Wednesday September the 2nd- Nightshades Afterhours - Saphyre & Darien - 3AM
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The club had closed for the night but the bouncer, who was ushering out the last of the club goers and helping them into a cab, let Saphyre in.
It was getting to be common place for the wolf to show up after hours to seek out the boss. He always stuck around for an hour or two after close to work in the evening paperwork and this night was no different as he informed the colorful werewolf. "The boss is in his officer Saphy you know where you find him."
"You're a gentleman and a scholar," Saphyre said with an affectionate air. He paused, dug in his tote bag and pulled out a to go box from a late night food truck. Pretty much since the feast Saphyre had been off the wildly processed confections that used to fuel his antics. So he inflicted them on others. "That is a Froot Loops Japanese cheese cake monstrosity that is going to make you have a religious experience. I won't judge you if you don't share it with your fiancé." Saphyre explained as he handed it off, he then stacked two more on top of it. "Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Reese Puffs," he said with a little wistfulness. "If you would be so kind to pass them around to your beautiful coworkers that'd be dandy, Sandy."
Saphyre made his way off to Darien's office. Saphyre used to think there was something strange about an empty club, like it left the space hungry, waiting. Honestly, he still felt that way, he just enjoyed being the one to feed these spaces. To fill them. Presently his heels sounding off against the tile filled the quiet as he approached the office door and knocked. If Darien were a fellow wolf he'd smell the tension on Saphyre, palpable through the smell of combination desserts and sugary breakfast cereals despite his efforts to keep his shoulders relaxed.
It wasn't scary, Saphyre told himself. Adults had conversations all the time. In fact, he and Darien had conversations all the time.
When Darien opened the door, it only took him a moment to notice the tenseness in the shorter werewolf. "Is everything alright, Saphyre?" He asked, his trademark smirk having disappeared .
Saphyre's mouth briefly hung open, an affectionate greeting dead on his tongue. There was a strange ease to being around wolves because you couldn't lie to them, couldn't bullshit them, when they all pretended like everything was fine when it wasn't they were all in on the act. Saphyre had come to take for granted that emotional intimacy, familiarity and affection were the traditional ways that people got that sort of insight. People regularly adored the spectacle of Saphyre without ever seeing him. It often felt like he had a secret shield to everyone else. Darien of course saw through that. Saw him. Cultivated vulnerability was a racket.
It was also why he wanted to have a conversation in the first place.
"Do I not get to have any fun secrets? Next it's going to be 'and you smell like Reginald from the feast'," Saphyre answered with a grandiose sigh. "Which I do, but not in a fun way. We had lunch. Well we, amongst others, had lunch. Some of his squad some of mine. All very civil," he explained in his meandering way, well aware they both knew he was taking the scenic route to the actual answer to Darien's question.
"I can't believe you busted me immediately, I was going to be real cute about it," Saphyre said finally, reaching out to straighten out Darien's lapels that needed no straightening. He was always immaculate. "I have a bottle of nice wine in my bag, I was going to get you home and have a drink, you'd have a drink," Saphyre's gaze lifted, he wore no contacts that night just the pale blue of his natural eye colour. He leaned up and placed a kiss softly on Darien's lips. "And I was going to ask some very meaningful mature questions about what it would mean for us - to you - for me - if I were to accept your offer to become your Pomme."
"But I am, like, traumatized by intimacy or whatever so I kinda came in with the manic energy of a chihuahua who badly needs to pee," Saphyre explained plonking his forehead ungracefully against Darien collarbone.
Darien wrapped his arms around Saphyre, tilting his head to let his jaw rest ever so slightly on the wolf's head. "I told you I would wait as long as it took until you were ready, one way or another. You need not force anything, but if you desire, we can retire to my home and discuss whatever you feel we need to."
Saphyre couldn't help but notice the way they notched together. It was the way of bodies, he could insist to himself but it didn't change the way he felt when it happened. Like he was somewhere he ought to be.
"I know," it was half the reason he considered it at all.
