Work Text:
It was early in the morning when Angela found herself in front of Michael’s closed door. They had gotten back to the house several hours ago, most of which she had spent tidying up their shared space. It was her way of keeping herself busy while she pondered the events that had occurred earlier in the night.
The events that had led her to knock on this door.
Michael had retreated to his room immediately upon their arrival and she hadn’t seen him since, but he was quick to open the door. For a split second, she believed to watch disappointment flicker over his face.
“Do you need something?”
While Angela still donned a black leather jacket, his plaid pajama pants and faded T-shirt made it clear that she had just interrupted his evening.
“We need to talk,” she stated and entered the room, making sure Michael closed the door behind them. They didn’t need one of the other coterie members involved in their business.
Michael’s space was dimly lit and a little cluttered, with papers strewn over the desk and a pile of clothing on a chair in the corner. There was an open comic book on the bed and two mugs on the nightstand, one half filled with coffee. Nothing out of the ordinary, as Angela had been in this room many times before.
“Something happened.”
Her words hung heavily in the space between them. Michael sat on the edge of the bed and leaned back on his arms, looking at her with furrowed brows. Normally, she was rather quick to the point.
“What are you talking about? I thought the job went down with no issues?”
Even though he wasn’t wrong, Angela couldn’t help but scoff.
“You didn’t notice his weird behavior when we got back to the car?” she asked and crossed her arms.
“Well, he was a little reserved, but… I just assumed it was about his deal with that lady at the graveyard,” Michael wondered, now with a hint of alarm in his voice. “Though there was this weird look in his eyes when he got out of the car…”
He hadn’t thought much of it earlier, but now that she brought it up, it had been unusual.
“Exactly. In the warehouse, he did something I’ve never seen him do before.”
Angela felt Michael’s eyes on her as she crossed the room to peer through the curtains. The street outside the brownstone was vacant safe for a cat scurrying off into one of the dark alleys on the other side. She hesitated only because she didn’t quite know how to describe it.
“You’ve seen those talons he can grow from his fingers?”
Michael nodded, though he hadn’t witnessed it often, considering he usually stayed behind in the car.
“It was similar to that. Bones instead of talons, barbed like the thorns of a rose. They just extended from his fingertips, and he seemed surprised. I don’t think he did it willingly.”
Silence filled the room after her description. When Angela looked back at Michael, he met her eyes with a mix of concern and intrigue.
“Did he say anything about it?”
“I asked him if he was alright, and of course he said yes. I mean, physically he seemed fine. But I don’t know, the look in his eyes was unsettling.”
She turned and began slowly pacing through the room, her footsteps muffled by the huge carpet. Despite possessing perfect composure when it came to her job, she often got rather jittery in the aftermath.
Her worry wasn’t helping, and she couldn’t help but worry about what she had seen and heard.
“You’re right, that’s a little concerning. But I kind of lost track of all the freaky shit kindred can do. Maybe it’s just a new power? He hasn’t been one for that long, after all,” Michael mused as he watched her cross the room.
It wasn’t the first time he had seen Angela like this, though it was rare that she allowed it. Much like Isaac, she liked to remain professional. They both knew that he kept things hidden from them, which was a point of concern they had discussed before.
Of course, their dynamic meant that he didn’t owe them any insight into his motivations, but they couldn’t help but care. Angela and Michael had realized very early on that being bound to a kindred in the way they were meant harboring a certain affection for them.
Now, there was a sort of friendly rivalry for Isaac’s attention between them. Even though they knew that these feelings weren’t entirely natural, but rather fabricated by the effects of the vitae, neither of them felt that they should fight them.
There was also the simple fact that without Isaac, they would be nothing but mere mortals again, a concept they weren’t particularly fond of. Which was why Michael didn’t quite see why the idea of Isaac getting stronger disturbed Angela this much.
Her continued pacing was starting to irritate him, so he moved to the side and offered her the spot next to him.
“Is there anything else?” he asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed.
Angela had heard how other kindred spoke about Isaac’s clan on multiple occasions. She didn’t know much about kindred politics and the different clans, but the Tzimisce seemed to be particularly hated among the others.
“There was another kindred in the warehouse that also saw him do that, and all the guy said was that he’s ‘one of them’. Doesn’t that sound familiar to you?”
She watched as Michael grimaced at her words. They had both heard them before.
“Well, we still have no idea what it means. And now, apparently, it’s true. Do you think it’s a danger to us?”
“If anything, I feel like it’s going to make him a target.”
“Maybe you’re right, or maybe it’s going to be the opposite. We’ll just have to see,” Michael stated and pushed a hand through his curls. He didn’t quite know what to think of this development.
“Shouldn’t he tell us, though?”
“You want to go talk to him? Right now?”
“Why not?” Angela stated, having made up her mind. Sure, it would be a little out of the ordinary, but she felt that it was warranted.
“Look, I just want to know what’s going on with him.”
Michael sighed and wondered how Isaac would take it if they disturbed him now. However, he too wanted to know if he was alright. Maybe Isaac would see it as a display of their loyalty.
“Alright, I’ll come with you,” he decided, to which Angela looked relieved. She wasted no time and made her way to the door, glancing back to make sure he was following.
