London Loves Ch. 06

Xavier blinked at him, his dark blue eyes gone wide. Well, one of them anyway. The other was a little too swollen for that.

"He's bit me twice, like that," Xavier said slowly. "I don't want to be Turned, Matt." His heart was beating a hard tattoo on the inside of his chest, though whether it was fear or something else was hard to tell. Even in as much pain as he was, the temptation was there. The craving to be bitten throbbed like a slow burn in the twin points on his neck and flowed through him like molten lava. It had been a while since Ray had taken anything more than a drop or two of his blood and he felt that acutely now.

Matt licked his lips slowly. His dark eyes were flecked with gold like hot little stars in a dark chocolate sky.

"Shame, that," he purred at last, shaking his head. "But if you're twice marked then you'll heal faster than any ordinary sucker. Maybe you ought to think about seeing a doctor though. The kid was pretty adamant that you didn't want to, but he'll say anything, to be honest with you." He held up a hand to forestall the inevitable attempt to defend Clint's honour. "Listen to me for a minute, lover. I know you've taken a shine to the little bastard, but he's trouble. Ray's done what he can, but he can't afford to get involved too much with Clint. The boy's not right in the head. He's cost us a fuckin' fortune, and he's never fuckin' satisfied. Ray tried to get to know him a bit better a few years ago, but it all went pear shaped. We didn't take out a restraining order just because he was being a bit of a pain in the arse. The kid threw a wobbler about something, accused Ray of trying to molest him, then tried to burn the fuckin' house down when that didn't work out for him."

Xavier stared at Matt for a moment but he knew, without asking how, that the vampire wasn't making it up or blowing it out of proportion. He was surprised by the disappointment that touched him and he nodded carefully to let Matt see he wasn't ignoring what he was saying.

"I'll be careful with him," Xavier said. "I couldn't just let him starve though, you know? He's Rayne's kid..." He trailed off for a moment, thinking. He knew what he'd felt about Clint; the kid might be troubled but he wasn't evil. "He's just pissed off, wants attention," he said absently and then looked up at Matt again before he went off on one. "I know it doesn't excuse trying to burn the fuckin' house down, I'm just saying..."

He let it go with another little sigh. Then he thought of something else. "Matt...don't go calling Rayne about this, all right? He's got enough to deal with right now."

Matty sighed gustily but he nodded his head. "If you'll let me call a doctor just to make sure you're not bleedin' out somewhere we can't see, I promise not to say anything to him, yet. 'Kay? Don't want you dying on us. Ray would rip my nuts off if I let that happen." He paused, with a sad little smile. "His bleedin' phone's switched off anyway, the awkward cunt!"

"You already tried to call him?" Xav asked, alarmed. "Please don't tell him. I'm okay, honest. I don't need a doctor." Xavier spoke with more animation than he'd shown the whole time, his anxiety noticeable. He really had a fear of doctors, Matt figured shrewdly.

"I didn't ring him about this, it's okay," Matty reassured him. "But I'd rather you saw somebody professional. I'm not a medic, lover. If you start to slide the only thing I can do for you is to give you that third bite. Do you understand? I'm not gonna sit here and hold your hand while you die on me then have to explain to Raymonde what fuckin' happened when he gets back." The blond vampire looked genuinely worried now.

Xav was seriously worried now too, although for different reasons. He couldn't explain why he was so scared of doctors, there were a lot of mixed up reasons in his head about it. He suddenly hit on an idea though. "How 'bout if I call Dom? He knows about healing and stuff... if he says I have to go to the hospital I'll go, okay?"

He had been out of action for a little while when Matty first put him to bed so it was almost morning by this time. Matt handed him his phone and Xav switched it on to ring Lord Warren. The display told him he had five missed calls. They had all come in during the small hours and were all from the same number.

Rayne had been trying for most of the night to call him. Finally he had sent a text message that read. What's going on, Xav? If u don't ring me back by 6am I am coming str8 home. *worried*

"Shit!" Xav hissed under his breath. "He doesn't fucking call me for three fucking days and decides now he's worried."

