Note: This started out as an AU fic, but was made canon by the ST after some minor tweaks
Tony swore outwardly, and loudly, when he broke a piece off the vehicle he was working on. Pausing for a moment to marvel at the echo, he looked back at the broken part in his hand and sighed. Looks like a trip to the auto parts store for me. He wasn’t upset about it, however. He hadn’t been there in a few months, not since shortly after he’d started dating, and he wondered if any of the same people still worked there. Perking up a bit, he headed back into the house to grab his coat and keys before readying his bike to head out. Normally, he would have mentioned he was heading out, but the only ones home were Dave and Billy, and they were unlikely to overhear him over their kung fu movie marathon.
Revving the bike a couple of times as he waited for the garage door to open, he peeled out onto the driveway and then the road as soon as he saw opportunity. The parts store he went to wasn’t anything special in and of itself – just your typical AutoZone. It didn’t even have the best prices a lot of the time. But there was an employee there that treated him better than he’d ever been treated at other places, and the guy would often let Tony use his employee discount. They talked shop a lot when he went in, and he was aware that Tony couldn’t always swing what he needed, so the guy tried to give him a break when he could.
The roads were slick from the rain and snow mix from earlier, so he was careful on the roads, and grateful when he finally got there. He loved his bike, but man could it get cold in winter. He parked the bike and set the helmet in its usual place, then tightened his jacket closed around him as he headed through the large set of automatic doors and into the welcoming warmth. There were a handful of customers in line, and two people at the counter, one of whom being his buddy. With a grin he gave a brief wave, and the guy smiled back, nodding at the line, and then in his direction. He correctly took this to mean that he’d be helped as soon as the line was non-existent.
He took the time to browse while he waited, seeing a few things that caught his eye, though he could afford a lot right now. He may have a high paying job, but that didn’t mean he’d gotten his first paycheck yet. He was looking over some stylization options for the ‘commute the group’ vehicle when he was approached.
“Haven’t seen you here in a while. Was starting to worry that something had happened to you, man.”
Tony looked up to see a guy a few inches taller than him, with dark hair and hazel eyes. Now that he thought about it, they were really kind of a unique blend of blue and green. He blinked when a hand was waved in his face.
“Everything ok?”
“Oh…yeah. Was just lost in thought for a moment. And nah, nothing;s happened.”
The guy raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Okay – stuff has happened, but nothing super serious.”
“I mostly believe you.” the guy said with a bit of a grin. “So what brings you in?”
“I was working on a friend’s car, and ended up busting a part.” he said, before giving the name of the part, followed by the make and model of the vehicle.
“I think we’ve got some in stock – I’ll have to check.” he said, waving him up to the front so he could check the computer.
“Help me out again?” he asked.
“Always.”
They headed up front, and Tony waited while he looked things up on the computer. “Well …there’s good news, and bad news.”
“Uh-oh. What is it?”
“We have the part in stock, but it’s just the one, and it’s listed as reserved. I’d have to order a new one. But, even with my discount you’re looking at things being a little out of your typical league.”
Tony sighed. His buddy studied him a moment before speaking. “Dad’s car?”
“Huh? No…a buddy of mine.”
“Don’t worry man, I got you. I’ll get the part, but I’ll have to drop it off at your house after my shift.”
“Oh…umm…” he grimaced slightly. “I moved.”
“What happened?”
“Long story?”
“I’ve got a lunch I can take if you’re willing to talk.”
Tony hesitated, then shrugged, sighed, and nodded.
“Okay then. I’ll clock out. Meet you at Red’s?”
“Which on is Red’s again?”
“The local diner down the street.”
“Yea, I’ll meet you there.”
“I should be there shortly.”
Tony gave a wave and headed out, climbing back onto his bike, wondering if it had been such a brilliant idea to take the bike out instead of one of the cars. He brushed the seat off before placing his helmet, then started up and headed down to Red’s. Red’s was a local place that was consistently well reviewed. If you compared it to Bob’s, Bob’s would be the basic hole in the wall greasy spoon that it was, and by comparison Red’s was more like an Applebee’s or something, though it mainly specialized in sandwiches and sides.
After parking, he headed inside and grabbed a table, and ordered a couple of drinks when someone came by. His buddy showed up a few minutes later, took a minute to spot him, then headed over and slid into the booth across from him, wordlessly picking up the drink Tony had ordered him. He looked kind of annoyed, so Tony asked
“Did I remember wrong?” he didn’t answer right away, so Tony snapped his fingers a couple of times. “Hey, Jett. Did I remember your drink wrong?”
Jett blinked a few times and just shook his head. “Manager’s a dick, that’s all.”
“New guy, or same one?”
“New guy. Old guy was just a prick, this guy’s a bigoted uptight asshole.”
“Fun.”
“Enough about me though. What’s changed? You wanted to talk, remember?”
