Beren's Writing Backup

Fic: Out With The Old, In With the New, Bill/Tom, NC17/18, Tokio Hotel RPS, 09/18

2008-04-04T10:28:00Z

Sorry this is so late - the th_fanfic FQF really kicked my behind and so I was behind with everything.

Title: Out With the Old, In With the New 09/18
Author: Beren
Fandom: Tokio Hotel RPS
Pairing(s): Bill/Tom, Bill/OMC (reported, non-con)
Rating: NC17/18
Warnings: rape (non-graphic), twincest, vampires
Summary: There are things that many people do not see and are never supposed to see, but when one of these takes Bill from his hotel room, by force, everything changes for him and Tom.
Links:
Links:
Prologue | Ch 01 | Ch 02 | Ch 03 | Ch 04
| Ch 05 | Ch 06 | Ch 07 | Ch 08 | Ch 09
| Ch 10 | Ch 11 | Ch 12 | Ch 13 | Ch 14
| Ch 15 | Ch 16 | Ch 17
Full Chapter Listing (with chapter descriptions)

Chapter 9 - Hints of Normality

Tom looked up from reading his magazine to see Bill sitting at the other end of the sofa staring at a notebook with a small frown on his face. They had taken up residence on the couch an hour or so before, both sitting in a corner with their feet up and touching in the middle and had maintained companionable silence ever since. To anyone else they probably looked as if they were hiding from each other behind their knees, but that was very far from the reality. Bill had muttered something about lyrics and had been scribbling and occasionally singing quietly to himself as Tom caught up on reading a couple of magazines he was subscribed to and hadn't had the chance to look at.

"How's it going?" he asked, since he knew for a fact that Bill hadn't written anything in the last ten minutes.

Bill could be a little strange when writing lyrics: sometimes he'd want to share everything all the time and other times he wouldn't let anyone see anything for ages. Tom wasn't quite sure what had inspired Bill to write this time, but he was pleased to see that something had; it just meant he wasn't sure what reaction his enquiry would receive. When Bill looked up at him, the little frown disappeared.

"I think I'm done," Bill said, worrying his lip a little with his teeth.

It was a nervous tick that Bill had had since they were small, well actually they both had it, only his had morphed slightly since he'd had the lip ring, and Tom knew that he was about to find out what Bill had been working on. Bill was only ever nervous like that when ready to reveal the masterpiece.

"What do you think?" Bill asked and handed him the pad just as he had expected.

The page was full of writing with crossings out, scribbles, and insertions, but as with everything else about Bill, he was one of the few people who could decipher it. At the top of the page was the word "title" with a colon after it and nothing following it, so the song wasn't quite complete yet, but he could tell that everything else was there. The way the handwriting was so messy in places told him one thing very clearly; Bill had put his heart and soul into this and so he set about reading carefully and slowly.

The first few lines made him go cold; they were bleak and scared and it was very clear where the lyrics were coming from, but then he read the end of the first verse and he could not help looking up. Bill was watching him closely and he glanced back down quickly, continuing to read. After that he couldn't take his eyes off the page as the lyrics took him on a whirlwind ride through Bill's psyche. By the end he wanted to cry and he was not a tearful person, but he didn't want to cry because the song was so sad; quite the opposite in fact. It was amazing to him really; it was a song about love and hope.

"It's about being lost and your friends helping you find your way again," Bill said quietly in an unsure voice.

"Oh god, Bill," he replied, looking up from the paper, "I know; it's ... I think these are the strongest lyrics you've ever written; it's amazing."

And Tom meant every word. Possibly it was because he was so close to the subject, but he had never felt words move him quite so completely before.

"You like it?" Bill asked, as if unsure.

"Like it?" Tom asked, putting his magazine on the floor and crawling over the sofa so he was right next to Bill. "I love it, and we have to put some music to it as soon as possible. This is our next single."

Bill looked rather shocked at his reaction.

"It's just some words," Bill said, clearly somewhat flustered.

"You never just write words," Tom said, giving his twin a smile and leaning forward and kissing Bill on the nose, "you write what's in your heart; if we can get the right tune this will knock everyone's socks off."

For a few moments Bill just sat there and blinked at him, but slowly a tiny smile formed.

"You think so?" Bill asked.

"I know so," Tom replied with supreme confidence.

"Um, maybe we should see if Gustav and Georg are free," Bill suggested tentatively, "and then we can find a tune?"

The fact that Bill was suggesting other people visit filled Tom with almost more joy than the ideas the song provoked and he grinned happily.

"I'll find my phone," he said and bounced off the sofa.

Things were looking up; they really were.

====

Bill was trying so hard not to giggle; he really was, but it was a losing battle. He was sprawled on the floor, leaning against the sofa and one of Tom's legs; Gustav was on the other end of the sofa and Georg was in the arm chair. They had been playing around with the new song most of the afternoon and they were almost there, but had mutually decided to take a break when food had been produced.

He wasn't blind; he knew how pleased his mum and Tom had been when he had shown real interest in doing things with other people and the over catering was to be expected. There were sandwiches, snacks, vegetable sticks and dips, fruit, sweets; basically just about everything their mum had had to hand and could produce at a moment's notice.

They had been eating and chatting for a while and the reason Bill was trying so hard not to giggle was that Tom had been throwing things at Georg every time Georg looked away and finally one had stuck in Georg's hair. It was a cheesy twig kind of thing and Georg seemed totally oblivious to the fact that it was there. Every time Georg moved his head it kind of danced and Bill found it incredibly funny.

If the way Gustav's eyes were twinkling was anything to go by, he wasn't the only one.

Eventually he couldn't help himself and he fell over sideways, dissolving into a fit of giggles to rival any ever seen. He was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. For a moment Georg looked as if he wasn't sure if this was some weird coping mechanism or not and it was only when Gustav began to laugh as well that Georg realised he was the butt of a joke.

"Okay, who did what?" Georg asked in a patiently resigned tone as Tom started laughing as well.

"Hair," Bill just about managed to squeak out between laughing.

"Oh very mature," Georg said as he found the cheesy addition to his hair style and Tom threw another one at him for good measure, "how old are you two again?"

Georg was very often the butt of the jokes, their friend had the temperament for it. and rolled his eyes while smiling. Bill just about managed mock shock that he was being accused of having anything to do with this, but he was still giggling like a loon.

"Y'know, Bill," Georg said as he ate the cheese snack, "if your cowardly brother wasn't using you as a human shield, I might have to spank him."

"I'd like to see you try, Big Man," Tom jeered back.

For a split second Bill thought Georg might try; it wasn't as if it would be anything knew in the continual round of horseplay that had always been part of the band, but at the moment Bill almost panicked. Then Georg just picked up a handful of nuts and threw them at Tom and thus began a food war. Bill joined in almost instantly, as his panic vanished as quickly as it had appeared, but he couldn't forget it, even as he tried. They were going to be in so much trouble when their mum saw the state of the room, but it was definitely fun. Some things were still very far from normal and he wasn't sure they ever would be again, but he could live with it.

====

Bill looked up from his sketchbook when Tom wandered back into the bedroom from having had a long and indulgent shower. Being away from Tom for any amount of time still made him very uneasy, so he had picked up the sketchbook mainly as a distraction when Tom had gone to the bathroom, but then he had begun thinking and he had an idea. He wasn't sure if it was a practical idea, but he was quite excited by it.

"You look like you discovered gold while I was gone," Tom said, pausing just inside the door.

"I've been thinking," Bill said, trying not to sound too excited.

"Now there's a bad start," Tom commented with a grin and Bill just stuck his tongue out.

"The new song," he said.

"What about the new song?" Tom asked, throwing himself down on the bed beside Bill and peering at the sketchbook.

"Do you think they'd let me do the idea for the video?" Bill asked; not sure how the management would react if he asked.

Tom looked thoughtful, but smiled as well.

"I think, right about now," Tom told him, "if you asked to do a concert from the moon, they'd see if they could arrange it. You're hot property at the moment."

Bill made a face.

"You'd think something like this would make me less popular, not more," he commented; not sure he liked all the extra publicity.

"Hate to break it to you, Little Brother," Tom said, patting him on the leg, "but now you're a tragic hero soldiering on through adversity and that makes you about ten times more interesting even than you were before."

"Yeah, well I'd just like to go back to making music if it's alright with the rest of the world," Bill replied, feeling just a little annoyed.

He felt a bit like a freak show; there were paparazzi from all over Europe parked outside the house for any glimpse of him and it was beginning to piss him off.

"Yeah well, we will," Tom said, clearly trying to cheer him up, "especially if we have a killer video to go with the new song. Show me what you're thinking."

Bill flipped back his pad a page and showed Tom his sketches. Tom gave him a long hard look then.

"Okay," Tom said slowly; "and you're sure about this."

He nodded; he was really rather excited by the idea.

"Okay," Tom agreed with a nod, "as long as you're sure. If we can work it out properly today then we can pitch it to David tomorrow when he comes over and we tell him about the new song."

Bill grinned; he was actually beginning to look forward to climbing back onto the horse and getting back to work. It would be slow at first, but that was why David was coming over to talk about how to proceed. He couldn't stay cooped up in his safe little world much longer and it was time to begin to put things in motion.

====

"Hey, David," Bill greeted as he walked into the living room.

He hoped he didn't look too mussed, since Tom had just had him pinned to the wall, snogging him senseless, when their mum had called to them to announce that David had arrived.

"Hey, yourself," David greeted with a smile, "your bodyguard not with you at the moment?"

"He's ringing Georg to find out where he and Gustav have got to," Bill replied and folded himself into the arm chair. "Last time Georg took them on a detour to avoid the press and they were lost for an hour."

"That's what you get for letting Georg navigate," David replied and laughed; "he's worse than you and that's saying something."

"Hey, no picking on the singer," Bill said with mock petulance, "or I'll tell Tom you're being mean to me."

