Dead Or Alive
The rain lashed down, the wind howled, chilling the bones of anyone foolish enough to be out this night. Few were fool enough to venture out; the ones that were, scurrying as fast as they could, heads down, hands in their pockets.
Except for one.
He strode forward confidently, seemingly oblivious to the driving rain, the frigid cold and the wind billowing his floor-length leather coat out behind him. He looked almost familiar like someone you thought you might have seen on TV once, but by the time you would have taken a second glance, he was gone.
He stopped; head cocked to the side, eyes closed as he listened for something only he could hear. With a frown and a nod of the head, he took off, running down a dark, dingy alley.
It was the right alley.
He slowed his pace, reaching inside his coat to pull something from the waistband of his sodden jeans. It was too dark to see what he held in his hand as he flattened himself against the slimy, wet wall, slowly and silently inching his way forward until he had them in his sight.
It was the same old story; a male had lured an unsuspecting female with his guile, then turned on her as soon as the coast was clear, trapping her against the wall, covering her mouth with his hand as his inner demon rose to the surface to feed.
The feed was, however, not to be completed this time as the hunter came up behind them. The human's eyes widened as she saw him approach. The hunter's reflexes were faster than the vampires and he staked him before he could attack, the creature turning to dust with a scream as he disintegrated before their eyes.
The hunter turned his attention to the female, flashing her a grin that left her weak at the knees. One hand came up and shoved her shoulder back against the wall, his mouth going to the wound at her neck, He ran his tongue along the length of the jagged laceration, lapping at her blood before pressing a kiss to the skin behind her ear. He pulled back, both of them breathing heavily as he met her eyes
"Go!" He snarled and she ran, not stopping to look back at her saviour.
His fingers clutched at the corner of he wall as he held himself upright, watching her flee into the night. He grinned to himself in satisfaction, tongue darting out to lick his lips, wiping away the last of the blood that still clung to his fangs
Her hand was limp and clammy in his as he watched her staring at the closed elevator doors, nervously chewing on her lower lip.
"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" He squeezed her hand and she turned to face him.
She shook her head. "No. I'm just a little nervous. I... I've never done this before. Well, not like this anyway."
He laughed. "Don't worry, I don't bite." He grinned at her and she felt her stomach flip, remembering why she was here and why she wanted to do this with... with him. She tucked a strand of dark red hair behind her ear and squeezed his hand gently, smiling back at him.
The elevator groaned to a halt, the doors sliding open to let the other occupant leave. No one else joined them and the elevator continued its journey. Her grin turned mischievous and she reached out to hit the stop button before turning and pushing him against the wall. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she kissed him, their tongues duelling. He brought his hands up to cup the back of her head, grinding his hard erection against her soft, supple body.
"Now that's more like it," he whispered against her lips, hands sliding under her top to massage her breasts. "I like my girls feisty." She groaned as he toyed with her nipples through the silk of her bra, thrusting into his touch.
She slumped against him, breathing heavily. He laughed and started the elevator moving again.
It didn't take long for them to reach the floor his room was on and they ran hand in hand down the corridor, giggling like children. He unlocked the door and gestured for her to enter.
"Ladies first."
She stepped inside and looked around, eyes widening. "Wow! This place... it's beautiful."
He ran the backs of his knuckles down her cheeks and kissed her on the lips. "So are you."
She blushed and started to unbutton his shirt, pushing it down over his shoulders. "I bet you say that to all the girls."
He grinned but didn't reply, and she knew she was right. But she couldn't bring herself to care as he pulled her top off, pushing her down on the bed. His hands reached under her, unfastening her bra and she unzipped his jeans. Both fully naked, he straddled her hips, erection teasing her stomach.
She ran her eyes over his muscular form. "Wow," she breathed. "Just look at you." The compliment quickly turned into a gasp of pleasure, her nipple sucked into his mouth, worried gently with his teeth. She arched up against him, moaning his name, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
They rocked against each other, his erection slipping easily inside her. She groaned at the feeling and at the rapid pace he set, but it wasn't long before she was wrapping her legs around him, encouraging and pushing him deeper inside her.