The wooden steps to the third floor creaked as they ascended, only illuminated by a flimsy lightbulb somewhere in the corridor above them. It wasn’t the first time they would be up there, but it didn’t happen often, and almost never without an invitation.
Angela was still pondering how they should best approach the subject, when her eyes flickered towards the top of the stairs and her heart nearly stopped.
A dark, backlit figure towered over them, almost otherworldly until the flash of teeth and a too wide smile dissolved the image.
“Angela. Michael. How can I help you?” Isaac asked, not giving any indication as to whether they had interrupted something.
Angela subtly cleared her throat, glanced back at Michael’s wide-eyed stare, and took one more step.
“Apologies for the intrusion, Sir. We would like to talk to you, if that’s possible.”
She couldn’t quite make out his face but imagined that this probably amused him.
“You may come up.”
As they reached the top of the stairs, Isaac moved to the side at the last second and swiftly walked towards the singular open door on the right. He was no longer wearing the jacket and was, strangely, only left in a T-shirt. Despite his earlier insistence that he owned clothes other than button-ups and suspenders, Angela didn’t think she had ever seen him in a T-shirt. Michael’s look of confusion only proved that this was highly unusual.
Either way, the two of them followed him into the room they normally only entered when they required the thing that made sure of their continued existence. It mainly served as an office, but there was a small grey couch pushed against the wall opposite the wooden desk.
“Please, sit down. You don’t need to look so nervous,” Isaac told them as he leaned against the desk, his hands folded in front of his body. Angela was quite certain it was a deliberate choice of his to remain standing but sat down on the couch next to Michael either way.
“So. What is it you wanted to talk about?” he inquired, still smiling widely. A beat of silence made it clear Michael was leaving the field to her.
“What happened at the warehouse left us with some questions, Sir.”
Angela made a point to catch Isaac’s unblinking eyes for a moment.
“Ah. Yes.”
“The other kindred, Sir. He said that you’re ‘one of them’. We would like to know what that means.”
They watched his eyes close for a moment as he chuckled.
“Hm. I don’t quite know what it means, yet. But you don’t need to concern yourself with that.”
“I think we do, Sir,” Michael spoke up, keeping his voice as neutral as possible, though he knew it was hard to hide anything here.
Isaac’s eyes, so far trained on Angela, traveled to his face. He could feel them sweep over his seated form and was reminded of the fact that he was, for all intents and purposes, in his pajamas.
“Interesting. Are you worried about me?”
Impossibly, Isaac’s smile seemed to grow wider, fully exposing his fangs.
“We just want to make sure we know if you’re in any additional danger, Sir,” Angela cut in before Michael could answer. “To make sure we are adequately prepared.”
“Ah. Of course. Well, I don’t think so, at present. I will let you know when I find out what we are dealing with.”
Michael was sure that he was well aware their questions weren’t merely out of professional interest. Isaac’s eyes stared out into the distance before finding their faces again. For a moment, his face had lost all expression.
“And you’re alright, Sir?” Michael insisted, even though he knew he likely wouldn’t get a true answer.
Isaac smiled and pushed himself off the desk, strolling towards them. It was one of the moments that reminded him they were, in fact, submitting themselves to a predator.
“Perfectly so. But I find it admirable that you both ask me that so often.”
He came to a stop in front of Michael, close enough that he had to tip his head back to look up at Isaac from the couch.
“Now. Is that all you needed?” Isaac asked and placed a hand on the side of Michael’s face. Dry fingertips brushed along his jawline and made it difficult to remain still.
Images of torn flesh and protruding bones appeared in his mind, but he was quick to shove them away. Isaac smiled as Michaels eyes darted from his face to his fingers, as if he could sense his thought. The point of contact was cool, a stark contrast to the glare he could feel coming from Angela.
“As long as you’ll keep us updated, Sir,” she agreed, sounding more reserved than before.
“Wonderful. If you’ll excuse me, I still have some things that require my attention tonight.”
Michael missed the touch as soon as Isaac lowered his hand, but he knew not to ask for more. They both recognized their dismissal for what it was and rose from the couch under Isaacs expectant smile.
Angela followed behind Michael, eager to linger just a second longer. A quick glance over her shoulder proved that Isaac was watching them retreat until she was about to close the door.
“Angela.”
Michael had already reached the stairs, not that she particularly cared for him to hear. She quickly turned back and opened the door to reveal that Isaac was staring at her intensely.
The smile that appeared on his face now sent a shiver down her back.
“If I say that I’m fine, then I am fine. I don’t like to repeat myself.”
Despite the docile tone of his voice, she knew to take the words as a warning. A wave of anger washed over her at the thought that Michael had gotten away without this kind of reprimand.
“That being said, I do appreciate your concern. It is not something people normally direct towards me,” Isaac continued, folding his hands in front of his body.
Once more, Angela was distracted by the ridiculousness of seeing him in a t-shirt.
“Goodnight, Angela.”
Somehow, the smile accompanying his words now felt more genuine than before. She lingered for a moment, anchored to the spot by the invisible force that always drew her towards him.
“Goodnight, Sir.”
With a final look, she turned and left the room, though Isaac’s chuckle was audible even through the door.