David held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Okay, okay," David said, doing a good impression of terror, "I swear I'll never pick on you again, just don't send the Tom monster after me!"

Bill giggled at that; it was one of the things he liked about David; they could be silly with him sometimes.

"The mighty navigator and his side kick will be here momentarily," Tom said, walking into the room and throwing himself down onto the sofa. "They brought the navigation system this time and it only took them twice as long to get here than normal."

"Why do they bother," Bill asked, a little bewildered, "they're going to be seen coming into our house anyway?"

"I think Georg just thinks it's fun," Tom replied and grinned, "and Gustav likes to have some blackmail material for later, so he goes along with it."

"One day Gustav's going to write his memoirs and then we're all in trouble," David commented, while opening his filofax on the coffee table.

"Well except me," Bill said in an airy tone, "I threatened to burn his collection of Metallica t-shirts and we came to an agreement."

"Ooh, and the dangerous play wins," Tom said with a laugh; "he could have just turned around and put you out of your misery on the spot to protect them."

Bill made an off hand gesture.

"I made sure there were witnesses when we had the conversation," he said. "What do you think I am, stupid?"

"Don't answer that," David said as if it was the most dangerous question in the world; "I'm not here to arbitrate an argument."

David was saved from any form of cutting reply, because the door bell went.

"That'll be our dangerous duo now," Tom said and pushed himself off the sofa to go and answer the door.

Bill played with the printouts he had brought down from upstairs with him while they waited for Tom to come back with the others. He knew David was incredibly curious about what it was, so he made sure to make a thing of it, to see if he could catch his friend trying to catch a glimpse of what was on it.

"I think it's time to call in the army," Georg said as he walked in; "there are ninja photographers in every bush out there."

"Don't worry," Bill replied, "we have ninja Scotty and he's bitten at least one of them on the bum when they tried to climb the fence at the back."

"Your dog is my hero," Georg said with a laugh. "Hi David."

David made noises of acknowledgement and Georg and Gustav settled into comfortable spots as Tom vanished to furnish everyone with drinks. These types of meetings were so predictable that asking what people wanted to drink was rather moot, since it was always the same. Georg and Gustav managed to get into a mock fight over one of the cushions on the sofa, which Gustav won, by grabbing it from Georg and glaring like an angry bear. By the time that was over, they were all set and ready to begin.

This was one meeting Bill was rather looking forward to.

"Okay," David said, sitting forward and looking at them all one by one, "what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"We've written our next single," Tom said and Bill handed over the piece of paper with the lyrics on it.

"It's called 'From the Fire'," Bill added, suddenly unsure that David was going to like it, even though the other three had thought the words were great and they had all come up with a wonderful tune.

Tom had helped him come up with the title that morning when he had typed it into his laptop to print it out properly.

"Those are the words," Tom seemed to sense his reticence and took over for him, "and we can sing it for you in a while, but you'll want to read those first."

David looked down at the paper and began to read and Bill held his breath, waiting for the verdict. It took David a while to reach the bottom of the page and Bill had to start breathing again or go blue, but he was so nervous that it was difficult. Tom rubbed a leg against his and instantly managed to calm him down quite a bit, but it wasn't a cure-all. By the time David looked up Bill was almost vibrating out of the chair; he had managed to wind himself up that much.

"That," David said after a moment, "is amazing."

People seemed to keep saying that, but Bill wasn't sure the words were that great.

"Really?" he asked, waiting for the 'but'.

There was always a 'but', usually a 'but if we just add this ...' type of 'but' and he was used to them by now. As long as his words mostly made it to the songs he didn't mind that most of the time there are other people's names on them as well. Even the best authors need an editor and it had ceased to bother him a long time ago.

"Really," David replied with a smile.

No 'but' came and Bill began to wonder why.

"Aren't you going to say anything else?" he finally asked, not sure if this was going to be one of those awkward times when those around him were trying to spare his feelings.

He was delicate, but not about something like this, well at least not that delicate.

"There's nothing else to say," David said and looked back down at the piece of paper; "with the right tune this will knock them dead."

"No improvements?" Bill asked, honestly confused by now.

David smiled at that.

"Bill," David told him, while looking him directly in the eye, "no one could improve on this, and if they say they can, they're lying."

Bill couldn't help it, he felt his mouth fall open. Tom laughed and nudged him in the side.

"See miracles do happen," Tom quipped and made him smile.

Never before, not once had one of his songs been accepted without comment.

"And you're not just saying that because you think I'm going to cry and hide behind Tom?" he had to be sure.

David put his hand over his heart.

"I swear," David promised faithfully. "These words come from the heart; anyone with two eyes can see that and messing with them would be sacrilegious."

"We told him that yesterday," Gustav commented, looking pleased, "but he didn't believe us."

"Well believe it," David said firmly; "this is gold."

There was no point arguing with that, so Bill didn't try, but he still wasn't quite sure the song would have had the same reception under different circumstances.

"We were thinking of a pretty quick turn around," Tom started the conversation in earnest; "use the single to get everything going again."

"We could go to the apartment and record it," Gustav began to elaborate on what they had discussed the previous day, "and maybe write some more for a new album."

"Do a few light interviews," Tom took over again, "nothing too heavy and build up until we're ready to release."

Bill was very well aware that the 'nothing too heavy' meant no in-depth interviews about his kidnapping. That would come, it had to really, people wouldn't give up until they knew something, but he definitely wasn't ready for that just yet. David was nodding and flipping through his filofax as the others spoke.

"Sounds like a good plan," David said, clearly looking something up. "We can talk about where we want to go and how soon as we go along, but if you want, I can have everything set up to start by next week."

It wasn't difficult to notice that everyone was looking at him at that point and Bill had a fluttery feeling in his chest as he realised things really were going to happen, but he nodded.

"That's fine with me," he said and tried to sound supremely confident.

Just leaving the house seemed like such a big thing at the moment, when before it had been such an insignificant obstacle. Dwelling on the maybes was not going to help him and he knew he was going to make sure he was up to the job. Becoming the front man of Tokio Hotel again was going to be difficult and it wasn't going to happen overnight, but the need to perform was still there in his heart and with that he knew he could build anything.

"There's one other thing as well," Tom said and dragged him from his thoughts, "Bill has an idea for the video, can you run it past the production people to see if it's feasible?"

David looked surprised at that; they had all always had some creative input, but the videos had always been someone else's genius.

"It might be a bit complicated," Bill said, not wanting to put too much pressure on their manager.

He then handed over the other sheets of paper he was holding. They had scanned his sketch book and then annotated his storyboard with print rather than his overexcited handwriting. David took the offered pages and began sifting through them.

"We could get a couple of great photo shoots out of it too," Georg offered his support from where he was sitting.

"Vampires?" David asked, looking up from the drawings.

Bill had always loved horror movies and vampires and his lyrics had put images in his head that he knew would suit the song. It was also a way to purge some of his demons and he really hoped David liked the idea.

"It would be very dramatic," he offered with a little shrug.

David gave a smile.

"We'd have to get some specialist people in for it, which would be expensive," David said, clearly thinking out loud, "but I think this single will be more than strong enough to carry the expense. If this is what you are all agreed on then I don't see it being an issue; I'll run it by the right people later today."

That made Bill smile brightly.

"We probably will have to refine it a bit though," David said, looking at the sketches again.

"That's okay," Bill said quickly and it was.

Now that David had said yes he couldn’t help being excited. It might not turn out quite like the idea in his head, but they were actually going to use his idea and he almost bounced off the couch. There were details to sort out, lots of details, but he didn't care; things were beginning to happen and he used his excitement to quell any nerves.

====

"This is so cool," Andi said, looking over the sketch pad that Bill had handed him a few minutes earlier, "and they're really letting you go this gothic?"

"David said it shouldn't be a problem," Bill replied with a nod, pleased that his best friend liked the idea as much as he did, "and he rang again this morning and said people seemed to like the idea. I don't think they're just humouring me."

That statement was met by a laugh from Tom, who had just appeared in the doorway with three mugs of coffee.

"Bill, David knows better than that," Tom said, putting his burdens down on the sideboard; "last time any of them tried humouring you, you ate them alive and then told the public how evil the record company were."

Bill thought about that for a little while and then gave a small shrug; Tom had a point.

"When you make this one, can I come?" Andi asked with a grin. "It's just so cool."

Andreas actually seemed to be more excited about the idea than he was and Bill couldn't help grinning, but it did bring up other thoughts into his mind. They were going to the studio apartment in a few days to start the production of the single and that meant leaving Andreas behind as usual. Their best friend's whole life did not revolve around them, but Bill never liked leaving Andreas out of things, which in turn led him on to the one big thing he was leaving his friend out of completely.

"A vampire gansta rapper is going to be interesting," Andreas teased Tom and Bill watched the pair as they joked.

"Undead bad ass," Tom responded and struck a pose.

Bill would have laughed if his thoughts hadn't been busy with other things.

"Andi," he said, before either of the others could launch into anything else, "how would you feel having a vampire for a friend?"

Tom looked a little startled for a moment, but Bill gave him a small smile and turned his attention to Andreas. The question had clearly caused a mild brain flip in his friend, but Andreas had had to become used to those over their friendship, so it didn't take his friend long to recover.

"Dracula type vamp or Underworld type vamp," Andi asked in only a way a true vampire fan could with a straight face.

Bill looked at Tom and he knew that his twin knew what he was thinking.

"Underworld," they said at the same time, "ish," Bill added.

"So not likely to eat me then," Andi said with a grin.

"Definitely not," Bill replied and tried not to sound too shocked by the suggestion.

It was strange how quickly he had adjusted to the Strigoi way of thinking and the idea was preposterous.

"Then that'd be cool," Andi said with a big smile.

"I knew you'd say that," Tom said and Bill was very aware it was for his benefit.

