Both Alike in Dignity

A/N: This is a fairly short chapter, but a fun one, I think. Lots of verbal sparring and sexual tension. It's my dad's wedding on Saturday and I'm staying over at his for a few days and taking part in festivities etc etc. I should still get the chapter up for Monday, but if it's a day late, I probably got held up somehow, so apologies in advance if that happens. Thanks very much for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave your thoughts and comments after the tone.

Word Count (overall): 15060
Word Count (this chapter): 1530
Updates: Mondays and Thursdays

Chapter Eight


Sebastian woke up alone. He turned, stretching out. There were no sprawled limbs, no warm body. Just a cold, empty bed. It took Sebastian a second to work out that there was something wrong with that. He bolted up into a sitting position and looked around the room. The room was empty. The bathroom door was open. There was nothing left but Sebastian's things. The dresser was empty, his wallet missing. Jasper had gone.

Jasper had left him alone.

Sebastian's stomach twisted hard. He got out of bed and stared dismally around the room. Fine. He didn't need the stupid werewolf anyway. Jasper was just annoying, irritating and smug. He was hairy and he tried to take control of everything all the time. Good riddance. He'd be better off on his own. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

“Morning.”

Sebastian jumped out of his skin and whirled to face the door so fast that he nearly fell over. Jasper was there, laden down with shopping bags. The door slammed behind him.

“Morning,” Sebastian said, after unpeeling himself from the ceiling. He held himself with carefully manufactured dignity to make up for his embarrassing lack of it just moments before. Sebastian hovered awkwardly. He was painfully curious as to what was in the bags, but he didn't ask.. Had to keep up appearances.

“Don't you wanna see what I got?” Jasper asked, giving Sebastian a full-watt grin and practically wagging his tail. He slung the array of bags onto the bed.

Sebastian couldn't help but smile. He glanced over at Jasper, watching as the other male started emptying bags haphazardly onto the bed in a spill of clothes and random shit. “You can't do that, they're supposed to be folded or they'll get all creased,” Sebastian protested exasperatedly. He immediately reached out and started to fold and sort out the clothes, piling them away from the other stuff that Jasper had bought.

“You're such a freak,” Jasper said, rolling his eyes. He grinned down at the anally retentive vampire, looking far too pleased with himself. “I got some of the shit you need, and breakfast.” He held out a paper bag with Mcdonalds on the front.

Sebastian could smell so much grease that he was surprised it wasn't dripping onto the floor. “What the fuck is that?” he asked.

“It's a couple of Mcmuffins,” Jasper answered. “You know, muffin... with sausage. And an egg. Inside. From Mcdonalds?”

Sebastian gave him a blank look.

“Don't tell me you've never had one?” Jasper said, sitting down on the bed and rummaging around in the bag. He pulled out one of the muffins and unwrapped it, holding it out to Sebastian. “You have to try it.”

“In case you hadn't noticed, I'm kind of on a liquid diet,” Sebastian said, waving the muffin away with a grimace of distaste. “Besides, it smells like shit. Greasy shit.”

“Suit yourself,” Jasper said, shrugging. He sank his teeth into the 'food' with a happy murmur. “'s so good,” he mumbled.

“Why don't you try chewing before attempting any other mouth-related activities?” Sebastian asked. He stared down at the bed – there was a change of clothes for each of them, a long, black raincoat, an umbrella, a pair of cheap leather gloves and a gaudy scarf. “I hope you don't expect me to use any of this.”

Jasper took another huge bite of the Mcmuffin. “Huh?” he mumbled. “Um. Sun stuff. So you're all covered up? From the sun?”

Sebastian's lips thinned. “Great,” he said. He'd be walking around like he wanted to apply to some fucked up circus. He gathered up his change of clothes. That, at least, he was grateful for. Showering and then changing back into dirty clothes made him feel gross. “I'm going to go change.”

“You're welcome,” Jasper said, no doubt infecting the room with half-chewed food particles in the process.

Shuddering with disgust, Sebastian retreated to the bathroom to change. T-shirt and a pair of jeans. He was pretty sure Jasper was just out to torment him. Making a face, he changed quickly and efficiently. Even with a wall between them, he could still smell that... thing that Jasper was eating. The Nacmuffin. Or Mucmuffin? Whatever the fuck it was.