His mouth latched onto her neck, biting and licking hard enough to mark her. His fangs had just started to slide down when the door to the room opened. He stopped, retracted his fangs, and looked over his shoulder, raising one eyebrow at Richie who was standing in the doorway.
"I... I'll come back later," the guitarist mumbled, blushing as he turned and closed the door behind him.
The girl giggled. "Pity - he could have joined us."
He growled and bit her playfully on the shoulder. "You're mine," he told her, plunging his tongue into her mouth. "And I don't like sharing."
His mouth returned to her neck, fangs sliding down to make two little holes in the middle of the love bite. He drank deeply while he fucked her and she writhed on the bed beneath him. Her muscles contracted around him as she came, milking him until he orgasmed with a grunt.
His tongue darted out, lapping at each of the puncture marks, healing the wounds but leaving the bruises. They like that, he discovered, getting a hickey from him.
His Hunger sated, he rolled to the side, watching her as she caught her breath. He brushed the hair from her eyes and kissed the pulse point on her throat.
She lifted his chin up and kissed him on the lips "You are amazing, but you already know that." She slid off the bed, pulled on her clothes and slipped out of the door."
He grinned and lay on his back, hands folded under his head. He ran his tongue over his fangs as they shrunk back to the size of human teeth.
God, he loved groupies!
The vampire watched the show from the shadows, unseen by mortal eyes. If anyone came too close, it wasn't hard for him to convince him or her to turn the other way.
He rested his hip against the wall, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the band. It was the first time they'd played in his town since... He shook his head; the first time for a while.
And, as much as he hated to admit it, they weren't bad. Even if he was supposed to be up there with them.
He scowled, demon face surfacing at his displeasure. He snarled, human face shifting to the fore lest anyone should see him.
A shiver ran through him as the young one looked directly at him. His eyes widened and he stepped farther back into the darkness. Damn, he hadn't realised the young one would still be able to sense him. He smiled to himself; it shouldn't have been that much of a surprise, if he was honest. The young one had always been very strong.
Satisfied, he pulled his coat tighter around him and he stalked out of the arena and into the night
The damp towel slipped from Jon's shoulders as he sprawled along the back seat of the limo, leaning against Richie's shoulder. He sighed heavily and Richie shifted position to wrap his arms around the singer.
"What's up?" Richie asked, running his fingers through Jon's loosely curling hair. Jon purred, relaxing against Richie.
"Nothing."
"Uh-huh..."
Jon laughed. "Just tired, I guess. Took a lot out of myself tonight."
"Uh-huh..." Richie still wasn't convinced. "You were very... non-energetic out there. Have been for a few days. What's wrong, JB?"
Jon sighed, he really should have known better than to try and lie to Richie. They'd known each other too long for either of them to pull the wool over the other's eyes.
"Did you... tonight... did you ever get the feeling you were being watched?"
Richie snorted with laughter. "Jon, there was what... twenty-five thousand people out there. Yeah, I got the feeling I was being watched."
Jon sighed. That wasn't quite what he meant; only he didn't have the words to explain it. "Not like that. Like you were being Watched." He emphasised the W, trying to convey his feelings.
Richie shook his head and Jon's face fell. "Oh," he mumbled. He shrugged his shoulders, trying to force a cheery tone back in his voice. "I was probably imagining it. I've not been sleeping well, bad dreams... they were probably just in my head or something."
"Could be..."
Both men fell silent, content relaxing in each other's company. Jon rested his feet up against the door, head still on Richie's shoulder as he dozed, Richie's arms around him. He smiled to himself, eyes drifting closed.
Richie felt Jon relax against his shoulder and looked down at him with a fond smile. He ran his fingers down the singers face, stifling a chuckle as Jon screwed his face up. Richie slumped back against the leather seat and asked the driver how long it would take to get back to the hotel. He sighed at the answer; rolling his neck to try to alleviate some of the stiffness he felt settling in from the way Jon was leaning against him.
Jon winced at the crack and blinked, twisting around to look at Richie. "Please tell me that wasn't your neck that just made that noise."
