"Sir?" she called, gaining his attention. Her hand almost touched his shoulder, but she pulled back just in time. "Sir, your guest—"
Vidar stopped, turning to look at him. "What about my cica, Amanda?"
"Af—after you left, he became sick," she gulped, and he could see she was sweating. "I helped him to bed. I understand you said he should not be touched, but—"
Vidar stared at her until she became quiet, staring at the floor. He glanced into Tamir's room and was happy to find he was still asleep. After a couple of seconds, Vidar lashed out at Amanda, throwing her against the wall. She sank to the floor, holding her face, her head bowed.
"I'm sorry, Master. I did not mean to disobey, but he needed help—"
Vidar knelt in front of her, and bared his teeth at her. His canines were sharp, more like fangs, and Amanda shrank back, terrified. Vidar was showing his other side, something he only did when outraged. This was the side of him that his servants had long ago learned to fear. "I hit you for interrupting when you could have dealt with the cop on your own."
Amanda nodded, shaking in obvious terror. Vidar leaned forward and kissed first one cheek, then the other. When he pulled back, his teeth were normal again, and she relaxed a little. He wasn't so mad anymore.
"I kiss you to thank you for helping him," he murmured, smoothing back her hair and smiling at her. Vidar stood, offering his hand.
Amanda hesitated before taking Vidar's hand, wary of a trick, seeming as he didn't like being touched. He pulled her to her feet and set her down, smiling softly at her.
"Goodnight, Amanda," he said, then turned toward to his own room.
Amanda breathed out, a long sigh that betrayed her fear. She jumped when the door beside her opened.
"Do you need something, Master Tamir?"
Tamir shook his head. "Are you okay? Did I hear Vidar?"
"Yes, he was just saying goodnight." Amanda nodded. "I'm fine."
"What happened?" he asked, yawning.
"I tripped," she said, blushing. "Sorry I woke you."
"It's okay." He glanced at the door down the hall, where Vidar had vanished. "Goodnight, Amanda."
"Goodnight, Master Tamir."
~ * ~
Despite the exhaustion pulling at him, Tamir only got in a few hours sleep, just enough to sleep off the allergic fever. He sat at the window, watching the moors for the rest of the night, and was still there when the sun rose, sending a red glow across the land beneath the storm clouds. His thoughts kept running around and around in his head, each chasing the last from his mind before he could understand it.
There was something about Vidar that attracted Tamir in a way different than any other man had before. Vidar had a glow about him that attracted Tamir's attention whenever he was nearby, like a moth to a light bulb. The man was perhaps thirty, blond-haired, had what felt like a great body under his clothes, and stirred desires in him that he'd never felt before, for anyone, even the guy he'd lost his virginity to in high school...
"Penny for your thoughts, Master Tamir."
Tamir turned to look at Amanda, who was watching him from behind a breakfast tray.
"It's nothing important," he said with a smile, taking the glass of orange juice from the tray. "Just trying to figure out my emotions."
Amanda smiled as she placed the tray down next to him. "Emotions can be bitches sometimes. You never know which one is going to clonk you in the jaw next."
Tamir chewed on the toast. "Or which one is going to blow your world apart."
"Exactly." Amanda chewed her lip, then glanced at the door. "Do you want my advice, Master Tamir?"
"Sure, Amanda." He took a gulp of orange juice and smiled at her. "Shoot."
"Forget about your emotions. They screw you up. Follow your instincts, and your heart, and you'll never regret anything in life." She smiled at him. "I don't."
Tamir looked at her, thinking the words over. "That's really good advice, Amanda. Thank you."
Amanda bowed slightly. "Anything I can do to help."
Tamir smiled at her again. "So. What is there to do around here?"
"What would you like to do? Movies, theatre, sport, swimming, reading..."
"A movie sounds good." He took a bite of scrambled eggs and smiled. "What's playing?"
Amanda picked up the tray. "Follow me, Master Tamir."
"Just Tamir, please." Tamir grabbed his glass and followed her from the room. "What time does Vidar wake?" he asked as she led him up the stairs.
"He's usually up around midday." She led him onto a landing and along a hall. "He'll wake early if you need him, though."
"No, no, I don't want to wake him." He finished the juice as Amanda led him into a room. "Whoa."
