mayfairmonster | IC Inbox

[ even now, he can feel the familiar ache of his body healing itself. the more intense sensations are at his thigh, abdomen, and chest—places he'd been injured the worst. but that's not what he concentrates on, eyes only on dorian and nothing else. the touch of his hand is oddly welcoming, even if he's suddenly aware of just how terrible both of them must look and feel. ]

I didn't have anyone else. [ it's a quiet state of fact, moving on quickly as if he hadn't just said such a thing. ] You won't be able to tell soon enough. [ so, yes. ]

How's your arm?

[ larus reaches for it because he feels like he can, intent on inspecting the cut and just how deeply dorian must have wounded himself. at the very least, he's grateful that he hadn't had to bite him; the outcome of that would have been so much worse than some wound that could heal, still very much aware of the taste on his tongue and the way he craves it. the way he craves the other man in a general sense is equally astounding, though he pushes that aside in favor of trying to look him over. ]

[He hesitates as Larus reaches for him, but then after a split moment's thought, he lets the other man take his arm in his hand and draw back the sleeve of his sweater. The skin below, although caked with blood and grime, has stitched back together, recreating the same perfect plane of flesh that has existed for over a century.]

Peachy. [It's a relief, oddly, to let the truth be seen in such a straightforward way. Surprising, too, that there's no accompanying sense of regret. After this evening, he wants Larus to know. Dorian's eyes flick up to take in the other man's reaction, focused and intent on not missing a moment of it.

At least some kind of explanation is deserved.]

We're both something a little other, as you can see; This is why I was able to help you the way I did.

[ he shouldn't be surprised, not about this, and he makes an effort not to be, letting his fingers skim the healed line where blood had poured not so long ago. there's not a mark aside from the caked muck of their time spent in that room, the guilt of it stark even as he continues to hold onto him. his grip loosens slightly, meeting his eyes as his expression thins.

this is something he should have known. but how? ]

You should have told me before. [ maybe then, he wouldn't have been so worried about the amount of blood he'd lost. ] But –

[ larus forces himself to breathe, using his other hand to gently fold dorian's fingers over before squeezing them. he's dirty and tired and honestly feels like he could sleep for the next day or two. there's no doubt the other man probably feels the same or at least close to it. ]

I won't ever use that knowledge against you, and you shouldn't let this place do that either.

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.

[ all he does is nod in response. of course he knows the dangers of revealing secrets, not that he has any at all to give, but it's something he's spoken about at length with other people not too long ago, wondering how to avoid such things or have them spill over unnecessarily. whatever dorian might or might not have to tell him, larus can wait. in fact, all of it can wait because he just wants to lay down and close his eyes.

his body practically demands it. ]

I know. [ there's a slight smile, just a twitch of lips that really looks like no expression at all. ] I was on my way to see you when it happened. To stay.

[ he'll need time to think about those particular events, but he already has his suspicions as to who's to blame for it. partly his own doing too, seeing as how trouble always finds him—even if unexpectedly. larus pushes that aside now though, grateful for the touch and not wanting so much space for the time being. slowly, he frees his hands so he can have use of them, fingers beginning to gently unbutton and remove dorian's coat, his shirt.

the clothes larus himself wears are a lost cause, probably. ]

You've helped me tonight. Let me help you.

[There's more to say and ask. Like about how Larus ended up in this position to begin with, if the Down isn't simply this dangerous.

But the idea of taking a shower and collapsing into bed for a few hours is beyond appealing right now. Dorian spares a small smile to the other man's recognition that he's welcome in his space, before he lets the matter go. There's going to be more to discuss once each of them is back on their feet again, and he's settled into the idea of that being sometime later down the line.

Dorian helps the other man free him from his coat and shirt, sighing. It feels good to be relieved of blood-heavy clothes, and even better to be tended to by thoughtful fingers. It's a good idea to undress here, before adjourning to his shower.]

I don't think there's hope for these, [he says, as he starts to help Larus out of his own jacket and shirt.] Do you mind? [If he just throws them away? He trusts they'll be able to figure out something else afterwards.]

[ he's not in the mood to speak anyhow, not with his thoughts as messy as they are. larus tries to focus on the task at hand, ignoring the tenderness in his chest as his jacket is pulled from him. then his shirt. it's clearly visible that he's still healing, some of his skin an interesting shade of pink beneath his usual pallor, but nothing's open or bleeding anymore. a good sign, though he tenses at the question.

his eyes fall to the jacket, clearly torn. ]

Maybe you should, [ he says slowly. throw it away. then, he'll have a few things to remind him of home and nothing else.

still, it's difficult, slowly stripping down the rest of the way as he helps dorian, and even if the weight of his beating no longer rests heavily on him, he can't really let it go. the danger of the down is something very real; given his own history with trying to survive such a place, larus isn't certain what would have happened if he hadn't had dorian to lean on. forced seclusion had never worked well for him, and it isn't going to work out in duplicity either.

larus takes his hand and leads him towards the bedroom. ] I owe you for what you did. Not that I approve of the means, but you might not have heard from me in weeks if you hadn't.

