Map of the Problematique (part 2)
Title: Map of the Problematique (part 2)
Author: the_willows
Characters: Hal Yorke/Alex, Tom McNair
Rating: This chapter PG-13, possibly increasing to R in later chapters
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the BBC
Summary: What's the point in dying if you can't learn how to live?
A/N: Title borrowed from Muse. Apparently this thing between Hal and Alex won't leave me alone. Not sure how many chapters this will take yet, but this follows on from these other fics.
Part 1
~oOo~
They don't talk about how Alex is feeling.
"I'm hungry," says Hal as Tom and Alex enter the room. They both stop mid stride and look at him.
"Hal, we know yer 'ungry, that's why yer tied up."
Hal smiles as he replies.
"No, Tom, you don't understand. I'm hungry. For food. Proper food."
Alex walks over to him and bends down at a safe distance, looking into his eyes.
"When you say proper food, do you mean stuff like Tom eats? Or do you mean like a victim with good manners?"
Hal rolls his eyes at her.
"God forbid that I should ever eat like like Tom, but yes, I mean actual food that people eat, rather than the people who eat the actual food."
Tom circles round behind Alex.
"Is that normal then, does it mean summat?"
"It means that the effects of the blood I ingested are wearing off. It means I'm on my way to beating it."
He looks at Alex with wide pleading eyes.
"Well, that's good… if it's true. How do we know this isn't just a wee ruse you've thought up to try and trick us?"
"And why would I do that?"
"Oh, I dunno, maybe cos yer've bin beggin' us to let ya go ever since we tied y' up. I'm sorry Hal, I want ya better as much as you do, but I weren't born yesterday. I'm not gonna jus' untie ya, and watch ya run out the door and start killin' the neighbours."
Alex steps forward, closer to Hal, crouching down between his legs. She reaches up and pulls his lips apart, checking his teeth, surprised that Hal allows it. She stands again, and he looks her in the eye, holding her gaze.
"I think he's telling the truth, Tom. But we can't risk it, not yet."
"For God's sake, I know I'm over the worst of it! I've been through this before. You can't keep me tied to this damned chair forever!"
Hal struggles against the retraints with a growl of frustration.
Tom folds his arms, unmoved by the display.
"Well, that t' me weren't the be'aviour of a changed vampire, Hal. But, I was talkin' to a bloke in the cafe a coupl' a days ago, an' 'e gave me summat that might be useful."
Tom goes over to the bar and picks up his rucksack from where he dumped it earlier. He rummages in the depths for a few seconds, before his hand emerges, holding two pairs of handcuffs.
"Handcuffs?" Alex and Hal speak in unison.
"Yeah. Right, cos, I'm not unfeelin' Hal, I know it must be 'orrible, bein' tied to a chair fer days on end, but I didn' know what else t' do wi' ya. Any road, this bloke's let me 'ave these, in exchange fer a week of freebies at the cafe."
Hal and Alex both look at Tom with suspicion.
"What kind of bloke exchanges handcuffs for food?"
"Yes, a very good point, Alex." Hal nods in agreement with her question.
"I dunno, is it impor'nt?"
Alex folds her arms defensively.
"Um yes… No… I don't know, it's just… not normal. Hal, help me out here."
"Alex, this is the man who somehow, randomly managed to acquire the chemicals for kitchen sink bombs, from someone in the cafe. He's kind of set a precedent. Tom, when you say you were talking to this man, what exactly did you tell him?"
Hal's accusatory tone chips at Tom's formerly confident facade.
"No, look, I didn' say anythin' I shouldn', I'm not stupid. I didn' jus' go up t' some random bloke in the cafe and say 'excuse me mate, I've got a vampire tied up in me lounge, can y'give us 'and to keep him restrained like', gimme some credit will yer."
Hal and Alex exchange looks, and Tom nervously licks his lips.
" 'E were sellin' 'em, I dunno why. They were dead pricey, so I offered t' let 'im eat fer nothin' while 'e were stayin' in Barry."
Tom looks at his friends earnestly, the handcuffs dangling from his hand. Alex and Hal exchange glances again.
"They're proper 'n' everything', Police cuffs, 'e said."
Alex's eyebrows raise.
"Oh well that's okay then. Nothing suspicious about that at all."
Tom runs his hand over his head, looking cornered, it had seemed like a perfect solution at the time. Hal sees his discomfort.
"Look, Tom, you have them now, so what did you have in mind?"
