Is This Necessary? {Chase}

[Vincent Verax]

Of the few things that Vincent was good at, using his power was one of them. He may not have had to actually think about it, but either way it did what it was supposed to and it was fuckcool and it made him happy. What training could he possibly need? No one else seemed to think of it that way, as he was caught while attempting to skip out on his lesson with Chase and shouted at. Grumbling, he'd drug his feet all the way to the training room while bitching to Ema, who was perched on his shoulder like some sort of macabe parrot.

"This shit's fuckin' ... shit, man. Y'know what I mean, babe? Like y'an I coul' jus' be chillin' but 'stead gots ta get bitched at b' Mr. K." He shook his head as he plopped down on the edge of a desk in the room, staring at Chase with a little scowl. Ema crawled down his arm and came to rest in his hands, which managed to cheer him up a little bit. "Hey Mr. K. Hope ya don' mind I brough' m'baby girl. Sh' was lonely." He grinned while he stroked his fingers over her.

His attention soon filtered out the window. He could have been out there, in the sun, walking home with Ema to a big steaming plate of pizza rolls. (Holy fuck, pizza rolls, I totally forgot they existed until five seconds ago.) He could have been lighting something on fire or texting Moe naughty things or even just rolling in the grass like a dog. There were a million other things that were better than sitting in this classroom with Chase that he could think of doing and yet none of them would happen. Damn.

[Chase Campbell]

Training cell regenerators was always a big pain in the butt. Really, their powers were automatic. There was little trainers could do for them, other than help them devise ways to cope with their side effects. The older they got, and the more they put their abilities to use, the better their body became at healing itself. Really, if he could get away with it, Chase would have been happy to drop one Vincent Verax from his classes. As it was, he trained the kid on his own. There were reasons for that.

Namely, he was a distraction to the other students. He was also one of the older students. Normally, if students were held back, it was because their control over their powers was still lacking. In Vincent’s case, it was the reverse. His control over cell regeneration was almost flawless. And he seemed to delight in proving this fact. Oh yes, Chase had heard about his little exploits around the school. Maiming himself for money, that sort of thing. While Chase honestly couldn’t endorse that kind of behavior… well… at least he was practicing?

When Vincent walked in (late), Chase looked up from the book he was reading on parenting (it was quickly dog eared – sorry, Eli – and placed facedown on his desk) and went to greet the teenager. But then he saw the spider. … How many times had he told him not to bring that thing to school? … Or call him “Mr. K” for that matter. “You know I’d rather you left her at home.” How Vincent could tell she was lonely, he didn’t want to know. “You’re late, by the way.” And yes, he was ignoring the scowl. Much as Vincent didn’t want to be here, Chase could think of things he could better spend his time on, too. “Are you actually going to pay attention today?” He already knew the answer he was likely to get. But it was worth a shot to try.

[Vincent Verax]

It hadn't taken long after starting his one-on-one lessons with Chase for Vincent to think up ways to torture the poor man. He'd scared him by stabbing his pocket knife through his hand or into his leg or what have you. He'd often tease him about his love life. Then there was his constant use of "Mr. K" which he knew Chase didn't like, so that was why he continued to say it. If he got a whiff that Chase was going to be a daddy, well he'd be on that faster than you could blink Really, he's just a giant pain in the ass. If it makes him feel any better, Vincent is like that with all of his teachers.

"Well, I'd rather b'at home, but y'can't always get whatcha want now can ya?" Vinnie said with a snort as he slid his backpack off his shoulder and set it on the table next to him. "I brough' food. S'ya can have some 'f ya want." Okay, so it wasn't as much food as it was junk. Snack cakes, cookies, potato chips, anything relatively easy to obtain and definitely not good for your health if you ate them in the quantities that Vinnie did. He knew by now that using his power made him feel like he hadn't eaten in days, so he always tried to remember to bring food to Chase's class. Sometimes he forgot and then would spend the whole lesson whining about how hungry he was.

With Ema now crawling down Vincent's thigh, he turned his attention away from the window to Chase and shrugged. "Yeah, 'ma pay 'tention. Jus' tell m'what we're up t'today? 'cause 'f it's borin', I'm totally jumpin' out that damn window." The disturbing thing is that he would actually jump out that window and leave Ema to prowl (not so)menacingly around Chase's classroom to scare unsuspecting children. Although launching himself out a window may have also been considered practice, I would rather he not did that, so c'mon blondie, think on your toes!

