. “I’ll see you two soon.”
“Don’t you want to come with us?” Randy asked, now holding Ted’s lifeless body in his arms.
“Are you giving me a choice?”
“No. You and John will bury us, and you’ll be there in three days to meet us as we come back.” The four were out the door on their way to the cemetery.
As they stood over the dug up grave, Cody looked to the other three. His beautiful Ted limp in Randy’s arms… He bent down and kissed Ted’s lips before Randy and Ted were suddenly six feet under. With John at his side, they began to shovel the dirt on top of them. And soon they were covered, the fresh mound of dirt the only evidence anything had gone on there that night.
John looked to Cody, who looked right back. “So, this is your grave?”
“I thought it was fitting.”
“Did you two know each other? Before the other night, I mean.”
“Yes.”
“Is that why you let him use your grave?”
“Yes. Are you worried?”
“Yes. And no. I know Ted will come back to me. And the four of us as a clan… We’ll work well together, don’t you think?”
“I do.”
“I do, too.”
And three days later, as Ted and Cody were reunited once more, they knew they were right.
Now to this fic. A second fic written for the wwegirls fic exchange. And there mayyyy be more from this little universe later on. :)
Title: Love Bites
Rating: NC-17 to be on the safe side
Pairings: Ted/Cody, implied John/Randy
Summary: Takes place directly after the surrender at Yorktown during the American Revolution. Oh, and there are vampires, so, yes, there’s blood and biting. There also may be a small dig at a certain vampire book series that’s somehow taken the world by storm, despite its being utter crap.
Ted and Cody met when they joined the ranks of the Colonial army in the American Revolution. Cody turned 17 in 1780, and after seeing his brother go off at the start of the war five years prior, Cody knew that if it was still going on when he was old enough, he, too, would sign up. Ted was 19 when he finally broke away from his father, a stout Loyalist, and signed himself up with the Patriots. They were assigned to the same unit, forced to train together, eat together, sleep together. And it was in that time that they fell in love with each other. After Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in 1781, before they went their separate way with the break up of the army regiments, they made love for the first time at an Inn they put themselves up in.
The next morning, many young men started heading back north, including both Ted and Cody. But Cody’s journey ended in Connecticut, whereas Ted had to continue on to Massachusetts. The night before they would reach Cody’s town, they slept together once more, this time not knowing how long it would be before they had the chance to again. After spending so much time together in such close quarters, sleeping in dirt pits, covered in mud and grime, neither one knew just what to say upon their parting. So, just before Cody left, he gave Ted a pat on the shoulder, the gesture saying so much more than any words could convey. They also made a promise to each other to keep in touch.
And keep in touch they did. Though the mail service left much to be desired, they had a steady correspondence going, one letter arriving about every two weeks. But then the letters from Cody suddenly stopped. Ted thought maybe the letter got lost, or maybe something had happened to the carrier. So after a month with no correspondence, Ted wrote again. Nothing was returned. Another month later, another letter. No reply. A third letter was written one month after that. This time, however, there was a reply, but it didn’t come from Cody. The letter was from Virgil Runnels, Cody’s father, and he told Ted that Cody died and to stop writing them.
Within two months of the letter, Ted was married.
One year later, Ted could be found in the bars nearly nightly, practically inhaling the kegs to drown out his depression. And that’s just where he was spotted by the 110 year old vampire, Randal Keith Orton. Randy was attracted to him, would be quite willing to change him, and probably would whether he wanted it or not.
Randy took a seat on the stool next to Ted’s. He knew people were watching. Who was he, a new comer to town, to talk to one of the long standing members of the community? Yet he did. He tapped Ted’s shoulder, catching his attention. Leaning in, he proceeded to tell Ted that he could make him live forever, completely uninhibited by the boundaries placed on him by society.
Ted couldn’t help but ask him, even if he could make him live forever, why on God’s green earth would he want to live forever when his life was so utterly miserable right now.
And that was when Randy smirked, pushing gently on Ted’s shoulder, making him turn to see a man emerge from the dark corner on the far end of the bar. Cody.
He stood from his seat in shock at the sight before him. His Cody. But… But he was dead. His father told him he died. This couldn’t be real; he must have had too much to drink. He was seeing things. The alcohol was finally going to his head. Cody. Was. Dead. With each thought he stepped closer to the dark corner where Cody stood firm. Soon, there he was, standing in front of this man who couldn’t be anyone but Cody. He had to know, he had to touch. He reached out both hands, cupping Cody’s face in his palms. It was solid; it felt like Cody, like the soft skin he remembered, only… “You’re so cold.”