"I just want to hear to pitch. Fill out the details. I'm not making promises or forcing things."
Saphyre tugged back to look up into Darien's face again.
"It's just usually when it comes to the 'lets talk about us' part of the relationship I'm either ghosted or entrenched in a cult already. Middle ground where someone is like 'I want you to be comfortable' is foreign. And I'm American, we have a rich tradition of being afraid of foreign things." he said somehow managing a straight face as he stood in heels and glitter eye shadow gazing at his Irish immigrated vampire boyfriend.
Darien chuckled. "Not just american. All humans are uncomfortable with foreign or unknown things. Let me get my things and we will go someplace more private and comfortable."
Saphyre wrinkled his nose playfully. "How dare you call me a human. You're just trying to hurt me now."
"You were human once, as was I." Darien pointed out as he let Saphyre go and went to his desk to get his keys and wallet from the drawer. Lucy chirped and flew to his collar.
Saphyre leaned against the doorframe, watching Darien move about the space. They were human, many moons ago. He wondered what a human Saphyre would think of a human Darien had they not been separated by time, continents and circumstance but that child was so distant from him he could not put himself back into that mind to say nothing of a Darien he had never known.
"Once," Saphyre agreed, smiling as Lucy came to him either bidden by the sound of keys or the intrinsic link that bound them. Ah, to be so sure.
With his possessions gathered and paperwork tucked away in drawers, Darien went to his lover and offered and arm. "Shall we?"
Saphyre smiled and tucked his hand into the crook of Darien's arm. "We shall! This was all an elaborate ruse to get you home at a decent hour."
"Is that what this was? Clever. You know you have me wrapped around your little finger." Darien said, his smirk once more at home on his lips. "Although home may not be the best place for this discussion. Raymond will likely be home, and will easily overhear our discussion if he is awake."
Saphyre laughed lightly. He knew no such thing, but he very much liked to hear Darien say it.
"I did think of that. And it might be inconsiderate of me towards Raymond or Travarius but seeing as they probably by now know how I sound when I - how do the romance novels put it? - reach my pleasure crest I didn't think there was too much need for discretion between us all. Unless you intend to ask of me something terribly untoward. In which case I'm very excited to hear about it; do you want to do it in your car instead?" Saphyre asked leaving the double meaning of his statement quite out in the open.
Darien laughed. "You are a terrible tease. I will leave the choice to you. Whatever you are most comfortable with." He said as they made their way outside and to the car. He opened the passenger door for Saphyre and waited for the wolf to be seated and comfortable before closing the door and coming around to the driver's side and sliding into the seat. Lucy crawled across his shoulder and made her cute bat noises at Saphyre.
Saphyre shrugged his shoulders in a playfully coy manner. Tease wasn't really the right term when there was full intention of follow through but he liked the thought beneath the accusation. The idea that he got to Darien, pleased and excited him. It was a compliment really.
"I'm comfortable discussing this at your place," he assured resolutely.
Settled into Darien's car Saphyre cooed at Lucy in retort to her little bat noises. He reached over to rub a gentle finger over the top of her head between her ears.
"Have you ever done it in your car?" Saphyre asked curiously, it was not really the topic at hand but Darien's response had snagged his interest.
"This one? No. It is not quite roomy enough for such things to not get awkward. Back seats work best after all. " Darien replied as he steered them towards his home. At this hour there was precious little traffic. It was downright pleasant of a drive. "Of course limousines are among the best for recreational activities, especially if your driver is discreet."
Saphyre looked around the space. He'd achieved some pretty indecent acts in tighter quarters but he wouldn't say so, he'd just take the opportunity to show Darien some time they took a drive together. For the moment he just let his hand dip down to rest near-innocently on the other man's thigh with a grin. It was a companionable touch, a display of comfortable intimacy.
"Oh, of course," Saphyre agreed playfully. "Have you spent a lot of time in limousines with discreet drivers?"
"Some, but not since coming to Seattle. Although there was that pink limousine Klaus ordered up for us to go to Sebastian's business that one night. The driver seemed quite perturbed by his passengers." Darien replied with an amused chuckle.