Alex spins round to face Hal.
"What, so you're okay with this?"
"Alex, I've been tied to this chair for days, I'm pretty much willing to try anything."
She spins back round to face Tom.
"Fine. So, what are we going to do, just untie him and hope he doesn't overpower us, and run out the door before you can cuff him?"
Tom sighs, and cracks his neck in readiness.
"Not quite. I'll cuff 'im to me while you untie 'im. 'E won't bite me cos of me blood. Then when 'es free, we take 'im upstairs and cuff 'im to 'is bed wi' both 'ands, and tie 'is feet to the other end. It'll be more comfy at least."
Hal gives Tom a look of disdain.
"And that's it, you just imprison me in a different position?"
"You're th' one keeps saying' ya wake up wi' a crick in yer neck. I'm tryin' t' be 'elpful Hal, but I can jus' leave ya down 'ere if y' like."
"No, it's fine. A change is as good as being set free in the circumstances, I suppose. "
Alex smirks and stands out Tom's way.
Tom beams at Hal and comes and snaps a cuff over Hal's right wrist. Hal looks at it, and then then looks up at Tom.
"Before you put the other one on, you do have the keys for these, don't you?"
Tom's smile fades.
"Oh. I knew there were summat missin'."
Hal gives him a look, but then Tom thrusts his hand into the pocket of his shorts, emerging with two sets of keys and a silly grin.
"Only kiddin', I ain't as daft as you seem to think I am sometimes, y'know. Right, Alex, take these keys and put 'em somewhere safe. I'm gonna cuff meself to Hal now, and then you can carefully undo all the thingies."
Tom slips the other cuff over his left wrist, joining himself to Hal. Alex takes the keys and slips them in her jacket pocket, crouching down by Hal's left foot.
"Yes, do be careful with the thingies, Alex," says Hal sarcastically, which earns him a sharp smack to the shin from the ghost.
"Hal, don't be so rude."
After some fiddling, swearing, and unhelpful hints from Tom, Alex finally manages to release Hal from his prison seat. He stretches his legs out, releasing explosive cracks from his knee joints. He slides forward in the chair, arching his back, another round of cracks sounding from his spine. Alex moves forward and gently kneads his neck before he shakily stands.
"Are you okay?" She asks, noticing him wincing as he straightens up.
"I'll be fine, just a bit stiff in places."
Alex feels herself blush, and purposefully looks the other way, as an uninvited memory slips to the front of her mind . This won't do, they were getting past this.
"Right," says Tom, cheerily, "You grab 'is other arm, an' the other set of cuffs, and we'll take 'im upstairs."
"Before you shackle me to my bed, is there any chance I could at least have a shower and change my clothes? I think even prisoners at Her Majesty's Pleasure are afforded that decency."
Tom stops, thinking it through.
"I ain't getting' in the shower wi' ya. I like ya, Hal, but that's a bit too far."
Hal sighs.
"You don't need to come in with me, just let me shower and change, and then cuff me again. I won't try to escape, I promise."
"I'm sorry Hal, I wanna trust ya mate, but I don' think it's good idea. Maybe Alex can give y'a bed bath or summat."
Alex lets out an indignant squeak, as Hal's eyes widen.
"I don't think so! That is so not going to happen. You'll have to go in the shower with him, it'll be less awkward."
"Neither of you has to be awkward. Tom can just put his cuffed arm in with me. Although really, I'm hardly likely to make an escape whilst naked and covered in soap."
Alex bites her lip, trying not to think about it. Tom looks faintly sick.
"Fine. I'll put me arm in. But no washing yer downstairs wi' that hand."
"Believe me Tom, that is the last place I want your hand anywhere near."
Alex has been thinking about the logistics, in an attempt to not think about the actual shower.
"Wait, how will we get his shirt off? He's cuffed to you."
"We'll 'ave t' cut it off."
"Don't be absurd. It's simple, I get it off the other arm, over my head, you then cuff yourself to my bare arm, and release this one." Hal holds up his arm, bringing Tom's up with it.
"Right, well let's go then, cos I'm dead tired, an' I've got t' be up early again in th' mornin.' No rest fer the wicked, eh?"
Hal throws a glance at Alex as she takes hold of his left arm. They carefully escort Hal upstairs to the bathroom, Tom leading the way, and Alex bringing up the rear, trying hard not to focus on the curve of Hal's bottom as he makes his way up the staircase in front of her.
