dorian & godric

[brushoff]

Christ, how Dorian hated Texas.

It was the best and worst of America. There still was so much space, plenty of towns barely hanging on, hardscrabble little places that were trying to make their move, the drive and determination and chutzpah that Dorian adored of the America in the past. America in the 1920s was great. A feisty nation, determined to prove itself on the world's stage, bright and brilliant and ready to take on the challenge.

But the Texas cities? The cities were horrible. Large, ugly things almost crushed under the weight of their own self-importance and overpasses. Forgotten centers where all residents fled to cookie-cutter nigh identical houses set in towns created solely for the purpose of commuting. People didn't thrive in places like that, with their subdivisions and big box stores and fucking Targets. You lived there, but you didn't thrive. And Dorian Gray was always looking for something new, something bright and breathing and alive.

Granted, a shitty little dive bar wasn't exactly what most people thought of when they thought of 'alive.' But Dorian had been lingering around Dallas long enough that a few things had gained his interest. The coming out of the closet, so to speak, of vampires had been the big one. Idly, he wondered what Toby would have thought of it all—he felt so alone for so long. Would vampire advocacy groups or these cute little pamphlets have changed anything? Or would the Sunday morning cable news services about how all vampires are damned have made things worse? There's no way of knowing. But Dorian wanted to learn more about this himself.

Try as he may to fit in, it's obvious that Dorian is here for something. He flirts with the waitress and casually asks a few questions about vampire activity in the area. He loses a game of pool but presses his competition whenever they bring up 'fangs.' This is the third day in a row he's made some not-so-subtle inquiries about vampires, something's got to give eventually. He's British as hell, the accent is a dead giveaway, so might as well lean into the obviousness and see what happens.

And as he slips out of the back door of the dive bar, stepping outside to light up a cigarette, Dorian's certain that something will happen. What precisely? He doesn't know.

Comments

[loveisall]

"I am fine like this," he says, gently pressing his hand against Dorian's chest. "We are not to the point where I will wear your clothes."

But he does walk to the bed and inspect it. "Are you certain you're alright with this?"

[brushoff]

"I wish you would wear my clothes," Dorian points out, as he looks over Godric. "You wear too much linen. It makes you look like you're leading a cult."

Please, for the love of God, wear normal people clothes.

At the question, however, Dorian nods. "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't alright. If you aren't alright with this, however, you still have time to leave."

[loveisall]

That gets a laugh. "I wear what is comfortable for me, Dorian. Not all of us enjoy making a spectacle of ourselves."

He slides in under the blankets. "I am not leaving."

[brushoff]

Godric might wear his own clothes, but Dorian's certainly changing. Normally, he's the type to sleep naked. However, that's just a little too forward for this current situation. Expensive, ridiculous pajamas it is.

"Good," he says, as he slides in under the blankets as well. Dorian cuddles up to Godric slightly as he muses, "I'm not leaving either."

Oh, and because he's a lazy asshole who doesn't want to get up from his bed, "Alexa, turn off the bedroom light."

[loveisall]

Godric gives one last laugh before he settles in for the day. He doesn't move, doesn't breathe, doesn't do anything but lie there like a corpse.

He wakes promptly at dusk, sitting up and checking himself for...well, he isn't quite sure.

[brushoff]

Dorian...is still sleeping. Absolutely nothing has happened to Godric as he sleeps, he just gets to deal with Dorian taking up far too much of the bed. He's absolutely ended up hogging the covers, sorry buddy.

But as he feels Godric sit up, he makes a little noise, the sort of sleepy noise people make when they need to wake up but don't exactly want to.

[loveisall]

He places a hand on his stomach, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I should go. I have been missing for too long. They'll be combing the streets."

[brushoff]

Dorian groans in annoyance as he murmurs, "Urgh...fine. But text me, alright? I—"

Nope, big yawn, somebody's still sleepy.

[loveisall]

Godric pauses, just watching and enjoying the sight of him.

"I don't know how to use a phone. Stan bought me one, but I leave it at the house."