"Sorry." Richie carried on rolling his neck, cracking it a few times. "Ahh, that's better."
Jon sat up, watching Richie for a few minutes. The guitarist was restless, drumming his fingers on his thigh, rolling his shoulders, staring out the window. "Rich, you OK?"
"Yeah, just a bit... I don't know, tense and wound up right now." He motioned to the driver to stop the car and opened the door. "I need some fresh air, Jon. It ain't far to the hotel so I'm gonna walk it. Meet you there in a few?"
Jon scowled, but nodded. "You be careful out there, ok?"
Richie grinned. "Yes, mom."
Jon stuck his tongue out as Richie closed the door and the limo continued on its way
Richie shivered and dug his hands deeper into the pockets of his jeans. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to walk back to the hotel after all; it was bloody cold! His fingers brushed over his cell phone and he briefly toyed with the idea of calling Jon and getting the car sent back for him. But he couldn't be that far from the hotel and it felt so good to be outside.
"Hey, Richie! Wait up man!"
Richie slowed his pace, gritting his teeth. He did not want to see a fan right now, he wanted to be alone. He couldn't help but think the voice sounded familiar though. He took a deep breath and turned around to face...
"Alec! Hey man, how you been?" He grasped Alec's shoulders, taking a good look at him before pulling him close for a hug. "You look good." He told him when they parted.
"So do you." Alec grinned broadly. "What you doing out here? Shouldn't you be installed in some cushy hotel room?" He raised an eyebrow as he teased his old friend.
"Yeah, probably. But..." he shook his head. "I just had to get outside. Walking back, you know how I get. What you doing out here?"
Alec smirked to himself 'well of course you had to get outside, I've been calling you for long enough' "I got a place nearby." He gestured vaguely. "Just walking home after the gig."
"The gig... You were there? You should have said something, come backstage to say 'hi'"
Alec shook his head. "Maybe... It was good to be there... You were good."
"Thanks. You mean you wanted to be there cavorting with all the gorgeous girls. Pick up a groupie or two who still want a piece of Alec John Such?" Alec laughed, but it sounded forced even to his own ears. Richie frowned at the sad look on Alec's face. "Al?"
"They don't remember me anymore." He shrugged. "But it's cool," he added hurriedly, cutting of Richie's apology.
"Alec, I... I'm sorry about what happened back then, between you and Jon. It was shit and he..."
"... Did the right thing, Richie. We both know I fucked up." Richie scowled and Alec tried to change the subject. "So, uh... how is Jon? How're things between the two of you?"
"Jon's good. The same as ever really." Richie grinned. "Things are great and... "
"And you still haven't told him, have you?" Alec laughed. "Jesus, Richie. It's been what, nearly twenty years and you still haven't told him."
"No. No I haven't." Richie admitted. "How can I? Just pull him to one side and say 'oh, by the way Jon. I think you should know that I...'" Richie laughed. "Ain't gonna happen, Alec. Anyway, how are things for you?"
Alec nodded. "Yeah, they're good. I got me a bike shop and I'm looking after a couple of local bands." He glanced down at his watch. "Look, if you're not in too much of a hurry to get back to hotel, I know a bar we could go to, catch up properly..."
Richie grinned. "Yeah, I'd like that."
"You, my friend, are drunk." Alec slurred, gesturing wildly with the bottle he was holding.
"So are you." Richie pointed out with a drunken giggle.
"Never said I wasn't. But you gotta travel in... in a few hours. Not fun with a hangover."
"Nope." Richie swigged down the last of his beer and stood up, holding onto the bar for support as he swayed.
Alec laughed as he stood, almost falling to the floor. "I'll walk you back to your hotel - you won't know the way."
"Ever the gentleman, aren't you, Alec?"
Their arms slung around each other, the two drunken guitarists stumbled out of the bar and into the night. Alec led them deeper and deeper into an old, derelict industrial estate.
Richie stopped and looked around with a frown. "You sure this is the right way?"
"Sure. It's my town, Richie. And this is a shortcut."
"Oh. Well, if you're sure..."
