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A slow, melodic music filled the air. It's melody was sung by a nearby gramophone, blessing the room with its presence, setting a romantic mood with it's slow rhythmic tango.
The room in question was a big one, both a living room and kitchen in one. It was well decorated with lit black and red candles and little trinkets and figurines as well as a couple of pots of flowers. In one corner was an ignited fireplace. It's bright orange flames were blazing, moving as if they themselves were dancing to the slow music, adding their own sound of crackling coal to the mix, a harmony.
There was a couch pushed next to the fireplace, along with a small table, filled with books and sketches. On the other side in the room, on the counter of the kitchen stood a big loaf of freshly baked bread, steaming hot right from the oven.
And in the middle of the room was the main attraction- 2 dancing figures, moving in the exact 4/4 rhythm of the tango, matching the pace of the slow love-song perfectly, as if they had trained their whole life for this.
A flurry of wings could be seen, grey red-tinted feathers dancing around the 2 of them, adding even more brilliance and awe to the sight. And the figures themselves?
One was elegant, petite, moving with unmatched grace and beauty, his 2 little wings aiding him. While the other was bigger, more rough, yet still as elegant as his partner. His big angelic wings were dancing around them, covering them both in a second and then unfurling to their fullest, making even more feathers swirl around and slowly fall down.
One would argue that a vampire and an angel would despise each other, strive to kill each other. After all, they were the ultimate opposite. How could such a beautiful, fragrant, light and holy creature such as an angel, a seraphim nonetheless, ever like or even fall in love with a rough, unholy and dark creature of the night such as a vampire?
Exorspace and Seraphlaser both did not truly have the answer to this question, but their love had nonetheless blossomed, transforming cold winter mornings into warm and slow ones. Ones like they were having right now.
Their manor was a complete contrast to the outside- a dry, warm and inviting oasis amidst the cold and snowy weather paired with the broken hollows of billowing winds that sounded across barren landscapes.
And here they were in said oasis, dancing to a love song, sharing warmth and laughs, gentle touches and kisses, hushed promises and words of affection.
Exorspace's hand was engulfed in Seraphlaser's, yet it still directed the dance, perfect in every motion, every angle, every twist. Their legs moved backwards, than forwards, Exorspace taking the lead, then Seraphlaser stepping in, making his lover step back.
Seraphlaser had his other hand on the vampire's waist, while a hand held him by the shoulder, softly kneading into the cloth of his shirt.
They were dancing slow, rotating in circles as they held each other, delicate. They were looking at each other, sparkles of love in their eyes. Exorspace was smiling for once, bright and relaxed, swaying through the motions as if he had worked as a dancer his whole life. Meanwhile Seraphlaser was following him, copying his moves almost perfectly. He wasn't really a dancer, but he had gotten way better from when he first attempted. He still remembers how he almost lit the manor on fire, because he accidentally knocked over a lit candle with his sloppy movement. Exorspace was still making fun of him to this day.
As they were moving in a circling around, Seraphlaser took his time to gaze over his lover, staring in awe as his beloved crossed his legs, then moved the weight from his right to his left, taking another firm step to continue the rotation, making sure the angel also followed through. Sfoths was he pretty...
Suddenly, the music picked up pace and so did their little dance. Exorspace let go of Seraphlaser's shoulder and in turn Seraphlaser let up his waist, as Exorspace spun around, one hand still being held by Seraphlaser's. Then he grabbed the angel by the forehand and pulled him down to his level, making him lose balance and fumble. The vampire quickly caught him by the lower torso and held him by the hand, as Seraphlaser slowly regained his footing. Then he straightened himself up and they spun around again, changing positions.
And then suddenly the slow pace was back again. This time Exorspace had his back next to Seraphlaser's torso, his hips swaying to the slow rhythm as his bat wings followed, doing a dance of their own. His left hand engulfed in Seraphlaser's, his right one reached to grab his lover's head by the chin and twisted it around so to make him look directly at him.
