Do Better

[nathanielgrayson]

Who: Nathaniel, Beryl
When: After Jason opens Jean Claude's newest club
What: Nathaniel tries to make a difference

Nathaniel was so proud of Jason: his new club was an overnight sensation, easily drawing larger crowds than Guilty Pleasures once word got out. He had been pouring everything into this new club that had been artistically pent up since he'd stopped performing onstage and it showed. Nathaniel pressed happily against Beryl as they walked out of the club into the cold night air. "Wasn't it great?" he practically squealed in excitement. "It was so fucking sexy! I think that was the first time I saw a real burlesque number and oh my god she was so amazing!"

Beryl chuckled as she unlocked the car door. "Thinking of asking Jason for some stage time?" she teased.

Nathaniel shrugged lightly. "I wouldn't mind a special appearance here and there, but I still like dancing at Guilty Pleasures."

Being a newly popular club in a not-so-great part of town meant everyone had to wait after a show to get out of the secure parking lot run by Jean Claude's vampires. It was more reassuring to the patrons, but still only a single exit spitting out cars into a traffic nightmare. Nathaniel glanced at the sea of cars waiting and chuckled: they knew the club manager, so they would have a much easier time leaving through the employee lot. Beryl pulled out of the lot, Nathaniel's hand already warmly stroking her thigh. The alley was dark since it accessed only the backs of the local businesses, though there was talk of adding more lights and fixing up the road with the increased traffic from the club. Jean Claude had even offered a sizable donation to the city to help make the area 'more welcoming'.

Nathaniel's head turned when he saw sudden movement in the shadows as they passed. "Babe," he said suddenly, "Pull over a sec."

He got a questioning glance, but Beryl was good about not asking him to explain when he suddenly asked for something. He turned in his seat, craning his neck to look out the back window, and he could feel Beryl following his gaze. Yes, a brief flash of skin was visible moving in the shadows towards them. "Wait here a sec..."

He opened the door, mildly surprised that she didn't tell him to stop, but well aware that she was locked into every movement he made. If something happened, she would be at his side in a heartbeat. The figure in front of him paused in the shadows and a voice called out, "Lonely night?" A terribly thin, young man half-stumbled out of the shadows wearing a sultry smile and little else. His ratty, oversized shrug was clutched over a small cropped tank that clung to his near wasted figure, leaving a wide swath of bare skin between his top and the worn, strappy leggings he wore. At least he was wearing shoes, but they were only a pair of flip-flops that did nothing during a St. Louis winter.

Nathaniel forced breath into his lungs, his voice cracking only slightly as he answered. "It's really cold for you to be out here."

There was a suggestive smile painted on his mouth. "Not too bad, but maybe you know someplace warmer?"

Nathaniel bit his lower lip, studying the young man in front of him. He could see the all too familiar tremors in his muscles that certainly had very little to do with the cold. Nervously, he stepped forward, summoning every bit of boldness he could muster. "I've got a hundred cash and I'll buy you something to eat?" he offered softly.

The young man gave a quick, jerky nod and moved towards him. "Ok gorgeous, let's get in the car."

Nathaniel knew Beryl was watching, so when he slid into the backseat with the young man he gave her a pleading look. "Babe, can you drive us towards the Walmart, please? The one by the highway?" Relief washed over him when he saw her expression soften as she put the car into gear.

The young man slid close against him. "'Babe'...? Ohhh...did you want me to wait so she can watch?"

Nathaniel caught his hand swiftly as it reached for him, holding firm but as gently as possible. He licked his lips nervously and reached through his bond with Beryl, coaxing energy from her. "I like just being held," he said with quiet firmness. "Can you do that for me?"

The young man shrugged. "It's your money." He wrapped himself unselfconsciously around Nathaniel, then suddenly jumped and rubbed frantically at his arms. "OW! Fuck! Oh my god, fuck! You shocked me."

Nathaniel winced. "I'm sorry, you ok?" He made a conscious effort to mask his energy, pulling even harder off Beryl as he tried to visualize in his mind the warm glow he got in the Huntgrounds. He doubted it worked that way here, but if anything it helped him to be in the headspace he needed to be in. "Better now?" he asked.

