lordsofgondor.com

Title: The Hunter’s Moon 1/9
Authors: sairalinde & anorienbean
Characters: Craig/David
Category: RPS AU
Rating: NC-17
Beta: Us.
Feedback: Yes, please to sairalinde@hornofgondor.com or Anorien.bean@gmail.com.
Warnings: Vampirism.
Disclaimer: This did not happen, no money was made from this story, and we are not in any way implying anything about the characters mentioned within.
Summary: A man in need of a miracle meets the most unlikely of saviors.

Chapters: 1-2 | 3-4 | 4-5 | 6-7 | 8-9 

~~*~~
Centuries ago…

Craig could never really remember the exact date it had happened, though he could recall *how* it happened with startling clarity.

Tired, and more than a little drunk, he’d taken a shortcut through an alley…the last mistake he would make as a human. Dark hands had reached for him, pulled him against the wall and kissed him, and Craig had been a bit too drunk to be as scared as he should have been. Unlike many, he was quite happy when drunk, relaxed and peaceful, thinking everything would simply float by as if in a dream, and all would be back to normal when he sobered up. He didn’t drink often for this very reason, but tonight…tonight had been his friend Marton’s birthday, and Viggo had been buying, and it was Friday and…well, here he was, pressed up against a wall, possibly getting ready to be robbed, or beaten or raped or who-knows-what else, yet he couldn’t seem to find the energy to care. //It’ll all work out. He’ll let me go, no harm done, and we’ll forget this ever happened…// That was Craig. Optimistic till the end.

When he awoke almost two days later, he was in the basement of what looked to be an old stone castle. The bed beneath him was soft, with dark blue silk sheets and the room was lit by only a few sparingly lit torches hung high up on the walls. And beside him…the man from the alley, the man who’d kissed him. Raven haired and green-eyed, the man was watching him, idly running one hand over Craig’s chest.

*Now* Craig had the sense to be afraid. He jumped away, and vaguely wondered why he didn’t have a hangover…or at the very least one hell of a headache.

And then, as calmly as if he were talking about the weather, his bedmate, Tristan, had told him what he was, what he would always be.

They’d fought, of course, when Craig realized that he was technically no longer alive. He was, Tristan told him, a vampire. And then, almost, but not quite against Craig’s will, Tristan had taken him. Craig had been too stunned to protest as much as he could have, but he hadn’t exactly hated the sex either, finally pushing aside all his dark thoughts and concentrating on the hand moving over his sex and the flesh delving deep inside him until they both came with loud cries.

It had taken years, but Tristan had been patient with him, even kind, and eventually, Craig had forgiven him. They’d become lovers, hunting at night, sleeping during the day, making love in the darkness of the large dungeon that was the nest for over two dozen of their kind.

They never killed humans, though it would have been easier, living only off of animals, and always taking only enough to sustain them, killing the cows or horses or even rodents only when it was a matter of life or death and they had gone far too long without feeding. They were a new breed of vampires, a breed that wanted to live in peace, and knew that killing men, women, or children, would only bring about their own deaths.

That was the ironic part of his story, Craig often thought. He’d never killed a human, but it was the humans who’d taken away everything from him.

To this day, he never knew what brought it on. For hundreds of years, the villagers had simply locked their doors at night and pretended the vampires didn’t exist. And then one day, Tristan shook his lover awake and whispered that they had to leave, had to get to safety, the humans were there, and setting fire to their castle.

They’d hurried to wake the others, and there was, in fact, an escape plan. Some of the vampires, however, panicked, and ran toward the doors, intent on escaping the heat, or killing the villagers, or just trying to save their loved ones. Craig and Tristan reacted with their basest instincts…Craig sought out the fleeing vampires, leading them firmly toward the underground tunnel that the humans didn’t know about, calming them, and forcing them to safety. Tristan, however, did just the opposite. Assured that Craig would be safe, he flew up the stairs in a rage, his only thought to kill the humans who would dare destroy his family, his home, his life, such that it was.

The dungeon was so dark, he’d been blinded by the sunlight as he and several of his kin burst through the front doors, in their rage, not even thinking that it *was* daylight. Stunned, he’d known that he’d stupidly destroyed himself, instead of the villagers who circled the castle, praying and holding up crosses and Bibles and cursing them to hell for simply being what they were. There was no point in trying to get back into the castle, so he flung himself forward, sinking his fangs into the man nearest the door, ripping out his carotid. Even as his teeth sank into human flesh for the first time since he’d seen and fallen for Craig, he felt the burning of the sunlight on his back as the blood flowed into his mouth.

Before he could even swallow, he’d turned to ashes.

Hours later, by the time Craig and the others had finally emerged from the tunnels, he’d been worried sick about Tristan. And the next day, as he’d walked through the scattered survivors, he knew his lover was gone. Gone, this time….not dead, or undead, but *gone*, leaving Craig behind, and alone, for all intents and purposes.

And though he’d never killed a human in all the years since then, he’d stayed clear of them, not sure he could resist the urge to make them pay for what they’d done. His only exception was a young boy named Billy, who, though obviously nervous and afraid, would meet him at night and accept payment to act as Craig’s agent, buying a castle or mansion and contracting for the repairs if any needed to be made.

The other vampires had scattered, but Craig had stayed in London, having nowhere else to go. There was plenty of room in his latest castle, but he asked no one to stay with him. Instead, he hunted and fed and slept, and sometimes, at night, simply hid in the shadows and watched the humans, remembering how it had felt to be one, missing Tristan, and wondering if he was destined to spend all of eternity alone.

~~*~~

David had spent the morning and part of the afternoon going over the photos Sean had taken at the Parker Estate, and was looking at the last set of blueprints on file for the castle. This was undoubtedly one of the best opportunities his company had in the last two years. The job was restoration work to the castle from some storm damage, and a remodeling project in one, possibly two rooms, to add more shelving.

