don't feel like dancin' [lucas]

[connor]

Connor was a good detective, and even though his case load was very full as of late, he never minded picking up a few extra cases. Cases with some sort of supernatural leaning had a particular interest for him, because to most of his other co-workers, they tended to look past the nuances and subtleties of cases that had supernatural content. Those cases happened to be Connor's favorites, because they gave him insight into certain areas of town to frequent when he was off duty and looking for potential confidential informants or just people that seemed interesting or connected enough to tail. Mostly, Connor took these cases because he was almost positive that some of his co-workers were involved with hunters, which were a group that Connor took the biggest interest in because of his history, his parents' death, and his deep-seated belief that they should be treated just like vigilantes and put behind bars to serve a nice, long sentence.

Tonight, his newest case had led him to Lan Enterprises, which was a multi leveled facility that seemed to be shrouded in secret. Connor didn't have the night off, but someone gave him a tip that the boss of the facility, Elliot Lan, was involved in serious business – and not the 'normal' type of business, either. While Connor certainly didn't expect to get his sights on Mr. Lan, he did want to see what sort of goings on were considered normal at his establishment, maybe get a few subtle interviews with patrons. Apparently, the fourth floor had the most enigmatic surroundings, as nobody made it up there without something akin to 'Top Secret' clearance. With all the rumors and hushed whisperings from various informants, Connor decided that this place was worth looking into. The shifter did his best not to look like a cop, and look more blue-collar casual that made him comfortable, which turned out to be way too casual for the basement floor nightclub that he was granted access to. At first, the man guarding the door had been skeptical about his entrance, but Connor's sheer size and strong, stoic nature was enough to deter most people. Especially because he was quite a bit bigger than the doorman. So much for highly paid bodyguards.

Connor made his way to the bar first, because the pounding, rhythmic music was far too loud and certainly not his style. The scruffy-haired man wondered if they sold regular beer at the bar, or if he was destined to nurse some frou-frou beverage that tasted too much like the money he'd have to drop on it for him to actually enjoy it. When he reached the bar, he managed to clear a space and get within range of the bartender so he could be heard. ”You got any Domestic beers in the bottle here?” The bartender nodded, and rattled off a selection, giving Connor a look that basically told him that next to no one ordered that kind of beverage in the lavish nightclub. ”Budweiser, then. Thanks, pal.” Connor paid and tipped the man, then leaned his back against the bar, checking the exits and entrances as was his military and police training, then began to survey the floor. Writhing, youthful bodies grinding against one another definitely wasn't his style. The detective held the bottle securely in his large hand, then tipped it back against his lips and swallowed a good half of it in one swig. He was technically on the job, but since he was basically undercover, nobody would get on his case for having a drink or two.

Domestic wasn't enough to do anything to him, anyway, and Connor couldn't say that he wished it wasn't stronger in that moment when he felt completely and totally out of place. But, a job was a job, and Connor liked to do his best. Protect and serve, or something like it.

OUTFIT: Here!
WORDS: 651

[LUCAS DEAN HENDRICKSEN]

[style=width:400px; height:15px; font-family:oleo script; font-size:30px; line-height:85%; color:#876363; border-bottom: 5px solid #c1a2a2; letter-spacing:-1px; text-decoration:italic; text-align:right;]i wanna be drunk when i wake up,

on the right side of the wrong bed,

TAGGED: cj with connor!
WORDS: 808
NOTES: you know you love this kid connor.

Lucas knew he was out of place here. He was poor, and this place was for rich douche bags. But alas, he could pretend that he fitted in. The girl he had met, Sonya, had wanted to meet him here and so Lucas obliged. She was gorgeous, and he needed this chase that she presented. He didn't tell her that he was rat poor and so he was a little taken aback when she suggested to meet at Lan Enterprises because he had heard of the place as being top notch. And Lucas knew that there was no way he'd be paying an entrance fee. He was a security guard, he knew how security worked, and therefore he would not be paying copious amounts of money to enter into a club just to buy overpriced drinks. He dressed in his est clothes, and when Lucas wanted to, the boy could clean up good. He was twenty-three, young even though it didn't seem like it, all he wanted to do was have a bit of fun. He left Shannon at home in charge of the kids because sometimes Lucas just needed to get away. And if it was meeting a woman who'd help him forget his worries for a night, then so be it.