He accepted the mug of coffee his twin passed him and put the sketch pad back down the side of the bed where it would be safe. Andreas had been their friend for a long time, through the hatred, into the fame and success and he had always been constant. That was what Bill admired most about his friend; Andi was never swayed by others' opinions and he really wanted to trust his friend now. He watched Tom hand Andreas the second mug of coffee and he tried to decide if he was feeling brave enough.

"Andi," he said and he still hadn't decided what he was going to say or do, even as his friend looked round at him.

It wasn't really a conscious choice at all, but he let his Strigoi nature surface as he gazed into Andreas' eyes. As events unfolded, he realised his timing could have been better. Andreas's mouth opened in shock, his friend's face went slack and so did the fingers holding the coffee mug. For a moment time seemed to slow down and Bill lunged at the mug, but he was too late and hot brown liquid spilled onto the bed and Andreas's legs.

"Ow, shit," time started again at normal speed as Andreas hopped off the bed, swearing and trying to get the soaked jeans away from his legs.

Bill didn't have time to think about his best friend's reaction, he was more worried that Andreas had scalded himself badly.

"Bill, towels, cold water," Tom took over and Bill didn't even consider not obeying and dashed out of the room as his twin tried to help their distressed friend remove the jeans.

It never occurred to him not to use every advantage at his disposal and he moved about as fast as he had ever moved. Turning on the cold tap and soaking the nearest hand towel with icy water seemed to take an age as his mind began working with incredible speed. He barely remembered to turn off the tap as he ran back to the bedroom where Tom had just finished dragging the jeans off of Andreas, who was sitting on the bed.

Andreas' right thigh was very pink and there were splotches of pink on the left one as well, but Bill hoped it wasn't too bad. He switched back to normal speed and handed Tom the towel, which his twin then placed over Andreas' legs. Andreas yelped, but then visibly relaxed as the cold took the heat away.

"Are you okay?" Bill asked, desperately afraid that he had caused his friend real damage.

It was then that it looked as if Andreas' mind flicked back from the accident to what had caused it and he found his friend just staring at him. He was about a breath away from freaking when Andreas finally spoke.

"I'm fine," his friend said, still looking at him. "Bloody hell, Bill, couldn't you have broken it to me a little more gently?"

Bill felt his face heating up; he felt somewhat of an idiot.

"Sorry," he said a little sheepishly, but he couldn't deny that the fact Andi seemed mostly unfazed by the whole thing had him a little elated.

He was still nervous, because he wasn't completely sure, but he wasn't on the verge of running for his room and hiding.

"You know Bill and subtle do not go together," Tom said with a small laugh, but Bill could hear the tension in his twin's voice.

Planning, he was beginning to think he should have done some planning, but it was too late now.

"How are the legs?" Bill asked, hoping to deflect whatever was coming for a little while.

Andreas lifted the towel and peered underneath.

"No serious damage," was the thankful conclusion and Bill breathed a sigh of relief, "but no one is sitting on my lap for a while."

Bill laughed a little at that, but it was a slightly hysterical sound. He wasn't sure what to do next.

"Vampires," Andreas said, looking down and shaking his head, "fucking vampires are real. This is kind of crazy."

"We know," he replied quietly

Andreas looked up at him again then.

"Wow," his friend said and looked honestly amazed, "can you fly?"

For a moment Bill didn't quite catch up with the question and when he did he laughed. No deep, probing questions, no recriminations, just 'can you fly'.

"No," he said, somewhat delighted by his friend's reaction, "and I can't change into a bat either."

"Damn," Andi said with a small grin, shock still showing in his eyes, but far calmer than Bill had feared, "you could have got in anywhere as a bat."

Bill gave a little smile back.

"But sunlight, you're always out in sunlight," Andreas said, clearly assimilating the information little by little. "Don't tell me the whole night thing is a bunch of crock; it's the whole cursed to darkness thing that makes half the vampire legends romantic."

"No, that's true for most vampires," he said, thanking his lucky stars that he had a best friend who thought almost like he did, "I'm just different."

"What Bill is trying to say in an unusually bashful way," Tom said, entering the conversation while hanging Andreas' jeans over the end of the bed, "is that he's a very rare type of vampire that has the whole vampire community thinking he's the best thing since sliced bread."

That made Bill blush again; Tom sounded so proud of him when all he'd really done was fail to die.

"Okay," Andi said, looking at both of them, "tell me everything. How big is this 'vampire community'? How the hell does no one know? Are there any gorgeous vampire babes who might be looking for a bleach blond boy toy?"

The way Andreas wiggled his eyebrows made Bill laugh; in some ways his friend was exactly like Tom. Andreas would probably love Delphine if they ever got to meet.

End of Chapter 9
On to Next Part

Fic: Out With The Old, In With the New, Bill/Tom, NC17/18, Tokio Hotel RPS, 08/18

2008-03-26T12:27:46Z

Sorry this is late, what with Easter and a really nasty cold I'm running way behind. At least I'm finally beginning to feel better :) ... I hope I can shake this bug soon.
P.S. You may have noticed it grew another chapter ... which should be the last extra one, I hope :).

Warning - there is boy kissing in this one.

Title: Out With the Old, In With the New 08/18
Author: Beren
Fandom: Tokio Hotel RPS
Pairing(s): Bill/Tom, Bill/OMC (reported, non-con)
Rating: NC17/18
Warnings: rape (non-graphic), twincest, vampires
Summary: There are things that many people do not see and are never supposed to see, but when one of these takes Bill from his hotel room, by force, everything changes for him and Tom.
Links:
Prologue | Ch 01 | Ch 02 | Ch 03 | Ch 04
| Ch 05 | Ch 06 | Ch 07 | Ch 08 | Ch 09
| Ch 10 | Ch 11 | Ch 12 | Ch 13 | Ch 14
| Ch 15 | Ch 16 | Ch 17
Full Chapter Listing (with chapter descriptions)
Chapter 8 Eccentricities

Strigoi tended to be somewhat old fashioned compared to their human counterparts, according to Syb, so Bill wasn't one hundred percent sure he knew what he was getting into. He still really wasn't quite clear on the details of why the fact that he could move around in sunlight meant that he was automatically quite an important person, but he couldn't exactly argue with it.

So far Syb was the only Strigoi he had met properly and the idea of being introduced to more frightened him more than a little, but he knew she would not have asked him to do it if it was not important. Syb had been in his mind; she knew exactly what had happened to him and she cared, of that much he was completely certain. He had spent hours getting ready and he was as nervous as if this was an opening night, but he was prepared. As long as Tom was there he was sure he could do anything.

Climbing out of the car, he looked up at the very grand house at which they had just arrived. It was big and it was old and definitely suited the occasion. Syb had explained that it belonged to Graham, one of the four elders, and was being used for the gathering since it was the closest to where he and Tom lived.

As they stood looking up at the building, Tom looped an arm around his waist for a moment and gave him a quick half-hug. He was nervous and his hands were shaking slightly, but he wasn't about to give in to his anxiety.

Syb led the way up to the front door and knocked using the very ornate knocker on the big oak structure. Bill was so busy trying to ignore the fact that he was so nervous he felt sick that it took him a moment to notice that the knocker was a gargoyle, a vampire gargoyle to be precise. He almost let out a small hysterical laugh, but managed to keep it inside; at least Graham seemed to have a bit of a sense of humour.

A young woman in black and white opened the door.

"Please come in," she invited with a polite smile, "your host will be with you in a moment."

Bill had no idea if Graham had staff or if Strigoi hired staff for functions just like everyone else, but he was almost positive the woman was human. It was only as he stepped past her that he felt anything out of the ordinary. He looked along what was a wood panelled hallway as his attention was caught by a presence, a presence that reminded him of Syb, but somehow more so. He had a vague inkling that he knew why age brought power and respect in the Strigoi community, because he knew he was looking at an elder without being told. However, what he was seeing wasn't quite what he expected.

The image in his head was so entirely not what he was looking at that for a moment his brain kind of stalled. The word elders conjured images of people with grey hair and spectacles, but of course he was dealing with vampires; people who didn't age.

"Sybil, how wonderful to see you again," said the young looking man walking down the hallway.

Syb smiled brightly and stepped forward to accept a kiss on each cheek from the male Strigoi.

"Graham," Syb greeted in return, "I missed you at the last meeting."

Bill was so surprised by the way Graham looked and was then mentally kicking himself for being such an idiot that he totally forgot to be afraid. Graham was tall, blonde, broad shouldered and had bright blue eyes and Bill was reminded of younger version of Brad Pitt in Mr and Mrs Smith more than anything else.

"And since I know your reprobate other half, I must assume that these two young gentlemen are the ones I have heard so much about," Graham didn't fit any characteristic of 'elder' that Bill had in his head at all. "Good evening, welcome to my home."

Bill had been clutching Tom's hand most of the way to the gathering, but he actually let go and took Graham's hand as the other Strigoi held it out in greeting. He didn't even think about it until he'd done it and by the time his brain caught up with his actions it was far too late. He couldn't help breathing in a little in shock as he was overcome by a feeling of welcome and cheerfulness and concern; he almost took a step back.

"Bill, are you okay?" Tom asked, sounding concerned.

"Fine," he said, looking Graham straight in the eye and feeling strangely at ease. "Hello," he added, so as not to be rude.

"You have caused great excitement within our community, Bill," Graham said with a smile, "I do hope it is not too overwhelming for you, either of you. So little happens around here that when it does we can be a little over enthusiastic."

"It's nice to meet you," Bill said and he was surprised to find that he actually meant it.

He had reacted so badly to several people and yet he really did mean it and it was a strangely liberating experience. A glimmer of hope fired up in the back of his mind that maybe the evening wasn't going to be as terrible as he had imagined. He slipped his hand back into Tom's the moment Tom had shaken Graham's hand as well, but he found to his pleasure the nervous tremors he had been trying to hide had subsided.