Tony nodded and sighed. He opened his mouth to say something, but the waitress came by to take their orders, so they took pause to place their order and have her leave before Jett continued to look at Tony and wait. It wasn’t a look of annoyance or impatience – more like a look of patience and concern, but it was still slightly unsettling, somehow. Tony took a sip of his drink, and began.
“My parents kicked me out.”
“They kicked you out? Why?”
“Well…not really kicked me out, I guess. I tried to have an important talk with them, they blew up about one part, did that whole ‘as long as you live under my roof’ thing…”
“So you left.”
“Yeah, I left.”
“Couple questions. Was it an issue worth leaving over, if so what was it, and do you have a place to stay?”
“Yea, I have a place to stay. Actually, I moved in with my girlfriend and some other friends of mine.”
“I was going to ask about how things were going with her, and your friend that was in that accident is, after we talked about this thing here. Glad to know things are going okay with you and her.”
“Yeah, she’s been great.” he said with a smile. “And my friend’s fine. She was really lucky.”
“You’re avoiding the other two questions.” he pointed out as food arrived.
He sighed. “I tried to talk to my parents about my sexuality – told them I thought I might be bi, and they blew up. So yeah, I think it was an issue worth leaving over.”
Jett shook his head. “Sorry you had to deal with that. I agree with you there. But hell, wish I’d have known.”
“What? Why?”
“Didn’t want to offend you by flirting.”
“I…wha..?” he said while blinking, genuinely not being able to wrap his head around that statement right now.
“You know …there’s this thing about you, this look you get when you’re trying to figure things out, that..well, I can’t quite explain it, but it’s damned cute. Anyone ever tell you that?”
“I …don’t …think …so?”
Jett grinned and winked at him before taking a bite of his food.
“I thought you were straight?”
“Why in the nine hells would you think that?”
“You constantly have women flirting with you?”
“And?”
“You seemed to be enjoying the attention?”
He shook his head. “Just more polite to talk then act like they have cooties.”
“Okay, fair. So what is your orientation?”
Jett just looked at him and blinked a couple of time, giving him a look that clearly said he was waiting for Tony to figure it out.
“Are you gay?”
“Took you long enough.” he said with a grin, reaching over to ruffle Tony’s hair a little before going back to his lunch.
“How did I not know??”
“Not everyone fits a stereotype. Don’t get hung up about it.”
“But why me?”
“Why you what? Why are you bi?”
“What? No. Why would you want to flirt with me.”
“You really are new at relationships, aren’t you?” he sighed, but smiled. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good looking guy.”
“I’m not that..” he started to say, but Jett cut him off.
“Not only are you cute, but you’re also a gearhead greasemonkey kind of guy and that is a massive amount in your favor.”
“Uhhh …I …thank you?”
Jett smiled. “So how are things with your girl?”
“Huh? Oh…good. We’re doing really good, actually. She’s been really supportive of me wanting to explore this bi side I’ve recently discovered.” he shrugged a little, but blushed a little, and quickly turned his attention to his food.
“Open relationship then?”
“I guess?”
Jett looked thoughtful, and left the subject alone while they finished eating, not speaking much until Tony had finished.
“So about that part.”
“What about it?”
“Do you want me to drop by your new place with it, or would you rather come by my place later and pick it up?”
Tony thought about it a moment. “I’ll drop by your place. Not sure how everyone else would feel about you dropping by. Things have been weird lately, so everyone is wary of people we don’t know dropping by.”
“Not a problem.” he reached into his pocket, pulling out a stub pencil and a crumpled receipt. He took a moment to smooth out the receipt and jot a few things down before sliding it over to Tony. “I should be home around eiht, but call ahead just in case.” he stood, pulling his coat back on. “Break’s about over, so I’ve got to get back to work. Take care, ok? If you ever need anything, let me know.”
“Sure man.”
Tony watches as Jett walked away before picking up the receipt to look at the back where Jett had written. On it, was Jett’s name, address, and number. Tony pocketed it as the waitress came over to let him know that the bill was taken care of. Tony thanked her and got up, pulled his coat on and left a tip, wondering if he’d just had a sort of first date with a guy.
He spent the rest of the day partially preoccupied. The others asked if he was okay and he promised them he was, though he waited until later to pull Sayuri aside and get her opinion on the matter. Per usual, she was supportive and told him to go for it if that was what he wanted, and as long as he was careful and trusted this guy, though he got the impression she’d preferred to have met him first. He promised her though that, if anything happened, he’d be careful, even giving her a kiss before he left.
His mind was still preoccupied as he drove, focusing primarily on the directions he’d looked up earlier while the back of his mind was still percolating and processing the fact that someone actually wanted to flirt with him. He knew there was Sayuri, of course…but did the flirting ever really even start until after that game of spin the bottle? He wasn’t sure, and either way, he certainly wasn’t used to be approached by people who were actually interested in him.
