A Date with Jean

He shrugged. "I'll get used to Western foods again."

The fledgling set the menu down and leaned back in the creaky old chair, picking up his beer again.

"It'll take a while to fall back into Westerner patterns properly, anyway. Western food'll just be another step."

He took a long sip of his beer, eyes sliding shut.

He stood up, dropping a kiss to the top of his lover's head. "I'll just go and order, then."

The blond wandered over to the bar, placing the order with the barman - a surprisingly weedy man for a pub-owner, particularly in this rough part of town. Gabriel suspected that he was probably good with a knife. Or five.

He padded back over to Jean with a grin.

"He said it will only be about fifteen minutes."

"Good good."

He leaned further back in the chair, relaxing his shoulders.

When Gabe sat down again, he set his feet in the man's lap.

At the moment Jean-Claude was the epitome of relaxed. He was in a good mood and he was going out on a date with his lover. It couldn't get much better than this.

He smiled at him, liking seeing his lover relaxed like this. His hand massaged the muscles of one of Jean's legs gently.

"Comfortable there?" he teased, then frowned a little. "I am sorry I couldn't find a Korean place. They're far and few between around here."

The blond paused for a moment. "Though I think there may be a chinese around, if you want to go there next time. Not quite the same, I know, but it's the closest they've got here."

He purred softly, legs stretching out over his lover's lap. "Very."

The fledgeling gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's fine. There aren't many Korean places anywhere. Not as popular as China, Japan or India." Those businesses were booming.

He cracked an eye open. "How about next time we just go out for a drink? It feels weird going out on a date and me being the only one eating."

He smiled at him, continuing to massage Jean's calf. "A drink it is."

If it made Jean uncomfortable being the only one eating, then they would just drink, but he did not mind only drinking while Jean was eating. As the food didn't appeal to him, he didn't really feel like he was missing out on anything.

"You haven't gone off human food, then?"

He grinned at his lover. "It's a date."

He shook his head, brown hair splaying out around him. He gave a little toss of his head to settle the hair back in place.

"Nope. Am I supposed to?"

He shrugged. "It varies. I found that I was almost completely put off human food when I was turned." he grinned. "Though I still have a soft spot for alcohol."

His hand moved to the other leg, slowly massaging it soothingly as he gazed at him, enjoying being able to have a conversation for once. reaching over the table, he brushed a strand out of his lover's eye, before pulling away with a sheepish smile and a blush.

"Sorry, that was just..."

He snorted a laugh. "You drink alcohol like a fish." Though he couldn't really say much; he was rather fond of a good beer.

His lips quirked into a smile when Gabe pulled back with a blush. "Pink suits you."

One embarrassing deed done by Gabe; one teasing remark from Jean-Claude. A pretty normal turn of events.

He imitated outrage, willing down the blush. "I am a perfectly moderate drinker, thank you very much!"

The blond grinned at him, a little less embarrassed now. He wasn't sure what he had been so nervous about now. It seemed as natural as it ever had been. The only thing that was different was that they were in a pub. And that it was their first official "date". No. He wouldn't think about that. He didn't want to get nervous again.

"Uh-huh. Well, if you're a moderate drinker, you'll be able to go the night without any alcohol."

He leaned forwards to take the wine glass and set it down in front of himself instead.

Would Gabe be able to go a night without alcohol?

...Nah.

He felt a slight disappointment at having his drink taken away from him, but he still flashed a confident grin at his lover. "You're on."

Now this was a battle between his love of fun and wine, and his pride. Both of which were quite dominant parts of him. This would be interesting, definitely. But he thought he could win. Even if only from sheer stubbornness.

"Then you won't mind if I drink this...?" He ran the tip of his index finger around the rim of the glass, looking up at his lover through his lashes.

he loved beer, yes, but he couple appreciate a good glass of wine.

He lifted the glass, lips caressing the cool surface of it as he tilted it to take a sip of the deep red liquid.

He whined softly with a pout, but did not snatch it back, watching the soft undulations of the man's throat as he drank. Damn. Alcohol was usually his way to avoid drinking blood. It had a similar effect on him as feeding, and so it usually held back his blood cravings for a while. But maybe he would just have to go thirsty for tonight.

His tongue ran over his lower lip as he set the glass back on the table, collecting the red liquid from his skin.

