tampered | Log: Ongoing

Log: Ongoing

When; Late Saturday Night
Rating; R for snacking?
Characters; Eric Northman

itextedyou and Thom Reston

thatsmyjob
Summary; After the events here, Thom goes to Fangtasia for a much needed drink. He's really got to start paying more attention to the City guide!
Log;

Thom was that pesky combination of tired and wound up all at the same time. He'd forgotten what an adrenaline rush working in the hospital could be at times and combined with the fact that it had been Tony who had been hurt, well it had him a bit jittery.

Staying a little late at the hospital, just to make sure everyone was resting comfortably enough, Thom had eventually allowed himself to be shooed off and headed for his empty apartment. He still didn't entirely mind the ticking but tonight the thought of trying to cook was too much energy and he didn't want to just sit on the sofa so after some thought, he decided to check out Fangtasia.

After all, a free drink, some music maybe a bit of dancing would be what he needed to work out the adrenaline and then he could get to sleep, right?

Right.

Checking out the address on his PDA as he showered and changed into clean clothes -black on black ... again- he packed up his few coins and headed down to the club.

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Eric was no Pam-- he couldn't say that he never forgot a name and a face --but he could keep things in mind when he wanted to, and he kept an eye out for particular people in the city, targets that he thought were interesting or could be of some use. Thom was one of these, especially in a place where so quickly humans became wary and jaded. When he spotted Thom's slightly familiar face walk into the nightclub, it clicked in his memory. He quietly dismissed the woman he was speaking with, sliding out of his chair and making his way over to the man, dressed in all black.

At least he had good taste.

Slipping a stamp out of the pocket of his pants, he grabbed the man's arm gently, but without warning, and pressed it against the back of his hand, leaving a stylized 'F' in faint red ink. A drinks-all-night stamp. He had refused the offer, but Eric would make the decision on his own. It would be worth the money if he decided to get what he wanted.

"I was worried you might not show, Thom." The smile he offered was, in one word, radiant. And would have been the look of a snake smiling, if snakes could smile.

It was likely that despite the street sense he'd developed working for Lincoln, Thom was going to be a bit of a walking target until he wised up and actually started to pay attention to the City Guide. Walking into Fangtasia should have sent off alarm bells, there was a sensual heat to the place that seemed to make his skin want to tingle but Thom could say that about so much of the City, he didn't know when to be concerned and when to just, be and let be. Plus, he was tired and really needed that drink.

Standing in place for a moment, he was looking for the quickest route to the bar when his hand was taken and stamped before he could even think of reacting. Turning, he came face to face with a man ... Eric, the one who had made the offer. He began to smile, paused because Eric seemed a little pale but then the man was smiling and the uneasy thoughts fled quickly from Thom's mind as he felt a flush rise to his cheeks and he was smiling back.

"Didn't expect it would be so soon, I'll admit but I hope you don't mind if I take you up on your gracious offer, Eric."

If there was a predatory hint to the vampire's smile, it sailed right over Thom's innocent head.

The hand didn't linger, but instead pulled away before Thom could realize that it wasn't clammy but cold, slightly below room temperature. It moved to the man's shoulders instead, patting him between his shoulder-blades and then directing him toward the bar. It was easy enough for Eric to cut a path through people. He owned the place, and even if he wasn't the oldest thing standing in it currently, he would still have been just a hair under six and a half feet tall.

The flush of pink, no matter how subtle, did not go unnoticed to him. If nothing else, even through Eric's cheerful sangfroid, it did make him more certain of his choice and more determined to see it through to the end.

"It's the only way to run a business if you really want to make money. A business like this, at any rate. Most of the income you will have flowing in will be from repeat customers. And so it pays to keep them happy. Do you do anything interesting for a living?"

Even if Thom had noticed the chill to Eric's skin, he would have just attributed it to the AC being on high or the man having an anemia problem. The latter sort of being in the right ball park.

Thom was not a particularly tall or imposing man, rather he was trim and fit so it was much easier to let the taller man cut a path for them to the bar. He felt a little twinge of shame at the way he'd responded to the man's smile, after all he had Peter in his life but when Eric spoke, Thom felt that twinge fade and he found himself smiling up at the man.

"Well normally I'd say no but there seems to have been a run on injuries in the City in the past three days I've started to work at the hospital. I do hope it's not going to be a trend."

Thom heard himself give an almost school boy like chuckle and had to wonder at that. He hadn't chuckled like a school boy since, well since he was a school boy.

