Gale/Jared - 01 - Introductions
Jared pulled his knees up to his chin in the big arm chair in Andre's library and wrapped his arms around them. The burns were barely visible now and he was getting anxious about moving on. Problem was Jared didn't know what he was going to do.
Andre had told him earlier that there was a wounded vampire at the house, but Gale had been so preoccupied with work he hadn't made an effort to seek him out. Tonight that changed. When he walked past the library, he caught the scent of someone unfamiliar and felt shockingly confident in walking in to make an introduction.
Jared didn't look up straight away when he heard the vampire enter assuming it was Andre, but the sense was different. The vampire in the room didn't feel old. Jared smiled and asked, "Are you Gale?"
He nodded in the affirmative, "and you are Jared?"
"Yeah," Jared smiled and lowered his legs to sit properly. "Nice to meet you Gale... so Andre's your sire huh?"
"Yep," his lips popped around the consonant. "He turned me last year. Are you... how are you feeling?"
Jared looked down at his hand. It was almost healed but he was embarrassed by what he's tried to do. "I'm okay," he said quietly. "Pretty stupid thing to do huh?"
"No, not really," Gale's eyes drifted down to the other vamp's hand. "Hard to be dealing with to make that an option though."
"I just made some stupid decisions," Jared admitted and tried to give Gale a smile. "I didn't really think through the whole vampire thing and it's tougher than I thought getting my head around it all."
"But you chose this life, yes? There must have been a reason?"
"There was a reason," Jared said. "I felt like I had to do it to follow my brother. To be more than human for him but I made the wrong choice and made it harder instead. Me being a vamp is dangerous for him."
"Does you're brother find you dangerous? Is he put off by what you are?"
Jared shook his head. "We love each other Gale; more than brothers should I suppose." He glanced at Gale to see how he reacted to that then continued. "You can't choose who you love though. Why did you turn?"
"You're right, you cannot pick who you fall in love with. Just have to go with it," he mused, face straight and eyes cutting over the the other vamp. Gale paused to let the words sink in before he answered Jared's question, "I was dying."
"Is this better?" Jared asked genuinely needing to here what Gale thought.
"Absolutely."
"I'm not so sure," Jared muttered then tried to shake it off. "Did you find it hard at the start? Dealing with the need to feed?"
"Every day," he admitted glumly. "But it gets better every day. It's all one day at a time, at least that's what I keep saying."
"And your Sire has helped with that?" Jared asked even though he knew the answer. "Andre said he'd help me, but I don't know."
"Andre is a good sire, he has taught me so much," Gale knew that his sire was offering assistance to this young vampire. "I still have a lot to learn, but he'll always be there. When he makes a commitment, he stands by it."
Jared thought about that and then had to ask, "What does that really mean? I know what a Sire is obviously but mine fucked me, turned me, hung around to fuck more then left. So I guess i don't really know what I missed out on."
His eyes blinked rapidly, he couldn't imagine any situation that would lead to his sire having a sexual relationship with him. However, he had no doubt that Viggo would willingly be turned by his vamp lovers, and then one of them would be his sire. Surely there were different types of sire/childe relationships. "Bear with me while I try to explain, I don't know anything outside of my own experience," Gale's eyes traveled across the other vamp's face. "Andre... my sire, is like... that perfect image of a father. He's Ward fucking Cleaver. He listens, offers advice, helps when the hunger almost drives me mad. He doesn't judge. All those emotions that race through you in the darkest hours of the night, that overwhelming feeling that you're lost... like an newborn trapped in an adult body... he's been there and he helps me through it. Andre is helping me become a better man... er... vampire..."
It all made sense to Jared but at the same time seemed so foreign. He gave a bitter laugh and said, "I didn't even have my own dad growing up so didn't expect a vampire one." Jared's tongue passed over his lips while he thought about what Gale had just told him. "How does he help with the hunger? Do you still feed from him?"
"Neither did I if it was any consolation," Gale shrugged. "My dear old dad kicked me out when I was a teen because he figured out I preferred cock. I always thought that whole dad, family thing was bullshit until he showed me what a father was supposed to be." He took a pause before he addressed Jared's question, "he's always there to watch over me. I have rarely fed without him or my brother to watch over me... to ensure I don't take too much before I gain control over my own urges."
"My brother was feeding me," Jared admitted missing Shannon all the more. "Guess that was wrong on so many levels." He shrugged.
"What's to make it wrong?" he found himself asking. "You've been reborn... technically you aren't really brothers any more."
"We'll always be brothers," Jared said vehemently knowing it to be true. "Like I'll always be a vamp and he'll always be a wolf."
"I think you are borrowing trouble," he probably shouldn't have said it, but Gale could easily see the unnecessary self deprecation.
"Borrowing?" Jared asked then shook his head. "I think I bought it outright."
"Isn't the stress of it hard to deal with though?" Gale pressed again. "The worry, potential pain? You can let yourself be happy."