"Graham, darling, don't monopolise the guests of honour."

Bill looked up as an unfamiliar female voice joined the conversation and he was just in time to see a stunning woman walking down the corridor. She was almost as tall as Graham, blonde as well and wearing the most incredibly beautiful gown that made her look as if she had just stepped off a catwalk somewhere. Graham smiled and turned.

"Bill, Tom, this is my bond mate Karin," Graham introduced, but Bill didn't really need the extra information, because, looking at Karin, he knew exactly who she was bonded to without any doubt what so ever.

He wasn't sure how he knew, as with everything Strigoi, actually knowing and knowing why he knew were two entirely different things, but he was getting used to that.

"Good evening," Karin greeted brightly, first shaking Tom's hand and then his, "it is so nice to finally meet you both. We have been hearing wonderful things from Sybil."

"Not too wonderful I hope," Tom said, filling in nicely when Bill had no idea what to say, "we don't want to have too much to live up to."

If Karin's huge smile was anything to go by, the blonde woman thought this answer was delightful.

"With you, Tom, it couldn't be too wonderful," Syb said with a mischievous grin.

Tom made to look offended and did a beautiful job, which made Bill laugh just a little. He knew that Syb and Tom were doing their best to make sure he was distracted and he appreciated it. He hoped fervently that it would last.

"Never end up on the wrong side of dear Syb," Karin said with a laugh, "for her tongue can be sharper than her fangs."

"As we have all found out from time to time," Graham agreed, laughing as well. "Still, we have a party to enjoy. If you would all come this way, Phillip will be glad to take your coats, and every one else is in the lounge. There are two more to arrive yet, but most people are already here."

Philip turned out to be a teenager who couldn't have been more than seventeen and Bill was a little surprised to find that Philip was human. The young man took Tom's, Syb's and Marcus' coats without saying a word. Bill's jacket was part of his outfit and he kept it; he was still feeling the cold anyway. He was also nervous again, but he did his best not to show it and Tom was glued to his side, which helped.

"When you're offered drinks," Syb said quietly as they followed their hosts up the hallway, "Bill, take a glass with a gold stem, Tom, go for silver."

Bill found that instruction most odd.

"Why?" he asked, not really understanding.

"Some things are only palatable to Strigoi," Syb said and patted his arm; "it's nothing sinister."

Before Bill could ask anymore, they reached the other room and his voice vanished in nerves as he saw how many people were inside. Syb had briefed them on how many people would be there, but Bill still hadn't been quite prepared. Their whole gathering was to be the four Strigoi elders and their companions as well as a select few other members of the local Strigoi community. Bill couldn't help feeling very unsettled as he followed Graham and Karin into the room.

"Let me introduce you around," Graham offered and Bill nodded after taking a deep breath.

"I can do this," he muttered under his breath; it was quickly becoming his motto and he felt Tom squeeze his hand in support.

"Drinks first I think," Karin interrupted with a smile and took two glasses off a tray a waitress was carrying.

Bill noticed the gold decoration on the stem of the glass Karin passed him and the silver on the one Karin gave to Tom and it was the same with Syb and Markus. There was only one thing he could think of that Strigoi consumed that humans didn't, but the liquid in the glass just looked like red wine. Cautiously he sipped it as Graham led them over to one of the groups in the room and when it hit his tongue he couldn't help it, he stopped dead. His taste buds lit up like a Christmas tree and he stared at the glass.

"That's not just red wine," he said, utterly flabbergasted by the effect it had on him.

For a second the whole room seemed to sparkle.

"I'm so sorry," Graham said, "I totally didn't think. Red wine with a small amount of blood is a traditional cocktail to start off an evening like this. Alcohol has less affect on our systems so we spice it up a little; if you would rather I can get you a normal glass."

"No, that's okay," Bill replied, settling himself down again, "it was just a bit of a shock. Thank you."

The evening was becoming more and more bizarre, but then a whole lot of his life was a little bizarre these days, so he tried to just accept it.

"I'd kill for a beer," Tom whispered in his ear as they continued on their way and it made him smile.

Champagne was as close as Tom usually liked to get to wine of any sort. It was just after that when Bill realised Syb, Markus and Karin had pealed off to elsewhere in the room.

"Lorrie," Graham drew his attention back to what they were supposed to be doing and he realised he'd been effectively distracted again, "I'd like to introduce Bill and Tom. Bill, Tom, this is Lorrie, the oldest of the old around here, Bianca Hislop, her personal assistant and Xavier Balldock head of our police force."

"Thank you so much for the wonderful introduction, Graham," the newly introduced Lorrie said with a roll of her eyes, "once a barbarian, always a barbarian. Very pleased to meet you."

Lorrie was short, brunette and plump and had a smile a bit like the one Georg used on all the girls; it said 'I know something you don't know'. About the only similarity between Graham and Lorrie was the fact that neither of them looked remotely like an elder of any sort. Bill shook Lorrie's offered hand and felt gentle amusement flow over him and he knew it wasn't aimed at him, but at the world in general. He had the overall impression of age and he was surprised by the seemingly total absence of seriousness.

"Hello," he said and managed to do so at exactly the same time as Tom.

It wasn't as if it didn't happen a lot to them, but it made the others in the group smile. He shook hands with Bianca and Xavier as well and discovered that they were both Strigoi as well, but no where near as old as Lorrie. The fact that he could tell they meant him absolutely no harm was comforting and he found himself beginning to relax again.

"My niece is a very big fan of your band," Bianca said conversationally, "or rather I should say my grand-niece. If it was not so rude I would ask for an autograph."

"We'll have to see what we can do by the end of the evening," Tom said, with Tom's usual flair.

Bill just smiled, since his brain was still processing everything about the room. Once upon a time he could have worked the room with no problem at all, but he needed a bit of breathing space now.

In the end it took him about five minutes to warm up to the conversation, about the same time it took for a beer to mysteriously appear for Tom. If Tom had had any shame at all Bill was sure his twin should have been mortified that someone had overheard his comment, but this was Tom. It was when Lorrie mentioned something about the Dior collection (it seemed she was a bit of a connoisseur) that Bill finally decided to jump into the conversation; fashion was one thing he could talk about without any negative connotations what so ever. By the time Graham dragged him and Tom away to the next group, he was feeling quite at home, so much so that when Karin asked to borrow Tom for a while, he actually said yes. He didn't feel as comfortable without Tom glued to his side, but it was clear that Karin and Markus wanted to talk to Tom about something and hoped he could manage.

The new group consisted of Peter, the third elder and his two bond mates, Fiona and Yan; that introduction had been an eye opener, and James Farhl who was a publicist of some sort. Bill hadn't been able to resist and had had to ask about the double bond mate situation. It turned out a Strigoi could have as many bond mates as they wanted, but if you had more than one, you had to have a very good reason, because the free will of those involved would be questioned and investigated. Bill was fascinated and hoped he wasn't being rude by making all sorts of enquiries. Peter, Fiona and Yan seemed fine with talking about it and Graham and James were equally at ease, so he hoped he wasn't stomping over any niceties.

He found himself chatting amiably for quite some time. He even noticed Karin exiting the room and then coming back with some more people, but the whole atmosphere was setting him at ease and he found himself altering his position a little so he could see them out of the corner of his eye, but nothing else. With Tom away from his side he was not relaxed, but he knew how to play a part, at least for a while.

Over time, however, he began noticing Tom's absence more and more and it began making him more and more uncomfortable. Eventually he looked over to where Tom was talking to an attractive female vampire, one of the party who had just come in, and his eyes zeroed in on the hand the woman had on Tom's arm. She was leaning in close and speaking quietly, making Tom lean in too and Bill saw red. Everything flew out of his head and rage bubbled through him like a fire, consuming all rationality as it went. His brain screamed "mine" and "protect" and the only thing that stopped him leaping at the woman was a sudden very strong grip on his arm. It didn't stop him growling though.

"Delphine," Graham's voice carried across the room, "I would suggest you release the young man and step back."

The woman in question looked up and straight at him and then shock registered on her face. Almost straight away she removed her hand from Tom's arm and took a step away from where Tom appeared somewhat confused.

"If you would be so kind, Tom," Graham said, sounding perfectly calm, "I believe that remaining closer to Bill would be sensible just at the moment."

Bill still wanted to tear Delphine limb from limb, but he did feel a little less homicidal when Tom quickly walked across the room. When Tom took his hand he felt even better, but it didn't stop him glaring at the woman across the room.

"Tom is quite safe, Bill," Graham spoke to him and something about the older Strigoi's voice demanded his attention, "you do not need to be on guard."

For a moment Bill stared at Graham, trying to work out what the man was telling him. It took him long seconds to take it in rather than just hear it and then he realised what he was doing. His rage vanished in a moment leaving him confused and anxious.

"Bill, are you okay?" Tom asked, sounding worried.

"I..." Bill tried to explain, but he was at a loss himself.

"A simple reaction," Graham said with a smile as if it was nothing; "it has happened to us all at one time or another. Delphine should have known better than to flirt with the bond mate of one so new. Now your glass is low, let me find someone to refill it for you."

And that was it; the incident was closed, but Bill couldn't help looking at Tom and wondering what on earth he would have done if Graham hadn't been right there.

====

Bill padded back from the bathroom having removed all his makeup, brushed all the spray out of his hair and pulled on an old t-shirt and a loose pair of boxers. The meal after the gathering had been food that was rather fancier than he was used to, but it had been very nice. He and Tom had met Arabella, the last of the elders and it did seem that everyone had really just wanted to meet and talk to them. After all the frantic anticipation, it had been a nice evening all told; nerve wracking, but no where near as bad as Bill had thought it would be, and he had learnt a lot about interaction among Strigoi. It was all rather informal really, apart from the affectations around the whole affair. He had almost enjoyed himself.