Cody smiled at the first sounds of Ted’s voice, bringing his own hands up to cover Ted’s on his face. “I know.”
“Your dad told me you died.”
Cody’s eyes grew sad. “I know.”
“I got married.”
The smile slipped, replaced by a frown of acknowledgement, “I know.”
“I miss you all the time.”
The corner of his lips played up in a small smile now, “I know.”
“You haven’t changed a bit.”
“I have a little.”
“How’s that?” Ted had been lost in the icy blue depths of Cody’s eyes, eyes that matched the icy chill of Cody’s skin.
Cody closed his eyes and bit his lower lip, nervous at Ted’s reaction. “Come outside with me. In here isn’t the best place for us to talk.” Ted nodded and followed Cody to the side of the building. Before walking outside, Cody caught eyes with Randy, a silent conversation happening between them, an understanding. Randy knew that soon he’d have made another vampire. No one was out walking at this hour, and the pair was washed out by the darkness. Cody had Ted pressed against the outside of the bar, his hands on Ted’s face this time as he started, “Please, Ted, don’t be scared. Don’t hate me.”
A matching hand was raised to Cody’s face. So cold. So beautiful, but so cold. Had the poor conditions over that year of fighting had that bad an affect on him? He always seemed fine, even during the height of the fighting. All he wanted to do was to take Cody into his arms once more, love him; warm him up. How could Cody ever think that Ted could hate him? “I could never be scared of you, Cody; I could never hate you.”
“You seem so sure of that.”
A second hand was now on Cody’s face, drawing it in closer to his. “I am,” was his whispered reply.
Then, with their faces mere inches away from each other, Cody’s blazing blue eyes opened and his fangs dropped. Cody could see the fear in Ted’s eyes as they widened in shock. He could hear Ted’s heartbeat increasing; see the pulse beating in Ted’s neck as the blood pumped faster. But Ted hadn’t tried to run. Cody’s hands slipped from Ted’s face, pushing him harder into the wall. He bent his head forward and grazed his fangs over the soft flesh of Ted’s neck. “How about now, Teddy?” he muttered into the skin. “Are you scared? Do you hate me?”
“No,” Ted answered. As if to prove his point, he turned his head to the side, exposing more neck. “But… What are you?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the conversation between Cody and Ted went on outside, Randy stayed in the bar. People seemed inexplicably drawn to him, casting glances in his direction, not even realizing what they were doing. And Randy really couldn’t give a damn. No one in this place held his attention for more than two seconds.
And then the door opened. Randy turned his head to the side, looking at the man currently standing in the door frame. His eyes never left those of the man, now making his way inside. People were shooting looks between them, as if they had some mysterious hold over them.
Randy could literally feel the power radiating off of this man. Well, not man, exactly. Not a living one, at least. He was a vampire, too. An older one than Randy. And they had met before. Randy knew that face. He knew that body, it dawned on him. The memories were coming back to him. Before he was turned, that’s when they met. Randy had been 18, out one night, looking for the foxes his mother swore were getting into their crops back at his Pennsylvania home. And that’s when he saw that man for the first time. That man that awoke something inside of him that he never even knew was residing in there. He was the first man Randy ever slept with. But no name was coming to him.
What could have possibly brought someone like him to this little bar? Maybe he’d find out his answer. The man slid onto the stool directly beside Randy, waving off the barman, as he had no need for drinks of any sort.
“You were staring.”
“Sometimes I can’t help myself when I see something I like.”
“Good.” He placed an elbow on the bar and raised an eyebrow. “I’ve seen you before.”
“It’s been a long time.”
“You were still human.”
“You were still dead. I don’t remember your name, though.”
“John,” he answered. “I’m not remembering a name either. But I take it you have one.”
“Randal. But if I like someone enough, I’ll let them call me Randy.”
“Those two outside… Is the brown haired one yours… Randy?”
“He is,” Randy answered with a smirk and a glint in his eye.
“And you don’t have any problems leaving him alone with a human? I don’t want a trail of bodies lining my city because of you two.”
“Your city?”
“My city.”
“I have no problem leaving him with that human,” Randy corrected.