This won't be awkward in any way at all.
Author: the_willows
Characters: Hal Yorke/Alex, Tom McNair
Rating: This chapter PG-13, possibly increasing to R in later chapters
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the BBC
Summary: What's the point in dying if you can't learn how to live?
A/N: Title borrowed from Muse. Apparently this thing between Hal and Alex won't leave me alone. Not sure how many chapters this will take yet, but this follows on from these other fics.
Part 1
~oOo~
They don't talk about how Alex is feeling.
"I'm hungry," says Hal as Tom and Alex enter the room. They both stop mid stride and look at him.
"Hal, we know yer 'ungry, that's why yer tied up."
Hal smiles as he replies.
"No, Tom, you don't understand. I'm hungry. For food. Proper food."
Alex walks over to him and bends down at a safe distance, looking into his eyes.
"When you say proper food, do you mean stuff like Tom eats? Or do you mean like a victim with good manners?"
Hal rolls his eyes at her.
"God forbid that I should ever eat like like Tom, but yes, I mean actual food that people eat, rather than the people who eat the actual food."
Tom circles round behind Alex.
"Is that normal then, does it mean summat?"
"It means that the effects of the blood I ingested are wearing off. It means I'm on my way to beating it."
He looks at Alex with wide pleading eyes.
"Well, that's good… if it's true. How do we know this isn't just a wee ruse you've thought up to try and trick us?"
"And why would I do that?"
"Oh, I dunno, maybe cos yer've bin beggin' us to let ya go ever since we tied y' up. I'm sorry Hal, I want ya better as much as you do, but I weren't born yesterday. I'm not gonna jus' untie ya, and watch ya run out the door and start killin' the neighbours."
Alex steps forward, closer to Hal, crouching down between his legs. She reaches up and pulls his lips apart, checking his teeth, surprised that Hal allows it. She stands again, and he looks her in the eye, holding her gaze.
"I think he's telling the truth, Tom. But we can't risk it, not yet."
"For God's sake, I know I'm over the worst of it! I've been through this before. You can't keep me tied to this damned chair forever!"
Hal struggles against the retraints with a growl of frustration.
Tom folds his arms, unmoved by the display.
"Well, that t' me weren't the be'aviour of a changed vampire, Hal. But, I was talkin' to a bloke in the cafe a coupl' a days ago, an' 'e gave me summat that might be useful."
Tom goes over to the bar and picks up his rucksack from where he dumped it earlier. He rummages in the depths for a few seconds, before his hand emerges, holding two pairs of handcuffs.
"Handcuffs?" Alex and Hal speak in unison.
"Yeah. Right, cos, I'm not unfeelin' Hal, I know it must be 'orrible, bein' tied to a chair fer days on end, but I didn' know what else t' do wi' ya. Any road, this bloke's let me 'ave these, in exchange fer a week of freebies at the cafe."
Hal and Alex both look at Tom with suspicion.
"What kind of bloke exchanges handcuffs for food?"
"Yes, a very good point, Alex." Hal nods in agreement with her question.
"I dunno, is it impor'nt?"
Alex folds her arms defensively.
"Um yes… No… I don't know, it's just… not normal. Hal, help me out here."
"Alex, this is the man who somehow, randomly managed to acquire the chemicals for kitchen sink bombs, from someone in the cafe. He's kind of set a precedent. Tom, when you say you were talking to this man, what exactly did you tell him?"
Hal's accusatory tone chips at Tom's formerly confident facade.
"No, look, I didn' say anythin' I shouldn', I'm not stupid. I didn' jus' go up t' some random bloke in the cafe and say 'excuse me mate, I've got a vampire tied up in me lounge, can y'give us 'and to keep him restrained like', gimme some credit will yer."
Hal and Alex exchange looks, and Tom nervously licks his lips.
" 'E were sellin' 'em, I dunno why. They were dead pricey, so I offered t' let 'im eat fer nothin' while 'e were stayin' in Barry."
Tom looks at his friends earnestly, the handcuffs dangling from his hand. Alex and Hal exchange glances again.
"They're proper 'n' everything', Police cuffs, 'e said."
Alex's eyebrows raise.
"Oh well that's okay then. Nothing suspicious about that at all."
Tom runs his hand over his head, looking cornered, it had seemed like a perfect solution at the time. Hal sees his discomfort.
"Look, Tom, you have them now, so what did you have in mind?"
Alex spins round to face Hal.
