crucio (crucio) wrote in cwf,
@ 2010-07-11 22:47:00

open to greer
If Mikhal hadn't a need to sleep, he would have been anxious all day long. After running into Greer in Cold Water and spending the night with him, well almost - since Greer had to leave - the sorcerer was all he could think about. Greer was leaving the Church for him. Mikhal wasn't sure what that meant, but it meant something, that was for damn sure. The sorcerer had been nothing but a game at first and now Mikhal was utterly lost and in too deep. He wanted Greer more than he wanted anything in the entire world, and now he got to have him. Or did he? A part of him was still worried Greer would change his mind, and when night fell and Mikhal rose that fear was stuck in the pit of his stomach.

He showered and got dressed, wearing a pair of black slacks and a thin white v-neck shirt, then he just... Waited. He had no idea when Greer would show. Greer said he'd be back that night, and if he wasn't... Mikhal was certain he'd leave Cold Water and never come back.

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impotentwaffle
2010-07-12 03:11 am UTC (link)

That morning had gone horribly. But the damage had mostly been done on the inside. His resignation had been met with little resistance, not because they didn't like Greer, but because the Coldwater parish was used to losing its priests. The phone call to his mentor back in Seattle had been harder. They had spoken for hours but the decision remained the same. Greer was gay and there was no place in the leadership of the Church for him--not if he was out of the closet anyway.

The hypocrisy of that very much rubbed him the wrong way and part of him wanted to stop being a Catholic altogether. He'd known it was true, but actually confronting the double standard of hate shook him.

He'd slept that entire afternoon and too far into the evening. The Church was allowing him to reside there until he found something else. His mentor had offered him a modest stipend to get him on his feet. He would look for an apartment, or a room to rent. Too distracted to put up a protection spell to cover his entrance, he simply walked into the mansion, reeking of blood and humanity, vulnerable to anyone, a beacon.

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crucio
2010-07-12 03:16 am UTC (link)

Danielle had been lounging on the couch with a stray cat Bernie had found and was currently taking care of, and she was busy petting the creature when Greer walked in. Her senses immediately perked up, and she abandoned the fluffy grey creature to get to her feet and go investigate. She smiled sweetly when she spotted the pretty little sorcerer and wandered over to him.

"Hello," she greeted as she extended a hand out to brush her fingers against his cheek. "Who are you? You smell... a little different than our usual visitors."

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impotentwaffle
2010-07-12 03:47 am UTC (link)

His head darted up, eyes betraying surprise when they went a little wider at the sight of her. He'd been so unaware of his surroundings and he immediately recognized his mistake. "I've been here before," he said, trying not to reveal his nervousness. It wasn't technically a lie, though he was trying to mae it sound like he'd been there frequently and she was just mistaken, or had overlooked him because he was so boring.

"I'm Greer Findlay. Pleased to meet you."

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	crucio 2010-07-12 03:51 am UTC (link)
	"Have you?" Danielle asked, arching a brow. "You're nervous, how cute," she grinned happily as she pressed a slender hand against his chest so that she could push him back against the wall. For being tiny, she was a lot stronger than she looked. "Hello Greer Findlay, I'm Danielle. It's nice of you to stop by for dinner." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-07-12 07:18 pm UTC (link)

He mumbled something under his breath and a heat started to eminate from his skin. It turned into an uncomfortable pressure against Danielle's skin wherever her body was close to Greer's. It was nothing she couldn't push through, but he wanted her to know he wasn't helpless.

"I'm here to see Mikhal, actually. And I've already had dinner--but it's nice of you to offer." He knew full well that Danielle hadn't meant food for him.

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crucio
2010-07-12 10:47 pm UTC (link)

"Leave him, Danielle," Mikhal's voice called out from the top of the stairs.

With a huff, Danielle pulled back, but she was eyeballing Greer curiously. She'd figured out why the sorcerer smelled so different. He wasn't just a regular human. Turning away, she left the entrance way and Mikhal came down the stairs to head over to where Greer was standing.

"I was beginning to worry you wouldn't come," he said quietly.

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impotentwaffle
2010-07-13 12:30 am UTC (link)

He wondered if he could have handled it himself. Now that he wasn't part of the Church, he felt the desire to be able to take care of himself. But he didn't want to hurt anyone and he hardly knew any offensive spells. Perhaps he should practice more of them.

