[ The kiss is reassuring and makes him feel warm, because it's not only sweet, but it's a way of Yamato knowing that Malice is still here. He's not lost himself entirely to his hunger. That thought alone is incredibly comforting.
What isn't, though, is the impact of Malice's fangs sinking into his neck. He fully expects to still have blood in him, unlike the first time he'd been bitten, but the pain is so much worse. It's not pleasurable at all; the pain is raw and burning, so much so that he can't help but grit his teeth and grunt from how much it hurts. His breathing is heavier, too, because he has to try and make this as bearable as possible for himself.
Despite this, though, his arms wrap around Malice. He holds on tight, partly because he needs something to hang onto while he endures this, but mostly because he truly isn't going anywhere. It hurts like hell, but this is part of being with Malice – for now, anyway – and that's okay. ]
[As Malice drinks, Yamato will find that the pain begins to lessen. It isn't as though the injury is healing or anything, but rather as though Yamato's senses are growing duller - as if he's slowly becoming more relaxed and sleepy.
Vampires don't want their prey struggling, after all. So while the initial bite hurts, they lull their victims into a more passive state that allows them to feed as much as they need. That much remains true even here, and that pain will eventually fade entirely leaving Yamato with a floaty feeling. Some victims lose their sense of their surroundings or fall asleep, but it varies from person to person. Regardless, Malice is almost done, so just bear with it for a little longer.]
[ And there's the familiar feeling of pain turning into something much more tolerable. Vampires seem to have that in common, he notes, and he feels lightheaded. His eyelids feel heavier. He almost wants to fall asleep, but he forces himself to stay awake despite his hold on Malice loosening, indicating that the sedative properties of the bite are taking effect.
He wants to be present when it's finished, because otherwise, who will reassure Malice that things are fine? If he falls asleep here, will Malice want to walk out the door again? The thought of leaving his partner to his own devices doesn't sit well with Yamato, so he'll wait it out for as long as he can. ]
[It isn't long before Malice stops. There's a brief moment of pause - as he assesses the damage, as he assesses his human - before Malice leans back in to press apologetic kisses to Yamato's neck. Forgive me, is what he wants to say. I'm so sorry.
He does have to pull back - having only one arm is so inconvenient, sometimes - and he moves to help Yamato lay down on the bed so Malice can summon his focus. The bracelet easily slides onto his wrist and he murmurs his incantation as he channels healing magic to Yamato's wound.
Haec dominium mea est, this is my Domain. It means something far different here and now than it did when he first came up with it. Malice's Domain is his strength, his ability to overcome the unthinkable - and that's what Yamato is to him now. This is my Domain and this is my human are all but interchangeable in this instance.
The wound begins to close, though it's slow-going and not particularly effective; the wound may even feel a little too warm, as if Malice's excessive usage of fire magic has bled into even this, his attempts to heal the damage he's caused.]
[ Yamato's so dizzy that all he can do in response to the kisses, to the gentle placement of his body on the bed, is smile. He watches as Malice summons his focus and gets to work immediately, even if he feels some of his blood slowly streak onto his collarbone before the wound starts patching itself up. There is no forgiveness required here, but if Malice is asking for it –
Yamato raises his arm on his good side, and gently places his hand on top of Malice's, the one that's healing his wound. He'll quietly murmur his incantation – good night – and add some of his own healing magic into the mix. Yes, it's primarily meant to patch up these puncture wounds, and yes, it will expedite the process. A part of it, though, is meant to send waves of healing to Malice himself. Even in his weakened state, Yamato can tell how much this is eating Malice alive. He can't quite talk yet, not as the wound is patching up, but he hopes that the warmth from his magic will be enough to let him know how he feels.
I don't need you to be sorry. I just need you to trust me.
He doesn't want to wake up to Malice walking out on him again. ]
[He watches the trail of blood - not due to hunger, but because it's easier to look at than Yamato's face. He shouldn't waste a drop - a lesson he's carried with him since childhood - but the thought of consuming any more makes him feel ill. Yamato's blood tastes good, great even. But he's taken enough.
(Too much, maybe.)
Yamato's hand finds his and Malice starts a bit, pulled from his thoughts as Yamato's magic joins his. The wounds will close far faster this way, with both of them working in tandem to seal them, though it does nothing for the blood that's already fallen.