There was just one thing that would not let his mind rest and he had been considering it ever since it had occurred. His reaction to Delphine at the party had been an eye opening experience and he couldn't stop thinking about it. As it turned out, when he had tried to apologise to Delphine she had apologised in return and explained that she hadn't meant anything by it, it was just the way she was. That, however, did not take away from the revelation that the incident had been.

If he had just felt protective it would have been different, but he hadn't; he had felt territorial as well. He had seen Delphine touching what was his and wanted to stake his claim as well as protect Tom from any possible danger. It had been there, right at the front of his mind, so strong that he couldn't ignore it and it drove home everything Tom had been telling him. Feeling such things for Tom made him nervous, but he couldn't ignore them anymore and deep down they felt so right he wasn't sure ignoring them was what he really wanted.

Tom was already changed for bed and had used the bathroom first, so his twin was sitting on the bed with his nose in a magazine waiting for him. Walking over, he sat down on his side of the bed, still trying to work out what he was thinking. The idea of sex, any sort of sex made his stomach drop away and be replaced by a knot of dread, but part of him craved it as well. He had woken three times since the first incident with exactly that same problem and Tom had not pushed him, but the last time he had had to run to the bathroom to deal with it before his erection would go away. It was awkward and uncomfortable for both of them that his subconscious seemed to want this and his conscious mind didn't and he didn't like it.

"You okay?" Tom asked quietly and he realised he'd been sitting there staring at the floor for quite a long time.

He looked up and round into Tom's concerned face and with his heart in his throat he made his decision.

"Will you kiss me?" he asked in little more than a whisper, "please," he added as an afterthought.

Tom appeared surprised and then he smiled just a little.

"Of course I will," Tom said and reached out the take his hand, "I would love to."

Bill felt like an inexperienced ten year old as Tom moved closer to him and slowly leant in and he couldn't help feeling just a little afraid. He was stiff and tense as Tom's lips touched his, but he was shocked when his mind did not fill with the terrible images of his ordeal, in fact his mind didn't fill with anything; logical thought seemed to be frozen and instinct took over.

There was no other way to describe it; he melted into the kiss, reaching out and wrapping his arms around Tom. Even when Tom's strong limbs wound around him, pulling him closer, it did not fire his fear response. Something in Tom's touch made it impossible for him to be afraid and the kiss was deep, heady and full of passion. Only when he started getting hard did anything in his head fire that he didn't want and he had to draw back. He was breathless and part of him wanted more, but not all of him was ready yet.

"Okay?" Tom asked, watching his face very carefully.

Bill nodded, biting his lip.

"Thank you," he said, feeling vulnerable, but warm and happy as well.

Tom smiled at him, stroking the side of his face very gently. He was tempted to lean back in for more, but he didn't want to ruin it all by freaking out.

"I..." he said, wanting to explain.

"Need to get some sleep," Tom said as if reading his mind; "we have visitors tomorrow and I don't think we can get away with the excuse that you're on sleeping pills anymore if you start snoring on my shoulder."

A small grin crept onto his face at that; Tom always knew how to make him feel better. When they climbed into bed, he snuggled close to his twin and settled down to sleep, more relaxed than he remembered being in a very long time.

====

"Morning," Tom said brightly as he walked into the kitchen for breakfast, "it is still morning isn't it?"

"Just," his mother replied with a laugh. "I will assume from the good mood that last night went well?"

Tom gave his mother a bright smile.

"Very well I think," he said, but his mind was more on what had happened after the Strigoi party than during it.

The fact that Bill had asked him to kiss him was amazing, wonderful, astounding even. He had been so worried that Bill might never be ready and yet the kiss had been fantastic. It was going to take a while, he knew that and he had seen the conflict in Bill afterwards, but it was a brilliant start. Of course he couldn't exactly just blurt out all that to his mother, at least not at breakfast.

"The Strigoi elders are," he looked for the best word as he tried to distract his brain from its current obsession with Bill, "I think eccentric is the best way to describe them, but they were very friendly. Bill fitted in perfectly; I think he may have found his niche."

The way his mother smiled at that told him they were on the same page; it wasn't as if anyone had ever tried to make Bill out to be your average teenager. Tom could admit that he wasn't either, but Bill was definitely the more out there of them both.

"Any nightmares last night?" his mother asked.

That was basically code for was Bill completely stressed out by the whole event and would they need to do some damage control over the day. Sooner or later their mother was going to have to go back to her normal schedule, but at the moment everything was being fitted in around Bill. No one could ever say that Simone was not devoted to her children.

"Only one," Tom replied, pouring himself some cereal into a bowl, "and that wasn't bad; he didn't even really wake up. Markus and Karin, she's one of the elder's bond mate, took me aside and explained what was going on in case Bill needed any reassurance during the evening. All the Strigoi there were keeping themselves open to reassure Bill, so he could feel their general intentions. On a psychic scale Bill's at the top of the curve, something else to do with the day dweller stuff, so they didn't have to work too hard, but they were being very careful with him and it seemed to work. Of course the blood in the wine might have helped to mellow him out too."

The look on Bill's face when he'd first tried the wine had been priceless.

"Blood in the wine?" his mother asked, clearly not knowing what to make of that.

"It's a vampire thing," he assured her with a grin; "something about it making the alcohol act on them in sort of the same way it does on us. Seemed to work on Bill anyway."

Their mother didn't appear to know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, however, Tom was saved from having to convince her at the sound of quiet singing coming down the hall. They both stared at each other and Tom knew they were having the same revelation. As Bill walked into the room half humming and half singing to himself, Tom couldn't help the huge smile that burst onto his face. Bill had always sung or hummed or whistled really badly; it was something that was expected, but since the abduction there had been a pained silence. Once upon a time Tom would have said he had tried every way to shut his twin up, but when it had been missing he had missed it and now it was back it made his heart swell.

"What?" Bill asked and Tom realised he was probably staring, along with his mother.

"Nothing, Sweetheart," his mother said, covering for them both, "Tom was just telling me about last night. It's nice to see you so cheerful this morning, I was a little worried it would be too much for you."

Bill smiled then, a genuine, shadow free, honest to god, happy smile and Tom was overjoyed.

"Everyone was really nice," Bill said, grabbing a bowl and cereal as he spoke. "The elders didn't look like elders at all; I think I had white robes and beards in my head, but it was more like action hero, den mother, philanthropist and fashion designer. What was really weird though is that elders don't seem to have last names. Well I'm sure they do, but everyone else was introduced as so-and-so last name, but with the elders it was just Lorrie or Graham, like Cher or Madonna."

Tom sat back and listened to Bill babble. The milk almost missed Bill's bowl because Bill was trying to gesture with his hands at the same time, but when Tom glanced over, his mother didn't seem to care any more than he did. Seeing Bill so animated was wonderful, almost as wonderful as that kiss and Tom didn't really think anything else mattered about then.

====

Bill looked at his phone and it almost seemed to glare back at him. He was in a bit of a quandary and he wasn't sure how to deal with it.

"It won't bite," Tom said, sitting down next to him on the bed.

His twin handed him a cup of tea and he took it with a mumbled thank you, but didn't look up.

"I went to call Andi," he said eventually and finally put the phone on the bed beside him, "I was going to tell him all about last night and I only realised I couldn't when I was about to dial."

Tom gave him a sad little smile and took his free hand.

"You could explain everything to him if you wanted to," Tom said in a careful tone.

He appreciated the delicacy Tom was using, but he didn't actually need it at that moment.

"I know I could," he said after a few moments, "but I'm not feeling that brave. I don't think he'll freak out, but there's that voice at the back of my mind that keeps suggesting he might and it's too loud for me to ignore it yet."

"I have a voice like that too," Tom said, clearly knowing that trying to talk him round wouldn't do any good, "mostly it sounds like you. Sometimes it stops me doing stupid things, but at others it's a pain in the arse."

Bill smiled at his twin for that.

"Yeah, I think mine sounds like you too," he said and it did at times; he had occasionally mused on the idea that the little voice really was Tom, but that was too Twilight Zone even for his crazy life at the moment.

"Andi will probably think you're even cooler than he already does when you tell him," Tom said and nudged him gently in the side.

"Andi does not think I'm cool," he said and rolled his eyes, "he thinks I'm a dork just like you do."

Tom grinned at that.

"Only sometimes," Tom replied, a humorous sparkle in his eyes, "but I beg to differ; Andi may be our best friend, but he does get the hero worship glaze in his eyes every now and then and has done ever since we first met him."

Bill just took a sip of his tea; sometimes Tom thought the oddest things.

End of Chapter 8

Fic: Out With The Old, In With the New, Bill/Tom, NC17/18, Tokio Hotel RPS, 07/16

2008-03-20T13:51:19Z

I was going to post this tomorrow, but with the content strike I finished it more quickly and am posting it today. I will also be posting it on IJ so if you want to read it tomorrow you can :).

Title: Out With the Old, In With the New 07/16
Author: Beren
Fandom: Tokio Hotel RPS
Pairing(s): Bill/Tom, Bill/OMC (reported, non-con)
Rating: NC17/18
Warnings: rape (non-graphic), twincest, vampires
Summary: There are things that many people do not see and are never supposed to see, but when one of these takes Bill from his hotel room, by force, everything changes for him and Tom.
Links:
Prologue | Ch 01 | Ch 02 | Ch 03 | Ch 04
| Ch 05 | Ch 06 | Ch 07 | Ch 08 | Ch 09
| Ch 10 | Ch 11 | Ch 12 | Ch 13 | Ch 14
| Ch 15 | Ch 16 | Ch 17
Full Chapter Listing (with chapter descriptions)

Chapter 7 A Little Weird

Tom had been awake all night just holding Bill and hoping that his twin would get some sleep despite the incident. It hadn't been as bad as he had feared, but it hadn't been as good as he had hoped either. The fact that Bill had woken up to what was going on between them was a relief in some ways, but now came the difficult part. Bill had gone back to sleep when Tom had urged him to, so the trust was still there, but Tom knew it was not going to be so easy for long.