"Course I am." Alec directed him into an abandoned warehouse. "I just gotta catch my breath for a second." He leaned against a wall, watching Richie from under hooded eyelids as the guitarist slid down to the floor, back against a metal pillar, head dropped down on his chest. "Richie?" He called softly, grinning when Richie didn't respond. He shook himself, stretching as he pulled himself up. Damn, he'd forgotten how much Richie could drink before he passed out. He'd been hard pressed to keep up with him. Not that it mattered now, of course.
Alec crouched down next to Richie, a set of handcuffs in his hand. He pulled both of Richie's arms behind the pillar, locking his wrists together with the cuffs and used a dirty bandana from his pocket to gag him.
Alec took a step back to admire his handiwork before leaning in and slapping Richie repeatedly around the face until he blinked blearily up at him. The dazed expression soon turned to one of panic as Richie took in his surroundings, pulling at the cuffs, grunting at Alec through the gag.
Alec grinned and sat down on the floor next to Richie. He ran his fingers down the side of Richie's face, laughing when he jerked his head away. "I must confess I lied about a few things. The main one, as you can see, is that this is not the way to your hotel. More like a dead end, really. You're probably wondering what the fuck is going on. Well, it's a long story and to be honest, I can't be bothered to tell you it." Alec shifted to kneel in front of Richie. "The condensed version is that I have something to say to Jon. And guess what, Sambora..."
Richie's eyes widened and he paled as he watched Alec's face turn from human to the ridged and fanged features of a vampire. He swallowed heavily, tugging as hard as he could against the cuffs, but to no avail.
Alec grabbed Richie's head in his hands, tilted it to the side and brushed his hair away from his neck. His next words were distorted slightly, his elongated teeth grazing along Richie's neck. "You're the message!"
"Why waste the energy?" Jon asked from where he was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. "Why not just tell me to my face?"
Alec growled and looked up, a sulky expression on his face. "Because that would be boring," he pointed out. "My way is much more fun!" Jon raised an eyebrow but didn't reply or move to stop Alec as he bent back down to Richie. Alec sank his fangs into Richie's neck, pulling away almost instantly, a disgusted look on his face. He pushed Richie away, the guitarist's head banging against the pillar he was chained to, knocking him out. "He's marked!" Alec snarled, spitting on the floor.
Jon rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the wall, circling Alec, running one finger over his chest. "Well of course he is. You really thought I'd l eave him unmarked if I thought there was the slightest chance you'd be back? I don't think so!" Jon shoved Alec hard, sending the vampire flying back against the far wall, a pile of debris falling on top of him.
Jon crouched down in front of Richie, pulling the gag from his mouth. "Richie?" He cupped Richie's cheek in his hand, willing the guitarist to open his eyes. "Come on, Richie, look at me." Richie moaned, his eyes flickering open.
"Jon?" He wet his lips, a pained expression on his face as he moved his aching head.
"Hey." Jon smiled at Richie. He spotted the handcuff key on the floor and grabbed it, leaning over Richie to free him.
"Jon..." There was a note of panic in Richie's voice. "Alec... he's moving."
"I know." Jon placed the key into one of Richie's hands, curling his fingers into a fist around it. "Got it?" Richie nodded and Jon started to rise to his feet when he sensed Alec standing right behind him. Alec grabbed hold of Jon's shirt-collar and threw him against the wall.
Jon slid to the floor, shaking his head, his features changing from human to vampire as he pulled himself to his feet. He stared at Alec, narrowing his eyes and pushing Alec backward. "That hurt!" He growled.
"It was supposed to." Alec pushed Jon back in retaliation, starting a shoving match that lasted until Alec stumbled, falling to the floor.
Richie moaned, watching the two of them fight, Alec knocking the breath from Jon with a kick to the stomach. He shook his head in confusion; Jon was a... some sort of creature and so was Alec? He had to be dreaming, he told himself. But it all seemed so tangible as Jon sent a punch to Alec's jaw, snapping his head back.