Though he doesn't quite understand what Yamato is trying to convey, the sentiment is there and present - you're not alone and I'm still here and that alone makes him release a breath he didn't realize he was holding; a shuddering exhale that releases tension and fear both.
With the wound closed, Malice's fingers move to gently brush over where the marks once were - they're gone now, without a single trace they were even present to begin with - and without thinking, his fingers slide down to catch the blood that's trailed free of those injuries. He lets it stain his fingers.
All the words in the world couldn't capture exactly what it is he wants to say to Yamato right now. Like before, when they felt simply caught in his throat, inefficient to express himself, they've fled from him now. So instead of saying anything at all - even though he needs to apologize - Malice moves to settle beside Yamato, selfishly pulling him close.]
[ Yamato was about to move to wipe off the blood himself, but Malice beats him to it. He watches, wondering if this is Malice helping himself to seconds, but it's not. It's him taking responsibility, Yamato thinks, and that thought makes him very, very sad.
It's why he's relieved when Malice turns to lie down next to him and pull him close. The wound is gone and it doesn't hurt one bit anymore; what's weighing on him is what appears to be Malice's guilt, now. He gets it, though. He understands being mad at yourself.
Yamato curls up beside him and swings an arm over so it's around Malice's waist. He tilts his head upward, just enough so he can look at his partner, though his eyes glance at Malice's lips for a split second. He'd like to kiss him, but he's not sure if that's what's needed right now.
He settles for gently brushing his hand over Malice's lower back, as if to tell him that everything's okay. Words are failing him, too; his actions have always been louder, anyway. ]
[It's comfortable, lying together like this, and that's something Malice would cling to, no matter what. He doesn't want to let go. He doesn't want to give Yamato the chance to leave, because he's afraid Yamato will take it. That's what humans should do, especially after being bitten by a vampire. And yet they never do, and sometimes they even say it's okay or you just needed to feed and Malice is just so tired of hurting people just to survive.
In a world like this, where he doesn't need to hurt others, he's grown complacent. Yes, he feeds, and yes, he loathes it, but never before has it truly hit him just how much he hates it. Mika said they were monsters - and right here, right now, Malice can't help but believe that wholeheartedly.
But Yamato is still here. And he still loves Yamato very much. And that has to mean something, no matter how badly the guilt is crushing him right now.]
...Love you, [he whispers with a tongue to clumsy to articulate exactly the thoughts dancing across his mind] I love you so damn much, Yama.
[ What Yamato sees isn't a monster or some abhorrent being. What he sees now is safety and comfort, someone who would never mean to hurt him, someone who hasn't and won't reject him for who he is. It's only right that Yamato returns that sentiment, isn't it? It's not a burden for him to do so, either. It's as easy as breathing – something that he nearly forgets to do when he hears the quiet words that escape Malice's lips.
They don't say "I love you" as often as others do, so when they say it, it feels like it means something. And he knows that it does, especially in a moment as vulnerable as this one.
He can't help but allow his smile to broaden while it melts into something incredibly fond. (It may be a relief that his voice is back again, also.) ]
[It is, it's a relief to hear - though really, it isn't as though he needed to hear it. He knew Yamato was fine. He's fed on humans countless times; he knows just how much he can safely take. He recognizes their heartbeats and Yamato's especially. So of course Malice knew that Yamato was just fine... and yet relief still floods him as Yamato speaks.
Without hesitation, Malice pulls his human closer, so Yamato can rest in the hollow between Malice's neck and shoulder. This is usually where he'd cuddle on Yamato, but he can't do that right now, not after he just hurt his human. Maybe it's some backwards way of apologizing, as if asking Yamato to take from him, as though that would somehow make things even. That's not the exact intention, of course - Malice just wants to hold Yamato close, so close that there's no space left, because he has no intention of leaving any time soon.
He meant what he said - he wants to be selfish and keep Yamato all to himself, both to care for him and to protect him. And right now, to hold him close and never let him go, because he can't imagine a life without Yamato anymore.]
[ Yamato doesn't protest when Malice pulls him in. He welcomes it, allows himself to be so close that there's no space between them, and so easily, too. He tightens his own hold in kind and gently rests his head where Malice wants him to. Malice may be inherently cold, but Yamato feels nice and warm where he is, and he buries his nose in Malice's neck. He's quiet and doesn't say a word, because he's overwhelmed with just how devoted he is to the person beside him.