Looking at the photos, David grinned. “If I had that much money I’d probably surround myself with books like that too,” he whispered to himself and then jumped when his secretary buzzed him to let him know he had a phone call from a client.

“Hello, this is David.”

Craig leaned back in his desk chair and narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t been fooled for one second by the ‘architect’ that had spent the morning going over his castle, but hadn’t mentioned the fact that he *knew* this wasn’t the same man he’d talked to on the phone.

Ian had shown the man who claimed to be David inside early that morning, and led him down to the basement, which was richly decorated with smooth oak furniture and rich hues of burgundy and green.

Craig was at his desk, going over some paperwork as they’d entered. He’d known from the man’s first word that this wasn’t the same person he’d talked to earlier, though he was doing his damndest to sound the same. He shouldn’t have been surprised, really - he remembered how foolish humans could be, though he had no idea what this David-person and this imposter were trying to pull. Deciding to simply let their game play out, he pulled Ian aside and made sure he stayed right next to the man as he showed him what repairs needed to be made. Dismissing them both with a curt nod, Craig returned to his desk and snapped the pen he’d been using in two. He hadn’t *wanted* to trust a human, but it wasn’t like he could make the repairs himself, or even buy the material he’d need, because nothing, of course, was open at night.

Several hours later, he’d called David back, trying to decide whether to tell him where he could stick his job, or see how far David would take it. When the same voice he’d talked to earlier on the phone answered, Craig’s irritation overrode everything else, however. “If you think you can con a few thousand dollars out of me with your little game, Mr. Wenham, let me warn you now, you are sadly mistaken. I don’t take kindly to being lied to, and I *don’t* like being played for a fool.”

David’s mouth dropped open as he recognized the voice of Mr. Parker who he’d spoken to that morning. “Ex…excuse me? I…I’m afraid I don’t understand,” he asked feeling his stomach knot.

“I don’t understand either,” Craig raised his voice a bit and tightened his grip on the phone. “I was told I was hiring *you*, and if you’re too busy to extend the courtesy of coming and looking at the job yourself, then I think I need to simply pick up the phone book and try the next architect listed in the yellow pages. Oh, your…imposter…was coached well enough - he sounded quite like you, he knew just what you and I had talked about and what I wanted, but…you told me *you* were coming. You lied to me.”

David swallowed hard. This was the first client to ever actually NOTICE the difference in his and Sean’s voice. “I’m…I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Parker. Please…please don’t look for another architect, I am very sorry about this. I just…I use someone else to do the leg work for me as I’ve been…under the weather is all,” he paused a bit afraid to admit too much. How many clients had he lost that way too? “I can assure you that the man who came out is qualified though, he’s been my construction foreman for almost ten years now. I just…other clients who have met with me in person since I’ve been…ill…haven’t reacted very well so I just…Sean has just pretended to be me to make it easier on everyone. I am not trying to rip you off in any form. How can I fix this? So you’re comfortable,” he asked feeling his stomach tie up in more knots. He actually had to concentrate a little to keep the meager lunch he’d managed to hold down where it should be.

Hearing the sincerity in David’s voice, but still wary, Craig was already shaking his head, as if the man on the other end of the phone could see him. “I have no idea,” he said with a sigh, already dreading the job of having to hunt another architect and check his references. He didn’t have time or the urge to start all over, honestly. David had been highly acclaimed in the architectural magazines and websites he’d found, and the few people he’d called said that David had done an amazing job. They’d never mentioned anything about an illness…but then again Craig was a total stranger calling them up and asking questions, so he couldn’t really blame them. “If you’re too ill to come out here, then wouldn’t it stand to reason you’re too ill to do the job? Aren’t we both wasting our time already?”

“No…no I just…” David sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. “I will be completely honest with you…I cannot afford to lose another client, Mr. Parker. If you want *me* to come out this evening, I will. I’m perfectly capable of working from photographs and from evening site inspections as I’ve done with other clients but if you don’t want that then I won’t but…I…please don’t pull the job once you meet me. I…I know I don’t look particularly healthy but I assure you I can and will do the work,” David explained as carefully as he could.

Craig started to say that David’s financial issues weren’t his problem, but he could hear the anxiety in the other man’s voice. Besides, his curiosity was peaked at the thought that anyone would simply *look* at David and change their mind about hiring him, as he seemed to think Craig might. Never a big believer in second chances, especially for humans, Craig found himself hesitating, surprised that he was even considering still working with David. He paused for a moment, and then took a deep breath, not bothering to try and hide his impatience. “Fine. This is my home, Mr. Wenham, and I want to know who’s going to be in it, working on it, redesigning it…*touching* it. I want to look you in the eyes and know whom I’m dealing with. So, if you want the job, then you’ll have to come here yourself and meet me.”

Relaxing just a little bit, but still worried that once his client *saw* him that he would dismiss him and find another firm, David took a deep breath. “All right. I understand, and as I said before I am very interested in this project. Your home is one of the few estates I’ve seen kept as pristine as it has been over the years. Original stonework dating back to the 16th century…everything, I really have been looking forward to this project, //Which will probably be my last.//” he said softly. “I’ll come by this evening, is seven too late?”

David obviously had gone over the photographs well, and really *did* seem to know what he was doing, making Craig feel a bit better about the entire situation, though he still didn’t fully understand what was going on.

“Seven’s fine then,” he said, his words still a bit clipped, but not as angry as they had been earlier. “I’ll be working in my office downstairs, but someone will show you down there and we can talk. I had Ian, my butler, show your…. associate around this morning, but I’ll take you around tonight after we talk. It’ll be dark outside, of course, but I have flashlights, and I think you can get the general idea of what’s wrong and what needs to be done.” Not wanting to drag this on any longer than he had to, Craig didn’t even give David the chance to speak. “Good day, Mr. Wenham. I hope to see *YOU* later this evening.” With that, he rested the phone back in its cradle and tried to concentrate on his work…though he couldn’t get David’s voice out of his head. //He certainly *sounds* healthy, for a human, if a bit tired. Kind of sexy actually…if one was actually attracted to humans.// Craig wasn’t of course. In fact, he didn’t like them at all. But that still didn’t keep David’s voice from ringing in his ears for hours.

