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schizoauthoress_libraryTitle: Made by Our Choices
Author: D.L.SchizoAuthoress
Rating: G
Spoilers: passing mentions of the outcome for NXT season one (2010)
Warnings: vampirism, blood
Prompt/Fill: Anon on Tumblr asked, "So why did Christian turn Heath into a vampire?" after I posted a few headcanons on what kind of vampire Heath Slater would be.
Word Count: 838
Summary: Christian Cage offers Heath Slater a change...
Made by Our Choices
It starts like this: Christian agrees to be paired with one of the NXT “rookies”, without really considering how much of a time-sink it’s going to be. There’s extra filming to be done for backstage segments, there’s the matches he has to be ringside for, and there’s the time spent actually acclimating Heath to how things work on the main roster. None of the “rookies” are really rookies, but the developmental system is a different beast. Christian might be an asshole sometimes, but he’s not so much of an asshole that he won’t get serious when a person needs real help.
He might tell Heath a few ridiculous lies about how to get ahead in backstage politicking, but if it ever looked like Heath was actually gonna buy into the bullshit, he’d put a stop to it. So far, though, Christian has only earned a bunch of skeptical looks and half-disbelieving laughs from Heath. It’s amusing, seeing how far he can push, seeing what gets him pushback.
Christian forgets himself, stupidly, and after one too many times rushing around to finish NXT appearances and all the planning that goes into his own matches, the blood hunger is screaming at him too loud to be ignored anymore. He starts losing his grip on the human guise he usually maintains.
It starts like this: Heath thinks that Christian might be sick, and he knocks on Christian’s hotel door to ask if there’s anything he can do to help? Is there anything that Christian needs?
He’s not sure why Christian laughs. Heath isn’t trying to be funny here.
And it’s probably just stupidity on top of stupidity that has Christian unlocking the door. Heath steps inside because why wouldn’t he...
Finding out that vampires are real, and Christian is really a vampire who just pretends to have left ‘the gimmick’ behind, is a hell of a surprise. But Heath shrugs and holds out an arm, telling Christian “I want to help you out, man, so please don’t kill me, okay?”
That’s how it starts -- Heath offers up his own blood to help Christian get back under control, and Christian reins in his killing instinct because he likes this guy and doesn’t want to hurt him.
After that, Heath keeps tabs on Christian’s feeding habits. Just little things, asking how he’s doing and if he’s eaten lately. Christian will never admit it, but he does appreciate the concern. He might act annoyed, but he’s pretty sure Heath can see through the act.
A few times, while out on the town with the rest of the NXT guys, Heath runs into Christian on the hunt. He acts as a “wingman” for Christian at least once, treating Christian like just some normal guy he knows. Whether he intended it or not, the moment puts Christian’s current prey at ease.
(It’s just another thing that helps make things easier for Christian, another entry in a growing list of reasons he might want to keep Heath around for a good long while.)
Eventually, Christian offers to turn Heath -- offers him the strength and speed of a vampire, and of course the training to handle it and the blood hunger that comes with it, courtesy of Christian. Heath grins at Christian and points out that he’s in the middle of a competition, and getting an advantage like that just wouldn’t be fair.
“Yeah?” Christian raises an eyebrow, “So?”
They both laugh, but the offer lingers between them... Heath spends a lot of time wondering why in the world Christian would want to turn him. Him, of all people. Christian worries that the offer freaked Heath out, and he’ll push Christian away now. It becomes a thing they do not talk about, for all that Heath still makes sure Christian is keeping fed, for all that he’s willing to let Christian feed from him again if need be.
May 25th rolls around, and Heath gets eliminated. Once they’re away from the cameras again, Heath mutters, “That offer still open?”
“Of course,” Christian replies. Heath is quiet after that, and Christian doesn’t push.
Wade Barrett wins season one of NXT, and then he and the rest of the “rookies” gatecrash the RAW on the following week, demanding contracts for all of them. After that, riding high on the hate they pulled from the crowd, the whole lot of them go out to party... and Christian tracks them down.
Heath is worried that his “mentor” is about to yell at him, or all of them, but Christian just laughs about it and buys them a round of drinks. Heath doesn’t protest being separated from the group, either, when Christian pulls him over to a table at the other end of the bar.
“So,” Christian says, “competition’s over now. You don’t have to worry about things being fair for your buddies anymore.”
“Suppose I don’t,” Heath replies, taking a drink.
“Same question as before,” Christian says, without elaborating, because they both know what he means, “what’s your answer now?”
*-*-*-*-*
Note: The story is open-ended, because this is the point where the AU splits. "Yes" leads one way, and "No" leads to another.