It's nice to be loved, and it feels even nicer to love in return. He feels so light and yet so much at the same time. Yamato doesn't know what to say, if there's anything to say, so he's content to lie here in comfortable silence as his hand gently brushes against his partner's back.
He'd been thinking on and off about what to do when this is all over, when they have to return home, when he has to face his friends again and see what's become of them since his disappearance. He's gone through multiple scenarios in his head of what might happen, but the one constant is that he's always had Malice in his thoughts. And even if they were never to see each other again for one reason or another, he'd already made up his mind on not being able to love anyone else. Yamato will love Malice until his love isn't wanted anymore; if Malice is fine with having it for eternity, then Yamato will give it to him without end.
[Though the guilt still gnaws at him, just as hungry as Malice was before, there's a small flicker of something else burning hot and bright in his chest. The familiar spark of hope - the one he's spent so much time cycling between carefully nurturing and ruthlessly crushing, because why should he hope for anything better than his current lot in life? Why should he believe things will get better, when time and time again, they haven't? When given the choice between a life he quite enjoyed and the hope of a better future for the humans he cared for, Malice took the chance for more. For family, yes, but for fortune and power and status as well - and because some part of him was terrified of losing that spark of hope. He's lost it so many times before, after all, so why cling to it? Why not destroy it, and start again, on his own terms?
Did you get what you wanted? Lotisse had asked him, of siding with Rosalie. One of the few times that man had ever been straightforward about anything.
And one of the only times he was straightforward about his feelings on it in turn, No.
But here in this world, things are different. Things have been different from the moment he greeted those trapped here with him, tasked with something they realistically should never be capable of. Granted magic, and freedom in a way Malice has never truly had, and left to learn and change based on this world, the people, and those they've met along the way.
The old Malice would have been terrified of this, of that he's sure. The spark of hope that burns brightly now would have been crushed long before this point, so as to keep from being hurt again. But that isn't the case now, and Malice allows himself to enjoy that feeling, relaxing into Yamato's grip, nuzzling against his human gently.
Did you find the love you were looking for?
No. I don't know if I ever will.
Malice was wrong about that. He couldn't be more happy to have been wrong.]
[ Some time passes in which they stay tangled up in each other, and Yamato's content to lie down without saying a word for a while longer. A part of him can't help but wonder, however, how much Malice is still feeling that guilt. He hopes it's muted by now, but you never know.
Moments later, he pulls back, but only just enough so he can look at Malice again. He can't help himself, either – he moves in to press a gentle kiss to Malice's cheek. It just feels...right, to do so. Almost like he needs to reaffirm his feelings or something like that.
Anyway, he's going to ask something stupid, because he feels like the time for lightening the mood is past due. Maybe it'll help. ]
So. Did I taste okay?
[ ...Well, alright. He's going to lighten the mood with a question that can very easily be misconstrued out of context. It's not on purpose....I swear.... ]
[It's so relaxing being tangled up like this that Malice is a bit startled when Yamato pulls back a bit. He allows him to go, of course, head tipped a bit into the pillow as he waits for the words.
...Which are not at all what he expected. While the meaning behind the question is obvious, the first thing that shoots out of Malice's mouth is absolutely not helping the mood at all.]
Can't comment 'til I've had more of ya, yeah?
[.................at least you lightened the mood, yamato? unfortunately, malice just ruined it.]
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What isn't, though, is the impact of Malice's fangs sinking into his neck. He fully expects to still have blood in him, unlike the first time he'd been bitten, but the pain is so much worse. It's not pleasurable at all; the pain is raw and burning, so much so that he can't help but grit his teeth and grunt from how much it hurts. His breathing is heavier, too, because he has to try and make this as bearable as possible for himself.
Despite this, though, his arms wrap around Malice. He holds on tight, partly because he needs something to hang onto while he endures this, but mostly because he truly isn't going anywhere. It hurts like hell, but this is part of being with Malice – for now, anyway – and that's okay. ]
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Vampires don't want their prey struggling, after all. So while the initial bite hurts, they lull their victims into a more passive state that allows them to feed as much as they need. That much remains true even here, and that pain will eventually fade entirely leaving Yamato with a floaty feeling. Some victims lose their sense of their surroundings or fall asleep, but it varies from person to person. Regardless, Malice is almost done, so just bear with it for a little longer.]