Matty was looking at him with a semi-amused expression but for once he had nothing to say. Xavier stared at the phone for a few moments, not knowing what to do. He hadn't wanted Rayne to find out about him getting jumped because he hadn't wanted him stressed out. Now that was kind of moot. With a small sigh he flipped the phone open and called Rayne back. The call was answered almost immediately, which ordinarily would have made Xav smile but the tone he got was not what he was expecting.

"Xavier?" Rayne's voice was sharp and suspicious.

"Hey, babe. It's me..." he said, trying to sound cheerful and reassuring and sounding forced even to his own ears. "I'm fine... didn't mean to worry you. I had the phone turned off."

"So who the fuck answered it the first time I rang last night?" his lover asked him, sounding dangerously fraught. "I know it's a bit off for me to disappear for a bit and leave you on your own and I don't mind you having company, for fuck's sake but..." He caught his breath. "Getting your date to hang up on me then shutting your phone off is a bit low, don't you think?"

"My...what? What are you talking about...?" Xavier was still thinking a little slowly but he was trying to put the pieces together now. Someone had answered his phone last night and hung up on Rayne? It had to be Clint. Now he had two things to worry about explaining.

"Oh...no, it wasn't like that, Ray. I didn't have him hang up on you... wait, I mean, no, I didn't even know he answered, and that wasn't a date that was...um...fuck... look, Clint came here looking for you. You remember him, right? He was hungry and I fed him and then I couldn't just tell him to fuck off cos, well I couldn't, and then he hung out for a bit, and he wanted to show me some places and then some fuck took my phone when I wasn't paying attention, and Clint was just bringing it back to me so he must have been the one who answered when you called."

Xav stopped his ramble suddenly and even he didn't know if anything he'd just said made the least bit of sense. He was pretty sure he had a concussion and it was making him a bit confused. All he knew was he was hurting pretty badly again and things were getting sort of grey around the edges.

Rayne did not say anything for several seconds. He made a small noise that sounded a little bit like he was being strangled, then, almost atonally he murmured; "Okay, that's it. I'm at Ringway and I'm getting the first flight back down." He hesitated and his tone softened slightly as he added; "Are you okay? I was getting some weird vibes from you last night when I was trying to ring you. You sound a bit..."

He didn't finish the sentence though, so Xavier could not be sure exactly how he sounded. Probably none too good though.

"You don't have to do that Ray, don't worry about me, I-I'm sorry...I didn't want you to get freaked out. I'm fine." Only, he wasn't fine, and he wasn't able to hold it together any longer because that grey fuzz around the edge of his vision was closing in and he knew he was going to pass out. He twisted himself a bit, hoping the sharpness of pain would clear his head, either that or it was going to black him out entirely, but it worked. Instantly it felt like shards of glass were moving around inside and it brought him up into full consciousness real quick. Only he wasn't able to suppress the gasp it brought to his lips, and now Matty was shaking his head at him and took the phone out of his hand.

"Scrap that, lover! He got the living shite kicked out of him last night and the little mare's playing tough guy this morning. Tell him to go and see a fuckin' doctor will you? He might listen to you." Matty smiled into the phone for a second and chuckled. "Love you too!" he said sarcastically and handed the mobile back to Xavier.

Xav gave him a scathing look for snitching on him, but he cupped the phone to his ear.

"Sweetheart, what happened?" Rayne demanded. "Who attacked you? I want you to call the cops, okay? Report this, it's totally out of order. I will be back ASAP but please, please let someone check you out." An edge of anxiety had crept into his voice as he said this last part.

Xav was still looking daggers at Matty but he spoke calmly into the phone, his voice quavering only a little. "I...I don't...Rayne, please don't make me do this," he breathed, closing his eyes so he wouldn't see Matt's face while he pleaded like a kid that was afraid of the dark.

There was quiet on the other end of the phone for a long moment or two, then Rayne said; "I'm asking you to see a doc, Xav, not to pack your bags. For me, please? I'm worried about you."

Xavier made a small sound like a whimper, only it wasn't pain driven this time. He would do anything for Rayne but he was completely terrified of hospitals and anything to do with them.

"Okay," he finally forced himself to say and it came out in a very small voice.

"They're not gonna hurt you," his lover soothed. "It's just a precaution, yeah? I'll be there, really soon, and Matthew will stay with you 'til I get there. I just want you to be all right."

