Let me put on my face (the morning after) - Dima's Appartment

His eyes snapped open, and for a moment, he's afraid he's alone. He glances over at the sleeping body next to him, still curled protectively around him and Marcus smiles.  He turns into the beautiful man, trailing his fingertips down along his the rugged body, knowing his quiet explorations would go unnoticed by a man who sleeps like the dead.  He feels everything.  The mans lips, his strong jaw, thick neck and beautiful chest.  He squeezes the large cock nestled between his legs, shivering as the memories of the previous night return in a flood.  Marcus sighs softly, giving the man a quick, resigned smile.  "A thousand year old man made me fall in love with him in a single night.  Not quite something I had put on my 'things to do' list." he whispers with a chuckle.

He lays there for another minute before slipping free of Dima's arms.  He walks over to his pants that had been left in a pile with the rest of his and Dima's clothing and pulls out his phone, typing a quick message before sending it away.  Idly he glaces down at his deformed skin, noting the hideous gashes that run along the smooth, albeit discolored flesh and sighs, willing his mask up.  As an afterthought, he smiles and picks up Dima's shirt, inhaling his lovers scent and holding to his face for a time.  Time does tend to get away from him when he's focused on other things.  Like Dima's shirt.

It was maybe fifteen twenty minutes later that Dima stirs. Rolling over on the bed looking for Marcus. A soft chuckle broke the rooms silence as he watched Marcus. When marcus turned back around to face Dima, the large man is sprawled on his bed eyes watching dance with amusement, and caring.

"I awake thinking you have slipped out and instead find you steeling my shirt." He mused. Stretching, his back arched slightly, as each muscle flexed and stretched across his body. He sighed pleasantly.

If he could have, Marcus would have flushed deeply at being caught with his nose in the cookie jar, so to speak, but aside from a sheepish smile as he walks back to the bed, shirt in tow, he seems relatively unphased. "Couldn't help it. It smelled like you before the soap. Such an amazing smell..." Still naked himself, Marcus kneels at Dima's feet, beginning to stalk up the mans body, his green eyes never leaving Dima's "But now that you're awake, so many other things spring to mind that need be done..."

His arms rested under his head and he smiled watching Marcus stalk up his body.

"Going to make it up to me? Making me wake up alone?" His hands reach down to caress along Marcus's shoulders skimming across his flesh. One finger tracing his lower lip his cheek.

He flashes a dazzeling smile at Dima, reaching down to take Dima's cock in his hand "I think there are some methods I have at my disposal that will be appreciated babe" There is an impish quality to the young man was he says this, hand beginning to stoke the tube of flesh between Dima's legs slowly, sensually. "'Sides, I think -you- need to make it up to me that..." he pauses, trying to playfully come up with something, anything, to pin on Dima to regain the upper hand. "I'll think of something, but just know that you need to make it up to me..." He grins, lowering his lips to the flacid cock.

His hips rise up a little and he groans, his cock quickly coming to life under Marcus's attention. It was then that a cell phone rang cutting through the perfect moment. Dima's reyes squeezed closed as he recognized the ring tone. His hands gently pushed Marcus from him as he sat up and fumbled with his pants. Large hands found his cell phone and flipped it open. He slowly slid to the floor, further from Marcus.

He answered the phone in a single word, his tone thick with sorrow, "Hey." Voice soft eyes squeezed closed once more.

The change in Dima was almost startling to Marcus, and he watched with some concern as Dima moves further away from him. He is silent for a couple seconds, then gets up from the bed and smiles encouragingly at Dima, whether he notices it or not and slips from the room into the workshop, closing the door behind to him allow for some measure of privacy.

It's clear that he's not leaving, as his clothing and his violin are both still in the room with Dima, but he does feel that Dima needs time alone and he's going to be the one to give it to him.

There are soft murmurs from behind the door for at least ten minutes. Then Marcus would hear the sound of water running in the shower.

Marcus doesn't disturb the man, knowing instinctively that he needs time to deal with things his way. After leaving the room, he slips the massive shirt on, which amusingly enough ends right about his knees and slips into one of the large plush chairs that sit off in the corner of the room. His eyes settle on the gifted music box from the night before and he smiles, picking it up and sitting back, drawing his legs beneath him in a decidedly feminine gesture. The gears click as she winds up the small device, and suddenly, it's Rachel who lays her head back with a far off gaze.

At each conclusion of the song, she rewinds the toy absently, keeping a steady stream of delicate sounding music and closes her eyes with a sad smile touching her lips. It's this way that Dima finds her when he comes from the room.

