→ John had been out that evening grocery shopping. It was the most mundane thing he deemed to do and it was only because he was doing it with stolen credit cards and money--so it gave a dangerous aire to the activity. When he got back to the apartment, he swiftly started putting the groceries away, nothing having a set place. Haphazardly he shoved cold things in the fridge and left cans on the counter.

→ Gabe was getting out of his funk, sort of spurred on by the fact that he would never be desperate enough to kill himself and he'd come pretty close to letting himself die anyway. Sitting on the edge of the couch he was flipping through channels, waiting for John to come back ofrom the store. Getting up from the couch he went into the kitchen to find his boyfriend and he ran his hand down his back when he got there. "I want to go out."

→ "I was just out." John thumbed in the direction of the door. "Didn't you see me come in? That means I've already been out." Because he would always be difficult when he could be, even if he had made a point to be nicer to Gabe since he'd been so fragile recently.

→ "Then I am going out by myself." Gabriel wasn't going to bother to fight with him because that woudl take up too much time and he didn't want to stay around if it meant another fight, no matter how easy they were going on each other on account of how bad he'd been lately.

→ Putting the last few cans away, John turned around. "All by yourself?" He chided, hooking his hands on his bony hips. "You wouldn't know what to do with yourself all alone out there." All of the alarm had died down and it had been back to business as usual in Gotham for awhile now. But the streets were still a pretty fucked up place to be. Somehow, John often forgot that Gabe had stronger powers than he had and he could take care of himself.

→ "Well then you can come out with me or you can stay here and worry about it." Gabe headed away from him and he slipped on his shoes and pulled on a hat just because he liked to keep himself a little covered. He didn't bother with a jacket because he was used to cold weather and even at night it was still warm here.

→ "There's not much out there, trust me. Where are you going to go?" He wanted to keep an eye on Gabe, perhaps just to be sure he didn't draw any unneeded attention to them. Granted, John was pretty good at that on his own, so he had no room to talk. Walking out after him, John glanced around the shitty apartment complex parking lot. He'd managed to secure them a room for at least a month.

→ "I was thinking I'd go and look into this whole werewolf thing. I've never seen one before." And he was kind of curious as to whether or not they really existed. Especially after having heard rumors about them being in the woods from some of the teenagers he'd bummed cigarettes off of outside of the movie theatrer the last time he'd gone out.

→ John was not the one to balk at the idea of creatures like that existing, considering what he was--but he made a face at Gabe. "Seriously? You're going to go looking for fucked up creatures that could rip you to shreds?" That was the other part of the rumor the teens had been spouting off. John was fearless, but he didn't quite have a death wish.

→ "I really don't think that I'm going to get eaten. And it's not like I can't protect myself." He could cause shockwaves and earth quakes. If one of those things came lunging at him he'd send it flying through the air before it could get close enough to take a bite out of him. "Do you think I'd really get eaten? I'm too pretty to be wolf food."

→ "Little Red Riding hood was pretty. Peter was probably kind of hot too." Various other fairy tale legends were good looking and that never stopped the wolves from chewing them up--in the good versions of the stories anyway. Still, John was pretty sure Gabe could handle himself so he offered a shrug. "All right, all right. You're probably right. And besides, if you're caught by surprise, I'll just burn them up."

→ "See baby, this is why I keep you around." Gabe said, taking John's hand so they could lace their fingers together. The fact that he was out and about spoke volumes about how bored or sick of being inside he was. "How far into the woods do you think we'll have to go to see one?"

→ John was easily appeased when Gabe acted like that. Everything in his chest sort of melted and he wanted to drizzle into a puddle on top of the other. He felt way too much for him; it was frightening sometimes. "I don't know. It's probably not just any woods. Where did those kids say it was?"

→ "They said it was down the main highway and off to one side. That there was a big house out there somewhere and that's where they all live. Everyone says that anyone who goes out there never comes back. I asked them how they knew that people went out there then and they looked at me like I was a fucking idiot. But if no one comes back how do they know? You knwo?"