The room was huge. It had only a dozen seats, arranged in the middle of the floor, a table every second seat. He gazed around at the home theatre, the room larger than a cinema at a shopping mall.
"In here," Amanda called. She'd set the tray down on a counter and was holding a door open.
Tamir stepped into the room and Amanda gasped in shock as he realised how many DVDs were aligned in the floor-to-ceiling bookcases.
"What would you like to watch?" she asked, going to a laptop sitting beside the door. "Fantasy? Sci-fi? Horror?"
"Do you have any werewolf movies?" he asked, gazing at the shelves over her shoulder.
Amanda smiled at him and led him over to a bookshelf in the corner. "Here we are. Vampires, werewolves, fallen angels, demons, enough to give a paranormal enthusiast a hard-on. Go ahead and pick one, and I'll set it up for you. I'll be in the other room, warming your breakfast."
Tamir smiled at the girl and examined the bookcase. He recognised a few titles, and was pleased to discover that Dead Blood was among the extensive collection. It had only just been released to cinemas, and he really wanted to see it.
Amanda was busying herself with some kind of projector, her back to him. She looked up and smiled at him, holding out her hand. Tamir gave her a smile and handed over the movie.
"Dead Blood?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.
"What?" he asked, trying not to blush. "I like vampires."
Amanda gave him a look that seemed significant, but he didn't know in what way. She put the movie in the computer and gestured Tamir towards the chairs.
"Take a seat. Your breakfast is heating up, so I'll bring it to you one course at a time." She hit a switch and the DVD player started up, the lights dimming.
Tamir sat in the central seat, looking up at the big screen. Amanda hit the play button and brought him the scrambled eggs, setting them down with clean cutlery. Tamir smiled at her and took a mouthful. Delicious.
"Have a seat," he said through the eggs. "I don't like watching movies on my own."
"Scared?" she asked, but her teasing smile was nervous. "I can't, however, Master Tamir. I have other things I have to be doing before Master Vidar awakens. I can find you someone else to watch with, if you like?"
Tamir nodded, a little downhearted. When she wasn't guarding herself, she was quite fun to hang out with. He didn't know if someone else would be as fun, but he didn't want to watch the movie alone. Amanda vanished from the room and Tamir returned his attention to his eggs, no longer interested in the movie. He had almost finished the toast when someone slid into the seat beside him, startling him.
Vidar was rubbing his eyes and yawning. He smiled at Tamir, and then rubbed his eyes again, leaning over to kiss Tamir on the cheek.
"Sorry, Tamir. I'm not usually up this early." He smiled at the younger man, and then glanced at what remained of the eggs. "Good?"
Tamir nodded, offering Vidar the plate. "Feel free to finish it. I'm stuffed."
Vidar declined with a smile. "I can't eat so soon after waking up—I'll be sick. But I will ask Amanda for something later, under your recommendation." He looked up to the screen and made a face. "A vampire movie?" he whined.
Tamir smiled and stuck his tongue out. "Shh, you're here to watch
it, not talk through it."
"I'm not here to watch it. I'll find something to entertain me, instead."
Vidar took Tamir's right hand, tracing his finger over the healing cuts in Tamir's arm. Tamir shivered, but let the man hold his hand, smiling at Vidar's cool presence. He settled into the seat, focussing on the movie and only vaguely aware of what Vidar was doing.
Tamir found his mind wandering from the blood and gore on the screen as Vidar's lips touched his arm, working slowly to his elbow and back down, running along the marks the blade had left in his skin. Where Vidar's lips met, his skin tingled, until his arm and hand felt like they were being tickled and prodded with small needles. Vidar moved his lips up Tamir's bare arm, over his shoulder and onto his neck, licking gently at his earlobe and being very distracting.
"I want you, Tamir, I want you now," Vidar whispered, his soft voice almost impossible to hear behind the screams of the vampire movie still playing. "I need your body, your heart... But mostly, I need your hard cock." His hand ghosted over Tamir's groin, making his member move to attention.
Vidar pushed his own pants down just enough to free his erection from its confines. Looking Tamir in the eye, he slowly moved Tamir's hand up and down his cock, making it harder and more attentive.
Tamir was completely distracted from the movie now. He listened to Vidar's panting, which he could just hear over the screams. Tamir felt Vidar's cock twitch and his body tense. Vidar leaned in and kissed Tamir, biting his lip gently as Tamir's other hand moved to his own cock.