Back outside, Cody and Ted continued to talk. “I think you know exactly what I am.” His fangs were tracing a delicate pattern over the skin, itching to bite into the pulsing vein.
“Was it that man that turned you into this?”
“Yes. And he can do the same for you, Teddy. Then you and I can be together forever.”
“This is a lot to take in,” he said, overwhelmed by the fact that Cody was here, actually standing here in front of him, his Cody in the flesh, and with this offer that was being propositioned to him.
“Let him turn you.”
“Will it hurt?”
With that, Cody finally let his teeth sink into Ted’s neck, lapping up the blood that dripped out. He drank it down, loving the taste; of course, he already knew he’d love the taste of Ted. Ted gasped as he felt teeth penetrating his neck, but it seemed as soon as the teeth were in, they were removed. Then all that was left was Cody’s tongue and mouth licking and sucking until the blood flow stopped. “I’m sorry, I just… I had to taste you before Randal…” His eyes locked onto Ted’s as he brought his own arm to his mouth and bit, letting his own blood flow. “Drink some; you’ll feel less light headed.”
After a slight hesitation, Ted gripped Cody’s arm and began to drink. He didn’t have much, but Cody knew it was enough. He could already feel Ted inside of him; know his feelings, his emotions. “It’ll also let me know what you’re feeling. I wanted you to drink from me before you drank from Randy, just like I wanted to taste you. Think it over. You don’t have to be turned. But just think about it, you and me, Ted, you and me for the rest of eternity.”
“Eternity is a long time.”
Cody placed a kiss right on the small bite marks he left, quickly healing as his blood’s healing properties spread through Ted, before standing upright to look directly into Ted’s eyes. “Exactly. Come spend the night with me, Teddy. Let me be with you again. I know you missed it as much as I have.”
“But… Kristen.”
A light kiss was placed on Ted’s lips. Such a sweet kiss after all that time spent apart. “I had you before she ever did. Tell me you didn’t miss this.”
“Always.”
“Then come with me.”
“But what about him?”
“Randy? He’s been wanting me to bring someone back with me since he turned me, but I usually resisted. And now I have you again. But only for a couple more hours until the sun rises. After tonight you can, if you want, go back to your wife, go back to how you were living before you saw me here again tonight. What do you say to one more night with me?”
Ted bit his lip. This was overwhelming. Cody was suddenly back in his life, and he wanted noting more than to make love to him once again, to feel Cody’s strong body under his, on top of his, next to his. But could he leave Kristen? Yes, he realized in that instant. Yes, he could leave her, because she meant nothing to him. It’s not as though they had any children; he wasn’t leaving much behind. He and his father, mother and older brother were still not on good terms because of their respective sides in the war and his younger brother had no idea why his older brother suddenly left, just that he was a traitor to the king. He had no family left. “No.”
Cody’s eyes dropped. His fangs retracted. The hands that had been gripping onto Ted’s shoulders fell to his side. Two steps backwards. Confusion and sadness overcame him. “What?” he whispered.
“No. I’m saying no to one more night with you. Because I want to spend all my nights with you.”
In an instant Cody was on him again, this time with his hands tangling in his hair as lips crushed against lips and teeth bashed against teeth and tongue wrestled tongue. Cody broke the kiss first, wanting to get back to the house so they still had some time to be together before the upcoming sunrise. “Follow me.”
“Where are we going?”
“You know that old house close to the woods, the one with the dead tree stump in the front yard?”
“Where the Hackett’s used to live? You’re living in their old house?”
“They had one daughter who’s living with her husband. Both of them died of disease; no one wants to live there. And they have a cellar, which is perfect for mornings.”
“How long have you been living there? Cody, how long have you been living a stone’s throw away from me?”
“Nearly eight months.”
“Eight months?” Ted couldn’t believe it. All this time he had been suffering through an absolutely miserable marriage, thinking of Cody non-stop, and nearly all that time, Cody had been right there. “Why…” he trailed off, unable to say anything further.
“Why didn’t I come see you sooner? Because it wasn’t up to me; Randy’s the one that makes all the decisions, and I have no say in the matter. But, Teddy, I could see you. I could see you in the bar, hear you talking to people. I’ve never seen her, but I know of her, and I’ve wanted to come to you so badly. I could see how sad you were, trying to go out every night and drink your problems away. I just wanted to go over and tell you that I was there and that it would all be ok, and that we could be with each other again. I couldn’t though, not until Randy gave his ok. And Randy decided that tonight was finally the night. Now come on, we don’t have much time together.”