[Chase Campbell]

If anyone questioned exactly why Chase dreaded lessons with Mr. Verax, well… he had his reasons. He’d taught a few other cell regenerators, but none of them had been as willing to practice as Vincent was. Nor were they as foul mouthed. Despite getting somewhat used to the stunts the goth boy pulled, it never failed to make him cringe and avert his eyes when Vin stabbed himself. More than once, his pocket knife had been confiscated. And then there was the teasing. It was why he’d put his book down so quickly. If he could avoid Vin latching onto the fatherhood idea, he’d be a happy trainer.

Rolling his eyes at Vincent’s retort, Chase just shook his head. “Yeah, well, you’re here now.” Much as he didn’t want him here. “Just try to be quiet.” Now, he knew the food was necessary, but the volumes of unhealthy junk Vincent brought with him? Considering Chase caught crap from James about nearly any kind of junk food (apart from special occasions – Christmas was a bit of a free for all), he’d gotten used to avoiding it. “No, thanks.” Even if he did, he’d guilt about it later, and James would know. Sometimes, he’d take advantage of the fact that his husband had a sweet tooth, but it didn’t work very often.

Trying to keep his gaze off of the tarantula (he wasn’t scared, he was just more fond of conventional pets, like cats), Chase listened to the goth boy’s slur. He didn’t doubt that Vincent really would jump out the window. And he really didn’t want that to happen. “Well, we’re going to practice, like we do every class.” God, this was pointless. “If you’re good for a change, I’ll let you play with your spider for the rest of the class. But. That means no mouthing off, and no jumping out of windows.” He couldn’t do much with Vincent but time how long his injuries took to heal. But with all the “extra curricular practice” he got in outside of class, he was a master at this. Maybe he’d try to talk Claude into letting Vincent slide on the rest of his training, and see if getting him to focus on his academics would get him on the track to graduation.

… Yeah. Right.

[Vincent Verax]

The idea of getting the majority of a class period to play with his Ema was more than enough to entice the goth boy into some vague sort of behavior. Even had Chase been able to bribe him with a pair of Moe's panties, Vin wouldn't be able to behave like a normal kid... mainly because he was everything but normal. (How Chase would obtain a pair of Misato's underwear was beyond me and I'd really rather not think about that because it only leads to disturbing thoughts, I was just using it to prove my point.) "Alright, alrigh'. 'ma b'good or whatever." He muttered as he gathered Ema from his lap and set her on top of his bag.

He swung his legs over the edge of the table and looked at Chase. "Somethin' up wit ya?" Now, Vin wasn't bright in any sense of the word, but he wasn't blind. "Y'havin' a bad day?" He scratched at his head and then turned out the window again. "Y'know, 'f ya are, w'coul' just leave. An' then y'cou---HEY LOOK! Squirrels humpin' 'n that tree out there!" His train of thought was effectively derailed (and perhaps fallen down into a bottomless pit) as he pointed out the window at the squirrels, laughing. "Well they're havin' a good day. S'that why y'off, y'ain' got laid lately?" Because according to Vincent, absolutely nothing was off limits, Chase's sex life included.

It was common knowledge that Vincent was in no position to graduate. He wasn't expecting it, his teachers weren't expecting it, his friends weren't expecting it. In order to pull his grades out of the toilet, he would have to be busting his ass around the clock to get homework done and as we all know that he'd rather drink toilet water than raise his grades, his homework is just going to rot in the trash. Yes, that means that the minute he gets home, the assignments get tossed in the garbage bin. Did he care that his GPA was below 1.0? Not really. Did he care that he wouldn't be graduating? Not really. Did he care that he was stuck in this classroom for the next hour or so? Yes, he wanted the hell out of there.

[Chase Campbell]

If the spider had to be in the room, it might as well have a purpose. Chase wasn’t exactly above bribery, especially when it came to his students. Vincent, in particular. It was his experience that it was one of the only ways to get Vincent to cooperate for him. (I don’t even want to go there, missy.) He’d heard Vincent talk about the spider lovingly enough to know that he’d probably behave in exchange for wasting time playing with it. He still didn’t quite get the allure of having a pet tarantula. Cats, dogs, little furry things? Yeah, he could see that. Especially cats. But tarantulas? No thanks. “Good.”