The water runs for about fifteen minutes. Then shuts off, about another five minutes pass and he emerges. Wearing jeans and no shirt. The weight heavy on his shoulders, his eyes just tinged in pink. His brute set in a frown as he muddled through so many emotions. Hearing his music box his feet pause, his eyes glance up and take in Rachel in his shirt. Curled up in his chair, toying with his gift to her. Some of the weight lifted from his shoulders, "Hey." He said softly keying her know he was there.

Her gaze pulls back into focus, and Rachel smiles warmly up at Dima and rises, holding out her hand to him. "Come sit with me for a bit Dima." She says softly, extending the invitation with more then just her words. The big chair was bought with Dima in mind, so there was plenty of room for him to join her if he choose to.

He moved forward and sat in the chair. Pulling Rachel down into his lap, so that her legs dangle off the arm of the chair. Arms wrapped around her waist, and he rested his brow against her breast. "This is so complicated... No matter what I do I am hurting someone." He whispered his tone almost asking Marcud what he thought he should do. He sighed and just held her.

The music box held delicately in one hand, her arm draped across his broad shoulder, Rachel presses a gentle kiss into the top of his head, speaking softly "No matter what happens in this life Dima, we can't please everyone all the time. Take comfort in the fact that I am here for you, and that I care deeply for you and accept the things you simply can't help." Her tone is light and compassionate as she continues "I don't know what you talked about, but I can guess who it was. She needs you right now, and as much as I would love to lock us both away and never leave the apartment again, I don't want you to ever think that I will stand in the way of those relationships that matter most to you." Brave of her to say, given her feelings for the man, but some things took presidence to her feelings.

He looked up at Marcus with wide eyes as he realized that this was the first time in a thousand years that he cared for some one and wished that Dara could be more like them. His sweet little wife who loved him so before the blood bond, "Her feelings are twisted in the blood." He whispered, "If I thought I could live with out her..." His thought of freeing Dara from the horrible cycle that they were doomed to repeat made him miserable. He knew what he was, "I am so selfish, I don't want to have to live in this hell with out her." He whispered.

She sits silent for a time, fingertips moving soothingly back and forth along his shoulder "Are you concerned what will happen to her humanity if you embrace her Dima? You and I are both intimately aware of how strongly the beast can lay claim our minds and hearts to those who are unprepared for the assault." There is a subtle, but distinctive note of compassion to her voice as she says this, as though more then a little aware of how bad it could be.

"It is more and less complicated then that." He sighed. "I wouldn't want her to bear a burden like mine. Mine is more then enough for the two of us. Sasha thinks it would be a bad idea, and I have learned my lesson about not listening to her when it comes to things like this." His tone soft, quiet and resigned. resigned to the fate of their lives, the balance of his universe.

Rachel nods slowly, continuing to run her fingers soothingly along the swell of his muscular shoulder. As he says his peace, she considers that for a few minutes in silence, giving silent emotional support as she knew he would if the situations were reversed. Finally she speaks "You have had a hard road to walk for more years then I can even begin to imagine Dima." she begins softly, her voice intimate and compassionate all at the same time "And a number of things stood out to me just now. First, Sasha is correct. While many consider it a blessing to live forever, to experience the rise and fall of cultures and to see history in the making...It really isn't. Most would be crushed beneath a sea of time, forever watching those the things that you love and respect and admire crumble away into the annals of history. Nothing more then a footnote that young students read to acquire an passing grade.

She pauses, allowing him a few minutes to digest that. After a moment she continues "You wife has continued being an anchor for your soul -because- of her life. Her humanity has probably helped you weather more emotional storms then you care to comment on, offering you a stable, unshakable rock that you were able to lean on when times were the hardest. Embracing her would strip her of that very quality that makes her human Dima. It would take her sunlight and replace it with darkness, changing her." There is a quality to her voice when she says this that implies she is intimately familiar with that change.

She touches his chin gently with a manicured finger, lifting his face towards her and smiling with deep affection "And as for bearing this burden along. As long as I am alive, you will never have to bear anything alone again. I understand what it is to have the beast beating at your heart, trying to break free from a prison of self control. I understand what it means to never see the sunlight again. I understand the Hunger in ways that few kindred can understand" The smile fades a bit as a vaguely haunted look enters her eyes. "All to familiar with the hunger...."

"I can't be angry with her for being upset about a situation that she was forced into. One that she has never had a say in, one that continues to hurt her. I can't be hurt that she hasn't learned not to be upset when the person she loves most in the world hurts her on a regular basis. Not because he wants to, but because of something he has no control over..." He looks bitter.


