( Now he's thinking. And worrying. This isn't what Damon needs. )
Telekinesis, really?
( He interrupts Michael, but Michael keeps talking. Keeps pushing. Damon regards him, contemplates changing the subject again, but chooses to rip his bandaid off. Not Caroline's. That's not his place. )
I'm vampire. I threw an unwanted, unasked for party. Caroline didn't like it. We both said some things. I said some worse things. Hence my broken neck. Which I heal from. It varies in time. Few minutes. I am fine. The gold coin did a number on several of my friendships. And my own growth. That's all.
[ Michael takes a breath, which definitely comes across as relieved.
It wasn't serious. Vampires can heal from that. This is fine.
As is the fact that Damon is one, because true to form, Michael has no issue with that. He's heard of vampires since he arrived here, from both Kyle and Damon himself. That Damon is one isn't a huge surprise, given that he's from the town that he'd said himself was full of them.
Michael cares more that he's okay. He claps his shoulder, in a that wasn't so hard now, was it? kind of way, and sighs. ]
The gold coins screwed all of us up. She's gonna know that, man. And if she broke your neck already, I'd say you aren't the one with making up to do.
Crosses don't do anything, unless they're made of wood and stabbing me in the heart. Likewise, holy water.
( He's also not loving this line of questioning. He knows it's for concern. He's curious and wants to help. But, he's not going to go into what vervain is or why. )
[ So, crosses no. Stakes, though, apparently yes. That's worth knowing. Michael frowns, thinking through the implications, and he looks away. ]
Stabbing someone through the heart'll get most people.
[ It's just true. The specificity of that wooden something is what matters.
So he adds, more quietly: ]
Do people give you grief about it? Cause, when I say I have your back, I mean it. And I know humans aren't real cool about anyone who's not. I've seen some things.
[ Not vampire things, obviously. But things. Enough to make him concerned about what humans might do to Damon, if they knew what he was. ]
Anything but wood will just hurt. If it's big enough, it'll put me down for a few hours. But, it won't kill me.
( Also. Don't go thinking about it. Also, doing get stabbed in the heart Michael. He'll have to shuffle the bar schedule again. )
I don't just go around telling anyone. We've been hunted before. By, not just humans. I'm not open. Even if the majority here doesn't care. I know better.
[ Michael nods. He'd figured, anyway; if Damon had been open about this, he'd have known about it before now. He gets living with a secret. There's no obligation to tell anyone. ]
Yeah. So do I. No one's gonna hear it from me.
[ He doesn't know if he needs to make that clear, but just in case, he will. ]
If there's trouble, though, I'm gonna expect you to call me. I don't care how nice and open everyone seems. It only ever takes one who's not.
[ His broken hand is the proof of that. Michael doesn't forget. ]
( He licks his lips, his intense eye contact breaking finally.
He should not be glancing down at Michael's lips. He may not have been himself, but it's easy to play out what happened between them right behind his eyelids. )
I'm ever a threat, I'll let you put me down yourself.
( Not staked, for the record. Desiccated. Unless. He means, coming to his defense. He can make that distinction. Damon won't point it out. )
[ Michael sees that look, and his shoulders move slightly to open him up a little. What happened between them is an inch away. He remembers with clarity how those lips had felt. Where those hands had been.
Damon's talk of putting him down is completely opposed to that feeling. What the hell is he talking about? ]
I'm talking about people coming for you, Damon. You've been good to me.
[ He smiles, and then leans back against the bar. ]
So. How much older than me are you? I'm gonna guess, what, early twenties? Isn't exactly right.
( Damon sees every subtle movement, but tries not to come off like he notices. They're both aware of what could be called tension. He calls it professionalism.
Good to him. Very good, all right. )
You tell me your age and I'll ballpark it. Not that asking somebody's age is the polite thing to do. ( But, there's no reason to be cagey. ) I'm 178. Older.
I look great for it. I'm the eternal stud. 30% more modest about that, too.
( Ish, anyway. He's a better person than when he made that declaration. )
You're also not going to get yourself killed if anyone does come for me. I have people here who are more than capable of avenging a kidnapping. Or worse.
[ He gazes at Damon for a second, and then narrows his eyes. From the other end of the bar, a glass flies neatly into his hand, and he catches it to clean. ]
Yeah. And I'm one of them, so don't test me. I don't share a lot of this kind of honesty, Damon. We live on secrets in Roswell.
Your problems are my problems. And not just cause I work for you.
( Nobody blinks. Nobody looks up. Damon does give the bar a once-over. Their devices, their conversations, and the music covers Michael's telekinetic act. )
Not just.
( Yeah, okay. )
LIES takes me prisoner and gives me access to anything, I'll message you. Kay?
( You're special. Somehow. Maybe it's the alien thing. How you reacted after their encounter. That you came back to work after being fired - unjustly. )
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2020-08-20 04:20 pm (UTC)Telekinesis, really?