There was a twitch in response, but the young man slowly snuggled back up to Nathaniel with a contented sigh. "Mmm, you're so warm."

Nathaniel settled back into the man's arms and blinked gratefully into the rearview mirror at Beryl. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Ajdin," he chirped, icy hands seeking more of that warmth radiating from Nathaniel. "What's yours?"

"Nathaniel," Nat intoned. He casually removed Ajdin's hand from its creeping towards his crotch. "Ajdin, you should be careful in this area, you know: the vampires there don't want you guys working so close to the club."

Ajdin snorted, barely noticing his redirection. "I've been here longer than they have." He huffed and slumped dramatically against Nathaniel. "Fuck. You're with them, aren't you."

"No...I mean, yeah, but not...not for this."

Ajdin fidgeted, flashing a suspicious glance towards Beryl. "...you two aren't church people, are you?"

Nathaniel couldn't help but snort at that. "No, we're not church people."

He nuzzled against Nathaniel's neck. "Thank fucking god, I'll take your money but I don't have time for all the fucking preaching." Ajdin's words tumbled rapidly out of his mouth, barely intelligible. "I'd rather deal with the vamps."

"They don't hurt you, do they?" Nathaniel didn't mind the contact so long as he could keep Ajdin's hands off his crotch.

Ajdin scoffed. "They barely want to touch us 'cuz they've got all their 'clean' donors. Fucking elitist fucks. No, they just mind fuck you and dump you across the river."

Nathaniel frowned: he wasn't aware that Jean Claude was having his vampires do anything like that. "I'm sorry they do that. They really aren't all that bad, and they're really good to their donors. I could find out if they need anyone if you want?"

"Don't bother: they won't take you if you're not sober unless they want their own fix." His face screwed up in distaste. "Just no: I hate being sober. I don't know why anyone would want to be."

Nathaniel smiled wistfully to himself. "I know," he confided, "but it doesn't stay bad, I swear. It can be so much better...it's just not something you can really do without help."

"Babe," Beryl's voice sounded from the front seat. "We're almost there. Where did you want me to stop?"

Nathaniel idly caught Ajdin's hand again; he wasn't sure even Ajdin was aware that he was moving on autopilot. "Not a lot open right now. What do you want to eat, Ajdin?"

"What do you want me to eat?" Ajdin tried to slur sensually into Nat's ear.

"Can you pull through that Jack-In-the-Box, babe?" Nathaniel sighed. "We'll get a couple different combos so he can pick what he feels like eating."

There were certainly sidelong glances from the drive-thru worker, but a warning glare from Beryl was enough to get them their food quickly and without comment. At least no comment to their faces. Nathaniel directed Beryl to pull into the Walmart parking lot and began opening the bags of food. "Chicken, burgers, fries, and we got some of their breakfast stuff if you want any of that-"

Ajdin was back to searching the front of Nathaniel's pants. "Ajdin," Nathaniel corrected gently. "Eat some food."

There was a frustrated huff in his ear. "Ok but, just, are we gonna be long?"

Nathaniel turned and studied him for a moment. "How about this: you eat something. Then we can go in there and get you maybe some boots? Whatever you want. And then we'll drop you wherever you want to go."

Ajdin's face darkened with suspicion. "So no cash?"

"I'm still giving you the cash, don't worry."

"So what do you want for the extra?"

Nathaniel soothed his hand on Ajdin's shoulder. "I just want you to be warm and fed if you're going back out there. That's all I want."

"That's...all?" The look of suspicion didn't fade, but Ajdin did reach out to take a couple of chicken nuggets. "Fine. But I need to get back soon."

Nathaniel shook his head. "Not back to the club, but I can take you anywhere else. Is there someone you need to check in with?"

Ajdin looked over the fry options with disinterest. "No. But you wanna play taxi I'll give you directions." His fingers worried almost frantically over the skin of his neck. "Can we go now?"

Nathaniel sighed, knowing full well why Ajdin was getting impatient. "We'll go inside now, but try to eat more when we're driving again, ok?"

He took Ajdin's hand as they walked into the store, both leading and making sure he stayed close. They hadn't even made it to the shoe section when Nathaniel felt the eyes boring into him. He closed his eyes and straightened his shoulders. "Those look warm and comfy," he said, seeing Ajdin fingering the furry plush lining of a pair of waterproof boots. "Do they have your size?"