Upon getting there, Lucas did indeed find a way to sneak in. It was easier than expected really, and as much as it seemed that the owner of this joint cared about security; it seemed like they didn't care enough. However, that did mean that Lucas was running somewhat late, and upon getting in he spied the blond head of Sonya next to the wall of the club. She was glancing at her watch, and Lucas didn't want to keep her. He was just being fashionably late. Wearing a flirtatious smile on his lips, the male sauntered over to the girl, his arm instantly wrapping around her waist as he pulled her into him. "I hope you haven't been waiting long." He purred as she giggled against his neck. And if Lucas hadn't been so careless, he would have suspected something at the feel of her hand in his back pocket, and he would have known that he was being set up for drugs if he wasn't a man and didn't think with the lower brain instead of the upper. "I'm glad you're here now." She cooed in his ear, Lucas still completely clueless as to what she had done.

Unsuspecting, Lucas spent some time in the club. He bought Sonya a drink which she accepted gladly, and they danced much like anyone would at a club, bodies close to one another, sexual tension palpable. Lucas was feeling relaxed and at ease, unlike when he was working or at home because then it was just thinking about the next thing that would go wrong. However, clubbing really didn't make him as happy as fire did. If Sonya hadn't invited him here that night, he would have found an abandoned building to burn to relieve his tension because everything was becoming too much for someone so young. His mother was a depressed drunk and his father was MIA and therefore he was the one who needed to make sure that five kids had food in their mouths and clean clothes for school. He had wanted freedom, hell he had a chance to get out, Lucas had always been the top of his class. Completely could have bagged any scholarship he'd have wanted, but alas fate was cruel and therefore he had to live by delving himself into meaningless girls and setting fires to buildings just so he could handle life.

However, it came to a point where the seductive whisper of 'lets get out of here' was whispered into his ear, which he could eagerly agree to. Giving her a kiss as a promise for more later, they headed for the exit. And that was where things went awry. The bodyguard seemed to have heard that there might have been drugs on the premises, and clearly that went against club standards. Lucas thought that he had nothing to worry about, so when he was being searched the guy pulled out a small bag of class A drugs, Lucas felt his heart speed up because; "What the fuck!? Those aren't mine!" The body guard just sneered at his words, seizing his wrists as Lucas tried to get out of the iron grip. "Let the fuck go of me!" His eyes found Sonya's smirking ones, and his anger rose. "You bitch! You fucking ... why the hell would you do that?" He knew he was raising a commotion then, but this was a place that he didn't know anyone in, he was poor and the panic set in low in his stomach, because fuck, he'd get done for drugs.

[style=width:400px; font-family:courier; font-size:10px; text-align:center;]THANKS TO MAC !

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[connor]

The more Connor watched the young people in the night club, the more he realized how boring he must be. Even when he was younger, in his early twenties, he hadn't been so active as a part of the night life. Circumstances were partially the dictating factor of this, of course, but most of it had been his own decision. After high school, he had desired to go into the military, and after serving several years with his company, he planned to do something along the same lines that his father did working for the different wildlife preserves and being a Game Warden in Alaska. Being close to nature, to animals, to the quiet serenity of the outdoors had always been more important to Connor than the bright lights of a big city or the thumping bass of a night club where foreign bodies were pressed against other foreign bodies and it was all just one, big, sweaty mess. Even though he considered himself to be an old man, despite the fact that he was only twenty-nine, Connor knew that he'd never been that young that such a place and such a way to blow off steam had been something interesting to him. The detective had never been much of a dancer, not much of a drinker, and not much of a social person. The closest he got to a tight-knit group had been the relationship he'd had with his parents and still had with his sister, a few semi-close friends in the military, and a few short-term girlfriends.