[ or never again if he'd actually died. ]

[Blood-soaked clothes are deposited into the trash beside the island in the middle of the kitchen, and Dorian lets his own drop to the floor to be dealt with later. All of it is going to require laundering, but that's a problem for some other point in time, if the high rise doesn't already have a cleaning service that will pick them up. It wouldn't surprise him.

Dorian lets Larus take him to the bedroom. It's remarkably comfortable to be in a state of undress with the other man, but being so after saving the vampire's life feels like a new level. If Larus doesn't direct them to the en suite and then the bathroom, Dorian will do so with a touch of his hand to the other man's arm.

As he reaches inside the shower to start the hot water running, Dorian chuckles at the idea that Larus owes him anything.]

If you're feeling guilty, don't. Anything you took from me was restored to me faster than a rendition of Blood on the Dance Floor.

[Steam gradually starts to filter in from the shower, fogging the mirrors in the room.]

And I gave it willingly.

[ larus isn't giving himself time to think (or question) any of that. he's been comfortable with dorian for a while, even before their more intimate encounter, and so, it really doesn't surprise him that this feels about the same. slightly different given the fact they're both filthy, but regardless, it's good. he feels safe, and for the first time in a while, larus realizes he doesn't have to be so on edge.

there's a look narrowed in dorian's direction that says he doesn't know what that is. blood on the dance floor? ]

I never said I felt guilty, only that I owed you.

[ and as it grows warmer, larus falls silent once more as he urges them both inside under blissfully hot water. at first, all he does is stand there and soak it up, conscious of the sensation of it as the water at their feet begins to turn a much darker color. he closes his eyes, letting the seconds go by before speaking only slightly louder than the spray of the shower. ]

You weren't obligated to come to my rescue.

I wanted to, [he says easily. This is the first real connection he's made in the city, but it's also one that's made sense and that feels worthwhile. There's so much that's felt out of place in the year since Toby's death, but this helps.]

It wasn't a chore, and like I said, it's something I did willingly. For your sake.

[It feels natural to reach out, so after a moment Dorian does, his hands smoothing over the surface of the other man's chest. Cleaning away caked blood from pink and freshly-healing flesh. One of his hands drifts up to Larus' face after a moment, and he tips the younger man's head. The bruise on the vampire's cheek is already starting to lighten. It's a good sign. Exhaling, he leans in to press their lips together.]

But if you're intent on paying me back, I'll listen. [He doesn't expect much to come of such an offer because none of the submissives in the city have two of anything. But there are things he desires from Larus, so he'll hear him out.]

[ his hair is nearly soaked through by the time dorian touches him, resting a palm against the other's chest as he leans into the pressure of his mouth. the kiss is light, tender. there's something there he should pursue, but the ability to concentrate still isn't entirely there, turning his face away from him so that his lips graze the corner of his mouth. his cheek. ]

It depends on what it is you want to hear.

[ after all the blood, he's feeling a bit more amiable. enough to talk or even offer dorian whatever it might be that he wants. larus has an idea though, an inkling of one. he hasn't spoken much of how he'd come to be like this, and any push in that direction has been immediately deflected.

could he offer that story to him in exchange for his life? he doesn't know. ]

[Dorian thinks about that for a long, drawn-out moment. There's only one thing that feels obvious, especially considering the dangers he just plucked the other man from.

It's mad, of course. But this city that he's been dropped into against his will is a mad place. If anything, this makes more sense than anything else has since he started trying to make a life for himself here. He craves the young vampire's company and has already gone this far to protect him.

This is the necessary next step.]

Your assent. [Hands on Larus' body smooth over his chest and up, to cup the sides of his neck.]

Contract with me.

[ it's certainly not what he'd expected, clearly surprised as he takes the slightest step backwards to look at him. there's water trickling down his face, nearly getting into his eyes, and larus brushes at it, making an attempt at accessing what he's supposed to do with such a comment. nothing comes to him, of course. his confusion is almost palpable as he continues to stare at him. ]

You said not to ask you about a contract. How is this any different?

[ it's not a denial or an acceptance quite yet.

his hands move to catch dorian's too, curling lightly around his wrists and resting his thumbs against the pulse there. just to listen, to feel. to touch him and know that none of this is some elaborate illusion. he's so focused that dorian could probably see the intensity of it simply by looking at him in return. ]

[He's not particularly concerned that the other man seems surprised. He's confident that this is a compelling offer, and he's going to push it while the moment is right.]