→ "Missing persons? Bloody remains? They were probably just talking out of their asses." He pursed his lips and reached into his pocket to tumble his lighter over his fingers as they walked. "Well let's go out there then, see for ourselves. The place is probably abandoned or some shit." Maybe they could stay up there and not have to pay rent.

→ "Well then we would be certainly lucky if we found an abandonedh ouse. I can live with no electricity." he was thinking the same thing, squat in the house becuase it'd be cheaper. For a while then he just walked, letting their hands stayed linked together between their bodies. "Do you think we'll be here forever?"

→ The walk itself was nice. It was cooler once they got up into the mountain area, but not so cool that he wished he'd brought a jacket. When Gabe presented that question, he paused for the briefest of moments and then finally shrugged. "I don't think we'll be anywhere forever." Forever was a weird concept to John, though he'd long since decided that if it meant anything, it meant it with Gabe.

→ "I just don't want to be stuck in a town that is as boring as Cold Water Flats for the rest of my life." He headed up a dirty path, just wandering because he knew that even if they got lost they'd find their way out eventually. He had an impeccable sense of direction and was smart enough to know how to get himself out of the woods if he got lost in them.

→ John fared better in a big city. He was relying on Gabe's sense of direction, though he wouldn't admit it if they actually became lost. "And if there are werewolves? Would it still be boring?" It was the other demons he wanted to find. A magical sort couldn't go very far without at least hearing rumors about Cold Water Flats being a hub of activity.

→ "Then I might be more excited. If we find werewolves then we are going to have to look for vampires too." He knew there had to be other demons. He knew there were othersl ike them he just didn't know how to locate them. It wasn't like they wore nametags.

→ Rolling his eyes, John gave Gabe a bit of a shove. "Yeah, let's be regular supernatural hunters. That ought to be fun." Except his tone of voice didn't exactly sound as if he believed it'd be fun at all. As they wove farther and farther into the woods, there was a change in the feel of their surroundings, as if they'd stepped across some sort of invisible line and all of a sudden they were being watched. John wrinkled his nose.

→ Gabe just sort of looked around, squeezing John's hand a little bit tighter. He let his energy buzz beneath his skin, building up in strength so that if something really did come at them he'd be able to knock it clear the hell away. "Do you feel that?"

→ "I feel you." He said lowly, glancing down at their hands before flicking his eyes back out and around the woods. "But I feel something else too." He couldn't decide if he liked it or not, but the ground was more alive here than it was anywhere they'd walked before. John dared to take another few steps forward.

→ Austin had just come out of the lake. His body was dripping as he tugged on the jeans he'd managed to find out there. They were a little tight, so he wasn't entirely sure that they were his or if they just felt that way because he was soaked, but he didn't think much about it. They smelled like the earth, like someone had shed them and abandoned them. The wolves lost more clothing that way. He had shifted and run and when he'd shifted back it had been warm enough that the water seemed inviting. The night was going all right until he started back to the house and the wind picked up on a scent that was entirely unfamiliar and fairly unwelcome. Something he'd not smelled before, not quite human. He headed in that direction, staying downwind so that they didn't know he was coming in case they could smell him. When he saw John and Gabe he rolled his eyes, assuming something was off about them because he could feel it, but they didn't seem dangerous. They were teenagers, kids. Not like he wasn't one himself but he felt an aire of superiority to them just because he was bigger and well... he was a wolf. But he still took caution as he came closer. "you're trespassing on private land."

→ John hadn't been able to sense much more than the slight difference in this land than previous land. He hadn't noticed anyone sneeking up on them, that was for sure, and he nearly sent out flames just as a matter of being startled. "I didn't see a sign." He put back at the guy. Squinting briefly, he smirked. The newcomer was nothing more than a kid probably close to their age. Folding his arms in front of his chest, John kept that arrogant look to his body movements, knowing the kid wasn't going to know what hit him.

→ "Most people know better." Austin said, coming closer to them to get a good look. He took back the thought about being bigger. Gabriel was tall, lithe. John wasn't so short but was shorter and that made Austin taller than him. Folding his arms over his chest, he let his muscles flex as a small show of force, though it wasn't anything that was entirely thought out. Most of his movements were positions of domination that he was used to using around the other wolves just so they knew their place and knew his too. But these weren't wolves. They were... well he didn't know what they were. "The two of you should know better than most what they are walking into." Because he could feel them and could smell them and they werent just plain old human.

