Masculine Delights

Alexia poked Edward in the side to try and wake him. Edward grabbed her hand and grumbled, "Why'd you wake me?"

"Because Van Cleef is making his move."

Edward was suddenly very awake.

Van Cleef smiled to himself as he watched the sun sink lower in the sky. He had always loved a challenge, and Edward with his precious master certainly would make a fun one... With everyone in place, he certainly wasn't worried.

Alexia left Edward to get everything ready. She moved her own people to strike the second Van Cleef did. She was close to him.... so close to killing him.

Signaling one of his people, Van Cleef began walking towards the building. The fun had started.

Van Cleef's men were unprepared for the sudden attack from the Sisterhood, who showed little mercy with the other assassins, taking them down quickly and efficiently.

Van Cleef, however, easily made it into the Circus, having caught one of the Sister's, pressing a gun to her neck. He was unaware that this was the leader's lover, and exactly what a mistake he was making considering.

Alexia saw as Van Cleef grabbed Lizzie. Her blood boiled as several weres rushed passed her. She looked around for Edward and saw he was fighting for his life and took off after Van Cleef. She withdrew her knife and threw it with deadly aim at his heart.

Van Cleef jerked as Lizzie managed to escaped him, the knife plunging into his side. He gasped, unable to breathe for a moment as his eyes landed on Edward. "Death!" He aimed his gun, waiting for the bastard to face him.

Edward shot one of the assassins and turned just as Van Cleef pulled the trigger. Lexia shouted as Edward fell. She shot Van Cleef several times to make sure the bastard was dead and ran to Edward's side.

Jean-Claude had barely stepped from his bedroom as he saw Edward fall. He was at his side in moments, screaming his name. "Non!"

Alexia saw Jean-Claude. "Get him out of here!" She shouted the vampire as she ran to help Lizzie.

Lifting Edward into his arms, Jean-Claude carried him to the safe room, locking them in as he ripped off Edward's shirt. "Mon Morte... non!" So much blood...

Edward coughed up blood. The bullet had struck the side of his lung and now it was filling up with blood. "Jea-jea..."

Stroking a hand over Edward's brow, Jean-Claude made a split second decision. He wasn't letting him die. Within moments, he'd placed the second mark on him, and bent his head, beginning the third as he began draining Edward of his blood. This didn't strengthen the assassin, and Jean-Claude felt his heart slow. Cutting a spot above his heart, he coaxed Edward to drink.

Edward felt himself slipping away. He realized he was dying and he panicked. He spit up more blood as he fought to stay conscious.

"Drink, Edward... be mine, please... I will... I cannot lose you!" Jean-Claude could feel himself dying as well.

Warm liquid ran down his throat and he swallowed not knowing what it was. He gagged slightly.

"Blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh, the two shall be as one. One flesh, one blood, one soul." Jean-Claude whispered the words, shaking as Edward drank from him.

Edward was floating somewhere off in space, but he wasn't scared and he wasn't dying. For some reason he felt safe.

Falling forward, Jean-Claude slipped into a state of unconsciousness rather like that he experienced during the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was almost three full days before Edward woke up. He moaned as he woke up. His chest still hurt a bit, but he was alive.

Asher leaned over him, stroking his hair. "Edward?"

"Asher?" His voice was hoarse.

"Oui, Morte... what do you remember?" He offered the assassin a glass of ice water, helping him drink through the straw.

"Van Cleef shot me." Edward touched his chest.

"Oui... do you know what happened after?"

"No." He finally saw Jean-Claude laying beside him. "Was he hit too?" He sounded worried.

"Non... he saved you. Edward, he placed the four marks on you... but he won't wake." Asher sighed, setting down the water.

Edward looked like he was about to panic. "What do you mean he won't wake?"

"You have both been unconscious for three days."

"So he would wake now that I'm awake."

"We hope." Asher sat next to the bed.

"I feel odd..."

"How so?" Asher pressed a button on the phone, telling Jason what had happened.

"I can't really explain it." Edward said as Jason arrived in the room.

"Hungry?" He handed him a thing of apple sauce. "He lives off of you..."

"That must be it." He ate a little bit.

"Eat slowly." Asher pulled Jason into his lap, resting his head on the were's shoulder.

Jason pressed himself against the vampire. Edward finished the applesauce.

"Feeling better?"

"A bit." He rubbed his forehead. "Still feel like crap."

Asher nodded, offering him some other things to eat. "You shall feel better with rest and time..."

"Good cause I feel like shit." Edward ate a bit more.

"As I have said, Mon Ami gains his strength from you, as in his current state he is unable to feed. Thus, you need to eat far more than normal." Asher rubbed his forehead. "The water, by the way, is fixed."

"Oh good." He paused. "Is Van Cleef dead, then?" Jason offered him some more food and he took it."

"Very. Lexia emptied a clip into him..." Asher explained.

"And had us burn the body." Jason snickered.

"It's not funny. I've shot him before he always manages to survive."

Asher stood, picking up a jar and setting it in front of the assassin. "Lexia's gift to you." Inside was a human heart.

Edward laughed. Lexia was one crazy bitch. "I'm guessing she left?"

"Right after she was sure he was dead." Jason informed him.

A soft moan came from beside Edward.

"Jean-Claude?" Edward said.

" 'orte..."

Asher sat up, motioning Jason forward. Jean-Claude could drink of him, and gain yet more strength.

Jason offered Jean-Claude his wrist. "You need to feed."

Jean-Claude moaned again, weakly pulling Jason's wrist to his mouth. Unable to roll him due to lack of strength, he bit down, and fed.

The wolf shifted a bit. The bite had hurt, but he'd had worse.

