The Ripper

William Jack Holloway

It was so easy, then, to fall back into those London streets. In the past two hundred years, the Hunter had learned to grow almost cold to anyone who showed any sort of interest in him. After all, he could only offer them what? A few days? A few months if he was lucky. Creating ties to anyone or anything would only make it worse. It would only bring them both pain when it ultimately came time for him to run once again. But it was entirely different standing here with Sebastian. He already had a relationship with him. It wasn't creating a bond this time, it was merely falling back into one that tugged at very fiber of his being. It was only natural for Will to respond to his words with that good-natured humor that Sebastian had always brought out in the normally soft-spoken Duke. "Three days." He repeated, though the prospect of his homelessness failed to bring a frown to his features. Instead his eyes widened with shock as Sebastian inquired about where he was going tomorrow. He wasn't, was he? He couldn't. "Mate, I have no idea." He said simply, though he laughed it off with a shrug. "I have difficulty believing that any other hotel in this city will be as brilliant as Rowena's."

In truth, it was decidedly easy to squash any of those feelings he may have had regarding the demise his species should have brought to the vampire in front of him. It was the very last thing on his mind, instead being filled with that overwhelming desire to protect him at all costs. If William could so easily pull him into an alley, what could any other Hunter do? His jesting was all in good fun, his eyes twinkling as he drew out that very same personality within the companion. His upper lip quirked slightly as Sebastian's lower lip jutted out into a pout. But what was more surprising was the flutter in his chest that had been absent for so, so long. They were no longer held to the social etiquette of the 19th century, and as such, the Hunter very momentarily considered what it might be like to close the distance between them and bring those pouted lips into a kiss. There was no denying that his feelings for Sebastian had always been more than the boyish feelings towards a best friend. He had loved him most ardently, and it appeared that that feeling was only beginning to resurface.

Those pleasant thoughts were, as they always seemed to be, interrupted by a less than pleasant line of thoughts. He watched Sebastian's lips fall into a frown at the shudder that ran through the Hunter's body. He knew so well what could happen if they caught up to him, and yet even that wasn't enough to make the man wish to run again. He'd spent so long running. Eventually, would he not run out of cities? He shook off Sebastian's insistence that he might run, his lips quirking up into a smile as he nodded his assurance that yes, he would stay here. "Sebastian," The man's voice was decidedly soft with him as he brought his gaze to those azure ones of his companion. "I have spent so long running. I should run, but knowing that you are here would make it impossible. It would be like ripping myself away from my home." It was perhaps a foolish notion, but Will had always been a foolish git when it came to Sebastian. No, he would not run, not from him. After two hundred years of nothing, reducing himself down to text messages or video calls would feel cruel when he could be here with him. "I am positive."

It was nothing but good nature, then, when he reached out for that blade and brought it down across his skin. A small hiss left his lips at the pain of it all, though he found he was hardly concerned with that. After all, his body healed so fast. He had endured worse. The trust for the man in front of him to not drain every bit of blood from his body was shown as he held his arm out, noticing the way that the vampire had stilled and yet his eyes were entirely focused on him. He had never watched a vampire feed outside of that dreadful night in London. He half expected it to be akin to watching a feral animal. When Sebastian's hand so gingerly reached out to take hold of his wrist, Will's lips pressed together. He anticipated the same kind of pain that the child vampire who had began all of this had brought him. What he hadn't expected was a moment so... sensual as this one. The feeling of Sebastian's tongue on his wound only caused a shiver to run down his spine - this time a pleasant sensation rather than the hold of fear.

He was trembling by the time Sebastian's lips pulled away from him, though it wasn't from pain or fear. It was that need within the man that had been left so denied for so, so long. His words were nearly unheard, though his head nodded at the proper moments even though his brain felt akin to muddled goo. It was the touch on his neck that had Will's eyes fluttering shut, a smile appearing on his features at the very thought of it. If that sensual moment in an alleyway had been so utterly pleasing, he could only imagine what Sebastian's creative mind could bring to him. It was only that touch on the inside of his thigh that opened those chocolate hued eyes once more, the look of surprise evident on his features. "Bloody hell Seb," The man's voice was hinted with that same husky tone of the vampire.

It was entirely too soon before his companion pulled away from him, the rather pathetic whine escaping the Hunter before he could truly stop it. He reached out suddenly as he was instructed to come, his hand taking ahold of the wrist of the vampire and quite suddenly pulling the man into him. It was a gesture so entirely unlike the usually timid Duke, and yet with Sebastian it felt only natural. One hand fell to the man's hip as he drew him in, the other reaching up to cup his cheek. "I can assure you," William murmured, the tips of his fingers stroking the delicate skin there. "There is no one else I'd share my blood with but you, Seb." It was two hundred years of want, then, that had him pressing his body against Sebastian's then, his lips coming to meet the vampire's in a nearly feverish fashion.

But darling -- it's only human nature.