fadingworld | A medical emergency

A deep navy cloak hides his features and the more ornate tunic the courtesan usually wears to greet his clients. Mal hunches his shoulders and slides through the crowds hoping to avoid notice. He keeps his head down until he reaches the home of the doctor and wraps smartly on the door. "Open up," he calls in a voice that expects to be listened to.

How much time did he have? He could not have a client bleeding out. Not this one. Not one who had come to him for help, to be treated privately.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

mandragoraspiritus

Regis hears Mal's sobs when they start. How can he not? Though it creates an ache in his chest and a deep wish to go to him and comfort him, he knows that for now he must let Mal be, to let him think and feel on his own, in his own pace.

He leaves the bed as well, pulling on his trousers and finding a new shirt from his closet, but he doesn't bother with any footwear. He isn't going anywhere. No, he will only wait.

From:

fadingworld

Tears flow, Mal cannot check them but when the storm passes he feels calmer. He rises from the corner of his room and washes his face and straighten his hair back out. For the moment he shies away from how he's feeling to avoid feeling that edge of panic.

Quietly he pads back out to where their lesson had started and tidies up the bandanges, leaving the room neat and orderly before he reaches for the book to read. He can't ....he can't go back in there just yet.

From:

mandragoraspiritus

There is one thing to be left alone to think and another to be left alone to brood. When it has been long enough for Regis to suspect that the later will start taking place he decides that it's time he sought Mal out.

He exits the bedroom and enters the study as smoke, coming flowing from under the door to drift through the room, gathering behind Mal. As he solidifies again first comes the scent fo petrichor and herbs before a pair of arms settle around Mal from behind.

From:

fadingworld

Mal barely jumps. He turns the book over in his lap and rests his hands on Regis' arms. "Hello," he says softly, leaning back against him.

"I am truly sorry, I had no idea I would react like that. Are you okay?"

From:

mandragoraspiritus

"You have nothing to apologize for, Mal," Regis tries to softly assure him, staying embracing Mal from behind like this. "If anything I am glad you were truthful. And, rather I wish to apologize, for moving too quickly."

From:

fadingworld

"You didn't do anything more than I was asking for," Mal points out softly. "And with my history, well...it didn't seem like it should be complicated."

From:

mandragoraspiritus

"Perhaps that is exactly why it would be," Regis muses softly. "I did not take it into consideration as I perhaps should have and for that I am sorry."

HE presses a light kiss to the side of Mal's neck before he moves around form behind him, so that they can better be face to face. "But there is both time and will, I dare say, to overcome any obstacles."

From:

fadingworld

"There is nothing to forgive," Mal rises and immediately folds Regis into a large warm hug. He will not let the man feel downhearted or worried. Not when he had and continued to show such understanding.

"I do trust you completely... I just don't quite trust myself."

From:

mandragoraspiritus

"You will find that in yourself, of that I have no doubt," Regis says, having folded his arms around the other man to return that hug. "I do feel both trust and pride in you."

From:

fadingworld

Mal tilts his head up and presses a quick, soft kiss to Regis' lips. "Kissing," he murmurs, "I have no problem with." And there is pride in his eyes that Regis accepts and likes him.

"Could you...could you help me to work out the rest? Please?"

From:

mandragoraspiritus

"I would be glad to," Regis truthfully assures. There will be some stumbling on the way, of that he's sure, but they will overcome it.

"As for tonight, would you let me stay beside you while you sleep?"

From:

fadingworld

Mal's eyes regain a great deal of their happy glow at that idea. This is something he can agree to without reservation "I would love that a great deal," he says contentedly. "It is very comfortable when you are there."

From:

mandragoraspiritus

The light in Mal's eyes draws a wider smile onto Regis' face. "Then that is what we will do." Regis may not need that much sleep, but he does think he will stay with Mal regardless.

From:

fadingworld

Mal gives his positive emotions freely to Regis, wrapping his with warmth mentally and physically. "May I rest my head in your lap again? I know was drunk when I did that, but it was such a lovely position to wake up in. Especially when I looked straight up into your face."

From:

mandragoraspiritus

"It can be arranged," Regis says with a bit fo a grin. "Unless you would prefer me next to you." Clothes would stay on, no hands would go wandering. Staying close would be the point.

From:

fadingworld

"That ….would be even better," Mal agrees readily. He had liked those moments with their limbs entangled, before his mind had got in the way. He tells Regis as much.

"I would like to get back to that point some day," he murmurs. "But next to you will be very good start."

From:

mandragoraspiritus

"We will get back to it," Regis says assuredly. He too would like that very much, not that more than only companionship is beginning to be offered. He will be patient, though. This must be allowed to take time. While his original plan had been to simply approach this differently than anything else that Mal puddle have experienced, he can now see that it will take more than that.

From:

fadingworld

Mal drops his chin down onto Regis' shoulder and hugs him silently for a moment. "I am incredibly lucky that it is you I am with," he says softly. "I do not think there are many who would understand and accept as you have."

From:

mandragoraspiritus

With a hand resting between Mal's shoulder blades to instill a sense of security, Regis keeps them just like that. "I have a different outlook on this, I dare say." He had told Mal; vampires feel things strongly. In caring, how could he not want happiness for Mal, for him to leave the darkness of his part behind him? How could he not wish to help with that?

From:

fadingworld

Mal has no sense of discomfort standing like this. Regis' calm assurance is enough to settle even the most nervous person.

"You do," he murmurs and smiles up with so much fondness. "Oh I am lucky. I hope some day you I will give you something to add to your happiness."

From:

mandragoraspiritus

Regis too smiles, with a slight quizzical quirk of an eyebrow. "What makes you think that you aren't already?"

Still smiling he steps back. Hugs are pleasant, yes, and he has missed touch, but even more his fondness for Mal stems from the man's mind. "It is too early for bed yet. Come, let us find something else to do with the reminder of the evening."

From:

fadingworld

He could do so much more though.

Mal smiles and gestures to the book that he had abandoned. "Should I return to study, or may I make another attempt in the kitchen?" So far there had been a few near food disasters in there but he was learning.

From:

mandragoraspiritus

"Are you still hungry?" Regis does join Mal for every meal and he does eat, but he has no need to. It's easy enough to eat a certain number of meals at certain times a day, but hunger isn't really something he feels.

From:

fadingworld

"Only a little," Mal says easily. "I was thinking I could conquer something that we could use another day." He grins, "I think I am taking easier to learning how to heal then I am to the kitchen."