Mature: Desert Moon

[Emora Deen]

Atul set his teeth tight to keep from showing the hurt. Stay with him? What kind of torment was this? He nodded to the guard, who closed the door behind Vlad.

Silence. It was thick and heavy in the air and only added to the sickness he felt. After a point it grew unbearable and Atul hopped up form his seat. He strolled past Vlad and across the room to a bottle of hard liquor. Yeah, it was well before noon, but that hadn't stopped him from having a drink before.

"Care for some?" he asked Vlad, moving to pour a second glass.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Sure," Vlad said. He hadn't moved from the center of the room. He studied the man as he brought him his drink. "I'm out of practice. Having friends. Hundreds of years out of practice."

[Emora Deen]

The knife just twisted deeper. It physically faltered the king as he passed the drink the the vampire. "Friends?" he asked, his voice sounding strangled. Had he not just told him to fuck off? Called him a fucking king? He'd seen that anger. He felt it. He'd felt it when he left. What good would it do to point out that he seemed hardly inclined to be friends.

Instead the King through on a forced smile. "Practice makes perfect, Vladimir Dracul." Atul took the drink and downed it in one gulp, whether it was meant for sipping or not.

"So..." Atul sat back in the wicker chair. "Tenele seems to have warmed up to you. Its good, that she feels she can trust you after what happened. I'm glad you didn't lose her."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad held the glass carefully, like he might grip it too tight and shatter it. "She detested me at first. It took a long time for trust to be rebuilt." He sat down in the chair across from Atul. It felt weird, too far from him. But this was where friends sat. He needed to get used to it. So that his beloved king was not alone.

"I'm not here to talk about me. I want..we could talk about you. If you want. Or we could not talk. Just drink. You're going to kill yourself drinking like that. You look miserable. What's happening, Atul?" The vampire clutched up, cheeks dark with embarrassment. "If you want," he added.

[Emora Deen]

Atul stared at his empty glass. Kill himself drinking like that. He laughed. He didn't mean to. He'd already tried that approach. It didn't work. Being a demi-god had some disadvantages... One being it was hard to drown sorrows in drink.

"I look miserable?" he sighed. "That's what Espha tells me. But, of course I look miserable. Why wouldn't I be miserable? I lost everything I loved and cared about... I pushed it all away. I broke it and I can't fix it, no matter..." Atul stopped. His face hardened. "Why do you care? I'm just some fucking King to you. After all that we shared and loved it is so easy for you to hate me." Atul threw his glass across the room. It shattered against the wall. "Why are you here? Do you enjoy breaking my heart? Is this my punishment for hurting you? Then, dish it out. Tear me apart. I deserve it." Atul stood up fighting back tears. "Go on. Hurt me. You wanted to hurt me the day I left. You threatened it. Well, go on. Rip out my heart! All it does is cause me pain now anyway."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad barely had time to register the name Espha, remember who it was, assume what she was now to him. The rest of his words took precedence. All of this was inside this man at breakfast. How had he not seen it? He crossed the room in three quick strides and drew the king into a strong, fierce hug. His hand massaged the back of his neck, tangling in his hair. "Stop. Fucking king," he whispered next to his ear, holding him tight, his fingers gentle on his neck. "My sweet, brave, stupid fucking king."

[Emora Deen]

Atul heaved air into his lungs as Vlad's arms wrapped around him. He was to confused and shocked and hurt to understand why he was holding him. He huffed harder, until it felt like he couldn't get air at all. Tears ran in rivers down his cheeks. God, he'd wanted these arms around him. He'd missed his man. This embrace. Why was he torturing him like this?

Atul didn't care why. Not really. He could live in this moment, enjoy this like it would last forever. Even if in the next second the man pushed him away and laughed at his brokenness.

Atul reached up and grabbed Vlad's face in his hands and kissed him. It was hard and fierce and filled with so much sadness and longing that his knees felt weak. "I have missed you," he breathed, going in for another kiss. "Gods, I have missed you." Atul struggled out of Vlad's touch, realizing in an instant what he'd done. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have..."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's arms loosened. He stared after the king, lips tingling, as Atul pulled away. He looked at the man's face streaming with tears, as if the kiss hadn't been enough, and Vlad knew in that instant that he could forgive him. Befriend him. Protect him. Love him, even with nothing in return.

"It's okay," Vlad assured him firmly. "Atul. I'm at your side. Like it or not. Lovers or not." He reached out and brushed his thumb along the corner of Atul's eye, across his wet cheek. "I won't be angry anymore. I won't hurt you. I'll be what you need me to be."

"Would Espha mind if I kissed you?" he asked carefully.

[Emora Deen]

Atul shook his head. "No, she wouldn't mind," he sighed. "We have an agreement."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad stepped closer to him, his lips almost touching his. "What sort of agreement?" he purred.

[Emora Deen]

Atul blinked at him, feeling heat flood his body. "Her aunt is trying to marry her off. If I don't marry her, some other man... and far less understanding, might. It is a win win for both of us. I do what I like, she does what she likes. After our wedding night I will not hold her to her oath and she will not hold me to mine." Atul glanced away and then back at him.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad hesitated. "Wedding night." He fought to accept the words calmly, but something about them broke his heart. But Atul had made his position clear. He had to marry, and it couldn't be them. Under the circumstances... "Atul... Doesn't that mean we can be with you? Why haven't you told us?" If not for the display he'd just seen, the vampire would suspect Atul wanted someone different.

[Emora Deen]

"I didn't know how to tell you, now that Tenele doesn't remember me. I didn't think it was appropriate, and especially now that I know what she's been through. I didn't want to push anything on her that she wasn't ready for... and then you..." Atul frowned at him, remembering his coldness. "I didn't think you cared for me anymore."

[Soran Nightblade]

"I am not capable of such a thing," Vlad said. "I love rarely. It is not easily undone or forgotten. I didn't know how to adapt when you left. Nothing fills the emptiness. And then Tenele forgot me..."

The vampire looked him in the eyes. "I need you. Say I can be with you. Swear not to leave me a second time," Vlad said, his heart in his throat.

[Emora Deen]

Atul nodded, reaching out to cup the vampire's cheek. "I swear it. I am yours," he breathed. "Even if I marry another woman. I am yours."