By the time they reached the long, sleekly modern-looking bar, Eric had parted his hand from Thom's shoulder and moved to press a white barmop into his back pants pocket, leaning over the bar to the bartender, who quickly got the idea and escaped down to the far opposite end to deal with an approaching couple. Vaulting the bar with one arm, he turned and leaned against it, keeping his face near to Thom's in an attempt to catch his eyes with his own artic blue pair, curious and eager, sizing the man up.

"At the hospital? Really? You should tell me what you would rather be doing. And then you should have something to eat. Go ahead-- grab a bar menu. You look like you need to keep your blood sugar up."

It wasn't that Thom did not appreciate a fine masculine form, he did. It was just that since Peter came into his life, he didn't tend to appreciate one as much as he appreciated Eric's as he vaulted the bar.

Woof.

Getting his own eyes back into his head, he looked right into the other man's gaze and felt like he could easily know what the poets meant when they wrote about 'falling' into the eyes of another.

"Wha..."

Eloquent there, Reston. Thom shook himself as Eric pointed towards the menu and he reached for it without really meaning too.

"Uh, yeah actually a sandwich would be nice. But I insist on paying for it, our deal was for a drink, right?"

This time his smile wasn't so much dazzled out of him but a genuine one.

Falling into his eyes was a bit closer to the truth than Thom would have realized, given that it was becoming clear he hadn't been warned that Fangtasia, pun name and all, was a vampire-themed nightclub, and that Eric could use his gaze if he so chose to influence others; summon them, or modify their emotions or memory. He used the ability to his advantage again, very subtly, making sure to catch Thom in both eyes at once-- to be dead, a void, something that Thom could sink into. Let their thoughts become one shared entity.

Eric cocked his head and smirked, scribbling something onto a piece of paper before reaching below the bar to pull out a bottle of excellent Riesling and a corkscrew.

"Turkey panini with roasted bell peppers and summer squash. Best thing on the menu right now, and good with the wine. White with white, am I right my friend?"

Chances were even if he had been warned, Thom wouldn't have believed it at this point and would have wandered in anyway. He really should just tie a sign around his neck with the words 'free snack here' on it.

Tumbled, intrigued, captivated, a very far away voice was starting to wonder just what was wrong with him but Thom ignored it in favor of the vampire's smirk.

"That sounds delightful," he said. "Healthy but with some wonderful flavors and of course, white with white."

"People should eat healthy," he muttered, sending the paper off to the kitchen and uncorking the wine, pouring a more than generous amount into a wine snifter for Thom and sliding it in front of him. He dragged a bar stool up to his side of the bar, sitting in it and leaning forward with hunched shoulders, arms draped lazily, relaxed, over the bartop.

"They live longer that way."

Taking the wine, Thom gave it a practiced swirl of his wrist, then a delicate sniff and finally a taste.

He closed his eyes as the wine hit his tongue with flavor, filled his mouth with taste and then slid down to warm his stomach, helping to chase away the knot that had been in his chest since he'd found Tony.

"This is excellent," he said softly.

Opening his eyes, he took another sip and then set it down on the bar between them, adopting a lean similar to Eric's and smiling.

"I was trying to tell a few people that the other night. I swear the amount of pizza that must get eaten in this city, I almost despair for people's arteries. There is no rule that healthy food has to be tasteless."

Pausing, Thom realized he was sort of ranting and he felt himself blush.

"Sorry, it's the nurse, caregiver in me. Used to struggling with people to get them to eat right."

The redness had returned to Thom's cheeks. He watched the man drink his wine with an air of understated delight and an anticipation. The corner of a pink pointed tongue moved to brush against his pale lower lip, but restraint was easy for a vampire of his age. He could and would wait, until the man had had something to eat, even if it was only a little. It would keep him from collapsing on his way home, the sugar in the wine and the food in his stomach.

Eric didn't want any nasty anti-vampire lobbyists on his tail here, or anyone with any ideas of something more permanent and physical than arguing with his methods.

"No, it's fine. I own a nightclub. I am more than used to listening to other people talk about their frustrations, and you are welcome to it. An impartial ear, if you want."

Eric really could not have picked up a better snack. Thom was new to the City, completely inexperienced when it came to anything like the City or the creatures that lived within it and he had yet to make the sort of connections that could make trouble for Eric and Fangtasia.

Thom gave his head a shake and reached for his wine.

"Easier when the people are paying customers, I'm sure. Which I, thanks to your generosity, am not tonight."

The food came minutes later, and Eric slid the plate in front of Thom, to set beside the glass of wine before adjusting the collar of his jacket and giving a look around the nightclub's floor, making sure nothing was out of the ordinary and, more importantly, that there was nothing else more than human around-- nothing that might see through is glamour. Because Eric was about to break his no-biting-on-premises rule to some degree.