"I get the feeling there have been a lot of iterations of Darien Walker," Saphyre mused with a smile on his lips, he enjoyed all the facets Darien had let him glimpse and the parts that he imagined would always sparkle through. At least in this life time.
Saphyre laughed delightedly. "Apparently some of them carry on right under my nose. A pink limo? To go to Bitten?"
"Yes. Our poker night came to a close earlier than expected so we decided to attend open mic night for some entertainment. Klaus took care of the transportation for the three of us, myself, him, and Malaki. He apparently has a sense of humor." Darien confirmed.
"You, Klaus, and Malaki in a pink limo," Saphyre sighed wistfully, his tongue following the sharps of his own teeth as he shook his head and grinned out the window. There was a certain fluidity to a lot of vampires, Klaus seemed rather rigid in that regard despite his burgeoning gift that resulted in his parties. Still. The wonder of a mental image is it didn't have to be plausible. "My kingdom for a discreet driver."
Darien chuckled. "I expect Malaki would be quite taken by the same idea. " They arrived at the condo and Darien turned off the car and exited to come around and open the door for Saphyre.
"Well, he has very good taste," Saphyre smiled as he climbed from the car and waited to take Darien's arm when it was offered to him. He was a white gown short of becoming a debutant with the way let the vampire lead him around, and get doors for him but he couldn't help the fact it was enchanting. That it left him aflutter. What a nonsensical thing to be after all the romantic disaster he'd incurred over the years. But there was no other word for the buoyant feeling in the pit of his being, and though he was doing his best not to just unravel himself into Darien's hands for both of their sakes - it was all he wanted to do. That scared him. And the idea of trying to do everything correctly and things still falling apart scared him. And most of all the idea that this was in fact the singular beautiful thing that all the poets since the dawn of time had spoken about scared him. How could he be trusted with the real thing when he'd fallen for so many counterfeits before?
In the stairwell up to Darien's apartment he stopped him, leaned up on his toes and kissed him. Saphyre wasn't sure if either of them had said anything up until that point, his thoughts had gotten loud and his palms were sweating a little. "I'm not going to say yes tonight, even if I want to." he informed him, speaking like it was Darien who needed to be soothed. "Just so you know. No pressure. Just a conversation."
"Of course. " Darien told him with an indulgent smile. " I will give you the answers you need. There is no need for rush."
With that said, they continued up to the condo, which was quiet at that hour. Lucy flew off to her perch with a click and a squeak. "Do you wish to discuss things in the living room or in my chamber?" Darien asked.
Saphyre watched Lucy fly to her perch, partly because she was adorable and partly because his beast took notice of her and her sharp quick movements. With one hand gently braced to the wall he unbuckled and stepped out of his heels, leaving them at the door.
"Mmm, what are your rules about wine in your chamber?" Saphyre inquired after a thoughtful hum.
"Well I certainly prefer it to be consumed by a scantily clad, incredibly sexy creature lounging provocatively on my bed or settee." Darien told him in a teasing tone.
"I think I can abide those rules," Saphyre replied as he invited himself into Darien's kitchen to retrieve a wine glass and a corkscrew. There was a great intimacy in this he realized while he set his bag down on the counter to pull out the bottle of wine.
"It's a cabernet and merlot blend from an Irish winery. I couldn't resist," he explained as he peeled back the red foil to reveal the cork. Though Darien could not partake in the wine itself he would be able to taste it in Saphyre's blood once he had. "Is it offensive if I ask if you were a drinking man back in your day?"
"It is not offensive at all," the vampire replied, leaning against the doorway. "I was quite the drinker, and enjoyed a great variety of vintages and types of drink."
Saphyre dug the corkscrew into the cork, working it out with a bartender's ease. His gaze drew over Darien as he put aside the cork, smiling a little to himself because he liked the way he looked at him. And the way he leaned against the door frame. And the way he indulged him so patiently. He just liked him, and sometimes Saphyre was so busy turning that feeling over looking for the cracks and sharp edges that would inevitably cut him that he forgot to enjoy it.