Nothing was really ‘up’ with Chase. At least, nothing Vincent needed to be concerned with. He’d learned a long time ago that separating his personal life from his job was difficult (he and James worked together), but it was essential to actually function as a trainer. That was easier said than done today, and apparently Vincent picked up on it. “No, Verax. I’m fine.” Lies, Chase. He was about to refuse the idea of leaving when Vincent’s oh so famous attention span switched gears. The trainer rolled his eyes. “We’re not going anywhere. You’re here for an hour, like it or not.” He walked over the window and yanked down the blinds (a little too hard for someone who was, quote ‘fine’). “No more distractions.”

Of course, Chase was used to the comments on his love life. It wasn’t exactly a secret among the student body (especially the ones who had been at Hammel for a while) that he was married to James. But Vincent liked to take things that little bit further. And right now, James was not a subject he wanted to linger on. Not after that talk with Adam. He glared at Vincent, his arms crossed. “That is none of your business, Verax. And you know that.” In other words, stop talking about his relationship before he kills you. It really is too bad Vin didn’t like the idea of being in the classroom for an hour. Chase didn’t like it any better. “Can you just settle down and practice? ... Quietly.” Of course, we all know that ‘Vincent’ and ‘quietly’ just don’t go together. Chaos, anyone?

[Vincent Verax]

Vincent isn't normal. Hence his love for obscure pets like tarantulas and snakes and creepy crawly things that most people are frightened of. Ema, in particular, was special. He'd had her for upwards of six years now and he absolutely adored her. She had taken the place of a puppy in his family, only with four more legs and no tail. So Chase was right on track with his deductions that bribery would work. It would be like if someone had told him that if he did good, then he could have the rest of the day to play with Niko, but the teasing on parenting has not yet arrived, as we have other things planned out first.

"Uh huh, y'sure look like ya got laid. Y'fly's undone." Vincent remarked with a grin and suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. Not that he particularly wanted to know the details of what Chase and James got up to on their own time, but it didn't stop him from wanting to tease Chase about it because it always seemed to get a rise out of him. That was why Vincent liked Chase, he was fun to torment. Until he got truly angry, that is, and Vin had pushed the envelope a little too far on a couple occasions and got himself kicked out of class, but he tried to pull it back before it got to that point. Remembering that he'd promised to behave a little, he reached into his bag and pulled out his pocket knife. We all know what this means, don't we?

Yeah, ow, right through the hand.

Granted, Vincent was used to this kind of pain, so he seemed particularly nonchalant as he pulled the knife out of his hand and sat quietly while it healed up, his stomach giving a very loud, echoing rumble upon doing so. "Y'mean like that? I was quiet an' everythin'... 'cept m'stomach, but that bitch s'always fuckin' loud." Rummaging around in his bag, he pulled out a pre-wrapped sandwich and tore off the plastic wrap before shoving it into his mouth. He really wasn't in the mood for passing out. Glancing up at Chase, he smirked in a devious sort of way. I don't want to know what he's thinking, I'm sure Chase doesn't want to know what he's thinking, so we'll save it for the next post.

[Chase Campbell]

Chase wishes that Vincent was a little more normal. A ‘normal’ cell regenerator wouldn’t be so happy to practice. (Again, Chase wasn’t fond of training them.) But Vincent took some sort of masochistic delight in maiming himself, and not just in class. He’d heard the stories of what Vincent got up to around the grounds for money from the other students. While he’d wanted to call it shocking at first, well... then he’d gotten to know the delinquent commonly known as Vincent. It... wasn’t so shocking anymore. But could he please refrain from bringing his pet to class? The only one he commonly agreed to coming was the Faulkner kid’s ferret, but that was different. Integral to his training. The spider, not so much.

“What?” He was used to the vulgarity that left Vin’s mouth on a daily basis. He was familiar with the sexual innuendos regarding his love life. Today, however, he wasn’t in the mood. He didn’t even want to hazard a guess as to what Vincent was on about. Knowing him, it would be one of those ‘ha ha, made you look!’ moments. His hand came up to press at his temple, his eyes closing for a moment. “Verax. Shut the hell up.” He wasn’t above kicking Vincent out of class, and he’d done it on several occasions. Granted, he knew how to handle the teenager better these days. But today, of all days, he was not in the mood for his stupidity.