"I overslept. I didn't think I would be able to sleep at all but after I laid down, the next thing I knew it was late." He glanced after Danielle. "I could have handled her myself." He wasn't sure, but he wanted to puff himself up a little. There was definitely a darkness that was hanging over him, something very sober.

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	crucio 2010-07-13 02:52 am UTC (link)
	Mikhal glanced after Danielle as well before he returned his attention to Greer. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the sorcerer's mouth, allowing it to linger, before he pulled back. "I'm sure you could have, I just wanted to get her out of the way so that I could do that," he said quietly. "How did everything go with the church?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-07-13 05:13 pm UTC (link)

That kiss helped him remember why he'd gone to all of this trouble. It wasn't just Mikhal, of course, but he had been the catalyst to push him to do what was right. "Oh, sure you did," he smiled a little, the expression muted, but genuinely amused.

At the mention of the church, he shrugged a little. "I don't think the Parish here ever expects their priests to stay, though they admitted that I was the shortest lived. They understood that I was young and that even the strongest in faith can change their mind." He sounded like he was just repeating what the church caretaker had said. "I'm going to be staying there until I can find an apartment or room of my own. I thought that was nice of them."

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	crucio 2010-07-14 02:33 am UTC (link)
	"What kind of place would you like? Maybe I can help find you something," Mikhal said quietly, and all ready he was thinking of what it might be like to settle with Greer. The thought was strange, and he turned away but tugged Greer with him, to the stairs. "Does that mean you can stay here tonight or no?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-07-14 02:50 am UTC (link)

It was funny that Greer had done this to be honest with himself and yet he was still scared to spend the night because he worried that the caretaker would start to catch on to why Greer really left. He'd considered actually asking Mikhal if he could just stay at the Mansion permanently, but deep down he knew that was a bad idea on numerous levels.

Hesitation slowed his answer until finally he nodded. "I can stay here tonight. I'd like to. Actually, the one thing I kept thinking about while I was talking to Father Caprice was being able to sleep next to you." He laughed a little nervously at admitting that.

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	crucio 2010-07-14 02:58 am UTC (link)
	Greer could stay in the mansion with him if he wanted, but Mikhal wasn't sure if he could keep him off of the menu for all of the other vampires if he was a resident and not a guest. "You probably won't like the way I sleep," Mikhal said softly with a faint laugh, "I go completely still, like I'm dead. At least you know what I am and that I'll wake up." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-07-14 03:11 am UTC (link)

"Really?" he tipped his head, fascinated but visibly disturbed. He was sure he could handle anything that came with Mikhal, but it might not always be the easiest of accomplishments. "Have you ever--seen a vampire sleep? Or did someone tell you that's what it's like?" He imagined it would be hard to see himself sleep, though maybe it was common knowledge. Did makers teach things like that? He thought that some probably did.

"And--I think I just want someplace small. Modest. I brought a newspaper to look through. Actually I can kind of imagine renting a room with a nice little old lady with a bunch of cats." That sounded like a nice, safe place.

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crucio
2010-07-14 03:33 am UTC (link)

"I've seen it, yes, and I was told beforehand," Mikhal explained as they headed down the hall to where his room was.

Once they were inside, he closed the door and led Greer over to the bed so that they could sit, and he kept a hold of the sorcerer's hands. He lowered his attention down to them and and was quiet for a moment.

"Maybe we could get a place."

There, he'd said it.

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impotentwaffle
2010-07-14 03:50 am UTC (link)

He was concocting a question in his head about what vampire he'd seen asleep and had it been someone important to him. But when Mikhal said that last thing, Greer's eyes darted up. For a second, his brain seized up and all he could think about was how wide and blue the man's eyes were--definitely bluer than any humans' he'd ever seen. When he realized that he'd been slack-jawed and silent for too long, he smiled a little. "Wow, living in sin already." It was a joke, of course, though as soon as he said it he worried that the vampire would think he was joking.

Leaning forward, he rested his head against Mikhal's shoulder. "You're not exactly a little old lady with a bunch of cats, but I think that might be amazing. Please though, if this is about feeling responsible for me because I left the church to be with you--you don't have to do it."

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crucio
2010-07-14 04:10 am UTC (link)

The surprised look on Greer's face made Mikhal smile a little bit, and after a moment he laid down on the bed to sprawl out comfortably. He'd been afraid Greer might say no, but he could all ready tell just by the way Greer was looking at him that no wouldn't be what he said at all.