It's different.

When I said that, I thought differently of you. What you were telling me-- [he sighs] I thought that you were another young immortal, receptive to influence and that... I'd be to you, what others were to me, once. The people who ended my innocence. I thought that I'd break you.

[He levels a look at Larus, tipping the vampire's head slightly, his fingers pressing into the flesh of his neck.]

But you killed tonight, didn't you? You've killed many times before tonight, too. And the way you fucked me, and latched onto my arm in that storeroom...

[Dorian smiles, the expression pulling in the intensity of unusually bright, and beautiful blue eyes.]

I think we'd be good for each other.

[ it's almost sweet, these kinds of words. things that larus wants to hear and sometimes desires when he remembers he's not entirely a monster. dorian must understand that too, recognizes it sometimes in the things he says or the way he acts. but with it comes a pain he hasn't had to live through in quite some time—at least since he'd arrived there. what he wants and needs versus what he has is so utterly different than this.

being selfish in that way is difficult for him. ]

There's still more you don't know, but you never would have been the one to do that to me. [ he hesitates, distracted by dorian's eyes and the fingers pushing into his skin. despite the shower, he suddenly feels unusually cold. ] I'm not sure.

[ it's not a rejection because he doesn't want it to be, some sharp feeling welling in his chest as he stares at him, unblinking. ]

Maybe we could be good for each other. Or maybe we'd end up tearing each other apart. I've never – [ larus swallows, dropping his hands to let them clutch at dorian's hips. he's so close to saying yes. ] I'm drawn to you, and I can't make sense of it. What if it's not the right choice?

It's the right choice. [Dorian feels sure of that. He suspects, too, that Larus may need someone between them to be certain of it in this way.]

Tell me. [Dorian's posture relaxes, some of the intensity draining from his face and the way he's holding himself. Another breath, and one of the hands at Larus' neck drifts to peruse the other man's water-matted hair, smoothing appreciatively through the thick and heavy strands.] What don't I know?

[ he should be used to the certainty, a trait that only comes to him in other ways. ]

Everything. [ it's soft, wishing he could turn and leave all of this behind. but tonight's proved that he isn't going to survive without some sort of help. ] I died for putting too much trust in the wrong person. In some ways, I would be giving you more than that.

[ more than his life, a responsibility that they'd discussed a few times before. ] If I said yes, what would you want from me?

For starters? Your company. [Dorian's thumb brushes gently at the edge of the bruise on the other man's cheek. There's a beautiful fragility here between his hands, and for once, he doesn't feel the urge to consume or corrupt it.

He wants to protect it.]

But in all honesty, I don't want you in the Down anymore. If you contracted with me, you could live here, and there wouldn't be any chance that what happened today would occur again. [Dorian lets out a soft breath.]

If you became mine, I'd ensure you had what you needed to live as normally as you wanted. [Something the other man's words and actions have stressed to him as being important beyond most all else. He wants Larus to have that.]

[ if you became mine.

it's mortifying how easily he wants to give in because of that, because of something so basic. something that's been nipping at his heels for the past year or so since he'd met casimir. but this isn't the same as that, and there's a sort of mutual understanding between them that has nothing to do with any kind of romantic gestures. affection, maybe. attraction, certainly. larus smooths his hands out, easing a step closer to him so they're pressed flush together. ]

Alright. [ if this is something that would make dorian happy, he could manage it. being here with him in this place isn't the worst decision he could make. ] But I won't be a burden to you. I want it to be equal between us.

[ he doesn't need someone to take care of him. ]

[As tired as he is, part of him still starts to wake up as Larus pressing himself against him. Dorian gives himself the indulgence of slipping a hand down the length of the vampire's spine. Holding him close.

When Larus gives his consent, his fingers press into the small of the vampire's back. He doesn't smile, exactly, but it is satisfying.]

We can figure something out, I'm sure.

[Equality seems like a pipe dream that the city itself won't allow, but somehow managing it in private feels more likely. Dorian doesn't particularly care about that aspect when he's planning on being in a position where he's rolling in money soon enough, but it's clear that it's important to Larus.

To his submissive.

It's still a bizarre thought, and one he doesn't see feeling more customary for a while-- bizarre, but not unpleasant.]

Let's talk terms once we've both rested and we're in a good place for it. [At that thought, Dorian picks up a rose-scented bar of soap from its perch and begins scrubbing his wrist of the dried blood still stubbornly clinging to it.] Neither of us is in a rush to stay out of city's clutches, so we have time to make sure our contract is structured exactly as each of us wants.

