There was something about the way that Malcolm was describing it that was ringing some bells for Nathaniel. He'd been through a lot in the city and a lot of it was just plain strange. But there was something about that reaction that he recognized. Something he'd been through himself only a few months before. But it was only a suspicion. After all, it also sounded like something that the vampires back home could have done. And he'd never really delved into the differences between Charles and the vampires he'd known. Not like he had with some.
"I have an idea. But I'm not sure. Was this around Halloween? October?"
Something a lot like it had happened to him, too. "Maybe after you were at the cemetery?" Because he'd been compelled to go there. Not usually his ideal place to have sex. And maybe the one didn't have anything to do with the other, but the date would probably be the thing to make up his mind. He hadn't felt anything like that before or since in this city.
"Huh?" Malcolm paused for a moment, face scrunching up as he thought over this. The initial timing didn't merit any digging in, because yes, it was October, and that wasn't something he'd forgotten. A week after he and Margo threw that absolute banger of a Halloween party at his old house. The cemetery had been involved too... also with Margo.
Ugh. The reminder caused a little pang of sadness to prickle in his chest, which he very quickly chose to ignore.
"Well... yeah. Yeah." He nodded as he mentally traced back over that week, as best he could without getting into the flashbacks too deeply. God, that was still without a doubt the strangest and worst week of his life. "Yeah, I did go to the cemetery, as a matter of fact. I was there the day before."
The implications, though unintentional, were left to hang in the air. He hadn't yet grasped how fucking in the graveyard was the common element, and so he didn't catch how merely establishing his presence before the run-in with Charles just may have incriminated him a bit.
"Okay." Nathaniel let out a soft breath and his tone was gentle. "Something similar happened with me. Not the attack part, but I was pulled into the cemetery. It kind of felt like the pull I have to shift during the full moon, but it was a pull to a place instead of the shift. And I had sex with someone there. And then a day or so later, I kind of just dropped. Couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Nothing. Until someone had sex with me."
He put a hand on Malcolm's shoulder carefully. Given how he'd been acting, he wasn't sure how Malcolm would take it. He'd believe Nathaniel - at least Nathaniel hoped so - but it was a lot to take in, especially since it seemed that Malcolm had been blaming himself for the entire thing.
"It had to be something to do with the city. You know how it gets." Weird, even by Nathaniel's standards. Not unwelcome most of the time, but in Malcolm's case, very much unwelcome and upsetting.
"It wasn't your fault. I don't know how it happened, but it wasn't anything you did or didn't do."
Malcolm stiffened when he was touched, but like before, it wasn't because of Nathaniel or the fact he touched him. It was purely coincidental, because he'd just processed the information Nathaniel relayed, and the gears in his brain turned and clicked, and--
Charles didn't have sex with him, per se, but he did get off on what happened. In a very literal way.
Jesus Christ. Jesus fucking Christ.
Fuck this city.
It didn't change a single feeling toward the situation that occurred--as mixed up and weird as the melting pot of confusion and vulnerability and a little dark corner of his mind that processed at least some of it as something else. Something he delighted in tossing back in Charles's face to draw attention away from anything that could paint him as some kind of victim in his eyes. Something to give him back his own power. Not that it actually worked for either of those reasons.
Malcolm swallowed thickly and drew his gaze back toward the other young man at his side. "I-I know. I know it wasn't. It just means I have something real to blame now." Closure? If only it were that simple.
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"I have an idea. But I'm not sure. Was this around Halloween? October?"
Something a lot like it had happened to him, too. "Maybe after you were at the cemetery?" Because he'd been compelled to go there. Not usually his ideal place to have sex. And maybe the one didn't have anything to do with the other, but the date would probably be the thing to make up his mind. He hadn't felt anything like that before or since in this city.
no subject
Ugh. The reminder caused a little pang of sadness to prickle in his chest, which he very quickly chose to ignore.
"Well... yeah. Yeah." He nodded as he mentally traced back over that week, as best he could without getting into the flashbacks too deeply. God, that was still without a doubt the strangest and worst week of his life. "Yeah, I did go to the cemetery, as a matter of fact. I was there the day before."
The implications, though unintentional, were left to hang in the air. He hadn't yet grasped how fucking in the graveyard was the common element, and so he didn't catch how merely establishing his presence before the run-in with Charles just may have incriminated him a bit.
no subject
He put a hand on Malcolm's shoulder carefully. Given how he'd been acting, he wasn't sure how Malcolm would take it. He'd believe Nathaniel - at least Nathaniel hoped so - but it was a lot to take in, especially since it seemed that Malcolm had been blaming himself for the entire thing.
"It had to be something to do with the city. You know how it gets." Weird, even by Nathaniel's standards. Not unwelcome most of the time, but in Malcolm's case, very much unwelcome and upsetting.
"It wasn't your fault. I don't know how it happened, but it wasn't anything you did or didn't do."
no subject
Charles didn't have sex with him, per se, but he did get off on what happened. In a very literal way.
Jesus Christ. Jesus fucking Christ.
Fuck this city.
It didn't change a single feeling toward the situation that occurred--as mixed up and weird as the melting pot of confusion and vulnerability and a little dark corner of his mind that processed at least some of it as something else. Something he delighted in tossing back in Charles's face to draw attention away from anything that could paint him as some kind of victim in his eyes. Something to give him back his own power. Not that it actually worked for either of those reasons.
Malcolm swallowed thickly and drew his gaze back toward the other young man at his side. "I-I know. I know it wasn't. It just means I have something real to blame now." Closure? If only it were that simple.