"I prefer to be generous when I have the ability to do so. You could say that I grew up wanting."

Well, what was the point of being the owner if you couldn't break your own rules, right?

Giving a soft 'thank you' as the food was put in front of him, Thom realized he really was hungry and very neatly placed a napkin in his lap before reaching for the sandwich. He was completely oblivious to the discreet actions of the vampire.

"That's a hard way to grow up," Thom said in between politely chewed and swallowed mouthfuls. "I was lucky, myself. Never realized how lucky till I got dumped in this City."

"What were your conditions at home, then?" Part of it was to keep the other man distracted, but another part was honest, if bored, interest on Eric's part. He stood from the stool and leaned his elbows on the counter, eyes patient but staring the column of Thom's neck up and down with vaguely carnal interest, watching the flicker of the artery close to the skin there. A sudden glance toward the other people in the area had them shuffling nervously, moving subconsciously away from the area without truly realizing why they were compelled to do so.

It was Eric's territory, after all. They were all, more or less, guests in his nest.

"You seem like you were very comfortable. And stylish, at that."

Thom felt a shiver race along his spine. He attributed it to a sexual response, in line to the predator like way Eric was looking at him. He didn't realize just how much more primal a prey reaction he was experiencing.

"Hmm, oh well," Thom had neatly dispatched the sandwich and was now wiping off his fingers and the corner of his mouth.

"I was comfortable growing up. As an adult I make good money as a caregiver and the man I work for lives in a townhouse near Central Park."

Were people moving away? Maybe they were just heading off to the dance floor for a bit, Thom smiled at Eric as he reached for his wine.

"The sandwich was delightful, thank you for the recommendation."

"It's a crowd-pleaser for men like yourself. The kind with sophisticated taste."

The shiver drew Eric's attention; Thom was making it clear that he was finished with the food that he was eating, and the large glass of wine was halfway finished. It was enough to make sure that he wouldn't become hypoglycemic, that Eric wouldn't be held culpable if he ended up unconscious in a ditch somewhere. He slid the plate far to the side, and then the glass of wine, leaning close enough so that if he had had breath, it would have shifted the hair around the human's ear.

"Be still." Eric stood to his full height to lean further over the slick wood and metal surface of the bar. The fangs in his upper jaw slid down, more like the curved striking fangs of a snake than canine teeth. He threw a deadness over them, made the scene seem ignorable, commonplace, so that only the nervous bartender at the far side of the bar seemed to notice anything was going on.

"I also have sophisticated taste. I don't like pathetic humans, but you-- you're charming. I want a taste of that and you are not going to remember what happened here. Only your sandwich and your glass of wine. I am only taking repayment for the food and drink."

For some reason, Thom felt himself blushing once again at the compliment from this man, though he'd received compliments from others in the past and never batted an eye. He'd been about to make some polite remark when Eric moved and the whisper against his ear did a funny thing to the caregiver.

There wasn't any resistance to the glamour, not in Thom's mind or from his body. Being still was just the most natural thing in the world at that moment and Thom's mind went into a sort of pleasant numbness.

A delicious sandwich, a good wine, the Fangtasia had a good bar and a nice kitchen, he might have to come again, thank Eric for his generosity by actually showing up as a paying customer, yes that would be good. The food had been soooo good.

Strangely or perhaps not strangely a soft, breathy moan escaped Thom's lips.

One cold hand reached to pat-- to brush --against Thom's opposite cheek, as if stroking an obedient cat, broad shoulders settling even closer to him as Eric perched over the furniture between them, then getting a hold on the back of the man's head.

"Some humans enjoy this," his voice coaxed, mostly honestly, to help the glamour set in and keep the man calm, before his body blurred slightly, summoning the force to puncture the skin and the tough, smooth material of the artery cleanly and painlessly. He wouldn't need much, he had been making sure to take small amounts and regularly, to make sure that he wasn't giving anyone who noticed a bad impression-- he didn't care if he seemed disgusting. Evil was another matter entirely.

Pressing his lips around the wound, he let it drain into his mouth, trying his hardest not to waste a drop to the floor or the fabric of Thom's black shirt. Eric allowed himself the noise of a breathless sigh, feeling an internal warmth which could only be attained in this one singular way. The wound would begin to heal and stop bleeding after only a minute.

An obedient cat. Not entirely unlike the way Lincoln treated him from time to time, though usually the quad was hollering about how Thom was a disobedient cat.

For Eric, however, Thom was utterly biddable. There was nothing in his blood or about his person that would cause him to be otherwise. True, he wouldn't be caught walking down the streets of New York after dark and there were certain areas of New York he wouldn't go in the daylight either but those street smarts were not serving him well here in the City.