"I can imagine you being a wilder in your time," Saphyre said, pouring the wine out into the glass. The garnet colour very reminiscent of blood. "Did you have a favourite?"
"Oh yes. I did enjoy a good whiskey, although my drink of choice was often driven by my company at the time of drinking it. " Darien nodded.
"When in Rome, drink what the Romans are drinking," Saphyre agreed, taking up his glass with intention. He came in to Darien's space having to tilt up his chin with the proximity. "You do that now too I suppose, drink what the drink is drinking. Shall we?"
Darien slid his arm around Saphyre and guided him towards the bedroom. "As you wish, my dear. " He was hoping the drink might relax the stressed werewolf.
Saphyre had brought the bottle with him, as civilized as a glass was with a shifter's metabolism he'd need at least a couple glasses for the notes to properly show up in his blood. He let himself be guided, once they found themselves with a bedroom door between them and the world Saphyre found a place to put down the bottle and briefly handed off the glass to Darien. From there he unbuttoned and kicked off the artfully-torn high-waisted rose brocade trousers he'd been wearing, leaving himself in the red fishnets that had shown beneath them and the satin and lace camisole he'd french tucked into said high waist.
"Scantily clad," he said with the playful air of checking something off a list while he reclaimed the wine glass from Darien and proceeded to drape himself across the bed. "Lounging. Is this what you had in mind?" he asked before taking a sip of the wine.
"Oh, absolutely." Darien said, taking a long moment to enjoy the view in front of him. "You make quite the distraction."
Saphyre smiled, pleased by this praise he took another mouthful of wine before shifting to sit up a little more so as to give less of a debaucherous appearance.
"I do my very best," he said, patting the bed next to him. It might not be the most traditional place to discuss the details of a contract, but there was not much about the wolf that was traditional.
"Do you want to eat before we talk or after?" Saphyre asked. "I suppose there's also during but it's rude to talk with your mouthful,"
Darien chuckled. "Although the temptation is strong , I shall wait." He slid his vest off and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt before sliding onto the bed next to Saphyre. "Do you wish to ask questions for me to answer, or shall I attempt to explain a bit more thoroughly than our last conversation and see if there is anything I missed?
Saphyre watched Darien undress - not completely, not even enough to be scandalous by Victorian standards but still he felt the warmth in himself, the interest of his beast. Eugh, he had to have it bad if he was getting excited over top buttons.
Somehow he managed to pull his attention up from Darien's throat. "I think you explaining would be a good place to start. What your concept of my being your Pomme would be, and we'll work our way out from there."
Darien nodded. "Even though I have briefly explained previously, I will start at the beginning. Pomme is an abreviation for the term Pomme de sang, which means apple of blood. Please do not ask where the term came from, I have no answer for that. As for what my concept of the position would be, especially for you, it is very akin to the position you currently hold as my lover. I would dote upon you, give you gifts and attention, and act as your protector in vampire society. In return for this, you would offer your blood as my nourishment upon a regular basis. The agreement between us would mean that no other vampire would dare partake of you unless offered by myself. With the current laws in America stating that we must find willing sustenance, there is little need to use this as a way from protecting you from having to feed someone you do not wish to, so in truth it can be anything you desire it to be. "
Saphyre smiled and preoccupied himself with sipping wine so he wouldn't interrupt Darien while he listened to him explain. He nodded slowly.
"Okay, so that would mean if I were to be asked to work another ArchAngel event I would not be donating. Would I still be dancing?" Saphyre asked trying to make it sound casual.
"Yes, if that is what you desire. I have no intention of attempting to assert any control over you. To do so would be a tragedy, " Darien told him. It was truth, all of it. To cage such a creature would be the worst crime he could commit.
Saphyre gazed at Darien a little while, waiting for the catch. It was usually the dancing, the clothes coming off and the back bridges and the six inch high heels. Sometimes it was the make up. Rarely, and most absurdly, it was the fact he got fuzzy on a full moon - like that was a thing he could change about himself.