Unable to answer before Mr. Parker hung up the phone, David sat there for a moment feeling equal parts embarrassed and flustered as he put the phone back in its cradle. Taking a shaky breath, he brushed his fingers through disheveled copper hair and sighed. He couldn’t afford to lose this client, over the last few years he’d lost so many because of his illness.

At first, it had been because he was in the hospital and unable to direct the construction crews on what they needed to do. He’d had to get another firm to take over for him on several ongoing projects. He lost a great deal of money on the deal though, and on top of it had medical bills piling up as they tried everything to figure out what was wrong with him.

When he’d been released from the hospital, people didn’t want to hire him after he went back to work. They’d take one look at him and see how frail he was. He was only forty but he looked so fragile and pale. He didn’t look old really, his face was quite youthful looking if you avoided looking at the dark circles under his eyes and the glassy look he often had from the sheer amount of medication he had to take, but just in the way he held himself, as if his entire body ached, and it did.

They would look at him and think that he would die in the middle of their remodeling project and leave them with a half finished house. Who could blame them?

Most assumed it was cancer when they looked at him, a few asked if it were heart trouble…and practically everyone had advice. ‘You know I have an uncle with….Oh I have a cousin with…you should try this doctor…you should try this tea.’ Though he knew it was well meaning, he wanted to just tell them they should mind their own business.

The doctors said it was a rare blood disorder, and frankly they were surprised he’d gone so long undiagnosed and that he’d lived to actually turn forty this year. Most with this disorder normally only lived until they were 38 years old, so David knew he was living on borrowed time…and far too much borrowed money too.

He’d mortgaged his home twice now; his business was just now starting to bounce back because of the little ruse he’d performed. His friend Sean had been the one to offer. He was the head of David’s construction crew and when David had been healthy, people had said they could pass for brother’s, so when Sean offered to *be* him for client meetings David agreed. The last several months, business had improved. David would do the designs, check the work, visit the work sites late in the evenings, and speak with clients on the phone or by email while Sean was on the site daily, instructing the crews, and meeting personally with clients. It had worked well…at least until today.

A part of him was just a little bit angry, who was this Mr. Parker anyway to *demand* to meet him? But a part of him knew the man was right. He had paid DAVID to be the one to oversee the work on his home…not Sean.

Sighing heavily again, he glanced at the clock and thought he might as well get it over with. Maybe he could patch this up, not lose a lucrative client and be home in bed before he was too exhausted to drive. He’d slept in his office or his car more than once in the last few months, just because he was unable to stay awake any longer.

He took pills to stay awake, pills to help him sleep, pills to make him have an appetite, pills to make the nausea go away…it seemed everything he took was to fix one thing and then he had to take another to unfix what he’d just fixed. He laughed to himself that it was like a pendulum; swing one way, then swing the other and soon it would be slowing down more and more, until he just wouldn’t wake up again. He’d resigned himself to that and more than once people asked why he didn’t just quit working all together. Sitting at home, waiting to die as bills piled around him, just wasn’t what he wanted though. If he were going to die, he would do what he loved until the very last.

It was almost an hour later when he pulled up at the Parker estate. It was one of the grander castle estates in the area and had been well preserved and well loved over the years. David took a deep breath and slowly got out of the car, walking anymore was an effort and he looked at the granite stairs before him as if they were Mt. Everest. //One step at a time…just breathe.// By the time he reached the top of the steps he was winded, and coughed several times before he managed to catch his breath and knock on the huge ornately carved oak door.

Ian seemed to materialize at the door before David’s hand fell back to his side. His face betrayed not a hint of surprise at the thin, frail looking man before him, nor at the way his breath was coming so fast and hard after the short walk from this car. He was too well trained for that, but did hope that Craig wouldn’t hire him…he could barely move, let alone oversee such a rather large renovation! With a slight bow of his head, he gestured David inside and closed the door behind him. “Lord Parker asked me to show you downstairs, but I think it’s rather stuffy down there. If you would wait in the library, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind coming up here.” As he talked, he walked toward the library and began closing the heavy velvet drapes until not a single ray of the evening sun could be seen. He turned on several lamps and motioned for David to sit, certain that there was no way the man would survive the few dozen steps that led down to Craig’s living quarters. “Make yourself comfortable, Mr. Wenham. Lord Parker will be up shortly.”

//*Lord* Parker? Oh bloody hell.// David sighed and nodded as the tall gray haired butler allowed him inside the large room. “Thank you…I don’t want to be any trouble,” he said softly as the butler moved around the room closing drapes and turning on lamps. //Well any MORE trouble than I’ve already been anyway.// The butler didn’t answer though, simply told him to make himself comfortable and left.

David started to sit down but then the carvings on the large fireplace and bookcase next to it drew his attention. Sean hadn’t photographed this room, as it wasn’t one of the ones on the list to be worked on, but God the craftsmanship was exquisite. David was looking closely at it when he heard someone clear their throat in the doorway. He turned, an immediate apology on his tongue yet again, hoping to appease his client and actually KEEP him as a client when every thought fled his mind. Well…except one. Sex. Standing in the doorway was the most gorgeous man he’d ever seen in his life and David found himself speechless.