"I want you, Tamir," he whispered, taking his other hand. "I need you now." He pulled Tamir from his seat, and around to stand in front of Vidar.
"What do you want me to do?" Tamir asked, kneeling between Vidar's legs, his hand on Vidar's thigh. He kissed Vidar, his hand continuing to rub along Vidar's shaft, and smiled at Vidar when he pulled back. "Tell me what you need me to do, Vidar."
Vidar fisted his hand in Tamir's hair, pulling the young man in for a kiss that left Tamir's lip bleeding. "I want you to suck me," he said, sucking the blood from Tamir's lip. "I need you to do it, Tamir."
Tamir smiled, and kissed Vidar more passionately than he had before. He lowered his head to Vidar's lap, still looking Vidar in the eye. Vidar closed his eyes and moaned as Tamir slowly licked along the shaft, then took the head of his cock into his mouth, sucking lightly.
Vidar pulled Tamir's head closer, making the young man suck on more of his cock. Tamir rested one hand on Vidar's hip, the other stroking the shaft of the cock that wasn't in his mouth. He built up a rhythm quickly, and Vidar rolled his head back, his hips moving slightly with each of Tamir's strokes.
Tamir wasn't at it for long before Vidar came, his pearly fluid filling Tamir's mouth. He swallowed reflexively and licked at Vidar's shaft, cleaning his seed from his half-limp cock. Tamir looked up at Vidar, smiling. Vidar ran his hand through Tamir's black hair, smoothing it down before leaning in to kiss the kneeling man.
"What changed?" he asked Tamir softly, pulling the young man to his feet, then onto his lap.
"You're very attractive," Tamir murmured, running his tongue gently over Vidar's smooth neck. "I figured I'd enjoy you while I could." Tamir kissed Vidar, straddling his lap, his hands on Vidar's neck. Vidar slipped his own hands under Tamir's shirt, dragging his nails softly over the pale skin.
"You're very beautiful, Tamir," Vidar whispered, slipping Tamir's shirt from his shoulders. He kissed Tamir's shoulders, his teeth gently grazing the pale skin. Tamir gasped as Vidar's lips met his nipples, licking, sucking, kissing the sensitive flesh until it was rock-hard.
Vidar rubbed the bulge in the front of Tamir's pants, kissing his way up Tamir's neck to whisper in his ear. "Take these off," he murmured, tugging gently on Tamir's pants. "Show me your whole body."
Tamir stood up, hesitating before removing his pants and standing self-conscious, in front of Vidar. Vidar removed his own pants, leaving them both naked.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Tamir," Vidar said, rubbing his cock as he looked Tamir's skinny, beautiful body over. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you. Come to me, Tamir."
Tamir's eyes caught Vidar's, the gold holding him in its trance. He relaxed, his hands dropping from where they hid his groin, and he stood up straighter, his shoulders rolling back and confidence radiating from his stance. Vidar's hand pumped his cock and he licked his lips as Tamir straddled his thighs. Tamir, still caught in the man's trance, kissed Vidar, biting lightly into Vidar's lip as he sat, careful not to stop Vidar's movements. He copied Vidar, kissing, biting and sucking his neck.
"Touch yourself, Tamir," Vidar whispered, preventing Tamir from spilling his blood. Vidar ran his hand up and down Tamir's injured thigh, getting closer and closer to Tamir's groin. His eyes were closed, his breathing fast. "I want you to come with me."
Tamir could finally look away when the golden-eyed man closed his eyes. He lifted his hand to his cock and started to slowly pump it, settling into his own rhythm. Vidar smiled, kissing Tamir's neck as the black-haired young man closed his eyes, moaning as pre-cum slicked his cock in his hand. Vidar's cock was already wet, and he was holding himself back.
Tamir fought the orgasm, but pain flared in his injured leg, the unexpected sensation making him come. His back arched and he swore, throwing his head back, as Vidar came as well, biting down on Tamir's shoulder and piercing the skin with his sharp canine teeth.
Tamir moaned as the aftershocks ran through their bodies. Vidar smiled and kissed Tamir, then glanced up at the movie screen.
"I think they stole our idea," he said into Tamir's ear.