Saphyre was a lot, and past partners always had something to say about it. That it made them look bad, that they couldn't keep up, that if he really loved them he'd change, just a little, for the better. And often he did, without realizing it, even parts of him he felt were rigid and immovable. He'd turned himself inside out for men who never really liked who he was in the first place and had his heart broken anyways.
Saphyre realized been waiting for Darien to ask something of him that he wasn't willing to give so that he could tell him no and prove how much he'd grown. How much better he'd gotten at this game. He thought of the waiting Darien hadn't objected to, and his little act of brattiess at Klaus' part that had gone unnoticed because Darien didn't think they shouldn't end up separately at the same sex party because neither of them seemed all that fussed on monogamy. He thought about his offer to make him Pomme that had spooked him so badly because he thought he was asking so much of him so quickly when all he'd really asked was to take care of him in exchange for his blood - something he gave freely anyways. Saphyre had been waiting for Darien to be the kind of man who thought he was too much and wanted to hold him down anyways.
.
Darien was not that kind of man. They weren't playing a game with each other - or at least Darien wasn't playing. After time with his own self worth Saphyre had let Darien in because he did not look at him like he was too much, but like he was enough.
Saphyre leaned in, rubbing his cheek against Darien's shoulder, a raw and wolfish gesture. The nuzzle reached upwards his nose brushing the vampire's jaw pressing a kiss to his pulseless throat.
"So just... I don't donate to anyone else unless you allow them. We carry on like we have been. Do you feed from others in this arrangement?"
Darien slid his arm around Saphyre once more, a familiar and comfortable gesture. "Usually the answer is yes. In this case, I will ask you- Do you want me to?"
Saphyre tipped his head, considering that, the power of the decision Darien was putting in his hand. It didn't suit him to wield it but he couldn't help but smile at his asking. He shook his head.
"I want you to get what you need when you need it, I want you looked after. I know I'm not always readily available."
Darien smiled, nodding, and kissed Saphyre's brow. "Then I shall do so, as I feel the same for you. I know you worry, that something of your life before we met continues to shape your decisions now. That is why I make no demands of you. I adore you, and it pleases me that you might feel such for me, but I do not need to push for things that will come if they are meant to. You need not answer me tonight, or any night in truth. "
Saphyre closed his eyes, enjoying the tender affection. He opened them again when Darien was finished speaking, his pale blue eyes found Darien's dark ones.
"I adore you, no might. I do," he assured with a firmness to the soft words.
"I'd hate for the way I carry on to put a might in there for you. You should probably know that I'm crazy about you. I don't want the past to get between us. I trust you," Saphyre said his voice a whisper but the sentiment leaving his heart thudding heavily against his ribcage. It was true, of course, but it was also a power he was putting in Darien's hands.
Darien sighed softly. " Hearing you say such words, knowing that you care for me as I do you is more than enough. You have made your way into my heart, far deeper than I thought possible. You leave me full of wonder," he didn't say that he wondered when it would come to pass that he would grow to hate him like so many of his previous lovers had. His fingers sought bare skin, stoking lightly, the quiet joy of the moment making him seek the closeness.
Saphyre shifted closer, notching them together. In his current attire bare skin was easy enough for Darien to find. He kept his hand on the wine glass but rested the base of it against his hip. Having trouble finding words he put another kiss against Darien's throat.
"You leave me full of..." Saphyre trailed off, the corner of his mouth quirked as he thought of the less heartfelt way that sentence could end. "Ease. It feels easy to love you. I make it complicated so it can make sense to me. But, just know that it's like breathing for me."
Darien closed his eyes, resting his cheek against Saphyre's hair. There was no need for more words at that moment, it was right simply to be there, fitting like two pieces of the same puzzle. It was probably that comfort that made Darien miss it, the feeling of the power within him welling up and overflowing. To Saphyre however, the air around them seemed suddenly heavier, darker, a feeling of unseen danger lurking, as if he had somehow gone from predator to prey in the span of a moment.