Jared gave Gale a smile and lifted his healing hand. "Yeah you could say that. Maybe Andre, you and everyone else is right and I should get over it. But I can't see that happening." With a sigh Jared decided to change the subject. "Do you have someone Gale?"
"I have someone, sort of..." he smiled at his own confession. "It's still pretty new and its the first attempt at a relationship since I was turned.... and did I mention he is a were?"
"You are fucking kidding me!" Jared exclaimed then looked around and lowered his voice. "So wow... you get what I'm going through, except for the whole brother issue."
Nodding, Gale gave him a wry smile, "pretty much. It's not easy, but it's worth it you know?" He was a little taken aback by the other vampire's shock, surely he knew that he wasn't the only vampire taking on a were lover in this city. "I mean, its still really new, but I know I want to pursue it. Even with the challenge of being a blood thirst new born."
"I dunno," Jared frowned and stood up to pace a little. "All the shit I copped made me feel like I was the only one wanting this and then Andre kind of intimated there were others and that he and..." Jared stopped and sat back down before he gave away Andre's feelings for Liam. "It's good to know I'm not alone I guess."
"No you certainly aren't the only one. Its not like there isn't precedent for it," Gale took the opportunity to sit down next to Jared and put his arm around the older vampire. "Changing didn't make life easier, only longer. But I figure it was a game change for all of us. So you're in love with your brother, so he's a were wolf... what does it matter in the grand scheme of things. Whats important is to be happy, enjoy all of the eternity we've been given. Otherwise, what's the fucking point? Can I ask you something?"
Jared sat and smiled at Gale then said, "Yeah, ask anything."
"Have you fed from Andre?"
"I have; he fed me when I came here and has since then," Jared told Gale watching for his response. "Is that okay? For you I mean?"
"No, no, no," Gale was quick to try to reassure the other vampire. "Its a good thing, it'll make you stronger... make your bond stronger. Really though, it makes you and I more like brothers than you and your were brother."
Jared looked at Gale for a long while thinking about what had just been said to him. He hadn't really thought about it like that. There was one person in his life who was his family, who looked after him and he'd never even considered there could be others. "Is that how you feel about Andre, and Jude? That you're are family now? And maybe me too?"
Eyes catching the slightly older vampire's Gale replied evenly, "One hundred percent."
"I can do that," Jared grinned and gave Gale an unexpected hug.
Smiling, Gale reciprocated the hug. Something in him told him that this wasn't a common thing for Jared. His family just kept growing, for a man who spent most of his life without one Gale didn't mind it one bit.
Andre had told him earlier that there was a wounded vampire at the house, but Gale had been so preoccupied with work he hadn't made an effort to seek him out. Tonight that changed. When he walked past the library, he caught the scent of someone unfamiliar and felt shockingly confident in walking in to make an introduction.
Jared didn't look up straight away when he heard the vampire enter assuming it was Andre, but the sense was different. The vampire in the room didn't feel old. Jared smiled and asked, "Are you Gale?"
He nodded in the affirmative, "and you are Jared?"
"Yeah," Jared smiled and lowered his legs to sit properly. "Nice to meet you Gale... so Andre's your sire huh?"
"Yep," his lips popped around the consonant. "He turned me last year. Are you... how are you feeling?"
Jared looked down at his hand. It was almost healed but he was embarrassed by what he's tried to do. "I'm okay," he said quietly. "Pretty stupid thing to do huh?"
"No, not really," Gale's eyes drifted down to the other vamp's hand. "Hard to be dealing with to make that an option though."
"I just made some stupid decisions," Jared admitted and tried to give Gale a smile. "I didn't really think through the whole vampire thing and it's tougher than I thought getting my head around it all."
"But you chose this life, yes? There must have been a reason?"
"There was a reason," Jared said. "I felt like I had to do it to follow my brother. To be more than human for him but I made the wrong choice and made it harder instead. Me being a vamp is dangerous for him."
"Does you're brother find you dangerous? Is he put off by what you are?"
Jared shook his head. "We love each other Gale; more than brothers should I suppose." He glanced at Gale to see how he reacted to that then continued. "You can't choose who you love though. Why did you turn?"
"You're right, you cannot pick who you fall in love with. Just have to go with it," he mused, face straight and eyes cutting over the the other vamp. Gale paused to let the words sink in before he answered Jared's question, "I was dying."
"Is this better?" Jared asked genuinely needing to here what Gale thought.
"Absolutely."
"I'm not so sure," Jared muttered then tried to shake it off. "Did you find it hard at the start? Dealing with the need to feed?"
"Every day," he admitted glumly. "But it gets better every day. It's all one day at a time, at least that's what I keep saying."
"And your Sire has helped with that?" Jared asked even though he knew the answer. "Andre said he'd help me, but I don't know."
