bakerstreet | You strayed into my home and into my heart

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You strayed into my home and into my heart

S T R A Y

Taking in strays is, all in all, an understandable vice. The dips in between their ribs, those large and forlorn eyes, they can help you forget the claws and the teeth and the danger lurking beneath fur. But the habit's a knife edge; your efforts may not be rewarded with kindness (animal instincts aren't discretionary) and you may get bit despite what you've overlooked. A stray doesn't care about pity. All it can know is survival.

These warnings apply to strays of the more human(oid) sort, too.

But what may even more perilous with this type than any drawn blood is what you can get when they grow to trust you. You can earn their undying loyalty...or their love. Either from such a wild thing is a precarious path to go down, if you allow yourself to do it.

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Tommy was pretty well aware that it was only a matter of time before he did hurt or kill someone. He hadn't even been there a few hours and his self-control was fraying. The idea of notice was enough to have him still, but he didn't move any closer.

His mom was going to be distraught as it was, didn't need stories finding her of a kid that sounded like Tommy seen trying to escape some weird older guy. He'd left her a note after all, so at the very least she knew he hadn't just been kidnapped or something. He couldn't explain why he had to leave, so that was the only kindness he could offer.

The question though just got a blank look from the younger vampire, brows drawing slightly. Juice boxes? He didn't... he couldn't drink... did the guy actually know, or was he just some kind of weirdo? The idea was certainly enough to get him starting to edge back a bit, as if not sure if he should still get the hell away or not.

[No.

No.

No. No. No.

Don't run!]

"Easy kid. I want to help you. Don't think it is because I wanna get cozy or something. I've just finally got things worked out and I don't need some kid screwing that up for me."

[He made sure to pull his lips back and let his fangs show a little, making sure they dropped down more than he would normally do in public. He made sure to let his eyes glow like embers for emphasis. That wasn't hard. He was close to being upset enough that he didn't have to struggle with that.

To prove his point, he lifted the lid of the cooler up to reveal the contents.]

"Like I said...do you need a juice box? I paid for them fair and square. No harm, no foul. I'm feeling generous. I'll give you one if you don't run off and murder somebody. Seems like a fair trade to me."

Okay. Obviously the guy didn't want him making a scene, and until the fangs were shown, the glow to his eyes, Tommy wasn't sure what he meant by having things worked out.

But fangs definitely made what he was talking about clear, Tommy's eyes widening as he took in the hints. This guy... he was like him. Not that Tommy really had the control to keep his fangs any shorter just yet, not as new as he was.

And the sight of what he had in the cooler? The teen's gaze flooded red, hands pressed emphatically into his pockets as if to keep some sort of lid on himself. Just... count to three. Listen to what the guy was saying.]

Where... where did you get them? [That seemed the most important question to him. Not like he could just run down to the supermarket and pick them up on sale in the refrigerated section. Or would it count as fresh produce?]

[Shit.

This kid was practically starving. That red Tommy saw wasn't an illusion. The boy's eyes were practically glow sticks. Definitely not casual. Jack reached out and placed a heavy hand on Tommy's neck.]

"Kid, come with me. We can't drink these here. Open liquor laws and all that."

[He added for cover.]

"I'm about to catch the commuter train out of here. Come with me and you can have a whole pint, okay?"

[It would get them out of sight....away from people. Give them time to talk. Work out what the hell this kid's problem was.

He slid the cover back on the cooler.]

[With a hand on him, Jack could likely feel just how tense the kid was. His white-knuckled grip on his self-control was only going to last so long. He didn't argue the cover story, but the idea of going anywhere did give him pause.

He had no idea what this guy's deal was, not really. And every instinct he had generally was against following a random stranger back to... anywhere really. But he didn't really have any choice. He didn't have any guarantee he could figure this out before his control slipped and he did something he was going to regret. So finally, he nodded, a slow, jerky thing.]

Y-yeah. Okay.

[God, this kid was tense. He was about to snap at any second.]

"Great. Let's go. Come on. Keep your eyes down, they're glowing like damn Christmas lights."

[Jack led the way, paying the boy's fare and handling all the interactions. It was a late train, so they really didn't have many other people to fight for seats over. Still....Jack made sure to lead them to his usual seat in the very back car. Once they were seated, he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and retrieved one of the blood bags from the cooler, wrapping it in the cloth and handing it to Tommy after removing the plug.]

"There. Pace yourself, Okay? Don't chug it. That's O negative."