~~*~~

Craig had been surprised when Ian had suggest he might go upstairs, but trusted his old friend enough to do as he’d asked, knowing without asking that the drapes would have been pulled and the room free of sunlight. As he’d ascended the steps, he could feel something…different, though he didn’t know just what it was. The closer he got to the library, the stronger the feeling grew and by the time he made it to the large, ornate doorway, he knew what Ian had meant. His…guest…was tall and painfully thin, and Craig could still hear him breathing heavily as he stood admiring the bookcase. //Well, he did say he was ill…// He cleared his throat and a heartbeat later, David turned toward him. Craig was completely overwhelmed as their eyes met. He knew what was wrong with David, he knew that he had never seen such perfect, clear blue eyes before, and he knew at once that the man standing there in his library simply staring at him could quite possibly be everything he’d searched for his entire life, despite the fact that he was human. //HUMAN. No. He’s lied to you once, you certainly can’t trust him…just let him do the job and go - or better yet, tell him you don’t want him for the job after all…//
Centuries of schooling his features around others allowed him to keep his face perfectly neutral, and, clearing his throat again, he let only the smallest of smiles touch his lips. “Mr. Wenham, I presume?” he asked, not moving from the doorway, not even wanting to shake David’s hand for the fear that he might not want to let go.

David stood there staring like a dolt for a moment before he realized that he *was* staring at the man. He had the most incredible blue eyes, his own were blue but not like that…not that deep or rich and certainly no longer sparkled like that. His own were just as dull and lifeless as he felt. Finally, he cleared his throat and fought back a cough. “I’m sorry. I…yes, and I was not made aware…I’m terribly sorry that I didn’t call you by your proper title Lord Parker…I…again I apologize for all of this,” he said finally moving toward the other man a little. He was the most gorgeous man he’d ever seen in his life and he felt quite out of his element already. Rich, titled, gorgeous, and still angry with him apparently. The small smile that graced those lush lips didn’t reach the man’s eyes at all and David knew he was still on the verge of losing this client. The idea of losing the money didn’t seem to bother him as much as losing the opportunity to *know* this man. He stopped when he was in front of the dark haired lord and offered his hand. “Again I’m terribly sorry I didn’t meet with you myself to begin with.”

Craig hesitated for a moment, simply staring down at David’s hand before reaching out and clasping it in is own. “The title isn’t important,” he said, his voice becoming a bit less cold and distant even as he tried to keep everything perfectly formal and businesslike between them. His hand felt warm despite the coolness of David’s, and he quickly let go. David was here to *work* for him, to do a job, nothing more, nothing less, and despite the thoughts running through his head to the contrary, he wasn’t about to bed a human. When he needed relief, he took care of that by himself, or summoned another of his kind…never a human. They were too fragile, especially this one.

//You could help him.// Craig actually looked around the room as if someone else had spoken as the thought raced through his head. //You know what’s wrong with him…you could help him, if only for a while…give him time, give him strength, maybe enjoy his body if he were willing…// Shaking his head and backing away from David, Craig felt his face flush - something that hadn’t happened in centuries. “Apology accepted, Mr. Wenham, water under the bridge, and all that.” He raised one hand and gestured around the room. “This room is beautiful, isn’t it? It’s the whole reason I bought the castle.”

David felt heat sizzle up his arm from where his connected with Lord Parker’s and he swallowed hard. Being sick for so long, sex and arousal hadn’t been something foremost on his mind in quite a long time, but this man seemed to awaken that within David. He smiled a little though when Lord Parker stepped back and accepted his apology. He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep himself from trying to touch the other man again. And a little part of him jumped for joy because it seemed *maybe* he wouldn’t lose this client.

“It is…whom ever carved all of this…they were truly gifted, I’ve never seen anything like it and I studied in Rome,” he said softly as he looked around the room.

“Ah…Rome…” Craig smiled fondly and nodded. He’d lived there for several decades - well, he’d lived almost everywhere in the world, actually at one time or another. Not even bothering to ask David exactly where he studied, or under whom, or…well, anything else, really, Craig rolled his eyes at himself and sighed. He was going to hire David; there was no doubt about that. Despite his frailness and the exhaustion that radiated from every inch of his body, not to mention their earlier misunderstanding, if David wanted the job, Craig would be offering it to him. He could understand why David had thought he had so send someone else - he really *didn’t* look up to doing the job, but Craig was pretty damn sure he’d give it everything he had. //Without help, you don’t have much longer, do you? And I’m sure you don’t even have the slightest idea that I could help you.//

“Well, there’s not much to be done in this room,” he continued. “But, to be honest, there were a few things I neglected to mention to your colleague. When you finish with the storm damage, I have a few other things I’d like you to take care of, if you’d be willing. I’m in no hurry, and money is no object, so I think we could work something out that would help us both.” It wasn’t true; not really, he’d kept the castle in pristine shape, just as David had thought earlier. But Craig found himself wanting to help David, to know him a bit better, though he couldn’t fathom why. It’s not like they could really even be friends. Craig was a vampire for heaven’s sake, and David could hardly move. Still…it was kind of nice having someone besides Ian around…especially someone as handsome as his newly hired architect. He was fairly certain he could keep David busy for quite some time, even if he had to destroy parts of several rooms to accomplish this…and he would have no problems whatsoever doing just that. Craig still didn’t trust David, simply because he was a human, but he could at least take advantage of the opportunity to admire him.

David looked at the other man with surprise clearly evident in his eyes. “You…you want to add projects? I…after meeting me?” he asked somewhat dumbfounded. Stepping away to look around the room, for a moment just to gather his thoughts, David turned to look at the other man again. “Why? I mean…most people see me and think I’ll die before the work is done and fire me before I can even start. It’s…it’s why Sean meets with clients for me…but you…you demand to see me and then you see I’m clearly not well but yet you add more work. I can’t say I’m not happy about that but…confused.” David started to have a niggling worry that Lord Parker suddenly saw him as a charity project and that bothered him a little but he wasn’t in a position where he could let his pride get in the way.