It was easier to build a career and work toward a goal when you didn't have to worry about so many others, and while Lysa was still his number one priority, he also considered his police work to be a very close second. Manuka was a hot spot for supernatural activity, and the hunters gravitated here just as often. That meant he had a place, and every day, it seemed like he was getting closer to figuring out the two hunters that had taken his parents from him and from Lysa. Manuka certainly kept him busy, because he had suspicions about some of his co-workers maybe being involved with hunters and that world based on a few arrests he'd made that had been completely by the book and with plenty of cause that ended up being swept underneath the rug like it was nothing. Every time, evidence would get lost or a random witness would appear with a solid alibi for the person. Really, it got frustrating, because Connor couldn't help but feel like he was standing right on top of all the answers he was looking for and just lacked a way to get to them because there was always something blocking his path.

Tonight's visit to the night club at Lan Enterprise was based on a new loose end he was trying to tie up and a few isolated 'tips' that had come in recently. Most of the 'shady' business that the anonymous citizens had alluded to hadn't made Connor think there was anything supernatural involved necessarily, but it never hurt to get an idea. Everything was fairly calm and standard for what he could see – people were dancing, drinking, hooking up... nothing too crazy or lewd, and all completely legal from what he could tell. But then he heard shouts and immediately got on high-alert. Two security guards were searching a young man that... well, that he actually knew. Connor had a few minor run-ins with Lucas Hendricksen. He was the kind of kid that kept getting himself into situations that could be trouble, but never into any legal trouble from what Connor had picked up. For some reason, he just seemed like enough of an easy target that other people would label him a troublemaker or point fingers at him where they didn't necessarily belong.

Connor watched the security guards pull drugs from his back pocket and saw the look on Lucas' face when they showed the baggie to him. The shapeshifter wandered over there, his presence strong and commanding, and he cut in the middle of all the action right before they could escort Lucas away. Club security didn't trump the real law. ”Excuse me, gentlemen. Detective Hoyt, Manuka PD,” Connor said, then looked at Lucas with a face full of blank expression so he wouldn't think he was getting off too easily. Connor did doubt that the drugs were his from the amount of fuss he raised and their personal history, but he couldn't be too sure. ”I'll be taking him off your hands,” Connor said, then squared his shoulders just a little in case they wanted to go against his orders. Instead, they were no trouble at all, and simply handed Lucas' hands that were now tucked behind his back to Connor.

The shifter looked back at the girl that Lucas had been yelling at and calling names. Then, he addressed Lucas for a moment, hoping to calm him down. ”I don't want to put cuffs on you now. Just ease up a minute, okay? We'll get you outside and talk about this.” Connor looked at the woman again and felt something shifty was definitely there, and didn't want to ignore it, just to cover his bases. So he addressed the security guards again. ”You got a holding room? Mind takin' that one there to sit for a bit, just until this is all sorted out?” Connor asked, gesturing to the woman that Lucas had indicated. They agreed and escorted her to a back part of the club, then Connor led Lucas outside, still holding onto his wrists, but not tightly enough to hurt him. If he wanted to run, then Connor would have to be more forceful, but until then, he didn't think it was needed. ”If I let you go, you gonna stick around, or are you gonna make me chase you down? I just wanna talk, okay, Lucas?”

[/justify]

[LUCAS DEAN HENDRICKSEN]

[style=width:400px; height:15px; font-family:oleo script; font-size:30px; line-height:85%; color:#876363; border-bottom: 5px solid #c1a2a2; letter-spacing:-1px; text-decoration:italic; text-align:right;]i wanna be drunk when i wake up,

on the right side of the wrong bed,

TAGGED: cj with connor!
WORDS: 562
NOTES: sorry it's short love!

Anger was an emotion that Lucas knew well. And it was so easy to draw that out nowadays, it was almost frightening. This was what he was experiencing then, as the baggie of white dust was held before his eyes, judging looks on him because he simply didn't fit in. So many expressions of rage flitted through his features, and he whipped his head around with a groan at the sound of a familiar name. Detective Connor. He was not in the mood for him, not if he was going to blame him for something he clearly didn't do. Lucas scowled as he was manhandled. "Don't fucking touch me." He hissed, and the expression 'if looks could kill' couldn't fit here any more than it has already, as Lucas' expression was simply murderous. But then Connor was saying that they'd talk about it, and he eased up on the swearing because the last thing that Lucas wanted was to get into even more trouble.