Remembering the key Jon had left in his hand, Richie fumbled with it, trying to unlock the cuffs without dropping it. He sighed in relief when he heard the lock click open. He rubbed his wrists where the metal bracelets had abraded his skin. He used the pillar he was leaning against to pull himself shakily to his feet, looking around the warehouse.
Jon and Alec didn't seem to have noticed him as they continued fighting. Both of their clothing was ripped, Alec had a split lip, and Jon had a bleeding cut above one of his eyes. Richie winced as Jon kicked Alec in the balls, the bassist dropping to his knees with a hiss, before springing up and hitting Jon in the face with a volley of punches.
Richie took an involuntary step backward, massaging his stiff neck. He frowned as his fingers came away sticky. He brought his hand to his face, eyes widening at the sight of blood. Alec had... what? Bitten him hard enough to draw blood?
He had to get out of there, he realised, but he couldn't just leave Jon, could he? It looked like Alec was winning the fight and if Jon was killed... He'd barely taken a step forward when a wave of nausea and dizziness caught him and he sank to his knees.
Jon heard Richie's groans and he looked over at him. He was distracted long enough for Alec to get in a blow to the back of his head. A kick to the back of his knees and Jon was on the floor. While he was down, Alec kicked him in the kidneys. Jon curled up on the floor, arms wrapped around himself, hands cradling his injured kidneys.
Alec turned his attention back to Richie, crouching down in front of the human. He ran his fingers over the still bleeding wound on Richie's neck. He brought his fingers to his face and licked the blood off. "I may not be able to drain you," he told Richie conversationally. "But there is more than one way to kill a human. Most of them extremely painful. For the human, that is."
"Leave him alone." Jon ground out, pushing himself to his feet. He was breathing heavily, weaving all over the place as he made his way over to them, propping himself up against the pillar.
Alec sighed and looked up at Jon. "Aren't you dead yet?" He looked back at Richie. "Sleep" He intoned.
"Don't listen to him, Richie. Ignore everything he says." Jon pushed back, panting with the exertion of the suggestion.
Alec laughed. "You really are out of it, aren't you? I would have thought you would have realised there was no push behind my words." He ran his fingers along Richie's jaw. "Thought you really are quite open to suggestions, aren't you, Richie? Ideas like 'go outside, walk back to the hotel' and..."
"You bastard!" Jon hissed. "You... you set this whole thing up."
"That's right, Jonny. I did. And mind your language!" Alec slapped Jon across the face, sending him back against the pillar, stars dancing before his eyes. Grabbing Richie's arm, Alec dragged him to his feet, pinning him to the pillar, one hard leg insinuating itself between Richie's thighs. He leaned in close; kissing Richie hard, fangs puncturing his lower lip as he pulled away, tongue lapping up the blood that welled to the surface. He laughed as Richie struggled against him, but the drunken guitarist's strength was no match for his. "Just imagine all the fun we could have with these humans, Jon. All the things we could get them do to for us."
Jon growled and lashed out at Alec, fist raised to punch him in the face. But Alec was ready for him. He grabbed Jon's arm, propelling him backwards and slamming him against the wall. He placed one arm over Jon's throat in a chokehold as he pulled something from his jacket pocket.
Jon's eyes widened and he shook his head, mouthing the word 'no' as Alec showed him the stake he held.
"Oh yes." Alec's eyes glittered as he ripped Jon's shirt, pressing the wooden point against the skin of his chest.
Jon grit his teeth, expression of pure agony and panic spreading across his face as Alec scratched the surface of his skin with the stake, never piercing through enough to kill him
"Just go ahead and stake me if that's what you're going to do. We both know you've wanted to for the last 200 years"
Alec laughed and pressed the stake harder against Jon's chest, the other vampire's moans of pain ringing in his ears. "Don't worry, I will. Just not yet." He pulled back slightly, toying with Jon, tracing light patterns over his skin with the point. "I don't want to kill you, Jon, but I have to. You see, someone's been going around killing our kind. And then, not only do I find out it's been happening in MY town, but that this little Buffy-wannabe is my own childe. Do you know how that makes me feel? Do you have any idea how disappointed I am in you?" Alec pressed a kiss to Jon's throat, lips sliding to his neck. "If you were human, I could imagine how fast your heart would be beating right now; how strong the fear rolling off you would be," he whispered, fangs sinking into Jon as he drank his blood.