→ Everything about John showed dominance as a part of his very core. He stood straight, feet shoulder-width apart. His body was relaxed, yet prepared. It seemed that nothing could break his gaze. It surprised him though, this person who looked like he possessed as much gusto and bile as he did. "Should we? We're new in town--so I can hardly say we know the ropes around here." He knew what Austin had meant, but he wasn't about to give that part of himself away. "Guess if you're not tresspassing, that means this is your place?"

→ "You guessed right." Because it was his place. It was just as much his as everyoen else that lived there. And he wasn't going to offer up any more of an explanation than that at the moment. "Whether you feel it or nto, now you know for sure that you aren't supposed to be here, so now would be a good time to turn around and go back the way you came. It's dangerous out here if you don't know these woods and you two obviously don't know these woods>"

→ "We're looking for werewolves." John ignored the suggestion that they leave. As far as he was concerned, since they were now talking to the presumed owner, they were well within their rights to stay and hang out. "A lot of kids in town say there are some who live up here. You wouldn't know anything about that rumor would you?" He kept his elbow in contact with Gabe's, his touch keeping John's head on straight.

→ Gabe wasn't saying anything, he was just sort of studying Austin. Taking him in, sizing him up. Trying to figure out if they could play with him without causing too much damage. That and he was studying the nooks and cranies of his being, his features, his voice, the way he moved and how he held himself. Because if he could touch him he could absorb his appearance and taht would be just one more person to use if he needed it. "It's a rumor that the kids tell in town because no one is brave enough to come up here and check things out for themselves and that is hwo we like it. This is private property for a reason."

→ John wasn't nearly so full of observation as Gabe was--he was quite the opposite. If he wasn't acting, he was dead. "What's the reason? Something to hide?" Taking a few more steps forward, he tested the situation. He could almost make out a house from here and he peered through the trees, trying to catch a better glimpse at it, ignoring the fact that Austin was within plain view of this activity.

→ "Because we don't like to be bothered." Austin's voice was on the edge of a growl and he was tempted to get right up in John's face but he still didn't know what these people were capable of. "And that is exactly what you are doing. Bothering me. Please leave now."

→ "You're really no fun at all. Here we are, new to the area, around your age, and you're not even going to invite us in?" He walked around behind Austin, leaving Gabe at his front. He wanted to see what Austin would do if he felt surrounded, playing up the fact that there were two of them and only one of him. Licking his lower lip, John gave Austin the once over.

→ John was clearly the dominant one and so Austin shifted and turned, eyes following him. But that left Gabriel open and he came forward, brushing his hand along the small of Austin's back, against his bare skin. It made Austin jump a little and he whirled around, growling. Gabe was already moving back away from him, smiling a little bit as he felt the tingling sensation in his fingers from how much power austin gave off. "Touch him, John, he's feels like he's made of fire."

→ Obliging Gabe's request, and not about to turn down a challenge, John reached forward to meet Austin's skin under his fingers. He didn't do it quickly though. "Not like me." John said a little defensively, not wanting Austin to be a demon of fire like he was. The energy the wolf gave off was warmth, and electricity, and something pumping, raw, like the essence of life.

→ Austin whirled around and caught his wrist, crushing it beneath his strength as he pushed his hand off of him. "Don't fucking touch me." He growled, his voice rough and a little hoarse but still human. If he hadn't just run he might have run the risk of shifting just out of anger but he wasn't all riled up at the moment. Shoving John away from him, he tried to get into a place where he could see the both of them. "Leave now."

→ At the threat, John's free hand had already pulled out the lighter and he held it angled at Austin like he might point a gun. "No." John said. "We're only just getting started here. I think we'll stay and you can answer a few of our questions. You're one of the freaks that lives here. What gives? What the hell are you?" Because that amount of strength could not come from any human, even some strung out adrenaline junkie.