"Fine. But I didn't do it and you know it." He huffed, too proud to even let anyone think that it was him. Sure, he's done drugs, who hasn't, but he really really hated getting into trouble for something he hasn't done. He hated being used just because he seemed easy. Though, he wasn't sure what else he should have expected. Lucas snorted at the fact that she would be held in the waiting room, like he was the criminal and not her. He hated the injustice of that, because she looked like someone who could afford a lawyer and get herself out of a tiff like this, but not Lucas. He barely had enough money for bills and food, let alone a lawyer or drugs or anything of that matter. This wasn't his escapism, and he was so glad that Connor and no one on the detective department knew that his escapism were the fired that get set to empty buildings. That was the way he took his rage and anger out, all the time because it helped him create his own little haven where he's out from raising five kids and he's free to be himself. Powerful, strong, not someone who deals drugs.

Lucas was past feeling shame or anything of that matter as he was led out with his hands gripped behind his back. He didn't care any more, he just wanted out, and Connor had to understand. Once outside, he nodded at the query if he was going to behave, and like Lucas said, freedom was more important than running. No innocent man ran, and he was innocent. "Talk about what?" He snapped, narrowing his eyes as he removed his hands from his grip and whipped to look at the taller man. "That I'm gonne get done for something I didn't fucking do, Detective Hoyt?" He sneered sarcastically at the formal title. He knew he was being irrational, that he was angry and anger was clouding his judgement. "She should be the one with her hands tied behind her back, not me." He spat and crossed his arms over his chest, taking time to breathe. He was young, and he's had to make so many adult decisions, yet that hasn't made him any wiser. He released his breath, and relaxed a little. "What now? You gonna arrest me?" He asks, in defeat almost.

[style=width:400px; font-family:courier; font-size:10px; text-align:center;]THANKS TO MAC !

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[connor]

Of course he expected the young man to be angry – he was basically about to be carted off for something that he probably didn't do, based on his reaction. Sure, Lucas wasn't exactly an upstanding gentleman, but he was a good kid, and just needed someone to watch his back before he actually did do something that got him in serious trouble or behind bars. Connor sighed at the way his plans had changed, but he wasn't about to let this kid take the fall for something without looking into it first. Besides, the security goons had no real authority with the law, so he could easily take Lucas into his custody, sit him down, and have a nice chat. That was what he was trying to do when he forced the security guards to hand him over, and fixed Lucas with a steely stare when he starting cursing and getting all riled up. Connor couldn't blame him, but it didn't exactly prove his innocence. ”Hey, I know this isn't how you wanted to spend your evening, but you gotta shut up and stay still, or I'll throw your ass behind bars to sleep it off. And I don't wanna do that, so play nice, okay?” Connor hated being tough with the kid, but sometimes, you had to assert authority to get respect.

Once Connor had Lucas in his custody, he told the security guards to take the other girl into their holding room and calmly (and gently) escorted Lucas outside to where he could sit down and they could actually talk about it. The only reason Connor had to escort him out with his hands behind his back was because he didn't want this kid to run, and knew that he was strong enough to overpower him if necessary. Lucas nodded, letting Connor know that he was going to behave, so the detective released his hands. If he was going to run, then Connor would just chase him down, but he doubted that he'd do that. While their relationship was strained and isolated to a few events like this one, Connor had never done wrong by Lucas, and hoped that he'd understand that. ”Talk about what happened in there, Lucas. You said you're innocent, and I want to believe that, but you gotta talk to me.” His tone was sharp, and Connor shouldn't blame him, but if there was anything else he wanted to accomplish tonight other than make sure that Lucas didn't get something pinned on him for no reason, it was to establish a reason for Lucas to trust him. Really, he wasn't a bad guy – not all cops were. And this kid was lost which made Connor develop something of a rare soft spot. From what he knew, Lucas had been raising a handful of his siblings by himself, and Connor could relate to that – his parents had died, but he'd still been forced to grow up way too soon because he had his sister, Lysa, to care for. And she hadn't even reached her teenage years yet.

”I had those guards in there take her to a holding room – I'll get to her once I'm done with you, but I gotta cover my ass here,” Connor said, hoping that if he tried to level with Lucas, he'd understand where he was coming from. ”If you're telling the truth, I'll find out, and nothing's gonna happen to you. But you gotta start keepin' your nose clean, kid. I don't like picking you up all the time, much as I enjoy your company.” When Lucas asked if he was under arrest, Connor shook his head. ”Not yet. And I don't want you to be, either. So you gotta cooperate, okay? You help me out, I'll help you.”