Sebastian flung the bathroom door open and stormed back into the bedroom with as much dignity as he could muster. Jasper was still eating. Sebastian watched as the other licked grease from his hand, that pink tongue darting out and dragging across long, slender fingers. Something twisted hotly in his stomach. He was disturbed to find that he was salivating.

“I stole your wallet,” Jasper said, glancing up at Sebastian. He froze, his eyes scanning slowly down the vampire's body, flicking from head to toe and pausing in all the wrong places.

Sebastian was suddenly acutely aware of what he was wearing. He pulled at the tight t-shirt, trying to loosen it a little. It clung to his lean, slender body just a little too well. He didn't dare turn around. The jeans were tighter than he was used to, too. He just knew that Jasper would check out his ass like a damn pervert.

“Yeah, I saw. Give it back,” Sebastian said, taking a step forward. His eyes narrowed. He refused to be intimidated by the taller, more muscular male.

“Nuh-uh, you have to earn it,” Jasper said, standing. He was a full head taller than Sebastian. It was no challenge to hold the wallet above the other's head, out of reach.

“Don't be a fucking child,” Sebastian snapped. He hesitated, then stepped closer, looking up at the wallet. He contemplated jumping and trying to grab it that way, but that seemed way too undignified, and it was just what Jasper wanted. He wasn't going to cater to a man that was acting like a playground bully. “Just give it back.”

“What would you do for it?” Jasper asked, stepping closer, until they were toe-to-toe. His eyes flickered down to Sebastian's lips, then back up to meet the other's dark gaze. Jasper grinned, stretching his body out to keep the wallet high over Sebastian's head.

They were close enough that Sebastian could feel the heat of Jasper's body on his skin. He shivered hard, desperately wanting to back away. If he retreated, Jasper would win. Sebastian held his ground. “I don't know,” he snapped. “Punch you?” He looked up at Jasper, then at the wallet. The other's heat was so human, so warm and appealing. Part of him wanted to bask in it and another part of him was freaking the fuck out. He gritted his teeth.

“What do you want?” Sebastian asked, giving in.

“Dunno,” Jasper asked, smirking smugly. “How about a strip tease?”

Sebastian jerked. He shouldn't have been so surprised – they were practically touching. Easy to guess what Jasper was after. Sebastian just hadn't seen it coming. He glowered at the other male. “Uh, no. Fuck you,” he said.

“Spoilsport.” Jasper paused. “Okay. A kiss.” He stared intently at Sebastian.

Sebastian stared back. He scrutinised Jasper's face, a small frown appearing between his well-maintained eyebrows. Sebastian didn't like kissing. It was highly unhygienic – all that saliva, bodily fluids and the mouth was a breeding place for germs. Then again, he drank blood on a regular basis. That probably wasn't much better. A kiss. It wasn't appealing. But the fact that Jasper wanted one was very, very interesting.

“Pervert,” Sebastian said, sliding a pale, manicured hand up Jasper's arm. Desire was easily controlled. Sebastian could use that. His hand trailed up over a broad, masculine shoulder. It came to a rest at the back of Jasper's neck, his fingers curling around, thumb pressing against the jugular. He could feel the other's heartbeat racing beneath his fingertips. Vulnerable. Easily controlled. Sebastian brushed at the pulse point with his thumb just to feel Jasper tremble.

Taking a deep breath, Sebastian tilted his head up. He stared into Jasper's eyes and licked his lips, leaving them slick and glistening. Appealing. Sebastian closed his eyes and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Sebastian's eyes flickered open again.

“I was joking,” Jasper said, his voice rough and husky. He slid his thumb slowly over Sebastian's lips, then grinned. “It was a joke. You can have your wallet back.”

Sebastian jerked back like he'd been burned. He flushed hard, taking his wallet from Jasper's outstretched hand. He'd been played. He lowered his eyes, then raised them defiantly, glaring at Jasper. He refused to show weakness, even if he felt completely out of control of himself, his reactions and the situation.

“I'm gonna go change, then we can go,” Jasper said, staring at Sebastian a second longer. The tension snapped at he stepped away to grab his clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.

Sebastian took a deep breath and sat down shakily on the bed to wait for him.