Sadly, he was also used to Vincent’s macabre form of training. Cell regenerators were not supposed to like this kind of training. And none he’d seen had taken maiming themselves to the heights that Vin did. Knife through the hand? Yeah. Chase looked away. “Yes, Vincent. Like that. Just... can you not put it all the way through? It’s not necessary.” When he looked back at the teenager, he caught the smirk. That was never a good sign with this kid. Chase scowled a little. “I mean it, Verax. Behave, or you’re out of here.” That’s right. No three strikes, you’re out today. Though if we think about it, between the fly comment, talking about getting laid, and bringing Ema, I’d say he’s already got three strikes against him.

[Vincent Verax]

Chase was disinclined to pay heed to Vincent's remark, which of course left the boy a bit frustrated. If he were the boy crying wolf, this would be the end of the story when none of the villagers come to his aid. Granted, this wasn't a joke that Vin had ever pulled before (because he's honestly not that bright) but apparently all his former teasing and pranks on his trainer were enough to make him deny checking his pants. "But y'got some cute boxers on or somethin'." He remarked, and upon finishing his sandwich he stood from the desk.

Balling the wrapper up in his hands, he walked in front of Chase and stared at him for a moment. "S'that hearts on 'em or what?" He was grinning a bit too much to be healthy before he reached down and promptly zipped Chase's fly for him. So that may have been an epic invasion of personal space, but if Mr. K wasn't going to listen to his warnings, then he would take them the next step farther. A part of him was almost expecting to get kicked out of class for that simple action, but instead of waiting around for those words, he brushed past Chase to throw the sandwich wrapper in the bin by his desk. It was at that moment in time when he caught sight of the book.

Nosy as ever, Vinnie picked it up and turned it over. He was certainly no reader, but if this were anything like the books that Eli had shown him with the awesome pictures and dinosaurs and dragons and other things that were awesome, he'd be willing to flip through the pages. Instead of cool and amazing things, Vincent found the book to be full of pictures of children and he wrinkled his nose. "Th'fuck ya readin' this f' Mr. K? Y'like these nasty little things?" He turned the book around to a drawing of an infant and looked disgusted. "Y'know they're like... wrinkle blobs 'f fat an' gross an' waidaminute... didja knock Mr. C up or somethin'? S'that why y'got a baby book?" Obviously Vincent had never learned where babies come from, or if he did he decided to disregard this knowledge for the humor factor, I'm not entirely sure yet. What I am sure of, however, is that there is no way in hell this subject could end in good things.

[Chase Campbell]

Of course Chase didn’t believe Vincent. The kid had pulled god only knows how many pranks and stupidity in this classroom alone, never mind what he got up to in his other classes. He wasn’t listening to him, regardless of what was coming out of his mouth. If it wasn’t some form of slurred stupidity, it was an insult, or something completely irrelevant to class. ... Sadly, this was the one time Vincent was being truthful. “Verax. Enough.” He was getting a headache, and not one brought on by power use.

Of course, Vincent had to push the boundaries. Chase eyed him when he came closer, not fully trusting the teenager. Okay, he didn’t even own boxers with hearts on them. Not that Vincent needed to know that. “Stop it, Vincent.” He was seriously cruising to be tossed out of class and – holy hell. Chase closed his eyes, resisting the knee jerk reflex to give the kid a smack. He was probably in enough trouble as it was. Okay, so Vincent was capable of telling the truth every so often. Good to know. Maybe. “Do you want detention?” Probably not, but at this rate, he wouldn’t be given an option.