"Okay," Xavier said again. It seemed all he was capable of at the moment. He whispered goodbye and stopped himself from saying any more than that, although it hurt him more than all the bruises on his body not to tell Rayne what he really wanted to say. And then he handed the phone back to Matt when Rayne asked him to. Xav faded after that. He let Matt take over because he was drifting in and out of consciousness during the next few frantic phone calls and while being bundled onto a gurney and transported by ambulance to the nearest hospital.

The paramedic who stayed with him all the way from the apartment to the A&E unit was cute and funny, though Xav was in no state to appreciate him. He was being fairly cooperative, at least right up until they wanted to put an IV drip in him as a precaution.

"No! No fuckin' way!" He startled the nurse with his vehement refusal. When the poor woman tried to calm him down and explain it was just procedure in case they needed to give him medicine or they found anything seriously wrong, Xavier nearly climbed up the wall behind his bed trying to get away.

Matty was looking at him like he was cracked in the head but Xavier didn't even see him. His fear was so focused he didn't notice much of anything. "No! No IV! You're not putting anything in me! I don't need any drugs!"

The nurse eventually calmed him down with reassurances they wouldn't give anything to him that he didn't agree to. Xavier's expression clearly said he doubted every word she said, but he did reluctantly let them do their tests, even when another nurse came in and wanted to draw blood. He watched her every move, not looking away like most people did when the needle slid into his vein; not even when his blood started to fill the little tube.

He submitted to the examinations, x-rays, and ultrasounds, answered questions while lights were shone in his eyes and he tracked a moving finger.

Hours later, or so it seemed, he was given the verdict. He had a concussion, two hairline fractures in his ribs on the left side, multiple cuts and abrasions and too many contusions to count. The doc was especially worried about his kidneys and spleen. While they did not show signs of rupture or internal bleeding the bruising on his back and sides over those organs were deep and the swelling could still cause him problems.

They wanted to keep him for further observation and Xavier put his foot down again. They'd already been there half the morning, he was not staying overnight unless Matty could stay with him, he protested. That wasn't allowed, so Xavier adamantly wasn't staying. He started to get panicky again when they tried to talk him into it, worse than he'd been about the IV. He looked like a cornered animal, as if he just might try jumping out the third-storey window if they pushed the issue with him. They did not push.

Finally Xav was released, rather reluctantly, with the admonishment that he was to rest and take the prescription for pain medication he was given. Rather more firmly he was instructed that he was to come back immediately if he had any new symptoms or if the pain increased, especially in the abdominal area.

Xavier agreed to anything just to get out and he looked harried, completely stressed, and on the verge of a panic attack until they were actually clear of the building. He was sweating, shaking, pale as milk, and generally looked like an alcoholic on a three day dry spell as they finally got in the cab for the trip back.

Matt was shaking his head at him in the car "Did you really think they wouldn't let you out again?"

Xavier nodded solemnly, his eyes still huge and frightened. He reached in his pocket for his cell and called Rayne, immediately feeling better as soon as he heard his lover's voice.

"I did it." he said hoarsely "I'm okay, nothing too serious. They let me go..." This last was said with such profound relief and surprise that it was truly bizarre.

"Like they can afford to keep you!" Rayne teased mildly. "I'm glad you're okay though. Look, I'm in a cab, just leaving Heathrow now. I'll be with you in under an hour and you can tell me about it."

He sounded tired but good-humoured. Matty on the other hand was still studying Xavier as if he was a new and interesting species of bug.

Xavier did not satisfy his curiosity, he was too exhausted for one thing. He slumped down in the seat as soon as he was off the phone. Xav felt no compunction about using Matty's shoulder for a pillow and stayed huddled up close to him like a pup that had found a comforter for the short cab ride. Although Matt perhaps didn't realise it, his staying with Xav throughout the hospital ordeal without leaving him once had scored him some major points.

By the time Matt got him back in bed he was hollow eyed and so worn out he couldn't have stayed awake no matter how hard he fought it. He was asleep within moments, having not even opened the bottle of meds the hospital had given him. Matt Greening tucked the boy under the duvet and left him to sleep. It had been an exhausting morning and they had spent most of it waiting at the bloody hospital, not his favourite environment, and from the way Xavier acted whilst they were there, definitely not the kid's idea of a good day out. He was already beginning to wonder about that. Rayne too could be freaky about doctors and it went back to a time before he was Turned so it wasn't just that he was worried about them finding out he wasn't human.