When he arrived, it was fully dark, and he found himself outside a small house. Based on the illumination coming from the porch light, the house was white, with peeling paint, and in need of repairs here and there, but overall in good condition, considering that it just looked amazingly old, though that wasn’t wholly uncommon in Salem. He parked his bike in the gravel driveway, behind the car he knew to be Jett’s. Ahead of it was a garage that appeared to be in slightly better condition than the house, though he knew nothing of what was inside as it was dark.
He made his way up the porch, wary of the steps initially, but they held up fine, only creaking a little. He could hear someone talking inside, but not what was being said as he approached the door and, not thinking anything of it, gave a few good knocks. The talking stopped, and footsteps approached, then the door open to reveal a distraught looking Jett.
“Hey man…everything okay?” Tony asked out of concern.
“Now isn’t a good time.” Jett said, through slightly gritted teeth. A voice from inside spoke up – a voice that was smooth and serene, with a hint of possible malice and something else – a combination that made Tony give Jett a worried look.
“By all means, let your young man in, Jarrett.”
Jett cringed and looked at Tony, mouthing the word run. Tony started to protest when the owner of the voice pulled open the door Jett was largely trying to keep shut, and smiled at Tony. It sent shivers down his spine.
“Dear boy, do come in. Jarrett can be quite rude, don’t you think?”
Tony didn’t know what to make of the situation, though between Jett’s dejected look and the other man’s insistent one, he didn’t think he had any other choice. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside the house, taking a look around before he was directed to a seat. Jett closed the door, but his entire demeanor was angry.
“How long are you going to be here?” Jett asked the other man through gritted teeth.
“As long as I deem necessary.” he said with a smile that appeared casual, but Tony sensed there was more to it. “Tell me about your friend here, Jarrett.” he said.
“No.”
“No?”
“You heard me.” Jett said, folding his arms over his chest, glaring at the other man.
“Must you be so stubborn?”
“Must you pester me incessantly?
The other guy looked annoyed for a minute, then gestured to a chair. “Sit.” he said. T Tony’s surprise, Jett headed for the indicated seat and sat, though continued to glare. “Tell me about your friend here.”
Jett bit his lip hard, until it bled, before the other man asked again, and Jett spoke. “He’s a regular customer at work.”
“What’s his name?”
“Tony.”
“Why are you inviting someone who is just a customer to your house then?”
“He was picking up a part I got for him.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes.” Jett said, barely intelligible through his anger. The other man watched him thoughtfully.
“Not friend nor lover then?” Jett just glared, refusing to answer.
“Suit yourself.” the other man said, getting up from his seat and moving over to Tony, who wasn’t sure what to expect. Jett started to get up, but the other man looked at him and spoke one word “Stay”. He promptly sat back down.
“Fuck you, Marcus.”
“But you won’t.” he said, and looked down at Tony.
“Are you my thrall’s lover?”
“What’s a thrall?” was all he could think to ask.
“Are you Jarrett’s lover?” he asked, rephrasing the question.
“No – we’re just friends.”
Marcus glanced over to Jett a moment before looking back at Tony. He hitched his pants up slightly before squatting in front of him, simply staring him in the eye Tony tried looking over at Jett once or twice but found that difficult, he also noted that Jett seemed to be having difficulty being able to do more than talk.
“Don’t do it Marcus…”
Marcus turned and looked to Jett. “What would you give me in exchange?” Jett scowled. “Can not my songbird sing for me?”
“You…want me to sing?”
“Indeed.” he said, standing back up.
“Why? And what?”
“I love listening to you.” he said with a smile that Tony felt hinted at all kinds of creepiness. “As for the song?” he stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment. “What’s that one about oxidization and..a tin man?”
“Oxydi..? Oh..” he said. I need to set up the music.
“By all means.” he said.
“Should I just go?” Tony asked, starting to get up.
“Of course not. By all means..sit…stay.” he said, smiling.
Tony sat back down, and didn’t move. Couldn’t move. He watched as Jett set things up, though he noted that his muscles were tense, and his expression angry as he did so.
“Do give a good performance. I’d hate to have second thoughts.” Marcus said with a smirk. Jett scowled, and Tony thought he might have even heard a growl, but wasn’t sure. After a few more minutes, Jett had things set up, and then stood where Marcus indicated before starting the music. After a few moments, Jett began singing Billy Talent’s “Rusted From The Rain”. It was an angry performance, but his voice sounded amazing. When the song was over, Jett shut things off.
“Happy now.”
“Quite. I’ll not partake of dinner. However…” he tilted his head a moment and steepled his fingers, eyes half closed for a few minutes before he smirked again, and began quizzing Tony on matters of mathematics and some sciences, looking more pleased with every answer Tony gave.