Author: D.L.SchizoAuthoress
Rating: G
Spoilers: passing mentions of the outcome for NXT season one (2010)
Warnings: vampirism, blood
Prompt/Fill: Anon on Tumblr asked, "So why did Christian turn Heath into a vampire?" after I posted a few headcanons on what kind of vampire Heath Slater would be.
Word Count: 838
Summary: Christian Cage offers Heath Slater a change...
Made by Our Choices
It starts like this: Christian agrees to be paired with one of the NXT “rookies”, without really considering how much of a time-sink it’s going to be. There’s extra filming to be done for backstage segments, there’s the matches he has to be ringside for, and there’s the time spent actually acclimating Heath to how things work on the main roster. None of the “rookies” are really rookies, but the developmental system is a different beast. Christian might be an asshole sometimes, but he’s not so much of an asshole that he won’t get serious when a person needs real help.
He might tell Heath a few ridiculous lies about how to get ahead in backstage politicking, but if it ever looked like Heath was actually gonna buy into the bullshit, he’d put a stop to it. So far, though, Christian has only earned a bunch of skeptical looks and half-disbelieving laughs from Heath. It’s amusing, seeing how far he can push, seeing what gets him pushback.
Christian forgets himself, stupidly, and after one too many times rushing around to finish NXT appearances and all the planning that goes into his own matches, the blood hunger is screaming at him too loud to be ignored anymore. He starts losing his grip on the human guise he usually maintains.
It starts like this: Heath thinks that Christian might be sick, and he knocks on Christian’s hotel door to ask if there’s anything he can do to help? Is there anything that Christian needs?
He’s not sure why Christian laughs. Heath isn’t trying to be funny here.
And it’s probably just stupidity on top of stupidity that has Christian unlocking the door. Heath steps inside because why wouldn’t he...
Finding out that vampires are real, and Christian is really a vampire who just pretends to have left ‘the gimmick’ behind, is a hell of a surprise. But Heath shrugs and holds out an arm, telling Christian “I want to help you out, man, so please don’t kill me, okay?”
That’s how it starts -- Heath offers up his own blood to help Christian get back under control, and Christian reins in his killing instinct because he likes this guy and doesn’t want to hurt him.
After that, Heath keeps tabs on Christian’s feeding habits. Just little things, asking how he’s doing and if he’s eaten lately. Christian will never admit it, but he does appreciate the concern. He might act annoyed, but he’s pretty sure Heath can see through the act.
A few times, while out on the town with the rest of the NXT guys, Heath runs into Christian on the hunt. He acts as a “wingman” for Christian at least once, treating Christian like just some normal guy he knows. Whether he intended it or not, the moment puts Christian’s current prey at ease.
(It’s just another thing that helps make things easier for Christian, another entry in a growing list of reasons he might want to keep Heath around for a good long while.)
Eventually, Christian offers to turn Heath -- offers him the strength and speed of a vampire, and of course the training to handle it and the blood hunger that comes with it, courtesy of Christian. Heath grins at Christian and points out that he’s in the middle of a competition, and getting an advantage like that just wouldn’t be fair.
“Yeah?” Christian raises an eyebrow, “So?”
They both laugh, but the offer lingers between them... Heath spends a lot of time wondering why in the world Christian would want to turn him. Him, of all people. Christian worries that the offer freaked Heath out, and he’ll push Christian away now. It becomes a thing they do not talk about, for all that Heath still makes sure Christian is keeping fed, for all that he’s willing to let Christian feed from him again if need be.
May 25th rolls around, and Heath gets eliminated. Once they’re away from the cameras again, Heath mutters, “That offer still open?”
“Of course,” Christian replies. Heath is quiet after that, and Christian doesn’t push.
Wade Barrett wins season one of NXT, and then he and the rest of the “rookies” gatecrash the RAW on the following week, demanding contracts for all of them. After that, riding high on the hate they pulled from the crowd, the whole lot of them go out to party... and Christian tracks them down.
Heath is worried that his “mentor” is about to yell at him, or all of them, but Christian just laughs about it and buys them a round of drinks. Heath doesn’t protest being separated from the group, either, when Christian pulls him over to a table at the other end of the bar.
“So,” Christian says, “competition’s over now. You don’t have to worry about things being fair for your buddies anymore.”
“Suppose I don’t,” Heath replies, taking a drink.
“Same question as before,” Christian says, without elaborating, because they both know what he means, “what’s your answer now?”
*-*-*-*-*
Note: The story is open-ended, because this is the point where the AU splits. "Yes" leads one way, and "No" leads to another.