At this point, Chase had forgotten all about the book Eli had given him from the library. But when he saw Vincent reach for something on his desk, and came up with the book, he winced. Of all the students to find out about this, it had to be him, didn’t it? Not that he really minded with most students. He wore his wedding ring, it was fair game to tell them he was married. And most of them, he wouldn’t mind talking about this with, either. Sadly, Vincent doesn’t fall into that category. As if Vin’s comments weren’t bad enough, well, he had to go and accuse him of, quote, ‘knocking up Mr. C.’ Chase hadn’t always liked kids. James’ herd of nieces and nephews had been a bit of a battle to get used to. Now, he was fairly at ease playing football with them, or watching them (all of them) for an afternoon. He scowled and leaned over, snatching the book from Vin’s hands. “No, I did not knock him up.” He really didn’t want to think about that right now. Talk about rubbing salt in a wound. “Pick up a Biology course, Verax. I’m not discussing this with you.” He put the book back on the desk, his eyes daring Vincent to pick it up again. He wasn’t in the mood to talk about James, and he wasn’t in the mood to talk about Niko’s fostering.

... Why do I get the feeling that Vincent isn’t going to leave this alone?

[Vincent Verax]

"Hey!" Vincent went defensive as Chase asked him about detention. "I was bein' helpful! Y'wasn' gunna listen t'me, so I saved ya from flashin' ya panties at people. 'f anythin', I should b'gettin' extra credit!" No way in hell, Vincent. Chase is more likely to beat you over the head with the book you stole from his desk than give you extra credit. Still, he had a point. Had Vin not zipped up Chase's pants, he'd probably have gone on with his day entirely unawares that he getting a little extra breeze downstairs.

He frowned a little when Chase yanked the book out of his hand and drew his eyebrows together. "Uhh... then... did Mr. C knock you up?" He moved past Chase again and slid up onto the top of the desk because sitting in them properly was so beneath him. Vin was quite aware that his trainer was grumpy, but really he was trying to lighten the mood. He just didn't know any other way to go about it than by teasing and jokes. His stomach chose this particular moment to let out another demanding growl, to which Vincent's reply was to dive into his bag and pull out a little box of cookies. He offered it out to Chase. "Y'know ya want one." Who didn't love chocolate chip cookies?

"S'what crawled up ya ass an' died, Captain Pissy?" Because apparently bribery and a snide remark about Chase's attitude were the perfect ways to get on his good side. Somehow, I doubt this will work. Grabbing Ema from her escape attempt (she was making her way down one of the legs of the desk) he set her back in his lap and lazily ran his fingers over her back. He was a rather content boy at the moment, cookies in one hand, his baby girl in his lap, and new ammunition for teasing Chase. Now if only Mr. Grumpy Gills over there would just calm the hell down and play along, everything would be perfect.

[Chase Campbell]

Sorry, but if Vincent was going to be that obnoxious about it, the D word was being mentioned. Chase didn’t care what arguments the kid constructed, he was out of line, and he wasn’t going to let it slide. Not today, anyway. He knew personal life and work didn’t go together. But it was just a little tough to separate the two today. “No, you’re right. I wasn’t going to listen to you because I know better.” Sadly, he had little ground to stand on at the moment. This was the one time Vincent was right. Little bastard.

Okay, the kid was way out of line. Talk about sexual relations wasn’t exactly uncommon in Hammel’s hallways and classrooms. But it was normally the teenagers bragging about who got laid, and how good it was. Teachers’ sexual relations had no place in the classroom, and he knew Vincent knew that. “No, he didn’t.” Could they talk about something other than James and sex right now? If Vincent couldn’t behave himself, he’d have to think of something. Kicking him out would probably be more a joy for him. Maybe he could do something like... oh. He could send him to Eli. Double punishment. Punish Vincent by making him listen to a biology lecture from Eli. And punish Eli for being a smartass. It was something to think about. “No, I don’t want a cookie.” Gasp. Chase turning down an offer for something sweet and unhealthy. The world might be ending.

... Charming. Really, Vincent, very nice. Chase crossed his arms and shot the kid a glare. “That’s none of your business, Verax. Get back to practicing.” He wished he could just kick Vincent out. Then he’d have some silence for a while. Silence was not something that happened with the kid around. He wanted Vincent to drop the subject, right now. If he wanted to talk to someone about the problem, he’d go and find Sean. A psychiatrist, or a friend, Vincent is not. ... Sorry, Vin.

[Vincent Verax]

It was a rare day when Vincent was not out of line. Okay, more like he was never in line, because he was a rebel and he was cool and misbehaving is what all the rebellious cool kids did. In his mind, that is. He never went a class without making some sort of comment about Chase's sex life and though on a normal day, it would just be scolded and Chase would grumble and then things were fine. But Vincent knew there was something up with Chase's behaviour today and because he was a nosy little shit, he was determined to find out what it was.