Everything that followed once they were in the house felt so right. That was the only way to put it. Right. And perfect. They undressed each other quickly, as they knew they didn’t have too much time left. Cody had to be gone before sunrise. Soon they were naked in bed, Cody holding down Ted’s arms as he straddled Ted’s hips, pressing lips to lips. “Bite me again,” Ted mumbled in the kiss.
Cody pulled back, knowing exactly what Ted said, but asking, “What?” anyway.
“Bite me again,” he repeated, rolling his head to the side to expose his neck.
Instead, Cody shimmed downwards, his mouth hovering close to Ted’s cock. And then he turned, his fangs sinking into the veins running through Ted’s leg, causing a gasp to escape Ted’s mouth, and Cody knew it was from both pain and pleasure. As the blood steadily flowed out, Cody licked and sucked, drawing out more and more. But never too much. He withdrew his fangs from the skin, again licking up the trails of blood left dripping from the open wounds. “Like that, Teddy?”
“So much,” he answered.
As Cody began to move upwards on Ted’s body, he grabbed one of Ted’s legs and hooked it over his shoulder, readying himself for his entrance. After little preparation, Cody was inside of him, hitting all the right places, just like Ted remembered. And then, during their second time, Ted was on top of Cody, bending forward to kiss him, the fangs scraping his lips and teeth, as he thrust inside over and over. Perfect. There was no way that he could not have this man in his life, not after his misery over the past year thinking that he was dead, that there was no chance to ever see him again.
Afterwards they lay together, Cody’s ever cold body embraced by Ted’s still warm one. “How much longer can I hold you?”
“A little while longer,” he answered, his voice muffled by Ted’s chest.
“What’s it feel like? Being… a vampire, that is.”
Cody nipped playfully at a nipple, his teeth yet to retract as he lay there in post-orgasmic bliss. “You can feel the power inside you. It’s intoxicating, Teddy. At first it’s frightening; you can’t even begin to comprehend your own strength. You really don’t know what you’re capable of. And then there’s that no sun thing. Takes some time to get used to, but it happens. Still, the thought of never being able to see another sunrise… I’ll think about that sometimes, when we woke up before the rest of the guys and sat on the field that one morning, watching the sunrise through the fog and the smoke of the battle the previous day. But I’m getting sentimental. Anything else you want to know about being a vampire?”
“I heard a rumour… Someone around town was saying that vampires sparkle in the sunlight.”
A grin grew on Cody’s face, “If by that you mean erupt into a pretty ball of fire then, yes, we sparkle.”
“Do you…” Ted’s voice dropped to a whisper, “eat people?”
Cody couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t eat people, exactly. But I do drink… eat… from people.”
“Do you kill them when you eat from them?”
“I have… Back when I was newly turned, just days old, Randy wasn’t near me like he always is, and I was out. There was some drunken man just walking down the street, I don’t know what town we were in, doesn’t matter, but I was hungry and I wound up drinking too much and he was struggling, and I wound up snapping his neck. Randy doesn’t like leaving a trail of dead bodies, because it raises suspicion. I’ve been more careful since… But, you know, some people like it. Getting bitten.” Cody smirked and tilted his head up to look into Ted’s eyes. “Like you did.” He brought his head up to place a kiss on Ted’s lips. His tongue slowly snaked into Ted’s mouth, deepening the kiss until Ted pulled back.
“Only because it’s you. But why didn’t you bite my neck again?”
“Harder to hide bite marks when they’re in plain sight,” Cody answered, running his fingers over the spot he bit earlier that night. “You will let him turn you, right?”
“Yes.” Ted answered. This was his way to Cody. Forever.
“This Saturday night. Meet Randal and I at the same bar. That’ll be the night he turns you.”
“Why not tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, well, later today and tonight, you spend them with your wife. Don’t go out tonight, just make her happy. And then tomorrow night, Saturday night, before you come see us, tell her that you won’t be coming back. She’s still young, she doesn’t have children, she’ll be able to find someone new. Because you belong with me.”
“You want me to spend the night with Kristen? Why?”
“She deserves to be treated right. You know that if you hadn’t met me before, you’d be happier with her.”