→ "It doesn't matter what I am." Austin said, knocking John's hand away as if it was nothing because he didn't really think very much of it or the fact that he was holding a lighter. What was he going to do? Scorch him into telling him what he was? "What matters is that you are trespassing and I've already played your little game long enough. It's time to leave before I make you leave."

→ "You can't make us do anything." John spat, angry now. The fireball formed out of the flicking of the lighter, and it spun like raw power in his hand. "How would you like your woods torched? Don't ever threaten me again." The fire in his palm grew larger and he threatened to send it Austin's way.

→ The fire made Austin back up, letting go of John's other wrist because he'd never seen anyone do that in all of his seventeen years and it made him more than a little unsettled. He backed up until he bumped into Gabe and he tried to recover so fast that he ended up nearly falling forward. He put one hand down on the ground and slipped out from between the two of them to take several large steps back. "What the hell are you?"

→ "Yeah, right. Like I'm going to tell you shit if you won't even have us in for tea and scones." Or whatever mountain folk did. "But--you tell me and I'll tell you." He thought that was a fair enough deal. Leaving the fire as a safety insurance, John kept his eyes on Austin. The side of his face was illuminated by the fire, reaffirming that it was, indeed, real.

→ "I'm exactly what you think I am." Austin said, knowing that there wasn't any point in trying to hide it. He was a little panicked and he knew that if he didn't calm down it would only be a few minutes before Hunter showed up to find out what the hell was giong on and he wasn't sure how these two would react to his alpha. Hunter was calm and even tempered but there was something about John that seemed like he'd rub anyone the wrong way.

→ That made John's attention shift to Gabe. He nearly shrugged. "I guess I thought they'd be more impressive." He closed his fingers over the flame and exitinguished it. Not keeping his end of the bargain right away, John put his hands back in his pockets, feeling the sting of the bones in his wrist. Maybe Austin had sprained it, but more than likely he'd just bruised it and it would be something John could old over Gage's head.

→ It didnt' matter that Austin had tried to calm himself down, because the minute Hunter had felt the distress he came down from the house to see what was giong on. Earlier that afternoon he'd gone to town to have lunch with Mabel and to talk a little about how things were going in her neck of the woods. He was still dressed from it, wearing a pair of slacks, his dress shirt tucked into them, and a tailored vest that matched the fabric. He had on his glasses and hsi nice shoes, nothing that he would normally wear around the house, particularly not when he planned on a run. When he saw the two boys with his brother he cleared his throat a little to announce his presence. "Is there a problem there, gentlemen?"

→ John whirled around. "No," he said immediately. "No problem, we were just having a chat with your kid here." John assumed the man was his father, or some other figure of authority given the way he carried himself. If John was the picture of faked confidence, then Hunter was the epitome of true confidence. Nothing about him showed any insecurities probably because there weren't any to show. "I'm John, this is Gabe. We were out for a walk." A lie, plainly.

→ "Brother." Hunter corrected him with ease as he settled a hand onto Austin's shoulder. He relaxed significantly under the weight of Hunter's hand and he just sort of glared at the two boys. "It's nice to meet you, John and Gabe." he looked at the two of them, not really sizing them up because he didn't need to. He already knew what they were. "I'm Hunter. This is my brother Austin, though I'm sure you've already acquainted yourself with him. Why don't you come up to the house."

→ The invitation fell on suspicious ears. One of them was keeping them away while the other was inviting them right on up. He moved to stand next to Gabe protectively. If these two were the brothers, he hwas left to wonder what the hell the parents were like. Unsettled, John considered just packing the two of them up and leaving. But a trip to the house would be a lot better than he'd imagined. Closer to these creatures about which he was now convinced. "Are you going to call the police?" As if anyone who was going to call the police would tell them.

→ Gabe took John's hand again, lacing their fingers together because it made him feel safer to be touching John. "No." Hunter said. "You are on our land but the harm has already been done. Come up and have a piece of pie, if there is any left." Because he was pretty sure that the pies he'd brought home from Mabel's were probably mostly gone now, if not completely gone. "You are here, you might as well stay a while. Austin, go up and tell Wendell we're coming." Austin didn't argue, just turned and went without another word, leaving the two with Hunter. "If you would rather go than stay, I would be more than happy to walk you to the border of our property."

