[AU][C] Wine and Dine

Hanks gaze turned sharply back to Richard, one brow arching upwards.

There was no way Richard would guess that his last experience was innocenr. Not as a vampire himself. There was nithing innocent about them.

Richard was just trying to embarrass him.

He didn't lose his amusement when he didn't get the reaction he tried to provoke. Instead, he caused a sharp look. Displeasure.

He let the silence span out for a moment and took a sip of his drink.

"Did I forget myself again?"

"I dont believe you found yourself, sir," he responded quietly.

Hank bought himself to his feet and inclined his head politely. "I think it may be time I took my leave." He didnt want to, but he was interested in this man and that didnt bode well. It could cause any number of problems for his father if he was accused of buggery without the vampires protection.

From the fringes of the room a few vampires perked up. A few stepped forwards, more than ready to step in and sweep the interesting human up themselves.

Dick stood as well. A small twinge of panic prickled through him over this human being snapped up by someone else. He didn't need to look around to know there were leering looks.

"So soon after we have been acquainted?"

He clasped Hank's larger hand between his. If he had the time, and if the human wasn't to prude, he would have marvelled over the differences.

"Since I did promise you a more interesting time, as a friend of the host, would you like me to give you a tour? Especially since I assume our host is engaged."

This was the only push he was going to make. He was flawed and narcissistic, he knew, and he wasn't about to trip over himself chasing him. Not after any human.

Hank paused when his hand was captured, and unlike thr vampure, he took the time to marvel at the difference in their hands. Particularly the temperature. The chill was pleasant.

"I-"

He shouldnt. He knew he should leave and go in search of that woman his fatger wanted him to find.

But this vampire was interesting. And very enticing.

"I woukd enjoy a tour."

There was a slight shock of relief. He was worried he would have to settle for less, or not waste his time at all.

A smile brightened his face.

"Excellent."

He took Hank's arm, resting his hand in the crock of it.

"Let's head that way."

He nodded to a double set of wooden doors that they came in, they led them out to a hallway.

"This floor just has his private study, the servants quarters, and a few more public rooms that are not of interest."

There was a set of stairs. They led to much more interesting places. He tugged Fleck up them.

"Which way shall we go, left or right?"

He followed Richards lead as he was led from the ballroom and towards the stairs.

He would have liked to see the study but didnt say anything as they ascended the stairs. At thr top of the stairs he averted his eyes. There was a couple pressed against the leftside hallway wall, locked togrther rather intimately.

Richard would reognise the man as the very same that had teased him on the way to the gathering.

"Right, if we would."

Dick noticed Ignicio. He had half the mind to make a throwaway comment, before deciding against it. He was going to keep his attention on Hank before he could change his mind a leave again.

Ah. Right. Here he was hoping for left, towards the shared bedroom.

Still, all wasn't lost.

"Good choice, there is a library right... here!"

He let go of Fleck's arms to open the door. He let him through before following him in.

The library was still and dark with just the streetlamp outside dimly lighting the room. Each wall was lined with books, and a few seats and tables were dotted in the centre. By the window was a low recliner.

It wasn't the grandest library, but it wasn't something to turn your nose down at, either.

"He mostly collects plays."

He couldn't help but get a little carried away, eyes lighting up.

"He also has a few original manuscripts and first editions. I know he was an early edition of Hamlet in here, but I haven't had the opportunity to look at."

He followed Richard into the library and was awestruck by the beauty of it.

So many books. Their library wasn't nearly as well stocked, though he was sure that he could read more of what was in his own library than he could this one.

He had no ability to read English. He had learned it all through word of mouth. He hadn't been given the same tutoring in the language that his siblings before him had.

"He collects... Does he collect from my country?" He would like to know whether there were any books here that he had a chance to read, though after tonight he would likely never return to this beautiful place.

"Maybe. But, obviously, as an Englishman, I have never searched for them." The lie rolled easily off his tongue. "There is no point searching now. He has a terrible system but gets upset if someone disturbs it. It irritates me."

He liked order and neatness. Not whatever manic system their host had going on here.

It was the reason why he hadn't found the first edition of Hamlet yet.

He clicked his tongue as his fingers ran across the spines.

"Do you enjoy reading then?"

He made his way to the recliner. He gestured for the man to come and sit with him.

That disappointed him.

He had no chance to read any of these beautiful books while he was here. What a shame.

"Si. When I can, I read much."

A lot of his life was taken up by work, and more recently, some lessons that his father had been pushing on him. He hadn't had much chance to read as of late.

He fell into step beside Richard, but paused when the vampire took the only chair in the vicinity. The chair was large and comfortable looking, but certainly not large enough for the two to sit, unless one sat in the other's lap.

The gesture to join him had Hank once again averting his eyes and standing pink-cheeked.

He looked up at the human, with his head in his hand. The same casual confidence.

"If you're worried, you can sit on the arm, or we can swap. I don't mind. But us vampires are rather durable. I won't break."

He patted the arm that he wasn't leaning on slowly and rhythmically.

"Also, it isn't like we are downstairs. We are in private now. You can speak freely."

Hank admired the confidence; how at ease he was letting the world know that he was gay, even with the possible consequences.