Jon moaned, eyes rolling back in his head, slumping back against the wall, Alec's grip on him the only thing keeping him upright.
Alec pulled back, his skin flushed with Jon's blood. He plunged his tongue into Jon's mouth, sharing the taste of the blood in one last kiss.
"Goodbye, Jon"
Alec took a deep breath, pressing the stake harder and harder against Jon's chest until... The pressure eased.
Jon sucked in a shaky breath, opening his eyes in time to see a piece of pointed wood fall from Richie's nerveless fingers as the guitarist pitched forward in a dead faint. Jon caught him before he hit the floor, laying him down on his back, sitting beside him, waiting for him to come around.
Richie moaned, his eyes flickering open. "Jon?"
Jon sprung to his feet, turning his back on Richie. He wrapped his arms around his stomach, forehead resting on the cold brick wall. Neither of them spoke, Jon's harsh breathing the only sound in the otherwise silent warehouse.
Richie slowly sat up, knees to his chest, back against the wall, sitting next to Jon. "You.... You're a... a... And... and Al... Alec, he's a... was a... a..."
"Vampire," Jon supplied softly. "The word you're looking for is 'vampire'"
"V... V... V... Va... Va... Vam... Vampire?" Richie echoed. "Oh. How... how long. I mean, how... how old a...are you?" He needed to know, curiosity coming to the fore.
"350. Give or take."
"Oh. And... And Al... Alec?"
"I don't know. 5, maybe 600, I guess."
"Oh." Richie looked up at Jon's back. "You two known each... each other long?"
"Yeah. He made me." Jon sighed, lifting his head up from the wall, staring at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, Rich. I didn't mean for you to find out, not like this."
"Were you ever going to tell me? Any of us?"
"Probably not," Jon admitted. "It's not the sort of thing you can just blurt out. 'Oh, and by the way, guys. I probably should have told you this 20 years ago, I'm like a 350 year old vampire." He laughed dryly, punching the wall.
"OK, yeah..." Richie agreed with Jon. "What... What happened? Between you and Alec, I mean."
"We fell out in the early 1800's. Vampires... we're solitary by nature, generally don't spend much time with others of our kind. Me and Alec, we'd been together, in all meanings of the word, for something like 140 years and... it was too much. We fell out. I left him, came to America. Didn't see him again until the early 1980's. It turned out we had something in common again; the band. We tried to put our differences aside, but..."
"But you couldn't stand being near each other
"Exactly. To start with things were great, y'know? It was just like in the olden days; we hunted, we drank, we fucked... but then..." He laughed and shook his head. "We fought and I won, so he left."
"What would have happened if Alec had won?" Richie was fairly sure he knew the answer, but had to ask anyway.
"I would have left."
Richie nodded; he thought so. He shifted on the floor, ass getting numb from sitting on the cold concrete. "Jon, look at me. Please?"
"No, Richie... I don't... I don't want you seeing me like this. And I can't..."
"Well, sit down at least? I'm getting a stiff neck looking up at you." Jon sighed, but sat down next to Richie, chin against his chest so Richie couldn't see his face. "Alec said something about me being 'marked'," Richie continued. "What... What did he mean?"
"Umm..." Jon took a deep breath before replying. "When a... a vampire cares for a human, he can 'mark' the human for protection against other vampires. It's not a physical mark more a... a scent or a taste. I'm not exactly sure how it works." He laughed softly. "I suppose it's a bit like a cat pissing to mark its territory."
Richie felt a slow smile tugging at his lips. "You... You care for me?"
"Of course I do. You're one of my best friends..." Jon trailed off, glancing at the grin on Richie's face. He had a feeling...
"And what about Dave, Tico and Hugh? Did you mark them?"
"N... No. No, I didn't. But I knew that if Alec came back he'd go after you because of how close we are." Another sideways glance showed Richie's grin had grown even broader.