( He interrupts Michael, but Michael keeps talking. Keeps pushing. Damon regards him, contemplates changing the subject again, but chooses to rip his bandaid off. Not Caroline's. That's not his place. )
I'm vampire. I threw an unwanted, unasked for party. Caroline didn't like it. We both said some things. I said some worse things. Hence my broken neck. Which I heal from. It varies in time. Few minutes. I am fine. The gold coin did a number on several of my friendships. And my own growth. That's all.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-20 04:27 pm (UTC)It wasn't serious. Vampires can heal from that. This is fine.
As is the fact that Damon is one, because true to form, Michael has no issue with that. He's heard of vampires since he arrived here, from both Kyle and Damon himself. That Damon is one isn't a huge surprise, given that he's from the town that he'd said himself was full of them.
Michael cares more that he's okay. He claps his shoulder, in a that wasn't so hard now, was it? kind of way, and sighs. ]
The gold coins screwed all of us up. She's gonna know that, man. And if she broke your neck already, I'd say you aren't the one with making up to do.
[ A slight pause. ]
I need to stop eating garlic bread?
no subject
Date: 2020-08-20 04:37 pm (UTC)( He knew you wanted to do it again! Now, to play that off and be the nonchalant vampire he is. )
Garlic is fine. I'm Italian. But, don't inhale the whole basket. That's just bad manners. And you'll ruin your appetite.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-20 04:41 pm (UTC)What about crosses, holy water? I just wanna know how many times Buffy lied to us.
[ And he wants to know what he should watch out for, in case Damon's in trouble. In this city? It's gonna come up, he knows it will. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-08-21 02:33 pm (UTC)( He's also not loving this line of questioning. He knows it's for concern. He's curious and wants to help. But, he's not going to go into what vervain is or why. )
no subject
Date: 2020-08-21 04:43 pm (UTC)Stabbing someone through the heart'll get most people.
[ It's just true. The specificity of that wooden something is what matters.
So he adds, more quietly: ]
Do people give you grief about it? Cause, when I say I have your back, I mean it. And I know humans aren't real cool about anyone who's not. I've seen some things.
[ Not vampire things, obviously. But things. Enough to make him concerned about what humans might do to Damon, if they knew what he was. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-08-21 04:52 pm (UTC)( Also. Don't go thinking about it. Also, doing get stabbed in the heart Michael. He'll have to shuffle the bar schedule again. )
I don't just go around telling anyone. We've been hunted before. By, not just humans. I'm not open. Even if the majority here doesn't care. I know better.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-23 12:20 pm (UTC)Yeah. So do I. No one's gonna hear it from me.
[ He doesn't know if he needs to make that clear, but just in case, he will. ]
If there's trouble, though, I'm gonna expect you to call me. I don't care how nice and open everyone seems. It only ever takes one who's not.
[ His broken hand is the proof of that. Michael doesn't forget. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-08-23 02:29 pm (UTC)( He licks his lips, his intense eye contact breaking finally.
He should not be glancing down at Michael's lips. He may not have been himself, but it's easy to play out what happened between them right behind his eyelids. )
I'm ever a threat, I'll let you put me down yourself.
( Not staked, for the record. Desiccated. Unless. He means, coming to his defense. He can make that distinction. Damon won't point it out. )
no subject
Date: 2020-08-24 10:00 pm (UTC)Damon's talk of putting him down is completely opposed to that feeling. What the hell is he talking about? ]
I'm talking about people coming for you, Damon. You've been good to me.
[ He smiles, and then leans back against the bar. ]
So. How much older than me are you? I'm gonna guess, what, early twenties? Isn't exactly right.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-25 05:51 pm (UTC)Good to him. Very good, all right. )
You tell me your age and I'll ballpark it. Not that asking somebody's age is the polite thing to do. ( But, there's no reason to be cagey. ) I'm 178. Older.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-25 06:13 pm (UTC)I'm not that polite. I'm 28, though, so yeah. You look good for it.
[ But then, Damon knew that. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-08-25 06:19 pm (UTC)( Ish, anyway. He's a better person than when he made that declaration. )
You're also not going to get yourself killed if anyone does come for me. I have people here who are more than capable of avenging a kidnapping. Or worse.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-25 08:30 pm (UTC)Yeah. And I'm one of them, so don't test me. I don't share a lot of this kind of honesty, Damon. We live on secrets in Roswell.
Your problems are my problems. And not just cause I work for you.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-25 08:47 pm (UTC)Not just.
( Yeah, okay. )
LIES takes me prisoner and gives me access to anything, I'll message you. Kay?
no subject
Date: 2020-08-25 09:38 pm (UTC)Michael smiles. ]
That's all I ask.
[ Then a beat, while he turns to put the glass with the others. ]
Thanks, for telling me.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-25 09:40 pm (UTC)( You're special. Somehow. Maybe it's the alien thing. How you reacted after their encounter. That you came back to work after being fired - unjustly. )