[/justify]

[LUCAS DEAN HENDRICKSEN]

[style=width:400px; height:15px; font-family:oleo script; font-size:30px; line-height:85%; color:#876363; border-bottom: 5px solid #c1a2a2; letter-spacing:-1px; text-decoration:italic; text-align:right;]i wanna be drunk when i wake up,

on the right side of the wrong bed,

TAGGED: cj with connor!
WORDS: 898
NOTES: i actually really love these two!

Lucas hated this. He hated being blamed for something just because he was poor. If he got done for something as stupid as drugs, hell, what would the kids do? It wasn't his fault and he knew that Connor would be on his side. Sure, Lucas had done drugs before, but not in a place where he could get caught. He wondered if Connor would still be on his side if he knew what Lucas did to get down from anger. To shed his anger on the abandoned buildings. He was no fool, he knew that one day he would be found out, so he's being as careful as he can but one day, it will all catch up with him. Never the less, right now, Connor's words were riling him up, the threatening of making him sleep it off behind bards irking him to no end. His green eyes glared at the older man. Sure, he was an officer of the law, but he was also just a man and Lucas didn't appreciate his words. Though he knew that was irrational. Generally, he knew that the policeman only meant to help him, but Lucas was angry at everything right now. He was angry at Sofia, he was angry at this policeman that could so easily put him behind bars. He was just tired of being pushed around, and then going to him chaos. Honestly, Lucas was just tired.

"Not like it matters to you where the fuck I sleep anything off." He hissed, calming down from his loud booming voice, but his expression was still sour. He was surprised that they had given him over to Connor at all. Hell, the man hadn't even shown a badge and he was just given to him. So much for security, he could have just been anyone. But then again, he could have been recognised. Once outside, Lucas felt better. The fresh air was hitting his senses, but also his arms were no longer bound, and this freedom relaxed him greatly. He didn't like being held together like that, simply because it was unfair and it made him feel like a criminal. The biggest offence he'd committed that night was sneaking in without paying, and that just showed how bad their security system was. He would know, he worked nights as a security guard at the museum, he knew a lot about security. It wasn't only his job to, but Lucas knew a lot of everything. He had scholarship worthy intelligence that he hadn't had a chance to do anything with, and he really regretted that. He regretted needing to look after his siblings while his parents weren't around because he simply didn't get a chance.

"Fine, I'll talk." He murmured and moved to sit on a bench outside, and then listened to his next words. Connor was not a bad man and Lucas knew that. Hell, the few times he got into trouble the man had looked out for him and his siblings. He snorted a little when Connor spoke about picking him up from trouble all the time, and he couldn't help the small smile from rising to the corners of his lips because he was right. "All right, first. I don't appreciate being called kid. You're what? Like ... five years older than me?" The younger man cocked an eyebrow. He was twenty-three. He hadn't been a kid for a long, long time. Longer than most people of that age haven't been, but he's grown used to that over time. "Secondly. I am keeping my nose clean, shit keeps coming to find me. It's not my fault that I just wanted to fuck and got done over." He didn't care that he was being crude, he had never known a different way to act. God, he itched for a cigarette. He wondered if Connor would mind. "Would it look bad if I smoked right now?" He asked, his legs twitching a little because he needed the sweet fumes to calm him down.

Lucas nodded. He could cooperate. Now that he couldn't see that face, and with Connor's words, he felt a lot calmer. Taking in a breath he started speaking. "Sure, I'll cooperate." He tells him and runs a hand through his hair. "So, I meet this girl. She's really hot, and we start talking. Her name's Sofia and we both wanted the same thing. A one nighter, no biggie." He snorted, because he wasn't getting that now, was he. "And she says we should meet later, she gives this location, which I felt was ridiculous cause, well I just don't fit into this snobby club." He scoffs because that much was obvious. "So I came anyway, and then when I got in I found her. We danced, we kissed and then she suggested that we get out, and hell, I'm a guy so I agreed readily." Lucas shakes his head as he looks up at Connor's taller frame and licks his lips as they had gone dry from all the talking. "Well, you know the rest. We got checked for drugs and some was found in my back pocket, while she had her hand down my back pocket when we were dancing. And I get blamed." He finishes and offers a sarcastic little smile to say, 'what a great night, isn't it?' because it really wasn't.