Careful to keep his voice even, Craig shrugged and gave David a real smile for the first time since they’d met. “I understand why you did what you did now. I can see that you’re ill, but I know from our phone conversation earlier, plus the way you were looking around this room, *plus* by word of mouth that you’re the best. And I want the best.” His gaze met David’s once again and despite himself, he felt drawn toward the other man. “Talent overrides illness in my book, so if you feel up to the job, it’s yours.”

Completely dazzled by the other man’s smile, David simply stood there for a moment, unaware he was smiling back. “I do want the job and I promise I’ll make sure you don’t regret your choice in me,” he said finally dragging his eyes away from the other man. //And I’ll do my best not to die on you in the middle of it.//

“I’m certain I won’t have any regrets at all,” Craig said as he motioned David to follow him down the long hallway. If David thought it strange that the entire castle was covered with heavy, dark drapes, he didn’t say a word. Craig led him to the kitchen, the room that had the most damage from the recent storm and pointed out the cracks in the ceiling and a bulge in the wall where a tree had fallen. The damage wasn’t bad, but it was only a matter of time before it began to leak, Craig was certain.

Ian walked by once and raised his eyebrow at Craig, who usually preferred to let Ian deal with people while he holed up in his living quarters downstairs, but Craig merely shook his head and waved his old friend off, not even noticing the surprise on his face nor the twinkle in his eyes.

Following his new employer, David noticed the man was walking slowly, no doubt for his benefit and he felt grateful for it. He was just so tired. When they walked into the kitchen his eyes were drawn immediately to the damage there and he walked over to the wall where he ran his fingertips over the plaster there. The massive stones on the outer walls hadn’t broken but the tree that had crashed against them had shifted the large stones. Sean’s photos of it had done it justice, David had already decided how they would fix it in fact, but he took a closer look now that he was there to make sure his plan was right. He would have done that anyway when he could come in unnoticed with the other crewmembers. “I’ve already worked out a plan for how we’ll fix this, and it won’t require replacing any of the outer stones,” he explained and then felt his face flush just a little from the *way* the other man was looking at him, unsure what to make of it he went on. “Lord Parker, would you be opposed to the plaster being removed in here? It…well it obviously isn’t what the walls were originally.”

Gods, he was handsome, even when he was so obviously tired and weak, and Craig felt guilty for insisting he come here. He couldn’t seem to drag his eyes away from David though, and actually startled a bit when he realized he was being spoken to. “Call me Craig, please.” It was the first time he’d offered that privilege to a human in over 1700 years. “And I’m not opposed to anything. I trust your judgment, and again, time and money are no object. You don’t have to get my approval on anything…just…just treat this place as you would your own.”

David smiled and nodded. “Thank you,” he said softly as they made their way for another of the rooms Craig had asked to be remodeled while they were making the other repairs. “I promise that everything we do will be historically accurate. If you spoke to previous clients they may have mentioned that I am a bit of a stickler on that,” he said as they walked. When they walked into the next room David rested his hand against the wall for a moment and closed his eyes as Craig had his back to him. He was feeling winded again and fought against the dizziness he felt. “This…this would be the second room on the list right? I recognize the masonry around the fireplace,” he said softly and having to take a deep breath.

Craig turned to see David leaning heavily against the wall and crossed the room to stand beside him. He *hated* touching humans, glad honestly, that he didn’t need to drink human blood to survive, but here he was, wanting to reach out to the other man, to steady him, to help him somehow. //He doesn’t need or want your help…in fact, he would probably rather keep feeling this way than accept the only help you could offer him.// “Do you mind if we sit for a few minutes? I can have Ian bring us something to drink, and I’d like to run something by you.” Again, it was almost as if someone else was in Craig’s mind speaking, making decisions, using his mouth and body and hands and even his eyes to do things he simply didn’t *do*.

David started to shake his head no, he didn’t want to seem like he couldn’t even walk from room to room without having to take a break but honestly…he did. He wished yet again that the doctors would come up with *something* that would help him. “Thank you…what’s your idea?” he asked as he moved toward a chair in the room and then suddenly the entire room seemed to spin and he wavered a little on his feet. He didn’t intend to reach out and grab the other man’s arm, but it was either that or end up on his ass like so many times before. “Sorry…I’ve not eaten much today,” he whispered as a quick excuse and started to release the other man’s arm.

Letting his hand quickly settle over David’s, Craig shook his head and again felt guilty for practically forcing him to come out here, in the middle of nowhere, so late in the evening. “Then you’re staying for dinner,” he said as he moved slowly toward the same chair David had been heading toward. “It’s the least I can do, since I pulled you away from your own dinner with your family.” He helped David lower himself into the chair and stared at him worriedly for a moment, feeling the warmth on his arm get even warmer where David’s hand still rested. “Please…call whoever you need to let know, and I’ll have the cook start dinner. I’ll bring us back something to drink and snack on until it’s ready. Do you want tea, wine, coffee or a soda?”

David was already shaking his head as Craig led him to a chair. “I can’t impose on you like that,” he said softly. //Besides your cook could be Wolfgang Puck and I still wouldn’t be able to eat much.// He sat down heavily in the chair though and looked up at Craig, smiling slightly. “Thank you…there’s no one to call but I may take you up on that tea offer at the least before we continue the tour and I get out of your hair.”

Craig, through no effort of his own, suddenly found himself kneeling on the floor in front of David, checking his pulse, looking into his eyes, and gauging how much time he had left. //Not much. Not without me to help you.// “It’s not an imposition,” he said steadily, his tone of voice low and comforting as he watched this human he was so attracted to try to catch his breath. “Consider it a business dinner…and it’ll give me time to tell you more about what I want done to this place, not to mention my idea.”