→ Keenly aware that this could be some sort of trap, John hesitated a little. But it wasn't as if he really believed that these things were more powerful than himself, and definitely not more powerful than he and Gabe put together. Curling his fingers in around Gabe's hand, John tugged him forward. "All right. Pie sounds good anyway. I'm starving." It was true, his stomach was grumbling because he'd gone out with Gabe instead of stayed in to eat.

→ "There's plenty to eat at the main house." Hunter motioned for them to walk with him and he started back in the direction of the house. Gabe just started along, tugging John into motion as he followed him. "So you are werewolves?" Gabe asked him, sort of surprised that this was how it was turning out. "Yes. And you are demons. Well, half demons, anyway." He knew if they were real demons they wouldn't look quite what they looked like now. Or wouldn't feel that way either.

→ Hunter's knowledge put John off. He slowed deliberately to make sure Gabe had to yank on him to keep going. "If you know what we are, and what we can do, then why are you inviting us right into your house? You must be cockier than we are."

→ "Maybe." Hunter said, though perhaps he just had a feeling nothing would go wrong. Or maybe he just knew that these two needed someone or thought they did anyway. "Pie never hurt anyone, especially not Mabel's pie." Hunter said. "Let's just hope there is some left. The longer we take to get there the less of a chance there is there will be any left at all." At the word Mabel, Gabe perked up and tugged John harder. He had a thing for that woman's pie. And now in the dirty way.

→ There was something suspicious about Mabel too and John didn't like how her name came up in the oddest of places. "Is Mabel a werewolf too?" Because he got that same staticky feeling when he was around her. Anyone that made food that well was not human, or at least John didn't think so. Once they arrived closer to the house, John realized it was more a grouping of houses than anything. It was as if they'd just walked into a compound and he realized that they must be gravely outnumbered.

→ "Not a wolf, no." he left it at that, not wanting to give away what she was because it wasn't his place. When they got to the house he held the door open for them, letting the smells of fresh baked pie fill the air, which inevitably drew Gabe inside. He didn't really usually follow his stomach but they were already in deep, so why not get soem pie out of it?

→ John was put off by Gabe's eagerness. He trotted right in like a lamb. Growing grouchier and grouchier by the moment, John refused any pie offered just out of spite. He figured Gabe would eat his share anyway. So Mabel wasn't a wolf, and since he'd seen her out in the day, she couldn't be a vampire. He wrinkled his nose and sat down at the kitchen table, arms folded across his chest, one leg slung carelessly over the other. When Sullivan bounded downstairs for a glass of milk, he stopped cold. "Who the fuck are these guys?"

→ "Austin found them in the woods." Hunter said, getting Gabe a piece of pie and a glass of water because that was what he'd asked for. John had asked for nothing but Gabe wasn't above taking food from strangers if it came from Mabel. "Gabe and John, this is Sullivan. Sullivan, this is Gabe and John. They were out for a walk in the woods.' The last part he knew was a lie and the way he said it made it seem like he knew they were lying.

→ Sullivan looked them over a few times, flicking his gaze back to Hunter with a vaguely perplexed expression. Why weren't they kicked off their land? He seemed to ask, but said nothing out loud. The two had a troublesome way about them. "Sure he didn't do anything else with them?" Sullivan mumbled to himself before taking a seat at the table with a big bowl of cereal in front of him.

→ "There was not enough time to get into either of their pants, Sullivan, I assure you." Hunter said as he settled down at the table. "They are staying for pie and then I am going to drive them back into town." Because Hunter wasn't going to let them stay, didn't want them to stay. "Or walk them back to the edge of the property, whichever they prefer." But he wasn't going to let them out of his sight until they were gone.

→ Stuffing a spoonful of cereal belligerently into his mouth, Sullivan glared at the two. He didn't trust the one that wasn't eating. Anyone who could resist food had something wrong with them. John eyed Sullivan right back, then glanced over at Hunter. "We can walk just fine on our own. Are you afraid we're going to steal a plant, or something?"