Tamir turned to look, not willing to climb from Vidar's lap just yet and not sure his legs would hold him up. The main characters of the movie were lying in bed, having just had sex. The man was smoking, the woman fixing her hair.
"It certainly seems like it," he replied, turning back to Vidar.
Vidar smiled at Tamir, his long, elegant fingers tracing the young man's lips. "I do mean what I said before, Tamir. You are beautiful." He leaned in for a kiss. "Very much so."
Tamir pulled away before Vidar could kiss him, standing up and wincing as their sticky fluids pulled at invisible hairs. Vidar stared at him as the younger man started to get dressed, picking through their abandoned clothes.
"What did I say?" Vidar reached out to touch Tamir's shoulder, shocked. "Tamir?"
"I'm not beautiful." The younger man slapped Vidar's hand away. He'd pulled on his pants and shirt, and was snarling at Vidar. "Everyone's always said that I was the gay emo freak who didn't fit in anywhere. That's why I was on the Liver Building during a storm. That's why I was doing this—"
Vidar took the arm Tamir had thrust at him, to pull him back into his arms. Tamir yanked free of his hold, almost pulling Vidar from the chair. Vidar was speechless at the vehemence he could hear in Tamir's voice.
"I wanted a way out of this life, Vidar. I wanted to be somewhere else, maybe find someone who would accept me for who I am. So I took the blade and sliced the shit out of my arm, hoping—wishing—I would die, that I could get away from the pain of the people who hate me so much for something I can't change."
"And then I saved you," Vidar said in his quiet voice, pulling his pants back on. "I followed the blood, and I brought you back here, to safety. Where you never have to hear them, see them, again. I accept you for exactly who you are, and for who you are attracted to."
"And then I woke up here," Tamir corrected. "And the first thought I had was whether I could find a blade or something and try again, because obviously I failed. But—but then you were so nice, and—and why were you so nice to me?" he demanded. "Why did you save me, Vidar?" Tamir was close to tears, his eyes glistening and sobs crawling up his throat.
Vidar picked up a remote control and stopped the movie, silence descending around Tamir's muffled sobs. "Tamir, I saved you because I thought you could do with a good friend. I hate to see human life wasted. I thought I could help you." He
stepped forward hesitantly, and Tamir folded into his arms, crying into his chest. "I want to show you the good side of life," he said in his quiet, soothing voice, smoothing Tamir's hair and rocking him gently. "I want to show you that there is always something worth living for."
"When my parents found out that—that I'm gay, that I found men more attractive than girls, they threw me out of the house." Tamir sniffed, clinging to Vidar's chest, giving into the urge to tell Vidar about everything. "When they found out my sister was still talking to me, they moved away. I was seventeen."
"You're older than that now," Vidar murmured, stroking Tamir's back. "You survived for years on your own."
Tamir nodded, pulling back. "I still hear what they said to me, just before they closed the door in my face. I still see the hate, the anger of their reaction. I will always remember how they looked at me. Like I wasn't normal." He sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "I just get so lost sometimes. I wonder if, if I could change myself, would they accept me back? Or would it be better for me to live as who I am, instead of changing to be who they want me to be? Should I be me, or should I be someone else?"
"Tamir," Vidar whispered, stepping back. He held Tamir's shoulders at arm's length, to look Tamir in the eye. "You should always, always, be yourself. Your parents weren't worth shit to abandon someone as amazing as you are, just because you're different. So you know what you're going to do?"
Tamir shook his head, wiping his eyes. "No."
"You're going to prove them wrong." Vidar smiled at Tamir and took his hand. "You're going to be exactly who you are, and you're going to show them that there's nothing bad about being gay, or different, or anything." He squeezed Tamir's hand and was rewarded by a small, uncertain smile. "Come on. We'll go back to bed and start our day off better."
"I didn't sleep well last night," Tamir admitted, letting Vidar lead him to the door. "Actually, I don’t think I slept at all."
"Neither did I." Vidar pressed a button in the wall, and then led Tamir from the room by the hand. "Come on. We'll sleep together. My bed could do with a warmer touch."
~ * ~
They showered before returning to bed, and Tamir emerged from the water to find Vidar sleeping. Tamir climbed in beside him, resolving to stay on his side of the mattress, but that resolution had been in vain.
Blood Lovers Page 3