A Taste of Home Ch. 04

Instead of the face he saw every day in the mirror when he fixed his hair, or simply took in his appearance, there was the face of a demon. His eyes glowed red, wide and terrible against white skin that nearly glowed in the darkness. His fangs curved towards his chin, not enough to nick his own chin but more than they should, long and razor sharp. He could almost see the thin edge that would rend and tear.

Blood dripped down from the sides of his mouth, two thin lines running from the corners down over his chin and along the sides of his throat. It wasn't him. It couldn't be him. It was a mistake, or maybe some kind of funhouse mirror. Micah tried to ask what was happening and he screamed silently at the angry hiss that emerged from his throat.

Micah, please. Don't listen to Him. He is trying to change you. Look at us and then look into your heart.

One by one, he identified the people standing in the cave, pleading with him. His mother and sister were there, as beautiful as he remembered them. They were afraid, but trying to reach out to him. With them were Pen and Ryan, holding each other's hands, their love plain to see and trying to wrap around him. Beside his family was Jack, looking smug. Beneath that façade, however, Micah could see he was terrified. Off to the side, neither with nor apart from the rest, was Simon, eyes averted as he beckoned Micah forward.

It was the last person who changed everything. This last person lay on the ground, naked and shivering from the cold. His chest heaved, struggling in vain to draw breath, but his throat was no longer there. A huge hole, glistening with blood, marred the pale flesh. Micah closed his eyes tight, certain they were playing tricks on him, but as soon as he opened them again, they met the same sight. This wasn't possible. How could he be looking at himself, when he was standing in the darkness outside the cave?

Tentatively he touched the tip of his tongue to the trace of blood at the corner. That was his taste. Micah knew then that his eyes weren't deceiving him. He had turned into some kind of monster and destroyed himself in some way.

He turned and fled, racing faster than anyone ever could, howling and screaming in pain and fear the whole way. He kept going until he burst out of the wood and found himself a hundred feet away from a group of men with guns. Desperate to end his pain, he flung out his arms and invited them to shoot and put him out of his misery. He nearly wept with joy when they took aim and fired directly into his monstrous heart...

"Micah, wake up. It's all right, it's just a dream."

Micah sat straight up as soon as he felt the touch on his arm and realized it wasn't the bite of a bullet. His first thought was to wonder what the Hell he was doing in a closet. Pen leaned over him, biting his lip with worry, and Micah remembered everything. He remembered Jack's attack and his own aberrant behavior that followed. He remembered seeing Simon at the dinner, wrapped around the beautiful woman. He remembered how neither Pen nor Ryan wanted him to rent another room right away. The closet was the safest place for him to sleep, even though the midday sun was on the opposite side of the apartment and shouldn't bother him while he slept on the bed.

He knew that the safety he sought had nothing to do with the sun. It wasn't even safety for himself. He was afraid of somehow transforming back into the monster and attacking Pen and Ryan. Logically he knew it wasn't possible, but the fear wouldn't let him go. Once released, maybe it would fight for dominance again. Next time, there might not be anyone to help him. Maybe, nobody would be able to reach him at all.

"I'm all right," he reassured his cousin. Pen sank back on his heels and took hold of his hand. There was understanding in the steady green gaze. "What time is it?"

"Almost five. Ryan will be home soon and he said he got some information from Jack. Will you stay for dinner? Carlie and Simon will be joining us and they'll probably talk about the investigation, since they'll work on it together."

Micah thought about it, wondering if he could spend time with Simon, even with others around, and not let his bitterness show. Better not to take any chances. "I don't think I'm ready for that. Besides, I need to find somewhere else to stay, get my stuff from the motel room and find a job. I have enough money for a little while yet, but I don't want to wait until the last minute."

Pen nodded and tried to hide his disappointment. All night he'd tried to convince Micah to stay longer than one night, or rather one day. "You'll be sure to let me know where you end up? I don't want us to lose touch, and I'm sure Ryan will want to keep you informed on the investigation."