→ "No, but I would prefer it if you weren't wandering about the property unchaperoned. It's private for a reason. It's dangerous in these woods." Full of creatures that might have viewed John and Gabe as food. "Wolves and dragons and the like." Dragon, but it wasn't like they'd believe him of that anyway. "Thinks that wouldn't mind eating two demons, no matter what they do."

→ The look on John's face said he didn't believe a word of it. He'd like to see them try. Sniffing once and tossing out a shrug, John looked at Gabe. "Are you ready to go yet, you got what you came fore. You met werewolves--hooray." Sullivan snorted. "You came looking for us?"

→ "Yeah." Gabe said. "I thought you'd be scarier. Like in the movies." He shrugged his narrow shoulders and just put the fork down on the empty plate. There was something about Hunter that sort of scared him into acting like a normal person for a while. "Thanks>" He muttered, meaning for the pie and the few sips of water. And for not ripping them to shreds for being on their land. Not that he couldn't have defended himself anyway.

→ John made a disgusted sound at the gratitude. "It's probably just some kind of ridiculous cult. I'm surprised they haven't tried to convert us." Just because they said they were werewolves didn't mean anything. He was the best at denial, and right now, he chose to deny the fact that everyone in the room was giving off a strong energy. Taking his lighter out of his pocket, he flicked it open, and rolled his thumb slowly across the flint, too slow to actually start the flame, just make that grinding sound.

→ "If you think a cult is scarier than werewolves then by all means, spread the word around town that we're a cult." Hunter didnt' care what people thought as long as they just stayed away. "Are you ready to go?" He asked. "I think you are making my family uncomfortable." Which hadn't been his intention for bringing them up to the house in the first place. He had actually wanted to talk to him, though Wendell might be interested in talking to them, but everyone was on edge, so he wanted them gone."

→ "You don't even want to see what we can do?" The corner of John's mouth hooked into a mocking half-smile as he looked at Hunter out of the corner of his eye. Sullivan's interests were piqued and before Hunter could answer, he piped up and said that he did. John didn't wait, but ignited the air in between them, scorching Sullivan's shirt and burning his skin just enough to hurt. That flash infuriated Sullivan just as soon as he stopped being terrified. Practically crawling across the table, he snarled and grabbed John by the shirt, knocking the lighter out of his hand. He planned to rip him apart.

→ Gabe slammed his hands together, sending a shockwave into the table that sent sullivan flying backwards, and knocking the table over in the process. Because Sullivan had a hold of John's shirt though he went with him and Gabe was on his feet to get John up off of the ground as soon as the chaos stopped. But Hunter beat him to it. He grabbed Gabe by the collar and pulled him back, sending him onto his butt on the floor on the other side of the kitchen before he hauled John up off of the floor and away from Sullivan.

→ Sullivan was utterly stunned, eyes wide. But the animal in him flicked into fight or flight mode, and Sullivan always chose fight. Baring his teeth, he scrambled after John when Hunter pulled him away and all John could do was struggle against the hold because he was nearly useless without some sort of spark for his power. "Let me go!" He yelled. The commotion brought Tessa into the room, who managed to reign Sullivan back with her arms, but mostly with her scent that calmed him. "Jesus, what the hell is going on?" She spat.

→ Hunter was pissed and he didn't let John down, he just pushed him up against the wall, letting his feet dangle a little bit as he snarled in his face. "I invited you into my home instead of calling the police or making a big deal about you trespassing but you have far exceeded my hospitality. Calm down, or I will feed you to my wolves, understand me?" He was mad. Seeing Gabe move out of the corner of his eye he shot him a look that said not to even try anything.

→ Still struggling, John kicked the wall. But as soon as he realized he was physically beat, he settled and didn't say a word. There wasn't a shred of remorse to him, just a clenched jaw and a steady glare at Sullivan. Tes smoothed her hand over Sully's shoulder, wide blue eyes glancing back and forth between John and Gabe. After a second, she slipped over to Gabe and offered her hand to him. "Get up, I think Hunter said it was time to leave. Let's go."

→ Gabe took her hand, wanting to touch whoever in this house he could in caes he ever had to use it against them. He let her pull him up to his feet and he went across the room to collect John's lighter. Once it was back in his pocket he started for the front door. Hunter put John on his feet and gave him a nudge to the door, following after him because he wasn't going to let them out into the woods on their own.