Richie turned to face Jon. He reached out, lifting Jon's chin up, forcing him to look at him. Jon whimpered and tried to pull away, but Richie wouldn't let him.
"You're not the only one who cares," Richie whispered, his fingers tracing the ridges of Jon's brow. Jon tensed as Richie's thumbs trailed down his nose, before cupping his face in both hands. Richie leaned forward and kissed Jon softly on the lips. He pulled back, searching Jon's eyes.
"Oh." Jon mumbled quietly. Swallowing heavily, he kissed Richie back, cold lips brushing over the palm of Richie's hand. His face contorted, he scrabbled backwards, growling under his breath.
"Jon? What is it? What did I..."
"Get out of here, Richie. Now" Jon was breathing heavily, a note of desperation in his voice.
"What?" Richie slowly pulled himself to his feet. "Jon..."
"Richie, please..." Jon sobbed, as Richie got closer to him. "All I can smell is your blood, and your heart... it's so loud it's like a drum beating in my head. It's driving me crazy, Richie. I need... Just go! Get out of here before I do something I'll regret."
"I..." Richie was torn between trying to help his friend, and getting the hell out of there as fast as he could.
Jon curled up in a ball, shaking from head to toe. "Richie... I... I'll meet you back in your room at the hotel when I'm done." He lifted his head, putting as hard a push as he could muster into his next word. "Go!"
Richie turned, holding onto the wall. He stumbled, looking back over his shoulder, but Jon had already gone.
It was the following morning before Jon appeared in Richie's hotel room. Richie was sitting cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed as he played the guitar. He hadn't heard the door open so Jon took the opportunity to just watch him.
Opening his eyes, Richie looked up, smiling when he saw Jon. "Hey."
"Hey. Can... Can I come in?"
Richie placed his guitar on the floor. "Sure you can. Oh. I don't have to invite you or anything, do I?"
Jon shook his head. "No. I just wasn't sure if... if you'd still want me around."
"Of course I do." Richie frowned and patted the bed beside him. "Stop being stupid and come here." Jon sighed with relief, relaxing as he curled up on the bed next to Richie.
"You're not scared of me?" Jon asked hesitantly. "Of what I am?"
Richie shook his head. "Do I need to be?" He asked softly. "If you wanted to hurt me you had plenty of chances to do so last night. Like when I was tied to that pillar, or when I was unconscious after I'd k... killed Alec. Or later when you could smell my blood. But you didn't." He ran his fingers down Jon's face. "You didn't," he repeated, relieved when Jon smiled shyly, not pulling away. "And besides," he placed his hand over Jon's chest. "The Jon Bon Jovi I love is still in here." He frowned. "Oh. Uhmm... That is your name, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. John Bongiovi II. Born in Italy, can't remember where exactly, on March 2, 1636."
"Oh."
Jon couldn't help but laugh at the shocked expression on Richie's face. "It's a lot to take in, I know. I'm sorry."
"No, I'm just curious, that's all." He frowned. "What about Dorothea? Who... Who's she?"
"She is... was my wife. We married in... uhmm... the 1850's. You should have seen her, Richie, she was... she was stunning." Jon grinned, a far-away look on his face. "We'd known each other forever, grew up together... it was perfect, a fairytale almost. We... We had three children; Jacob, James and..." he broke of with a sob, tears forming in his blue eyes.
"... And Stephanie," Richie finished quietly, heart breaking at the misery etched into Jon's face.
Jon nodded. "After I... I looked after them. Made sure they had enough food and money. Dorothea, she... she remarried a few years after. She was happy with him, and they had a little girl together. She... she died of old age. My boys grew up strong and handsome and Stephanie... Oh, she was beautiful." He broke of, tears streaming down his face.
"Shit, Jon, I'm sorry. I didn't... I didn't mean to upset you."
"No, it's not your fault." Jon laughed dryly at himself, wiping away his tears. "I can't believe it still hurts this much. I lost them over 300 years ago and it still hurts like shit."
"I guess it's true what they say," Richie commented. "True love really does never die." Jon smiled weakly. "What about... When we met Dot and the kids, and... and your parents?"
"Actors."