"What, so you're okay with this?"
"Alex, I've been tied to this chair for days, I'm pretty much willing to try anything."
She spins back round to face Tom.
"Fine. So, what are we going to do, just untie him and hope he doesn't overpower us, and run out the door before you can cuff him?"
Tom sighs, and cracks his neck in readiness.
"Not quite. I'll cuff 'im to me while you untie 'im. 'E won't bite me cos of me blood. Then when 'es free, we take 'im upstairs and cuff 'im to 'is bed wi' both 'ands, and tie 'is feet to the other end. It'll be more comfy at least."
Hal gives Tom a look of disdain.
"And that's it, you just imprison me in a different position?"
"You're th' one keeps saying' ya wake up wi' a crick in yer neck. I'm tryin' t' be 'elpful Hal, but I can jus' leave ya down 'ere if y' like."
"No, it's fine. A change is as good as being set free in the circumstances, I suppose. "
Alex smirks and stands out Tom's way.
Tom beams at Hal and comes and snaps a cuff over Hal's right wrist. Hal looks at it, and then then looks up at Tom.
"Before you put the other one on, you do have the keys for these, don't you?"
Tom's smile fades.
"Oh. I knew there were summat missin'."
Hal gives him a look, but then Tom thrusts his hand into the pocket of his shorts, emerging with two sets of keys and a silly grin.
"Only kiddin', I ain't as daft as you seem to think I am sometimes, y'know. Right, Alex, take these keys and put 'em somewhere safe. I'm gonna cuff meself to Hal now, and then you can carefully undo all the thingies."
Tom slips the other cuff over his left wrist, joining himself to Hal. Alex takes the keys and slips them in her jacket pocket, crouching down by Hal's left foot.
"Yes, do be careful with the thingies, Alex," says Hal sarcastically, which earns him a sharp smack to the shin from the ghost.
"Hal, don't be so rude."
After some fiddling, swearing, and unhelpful hints from Tom, Alex finally manages to release Hal from his prison seat. He stretches his legs out, releasing explosive cracks from his knee joints. He slides forward in the chair, arching his back, another round of cracks sounding from his spine. Alex moves forward and gently kneads his neck before he shakily stands.
"Are you okay?" She asks, noticing him wincing as he straightens up.
"I'll be fine, just a bit stiff in places."
Alex feels herself blush, and purposefully looks the other way, as an uninvited memory slips to the front of her mind . This won't do, they were getting past this.
"Right," says Tom, cheerily, "You grab 'is other arm, an' the other set of cuffs, and we'll take 'im upstairs."
"Before you shackle me to my bed, is there any chance I could at least have a shower and change my clothes? I think even prisoners at Her Majesty's Pleasure are afforded that decency."
Tom stops, thinking it through.
"I ain't getting' in the shower wi' ya. I like ya, Hal, but that's a bit too far."
Hal sighs.
"You don't need to come in with me, just let me shower and change, and then cuff me again. I won't try to escape, I promise."
"I'm sorry Hal, I wanna trust ya mate, but I don' think it's good idea. Maybe Alex can give y'a bed bath or summat."
Alex lets out an indignant squeak, as Hal's eyes widen.
"I don't think so! That is so not going to happen. You'll have to go in the shower with him, it'll be less awkward."
"Neither of you has to be awkward. Tom can just put his cuffed arm in with me. Although really, I'm hardly likely to make an escape whilst naked and covered in soap."
Alex bites her lip, trying not to think about it. Tom looks faintly sick.
"Fine. I'll put me arm in. But no washing yer downstairs wi' that hand."
"Believe me Tom, that is the last place I want your hand anywhere near."
Alex has been thinking about the logistics, in an attempt to not think about the actual shower.
"Wait, how will we get his shirt off? He's cuffed to you."
"We'll 'ave t' cut it off."
"Don't be absurd. It's simple, I get it off the other arm, over my head, you then cuff yourself to my bare arm, and release this one." Hal holds up his arm, bringing Tom's up with it.
"Right, well let's go then, cos I'm dead tired, an' I've got t' be up early again in th' mornin.' No rest fer the wicked, eh?"
Hal throws a glance at Alex as she takes hold of his left arm. They carefully escort Hal upstairs to the bathroom, Tom leading the way, and Alex bringing up the rear, trying hard not to focus on the curve of Hal's bottom as he makes his way up the staircase in front of her.
This won't be awkward in any way at all.