→ Accepting of defeat, John went quietly, glad that Gabe had grabbed his lighter. Sullivan growled as they went past, but did nothing more. When they were gone, he went to get ice for his burn. John was silent the whole way to the borders, but he stayed close to Gabe.

→ "I do not appreciate you provoking my wolves." Hunter said. "Nor do I appreciate you setting one of them on fire and overturning my kitchen table." He was really mad, mostly just that he'd let them come into his house. "You aren't welcome here. Don't come back. If you come onto our land again I wont hesitate to hunt you like food. Now go."

→ He had to literally bite his tongue from coming back with something threatening or nasty. He managed though, straightening his shirt from where Hunter had grabbed it and turning his back on him to stalk off back toward the road. "Great idea, Gabe." He grumbled, but he couldn't help smiling a little too. That had been thrilling.

→ "You didn't have to set him on fire." Gabe muttered as they walked away from Hunter and back towards the road. He slipped his hand into John's, the lighter pressed between their palms as they walked. "I wonder what the vampires are like."

→ "Sending us into a den of those next?" His hand clasped Gabe's, tightly mostly because of the precious lighter offered there. "And I did have to set him on fire." It was irresistable and had been worth the look on the man's face.

→ That made him smile a little bit and he leaend over to press a kiss to John's cheek. "It was fun, don't you think? They are a fun lot." he was curious about the girl, wanted to go back and meet everyone else but he didn't think that would be a good idea because he liked not geting eaten.

→ "Now we know how they feel. Maybe we can find them in town." He knew they must go into town every once in awhile, and he was sure Cold Water Flats was large enough where they could run into one or two and avoid Hunter. After a second, he nodded. "Yeah--it was fun."

→ "I'd like to run into the girl, or the blonde one. Or Austin again." Austin had sort of been freaked out by them and the whole encounter and it had been interesting to say the least. "I think Hunter is really the one we have to watch out for, that guy was kind of scary." And he didn't want to see what he was like when he was really mad.

→ Popping his neck from side to side, John could do nothing but agree with that sentiment about Hunter. There was a lot of unused power there and John wasn't about to be the first to get it unleashed on himself. "Anyone but Hunter." Once they hit the road, it was a fairly short walk back to their apartment, and John was hungry, having not accepted any food at the house.

→ Gabe was all keyed up, sort of energetic as they went up the stairs and into the apartment. He let go of John's hand once they were inside, abandoning the later into his boyfriend's palm. "do you think the vampires will be worse or better?"

→ "Aren't they extra flammable? They'll probably be better." He shrugged, going along with it now because clearly there was no stopping Gabe and his paranormal investigating. After a second, he walked into the kitchen. "Hey--do you ever get the feeling that the chick who runs the diner you like, Mabel, if she's something strange?"

→ "Yeah, sometimes." Gabe said as he chewed on his bottom lip. "But you can't set her on fire because if you get us banned from her diner I will kill you." because for the most part that was really the only food that he ate. Even when John cooked he wouldn't always eat it.

→ "You wouldn't kill me." John said, coming out of the kitchen with a sandwich he'd whipped up. Munching confidently, he gave Gabe a smirk. "Not even if I burned all of her pies in the process." He had no intentions of trying to set more people on fire. He was a relatively minor demon with small powers, and his flames couldn't get hot enough to truly combust flesh.

→ "I'd miss you too much>" He laid down on the bed and kicked off his shoes, just getting himself comfortable as he looked up at the other. "You'd probably make the vampries nervous though, and I think that would be interesting. I want to touch more of the wolves. Hunter didn't let me touch him, not even when he knocked me down."

→ John squinted, looking carefully down at Gabe. "Your collecting faces is disturbing. It's too bad you didn't get Hunter though--I wouldn't mind fucking him." Just because it would feel like dominating someone infinitely more powerful than himself. He'd want to humiliate him, get him back for pushing him up against that wall like some helpless kid.

→ "I'll get him next time. I got Austin and the girl and I got the other boy." but he hadn't managed to get Hunter, but he was definitely on his list. "If I run into him in town at Mabel's I will touch him for sure." And he was giong to be on the look out for him.

