Both Alike in Dignity

A/N: So... it's been a while. I haven't abandoned this story (far from it!). Just had a stressful time with my health, getting a job and then losing it again in a very short period. Chapters should now be posted on Saturday (this one's a day late). Hope you enjoy the chapter and please leave a review if you do!

Word Count (overall): 30068
Word Count (this chapter): 2049
Updates: Saturdays

Chapter Sixteen


Under Jasper's guidance, picking the lock had seemed easy. On his own, it was an insurmountable obstacle. It was tempting to just leave it. Only the knowledge that Jasper was stuck in there until he figured it out kept Sebastian going. He took in a deep breath and inserted the pick into the lock for the fifth time. Sebastian turned his hand exactly the way Jasper had shown him, remembering desperately, trying not to break the pick because if he did and it got stuck inside-

The lock gave with a click. Sebastian gasped with relief and took a step back, undoing the padlock. Fuck. Finally.

Before he could open the door, Jasper tore it open and glared at him. He was fully dressed, smeared with dirt and his hair was sticking up everywhere, wild. There was a feral look in his eyes, and under that something even darker.

“Fucking took you long enough,” Jasper growled, shouldering past Sebastian aggressively and slamming the door to his temporary prison behind him. “What the fuck were you doing? Stopping to sniff the exhaust pipes?”

Sebastian stumbled back, out of the way, spluttering indignantly. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the warehouse,” he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. He glanced away and fiddled with his sunglasses, frowning.

Jasper shoved the lock back into place and growled, low and threatening. He whirled and glared at Sebastian, stalking into the vampire's personal space. “I was stuck inside that fucking place for hours, listening to you fumbling at the lock like an idiot because you can't listen to simple fucking instructions.” He shoved Sebastian hard against the wall.

“Fuck.”Pain blossomed across the back of Sebastian's skull as his head snapped back into the brick behind him. Dazed, he didn't even try to push Jasper away. The hairs on his arms stood on end, his dick hardening in an instant. “Fuck you, I did listen, I tried.”

“You didn't listen, you're too fucking self-centred to listen. You don't give a shit,” Jasper snapped, shaking Sebastian like he was a bad dog, then pinning him into place. Jasper moved in close, his voice lowering, his lips by Sebastian's ear, spewing poison. “It's always about you, isn't it? You get touched, you get to come, and you can't even pay attention when I show you something. I'd be better off without you.” Jasper pulled back, sneering.

Each word slid through Sebastian like a needle, every one finding its mark and piercing him. It wasn't his fault. He'd tried. Sebastian looked up at Jasper and sneered right back. “As far as I see it, you need me. Unless you want to tear up half the city tonight and tomorrow.”

Jasper stilled and pulled back a little further, trailing his eyes downward. His gaze hitched and froze on Sebastian's groin. He grinned, a sharp flash of teeth. Then, he laughed. “You like being shoved around?” he asked, shaking Sebastian hard enough that the vampire's head collided with the wall again.

“No,” Sebastian answered, instantly. He closed his eyes, willing away the throbbing in his head, the whole fucking situation. It was messed up. He didn't like getting pushed around, it was just Jasper. Jasper's proximity and scent, his masculinity and the way that he insisted on touching all the time.

“Should have just left you to the pack,” Jasper snarled, spinning Sebastian and pressing up against him from behind, the curve of his dick against Sebastian's ass. “Should've let you get torn up, ripped apart and raped.” He pinned Sebastian against the wall, his voice a low growl in the other's ear.

Sebastian shuddered, torn between unbearable arousal and real fear. He swallowed, pressing against the wall with his palms, feeling the grit of the brick. He was vulnerable. Jasper was stronger than him around the full moon. The other would only have to reach around and undo his pants, and Jasper could take whatever he wanted.

“Let go,” Sebastian said, his voice quiet, unconvincing. If Jasper did it like this, then no one could blame Sebastian. It would be rape. Jasper would split him open, fuck him raw, and Sebastian wouldn't be responsible for it. It wouldn't be his choice. Sebastian flushed with shame.

If he let it happen, if he didn't even fight, it was the same as giving consent. He wanted this. Sebastian knew he wanted it, and that ruined it. Even if no one else could blame him, Sebastian would blame himself. Jasper was hard against his ass, and he still couldn't bring himself to admit he wanted it. He couldn't push Jasper away, either.

Jasper let him go.

Sebastian whirled and stumbled, eyeing Jasper. He didn't know what to say. He opened his mouth before closing it again and looking down at the floor. He took in a deep breath. “You can't do that. It's... not going to get you what you want.”

“I know,” Jasper said. He swallowed and took a step back. “It... makes me more aggressive. Changing. I'm sorry.” Jasper looked at Sebastian. “You're... um... when I change,” he began cautiously, “I'm used to being in a pack. There's a lot of... sex. And fighting. Especially around now. And you're the only... I mean, I guess my aggression... I'm taking my aggression out on you because there's no one else.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I didn't mean what I said.”

Sebastian nodded. “I don't think you meant to say it,” he agreed. “But that doesn't make it any less true.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, down the alley.