Saphyre's eyes had closed for a rosy moment, but they flicked open in the sudden chill that rolled down his spine that had nothing to do with the temperature or Darien's touch. There had been no sound, or smell that had set him off but his beast’s hackles were suddenly raised, tail between his legs - something was terribly wrong. Something was just out of sight in the darkness of the balcony, or in the shadows beneath the bed. He strained for the sound of it, everything sharper and yet more muffled beneath the sound of his own racing pulse.
He moved slowly, sitting up from Darien his pupils splayed in the fear that was suddenly upon him as he tried to spot the threat. Carefully he set aside the glass of wine, his hand trembled a little. He realized he'd been holding his breath when he whispered. "Darien, do you feel that?"
Darien opened his eyes as Saphyre went suddenly alert, the feeling of his lovers fear washing back to him in a delicious wave. He realized too late when Saphyre used his name and not a term on endearment what was happening and lurched to his feet with a curse.
"Fuck!" The hissing exclamation was full of anger. His dark eyes flew around the room, looking to put space between them, the sound of continued cursing heralding his arrival to the spot, so fast it might have been missed. "I'm sorry." He whispered.
The fear left, as quickly as it came slipping off of him like Darien had yanked it with him in his flurry of movement and curses. The sickly residue of that kind of fear remained, a tremble in his limbs, his mouth dry and his molars crushed together but the threat had moved on.
There was a part of him that knew when Darien apologized but the rest of him was still just shuddering in the aftermath - or perhaps didn't want to acknowledge the truth. He wanted Darien to come back to the bed with the barely revealed cupid's bow of his collar bone and tell him it was going to be alright, to say all the love letter things Saphyre hung onto for rainy days. He knew already that wasn't going to happen, but he wanted it anyways.
He wanted to live another moment in the before, rather than the after.
"You felt it too?" Saphyre asked, a gloss of tears in his eyes which felt childish and he hurried to wipe them away on his wrist. He moved uselessly forward to swing his legs over the side of the bed. There was nothing under there after all. "It left - it was - but it's gone now, I think."
Darien was leaned against the far wall, his arm braced against it, head hanging and eyes closed tightly, a look of pain on his features. "I.. felt your fear. " He said haltingly after a moment. "I'm so sorry, Saphyre. Please, don't come any closer. Not yet. "
Saphyre pushed himself back again, giving Darien more space even though he'd only asked for him not to come any closer. He folded his legs up against his chest, watching the vampire over his knees. He ached to help him, or else he just ached, but in either case there was nothing to be done for it but wait.
Precious minutes slipped by as Darien pulled his power back in. No matter what people might say, no, it was not like riding a bicycle. It was more like being forced to use a muscle that had atrophied with disuse. It would take time to build it back up, to recapture the skill with which he handled it previously, which was why it took him so long to do it now. But God be damned, why now? Why couldn't it be with that blasted woman downstairs, or really anyone else, anyone who wasn't Saphyre.
So this is how it ends, he thought, bitterness seeping into him like a poison. All he had built so far teetered on the edge of an abyss in his mind, headed for inevitable destruction.
He slowly straightened. “I think.. it may be safe now." He said, not wanting to look at Saphyre.
During those long minutes Saphyre breathed in, and out in careful and intentional breaths. He worked himself back to a place where his heart beat a steady even rhythm and his palms no longer itched with the crawl of receded terror. Though his mind could scurry off in so many directions he made it heel and waited for Darien to return to him at that same even place.
Saphyre carefully unfolded himself, coming back to the edge of the bed. He looked at Darien while Darien resolutely did not look at him. Always refined and in control the uncertainty he injected with a 'may' did not go unnoticed so Saphyre did not venture any further forward.
"What happened?" Saphyre asked as gently as he could manage.
"Me," Darien said. He hand was still on the wall, and it clenched tightly. "I happened. What you felt- that illogical, faceless fear- that came from me. Flight is not the only thing my bloodline gifted me with." He barked a harsh laugh at himself. "Just like Klaus, only instead of lust, mine is terror."