"Andre is a good sire, he has taught me so much," Gale knew that his sire was offering assistance to this young vampire. "I still have a lot to learn, but he'll always be there. When he makes a commitment, he stands by it."
Jared thought about that and then had to ask, "What does that really mean? I know what a Sire is obviously but mine fucked me, turned me, hung around to fuck more then left. So I guess i don't really know what I missed out on."
His eyes blinked rapidly, he couldn't imagine any situation that would lead to his sire having a sexual relationship with him. However, he had no doubt that Viggo would willingly be turned by his vamp lovers, and then one of them would be his sire. Surely there were different types of sire/childe relationships. "Bear with me while I try to explain, I don't know anything outside of my own experience," Gale's eyes traveled across the other vamp's face. "Andre... my sire, is like... that perfect image of a father. He's Ward fucking Cleaver. He listens, offers advice, helps when the hunger almost drives me mad. He doesn't judge. All those emotions that race through you in the darkest hours of the night, that overwhelming feeling that you're lost... like an newborn trapped in an adult body... he's been there and he helps me through it. Andre is helping me become a better man... er... vampire..."
It all made sense to Jared but at the same time seemed so foreign. He gave a bitter laugh and said, "I didn't even have my own dad growing up so didn't expect a vampire one." Jared's tongue passed over his lips while he thought about what Gale had just told him. "How does he help with the hunger? Do you still feed from him?"
"Neither did I if it was any consolation," Gale shrugged. "My dear old dad kicked me out when I was a teen because he figured out I preferred cock. I always thought that whole dad, family thing was bullshit until he showed me what a father was supposed to be." He took a pause before he addressed Jared's question, "he's always there to watch over me. I have rarely fed without him or my brother to watch over me... to ensure I don't take too much before I gain control over my own urges."
"My brother was feeding me," Jared admitted missing Shannon all the more. "Guess that was wrong on so many levels." He shrugged.
"What's to make it wrong?" he found himself asking. "You've been reborn... technically you aren't really brothers any more."
"We'll always be brothers," Jared said vehemently knowing it to be true. "Like I'll always be a vamp and he'll always be a wolf."
"I think you are borrowing trouble," he probably shouldn't have said it, but Gale could easily see the unnecessary self deprecation.
"Borrowing?" Jared asked then shook his head. "I think I bought it outright."
"Isn't the stress of it hard to deal with though?" Gale pressed again. "The worry, potential pain? You can let yourself be happy."
Jared gave Gale a smile and lifted his healing hand. "Yeah you could say that. Maybe Andre, you and everyone else is right and I should get over it. But I can't see that happening." With a sigh Jared decided to change the subject. "Do you have someone Gale?"
"I have someone, sort of..." he smiled at his own confession. "It's still pretty new and its the first attempt at a relationship since I was turned.... and did I mention he is a were?"
"You are fucking kidding me!" Jared exclaimed then looked around and lowered his voice. "So wow... you get what I'm going through, except for the whole brother issue."
Nodding, Gale gave him a wry smile, "pretty much. It's not easy, but it's worth it you know?" He was a little taken aback by the other vampire's shock, surely he knew that he wasn't the only vampire taking on a were lover in this city. "I mean, its still really new, but I know I want to pursue it. Even with the challenge of being a blood thirst new born."
"I dunno," Jared frowned and stood up to pace a little. "All the shit I copped made me feel like I was the only one wanting this and then Andre kind of intimated there were others and that he and..." Jared stopped and sat back down before he gave away Andre's feelings for Liam. "It's good to know I'm not alone I guess."
"No you certainly aren't the only one. Its not like there isn't precedent for it," Gale took the opportunity to sit down next to Jared and put his arm around the older vampire. "Changing didn't make life easier, only longer. But I figure it was a game change for all of us. So you're in love with your brother, so he's a were wolf... what does it matter in the grand scheme of things. Whats important is to be happy, enjoy all of the eternity we've been given. Otherwise, what's the fucking point? Can I ask you something?"
Jared sat and smiled at Gale then said, "Yeah, ask anything."
"Have you fed from Andre?"
"I have; he fed me when I came here and has since then," Jared told Gale watching for his response. "Is that okay? For you I mean?"
"No, no, no," Gale was quick to try to reassure the other vampire. "Its a good thing, it'll make you stronger... make your bond stronger. Really though, it makes you and I more like brothers than you and your were brother."
Jared looked at Gale for a long while thinking about what had just been said to him. He hadn't really thought about it like that. There was one person in his life who was his family, who looked after him and he'd never even considered there could be others. "Is that how you feel about Andre, and Jude? That you're are family now? And maybe me too?"
Eyes catching the slightly older vampire's Gale replied evenly, "One hundred percent."
"I can do that," Jared grinned and gave Gale an unexpected hug.
Smiling, Gale reciprocated the hug. Something in him told him that this wasn't a common thing for Jared. His family just kept growing, for a man who spent most of his life without one Gale didn't mind it one bit.