Time: Starts a couple days before Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg's first spirit walk, "Spirit Walk: The Wolves", finishes about the same time.
Nicholas and Lacroix are packing for the big move to San Francisco...
Nicholas is assiduously packing his CDs: "Rancid. Elvis Costello. The Pogues. Squeeze. Tom Waits. U2. REM. Doors. Peter Gabriel. Meat Loaf," he reads off the catalog for his father.
Lacroix passes by, snags a Peter Gabriel, looks over his shoulder. "Any Robert Palmer?"
The younger vampire continues packing, ignoring him and hiding a smile. "Blondie. Stevie Ray Vaughn. Steve Earle. Cowboy Junkies."
Lacroix smirks and continues on toward the stereo.
In moments, wearing a headphone, Nicholas is bouncing around the house to the music coming from his portable CD player, packing boxes. He starts singing to the imaginary crowd .... "C'mon, baby, light my fire..."
"Shit, Nicholas, you're bouncing," Lacroix tries to be reasonable. "Kittens bounce. My dark Knight... does not."
Nicholas stops bouncing and starts grinding his hips suggestively at Lacroix. "Better?"
"A little closer, the light in here doesn't seem very good," Lacroix murmurs, then smirks. "Not that I need... light."
His son prowls across the room, moving rhythmically to the music, licking his lips.
"Bring those... closer." Lacroix switches to a Queen CD he has found on the stereo. "Here we are, born to be princes of the universe..."
Nicholas sheds headphones and the portable and moves closer, right up against Lacroix (any closer and he'd be lap dancing), swaying and grinding.
Lacroix begins to sway with him, one of his enigmatic little smiles on his face, his fingertips to Nicholas's waist -
Nick mouths the words "got the world in my hands. I'm here for your love ..." while he stretches his hands around Lacroix's waist.
The elder leers suggestively at his playful lover, rises to the occasion. "Oh, you certainly are..." He gets in a lick to his throat.
The music and the play between the two vampires is a needed relief during the ordeal of packing for their move to San Francisco. Somehow, though they know the move is a big step for them, they are not ready to be serious about it quite.. yet... -
Pulling himself closer, Nicholas smiles. He tilts his head back at the brush of Lacroix's tongue, giving him free access. "Mmmm, I like that." His body grinds against Lacroix's, increasing intensity with the music.
Still on they sway in harmony, moving as one to the sensuous music, while Lacroix runs his tongue from the base of Nicholas's neck up to his ear, even to getting in a tug to his earlobe.
Nicholas sways his head in response to the delightful sensation. Pulling the tail of Lacroix's shirt from his pants, he moves his fingers up Lacroix's back.
"Got the world in my hands, I'm here for your love" Lacroix, smiling craftily, takes the tip of a fang and makes a thin trail of blood along Nicholas's sensitive throat, then laps it up. He laughs at the bubbling enthusiasm in his child's blood, so free and eager, a balm to his old heart. Lifting a hand, he clasps a nipple in his fingertips through the silk shirt, rolling it to firmness. -
A gasping breath escapes Nick as the fang breaks the skin turns to a rush of pleasure as Lacroix's tongue tastes the blood.
Lacroix nears and sings into Nicholas's ear, his baritone low and throaty... "Don't lose your way - yeah - remember love's stronger, remember love conquers all..." He makes a growling noise in his throat, and chuckles, attending to the other nipple -
Arching his back, Nicholas sways his upper body to accentuate the arousal. He moves his hands to the front of Lacroix's shirt, trailing his thumbs just inside the waistband of his pants.
Lacroix rubs his groin against the bulge in Nicholas's pants, still chuckling at his beautiful child's sensuous responses.
Nick leans in for a kiss, the echo of lyrics making its way through their mental bond. [I'm hungry for your touch .... all I can do is surrender.]
Lacroix captures the waiting mouth in his. [Oh, yes, do surrender, Nicholas...]
Nicholas hungrily presses his mouth against Lacroix's. [Just surrender to your love.]
And so.. the "princes of the universe" proceed to forget all about packing except to "unpack" each other post haste. But there is still the move to endure...
- TWO DAYS LATER -
Nicholas and Lacroix have just moved into their new home, a grand old "painted lady", a Victorian house on a solitary peninsula near Belvidere with a rather spectacular view across the bay looking towards San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge is a glittering necklace on the southern horizon. It is just a few minutes past sunset.