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He wants to be present when it's finished, because otherwise, who will reassure Malice that things are fine? If he falls asleep here, will Malice want to walk out the door again? The thought of leaving his partner to his own devices doesn't sit well with Yamato, so he'll wait it out for as long as he can. ]
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He does have to pull back - having only one arm is so inconvenient, sometimes - and he moves to help Yamato lay down on the bed so Malice can summon his focus. The bracelet easily slides onto his wrist and he murmurs his incantation as he channels healing magic to Yamato's wound.
Haec dominium mea est, this is my Domain. It means something far different here and now than it did when he first came up with it. Malice's Domain is his strength, his ability to overcome the unthinkable - and that's what Yamato is to him now. This is my Domain and this is my human are all but interchangeable in this instance.
The wound begins to close, though it's slow-going and not particularly effective; the wound may even feel a little too warm, as if Malice's excessive usage of fire magic has bled into even this, his attempts to heal the damage he's caused.]
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Yamato raises his arm on his good side, and gently places his hand on top of Malice's, the one that's healing his wound. He'll quietly murmur his incantation – good night – and add some of his own healing magic into the mix. Yes, it's primarily meant to patch up these puncture wounds, and yes, it will expedite the process. A part of it, though, is meant to send waves of healing to Malice himself. Even in his weakened state, Yamato can tell how much this is eating Malice alive. He can't quite talk yet, not as the wound is patching up, but he hopes that the warmth from his magic will be enough to let him know how he feels.
I don't need you to be sorry. I just need you to trust me.
He doesn't want to wake up to Malice walking out on him again. ]
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(Too much, maybe.)
Yamato's hand finds his and Malice starts a bit, pulled from his thoughts as Yamato's magic joins his. The wounds will close far faster this way, with both of them working in tandem to seal them, though it does nothing for the blood that's already fallen.
Though he doesn't quite understand what Yamato is trying to convey, the sentiment is there and present - you're not alone and I'm still here and that alone makes him release a breath he didn't realize he was holding; a shuddering exhale that releases tension and fear both.
With the wound closed, Malice's fingers move to gently brush over where the marks once were - they're gone now, without a single trace they were even present to begin with - and without thinking, his fingers slide down to catch the blood that's trailed free of those injuries. He lets it stain his fingers.
All the words in the world couldn't capture exactly what it is he wants to say to Yamato right now. Like before, when they felt simply caught in his throat, inefficient to express himself, they've fled from him now. So instead of saying anything at all - even though he needs to apologize - Malice moves to settle beside Yamato, selfishly pulling him close.]
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It's why he's relieved when Malice turns to lie down next to him and pull him close. The wound is gone and it doesn't hurt one bit anymore; what's weighing on him is what appears to be Malice's guilt, now. He gets it, though. He understands being mad at yourself.
Yamato curls up beside him and swings an arm over so it's around Malice's waist. He tilts his head upward, just enough so he can look at his partner, though his eyes glance at Malice's lips for a split second. He'd like to kiss him, but he's not sure if that's what's needed right now.
He settles for gently brushing his hand over Malice's lower back, as if to tell him that everything's okay. Words are failing him, too; his actions have always been louder, anyway. ]
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In a world like this, where he doesn't need to hurt others, he's grown complacent. Yes, he feeds, and yes, he loathes it, but never before has it truly hit him just how much he hates it. Mika said they were monsters - and right here, right now, Malice can't help but believe that wholeheartedly.
But Yamato is still here. And he still loves Yamato very much. And that has to mean something, no matter how badly the guilt is crushing him right now.]
...Love you, [he whispers with a tongue to clumsy to articulate exactly the thoughts dancing across his mind] I love you so damn much, Yama.
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They don't say "I love you" as often as others do, so when they say it, it feels like it means something. And he knows that it does, especially in a moment as vulnerable as this one.
He can't help but allow his smile to broaden while it melts into something incredibly fond. (It may be a relief that his voice is back again, also.) ]
I love you, too.
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Without hesitation, Malice pulls his human closer, so Yamato can rest in the hollow between Malice's neck and shoulder. This is usually where he'd cuddle on Yamato, but he can't do that right now, not after he just hurt his human. Maybe it's some backwards way of apologizing, as if asking Yamato to take from him, as though that would somehow make things even. That's not the exact intention, of course - Malice just wants to hold Yamato close, so close that there's no space left, because he has no intention of leaving any time soon.