“But I did meet her before I met you. She was part of this group I went to, a group of children of Loyalists who believed in our independence from England. She liked me, and I’ll admit I had a slight attraction to her, but I never intended to marry her some day. And then I joined the war, and then I met you. And after that, I certainly never intended to spend my life with her. But then when I thought you died… On my wedding night, she asked if I saved myself for her.”
Cody smiled at him, knowing that he had, in fact, been the first person Ted had ever slept with. “What did you tell her?”
“I couldn’t tell her I made love to a man I fought with in the war, could I? So I told her yes. Cody, I’ve been lying to her for so long, since the start, since I told her I loved her.”
Gently pulling himself out of the embrace, Cody said, “Teddy, I don’t want to leave you, but I have to.” He crawled out of bed and pulled on his pants and shirt as Ted asked, “Where are you going?”
“To the basement. Sun’s coming up, so unless you want me to sparkle… Feel free to sleep. Just promise me that you’ll go home tonight, ok?”
“I promise.”
Cody started walking out of the room, Ted following. As they stood before the door to the cellar, two figures brushed past them, and that gave Cody pause. Two? Only he and Randal lived here. Which means Randy not only brought someone back, he brought back a vampire. The door closed, leaving Ted and Cody alone again. “Saturday, ok?” Cody asked.
“Ok,” Ted replied with a nod.
“I love you, Teddy.”
“I love you, too.” Ted grabbed Cody’s shoulders and pressed his lips to Cody’s again in a final kiss.
“I’ll see you soon.” Cody smiled and headed into the cellar, leaving Ted in front of the door. Alone. Confused. And then the thought flashed through his mind that he saw two men enter the cellar before Cody, one of them obviously not there normally, given Cody’s confused face. So, if the man that turned Cody, Randy he thought it was if he remembered correctly, was into men, had Cody ever been with Randy? He shook his head; he shouldn’t be thinking things like that. Maybe he should get some sleep before going back home. It’d give him some time to clear his head. So, that’s just what he did. He turned back into Cody’s room and fell asleep for a few hours.
Finally home, Ted stood before the front door, not wanting to go inside, not wanting to face Kristen. But Cody told him to spend this final day with her. So he would, if she’d even take him in. He opened the door, starting the woman in the kitchen. “Ted!” she yelled, relief washing through her. She stopped kneading the bread dough and ran to embrace him, leaving flour handprints on his dark shirt. “I was so worried about you. Why didn’t you come home last night?”
Ted had been thinking about what to say to her. He didn’t want to lie. “I was at the bar.”
“Oh, Teddy…”
“And I had a lot to drink. I was on my way out when I ran into my old friend, Cody.”
“I thought you said you had a friend named Cody that died last year?” Kristen questioned.
“He was really sick. His recovery was a miracle. Anyway, we got to talking. It got late, and he said I was still in no state to go home. So he told me to stay with him at the room he was staying at. He was right, though, I was in a bad way last night. I didn’t want you to see me like that. I took him up on his offer and stayed with him overnight.”
So he told her a half truth. For now, anyway. “I wish there was a way I could have told you; I didn’t want you to worry. And to make up for it, I’m not going out tonight.”
The smile didn’t appear to be leaving Kristen’s face any time soon.
However, the following day, after being with Kristen for the night, thinking of Cody the entire time, things went downhill. Ted had no idea how to tell her that he wouldn’t becoming home again. Ever. He had been silent most of the day, avoiding her when he could. He waited until after dinner. They sat there at the table, Ted unable to look her in the eye as he asked, “Do you love me?”
“Do I love you? Of course I do, Teddy.”
A furtive glance up to look at her, “You shouldn’t. Kristen, you deserve someone who loves you in return. Someone who can treat you right.”
“What are you saying?” she asked, completely confused as to what was going on.
“I’m saying that I’m no good for you. I don’t love you. Never have. When I told you I stayed with Cody, I didn’t tell you everything. I spent the night with him. Actually spent the night together. That’s why I didn’t come home. I was with Cody, loving him, being loved by him. And it’s nothing like with you. It actually means something with him.” He just couldn’t stop himself. Everything was spilling from his lips directly to Kristen’s shocked ears. “You know, I never saved myself for you.”
“What?” came the shocked, angry, confused breathed question from Kristen.
“On our wedding night, remember? Well, I’m telling you now that I didn’t. I slept with Cody before I slept with you. And, guess what? I only want Cody. Now you see why I’m no good for you.” He looked outside, watching the final rays of the sun dip below the horizon. “I am sorry I hurt you.”