They stand in the large front parlor, surrounded by boxes and various pieces of furniture, surveying the task before them. The frivolous mood of a couple days ago seems dissipated in light of the present reality. They really have left Toronto, have moved to California. And perhaps it is only just sinking in... that they really have not lived together, certainly not in harmony, for a very long time.
Lucien Lacroix glances toward the largish windows, which until now he and his son have carefully avoided. A problem that will have to be settled immediately. On the morrow, the appropriate contractor is scheduled to take care of the matter.
"Where to put... anything? Always a tedious decision, eh, Nicholas?" He looks toward his son, facing away from him. Their link is a bit closed and he wonders what Nicholas is thinking, if he... regrets what they have done.
Nicholas sighs with a bit of a chuckle. "Yes, it is. Daunting, actually, considering we've accumulated so much *stuff* in our lifetime." He looks around, feeling their history jump out at him from every box. he doesn't regret coming here, but realizes now what kind of commitment he's made. "It's, uh, been awhile since we've done this."
Lacroix turns to look at Nicholas standing over a box, just gazing down at it. "Yes, it has been, Nicholas." He comes over to his son, lays a hand on his shoulder. "I only hope that this time... goes more smoothly."
"It will." Nicholas reaches up and clasps Lacroix's hand. "I have faith .... in us. We'll make it work."
Lacroix smiles lightly, raising an eyebrow as he takes Nicholas's hand in his. "Love conquers all, Nicholas?" There is a hint of pleased amusement in his eyes, remembering their frolic two days ago.
A lusty grin enveloping his face, Nicholas laces his fingers through Lacroix's. "If not love, surely passion does." Through their link he adds, [I *am* happy, my love ... with my choice, you.]
The elder's smile deepens, and he tugs lightly on the hand, drawing him closer. [I made my choice quite some time ago, you know... and never so glad that I made it, or that you accepted it, despite... what else came after.]
Nicholas pulls their intertwined hands to his lips, gently kissing each of Lacroix's fingertips. He gives voice to his feelings. saying the words out loud makes their stronger. "I've made my decision and I'm not changing course. I'm in this for the duration ... no matter what."
Lacroix looks deep into his beloved Nicholas's eyes, reading them and their link carefully. "The duration, Nicholas... is forever." His smile fades to seriousness.
His grin turning to a deep smile, Nicholas tightens his grip on his lover's hand. "I know." His tone is serious, his eyes filled with love and truth. "Forever sounds just right. I've let too many years go by with something other than love between us." He quickly kisses Lacroix and pulls back to stare into his eyes again. "Now I have eternity to make up for it."
Lacroix's gaze holds all the intensity of his son's "And I fully intend to enjoy every moment of it... with you beside me, my golden one." He smiles again, his pride in his creation in his eyes. "You are finally... as I'd hoped you'd be. " He sighs, angling for his beloved's mouth. "Mine..." he murmurs as he connects with his mouth again.
[Yours. and happily so.] Nick's deep sigh cut off by Lacroix's mouth, he moans softly.
Lacroix fully takes him into his embrace, his body hard against his, a deep ripple of pleasure thrumming within him at the sweetness of his child's mouth, his Nicholas.
Unlacing his fingers from Lacroix's hand, Nicholas relinks his own hands behind Lacroix's neck, pulling the elder vampire into a tighter embrace. He feels the pleasure between them, the love echoing back and forth along their link.
[Oh, so very nice, my beloved one, but the boxes will not unpack themselves.] Lacroix finishes the kiss, then separates, still smiling, even giving Nicholas a wink as he releases him fully, and bends to pick up a box. "I believe this one goes... upstairs?"
A mock pout crosses Nick's face. "You always were a hard taskmaster." He picks up a box. "Upstairs? Right."
Snagging another box with the other arm, Lacroix proceeds to float up the long staircase. Halfway, he glances back over his shoulder. "Yours is the forward suite, correct? I believe these are your boxes." He sends a caress of love in their link, to assure Nicholas that they will surely resume... intimacies... later.
Nicholas returns the assurance with a note of anticipation. starts to turn into his suite. "Yes, I have the front. And, thank you, I appreciate the view."