David nodded slowly as he looked down at the man before him. So utterly gorgeous and…and concerned for him. How long had it been since anyone had shown him any measure of true concern aside from his friend Sean? The doctors were all clinical and business like, his workers were afraid to say much, and most other acquaintances just ignored David’s illness like they were afraid to think about it too much because it made their own mortality seem so much more fragile. “All right…again, thank you. Thank you for not firing me, and thank you for…this,” he whispered.

Squeezing David’s hand gently before he stood, Craig simply smiled and nodded. “I’m not firing you,” he said as he headed toward the door, not bothering to ring Ian as he usually did. It would be quicker to find something for David to eat and drink himself, and it looked like David needed something soon. “Well, as long as you don’t make this castle fall down around our heads, that is. Then I might have to…renegotiate our contract.” He hurried out the door before David could answer, wondering why he was so worried about him, why he enjoyed helping him, and most of all *why* he was picturing him robust and writhing beneath him in Craig’s bed. //You’re going to bed a human? My how the mighty have fallen…and you, Parker, seem to have fallen rather hard …//

David smiled when Craig said he wasn’t firing him; the other man had no idea how grateful David was about that. He laughed softly as Craig left the room and then sighed once he was gone. “The only thing you have to worry about is if I die in the middle of it,” he said softly to the empty room. And he was so very tired and weak he wondered if that wouldn’t happen sooner rather than later. He’d need to push Sean to make sure the crew came in under deadlines if possible on this job because he had a sinking feeling…it was going to be his last.

In almost no time at all, Craig was back with a small tray of food and two tall glasses of iced tea. He sat everything on the table beside David, and then pulled it around in front of him before pulling a chair of his own closer. “I’m starving anyway, so this is a nice little appetizer,” he grinned, eyeing the tray full of everything he could find in the kitchen. There were grapes, cheeses, apple slices, butter, sweet cakes, chocolate…even a small bowl of leftover stew from the night before. The cook had finally thrown her hands up in exasperation and stopped trying to help when he said that *YES* he had a perfectly good reason for wanting butter with his fruit. He wasn’t hungry of course, but he could tell David was already self-conscious enough as it was, so he dug into the food with enthusiasm. “I thought some protein - like a filet mignon might make you feel a bit better, so the cook’s working on that. I hope that’s ok?”

David looked up and knew he was staring in surprise when Craig walked into the room carrying a tray laden with more food than he’d eaten all week. “I…that sounds wonderful and all of this *looks* amazing,” he said softly. His stomach actually did rumble a bit. “I normally can’t eat very much anymore without it making me feel worse later though,” he said delicately. He reached into his pocket for a small bottle of pills he had to take with practically everything…including sometimes just a glass of water. He knew Craig was watching him but he just continued and took a drink of tea to wash the pill down. “Thank you again for all of this.”

Knowing that pills couldn’t help, Craig watched in silence as David swallowed one. “I can’t let my newest employee feel bad on his first day, now could I?” he said lightly. “There’s no thanks necessary. That does, however, bring up my next question.” He took a sip of tea and plunged ahead, heedless of the small voice in his brain that told him he was crazy. But it made sense, at least to the bigger, more compassionate part of him, that David would have trouble driving to and from the castle, as it was quite far from anything else. “I’ve never really needed this much work done to a place to be honest, and I was wondering if I could have your full attention on his job. I mean…an exclusive contract, for as long as it takes. If you didn’t have any other jobs at the same time, I could make full use of your skills. And you’d be welcome to stay in the east wing of the castle. There’s a room there and a rather large office, full of everything you might need. You could oversee your men and rest at the same time, if you’d be agreeable to that.”

David nearly choked on his tea when Craig offered for him to *stay* at the castle. God just to be able to wake up every day in such a beautiful place. “You’re sure? I mean…well obviously I’m not strong enough to try and hurt you or anything…but…but you’re sure? I don’t take on other jobs while I’m focusing on one, I’d make more money I’m sure but physically I can’t and even before I got sick I never thought it was right. I like to give everything I’ve got to the job at hand…but…obviously I’d be crazy not to take the offer. I’d love to stay here, this place is….amazing //the company is too//,” he said not realizing how much he’d rambled. The chance to stay in a castle *this* castle was simply a dream come true, and his host…well he could imagine more than a few dreams he wouldn’t *mind* coming true, though that was very unlikely. Even if by some miracle Craig could possibly be interested in something a bit more…intimate, David wasn’t exactly up to the task so to speak. Though more than once he thought that it wouldn’t be such a bad way to pass from this world.

Having to bite back a chuckle as David said more in one breath than he’d said since they’d first met, Craig found himself charmed by the young man - though by human standards, he was more what would be considered middle aged. Craig hadn’t thought middle aged was possible for someone with David’s health problems, but here he was - weak and wheezing and entirely too thin, but here nevertheless. Just the thought made Craig respect him all the more, seeing his strength and determination shining though already-weary eyes. “Then I will consider you my guest from this moment forward,” he said, already thinking that he would dearly love to just look in on David and watch him sleep now and then. He found himself licking his lips, wondering what David tasted like, wondering if the blood flowing through his veins would be as sweet as Craig imagined it would be. No, he didn’t drink from humans, ever, but…Gods, he could imagine taking David, thrusting inside him with his flesh, his tongue, his teeth, taking everything from him and loving every minute. No…not just taking. Taking and giving, for though on principal he didn’t like humans, he already could sense that David wasn’t an average man. He moved to sit back in his chair and clear his throat, trying to push away *those thoughts*. “You can stay tonight if you like. I can have Ian prepare a room for you, then he can help you pack up your office or clothes or whatever you might need to work with here. Just tell me what you want, Mr. Wenham, and it’s yours. I want…well, I want this house to be perfect, and I have no doubt you’re the man for the job.”