“How do you expect to carry on here?” she asked, finally regaining some conscience thought, actually putting together what she was being told. “How do you expect to live with a man? I’ll have your name damned by the city.”
“You’ll never see my face in Boston again. I hope things work out for you,” he told her as he stood from the chair. When he started walking to the door, he couldn’t help but feel nervous about the upcoming events, but there was a spark of excitement there, as well. The door was open, Ted about to take the final step, never to enter the house again.
“I hate you,” Kristen said, her voice low. At first.
Ted paused, but he didn’t turn around.
She began yelling, hatred seeping out of her as her entire world was flipped on its head. But she hadn’t moved from her seat at the table. She couldn’t move.
And then Ted shut the door behind him.
Cody was, as planned, at the same bar in which the pair reunited after over a year apart just two days prior. He could sense that Ted was nearing, and he was off the seat and out the door before Ted could take a single step inside. He felt Ted’s emotions, slightly angry, nervous, excited… turned on. “Are you ready, Teddy?” he asked, looking Ted dead in the eye while running his hand down the back of Ted’s head and neck, raising goosebumps on his skin.
“Yes,” he answered, rolling his head back into the touch.
“Good. Follow me.” Cody led him back to the house and into the other bedroom, the one Randy had been in. “Randy will be here soon,” he told Ted as he pushed him backwards onto the bed.
A door opened. Randy was here with John. And then they, too, were in the room, looking on as Cody straddled Ted’s hips, pinning his hands above Ted’s head. “Everything’s all set? You have a place to lay with him now?”
Randy smirked as he cast a sidelong glance towards John. “Yes, he and I scouted a place for us.”
“What do you mean?” Ted asked. “Lay with him where?”
“John’s grave,” Randy answered.
Cody felt Ted tense up underneath him. He looked quickly to Randy, then back to Ted. He let go of Ted’s hands and placed them on his face as he pressed small kisses over him. “You’re going to die tonight.” Now that really put the nerves into overdrive. “Calm down, Teddy. Please. You’re going to die, but then you’ll come back. Come back to me. Randy is going to drink from you, drain you. And you’ll drink his blood, too. Drink a lot of his blood.”
“What if something goes wrong?”
“Nothing will go wrong, Teddy. So, are you ready now?”
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, answering, “Yes.”
One kiss on Ted’s lips, and then Cody was off of him. A new weight was on his body. Bigger, taller. And then before he knew what was happening, teeth were digging into his neck, drinking the blood from him, not stopping like Cody had nights before. Then, for a brief moment, the teeth were out and a bloody wrist was held in front of his face. Ted felt Cody next to him, picking up his hands and placing them around Randy’s arm, pushing it closer to Ted’s mouth. He started drinking down the flowing liquid as Cody held it in front of him. And then the teeth were back in his neck once more. God, so much blood was being drained from his body. This didn’t feel right; he felt weak, tired, ill… off.
“Drink more,” Cody whispered into his ear. “Drink as much as you can.” He knew that Ted was scared, but he knew that soon, Ted would be returned to him. He could feel the life leaving Ted’s body; there wasn’t much time left. And then he knew when it was over.
In a flash, Randy was off Ted, the deep red blood dripping down his chin. Unable to control himself, Cody leaned in a licked up the stray trails from off his master’s face, needing one more taste. “I’ll see you two soon.”
“Don’t you want to come with us?” Randy asked, now holding Ted’s lifeless body in his arms.
“Are you giving me a choice?”
“No. You and John will bury us, and you’ll be there in three days to meet us as we come back.” The four were out the door on their way to the cemetery.
As they stood over the dug up grave, Cody looked to the other three. His beautiful Ted limp in Randy’s arms… He bent down and kissed Ted’s lips before Randy and Ted were suddenly six feet under. With John at his side, they began to shovel the dirt on top of them. And soon they were covered, the fresh mound of dirt the only evidence anything had gone on there that night.
John looked to Cody, who looked right back. “So, this is your grave?”
“I thought it was fitting.”
“Did you two know each other? Before the other night, I mean.”
“Yes.”
“Is that why you let him use your grave?”
“Yes. Are you worried?”
“Yes. And no. I know Ted will come back to me. And the four of us as a clan… We’ll work well together, don’t you think?”
“I do.”
“I do, too.”
And three days later, as Ted and Cody were reunited once more, they knew they were right.