Prime
Was he seriously doing this?
Callum questioned himself and his sanity as he headed to the bar where he'd met the vampire in the first place. This was definitely the dumbest thing he'd done in a long time and that was including underestimating that boogyman. He was running late, maybe he'd get luck and Nile would have left already or maybe Callum wouldn't be dressed nice enough for the 'good' place. Shit, that's what he should have done, he could have tried harder to look like a street urchin. As it was he looked pretty frumpy, his sweater way too big, pants barely hanging onto his hips. If he couldn't get into the place then he'd be free to just go home for the night, right? Consorting with the supernatural like this was unthinkable, he'd always been raised to avoid and destroy. What would his grandmother say if she knew?
Asking himself that only made him actually want to go. Why shouldn't he go and have a drink, he could protect himself if need be and how long had it been since Callum had actually had any fun? Rebelling against his family's rules was his specialty, one he wasn't going to give up tonight. Any thoughts or plans to back out where excused for the evening, forgotten entirely. He was going to drink and dance until the sun came up.
“Hey.” Nile was still waiting, looking as if he didn't care that it was closer to nine thirty than nine. “You made it.”
“Yup.” Callum wasn't going to be the one to point out his tardiness, he felt no obligation to excuse himself. The redhead's issues and hang ups were his and his alone. Besides, he'd decided he wasn't going to waste anymore time on it tonight. “So what's the plan?”
“The plan is to grab a drink in here then move somewhere a little more lively.” If the vampire was dissatisfied with the lack of apology then he didn't show it, smiling at Callum like he wasn't a pain in the ass though there was the smallest hint of fang that could have been a threat. It was going to be an interesting night.
Callum felt a little guilty, he'd been pleased to see the nice waitress from the night before wasn't working, he wanted to avoid her judgement over his choice of companion. This way they each had a quick drink and a shot before Nile wanted to move on to where he would only call 'the good place'. Apparently it was someplace that would be too packed for drinks, hence their first stop on this night out, but it was perfect for whatever it was he'd planned for the pair to do next. The vampire got the drinks, even if he'd not offered to the exorcist would have insisted. Nile invited him out, Nile could bankroll it. In that frame of mind Callum probably would have had more than just the one drink but when his wallet for the night got up and left this particular joint then he was forced to follow.
The place Nile was heading to really wasn't far, just as promised, barely a few minutes down the same street. It was a good thing that Callum had the vampire as a guide, he would have missed it entirely otherwise. Its entrance was just a rundown door wedged between two huge clubs, looking more like a back door than anything else. Opening the door only added to the shady atmosphere of it all, revealing only a dimly lit, narrow, staircase down. This was definitely starting to appear like more of a trap and less of just a fun night out on the town. The exorcist said the tiniest prayer under his breath for whatever god might be listening before he followed his escort down the steps. Even with the liquor starting to buzz in his head this was feeling like a stupid decision. It wasn't the best one he'd made tonight but it might not be the worst.
Past the first few steps the thump of the clubs bass started to seep through the walls, the pressure of it rattling at the door waiting for them at the bottom. Next to the door stood a large man, all muscle, no smile, whose form rippled in Callum's vision just enough to tell him that it wasn't his own, at least not entirely. The bouncer didn't look at Ids, he just inhaled the air around the pair, mostly satisfied with whatever information that action had supplied him with. The look that passed between the bouncer and vampire didn't go unnoticed, the redhead could only assume he wasn't the usual type of guest here. Now Callum knew he needed to be on his guard, those drinks hadn't been a good idea after all. Well shit, he wasn't going to go down without a fight and he'd make sure it was a good one.
Callum braced himself when the door opened, expected to be rushed or something but the only thing escaped through the open frame was just more music and the sight of a mass of bodies that pulsed to the beat. It was hard to look at any one person for long with how ever-changing the crowd was but he caught sight of enough to know that glamours didn't seem to be a thing required here. It wasn't that everyone rippled, it was that no one bothered to put one in place at all. Scales, horns, wings, hooves, it was all out in the open.
Even Nile had dropped his, fang shaped scars perfectly visible on his neck, at least they were when the light flickered onto that skin. No wonder the place was packed, this sort of security and safety was nearly impossible for these creatures of darkness and shadow to obtain. He'd never seen anything like it, never heard of anything like it either. Callum's grandmother would flip her lid if she ever learned of this place. Callum would never be the one to tell her.
The music was too loud for speaking, Nile didn't even bother trying. He just grabbed Callum's hand and pulled him through the crowd until he found a bubble they could both fit into. It was a tight fit, but Callum was sure that was the appeal of it, his 'date' had wasted no time putting his hands onto slim, underfed hips, guiding them into a slow, steady sway. If only his family could see him now, dancing with a vampire. Not just any dancing either, the kind that suggested a trip to the bedroom might be in the cards. Gods, Callum was rusty, when was the last time he'd danced this way?
The exorcist gave into the rhythm of the club, his arms resting themselves lightly on Nile's shoulders, the sway shifting to help move the rest of him. Still he let it be led by his blood drinking companion, with how he'd pressed himself up against Callum it would be hard to go against it. This was less dancing and more some exotic, demonic mating ritual like what was often seen in birds. It wasn't just them, Callum could see more couples paired up this way, in various stages of seduction. One couple was practically having sex right there on the dance floor, with where those hands had gone. Callum wouldn't let himself go that much tonight, not here in public anyway, not even if everyone was too preoccupied with the atmosphere in this place. He wasn't going to risk more than this dancing.