He was a rich man, though. A clearly noble man, with little to worry about. Consequences, he was sure, weren't something that this man often dealt with.

"This..." His eyes turned to the library doors. This wasn't exactly private. Someone could walk in.

Though it would be the same as if they had a room, wouldnt it? People could walk in. See them. They weren't safe anywhere.

Hesitant, and a little uncomfortable with letting himself do this, he sat down, perched on the edge of the arm, almost sat in the vampire's lap.

Dick's eyes turned towards the door, his thought pattern following a similar line.

It wasn't completely private, true. Anyone could walk in. Most likely people like themselves, looking to get away from the crowd.

He thought it just added to the excitement, the danger of it.

"Glad you joined me," he said as Hank perched on the arm. A hand rested on his lower back, the other placed precariously on his knee. He drew them closer, so his legs went over his lap.

His back straightened slightly when Richard's hand rested on the small of it, but he didn't fight the coaxing of the hand on his knee, letting the vampire pull him around so his legs laid across his lap.

As he moved, he slid down the arm of the chair until he was almost entirely sat on his lap.

He tried to will himself to relax, but it didn't come easy.

"You read," he tried. Talking would make this a little more comfortable, he hoped. A distraction from how close the two of them suddenly were. He could count every long eyelash the vampire had, he was so close. "What is your favourite?"

The human was tense, he could tell. He began to rub little circles on his knee.

"I have a lot of favourites, but that is an easy answer, isn't it?"

He had to tilt his neck up sill. Even more so now with how close they were. If he pushed himself up he could kiss the jugular of his neck.

"I enjoy Shakespeare - but everyone enjoys Shakespeare. A Midsummers Night Dream is my favourite play of him. But Hamlet comes pretty close since I am far from original. I am also quite fond of penny dreadfuls, as embarrassing as it is to admit."

He laughed a little.

"Not something I would admit to literature snobs."

That was true.

Hank listened to the man ramble, acutely aware of the thumb brushing rhythmically over his knee.

He knew the Shakespeare names. He'd read one of them. Hamlet, he had not. It was something he would like to read.

Penny Dreadfuls he had not heard of.

He couldn't even begin to think of a response, or anything constructive to add to the conversation, because the moment the Vampires lips curled into a smile and parted in a light laugh, he was mesmerised. The flash of sharp canine, the light sound of the laugh, the way his pink lips stretched into the smile, it all did something incredible to his senses.

Despite his rambling, he wasn't entirely oblivious the attention he was getting. He continued on speaking as if he hadn't noticed.

"I'm sorry, I forget, you're Italian. Penny Dreadful's are cheap short literature. Often about the supernatural. Sometimes about vampires. It makes quite the entertaining read."

His hand had slid from Hank's knee up and inwards by a couple of inches.

Hank was starting to relax, slipping that last little bit down the arm so now he was sat squarely in Richard's lap.

His dark gaze turned down to the hand when it slid up his thigh, but he didn't make a move to stop it. The only real reaction he had was another wave of blushing. The vampire's skin was so pale compared to the dark red of his clothing - almost the colour of blood, ironically.

"I could imagine," he murmured.

To read about fictitious imaginings of yourself must have been interesting. Hilarious, sometimes, even.

Dick hummed. It was hilarious. Plus he loved the short stories there were actually horrifying.

Without a no or an indication for his hand to stop, it slid up further inside his thigh. Hank was only blushing now, fully sat in his lap. It was a little awkward, considering how much bigger the other man was, even if his weight didn't bother him in the slightest.

He gave the thigh a squeeze between his hand.

His eyes raised to Richard's when his thigh was squeezed.

The look in his eyes had changed. No longer was it defensive and closed off. Now it was lustful, if not a bit unsure.

Hank still wasn't perfectly comfortable, but it as clear he wanted this. He wanted this vampire, despite all the cons surrounding the situation.

He swallowed, and gathering some courage, leaned forwards, lips seeking out Richards. His hand came up to rest lightly on Richard's shoulder.

With surprising softness and tenderness, his lips met Hank's.

This was what he wanted. There was something entirely satisfying when someone who seems shy or nervous caved and made the first move.

His hand travelled higher until he had no choice but to slowly and firmly palm his hand between Hank's legs.

Richard's tenderness was met with his own, soft and sweet, gentle despite his almost fierce looks.

Distracted by the kiss, he didn't pay much attention to the movement of the hand on his thigh until he felt the friction firmly against his cock, through the thick fabric of his clothing.

He made a quiet noise into the kiss, hips rolling forwards to encourage the vampire.

The hand that was placed on the small of the back cupped the back of the neck, the thumb placed behind the lobe of his ear, keeping him close as he kissed him.

His hand palmed and met each roll of his hips a couple of times. When he could feel his arousal start to become slightly prominent under his hand, he ran his index finger up along the seam.

The more the groping hand between his thighs affected him, the more desperate he felt himself becoming.

The gentle hand that had been resting lightly on Richard's shoulder moved, curling around the collar of Richard's clothing, gripping it tight as he pressed firmly into the kiss.

His hips jerked a little more violently when the finger stroked up along his cock through his pants, and he nipped at the vampire's lower lip, perhaps a little too sharply for pleasure.