The cold truth of it was a little harder to swallow than Saphyre had anticipated. Having strung the concept together already he thought the confirmation would be easier to digest but it seemed so incongruous with the man he knew.
"So what you're saying is," Saphyre began to speak before the numb feeling between his ears had subsided, the corner of his mouth twitched just a little. "It also gives you fight or flight," he said a reckless laugh falling out of him in its wake and he covered his mouth as though he could stem the flow of it or swallow back the words but the more he tried to smother it the more came.
"I'm sorry, it's not funny," Saphyre insisted but his shoulders were still shaking with laughter.
Darien looked at him finally, an expression of concern on his face as he pushed away from the wall. "Are you okay?" He asked, mindful of the hysterical way Saphyre was laughing, the kind of laughing that in an instant could dissolve into sobs. He took a step, then another, hand outstretched with want to touch, but worry keeping it at a distance. Please let him not have broken this beautiful man.
"I'm okay," Saphyre assured a little too quickly from behind his fingers. He had to look away from Darien for a moment, his knuckles pressed against his lips enough to feel his teeth against the soft flesh to quell the remaining giggles. It could have tipped easily into tears and he wasn't going to let that happen.
"I'm okay - it wasn't a great joke but I'm okay, I swear," he promised looking back at Darien and his outstretched hand, or more accurately the space he kept between them. Saphyre wanted to move forward to meet it, to show him he wasn't afraid, but the reward for a miscalculation on either of their parts would be fear so he stayed put.
"Are you okay?" Saphyre asked reaching out with words instead.
Darien snorted, looking away. "No. How could I be after that? I scared you, and it could and probably will happen again. What was it Brandy called it? Vampire puberty? "
Saphyre shifted so he sat cross legged on the edge of the bed. His mouth skewed off to the side as he considered the scope of this revelation as well as Darien's reaction.
"You didn't do it on purpose," Saphyre soothed. He was sure of that. Almost foolishly so. In the silence between the fear and Darien getting a handle on himself again Saphyre had to stand on the throat of the thought that vampires were well known for their sadistic games. The long cons for even a little pay off because eternity was a long time and amusement harder and harder to come by. But all of Darien's apologies were earnest, his shame and regret apparent.
"Just like regular puberty, you got a boner on my thigh at the middle school dance. It's not a big deal. Did your boner make me almost piss myself? Yes. But that's because I didn't know you could do that so I assumed we were being attacked by demons, apparently we go to a very religious middle school," Saphyre rambled in an attempt to bring some of that ease back into the room. He didn't think he was succeeding.
"So what do we do? Set up a haunted house in lieu of an orgy?" Saphyre asked unsure if this was a one for one comparison to Klaus' current condition.
Darien couldn't help but laugh. "The man you are dating just turned out to be the boogeyman and you’re say it's no big deal?" He went to the bed then, and it was just him, no irrational fear, no heaviness and darkness. "You are correct that I didn't do it on purpose. To ruin such a perfect moment," Anger crossed his features, then fled. "You said you loved me, could you still now, knowing what I can do?" He asked, settling on the edge of the bed, leaving space enough between them that Saphyre could close it or leave it as he chose. He didn't answer the question yet, as he needed to think on it.
"The man I'm dating is a vampire who can fly, control bats and was born on Halloween - on foreshadowing alone I have to take this in stride," Saphyre quipped with a wry smile. He watched Darien come closer and part of him braced to feel that creeping terror again but all he felt was Darien's body depressing the mattress next to him, relief, and an edge of shame for worrying.
There was the classic question: Could you still love a monster like me? Saphyre had been on both sides of this question more than once and it broke his heart a little to heart it from Darien.
"You know I could rip a man's arms off and feed them to him, right? Like pretty easily. It's not what I plan on spending my afternoons doing but I could. What we can do, what we have to do - it's complicated. All the moving parts are complicated. But loving you is easy, it's not a choice I make. Like I said it's breathing," Saphyre explained stiltedly, still jittery in his skin. He shifted over, coming to rest his head against Darien's thigh. "I'm still breathing."