It was nearly lunch time by the clock, although it was grey outside and very little light was coming between the curtains. They kept it dark when they slept anyway so that Bill's eyes would not be hurt if it was bright and sunny in the morning, but Tom could see enough to figure out the numbers on the clock. They usually stayed up late and then slept in late now they were at home; at least that was one thing that would mostly fit in with the rock star lifestyle. The only changes in that were when Bill was awake with nightmares and needed more sleep during the day.

He felt Bill shift in his sleep and knew that his twin was near waking. Most mornings he was awake before Bill and he knew the signs very well. This was going to be interesting to say the least.

He had never been able to sleep with someone sprawled over him except Bill; usually he liked his own space to sleep in, but with Bill that didn’t seem to matter. The fact that Bill was lying against him with his head on his chest was perfectly comfortable; even his arm hadn’t gone to sleep, which always amazed him. From this position he could see Bill perfectly and he knew the moment Bill opened his eyes.

As he waited for Bill to react, he just watched and his twin blinked sleepily, looked up at him and smiled. It was totally obvious that Bill's brain wasn't quite on at that point and he knew the moment the switch flicked, because he saw Bill's features cloud and then Bill was pushing away from him and sitting up. This time he didn't try and stop Bill from pulling away, but he did catch his twin's hand and go with him so they were both sitting.

"It's okay," he said, something he seemed to be saying a hell of a lot these days, "don't panic."

The horrified look hadn't quite taken over Bill's face; there was confusion there too, but it was a close thing.

"I ... I ..." Bill clearly didn't know how to react.

"Bill," Tom said very firmly, "calm down."

The strong tone worked and the edges of panic in Bill's eyes disappeared, but it didn't take away the rest.

"It's wrong," Bill finally said after Tom gave his twin time to collect his thoughts.

Tom reached out and took Bill's other hand.

"I thought that too," he said in his best calm voice, "but it's not."

For a moment he thought Bill would pull away.

"It took me days to come to terms with this after Markus told me the truth," he explained as well as he could, "and it will probably take you longer, because of what has happened. All I want you to know is that I don't expect anything from you. I feel this, just like you do and the only thing I need you to promise is that if you are ever ready, you'll tell me."

"But Mum and Gordon," Bill protested.

"Know everything," Tom replied, squeezing Bill's hands gently. "We are not just brothers any more, Bill; we're bonded."

Bill sat there looking at him, big brown eyes round and confused.

"Did I do this?" Bill asked in little more than a whisper.

"No," Tom responded, a little more emphatically than he had meant to, "no," he reiterated more quietly, "you reached out to me in that hospital room, but I reached back. You needed me, but I needed to be needed. This is us, not just you or me."

He could see Bill accepting what he was saying.

"How did I not know," Bill asked, and Tom could see his twin searching his own mind; "you knew, why didn't I?"

"Because you've been through a terrible ordeal," Tom told his twin, wishing this wasn't so difficult, "and until now you've been protecting yourself. These feelings are strong, Bill, and you weren't ready for them, I still don't think you're really ready, but you seem to have decided you are. Just remember that they're there, but you don't have to act on them. I will hold you every night and never think about sex again if you need me to."

Bill didn’t look comfortable.

"I think what I'm trying to say," Tom said, doing his best to explain what he was feeling, "is please don't let this get in the way of what we already have. I need you in the same way you need me."

They sat there looking at each other for a long time after that and Tom prayed that they could weather this squall. When Bill pulled his hands free, Tom was worried for a moment, but then Bill leant forward, put a head on his shoulder and wound arms around him.

"I'll try," Bill whispered and it was all Tom could ask for.

====

Trying to figure out how to react was difficult; Bill was so confused it was silly. He felt like when he had finally hit puberty and all these strange things had been happening to his body and all these odd thoughts has started running through his head. Tom made him feel safe and comforted, but now there was also this other feeling in the background. He knew it had always been there, he could sense that much, but his mind had never paid any attention to it before. It still amazed him that he could have been ignoring it for all this time.

He was torn between clinging to Tom,asking Tom to make it go away and staying as far away from Tom as possible so he didn't have to feel it.

The idea that he could feel anything sexual astounded him and he was terrified of what memories it would dig up if he let himself pursue it even remotely. Sex equalled bad in his head and it was all a bit much for him to deal with, especially since it was his twin he was attracted to.

He wandered into the kitchen for brunch without any idea at all of how to deal with the situation. Promising Tom he would try and not let it interfere had been easy, but doing it was proving harder.

"Bill, Sweetheart, are you okay?" his mum's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he realised he had been standing next to the table for a good few minutes without doing anything.

Following this, his mind caught up with what he had been thinking about, added it to the fact that his mother was asking him a question and he began to blush furiously. He had no clue what to say at all.

"Bill knows about the bond, Mum," Tom said, sounding ridiculously calm and Bill tried to decide if dying would be easier than taking his mother's scrutiny.

"Oh, Sweetheart," his mother said, much to his surprise, "try not to worry about it too much. You'll figure it out when you need to."

Then his mum patted him lightly on the arm, gave him a supportive smile and went back to what she had been doing. Bill was astounded that his mother was so matter of fact about the whole thing. He looked at Tom who just gave a little shrug and indicated the chair for him to sit down; his life seemed to become more bizarre by the day.

====

"Andi," Bill all but squealed and bounced off the sofa and wrapped their best friend in a hug.

Tom was of the opinion that Bill had decided that hugging was a good offence against the lingering fear; everyone was getting hugs at the moment.

"Breathe, I need to breathe," Andreas panted with mock breathlessness as Bill was just a little over enthusiastic.

"He's turning blue," Tom added to the joke and climbed out of his seat to go and greet their friend as well.

"What have you been feeding him," Andreas laughed as Tom gave his friend a brotherly hug as well, "Popeye's spinach?"

"Even I'm not that cruel," Tom replied and looked over Andreas' shoulder to where Bill had gained a worried little frown; "you've just forgotten how enthusiastic Bill is when he hasn't seen someone for a while."

By the time Andreas turned around Bill was smiling again, but Tom could tell his twin was second guessing himself and he hoped it wouldn't last long. It was so difficult to tell if Bill would just bounce from these things these days, or fall flat.

"It seems like it's been forever," Andreas said, sitting down in the spot he usually took up in the middle of the sofa.

Usually when they were playing video games or watching TV, Andreas would sit in the middle with Bill on one side and Tom on the other; it was something Tom hadn't even thought about. It had started automatically when they were younger as a way to make sure there was never an argument about 'he's more my friend than yours', only now it caused an issue. Tom decided to do something about it before it could become a problem.

Plonking himself down on the sofa right next to Andreas he started his campaign.

"Budge up, skinny arse," he said, leaning forward and picking up the games controller from the coffee table; "I'm going to show you both how it's done."

They'd brought the PS3 down from his room to the living room so they could play some games as a group when Andi came round, but he decided that showing off a bit first would solve the dilemma of seating space. Whether Andreas realised something was off or not, Tom couldn't tell as his friend raised an eyebrow and moved as ordered.

"I'm going to take great pleasure in beating your character to a pulp once you're done showing off," Andi said as Bill pushed the remote on the widescreen TV and the Playstation graphics jumped into being.

"Yeah right," Tom said with a grin and hit load on the game.

As Bill sat down beside him, he felt quite pleased with himself; now everything could be mostly normal without any awkward conversations. Andi knew he was here for some fun rather than any deep and meaningful conversations, Tom had made sure of it on the phone, and Tom was determined it was going to be a fun afternoon. Bill had rung Andi a couple of times since they'd been home and Tom was sure that when Bill was ready the daily phone calls would recommence and sooner or later he just knew Andi would be let into the secret, but for now this was good. It was time to kick some virtual arse and enjoy every second of it.

====

Tom had a strange feeling and he was pretty sure he knew what it meant. It wasn't the first time he had had the feeling, but it was the first time he recognised it as soon as it started and the fact that Bill was acting a little strangely and refusing to look him in the eye clinched it.

"You're hungry," he said, looking over at Bill past the pile of mail they were sitting in.

Bill had asked for some of the fan mail that had come in addressed to him and Tom to be delivered to the house and they had been going through it for the last two hours. Bill seemed to have been enjoying sorting out the letters and the gifts, but then, about ten minutes previously, Tom had felt the odd sensation start in his chest. When he voiced what he thought it was, Bill looked up at him in surprise.

"How did you know?" his twin asked, clearly shocked.

"I get this weird feeling," Tom explained, perfectly happy to tell Bill everything; "and this time I noticed it."

Bill had not yet been craving blood for long enough to even remotely affect his outward appearance, but the feeling was already there. Of course Tom knows what the problem was; why Bill hadn't mentioned his need yet. They had settled this issue once, but this was the first time Bill needed to feed since the true nature of the bond had come into the open. The sexual aspect of the whole thing was there now, sitting between them like a gooseberry.

"Look," Tom said when Bill just sat there looking unsure, "this is going to be awkward, we both know it is, but you have to feed. I can't guarantee what I'll do while you're biting me, but I promise to studiously ignore any effect afterwards."

The fact that his body was betraying him and he was already getting hard just thinking about it didn't help the situation, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had a certain reaction to Bill feeding and that was that, but if he had to, he could pretend he didn't for Bill's sake.

Bill was looking guilty and interested at the same time, which was quite a dichotomy.

"Bill," Tom said, having decided that talking plainly was the only way to get through this, "I know this is hard for you and these feelings seem alien, I've been there as well, but we've already been through the you not hurting yourself conversation. You can feed from my wrist if it makes it easier."