This dance was a long one, bleeding from one song to another, then another with no signs of stopping. Somewhere in that last song Nile's hands had wandered down to grab at Callum's rear and the exorcist hadn't bothered to stop him. In fact he'd pushed back into those hands as encouragement. He'd denied himself this sort of thing for so long that he didn't care where the attention was coming from. There was nothing but music and that fizzy feeling of lightness in his stomach even the crowd of 'enemies' meant nothing in this moment. He could have gone on not caring into someone in the crowd caught his eye.
Those horns, that skin, that scar, it was the demon from the crash.
Was he following him? Fuck, Callum wasn't down for that. He was fairly certain his grandmother had to be behind this somehow and he wasn't going to stick around for that. Eyes locked on the demon who'd not noticed him yet, Callum leaned in to whisper in Nile's ear. “I wanna get out of here.”
It was clear from Nile's expression that he was taking it to mean more than Callum had intended but he wasn't going to correct the vampire. The idea that Nile actually might want to take the redhead home was almost as intoxicating as the music in the air. Fuck it. It was going to mean exactly what Nile wanted it to mean, Callum could take him out no problem if things went sour. Just as Callum turned to leave his demonic stalker, the horned man, turned to meet his gaze. The frown on his lips seemed disapproving but the exorcist paid him no mind. Like he gave a shit about what he thought of Callum's activities for the night.
It was clear from Nile's expression that he was taking it to mean more than Callum had intended but he wasn't going to correct the vampire. The idea that Nile actually might want to take the redhead home was almost as intoxicating as the music in the air. Fuck it. It was going to mean exactly what Nile wanted it to mean, Callum could take him out no problem if things went sour. Just as Callum turned to leave his demonic stalker, the horned man, turned to meet his gaze. The frown on his lips seemed disapproving but the exorcist paid him no mind. Like he gave a shit about what he thought of Callum's activities for the night.
'Getting out of there' seemed to have left Nile with momentary confusion. He paused outside the club, hand still on Callum's writst after dragging him out of the crowd. He was probably waiting on instructions to Callum's place but he'd have to wait forever, the exorcist wasn't that dumb. He kept silent long enough for the vampire to chose a different plan for the night, picking a direction to head in. If he was planning some back ally hanky panky Callum would leave, no second thoughts. He wasn't some bar floozy charging twenty bucks for a handjob so he could buy more drinks, though he'd be lying if he denied that his desperation level was close to that. Luckily he didn't have to walk away from the relief he'd been without for more than a year now, Nile was taking him to an apartment that was only a few blocks away.
It was about the same distance away from the bar as Callum's place was but in the opposite direction. The difference in neighbourhoods was night and day. Clearly the vampire wasn't hurting for money, wasn't living day to day and counting pennies like the exorcist did. It felt unfair but that was the way that life went, Callum wasn't going to dwell on it, not when a ride up in one of the posh elevators meant making out. Maybe he was just flushed from the liquor but Nile's lips seemed cool, almost chilly against his as they crashed together. There was nothing sweet about this, it was all need and instinct at work. Ever fibre of Callum that was still sober screamed in protest but they were muted, nothing compared to the irrational, tipsy voices that begged for this to go on. Callum let his head go empty and dizzy without a second though, tumbling onto the vampire's bed with the lightest of pushes.
~~~
Lucky for Callum he didn't have a repeat problem with nightmares and poor judgement. He actually found himself waking up the next day, there's been a very real chance he might not have. In fact, not only did he wake up, but he was pretty sure he was waking up in the most comfortable bed in all existence. This was miles ahead of waking up on his piece of shit mattress. It was so large and cool and perfect that Callum almost considered never getting out but his mind ruined the fun by reminding him of just why the body Callum's hands were touching was so cold. This was a first for him, greeting the morning like this next to 'the enemy'. It had been a good night, a fun night, Callum wasn't all that sure it would be a last. Maybe. It was taking his life into his own hands and he would make no promises to himself either way.
With a groan Callum pulled himself from the welcoming embrace of the covers. It was hard to gauge what time it was, there were blackout curtains on the windows and no bedside clock. The exorcist had to grope around for his clothes, his phone was in the back pocket of his jeans still, surprisingly full of battery considering he'd not charged it since the previous afternoon. It wasn't quite noon yet, it would be hours before Nile started to wake up. Perfect. Callum wouldn't have to try and make small talk before he got the hell out of there. Discarded clothes from the night before were plucked up into Callum's skinny arms as he went in search of a bathroom. There was an ache in one of his thighs as he walked, finding the ensuite easily. In here he could flick the light on with no fear of waking his one night stand. Once the sudden brightness wasn't blinding his green eyes with spots anymore he searched for the source of the dull pain.
There. A massive hickey, all purple and red against his pale, freckled skin. Wow, hat was impressive. Callum took the time to look over the rest of himself for more of the angry looking marks. That seemed to be only the one, which was easy enough to hide away under his pants, expect that notion had him checking over his legs again, leading to another discovery, a mark of a different kind. Tiny twin scars, barely more than pinpricks were hidden on his unbruised thigh. Callum didn't need to guess the cause, he knew exactly what had happened though he had no clue why he'd even allowed it. Letting Nile feed off of him, that was the worst decision Callum had ever made and now he had a permanent scar to remind him of just that. It was definitely time to get out of here. He finished getting dressed and checked for his phone and keys before he left, not bothering to wake the vampire. Leaving the door unlocked wouldn't kill Nile and Callum certainly wasn't in the mood to deal with any of that 'morning after' bullshit.
Stepping into a rather grey day the exorcist couldn't help but feel like his journey home was being watched. There was no proof, he couldn't see the blue eyes but he could feel them and their silent judgement.
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