"It's not that," he assured quietly as he lifted a hand to let his fingertips brush against the sorcerer's cheek.

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impotentwaffle
2010-07-14 04:26 pm UTC (link)

"No, I don't suppose it is that," he agreed because he could feel that Mikhal didn't pity him, not in a patronizing way anyway. "Would we stay in Coldwater Flats? I must admit that I like it here. I like being close to the forest and if I left completely I'd feel like I was running away." Instead of staying and facing the fact that he'd left his job because he had deep feelings for another man.

He tilted his head against Mikhal's cool fingers, finding that he much preferred the chill to anything he'd felt before.

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	crucio 2010-07-15 01:04 am UTC (link)
	"I'd like to stay here, yes," Mikhal said as he let his fingertips slip up and into Greer's hair. After a moment, he tugged Greer down by the waist and pressed his mouth against the pulse of the man's neck. "Maybe a small little house or apartment, something like that," he added in a soft mumble. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-07-15 02:38 am UTC (link)

With Mikhal's mouth pressed to his neck, it would be even easier for the vampire to tell how fast that made his heart beat. "Little would be the most important word here. I don't have a job yet. Though I hear that the grocery store is hiring. Do you think the clergy counts as management experience?"

It was hard to think about his problems when the vampire was this close to him and he was incredibly thankful for that. While he wanted to get right to making a plan for his life, he also felt really overwhelmed by the prospect and having Mikhal there was the best kind of distraction.

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crucio
2010-07-15 02:43 am UTC (link)

Mikhal closed his eyes and reveled in how warm Greer felt, and the way his heart raced. He hooked an arm around the man's waist and tugged him in closer as he tangled their legs up together.

"Maybe," he mumbled with a faint smile. "Maybe you could look into going to school for counseling or psychology or something, you'd make a great therapist. You have a lot of experience listening to people's problems, don't you?"

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impotentwaffle
2010-07-15 03:02 am UTC (link)

He laughed a little. "I have a lot of experience keeping people's secrets and offering them comfort--so I suppose counseling is an option. That's long term though," he added. There were scholarships, of course, but Greer was worried about day to day life.

"I do want a cat though. We could never have cats in seminary, or in the church. I remember reading about old churches that had tons of cats to keep the mice down. I really always liked that imagery. I'm obsessing about cats, aren't I?" He stopped himself, feeling a bit embarrassed because he really was just rambling now. Mikhal still made him nervous, but in the good way.

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crucio
2010-07-15 03:13 am UTC (link)

"A little bit, yes," Mikhal replied with a grin. "You can get a cat, I don't mind cats. Bernie has some every now and then," he mumbled, "So I'm use to them."

He turned onto his back and tugged Greer on top of him so that he could wrap both of his arms around him. He liked the way it felt to have someone so warm laying directly on top of him, like a heating blanket.

"Would you want one or two?"

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impotentwaffle
2010-07-15 03:27 am UTC (link)

"One at first," he managed to say, though his decision seemed quite distant because he was busy concentrating on the way Mikhal felt beneath him. Angling his head to the side, he rested his ear on the man's chest. "I love how cool you are. I wonder if I'll like it in the winter. No worries--I can warm you up. You can drink from me anytime you want, you know." He wanted that to be clear. His blood was Mikhal's now.

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	crucio 2010-07-15 03:43 am UTC (link)
	"I love how warm you are," Mikhal countered as he shifted, rolling so that he was on top of Greer. He pressed his mouth against the front of the sorcerer's throat and breathed in his scent with a grin. "Are you sure about that? Whenever I want? Your blood warms me for longer than a regular humans, you know. I almost feel drunk when I drink from you." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-07-15 04:48 am UTC (link)

It was amazing, how he could feel Mikhal smile against him. He liked hearing that his blood was special in so far as that it affected Mikhal more strongly. With the other man against him, Greer really knew what it meant to covet something. He wanted the vampire all to himself and he didn't know what he'd do if that ever felt threatened. Maybe he just needed something to which to be devoted. Well, Mikhal was it now.

"Yes, I'm sure about that. Though if you kill me, it will be very difficult to get more of my blood," he noted with a laugh that made his throat vibrate against Mikhal's lips.