He fed well, and pulled back, his skin more healthy in appearance. "Merci... Edward?" He looked at his lover and reached for him.

"Welcome back, Mon Ami."

Edward took his hand. "You could have died saving me."

"I do not care..." Jean-Claude sat up, kissing Edward as Asher motioned Jason towards the door.

Jason smiled and they slipped out the door.

Edward returned the kiss. "Lexia left us a present." He pointed to the heart.

Glancing at it, Jean-Claude smiled. "We shall have to thank her..."

"Definitely." He looked at Jean-Claude. "I feel odd. Is it because I have all four marks?"

"Perhaps. How is it odd?"

"Well, it got better after you fed. Asher said you are feeding through me."

"Oui. Unfortunately, at times, when I cannot feed, my power will sustain itself through you..." Jean-Claude pushed his hair back, wrinkling his nose. "I feel disgusting."

"They fixed the water. We should go bathe."

Nodding, Jean-Claude rose to his feet, if a bit stiffly. "Are you well, Mon Morte?"

"I feel like crap and my shoulder is stiff and sore, but other than that I'm ok. You?" He went with Jean-Claude into the bathroom.

"Je suis desole..." Jean-Claude pulled the assassin into his arms, kissing the bullet wounds.

Edward smiled at him. "I said I was ok."

Jean-Claude shook his head. "That is not the point."

"It felt good." He said simply as he pulled away to start filling the bathtub.

"Quelle?" The vampire seemed a bit confused.

"The kiss." He rubbed his shoulder. "I'm not used to people caring."

"Ah... well, get used to it, Edward." Jean-Claude kissed him deeply. "I plan on having you around for a very, very long time."

"You sure you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" He asked.

"Of course..." Jean-Claude paused. "Are you unsure?"

"I couldn't image spending it with anyone else."

Pulling Edward to him, Jean-Claude purred. "Edward... I want you to top me..."

"Right now?"

"Please... when you feel you can..."

"Maybe after we soak for a bit." Edward told him.

He nodded, stripping off his clothing. "Of course."

Edward, who was already naked, slipped into the water.

Jean-Claude folded his breeches, hating that he could feel the weakness in him. It would be a few days until he was his normal self.

Edward sighed loudly as the warm water soothed his aches and pains.

"Perhaps, Mon Morte, the hot tub in the gym would be preferable?" Jean-Claude quirked a brow.

"Don't want to move." He told him.

Jean-Claude shrugged, climbing in.

Edward relaxed and looked at Jean-Claude. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak."The vampire closed his eyes, leaning against the side of the tub.

He moved forward and grabbed Jean-Claude's hand.

Jean-Claude jumped, gasping. "Edward?"

"What?" He looked at him.

"Nothing... I simply wasn't expecting you to move..."

"Oh... sorry for startling you."

"Non, it is fine. Did you want something?" Jean-Claude sat up, his brow furrowed.

"Just to make sure you're ok." Edward sat back.

"I am fine. Simply... not up to my normal strength." Jean-Claude pushed a hand through his hair and made a disgusted face, reaching for his shampoo.

Edward nodded sank down into the water to get his hair wet.

Pouring more than twice the needed amount into his hand, Jean-Claude began scrubbing his curls.

He took the shampoo from Jean-Claude and began to wash his own hair.

Jean-Claude rinsed his hair, then reached for the shampoo again. "I feel disgusting..."

Edward just shrugged. He'd had worse.

The vampire scrubbed his pale body until his skin was pink. "Edward, would you please hand me the conditioner?"

He took some conditioner for himself and passed it to the vampire.

"Merci." Smoothing it into his locks, Jean-Claude relaxed against the tub's side, letting the conditioner do its job.

Edward slid beneath the water and washed his hair.

Jean-Claude frowned as he surfaced. "You are supposed to leave in the conditioner for a while to let it soften your hair and give it nutrients..."

He shrugged. "It's just hair. I was thinking about shaving my head."

Aghast, Jean-Claude sat up. "Non! I forbid it!"

Edward jumped back at the sudden movement. "It'll just grow back in a few months."

"Non." Jean-Claude crossed his arms over his chest. "I will not be seen with a bald man!"

"It's just hair."

"It is not just hair!" Jean-Claude flung his own conditioner soaked locks over his shoulder. "You are not going to shave your head."

"Not everyone likes having long hair or hair at all for that matter." Edward glared at him. "Besides, its MY hair."

"Oui, and you are my human servant! I must be seen with you! I will not be seen with some bare-skulled commando with no fashion sense!"

"I have fashion sense. Besides it wouldn't be totally bald, just very short." He growled.

"Your hair is short as it is! The perfect length to run my hands through!" Jean-Claude moved so that he was kneeling in the tub.

"Maybe I don't like it this long." Edward crossed his arms over his chest.

Jean-Claude glared at him for a second before turning away. "Then cut it." He reached for the jar he kept for rinsing, and began to wash out the conditioner.

"Fine, I will." He grabbed the soap and began to wash himself.

Within minutes, Jean-Claude finished his bath, and climbed from the tub, beginning the long process of dressing and fixing his hair.

Edward washed off and grabbed a towel. He quickly dried off and pulled on some pants.

Jean-Claude fisted his hands around his brush, tired of trying to get the curls to look perfect. He threw the hair drier to the floor, and pulled his still damp hair into a tight braid before putting on his shirt. That would have to suit the media for today. Turning, he left the bathroom.

Edward was bent over, looking through his bags on the ground, wearing only a pair of jeans.

"I need to go meet with the mayor, and the press. I shall return later after I prepare." Jean-Claude said quietly, leaving the room.

Edward nodded as he left. He sighed loudly. He was so vain.