His head falls back down to bury itself against her chest, not a sexual motion but one of just wanting to hide from the world. A snort of bitterness escapes his lips... "You know you are the only good thing it is ever brought me?" he said softly, his hands moving over Rachel's legs, massaging them. His hands travel further up over her calves, knees and to the tops of her thighs. Tracing absently against her flesh just there. Pushing his shirt out of the way as his fingers tease along her flesh, exploring her.

"Is it wrong that I just want to feel... something good?" he asked her softly.

She lets loose a small, pleasurable sigh at his touch, shivering slightly. She sets the music box aside and brings her hand up to trail over Dima's chest languidly "It's a hard road to walk at times Dima. On one hand, I can understand how she feels, having been on the receiving end of a unreciprocated blood bond. On the other hand, you are who you are and after a thousand years, she should know this." Rachel drags her knuckles over his nipple slowly, sensually. There is no admonishment in her voice, simply voicing what both of them had already danced around. "It can be hard loving someone who only understands her own, human emotions." she says quietly.

Whether she intends it or not, her legs part slightly, allowing Dima's exploring hands access to her body, silently giving him permission to continue exploring wherever he chooses. "As for me, I always have to wonder if I was waiting for you on the beach that night without knowing it. You came to me in a time when I needed someone most, made me feel alive, literally and figuratively, for the first time since I've been embraced. So, in answer to your question Dima. No. It's not wrong. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say it's a very human desire." She leans down to kiss the top of his head gently "And yet one more reason to care about you.."

"It was only last night..." he teased her. His fingers skimming across the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs. His fingers traced further upwards and fell to the buttons of his shirt. Slowly he flicked one open, close to the neck. His fingers inserted themselves into the opening provided by the now gaping shirt. Tracing along her collar bone, before they flicked another and that one popped open as well. And downward he went caressing and unbuttoning another button, fingers tracing between her breasts and down to her navel.

"I want to taste you..." he said softly repeating her words from just last night. His head fell to her neck nuzzling gently, tongue snaking out to trace over the side of her neck.

She moans softly, letting her head fall back a bit, baring more of her neck to his dexterous tongue. The shirt falls open just enough to reveal the smooth, inner swell of her breasts while his hand glides between then and further down. "Only if I can taste you in return" she says softly, her voice husky and intimate. Her perky ass moves sensually against Dima's jean covered lap, while her free hand raises to cup his cheek gently in her smooth palm.

His fingers touch Marcus's chin, "I want to drink from you, and you to drink from me." his tone solemn. Dark eyes looked deeply into hers asking if she knew the level of trust she had elicited in just one night for him to want this with her.

"One step at a time," he whispered as he trailed kisses across her neck once more.

She was intimately aware of the gesture, and what it meant to both of them. Last night was a knee jerk reaction to her and how he made her feel. Tonight though...Tonight was a joining that she went in with a clear head and heart. She cared deeply for him, loving him with more of true self then she had ever felt before. The previous bond had been one of slavery. This bond was one of mutual trust and respect. She leans down to kiss him slowly, her blue eyes drifting shut slowly. It was a languid kiss that spoke volumes of her feelings for him, while her hands ran slowly down his biceps and forearms, only coming to a stop once they've entwined themselves with his.

"One step at a time Dima" came the whispered response, eyes never leaving his as she says this. There is a great deal of longing within her, coupled with a joy that had previously been absent from her eyes. Her fangs descend slowly, seductively and she nods her readiness. A big step, but one she took with eyes wide open.

"I dont want you to think this will be fast in happening. One step at a time as we continue to get to know eachother better." He whispered, already sweeping her hair away from her neck with delicate brush of his large hands. Caressing the skin just there under her ear. He lowered his lips to her flesh kissing het gently. Dragging his lips along her neck in a slow sweeping kiss. Trailing sensual fire of want and desire and longing along with them.

He sat back looking down into her eyes, "Are we agreed?" He whispered softly.

She lets her head fall back, offering a pleasure driven sigh while her hands lift to Dima's hair. The sweeping kiss seems to act akin to something of a fire in the young woman's body, and through the course of it, she begins heating up. There is no hesitance, or fear in her slender form, just passion in it's most basic form. The vein in her neck, just beneath his lips, throbs with the sudden addition of a heartbeat. As he pulls away, she shudders gently beneath his touch. "Three nights from now, a decade or another millenium, it doesn't matter how long it takes, as long as I am by your side Dima. We are agreed" she replies, smiling lovingly at the man while peering deeply into his eyes in return.