[Tommy wasn't going to question it at the moment. It was better to let the older man handle interacting with others given his current... state. He just tugged up his hood, both to make it harder to see him, and to block the movement of others in his peripheral. Fairly empty or not, it wasn't like there were many places for people to flee on a train. Better safe than sorry.

As it was, he sank into the seat feeling a bit of relief at how empty the car really was, taking the offered pack.]

...Thanks.

[Not that he knew why it being O negative made a difference, but even with the reminder it took a hell of a lot of will power to keep from doing just that, for all his logical mind was still rebelling against the idea of actually drinking blood.

The reminder that chugging it down would likely wind up a mess, and that sort of thing would be hard to explain managed to keep him pacing himself at least. Pay no attention to the way his hands were shaking, he was just fine.]

[What a damn mess this kid was. He was shaking like a leaf.]

"I'm Jack, by the way. Jack Morrison."

[There...at least now he isn't a stranger anymore.]

"So...what do we have here? You a born? Bitten? Dhampir? Get kicked out? Strike out on your own? When was the last time you had some blood in you? You're taking like that like a sponge."

[Still a weird old man tempting kids with 'juice boxes' that's only a step or two over a candy van.]

I'm Tommy. Tommy Oliver.

[Really it was harder than he wanted to admit to pace himself, but the questions gave a good excuse, something to focus on other than the blood.]

...Bitten. I... think? I don't really remember. Got jumped a few days ago. [A small grimace, but at the same time it made sense. He doubted he wouldn't have noticed before if he was born like this, same with Dhampir... half vampire if he was remembering things right.] Left earlier tonight. Would have... I would have wound up killing mom if I didn't.

[Well, damn...Jack is going to have his hands full. Damn it. He's too old for kids. Still...he can't just leave the kid somewhere. He basically just admitted that he had no idea how to do anything...what his limitations were...also he just pointed out that there was an irresponsible bloodsucker passing through. Ugh. Great. Another problem....that this kid had nothing to do with.

Jack's expression softened.

Ouch.

That was harsh.

Jack's tone is noticeably softer.]

"Good to know you, Tommy. I'm....I'm sorry. I know it is kind of meaningless from me but...damn I'm sorry. Do you...need to call her to let her know you are alright? I have a phone at my place. Does she...does she know?"

[Every little bit helps.]

[At the offer, Tommy shook his head, drawing legs up to hook his feet against the seat, arms looping loosely around his knees.]

I... no. She doesn't know. I left a note so she knew I hadn't just... vanished but.

[A little shrug, the teen just frowning at the windows across from them.]

What would I even say? I mean, I can't go back like this.

[Jack slowly eases his hand onto the young man's shoulders to offer what little support a complete stranger can.]

"That was real noble of you, Tommy and good that you know yourself that well. That's a damn good first step."

[This kid needs help.]

"Hey...if you want...I could...show you how it is done. It doesn't have to be so bad. You could...at least go visit her without wanting to tear her throat out."

[He's had decades to work things out.]

[He absolutely needs help. On his own, he might be able to luck out and find some way to feed himself. But it was more likely he'd slip. Something would happen, an accident, and then it'd all be over.

And it was one thing to offer a meal. Hell, he'd done that often enough, passed off his own lunch to someone who needed it, but the offer of further help had him blinking at the older vampire.]

You... you'd do that?

[Jack blinks....then shrugs.]

"Well...yeah. I had to learn everything on my own. It was hard. I had no one. It doesn't have to be that way for you."

[He smiles.]

"It is hard enough just finding your legs, let alone learning to live all over again....and you can. Don't think that you can't."

[He'd seen too many young vampires lose hope and give up. On his more nihilistic days he can understand it...but then there are days when he loves the way the world smells after the rain.]

"Hell, live long enough and keep yourself well fed enough and the sun is just a minor inconvenience."

That... I'd appreciate it.

[He manages to drum up a cautious almost-smile of his own, though the mention of feeding has it slipping, gaze dropping to the now-empty blood pack in his hands.]

How often do I even need to eat, anyways?

[It was an important thing for sure if he didn't want to deal with this same problem over and over. As much as he didn't like it, looked like if he wanted to keep control of himself he'd need to keep on top of that.]

"In the beginning? A lot. Every day. Multiple times. Your body is completely changing and it needs fuel. You said this happened a few days ago? You body has already started to eat itself. Don't worry. We can take care of that. See...nobody told me it didn't have to be human blood all the time. I'm telling you it doesn't have to be. Once you get settled down once a day at least something will make you a whole lot more stable. It'll make certain things...optional."

[Jack raised his eyebrows and smiled, visibly dropping his fangs down and then retracting them.]

"Neat, huh?"