Richie nodded; it made sense. He paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. He hand literally hundreds of questions he wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure...
"It's ok," Jon reassured him. "Anything you want to know, just ask. I don't mind."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Thanks." Richie grinned. "Uhmm... How old were you when you... when Alec turned you?"
"25."
"25? I... I thought a vampire didn't age, that they'd always look the way they did when they died."
Jon nodded. "Yeah, but... I can make people see me however I want them to, like they see me now. I can look like this or older, or younger."
"Oh. So that's how you went to school with David?"
Jon nodded again. "Yeah... I... I hadn't had an education and I wanted one. It seemed as good a time as any."
"Can I... Can I see? The real you, that is. If it's easy for you to show me..." Jon closed his eyes, exhaling heavily through his nose, face become younger before Richie's eyes. Jon's hair darkened, tumbling in thick waves around his face and down to his shoulders.
Richie didn't speak, reaching out and running his fingers down Jon's smooth cheek and over his full lips; lips that were warm, not cold as they had been the night before.
"Wow," he breathed. Jon grinned at him and Richie laughed, blushing faintly. "I'm sorry, but..." He ran his fingers through Jon's hair. "Do you know what I always wanted to do when your hair was like this?" He whispered.
Jon swallowed heavily, suddenly very aware of the sexual tension that hung heavily in the air between them, causing the hairs on the backs of his arms to stand up. "N... No"
"This."
Richie's fingers tangled in Jon's hair and he pulled him close, one hand sliding around to cup the back of his head as their lips met in a greedy kiss. Jon's lips were soft and pliant under Richie's and he parted them with his tongue, Jon's darting out to meet it.
Jon moaned and threw himself on Richie, pushing him backward on the bed, lying on top of him. Richie broke the kiss, tongue flickering out over Jon's lips as he pulled back slightly. Jon grinned down at Richie and grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt, pulling it over his head, fingers skimming across his chest. His eyes were drawn to the wound on Richie's neck. He ran his fingers hesitantly over it, chewing his lip as Richie tensed, trying not pull away.
"I could heal this for you," he offered. "If you want me to."
Richie nodded and Jon bent down, teeth lengthening to fangs as they broke the surface of the wound, blood welling into Jon's mouth.
Richie stiffened on the bed, fingers clutching in Jon's shirt.
"Just relax, Rich." Jon muttered. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." He swallowed, the coppery tang of Richie's blood coating his throat. He moaned, tongue darting out to lick along the wound, the marks closing under his lips. His fangs shrunk back down again and he pulled back to look at Richie. "I had to open the wound to heal it," he explained. "I would never drink from you, Richie. Not unless you wanted me to, and then I probably wouldn't..." His lips met Richie's, teeth worrying his lower lip, the taste of blood shared between them. Jon pulled back with a grin. "Besides, I can think of places much more fun to suck on than your neck..."
Richie's breathless laughter turned to a choked-off moan as Jon kissed and licked his way down his chest. He stopped, tongue teasing Richie's belly button, hands resting on the waistband of his jeans.
"Jon, please..."
Still grinning, Jon didn't bother unfastening Richie's jeans, choosing instead to rip them off. Richie groaned, eyes sliding closed at the feel of Jon's warm breath on his erection. Jon's tongue darted out to swirl around the head of Richie's cock, tasting the pre-come pooling there.
Richie reached out, cupping Jon's denim clad erection. Jon sighed and batted Richie's hand away "Richie, I can't... I can get it up but I can't... "
"Oh... I... I'm sorry."
"Not a problem, baby," he reassured Richie before taking his cock all the way in his mouth, throat muscles milking him. His tongue and teeth teased Richie's cock, the guitarist shuddering on the bed as he orgasmed, coming down Jon's throat.
Richie reached down and pulled Jon up for a kiss, tasting himself on his lover's lips. Richie's skin was flushed and he was breathing hard but he managed to gasp out "I... You... Wow."
Jon laughed and kissed him again. "Well, you know what they say," he said, laying his head on Richie's shoulder, fingers trailing over his chest. "You ain't lived til you've gotten head from a vampire."