[brushoff]

Oh.

Great.

Dorian props himself up and looks over at Godric. He has massive bedhead but annoyingly, has someone managed to make it look cute.

"Bring me your phone when you come over next time. I'll get it set up for you and show you how it works."

Time to go in and have the phone use the large-size font.

[loveisall]

He smiles at the annoying and distracting look, then leans in to kiss him. He's pale and cool, but there's a warmth in his eyes that wasn't there before.

"You would not be the first to try."

[brushoff]

"But I'll be the first to succeed," Dorian lightly teases, leaning in to the kiss. "After all, when other people were trying to teach you how to text, you never had a reason to text me."

[loveisall]

"Arrogance will cost you everything."

He disappears then, out the door and through the streets.

He isn't home for a few days, but comes to find Dorian later wherever he is, looking pale and distracted.

[brushoff]

Dorian knows that he can't just sit around, twiddling his thumbs, waiting for Godric to show up. He needs a hobby. He needs something he can do, something to get him out of the house, something to more firmly integrate him with the vampire community, so he can get some delightfully hot gossip (and also see how Godric is treated, learn more about this astonishing new vampire from different angles).

So yeah, Dorian's dealing cocaine again. Not exactly the most glamorous of professions, but it's something he knows how to do. And it's something that can tide him over until he finds a proper job to pass the time. Maybe a rare books dealer? That would be delightfully eccentric.

Dorian's sitting at his kitchen table, working through some finances, when he sees Godric enter. He raises an eyebrow and gives the man a once-over before, "Something happened. Mind telling me what?"

[loveisall]

He shakes his head. "I met with the Authority. It always drains me."

He rubs the back of his neck and then sets his phone on the table. It is a flip phone circa 2010.

[brushoff]

Oh good Lord.

"One, I'm buying you a new phone tomorrow. I don't think that thing can even do pictures. Two, who's the Authority? Vampire top brass, I'm guessing?"

[loveisall]

He smiles gently, sitting across from him. His eyes are rimmed red in blood.

"That is just more to teach me."

[brushoff]

"You didn't answer my question~" Dorian responds in a sing-song voice. But whatever the Authority was, it wasn't good. Godric is looking rough. So, Dorian leaves that subject alone for now—he'll just poke and prod and gossip with people at various clubs to figure it out later.

Instead he walks over to Godric and practically drapes himself over the man, leaning behind him so he can pull out his phone to show the vampire.

"I don't mind teaching you. Because when I teach you how to work your phone, that means you'll know what to do when I text you pictures of myself every hour, on the hour."

Dorian clicks through his smartphone to pull up his camera roll. There are a few selfies, the sort of thing one takes when they're being horribly touristy, but there are also photos of flowers, the stars, the nightlife. Dorian's picture taking philosophy is 'anything interesting.'

[loveisall]

"I know what a smart phone is," he tells him, but doesn't move him from his lap. Instead, he slides an arm around his waist, pulling him closer.

"How does one become so vain?" he wonders, glad to leave the subject of the Authority behind him.

[brushoff]

One becomes so vain because it's easier and better if people think of Dorian as something useless, something they don't have to worry about. It's best for everyone if they have low expectations of him.

"Look at me! Of course I'm vain—why wouldn't I be with a face like this?"

[loveisall]

He regards him keenly. "You are a liar," he says smoothly, kissing him.

[brushoff]

Dorian indulges in the kiss. After a moment, he pulls back before lightly teasing,

"All immortals are liars in some respect or another. It's in our nature."

[loveisall]

"Not mine. Not anymore," he mutters, tracing Dorian's jaw.

[brushoff]

Godric must be lying. Everyone lies. Still, Dorian won't poke at this.

"Well I, in comparison, am a massive liar. When you live among humanity as I do but are more along the lines of humanity plus, you need to come up with excuses, diversions, and lies to justify whatever odd thing inevitably happens to you."

[loveisall]

"I do not live among humans," he reminds him. "I live among vampires or by myself for millenia. Perhaps I never learned how to lie."