Darien closed his eyes and smiled. "Well, not actually Halloween, but your point is made. I suppose it is poetic for me to have such power. But it will take time to get a handle on it," he stroked Saphyre’s hair gently, then stopped with an exhausted sigh. "Speaking of bats, though, I need to stay away from Lucy for a while. Not to mention I suppose working at the club might be a bit of a problem if this happens again."
Saphyre hummed thoughtfully nodding against his thigh. He could hear the weariness in the sigh. Darien seemed worn around the edges from reigning it in so he could be close to Saphyre again. He wasn't sure of the particulars of Darien's burgeoning power but they would figure it out.
"These things can be arranged. Have you eaten tonight? I might taste a little off, but," Saphyre asked, pushing himself up to sit alongside Darien properly.
"I ate earlier. And... Well, as I stated, my power is strikingly similar to Klaus', just not as.. pleasant," Darien said, rubbing Saphyres arm with a cool hand.
"Mmmmh," Saphyre hummed nodding thoughtfully. "Is it fucked up if I ask if my fear tastes good? That might just be me validation hunting but I'm curious," he teased gently leaning in to leave a kiss on his shoulder to show he meant no harm.
Darien ran his tongue over his teeth, trying to come up with an answer. "It's not so much taste and yet it is. It's delicious in a way that is not unlike hearing a haunting melody," he said finally, his fingers tracing circles. "And yes, although I hated for it to happen, your fear was potent and quite ... Good. "
It probably spoke to something very wrong with Saphyre that that pleased him. He smiled and leaned into Darien's touch, it was easy to feel distant from that fear, it had only been a taste for him too. Fathomless, but also formless.
"Can I ask a less preening question?"
"Yes. Of course." Darien said. He was comforted by the fact Saphyre hadn't run away. He was still there, still beside him.
"Circling back to Klaus' ability, everyone was very keen to stress the potential for uhm - " Saphyre vaguely regretted having started to speak on the topic. It was an important question, the kind that required an answer but also that one didn't want to know the answer to.
"Fatal levels of horny, I guess. Do we - Do we know if scaring to death is in your purview?"
"Yes. It is possible, but dependent on the health of those subjected to it, as well as the distance from me. I will have to work very hard to gain control," Darien said in complete seriousness. "Now that the ability has manifested, it will grow in strength and area of effect at a rate I cannot predict."
"Cool, cool, cool, good to know," Saphyre murmured, nodding along. The words all made sense, and the reality of it had been experienced first hand but it was still going to take time to digest. "Mostly nothing to fear but fear itself... It's a good season for it to manifest, at least," Saphyre offered.
"I suppose, although the club is still seeing considerable business. I will have to arrange to have a manager on site while I handle paperwork and such from home. I do not want to scare away my customers. Literally." Darien replied.
"Halloween is big in the entertainment world," Saphyre had to agree. "Maybe we can spin it, project art house horror movies on the wall, put in a fog machine. You play an ambient and haunting piano. Nightmare Shades for October," he mused. Creative direction was his day job, and this, the shop-talking-suggestions were the tender roots of their relationship. This was where they'd started, club owner and promoter and where they were at regular enough intervals that it gave context to everything else.
Darien chuckled. "A month long halloween party? That is certainly one way to handle it."
"Hey they have theme parks and shops where it's Christmas year round, why not give the best holiday a little extra love?" Saphyre smiled but he wouldn't push it. There was probably still too many unknown variables to be sorting out silver linings just yet. "Well however you'd like to handle it moving forward just keep me in the loop. I'm not a great Lucy sitter candidate but I'll help where I can."
"Just the fact that you are still here is more than enough. I will figure out the rest. I am resourceful." Darien said, pulling him close and planting a kiss on his hair.
Saphyre curled up against Darien, his arms wrapping around him in kind. "Yes you are resourceful, and I am a resource."
A Darkflame & Grimoire Co-Post