That night, Micah enjoyed a couple of lucky breaks. He happened to be in a gas station when the clerk got into a huge argument with the owner and quit. Micah asked for the job, pointing out that hiring a nightwalker to work the night shift would result in a reduced chance of robbery. The man seemed surprised, then glad and hired Micah on the spot.

Finding a new place to live was a little more difficult. His job at the gas station didn't pay that well, but he could supplement with the cash he got from the sale of the house. His mother insisted that he keep half the amount for himself. Instead of a motel room, Micah wanted to rent a small apartment. He didn't need much space, but he did want something with privacy. Scouring the papers in between customers, he found a few possibilities, which would have to wait until the next afternoon or early evening.

Just before dawn, when the day clerk arrived, he was speaking to a customer. The gentleman saw the paper and said he had an old bunker-style apartment attached to the basement of his house. Apparently, his father was slightly paranoid about the catastrophic predictions of doom surrounding the turn of the century. He built a concrete and steel bunker to protect himself and his family, large enough that it was later converted into a one-bedroom apartment. It was currently empty and the man was willing to rent it out, had in fact been discussing it with his wife for the past week. They agreed on a price and a time to meet to sign a lease the following evening.

Micah introduced himself to the clerk who came to take over and gathered up his things from behind the counter. He had plenty of time to get to the new motel room he had rented the night before. It was even worse than his previous room and he was glad he wouldn't have to stay there too long. A quick call to Pen, to tell him all the news, and he was ready to fall into bed.

Over the course of the next month, Micah was the happiest he'd been in a long time. Not completely happy, but happy nonetheless. It surprised him that he found the job at the gas station so fulfilling. Since there were often lulls during the night, Micah looked over classes he could take online and chose to study criminology. He didn't want to become an officer or anything, but thought that some kind of consulting work, or even lab work might be fun. When he visited with Pen and Ryan, he talked about his classes and got more insight and help from Ryan, which really helped.

Micah also loved his new apartment. There was a separate entrance around the side of the house, but Albert Stanford was a wonderful and welcoming man, as were his wife and children. They were apparently fine with him being a nightwalker, showing no fear or uncertainty in being near him. The children, in their late teens, sometimes invited him to visit in the backyard, and Mrs. Stanford brought out snacks and drinks for them to share. A few times, they also invited him for dinner, insisting when he tried to refuse.

"Thank God, Micah."

At the soft-spoken exclamation, Micah lifted his head and saw Simon just inside the doors. Simon's brown eyes were wide, yet showing pleasure at seeing Micah again. "Simon. I...You...um, how can I help you?" He was flustered but didn't want to show it. The only thing that marred his happiness in his life was that he couldn't let himself see or taste Simon, and now the man was standing there in front of him.

"I've wanted to see you so much. I was terrified when I heard how that Jack guy attacked you. I wanted so much to make sure you were all right. Pen and Ryan said you were doing well, but it wasn't the same."

"I am doing well. I have a job I enjoy, a great apartment and I'm taking classes." As wonderful as the words Simon spoke to him were, they only brought to mind just why Simon missed him and wanted to see him. He wanted to feed Micah and have sex. It couldn't be clearer to Micah even if Simon spoke those words.

"That's great, it really is. Would you. I wonder if you'd like to have breakfast with me in the morning. After you finish your shift?"

Micah looked down at his books and gave the request serious thought. The only time he'd fed since the last time he was with Simon, the experience hadn't been very good. He hadn't enjoyed the taste of ash that coated his tongue when he was done. His craving for Simon only grew afterwards. His body had grown accustomed to Simon and it worried him. A lot.

The main question was if he could live with Simon using him in order to taste that wonderful flavor while he fed. As long as he kept the encounter superficial, he could probably get through it fine. If he kept his emotions out of it, there shouldn't be any problems. That was his whole problem there. So what if he never usually indulged in sex with random feeders? This was simply a different situation, where a different interaction was required. And really, if he looked at it objectively, it was his own doing that set up their relationship.

Hadn't he invited the man to the back rooms of the club for sex? That first time, Simon had even given him a blowjob before they fucked, something that he never repeated in all their other times together. Yes, Micah acknowledged that the basis of their relationship was something he himself had forged, so he shouldn't feel upset about it now, after the fact. He needed to suck it up, after a fashion, and see it through either until Simon tired of it or Micah moved on.