He meant what he said - he wants to be selfish and keep Yamato all to himself, both to care for him and to protect him. And right now, to hold him close and never let him go, because he can't imagine a life without Yamato anymore.]
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It's nice to be loved, and it feels even nicer to love in return. He feels so light and yet so much at the same time. Yamato doesn't know what to say, if there's anything to say, so he's content to lie here in comfortable silence as his hand gently brushes against his partner's back.
He'd been thinking on and off about what to do when this is all over, when they have to return home, when he has to face his friends again and see what's become of them since his disappearance. He's gone through multiple scenarios in his head of what might happen, but the one constant is that he's always had Malice in his thoughts. And even if they were never to see each other again for one reason or another, he'd already made up his mind on not being able to love anyone else. Yamato will love Malice until his love isn't wanted anymore; if Malice is fine with having it for eternity, then Yamato will give it to him without end.
This is it.
This is home. ]
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Did you get what you wanted? Lotisse had asked him, of siding with Rosalie. One of the few times that man had ever been straightforward about anything.
And one of the only times he was straightforward about his feelings on it in turn, No.
But here in this world, things are different. Things have been different from the moment he greeted those trapped here with him, tasked with something they realistically should never be capable of. Granted magic, and freedom in a way Malice has never truly had, and left to learn and change based on this world, the people, and those they've met along the way.
The old Malice would have been terrified of this, of that he's sure. The spark of hope that burns brightly now would have been crushed long before this point, so as to keep from being hurt again. But that isn't the case now, and Malice allows himself to enjoy that feeling, relaxing into Yamato's grip, nuzzling against his human gently.
Did you find the love you were looking for?
No. I don't know if I ever will.
Malice was wrong about that. He couldn't be more happy to have been wrong.]
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Moments later, he pulls back, but only just enough so he can look at Malice again. He can't help himself, either – he moves in to press a gentle kiss to Malice's cheek. It just feels...right, to do so. Almost like he needs to reaffirm his feelings or something like that.
Anyway, he's going to ask something stupid, because he feels like the time for lightening the mood is past due. Maybe it'll help. ]
So. Did I taste okay?
[ ...Well, alright. He's going to lighten the mood with a question that can very easily be misconstrued out of context. It's not on purpose....I swear.... ]
nsfwish i'm so sorry
...Which are not at all what he expected. While the meaning behind the question is obvious, the first thing that shoots out of Malice's mouth is absolutely not helping the mood at all.]
Can't comment 'til I've had more of ya, yeah?
[.................at least you lightened the mood, yamato? unfortunately, malice just ruined it.]
HELP ME????????????????
He. Hm.
He turns a very bright shade of pink and he can't help but clear his throat. ]
Oh.
[ Hang on a second. ]
...Are you asking?
buries face in hands
[.....................]
That isn't what you meant though.
[hm,]
IMMMMMM
[ . ]
You know, if you want – other things – [ he is so embarrassed. ] you can just ask.
🤝
Well, yeah, 'course I can. Figured I'd just save it for whenever we were gettin' in the mood, y'know? No sense rushin' into it.
LMFAOOOO
[ He's so red. Well. As red as one can be given how much blood he's lost but you know. ]
I mean...it's not like I'm experienced in that department either, so...
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Good thing I'm plenty experienced! I'll teach ya!
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Geez, don't sound so eager!
[ He's so flustered right now. ]
I-I mean, you can, it's fine, but – ah...
[ pleaaaase send help ]
nsfw mention again,,,
[And then, with a sly smirk that says he knows exactly what he's doing and he's doing it solely to cause chaos:]
'Sides, I've been wantin' in your pants for awhile now.
nsfw warning continues ig....FAREWELL
You. You've what, now.
[ No, no, he knows exactly what Malice said and what it means and it is making him incredibly embarrassed! Thanks! ]
I. Geez...
[ But. Okay.
1) Malice is hot.
2) He actually really liked that time they made out? They should probably do that again sometime?
3) Please send help. ]
It's not like...I would've said no...
stares into the sun
[This is just what couples do?? They ruck.]
i.
Fine.
[ Look. Malice has a point, but he also has no concept of shame and Yamato does, so. ]
I mean, you've already seen me shirtless...
[ EAST MISSION HAPPENED A LOT. ]
i'm so sorry.
.
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