David found himself simply staring when Craig said “just tell me what you want”. //I really don’t think you’d appreciate that much because what I really want— is you.// “That…wow, and please…just call me David,” he rubbed his forehead a little and smiled. “Honestly, thank you. And as far as staying tonight…I would have most likely slept in my car. I’ve had to do it before because I get so tired and weak I have to just pull over and sleep. I have a rare blood disorder…and it is terminal. I’ve outlived most with the disease but…I promise I’ll stick around long enough to finish the job,” he said grinning a little. He’d had time to adjust to the idea of dying. He didn’t want to but he had to have a sense of humor about it or he would end up depressed and possibly insane.

Craig’s eyes flickered over David’s face and he had to bite back the words ‘I can help you,’. The kind of help he could offer would likely disgust and frighten him, and he looked like he had enough on his mind anyway at the moment. “No more spending the night in cars,” he said softly, wondering how David could seem so nonchalant about his impending death. “The whole east wing is yours from this moment on - there are 8 rooms, a hot tub, computers…whatever you could possibly need. I…I normally stay in the basement, so I won’t be in your way, but you can always send Ian for me, and I’ll be right there. I don’t think you’ll be wanting to come down there - it’s rather dark and cold, and most hu….people don’t feel comfortable in what used to be a dungeon.”

David took a small bite of an apple slice and looked up at Craig with a puzzled look. Why would anyone stay in the basement when they had all of *this* above ground? Then again the people David had worked with in the past had been rich and eccentric, if Craig liked the dungeon…he certainly had a right to. One of his clients a few years ago collected medieval weaponry and part of David’s project had included landscaping for a jousting lot behind the castle. Most wanted a tennis court, that guy wanted to be able to joust…it was his money after all and so David rarely questioned his clients on their sometimes-unique tastes. “I have to admit I’d be curious though…but if that’s your private area, then I will certainly steer clear of it. I’m not here to intrude. This is still your home and I will treat it with the utmost respect, Craig.”

No human but Ian had ever been in Craig’s private quarters, but Craig found he wasn’t adverse to the idea of showing David around there. It wasn’t like he slept in a coffin after all, he though wryly. He had a huge four-poster bed, a living area, and an office…nothing that needed to be hidden, except for the fact that there were no windows, and that wasn’t all that unusual, as far as dungeons went. “I’ll be glad to give you the grand tour then, when you feel up to it.” As he spoke, Ian entered the room with more food, and nodded toward both David and Craig as he uncovered two dishes. Each contained a thick, juicy steak, baked potato, sautéed vegetables, and light, fluffy rolls rested in a basket in the middle of the tray. He nodded again as Craig thanked him, and left the room. “There’s a guest house out back, where a few servants live with their family. If you need someone to run errands for you, or get anything, they’re at your disposal.” He held up one hand, knowing David would protest. “Besides…I’d feel better if you at least let someone check on you now and then. I don’t…er…venture up here during the day very often, so I doubt I’ll see a lot of you.” He failed to mention that the servants were sworn to his service, to protect him from prying human eyes and mischief while he slept. It was ridiculous to ask David to stay, of course, but for all intents and purposes, Craig led a relatively normal life as far as the outside world could see. The servants would make sure David didn’t discover more than he needed to.

When the butler entered with their dinner, the smell made David’s mouth water a bit. He may regret it greatly later on tonight but at the least he could eat something more than the bland soups he’d been eating for weeks now. “Servants as in plural? I…I have a hard time asking my secretary to retrieve a file for me,” he grinned. “But if that is your wish…you’re the boss.”

He looked down at the food before him and thought if he were a healthier man he could learn to grow very used to all this but for now he can just enjoy it…maybe as a last little pleasure before he was gone? Thinking of pleasure though made his gaze drift back up to the man across from him. How did a person just exude sex like that? Or maybe it was just the idea? He hadn’t been around anyone that intrigued him quite so much before and he certainly hadn’t met anyone so gorgeous. “So it’s just you and the servants here?” //Oh that was subtle, Daisy!//

Craig’s face paled for a moment as he thought of Tristan but his smile didn’t falter. “Just me,” he agreed, wondering if David was worried about a wife or children getting underfoot. “I’ve been alone for a long, long time.” //Longer than you can imagine, actually…// “How about you? You said you had no one to call, but…surely a man like you can’t live alone?”

David paused as he was cutting his steak and looked up at Craig unsure how to take the question. “If you mean because of my illness, Sean checks in on me. He and his boyfriend Orlando are like a pair of mother hen’s sometimes. Other than that I have no one. No family except distant cousins I suppose that I don’t even really know, and my last lover…he left me a few years ago,” he said softly. //They left when I needed them most, but at least I saw their true character before it was too late and I fell in love with them.//

A bright blush came over Craig’s face for the second time that day. //Dammit, how does he *do* this to me?? And why on earth would his lover leave him? // He did take note, however that David had referred to his last lover as a *he*, so maybe, if he was interested… “I…no, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean your illness…I meant…well, you’re handsome, and talented and…that’s all I meant…” Craig licked at his lips again and felt his breath catch in his throat. He’d had plenty of lovers that were of his own kind, but now, for the first time since he’d been turned, could picture himself with a human…with David. “I don’t want you walking out of here because of sexual harassment, or feeling uncomfortable, but I have to say, I find you incredibly attractive, David.”

Dropping his fork with a rather loud clatter, David simply stared at the man across from him, taking in the flush on his cheeks and realizing he hadn’t been hearing things. “M…me?” He stammered and blinked. “I…I’m not…I…maybe once I might have believed that, maybe, but not anymore,” he said looking down at his plate, “But…thank you. You on the other hand.” He swallowed hard as he looked at the other man. “Are the most gorgeous person I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” He felt his face flush and his stomach flutter a bit from the admission.

