There wasn't any way. Not until I felt like I could trust you. [Larus coming to the edge of death had been an undeniable motivation, but if Dorian had truly wanted to protect his secret longer, there were other (worse) options he could have chosen as they'd struggled together in that little storeroom.
It shouldn't surprise, or move him that a vampire accepts something supernatural almost without seeming to think about it. But it's a relief. There have been more than a few examples of trying to get someone to believe in his curse requiring fighting with them over it and offering further displays of the remarkable powers of the portrait. The idea is exhausting right now. When Larus grips his hand, Dorian brings his other over to rest atop it.
His eyes roam over the soft, blood-splattered face before him. Larus looks as tired as he feels (much worse, really) and it's something easy to address now that they're alone.]
I wasn't planning on it. [A breath. This is a large step, and one taken not long after meeting someone new. It's not unfamiliar, but right now the weight of the conversations to come is settling over him like a heavy blanket.] But I think we can save the discussion about my secrets until we're not covered in three inches of blood. [It's not a rejection or a deflection done out of an attempt to avoid the subject, just a reminder of the other man's condition. Dorian turns his hand in Larus', wrapping his fingers around it.]
You'll be safe here, and if I put something up over the windows, you can rest and spend your time healing for as long as you need.
no subject
It shouldn't surprise, or move him that a vampire accepts something supernatural almost without seeming to think about it. But it's a relief. There have been more than a few examples of trying to get someone to believe in his curse requiring fighting with them over it and offering further displays of the remarkable powers of the portrait. The idea is exhausting right now. When Larus grips his hand, Dorian brings his other over to rest atop it.
His eyes roam over the soft, blood-splattered face before him. Larus looks as tired as he feels (much worse, really) and it's something easy to address now that they're alone.]
I wasn't planning on it. [A breath. This is a large step, and one taken not long after meeting someone new. It's not unfamiliar, but right now the weight of the conversations to come is settling over him like a heavy blanket.] But I think we can save the discussion about my secrets until we're not covered in three inches of blood. [It's not a rejection or a deflection done out of an attempt to avoid the subject, just a reminder of the other man's condition. Dorian turns his hand in Larus', wrapping his fingers around it.]
You'll be safe here, and if I put something up over the windows, you can rest and spend your time healing for as long as you need.