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[connor]

The detective understood why Lucas was in a foul mood: nobody liked being singled out. Connor wasn't the kind of guy to try to make life more difficult on people than it absolutely had to be, but first and foremost, he wanted to do his job. And he wanted to do a good job. Connor had always wanted to help make a difference in the world and put back some of the things that got taken out of it. Good things, good people – like his parents. All they had wanted to do when they adopted Lysa was give her a better life with parents that would love her instead of the abusive biological ones she had been given. Little did they know that someone would make the decision that they were unfit to raise a human child, and such selfless love was worth their lives. The thought made Connor sick, and the injustice that his family had experienced made him compassionate, sure, but it also opened his eyes to a great number of cruelties in the world that went unnoticed because people didn't have the time or the intelligence to figure out the 'hard cases.'

In Lucas, he saw a lot of injustice and misfortune. Connor wasn't the pitying type, because he knew that the young man was perfectly capable of picking himself up whenever he got knocked down, but still – it was a soft spot that didn't keep him from doing his job, but certainly made him interested in helping where most other cops would have probably just locked him up and put him in a cell for the night. Which was partially why his comment stung a little, and Connor looked at him, his face flat and devoid of emotion before responding. ”If it didn't matter to me, I wouldn't have bailed you out back there. Give a guy some credit when he's puttin' his ass on the line for you, huh?” It wasn't a good idea for it to be known that certain cops played favorites or took an interest in certain people who were down on their luck. Especially when he believed in the law so much and wanted to help it along so people would learn to abide by it. No exceptions, everyone operating under the same book of rules, humans and supernaturals alike.

Once they'd put some distance between them and the club and both were out in the fresh air, Connor noticed that Lucas seemed to relax, just a little. He sat down on a bench and agreed to talk, but made a small demand of Connor to not call him 'kid.' The shifter laughed a little, nothing crazy, just amused. ”Listen, I like you – but if you wanna stop bein' treated like a kid, you gotta stop actin' like one. Understand?” Lucas had every reason to be on edge: even though Connor liked him, the man was still a cop, and a very good one. And the fact of that matter was, they hadn't found this other girl with drugs on her. Just Lucas. Which meant they were basically dealing with a case of 'he said, she said' unless Connor could tie her in with some shady associates, which might be easy enough to do if Lucas would only cooperate. And he was starting to, which was a good sign. ”You can't blame everything on everyone else, you know. Part of being a man is takin' responsibility. And I don't mind the smoke, go ahead.” Connor didn't smoke, but he understood the need to release some tension, and cigarettes weren't illegal. Also, when he spoke to Lucas, he kind of reminded himself of his father, which made him... proud. And sad, sort of.

Connor took out his notebook, jotting down what Lucas said while he was talking, opening up and telling the detective his side of the story. It all seemed... legitimate. Nothing too crazy, too inflammatory that would suggest that he had been meeting her for some kind of drug deal. He was young, sex was important to a lot of young people, regardless of what else might be attached. Even though Connor was more of a relationship kind of guy, he couldn't fault the young man for having needs. ”I took down your statement, and... honestly? I believe you, for what that's worth. You got yourself into a bad situation this time, but I really don't think you saw it comin'. Can't help getting suckered in by a pretty girl sometimes, I get that.” Connor sat down next to Lucas, hoping that he wouldn't be upset by any invasion of his personal space. He just wanted to put them on a more even level so Lucas wouldn't feel like he was being interrogated, because that wasn't what their conversation was about. Connor just wanted to find out the truth, and he had a strong feeling, a gut feeling, that Lucas' story was the truth.

”So I'm going to sit here with you until you calm down a bit, then I'm going to go back in there and give this statement to the security guards, let them talk to her and keep in touch so we can clear your name. I'm not making any arrests, but I am going to drive you home. That okay?” Connor knew that what was likely best for Lucas for the rest of that night was to stay out of trouble and stay off the streets. At least until his luck turned around again.

[/justify]