"Sure, I'll meet you in the morning. I finish up here around six or so. How about if we meet up at the north end of Easter Park at six thirty. It will give me time to help mop up in here and then change my clothes."

"Six thirty is fine. We can find a place near wherever you live to eat, that way it won't be too long to get you there for nine at the latest." Simon grinned and finally moved closer to pay for the gas. "I'm so happy to see you again, Micah, I really am." Micah smiled at him, hoping his worry and fear weren't on display for the man to see.

******

Simon checked his appearance over carefully in the mirror. He wore a navy blue t-shirt and jeans, both of them a little tight. He almost wished he was meeting Micah for dinner out, so he could dress up. He ought to ride up and pick Micah up in a limo, take him to the fanciest, most expensive restaurant he could find and then take him out to a club for some dancing. A real date, rather than a quick dinner at some small, out of the way restaurant like they'd done before.

Who cared if there was a chance his parents might hear about his being out with another man? Wasn't his happiness more important than their expectations? Simon could hardly believe what he was thinking. His parents asked for so little from him, and he now contemplated taking away their only wish. Grandchildren. They so desperately wanted grandchildren to spoil and love, and if he was honest, he wanted children of his own, too.

He'd never felt anything for all the women he'd dated, other than they were pretty and the right gender. Even Elisabeth, his longest relationship, wasn't more than someone he could tolerate. God, it had to be bad if he stayed with someone because he could tolerate their company. That wasn't being fair either to himself or the women.

He pulled up to the northern entrance of Easter Park and found a space right near the start of the path. He didn't see Micah yet, but he was a few minutes early. Wandering to the information kiosk, he took in the beautiful surroundings. A few hundred feet to the left, the lake began, bordered by a strip of unnaturally white sand and a few ducks swam lazily along the smooth surface. On the other side of the kiosk, several paths branched off, one going into the trees and the others going across the outer border.

"Simon?"

"I'm over here, sorry, I guess I got to wandering while looking around. I don't come to the park nearly often enough."

Micah smiled and came to meet him. He looked so beautiful, with an oversized black silk shirt and pale jeans that hugged his lower body. "That's fine. There's a lovely diner just through the woods there, about a five-minute walk. Unless you'd rather take your car?"

"Walking is good."

Simon extended his arm and was delighted when Micah blushed and hesitantly reached out with his hand. They were quiet until completely within the trees, and then Simon couldn't resist pulling Micah to him for a kiss. They were alone here, very few people out this time of the morning. Simon moaned as he tasted his lover. He wished he could identify that taste. It made him weak in the knees every time they kissed.

"Simon," Micah whimpered into Simon's mouth. "Please, let me feed. I've only been able to feed once since I saw you last, and it wasn't...isn't enough. We can go eat later or another time. Please."

Fingers clutched at his biceps and Simon looked down into Micah's face. He saw pleading in the beautiful green eyes. There was something else in the depths, which he couldn't readily identify. All his good intentions flew out the proverbial window. Simon directed the two of them off the path, into the deeper shadows where they could remain hidden should anyone else walk along the path through the woods. He was already hard as a rock, his prick pushing uncomfortably into the zipper of jeans grown too tight for comfort.

As soon as they were a good enough distance away, Micah leaned up and licked along the side of his neck. Goddamn that was an amazing feeling. He felt his breathing speed up at the thought of those fangs piercing his flesh. The pull of his blood rushing out into the nightwalker's mouth was the most erotic thing he'd ever experienced in his life. He could almost come just from that, probably would if it would last more than a few seconds at a time.

Lips replaced tongue on his neck where his pulse thudded, soft yet firm, creating a seal that would keep his blood from escaping the warm cavern. With a slight shift, Simon felt the twin fangs slip into his vein. He was immediately lost in the pleasurable sensations that coursed through his body. He could almost believe Micah was injecting him with some incredible drug, rather than taking his blood. Each swallow seemed to pull directly from his cock and balls. Micah moved slightly, but he couldn't bring himself to understand what Micah was up to.