“It's not true,” Jasper said vehemently. “It's not.” He took in a breath. “I need to go shower, get all this shit off me. I'll um... I don't want you to leave. You're right, I do need you.” Jasper made eye contact and then turned, heading out of the alley without a backward glance.

Sebastian watched him go. Leaving would be a good idea. He'd felt truly threatened by Jasper for a while, scared of him. He could take care of himself. Jasper needed him, not the other way around. He had money, and he wasn't the one that went crazy around full moon. Sebastian leaned against the wall that Jasper had shoved him up against and willed his erection to go down. He'd wanted it. He sighed, disgusted with himself.

The sun was becoming uncomfortable, raising his body temperature until he felt sluggish and feverish. Whatever he did next, he needed somewhere to sleep. He rented a room in the next motel he came across, staying there until the cool evening started to descend. He couldn't sleep. He should leave.

Sebastian snatched his wallet from the bedside table. In the process of pocketing it, something stabbed into his finger. He hissed, examining the wound – a single drop of dark blood leaked from the tip. He sucked at it gingerly and reached into his pocket with his other hand, feeling carefully for what had stabbed him. He extracted the metal lock pick and stared at it. Jasper wouldn't be able to get into the warehouse without it. Then again, the werewolf was a self-proclaimed boyscout – he probably had another one. The problem being, he wouldn't be able to lock the door after him. Sebastian sighed.

As dusk descended, ink creeping through the streets, Sebastian found himself hovering hesitantly by the warehouse. It was ridiculous, he should have left... but some part of him didn't want to leave Jasper alone. Not when the other had trusted him. It didn't take him long to spot Jasper.

The wolf was slumped against the wall by the door to the warehouse, staring up at the sky as he waited, his body tense. “I thought you'd left me,” he said, without looking at Jasper. “I wouldn't have blamed you.” His body shifted fluidly as he straightened up and looked at Sebastian, fixing the other with his full attention.

Sebastian shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets, hunching his shoulders slightly. He stared down at his feet, then looked over at Jasper. Finally, he produced the lock pick. “I thought you might need this,” he said.

Jasper smiled and took the pick from him. “I have another one,” he said. “And there's a bolt inside. Always nice to have a bit of extra security, though, huh?” He took a tentative step forward, watching Sebastian carefully. Then, he dipped his head into the other man's neck and inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering closed.

Sebastian stiffened at first, then relaxed, allowing it. Jasper's way of saying hello, or that he'd missed him, or something equally fucked up and strange. “Yeah. Can't hurt,” he agreed.

“Good,” Jasper said, and just like that it was settled. He turned away and picked the padlock efficiently. It opened easily beneath his steady hands. He took in a deep breath, then froze. Jasper turned to look at Sebastian, then looked down the alley. “There's someone here.”

“What?” Sebastian asked, going rigid.

Before Jasper could open his mouth to answer, three figured appeared at the end of the alley.

There was no hesitation, no threats, just action. All three raised their guns and shot.

Jasper immediately dived for Sebastian, pulling him down and letting out a hiss and then a growl as a bullet tore through his shoulder. Blood poured down his arm in hot pulses.

“Jasper,” Sebastian gasped, watching in horror as rivulets of blood appeared, running down Jasper's biceps and arm. “Jasper, fuck, you're bleeding.” He shoved the werewolf off of him. There was no time to run – the moon was rising. There was nowhere else to go. Jasper was going to change. Whether he wanted to or not.

The figures were getting closer, holding their fire now that their targets were down. Sebastian glanced up and then looked down at Jasper. The other's eyes were flickering between blue-grey and a luminescent yellow. Jasper was losing control. Whatever happened, he was in the line of fire. He would die anyway. Sebastian made a decision.

Grabbing Jasper's uninjured arm, Sebastian pulled open the door to the warehouse. He ducked as the bullets started coming again, flinging Jasper through the door. Sebastian's leg buckled when a bullet caught him in the thigh, tearing through him, a line of hot, searing pain. He dragged himself through the door and closed it behind him, bullets clanging off metal.

Just like Jasper had revealed, there was a thick bolt on the inside. Sebastian automatically slid it into place before pausing. There was no use engaging the lock yet – the slayers would either lock them inside or wait until morning. Maybe even bring back up. Taking a deep breath, Sebastian unlocked the door again.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Jasper growled, his voice low, lower than it had ever been. He was slumped down against the wall, a hand pressed against his wounded shoulder. “You need to get out of here. You need to get out of here right now- aah, I can't hold it back.” Jasper gritted his teeth.

The sound of cracking bones made Sebastian flinch. “I can't. There's three of them. I can't... theyll kill me anyway.” In that moment, he felt more alive than he had in years. Decades. He was scared to die. How fucking ironic.

“Sebastian, no, I can't... I can't fucking be responsible for...” Jasper's voice was cut off by an agonised howl as his body shifted, re-making itself, bending and breaking and mending as Jasper changed.

It was sickening to watch, but Sebastian couldn't tear his gaze away. “It'll be okay,” he whispered.

The door slammed open and three slayers piled into the room with guns blazing, two men and one woman. They were human, blind in the darkness. They didn't see him standing behind the door until it was too late. He closed it, sliding the bolt into place, locking them all inside.

A low, menacing growl rose up from the darkness.