It was actually really hard to say that; it felt all kinds of wrong that Tom couldn't explain, but he said it anyway. He was not letting Bill hold off feeding until it became a need again; that couldn't be good for his twin at all. Bill's eyes rested on his wrist for a while and Bill seemed to be thinking about it, but began frowning after only a few moments.

"No," Bill said, looking back up finally staring into Tom's eyes, "you're right, I have to get over this. I'm sorry, I'm being stupid ... I just can't ..."

Tom reached out and took Bill's hand.

"I know," he said, understanding Bill's quandary, at least partially; "don't worry about it. Just take it one step at a time. Let's go somewhere more comfortable and you can take what you need before we get back to sorting all this mail."

Tom was glad when Bill nodded and his twin climbed to his feet as he urged him to. They were in the living room, so Tom led Bill towards the bedroom where no one would walk in on them.

"Maybe if I sit behind you," Bill suggested as Tom sat on the bed and waited for Bill to decide how they were going to do this.

He nodded, he was perfectly happy to go with anything that made Bill more comfortable. He knew what it was like not to trust his own feelings and he couldn't imagine what it must be like for Bill with everything else piled on top as well. He was incredibly glad of his baggy clothes, because it hid the fact that he was, more than a little, looking forward to Bill feeding, but he couldn't help the little shiver as Bill climbed onto the bed behind him. There was only so much he could deny.

His dreads were piled on his head in a messy bunch, since that was far easier than arranging them properly as they were off duty, and he felt Bill moving the odd one that had escaped away from the side of his neck. Sitting still was very hard, but somehow he managed it. Bill was clearly trying to avoid leaning up against him completely, but it was impossible not to do so at least in part, and he felt his twin press up against his back.

The tickle of excitement and arousal twirled in his belly as Bill leant forward and warm breath ghosted over his throat. When he had said it was almost better than sex, he hadn't been kidding and his body was anticipating it in the same way. Bill's hands were on his shoulders and he held his breath waiting for the first bite.

Bill's fangs going in hurt, but the momentary pain was like the spark which lit the fire and, as Bill's mouth closed over his throat, he felt the feedback connection explode into life and it was amazing. It was as uncontrollable as an orgasm and just as good in many ways as his body reacted and his mind engulfed the whole experience, taking in every part of it. The pure pleasure ran through his entire body, unadulterated by thought or guilt or anything else as Bill shared this fundamental part of himself.

There was no holding back when Bill fed from him. Syb had explained it once, something about the pair-bond between Strigoi and bond mate demanding the complete connection. He was carried away on a wave of arousal and bliss and while it was happening he didn't care about anything else. He knew he loved Bill in every way possible and it was in these moments he could feel it as starkly as if it was written in neon lights.

When Bill fed he had no doubts or worries, it was only when Bill broke away that any of those came back. As he descended from the high this time he found they were still sitting on the bed, but Bill was leaning on his quite heavily and his twin was shaking. He lifted one hand and covered one of Bill's that was still on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he did his best to put away everything he was feeling.

"I'm ... yes ..." Bill's voice was strong, but incredibly unsure, "I ... I need ... going to the bathroom."

He didn't want Bill to go when his twin pulled away from him, but he had promised to pretend, so he had to let Bill go. It was abundantly clear that the feeding had affected Bill the same way it had affected him, and he could feel the ache in his groin very clearly, but it was also clear that Bill couldn't deal with him knowing that right then.

"Bill," he said, making his twin halt at the door.

Bill turned to look at him, guilt and confusion etched in every movement.

"I'll see you back in the living room, yeah?" he said, doing his best to pretend everything was normal.

He even managed a little smile.

"Yeah," Bill said quietly and looked incredibly grateful, and then his twin was gone and he was left to decide if he should deal with his problem like Bill was obviously about to do, or just hope it would go away.

It wasn't an easy choice to make.

====

They had been at home a little over a week and Bill seemed to have adjusted to the new aspect of the bond okay. Everything was not as relaxed as it had been before, but Tom was hopefully optimistic that they would be able to sort things out. Talking about it, however, was not yet on the agenda and so he'd caught Syb when she had arrived and asked her not to mention it, just in case the perceptive Strigoi noticed something. For the first time, Syb was alone for one of her visits, and she had agreed as Tom took her coat for her.

"Good evening, Bill," Syb greeted as Tom followed her into the living room, "how are you today?"

Tom was pleased when Bill smiled brightly; it seemed that Syb's last visit had quelled Bill's fears of what might happen and Bill was far more relaxed this time.

"I'm fine," Bill said and bounced out of his seat to greet Syb with a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, "how are you?"

"Very well thank you," Syb replied as Bill offered her a seat, "very busy, but then running around after human law enforcement always was rather frantic."

Bill looked a little less at ease for a moment and so Tom decided to step in.

"Are you any closer to catching Bill's attacker?" he asked, since it was the obvious question.

"We found an empty house," Syb said while making herself comfortable, "but it was completely cleared out. We think they left as soon as the news that Bill was still alive hit the media. It means it will take longer to find them, but it seems likely that this monster and his people are running."

"So you don't think he'll try and come back for me?" Bill asked in a very tight sounding voice.

"It's unlikely he'd try," Syb said with a nod; "since it would be more dangerous than trying to get away. The police will remain outside you house, though, just in case, and at night they will still be a Strigoi-human partnership."

"Thank you," Bill said, although, to Tom, he did sound a little more relaxed.

Tom hoped with all his heart that Bill's attacker was at least that logical. So far there had been no sign of anything strange going on near the hospital or their house, which was a good start. He prayed that they were safe.

"Markus sends his apologies," Syb said, changing the subject quite neatly, "but he is up to his eyes in paper work. If he would learn to type with more than two fingers I'm sure he would get through it much faster."

"And he doesn’t have the excuse of nails," Tom said with a laugh; "you should see Bill typing."

Bill stuck his tongue out and Tom grinned; at least they could start with a chat before the conversation became heavier.

Chatting about all sorts of things went on for over half an hour before matters turned to more important subjects. Tom was quite happy to let Bill and Syb talk as Bill asked whatever random questions occurred to him. It was almost relaxing, listening to Bill investigate different aspects of Strigoi nature and culture. Bill had always had an enquiring mind, it was just that so much at school had simply bored them both, and when Bill got his teeth into a subject he cared about it was always entertaining to watch him go.

It was past midnight before Syb took over again and steered the conversation to something she obviously needed to talk about.

"I have been speaking with the elders," Syb said and something about her tone alerted Tom to the fact that this was not going to be a simple exchange; "they would like to meet you, both of you..."

Tom knew that; Syb had made it very clear how interested the elders were in Bill.

"...on Friday."

Tom's thoughts stalled and he was caught somewhere between wanting to laugh and simply not believing he had heard correctly.

"You have to be kidding," he said as he finally convinced his brain that he had indeed heard the word 'Friday'.

"No," Syb said with a small shrug, "I am not."

It took Tom a fraction of a second to stand up.

"How can you even think that?" he demanded, all sorts of terrible possible scenarios running through his head.

He glanced at Bill who appeared shell shocked by the announcement.

"If you agree it will be a formal dinner and small gathering afterwards," Syb explained as if Tom had not all but yelled at her; "nothing too crowded."

"You're out of your mind," Tom said and really couldn't believe what Syb was saying. "Markus must have told you what happened outside the hospital and what getting from there to here did to Bill."

Syb inclined her head, but did not look in the least bit apologetic.

"And I have seen with my own eyes how much improvement Bill has made in his time at home," Syb said and Tom felt like laughing in her face. "I would never have brought it up if I didn't think Bill was ready."

"I can barely cope with people I have known for years," Bill's quiet voice stopped Tom from raging; "how am I supposed to deal with complete strangers?"

Tom moved back to Bill's side as he realised his twin was looking a little white; it was clear the mere suggestion of the meeting had frightened Bill.

Syb stood up slowly and walked across the room, crouching down in front of Bill. Tom felt like pushing her away, but he knew that would have been petty and futile.

"I am not talking about humans, Bill," Syb said carefully, "these are Strigoi and in a few cases their bond mates as well. You will be able to sense them and know that they mean you no harm the moment you are introduced and take their hands. They are all aware of what you have been through and for a civilised Strigoi there is no worse crime than what the animal who took you tried to do. They only wish to welcome you and show you what we are really like."

"Then why can’t they wait?" Tom asked, still angry at the idea.

Syb stood up and looked him in the eye.

"Because the longer we wait, the more difficult it will be for Bill to re-evaluate what he is and what we are in his head," Syb said evenly. "He needs to meet more of his own kind. He is ready."

Tom didn't like the arrogance he saw in Syb when she spoke now; there were some things that she could not possibly know.

"How can you stand there and say that?" he all but raged. "You don't listen to Bill scream at night when he wakes up from a nightmare. I will not let you..."

Bill took his hand, making him stop and look down.

"Please don't argue," Bill said quietly, clearly shaken by what was going on.

When Tom looked at Syb she seemed as abashed as he felt; what had he been thinking?

"I'm sorry," he said, sitting down next to Bill and wrapping an arm around his twin.

"My apologies as well," Syb said, returning to her seat, "I did not mean to be so adamant. I will of course tell them that it is not possible if you do not feel up to it."

Tom took a calming breath and let it go slowly; it was clear the stress must have been getting to all of them.

"I'll really be able to sense them?" Bill asked slowly.

Syb nodded.

"Just as you sense me when we meet," Syb explained. "Our connection is greater because of what we have shared, but you will feel their intentions and through them any bonded who are also there."

Bill looked at Tom and Tom squeezed his twin's hand in support; he would back Bill in whatever his twin decided.

"Maybe it is time," Bill said eventually. "I need to get back out there and I can't with normal people yet. If anyone came up to me asking for an autograph I'd probably faint in a heap."