A small gasp escaped his lips when those fangs slid through skin and into the artery beneath, the actual pain of penetration tweaking at the edges of the glamour but what followed. Oh, what followed was definitely enjoyable, if the way Thom relaxed was any indication.

Young, fit and healthy, his heartbeat was strong and paced at a steady, soothing rate that perhaps the vampire could hear or at least feel in the way blood flowed across his tongue.

Were he aware, Thom would no doubt appreciate Eric not wasting his blood. After all, it was precious to him and besides, he'd already taken out a shirt with blood today. He was starting to really cut into his already borrowed wardrobe.

He adjusted his fingers, raking them through the man's hair-- he was quiet. Eric liked that. He liked when they struggled a little, but he liked most of all when they didn't talk or fuss overly much, were simply quiet so that he could focus on the steady beating of their hearts and the song of blood rushing through veins.

That was enough. He allowed himself one more nibble against the column of the man's neck before lifting away, with one long draw of his tongue, laving the wound. It would heal within hours. One of the benefits of being Eric's age. He held the glamour for a moment longer, long enough to make sure that he reassured the man and so that he was far enough out of his personal space for the comfort of the other bar patrons.

"You did well. Are you awake?"

Thom was a man who knew how to pick his battles but as a rule, he was more a diplomat than a fighter, locked in the delicate balance of helping others find the fight within themselves to keep living after the unimaginable. Besides, it might have been hard to tell how much the glamour kept him quiet and how much the enjoyable nature of having a hot, handsome man pressing his lips against his neck kept him submissive.

Still when the glamour was lifted, it was the exact picture Eric had painted. Thom had no memory of what had just happened. In fact, he blinked a couple of times and then looked at Eric with a stricken expression.

"Oh, I am sorry," Thom said in a slightly dazed tone. "I must be more tired than I thought, I fear that wine went straight to my head."

Thom reached and brushed his fingers through his hair, subconsciously following the same path Eric's fingers had traveled just a moment earlier.

"How embarrassing," he muttered, then gave the vampire a warm smile. "Guess I'm a cheaper date than I remember."

Eric resumed his position on the stool, draped across it with a satisfied smugness about him, one thumb pressed between his lips as he finished cleaning the last few suspicious drops off of his bottom lip. The look in his eyes was bright, the blue clearer than before, very much the cat who'd got the canary, because, after all, hadn't he? He'd laid a good trap and broken his own rules but he had what he'd wanted.

And it was to his liking; he wondered if he couldn't risk it a few more times. Only a few-- more and the psychic connection would begin to form, and he did not need one of those at that juncture. He shrugged and jammed the cork back into the bottle of Riesling, easily managing it with bare hands and minimal effort.

"You have nothing to apologize for. There's nothing wrong with a cheap date if it's a tasteful one."

When he finally figured this all out -aka got a clue- part of Thom would be horrified. But to be honest there would also be a part of him that would be pleased that he'd been to the vampire's liking and that he might be further snackable.

And yes that part would probably keep him up a few nights.

For now, he blinked at the easy show of strength and then gave his head a shake.

"Still, wouldn't do to give your establishment the wrong reputation by falling asleep on the bar. After all, it does seem to be a lively place."

Giving the club another glance, Thom turned back to Eric and took a deep breath before sliding off his stool.

"I feel like I'd better get myself home before I do something to cause further embarrassment. Thank you, again for the drink and the sandwich, it was lovely."

Smooth, sincerely polite and proper tones, if he were leaving a dinner party and not a nightclub.

Eric stood again, moving to the other side of the bar to push Thom's bar stool back into place, and motion the actual bartender to clean up what was left behind. Pointing a way toward the door with one hand, he jerked his head in that direction, jewelry jangling-- a set of Thor's hammers, the claw of a sea eagle.

The other hand he held up in an offer of a firm handshake.

"Come again. I insist. And take care of yourself out there-- the night can be extremely dangerous here, and I wouldn't wish for anything to happen to you. Thom."

Interesting bling, it caught and held Thom's attention for a moment longer than it should, the only hint that he might be feeling a bit off from his role as donor. He quickly smiled it off though and reached to take Eric's hand in a return shake that was firm.

"Keep having delicious and healthy sandwiches like that on the menu and I think I will," he said with a wider, friendly smile. "Oh, can't be any worse than the streets of New York."

You know, minus the werewolves, zombies, vampires, magic users, etc etc.

"Thank you again, I'll hope to see you soon."

With that, he started to head for the door. There might have been a small bit of weaving in his stride but nothing to indicate he'd end up in a ditch before he got home to his bed.

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Log: Ongoing

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3am is not conducive to my typing skills. :/