As soon as the feeding was over, with two quick flicks of the tongue over the punctures, Simon tried to find his balance. Micah's back was up against a tree and Simon let his hands rest on the trunk to stay upright.

"You can fuck me now, Simon," Micah whispered, wriggling around within the circle of Simon's arms to present his back. "I've already slicked and stretched myself for you."

Something nagged at the edge of Simon's consciousness, something he ought to remember. In the moment, however, he couldn't imagine anything so important that it should interfere with the feeling of Micah's firm ass pushing back against him. He vaguely heard Micah tell him that the mound around the base of the tree was high enough to have him at the right height for Simon to enter him easily, without having to bend his knees too much.

Yes, his beautiful Micah was a very smart young man. Imagine thinking of such a thing as his comfort at a time like this.

He brought his hands down, desperate to free his aching erection. As he undid his jeans, the backs of his hands felt that Micah had already lowered his own jeans. God that was sexy! Simon groaned as he sank into Micah's tight heat, the passage slick with lube and the entry easy as promised. Alarm bells tried to capture his attention, but he was too close to his release to pay attention.

Micah vigorously met each of his thrusts and very soon, Simon pushed in as deep as he could. He bit at his lip to contain his shout as his climax raced through his body. He leaned over the slender back, breath and heart racing.

"Simon, please, if you could let me up before I fall over."

It took a few moments before Micah's words penetrated the fog around Simon's senses, and another moment or two for him to stand up straight. He found a handful of napkins thrust into his hands. While he cleaned up, he was aware of Micah fixing his pants. A quick glance showed no evidence of release on the tree or anywhere at the base of the tree. Simon felt a chill at the thought that Micah didn't enjoy their encounter. The chill grew when he saw the golden head bowed down and a flush stain the milky-white cheeks.

"Micah? I didn't mean to..." He got no further before Micah interrupted him, an obviously false smile painted on his face.

"It's fine. Listen, I'm not going to be able to eat or drink anything, so I think I'll just head on home from here. It's kind of silly for us to go out for breakfast or dinner when you think of it. I shouldn't have made the stupid of rule of eating first, it's not what you...I mean either of us need or want."

Simon shook his head. Damn it! He should have heeded his instincts when they screamed that something was wrong, that there was something he needed to remember. Instead, he'd just gone ahead and used Micah, just as he'd always done. Even worse, it seemed now that Micah believed that's what he deserved and did everything he could to make things easier. Imagine preparing himself for sex, because he knew Simon wouldn't bother. Simon felt like a horrible monster.

He needed to apologize and try to explain his behavior. With a deep breath for courage, Simon gave it a shot. "You don't understand, Micah. This morning, it wasn't supposed to be about feeding or sex. I wanted us to have breakfast and ta..."

"You didn't want? Oh God I'm so sorry!" Micah stared at Simon, horrified at his behavior. He stumbled back several steps, almost falling but regaining his balance thanks to his nightwalker abilities. He covered his mouth as though about to be sick. "I have to go. I didn't mean to make you do something you didn't want. It won't happen again, Simon. I swear to you, it will never happen again!"

Before Simon could blink and understand that Micah misunderstood his words, Micah was gone, out of sight when Simon looked around. Cursing loudly, he punched the tree, welcoming the blossoming pain that numbed his entire arm. With a sigh, he turned and walked slowly back to his car. How was he going to put this right? He'd tried and only managed to muck it up even worse than before.

Straightening his shoulders, he promised himself to go to the gas station tonight and talk to Micah there. Customers might interrupt them, but at least he could count on Micah sticking around until he managed to make sense. Right now, he might as well go change and go to work.

******

Micah managed to keep a handle on his emotions as he leaned on the wall behind a bookstore and pulled out his phone. He didn't want to go home yet, he needed to talk to his mother. Even without going into details, she would be able to calm him down so he could think clearly.

"Hello?"

"Mom? It's Micah. I need to talk to you." He closed his eyes and pictured his mother's face. He knew she would be worried, but she would try her best.