Edited 2022-04-10 07:02 (UTC)

[ he knows it isn't going to be entirely equal when the city demands otherwise, but between them, that's how he wants it. there are certain things he will allow and others he won't, regardless of what this place pressures them into; there's just going to be a lot more give on his part because of his position and the mark that permanently stains his skin.

there's a sigh as the smell of the soap rises up stronger than anything else now, most of the grime having been washed away. this is no time to think about home or the person he craves to see, not when he's with someone else. so, he reaches out to take the soap from him to set it aside and gently massages at the skin, only using the slightest scrape of his fingers to remove the rest of the blood still there. something about this exchange would have been even more intimate had larus the capacity to think about it, but he's exhausted. ]

We'll have a lot to talk about later then. [ not just terms but everything else. and shifting gears slightly: ] I can stay in the other room. I'll just need to borrow something to wear.

[ not that the people here would seem fussed about a naked person wandering around, but he'd rather not if he can help it. once he leaves, of course. ]

I know. [There’s what Larus seemed on the edge of telling him earlier, his own secret, and now the contract.

It’s almost exhausting to think about getting through all of it, but that’s only because of everything they both went through this evening. He knows it’ll be much more doable once he’s rested for at least a few hours.]

Tonight I’ll draw the curtains [And probably throw towels over the cracks, for good measure.] and then we can spend as much time as needed tomorrow to work everything out.

[The light scratching of nails at his arm brings the smallest smile to his face. At the request for clothes, Dorian nods. He’s about half-listening at this moment, as his eyes fall upon the fully-revealed mark on Larus’ chest that was once the site of where he’d been gouged straight through. It’s incredible to him, suddenly, that the man hadn’t died.]

They missed the heart. [Dorian’s voice is a murmur, as he reaches out to touch the skin beside the mark. A deep frown settles over his features.] But barely.

[They’re both tired and they’ve already pushed off this conversation, but the small surge of anger at knowing how much worse this almost was is compelling.]

Did you see any of their faces or was it too dark?

[ maybe it's the exhaustion, maybe something else, but there's an odd sensation in his chest at the mention of his heart, the pressure and warmth of dorian's hand there above it. that had been the least of the pain he'd experienced, surprisingly, and he rests his palm atop the other man's, slipping his fingers underneath to give it a squeeze. he can almost sense the feelings running through him with those few words. why it doesn't bother him as much might be strange, but he's had so many threats against his life in the past that this feels like nothing. ]

I'm fine, Dorian. [ then, slowly, he shakes his head. ] They got me from behind, but I think I know who did it. I —

[ a frown settles over his features. ]

It shouldn't matter. If I'm going to be here with you, they might forget about me. Especially since they probably believe I died in that alley where they left me. [ he isn't going to hold a grudge against them for that, not when it had been retaliation for the things he'd done while he'd been down there. as much in self-defense as it had been.

releasing dorian's hand, he steps aside to leave the shower. ] Don't think about it right now. We both need rest.

After encountering them more than once, I think they're well aware you aren't human. [But Larus has a point. If he's going to stay in his suite, which is certainly Dorian's preference, then he should be safe enough. He hasn't heard of there being any obvious gang activity in the Up that hasn't, or can't be managed by the police presence.

Exhaling, Dorian lets the matter go and reaches for a pair of towels for them both.]

Let's get you some clothes for you and then we can collapse for the evening. [Larus' build is a tad closer to the average end than his own lithe grace, but the difference isn't enough that it'll be a present a problem, fit-wise.

A minute or two passes as Dorian vanishes into his still very empty walk-in closet. When he comes back, he has what, in his eyes, will probably be more to Larus' comfort than some of the brighter and more flamboyant offerings he's already magpied his way into. He holds out a shirt ~~minus tie~~ and a pair of dark slacks.]

Thankfully there isn't much of a difference between us in size. These should be comfortable, but if they aren't we'll work something else out.

[ he's not in any position to really argue over clothes, and most of the time, he doesn't particular care either way what they look like. when dorian returns, it's easy to tell it's certainly something he would never choose for himself but enough to match the darker colors he usually prefers—if only to blend in better with the shadows and hide any serious damage that might occur when he's out. larus takes them regardless, pulling those pants on and slipping his arms through the shirt without bothering to button it after he's reasonably dry. if the circumstances had been different, he might have found it odd to be dressed in dorian's clothes, but it's qkind of nice. ]

Thank you. [ there's a pause, taking dorian in and moving close to push damp hair out of his face. ] You've done more for me than anyone else has in a long time.

[ keeping him alive, taking him in. he still needs to process what being dorian's submissive will be like, but they can figure that out hours from now after things have settled. larus brushes his thumb over his cheek. ]

Let me take you to bed.

[ so he can actually rest. ]

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