Tom gave his twin a smile for trying to lighten the tone with the last phrase.

"If you think you can I'll be with you every step of the way," he promised faithfully.

It was abundantly clear to Tom that Bill was terribly unsure about the whole thing, but he also saw the resolution come across Bill's face. If there was one thing Bill had never lacked it was courage.

"Okay," Bill said looking back over to Syb, "tell them yes."

Syb did not bother replying, the female Strigoi simply nodded; the discussion was over.

"I will make arrangements and give you the details," were the last words on the matter.

Tom knew that there would be nightmares that night when they finally went to bed. Moments of stress, even small things, seemed to come back to haunt Bill in his dreams and this had definitely been a considerable amount of stress. He only hoped the rest of Syb's visit would be more relaxing.

====

Friday arrived all too quickly, but all Tom could think when he surveyed his twin was that Bill looked stunning. No effort had been spared and Bill looked every inch the regal vampire. Bill's hair was down, carefully styled around his sculptured face and Bill had chosen an all black outfit: black silk shirt, black, tailored suede jacket and black jeans. Bill's shoes were leather and expensive and the accessories were subtle, but stunning, as was the makeup. Tom was more than impressed.

"You look amazing," he said, not bothering to hide his awe at the beauty that was his brother.

He suddenly felt really, really underdressed; which wasn't like him at all. When Syb had given them the details and that it would be a formal occasion, Bill had only made one request: lose the hat. That had been it and now Tom was beginning to wish his twin had asked for more.

"So do you," Bill said with a smile and stepping up to him, gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Tom looked down at himself; he was wearing blue jeans, white trainers, two black t-shirts and a black jacket. His hair was being kept at bay by a black band and he felt very down beat compared to Bill.

"Compared to you I look like I crawled out of the sewer," he said even though everything he was wearing was pristine.

"Rubbish," Bill said, taking his hand; "you look as well presented as always; you're just different."

And that was that; Bill didn't seem remotely fazed at all.

"Let's go," Bill suggested and pulled him towards the door; "the car is waiting.

The Strigoi were dealing with making sure the press didn't notice their exit and Tom had decided not to ask how. He knew no one was going to be hurt and that was all he cared about.

End of Chapter 7

On to Next Part

AdventDrabble, Day24, Tokio Hotel, Bill/Tom, PG, Perfection

2007-12-24T08:43:48Z

For Christmas Eve I wrote a double drabble :).

Day24
Title: Perfection
Author: Beren
Fandom: Tokio Hotel
Pairing: Bill/Tom
Rating: PG
Warnings: twincest

Bill liked things to be perfect and his current attempt at wrapping was not playing ball. The actual sticking the paper on had been easy, but he had wanted it to be prettier and had started with the ribbon. Now it looked like it had mated with a ribbon machine and created some sort of mutant. For the fifth time he ripped it off and prepared to start again.

"Having trouble?" Georg asked, wandering into the living room where he was sitting.

"It won't be beautiful," he complained, holding up the box.

"Looks fine to me like that," Georg said and Bill pouted at him. "Okay, so what's so special about it?"

"It's for Tom," Bill said simply.

Georg frowned.

"But you two don't get each other presents," Georg pointed out.

"I know," Bill said and huffed, "but ... well before ... we ... I just wanted to this time, okay?"

Everyone knew he'd fallen madly in love with Tom, and he wanted the gift to be absolutely perfect.

"Stay there," Georg said, "this calls for emergency measures; I'm getting Gustav."

Bill couldn't help smiling; it would probably take three hours, but with Gustav's help it would definitely be perfect.

AdventDrabbles Day23, Harry Potter, Harry/Draco, PG, Chocolate

2007-12-23T16:05:10Z

Day23
Title: Chocolate
Author: Beren
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: PG

"Harry Potter, what on earth do you think you're doing?"

Harry turned to see Draco looking at the kitchen in horror.

"You're not supposed to be home for two hours," he protested.

"I wanted to surprise you," Draco replied.

Harry looked at the spoon in his hand and then at the chocolate daubed kitchen. He would have had it clean in two hours.

"Well I know you don't like Christmas cake," Harry said sheepishly, "so I made you chocolate instead."

Draco smiled before leaning in to give him a kiss.

"It's times like this I know why I love you."

AdventDrabble, Day22, Tokio Hotel, none, PG

2007-12-22T13:40:15Z

Day22
Title: Bounce
Author: Beren
Fandom: Tokio Hotel
Pairing: none
Rating: PG

Bill bounced up to Tom, threw his arms around him, kissed him on the cheek and then bounced off again. Tom just watched his twin go and then turned back to the person he had been talking to. The woman whose name he was trying desperately to remember looked a little startled.

"Is that ... um ... normal?"

"Bill's caught the Christmas spirit," Tom replied with a fond grin; "he'll be like that until New Year."

"Exuberant," was the woman's opinion.

"He's happy," Tom said and beamed at his twin across the room.

That was all he really cared about.

AdventDrabble, Day21, Harry Potter, Harry/Draco, PG, Six Years Old

2007-12-21T07:52:33Z

Day21
Title: Six Years Old
Author: Beren
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: PG

"Harry, come on, love, where are you?"

It had been a silly Christmas present from George; a de-aging potion so the adults could have a kiddies party and forget their grownup troubles. What Harry hadn't counted on was being six again bringing back his six year old memories.

He started as the door of the cupboard opened and he almost shrank away when strong arms reached in and picked him up.

"Oh, Harry," Draco said, holding him close and kissing the tears off his cheeks, "let's get you the antidote, then we adults can have some jelly and ice cream."

AdventDrabbles, Day20, Tokio Hotel, Bill/Gustav, PG, Will He Like It?

2007-12-20T07:29:33Z

Day20
Title: Will He Like It?
Author: Beren
Fandom: Tokio Hotel
Pairing: Bill/Gustav
Rating: PG

Bill looked at the iPod in the case and worried at his lip with his teeth.

"Just buy it," Tom said from beside him.

"But will he like it?" Bill asked, still chewing his lip.

"Of course he'll like it," Tom said and gave him the rolled eye look; "his old one just went on the fritz and Gustav, being Gustav, thinks he can fix it."

Bill finally beckoned to the shop assistant.

"It comes with free engraving for Christmas," the woman said with a smile.

That, at least, was easy.

"All my love, B," he said and smiled back.

AdventDrabbles, Day19, Harry Potter, Harry/Draco, PG13, Your Fault

2007-12-19T07:24:40Z

Day19
Title: Your Fault
Author: Beren
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: PG13

"Ow," Harry complained, "will you be careful."

"I think I know my way around your bum by now," was Draco's dry reply.

"But it hurts," Harry whined, "and it's your fault."

"Oh, pray tell, Potter," Draco's tone was no where near as warm now, "why exactly is this my fault?"

Harry thought about his answer carefully.

"Because if you weren't so bloody gorgeous I wouldn't have followed you out of the bedroom in the buff; I wouldn't have tried to kiss you; and I wouldn't have sat on that Christmas tree branch by accident."

"Guilty," Draco said after a moment.

AdventDrabble, Day18, Tokio Hotel, Tom/Geo, PG13, No Such Thing as Can't

2007-12-18T07:36:34Z

Day18
Title: No Such Thing as Can't
Author: Beren
Fandom: Tokio Hotel
Pairing: Tom/Georg
Rating: PG13

Tom walked in, ripped his hat off and threw it in the corner, climbed onto the sofa so he was straddling Georg and then proceeded to kiss his boyfriend senseless. Then he stood up and calmly walked out the way he had come in. Bill tried, but he couldn't hide his grin.

"I don't think Tom liked being told he couldn't tell anyone," Gustav commented from next to him.

"They should have known really," Bill said and grinned even more; "never tell a Kaulitz 'can't'."

Then he turned back to the TV host to find the poor women completely speechless.

AdventDrabble, Day17, Weiss Kreuz, PG13

2007-12-17T07:55:13Z

Day17
Title: Christmas Dinner
Author: Beren
Fandom: Weiss Kreuz
Pairing: none
Rating: PG13

Yoji's idea of a good time at Christmas was crashing parties and sleeping with women loosened up by Christmas cheer, but Omi had done the big eye thing. Hence he was sitting at the table with the other three looking at food that Omi had made from a recipe book, because Omi thought it might be fun. He was almost positive none of them were even practicing Christians.

"And we're supposed to eat..." a foot connected with his shin and he looked up to see Aya glaring at him.

He nursed his bruise and accepted his plate graciously after that.

AdventDrabbles, Harry Potter, G, Sharing

2007-12-16T21:28:01Z

Day16
Title: Sharing
Author: Beren
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: none
Rating: G

So many people had died during the war that some would say Christmas had lost some of its cheer, but Harry was determined that that wouldn't be true. He had been incredibly surprised when a letter had arrived to tell him he had been awarded a very large sum of money. It seemed that it was compensation for the negligence of the Ministry when placing him as a baby.

He had promptly given a quarter to the Weasleys without giving them a chance to object, ordered more Christmas goodies than was good for any of them and invested the rest.

AdventDrabbles, Day15, Tokio Hotel, Georg/Gustav, PG, Christmas Cheer

2007-12-15T17:42:34Z

Day15
Title: Christmas Cheer
Author: Beren
Fandom: Tokio Hotel
Pairing: Georg/Gustav
Rating: PG

Georg put his hand to his lips as if he would feel the memory of the kiss that had just happened. His brain was in shock as he watched Gustav wobble away. They had all had one too many, but, unusually for Gustav, their drummer had had many too many. Gustav's words rang in his head.

"Love you."

Gustav hadn't seemed to expect anything back, but had appeared determined to pass on the information. Georg wasn't sure if Gustav would remember in the morning and, coming to a sudden decision, he followed his friend to make sure Gustav definitely would.