Beryl turned to see what Nathaniel had reacted to and frowned when she saw a security officer watching from a few feet away. "Is there a problem?" she asked the man icily.

"No ma'am," he answered. His voice was far more casual than his gaze...

"Odd," she said, her eyes narrowing, "you're following us like you think there is."

"Babe, it's fine." Nathaniel murmured. He met her eyes as they flashed with indignance. "It's fine," he repeated softly. "Let's just get what we came in for."

He turned back to help Ajdin find something close to his choice in his size. At least Ajdin seemed to be excited enough about the soft plush around the ankle of the boots that he was able to stop fidgeting with his neck. And his face. And hair. Nathaniel pressed the boots into Ajdin's hands and turned to stare defiantly at the officer. Unblinking, he held that gaze for several moments before putting his arm around Ajdin's shoulders. "They have fleece lined leggings, I think; let's go see if we can find you a pair.

The security officer shadowed them throughout the entire store despite Beryl standing and glaring at him every time Nat stopped to pick up another item. There weren't many items in his arms when he guided Ajdin through to the register, but he'd made a show of carrying them out from his body in full view of the officer. Ajdin, however, wandered where Nathaniel led him with no concern over the officer; he seemed to be aware only of his impatient discomfort with his own body.

"Babe?" Nathaniel asked Beryl, "Can you help Ajdin to the car while I buy these, please?"

She glanced back at the security officer threateningly: there would be no doubt that she would be back in an instant if they gave Nathaniel the slightest hint of trouble. She pressed her lips to his temple, never breaking eye contact with that asshole who'd followed them. "Absolutely, babe."

He watched her usher Ajdin out of the store. "Do you mind if I pack some of these things into the crossbody bag once you ring them up?" he asked the cashier. The cashier gave a questioning look to the security officer, then nodded. He didn't get much beside the boots and leggings: the bag, some wipes, socks, a bottle of Gatorade, and some protein bars. There was so much more he wanted to get, but he knew that even this was going to put a target on Ajdin's back: once he crashed -and he would- most or all of it would be stolen.

"You're wasting your money, kid." The security officer was behind him, watching him stuff the bag. "It's nice of you to want to help, don't get me wrong, but it's not going to change anything; they don't ever want to do the hard work to get their lives on track.

Nathaniel stiffened, taking slow breaths as he quietly paid for his items. Once he had his receipt, he turned and stared at the officer dispassionately. "Maybe if people didn't always expect the worst of us and were willing to help without judging, we'd have an easier time making those changes." Not waiting for a response, he snatched up the bag and boots and stalked out of the store.

They didn't have far to drive once they got directions of out Ajdin, which was getting difficult as he was more focused on changing into his new leggings and boots or crawling across Nathaniel's lap than giving them coherent directions. Luckily, Nathaniel knew the area well enough to direct Beryl to a safe spot out of view to pull over.

"You promised cash," Ajdin reminded him as the car stopped. He'd already shouldered the new bag and looked ready to jump out of the car.

"I know. Here." Nathaniel pulled a wad of cash from his wallet, and Ajdin was practically vibrating as he pressed it into his hand. "Ajdin?" he asked gently, still holding the shaking hand as it clutched the money. "Promise to be safe?"

Ajdin blinked, eyes landing on Nathaniel's occasionally as they darted around. "Yeah. Of course."

"Hey..." Nat's other hand joined the first to close warmly over Ajdin's. "It's hard to stop, but you ever want help, I promise I'd help you. Ok? Go back to that club and ask for Nathaniel: I know the people who work there and they'll help you get to me."

For a moment, Ajdin was able to stare directly at him. His expression softened and he pressed a deep kiss to Nathaniel's mouth. "Thanks, gorgeous." And then he was out of the car, disappearing into the darkness.

Nathaniel watched him go with a bittersweet smile, then slipped out of the car and back into the front seat beside Beryl. He buckled up, his eyes shyly downcast. "Thanks, babe."

Beryl took his face in her hands, tenderly stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. He glanced up and saw her eyes glistening as she answered. "You never stop amazing me, love."