He sent a grin at Gabe.

"D'you come out here often?" he asked curiously, looking around to small bar.

Gabriel glared at him sulkily. Well that was mean. He resisted the temptation to lick the last of the wine off his lover's tongue and slapped his leg under the table, getting his vengeance.

"Once or twice." he shrugged. "I don't really come out into Catania all that often, to be honest."

His lips quirked up into a grin.

"Really? I always pictured you the social butterfly that's always out at bars and clubs."

He picked up his beer and swallowed a mouthful.

He shrugged. "I'm not very good at socialising with humans. Been too long since I've been one myself, I suppose. But with vampires, yes, I am a bit of a social butterfly, even if I do say so myself."

He grinned. Well, that was a slight lie. His sociability was often disliked by some vampires who tended to fight like cats. It probably didn't help that his playful attitude also came with a certain lack of tact.

Claire sipped her wine, eyeing her pissed friend, who was blabbering to the poor couple next to them. They had planned to have a night off and enjoy each others company - which they have been, until her friend decided alcohol was her new best friend.

Pursing her lips, she pushed a few dark locks behind her ear and scanned the bar, deciding she will find some 'new best friends' of her own. Her eyes instantly landed on the two men in the corner - one a long, blond haired man, the other short haired with a goatee. Both looking somewhere in their twenties.

She looked them both up, red lips twitching as her eyes looked over the one with the goatee again. Ah, he was the man from the other bar, wasn't he?

Gulping down the last of her wine, she abandoned her friend and made her way over to the couple, hips swaying and shoulders back.

Eyes only on the man with the goatee, she gave him a flirty smile.

"Hey, you are the new stripper from the bar, 'Zò', right?"

He arched a brow.

"You seemed good enough with humans when you seduced me into bed," he chuckled.

The fledgeling looked up when he was called up and gave a friendly grin to the woman. "Yes, I am. My name's Jean-Claude." He bowed his head a little, still not quite out of the politeness of Korean culture.

He eyed the newcomer suspiciously, trying to keep his temper as he caught sight of the flirtatious grin. Under the table, his grip tightened momentarily on Jean's calf, his lip curling. He found it difficult enough to come to terms with the fact that his lover stripped for other people, let alone random women coming up to flirt with him.

The blond flashed an icy smile at the woman. "A regular?"

"Nice you meet you, Jean, if you don't mind me calling you that. I'm Claire." She held out a manicured towards the shorter haired man. "I work a few bars down. Not as popular as where you work, though."

She glanced at the other man for a second, not taking much interest in him and barely noticing his cold tone. Long haired men were not her type.

"Yes, I am. I have a few friends that work there. Plus, I like to watch others." She turned her attention back on Jean-Claude, flirty smile back in place. "You are very good. I bet you would put the majority girl's back at where I work to shame."

He shifted his leg when Gabe gripped it tighter, sending him an odd look with an arched brow.

What the hell was that about?

He took the woman's hand and shook it gently. He wasn't the type of chivalrous man that would bow and kiss her hand. Shaking it as more than enough for him. Hell, he hadn't shook hands with anyone in nearly a decade.

He grinned back at her at the compliment, blue eyes bright. "Thanks ...I think?" Was it a good thing to be compared to female strippers? Male and female stripping were two totally different ballgames.

"I've had quite a few years practise."

He ignored the odd look, lip twitching in annoyance. He did not like how much of Jean's attention this woman seemed to be getting. He liked even less how much of Jean's attention this woman was trying to get. But he continued to smile at her coldly, not bothering to pretend that he was interested in her life story. He started to file his nails disinterestedly.

"Are you here with anyone?" he asked, more than a slight hint that she should go back to them.

"You're welcome." She laughed.

Dark eyes looked him up and down again, a bit too slowly. "That, or you are a natural. Where have you worked before?"

Her eyes flickered back to the man she was ignoring, only slightly purposefully. This time, she noted his cold attitude, and raised an eyebrow at it.

"Yes, my friend, Ruby. But she is currently pissed and talking to everyone except me. I am waiting for her to be kicked out."

Almost as if to rile the long haired man up further, she sat at the extra chair, carefully resting her arms on the table to empathise her already exposed cleavage.

"You won't mind if I sit here while I wait for that moment? I am guessing it will only be ten minutes, maximum."