Matty knew enough about Ray's childhood to guess that he'd been poked about by medical people and shrinks a fair bit in his teens, hence his dislike of them now. He wondered what Xavier's story was. The boy was certainly petrified of the men in white coats and his stark refusal to let them put him under, or even sedate him, was a worry.

Whilst Xavier was asleep and his lover was still in the back of a black cab fighting its way through the east London traffic, Matt took the opportunity to have a dig for information. He went first through the drawers that he knew from experience were left empty for visitors. Xavier certainly had good taste, there were quite a few high end designer labels in there. Little wonder he'd presented such an appealing target for muggers. Under the wisps of scanty underwear he found a plain brown envelope with a reinforced back and, casting a glance at the boy to make sure he was asleep, he pulled it free of the drawer.

It was addressed to Xavier here, so it was a recent arrival, probably not much use as a clue to his past, but Matty opened the top and peered in.

Now that was much better, there were photographs in there. Very interesting.

The young vampire slipped out into the hall and closed the bedroom door quietly behind him. Once he was back in the lounge he flopped down on the futon and tipped the photographs out of their sheath. Flicking through them, Matthew Greening whistled appreciatively, reassessing his initial opinion of Xavier Gavrilov as some bit of clubby eye-candy Rayne had picked up for a quicky. The boy was incredibly photogenic. He wasn't really tall enough to be a catwalk model but he could certainly work the lens of a camera. And the style of the pictures told Matty straight away that he was looking at the work of a decent photographer, not just any old snapper with a fancy camera.

He turned over one of the pictures where Xav was bound and virtually naked, and whistled again at the studio details stamped on the back of the image. Now that was a name to conjure with! No wonder some of these shots were a bit risqué.

Matty was just getting to the private collection, the images of Xavier nude and masturbating, when he heard the key turn in the door.

"Shit!" He snatched up the shots and stuffed them back into the envelope, then adjusted the hang of his rapidly hardening cock in his tight jeans. When the front door banged shut, he picked up a pillow and slapped the envelope underneath it, rolling to his feet as Rayne came into the room, looking tired and worried, but interestingly quite well fed.

"Babes!" Matt crooned, throwing his arms around the older, smaller man affectionately. "I missed you so much!"

"Fuck off!" Rayne laughed huskily. "Idiot!"

He did reach up to plant a little kiss on Matty's lips though. His Fledgling was inordinately pleased. The verbal abuse he had learned to live with but physical tenderness from Rayne always lifted his spirits. He did squint more closely at his former lover now they were nose to nose though.

"Have you been wearing make-up, babe? There's still a bit of shimmer in the corners of your eyes." He grinned at the look of alarm on his ex's face. "Bad boy! You were out partying last night weren't you?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Rayne said evasively, pushing him back out of his personal space. He wasn't rough, but deliberate enough that Matty didn't force the issue.

"How's Xav?" Rayne asked.

"The child is sleeping," Matty said loftily. "Doctors were a bit worried about him, wanted him to stay for a few days but he wasn't having any. They don't think there's any internal bleeding but they've told him to keep an eye out for any abnormal swellings."

He winked playfully at his ex and returned to the futon with a little smile.

"Thanks for staying with him," Rayne said in a softer voice. "I appreciate it, sweetheart. Really I do."

"Aww shucks, it was nothin'!" Matty put on a mock mid-west accent and waved a dismissive hand at him. "The chicken and I are getting on famously, lover. He's quite a sweetie when he's not sulking at me or giving me grief."

He leaned back, hands braced behind him on the bed, feet apart, looking up at his deliciously rumpled ex with a suggestive smile. "While he's out of action, d'you want to have a little fun, huh?"

"I'm a bit fucked, to tell the truth," Rayne said, though he did come to sit beside Matt on the futon. "Tell me what happened?"

The younger vampire sketched out the details of the attack in so far as he'd managed to prise them from Xavier and the reluctant Clint, and Rayne's features darkened perceptibly as he listened to the list of his lover's injuries. He was angry but not sure who to direct that anger against.