Lacroix sets down Nicholas's boxes, and walks to the large window that overlooks the dark bay. The city beyond lays on its crest like a jeweled necklace of twinkling golden lights.
The other sits his box down on the floor and joins Lacroix at the window, moving up beside him. "It's a beautiful city, isn't it?"
Lacroix slides his arm around Nicholas's waist, pulls him close to his side. "Yes, it is. And remember what I told you... there are Kindred here. Not our kind of vampires." He shrugs. "I will need to visit my old friend Archon, inform him of our presence... in a few days, after we've settled in a bit. It's a courtesy the Kindred appreciate. At the least he needs to know I'm here and that I will need to procure for us a steady source of blood. What we have on hand will last only another week." He looks over the Bay to San Francisco. "He is there."
Nick reciprocates, sliding his arm around Lacroix's waist. "Kindred," he rolls the word around on his tongue, letting out a light laugh. "At least it sounds nicer than vampire. This ... Archon? ... he will welcome us?"
A quick glance darts to Nicholas's face. Lacroix hears the nervousness in his son's voice. "If we present ourselves properly, he will honor us. If he indeed is still in power here." He sighs and looks back out again. "If the Ventrue are even in power... Archon's clan."
"Ventrue? Clan?" Nick echoes the unfamiliar words, a slight anxiety invading his speech, all the while watching the lights flicker off the bay's water. "Why do I feel in need of a history lesson?"
Lacroix turns to face his beloved, his hand going up to cup his cheek, caress him gently. "I've mentioned the Ventrue, Nicholas. Here the vampires, the Kindred, are all sorted into relational Clans. There are several here, though it's been long enough that I don't assume the same ones are here. The Ventrue are similar to a leader caste, like the Brahman in India."
He still pets his love's face, but looks thoughtful as he glances aside back out the window. "Perhaps we can send Vachon or Miklos out to reconnoiter. We also need to check on new blood sources. What we brought with us will only last another week."
"I see." Nicholas nods his head in agreement to Lacroix's suggestion as well. "Yes, we do need more blood." He notices that Lacroix's glance has returned to the window. He muses, introspectively. "You could get lost in that view, immerse yourself completely."
Lacroix nods, his hand falling to his side again. "Indeed. I wonder what we are facing here... perhaps we should have made more discrete... inquiries." He shrugs off the maudlin mood, straightens as he faces his lover again. "Well, it will be interesting to see what you do with your suite here, Nicholas. You have such..." He cannot hide a smirk. "... eclectic tastes."
"Eclectic?" Nicholas snaps at the opportunity to change the mood. "And what do you mean by that?" he laughs, bemused rather than angered.
Still smiling, not intending to cause a confrontation. Lacroix lays a hand on his chest affectionately. "Well, my dear, judging by your loft in Toronto... I'm not saying eclectic is bad, mind you, just occasionally... jarring. Unless that was the intent?" He raises an eyebrow.
Nick picks Lacroix's hand up from his chest and kisses the palm. Maintaining a mood of levity, he smirks. "That's alright, love. You can do the room across the hall in tasteful 'interior decorator'."
" I prefer to think of it as Dark But Tastefully Modern," Lacroix chuckles, "but I'm not entirely sure I want to do that again. Perhaps something completely different is in order. Something more along the lines of Castle Bedchamber, something more suitable to welcome... a knight." He dares to wink at his son.
"And maybe I'll go for something a little less .... jarring." Nick looks around, then smiles deeply. "Something you'd be willing to wake up in."
"How considerate, Nicholas." Lacroix takes Nicholas's hand and copies his action, kissing his palm now.
Grinning, basically from ear to ear now, Nicholas relaxes in the lightened mood. "Well, I don't want to have to be running across the hall *every* night."
"No?" Lacroix pretends to be disappointed. "I should like to keep you in good *running* condition, Nicholas."
"You run. I'll tag along." Nick motions toward the other suite of rooms.
Lacroix chuckles, then, his arm still around Nicholas's waist, steers him around toward the doorway. "Together, my Nicholas. We go together."
As they exit the room, Lacroix leans in close to his ear, and whispers, "Je t'aime, Nicolas. Mon coeur, mon sang..." (I love you, Nicholas, my heart, my blood) He drops a kiss on his cheek.
"J'également, mon père. Vous êtes mon éternité." (I agree. You are my eternity.) Nick returns the kiss in kind.
The End