"Seriously, dude. Y'all.. like... fuckin' borin' today. S'matter? Y'wan' m'to punch someone?" Because somehow, in Vinnie's twisted mind, that was a perfectly acceptable solution to whatever was making Chase upset. "I coul' punch m'self?" And now he was trying to lighten the mood that had grown rather dark due to Chase's snappy remarks. Yes, if you're wondering, he would indeed punch himself in the face. It certainly wouldn't be the first time it's done it, but it's been a long time since Vin has had a first anything, he's been there, done that for 98% of things possible for a human to do.

When Chase denied a cookie, Vin only shrugged and took two, shoving them both in his mouth as he started playing with his knife again. Gleefully, he carved a happy face into the palm of his hand and then showed it to Chase. "Cheer up, douchebag!" Yes, because calling an obviously upset man a douchebag then showing him self-mutilation is the perfect way to cheer him up. Sometimes, I worry about you, Vincent.

[Chase Campbell]

On a normal day, Chase hadn’t been informed by another trainer of his husband’s misdeeds. On a normal day, he could handle Vincent’s flippant remarks about sex and whatever else went on in his empty little head. But that was just the thing. This wasn’t a normal day. Much as Chase wanted it to be, it wasn’t. And that meant that, yes, he was short tempered and not in the mood for Vincent’s vulgarity. Oh, Chase could give as good as he got with his favourite students. The only thing he liked about Vincent were his grades in his class. (Really, he shared the opinion of most of the staff, that if his power wasn’t automatic, the kid would have been dead years ago.)

Boring? Really? I would have thought Vincent liked this. It gave him something to poke at, something to attempt to figure out. “Vincent. You’re not punching anyone.” ... If anyone was punching anyone, Chase wanted to be on the other end of the fist. And Adam might do well on the other side. ... No. He had to be professional about this. Like they tried to teach the kids, violence, and powers, did nothing to solve problems. “As much as I might want to see that, don’t, okay? Just. Practice. ... And be quiet.” Could he go back to the idea of cancelling class? It was growing more and more tempting.

The happy face just made Chase arch an eyebrow, though the smallest hint of a smirk appeared on his face. “Believe me, Verax, I’d like to.” Sadly, self inflicted punches, rude names, and gory happy faces won’t do the trick. Chase rubbed at his neck awkwardly. Maybe if he focused on something better than Adam and James and cheating. “... If you really have to know why I have that book, Dr. Campbell and I are looking into adoption. Are you happy now?” If he could think about Niko, then maybe his mood would improve. ... Maybe being the operative word.

[Vincent Verax]

Boring happened when Chase snapped back and he actually meant it. Normally when Vin made his rude comments, Chase would make a comeback and it would be more playful than acidic. Today, his trainer was just icy and there was no fun in that. Sure, he'd still be his nosy self and he's not going to give up his stupid comments for anything, it was just not as amusing this time around. Maybe he would have been better off if he'd skipped this class... even if he'd been caught and threatened with detention.

"Punchin' m'self coul' be practicin'!" He added. "Like... I coul' hit m'self so hard I broke m'nose or somethin'." Knowing how hard Vin hits, that is a viable possibility. He doesn't hit like a girl... unlike Sammy. As easily distracted as Vin is, it was a miracle he caught the little smile on Chase's face, then proceeded to point at him. "HAH! Ya smiled! Nah, y'don' hafta say it. I know 'm good." I'm pretty sure it's inhumanly possible to have an ego bigger than Vinnie's. The smiley face he'd carved into his hand soon disappeared without a trace and Vin hastily wiped the blood on the knife off on his pants.

And then Chase opened up just a little bit, enough to mention adoption, and both Vincent's eyebrows raised curiously. "Y'for serious? DUDE!" He seemed a little bit too excited about this news. Why? Because it just gave him more ammunition to use against his trainer. I'm so, so sorry, Chase. "Y'gunna getcha self a nice Chinese baby?" Vin was trying to hold back his laughter, only to fail miserably and start chuckling, doubling over. "Wit' some sweet 'n' sour sauce?" Now he's just being a jerk about it. You were probably better off letting him punch himself, Chase.