“Yes, this will be quite interesting.” he said, standing up again. He looked at Jett and spoke “Sit. Stay.”, then waited for him to follow his commands before turning his attention to Tony. He brought his wrist to his mouth and bit into it, letting it bleed a moment before holding it out to the boy. “Drink.” he commanded.
Unable to defy the command, Tony took the wrist, and drank the blood being offered to him, until Marcus pulled his wrist away, and licked the wound closed. Tony leaned back, eyes closed and largely unaware of what was occurring at present as the blood rushed through his system and he rode the high surging through his body.
“Why?” Jett asked Marcus.
“He’s not unlike you, insofar as intelligence and capability go. I’m intrigued to see where this goes. It’s your job to teach him what I want from him – it’s no different than you, so it’s useless to ask more.”
“So you’ll be back.” he said flatly.
“Yes – he needs to be bound after all.” he smirked at Jettand stood. “Make sure you take care of him – he’s not as strong as you yet after all.” he said, running a finger along Jett’s jawline, and lifting his chin before walking away and heading towards the front door. He was just about there, when he paused and turned back to look at them both.
“Oh, and Jarrett?”
“What?” he said with a scowl.
“Do not despise the Master’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Master disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
Jett flipped him off and he merely chuckled as he left the house, his intimidating aura following with him.
“What the hell was he talking about?” Tony asked, his voice a little slurred.
“He was paraphrasing the Bible. Proverbs 3:11-12, specifically.”
“What…what did he make me do?”
Jett sighed, holding up a finger to indicate that Tony wait a minute before he grabbed him a bottle of water. He handed it over, and pulled over a stool to sit on before continuing.
“You’re not going to believe any of what I have to say, I’m sure, but bear with me, ok?”
“Okay…”
“Let me just start by saying there’s a whole world out there you don’t know about, where the things that go bump in the night are real.”
Tony slowly blinked at him. “He was a vampire, wasn’t he?”
“You’re…you’re taking this a whole hell of a lot better than I thought you might.”
Tony shrugged. “My girlfriend’s a werefox, one of the friends I live with is a weredino, and that friend of mine that had the accident is a mage. I’m getting used to the creepy and the kooky.”
“Now that’s a story I have to hear. But yes, he’s a vampire, and he had you drink his blood.”
“Is that going to make me into a vampire?”
“No. Into something more like a Renfield, if you’ve ever read Dracula. Just without the bug eating. As long as you have vampire blood in your system you won’t get sick, and you won’t age. You can learn some of what they can do, but it’s hard. You’ll be stronger. But they get to command you, and you don’t get a lot of say in that. Believe me when I say I’m sorry as fuck that you got dragged into all this.”
“Not your fault.” Tony said, and tried to stand up, wobbling a bit before sitting back down. “That’s not good.”
“He’s a very old vampire, so his blood is strong. It’s like a super intoxicating drug. I really don’t reccomend you driving home or doing much else tonight. I can drive you back if you want – or you can stay here. I leave the choice to you.”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, how do you feel, and how do you think the people back at home will react to you coming home like this?”
“I feel…” he paused, struggling to define it. “Hyper? I guess? Like, I could run a marathon and not get tired, or work a few days straight on rebuilding an engine with minimal support from a cherry picker. Mostly though?” he turned a bit red. “Mostly though I’m horny as hell.”
Jett grinned a bit – he couldn’t help it. “Sounds about right. Not saying I wouldn’t be willing either, but this isn’t the kind of situation I’d want to take advantage of. It’s one thing when I’m high as hell on blood and can find a partner…doesn’t seem right the other way around, you know?”
“Oh.” Tony said, pouting, though he wasn’t aware of doing so. Jett couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“Let me get that part for you. I’ll drive you home. When you’ve sobered up, if you still want to, then we can, okay?”
Tony nodded, and then, the blood acting like liquid courage, he walked up to Jett and brazenly kissed him. Jett didn’t resist, and kissed back, even let Tony get hot and heavy for a bit – but he refused to let it go any further. “Another time.” he said, murmuring into Tony’s ear before pulling away.
Tony pouted again but relented, and waited by the door for Jett, who returned a few minutes later with coat and shoes on, keys in hand, and handed over a bag with the needed part. They headed outside, and he took a moment to walk Tony’s bike into the garage so it could be locked up, and then unlocked the car for them both. It was a sleek, gorgeously restored ‘71 Plymouth Barracuda, and Tony was practically drooling being able to touch the car, let alone ride in it.
Jett got directions from Tony and took him home, giving a whistle when he saw the place. “I’ll say one thing – you sure as hell upgraded.”
Tony smiled sheepishly and nodded, then opened the door to get out, and paused. “You sure you won’t come inside?”
“Is that what you want?”
Tony thought for a minute and nodded. Jett shut off the car and got out. “So what do you think will happen?”
Tony shrugged. “Guess we’ll find out.”