Craig had often been told that sometimes, creatures like him *exuded* sex. He didn’t know if that were true or not, as he couldn’t really remember ever having actually seen a vampire before one killed him, but he could see that David seemed sincere. He’d been complimented on his eyes, on his hair, on his smile, on the few occasions when he allowed others to see him, and he’d never really had trouble getting someone into his bed when he wanted them…but gorgeous? He wasn’t so sure about that. His eyes sparkled as he took a sip of his tea, studying David over the rim and trying not to let himself be charmed by the bright red flush of his face. “Thank you,” he said softly. “And whether you believe me or not, it *is* true. I think you’re very handsome, and if I weren’t afraid of making you uncomfortable, I’d suggest we take our dinner down to my bedroom one evening when you feel a bit better, to be honest.”

David simply stared at the other man for a moment, still completely floored by the compliments and…the offer. “I…umm…I…I’d like that,” he said completely unable to form intelligent sentences since all that kept running through his mind was how it would feel to kiss those luscious lips, to run his hands over what he was certain was a perfect body beneath his clothes, and to feel Craig inside him. His mouth felt dry and he took a quick drink of the wine that had been brought down with dinner and looked at the other man again. “I’d really like that to be honest,” he whispered softly. Silence fell between them for a few moments and David ate a few more bites of food to get his mind off…other things. It was delicious, though he hardly tasted it and he had to be careful not to eat much or he would seriously regret it later.

Arching one eyebrow in surprise, Craig sat his glass down and leaned forward, studying David’s face, wondering how he would look without the darkness under his eyes and the tiredness exuding from every pore. “You would?” He made no attempt to hide the pleasure in his voice as he spoke. Having a human lover for a few months wouldn’t be a bad thing at all, especially if he looked like David. They had no future of course, but Craig thought he could bring him pleasure, if not peace, before they parted ways. “Then consider the invitation open anytime you feel like it. The dungeon is the last door on the right down that hallway,” he pointed to the back of the castle but kept his gaze on David’s face. “I would come to the east wing, but…I…well, I never sleep…or do much of anything else…upstairs.”

David felt pinned in place as Craig studied him and then looked puzzled again for a moment. “You are eating now…upstairs that is,” he grinned.

“For the first time in…oh….about 20 years, I think,” Craig laughed. “Some times I don’t mind. And this happens to be one of those times.”

David smiled brightly when Craig laughed. He hadn’t heard him really laugh like that and he found that he loved the sound of it. “I’m glad to be an exception,” he said smiling and going back to their meal. Once they were finished, David watched silently as the butler returned and cleared everything away. “The meal was wonderful…I’m sorry I didn’t eat much, my appetite hasn’t been what it used to be,” he explained.

Craig picked idly at the arm of the chair he was sitting in, wondering just how much David knew about his illness. “I understand completely,” he said after a moment. He wasn’t going to *help*…of course not, he had no business doing that - he was only curious, and making conversation. At least that’s what he told himself. “So…you said you had a rare blood disease. Is there nothing your doctors can do?”

David sighed softly when Craig asked about his disease. “They give me medicines to treat the symptoms but there is no cure, and they said I’ve outlived most who’ve had it…I’m on borrowed time so to speak,” he said softly and looking at one of the ornate carvings along the wall for a moment. “I don’t mean to sound so blasé about my impending death but I had to learn to accept it, to *want* to live as long as I can but to accept I’ll die sooner rather than later. No one gets forever anyway.”

“Forever seems way too long sometimes,” Craig said softly, not even realizing he’d spoken out loud as he thought how lonely an eternity could be when you had no one to share it with. “You never can never tell though…” His spoke normally as he smiled at David again, hoping he hadn’t heard his earlier words. “They might find a cure tomorrow, or…you might find someone who could help you.”

David didn’t hear the words that Craig murmured at first but then laughed softly. “A fairy godmother who could make it go away would be nice,” he grinned. “But…I don’t have much faith in modern science anymore. Maybe if this disorder weren’t so rare more research would be done on it…but as it is…they are making a fortune off treating the symptoms. Anyway…what about you? I never even asked what it is you do for a living…obviously whatever it is, is quite lucrative…unless you were born with a lot of money, though I don’t get that sense about you. You seem too…friendly.”

Craig almost snorted as David called him friendly. It wasn’t a word he heard in connection with himself very often, but then again, he *had* been rather talkative to his new employee, which was very unlike him. “I…//well, you see, I’ve lived for several centuries and invested wisely…//…am in investments,” he said smoothly. “I work from my office downstairs, keep rather odd hours, don’t go out much at all. I’m normally called standoffish, or cold, or arrogant…but rarely friendly, so…thank you for that. Not only sexy, but you’re charming as well.”

David flushed and looked down for a moment. “Well…you’ve been kind to me anyway,” he said softly not addressing the other. How could he? Sexy? Him? Perhaps Craig’s eyes, as beautiful as they were, needed to be checked because David knew he was not sexy at all. He was overly thin, overly pale, and had dark circles under his eyes. All in all not a sexy package at all, but God it did feel nice to be complimented. How long had it been since someone had even taken notice of him in that way? And someone who looked like Craig? Even more flattering.

Sensing that he’d made David uncomfortable, Craig bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. David *truly* didn’t realize that despite his illness, he was still incredibly attractive. He stood, offered his hand to his new friend, and helped him to his feet, holding on to him to make sure he was steady. “Would you like to have some coffee or look at the rest of the house?”

When Craig stood and offered his hand, David didn’t hesitate as he reached out and their hands clasped. He felt warmth move through him, mingled with a spike of desire as he stood up. “I’d like to see the rest of the house if you like, so I can make plans. You’d said there were more things you wanted done. I know what the plan for this room was and one other…but what else did you have in mind?” he asked smiling. He’d been worried that the food would make him feel worse, but for the first time in a long time he felt a little better after a meal. Or maybe it was just the fact that he wanted to spend time with Craig? He may still be up sick all night, but it would be worth it at least.

TBC…

Chapters: 1-2 | 3-4 | 4-5 | 6-7 | 8-9