[That... well, it didn't sound good.

Multiple times a day sounded like it could get risky. Or expensive. And neither one boded well. But the idea that it didn't have to be human? That things would start to even out? That did help settle some anxiety in him. Not by much, but it was a start.

A brow lifting at the 'optional' comment, at least until Jack demonstrated.]

Yeah. So... it'll be easier to deal with as time goes on is what you're saying. Assuming I keep on top of eating regularly?

[With how frightened the idea of what could have happened was, the idea was more than a little bit of a relief to the teen.]

"You can drink other things, too. Raw eggs, some people really like that...more human feeling. Different taste, texture...you know. Black coffee is good. Sometimes milk...depends on your system, I guess"

[Jack patted the boy on the back and nodded.]

"It is never easy but...it gets much less hard. Do you have any questions specifically? Anything you need to know that is pressing?"

[They had about another fifteen minutes on the train before they got to their stop.]

Do they actually like... sate you, or is it more a 'junk food' kinda idea?

[Either way, that did help him settle a bit more. It would be easier to blend in when he needed to if he could at least drink a few things. Excuse himself from eating actual food with the excuse of weird dietary needs and no one should look too closely.]

Not off the top of my head. I mean... I don't even know where to start, or what to expect really.

[Jack shrugged.]

"Listen to you, using all the lingo already. Smart kid. Anyway...more or less. I mean if you're used to one it takes awhile to get used to but you don't know any different so it'll be much easier. I spent a long time figuring out what I could and couldn't eat...drink..whatever. Trial and error and a whole lot of sick...which you've probably noticed."

[Jack tried to think of his early years and things he hadn't thought of.]

"Sunlight is the big one. You can give yourself third degree burns at first if you aren't careful. That never really goes away. You just get more resistant and you learn to use prescription level sunscreen. Also large brimmed hats are your friend. Not the best fashion choice, but they are effective."

Yeah, figuring out solid food was a no-go was... not fun.

[He grimaced remembering that bit of disaster and just how physically miserable it had left him to deal with.]

Okay, yeah. As uncomfortable as it feels just to get a bit of sun briefly I figured something like that was the case. Definitely a relief to know it'll ease up though. It's just... there's all sorts of info out there and obviously a lot of it is just story nonsense. Makes it hard to figure out what's actually something I need to worry about versus just someone selling their version.

"Give it a decade or two and a few bites of bloody steak will sit just fine."

[That must sound awful to someone so young...a few decades? What was time anymore? It didn't seem so long to him now.]

"Though to be fair...if you stab anything through the heart it will die. That's pretty accurate."

[Jack smiled at his own attempt at humor.]

"Hey. Tommy? You are going to be alright, understand? I am going to make sure you are...and...I know that probably doesn't mean anything to you...but...maybe someday it will."

[Hell, if he could make it any easier than it was for him at first...he'd have made a difference. Jack looked up.]

"Our stop is coming up."

[It definitely got a double-take from Tommy, a small, weak sort of smile in response.]

So longer than I've been alive, got it.

[He wasn't sure how to feel about that. It'd take some settling, that much was for sure.]

No it... does mean something. I mean, for real you just met me and are going ridiculously out of your way to help me. I know it helps you too, not having me lose it on someone in town, but still.

[At least he looked less like he was going to go tearing a strip of the nearest warm body in the next minute. Still hungry, the red glint was still there even if a bit more subtle, but that was a bit harder to shake at first.]

"Yeah, basically."

[It was brutally honest...but it was true.

Jack shrugged.]

"It isn't like I have anything better to do. You're looking a lot better now. How do you feel? We'll get you some chicken or pig blood when we get back...throw a few raw eggs in there. It think that will really help."

[He paused then.]

"Kid, it helps everyone to not have you go tearing up the town. You'd end up dead. Innocent people would end up dead and there might be one or more people like you left behind...no idea what is happening to them...and it would just go on."

[Speaking of which...]

"Do you know where they bit you? The vamp that attacked you?"

[Tommy didn't mind that. Honesty was honesty, and it wasn't like Jack was being a dick about it.]

Feeling a bit better too. Less like I wanna crawl out of my own skin at anything with a pulse which is a definite plus. I... don't want to wind up hurting anyone. Didn't have a damn clue what I was going to do to avoid it.

[He huffed out a quiet sound, brows furrowing slightly.]

Yeah. Was headed to the community center after school, used the shortcut, you know, go behind the high school library and come out near the diner and avoid the bigger streets? The alley the next block up from the school is the last thing I remember passing, and that's where I woke up after.

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