→ Hunter didn't seem the sort to be tricked, but if anyone could get him, he knew Gabe could. Laughing a little, he would never stop being pleased with the fact that Gabe seemed just fine with the way he talked. It was the best of all worlds, variety and familiarity all rolled into one. "Mabel's got to be something." He brought it up again as he sat down on the edge of the bed, finishing up his food. He wanted her to be one of them because maybe she could answer some of his questions.

→ "Maybe she's like us. Because he said she wasn't a wolf and she isn't a vampire. Maybe she's like us or she's a witch. Maybe she puts a spell on her food that makes people crave it all the time and that's why i think her food is like sex."

→ John stuck his tongue out at Gabe. "Then sleep with her food tonight." It pissed him off when Gabe wouldn't eat his food, but he'd eat Mabel's. Kicking his shoes off, he tugged off his shirt and left it clumped on the floor carelessly. "I don't want anyone drinking my blood. We're asking for it if we go looking for vampires, you know."

→ "What if I wanted to drink your blood?" Gabe sat up a little and he tugged John down onto the bed. Once they were laying he leaned in and pressed his teeth against John's shoulder, letting them tease a little before he bit him hard enough to draw blood.

→ It felt too good at first for protest, but then Gabe's teeth broke his skin and John cried out with the sharp sting. He could feel the warm trickle of blood drizzle over the hump of his shoulder and down onto the bed between Gabe's teeth. And still he didn't really protest, simply fist his hand up through Gabe's hair so that he was hurting too. "Fuck." He hissed.

→ Gabe let his teeth loosen up and he licked over the marks he'd made before he started to suck at the wounds. John might not have wanted anyone to drink his blood but it was for that reason that Gabe was doing it. His hands slid up John's sides, fingers raking at his skin.

→ The biting had been okay, but the drinking now was making his stomach churn. He could feel the blood drawn into Gabe's mouth, as if the liquid retained some of his sensation. Shutting his eyes, he imagined himself sliding down his lover's throat and splashing into the acid of his stomach. The thoughts made his skin burn and he gave into it, groaning. "You're going to get sick." He murmured, hand reaching down to dig his fingers into Gabe's ass, griding his hips up simultaneously.

→ "I know." Gabe puttered against his skin. It was going to upset his stomach but for the moment he liked it. John's blood coated his lips and his teeth and he ground his hips back against the other boy's.

→ John could smell it, and it made him dizzy. Yanking Gabe's head back by his hair, John stared at the glisten of red on his lips. "There won't be enough blood left for my dick if you don't fucking stop." His dick, not his brain, or heart, was his main concern at the moment. Having control of Gabe's head, he tugged even harder on his hair, stretching out his throat before him so he could lean up to kiss it. The movement made the cresent shaped wound ooze more red, but John paid no mind.

→ Gabe let him, kept his head pulled back like that as his hips fucked against John's, wanting more, wanting his pants to be gone. "Fuck." he muttered, his tongue cmoing up to glide over his teeth to clean them of the last of John's blood. "You taste fucking amazing."

→ "Let's see then." He pushed their lips together and John's tongue lapped curiously at the metallic remainder lingering against Gabe's teeth and tongue. He hooked his leg up and around the back of Gabe's thigh, making his hips ride with torturous rythm.

→ Gabe kissed him hard, teeth pressing into John's lips as he rubbed his hips harder, frantically against his lover's. John's body always did this to him. His touch, his kiss. It drove him absolutely crazy.

→ Pulling back just a little, John licked his lips and stopped his hips from moving. "We should go find the vampires now. It'll be dark soon." And they'd have a head start. Mostly, he just liked stopping once they'd started because he knew it drove Gabe up the wall.

→ Gabe just groaned and he tried to roll away from John. "I hate you." He muttered, though part of him did want to go find those vampires. "Are you serious? Are you even serious right now?"

→ Not letting Gabe roll away, John clutched onto his sides. "You don't hate me." He insisted. Leaning his head back down on the mattress, John angled his head away so that he could look at the clock by their bedside. They had time.