By this point Seraphlaser had also caught on, slowly moving just like Exorspace was , his wings forming the shape of a heart around them. His 3 eyes were locked directly with Exorspace's eye, looking with such intense emotion that the vampire chuckled a little.
"Liked the dance, angel?" - He asked, his voice a little raspy from the lack of usage.
"Not as much as you. You look brilliant today." - Seraphlaser said , his voice deep, loving. Exorspace just smiled in return and slowly shook his head.
"You fool! You sound just like a bumbling idiot in love!" - He laughed, squeezing his lover's hand. He wrapped one of his bat wings around Seraphlaser's torso.
"Aren't we just that, my rose? Dancing, bumbling idiots in love." - Seraphlaser replied, his eyes still staring at Exorspace, admiring him.
"You can say that..." - The vampire said, a little quieter. The song got progressively slower and slower, until it stopped, leaving only the sound of crackling fire to fill the room.
They had stop dancing, yet they were still locked in the same position, looking at each other with such adoration. Exorspace slowly let go of the arm, that was holding his and grabbed Seraphlaser's head with both his hands, turning around to face him. In turn Seraphlaser snuck his arms around his waist, feeling the black leather corset he was wearing.
"You look beautiful too. Every part of you." - Exorspace said not once breaking eye contact. He brought his thumbs across the visor, wanting to do nothing more than squish his face. Sadly the helmet was standing in his way...
"Now you are becoming the sap." - Seraphlaser said back with a chuckle, lightly squeezing his waist when he felt a kiss be pressed on his visor ,his 2 pairs of wings on his head folding.
At this moment all Seraphlaser wanted to do was wrap his lover in his embrace and never let go. He was just about to do so, when Exorspace suddenly pushed away. Seraphlaser's hands fell flat against his body, as he stared at Exorspace, disappointed he couldn't hold him close anymore.
The vampire walked to the counter where the fresh bread was placed, coming to see if it had finally cooled down enough for consumption.
"Beloved, I think the bread's ready! You will love it! I cooked it by an old recipe I found when I was young-"
"You still are young! 35 years isn't old."
"Compared to the 500 years you have, I'm sure they are nothing of importance. However in mortal years, 35 is considered quite old, if I do say so myself."
"When you become 50 maybe we can have this conversation again." -Seraphlaser said, walking to Exorspace. Really, 35 years was young, compared to the lifespan an inphernal had. Of course, it couldn't even compare to the angel, but that wasn't really of importance.
The only response was for the vampire to chuckle and weakly shake his head. But it wasn't a laugh out of happiness or challenge. No, it was of...sadness. Exorspace was fairly certain he wouldn't live to see 50. Hell, even 40 was far off, considering his nightly errands. But he didn't bring that up.
He didn't want to ruin the mood. So instead he just chuckled, grabbing a knife from the other counter to cut the bread along with 2 plates.
However, Seraphlaser had read him like a book. He had become too good at that. It felt as if sometimes he understood him better than Exorspace understood himself. Only sometimes.
"What's wrong, my rose? What crossed your mind?" - He asked, a slight concern creeping into his voice. He had grown accustomed to the various responses his lover gave and he had learned to understand them. It was a must if he wanted to live with such a secretive inphernal such as Exorspace.
"Nothing to worry about, beloved. It's just the thought of growing old. I'm not immortal like you, I won't live forever. My entire existence will be all but a tiny speckle of dust in your eternal life. Now you may love me more than the world, but in due time you shall forget...and for the better..." - Exorspace said, cutting the bread into slices and. His response wasn't entirely a lie... it just wasn't the full truth. Seraphlaser did not need to know.
"... I won't forget." - Seraphlaser stated, conflicted. How could Exorspace even think of that? -" I... you may be just a passing moment, but the memory will always be there in me. Even when centuries have passed, the sight of a freshly bloomed red rose will always bring me back here, to this. To you. " - He said, grabbing for his lover's hands.
Exorspace swatted his them away, still holding the knife as he was placing the slices of bread on 1 plate, filling it with fruits and other goodies for his lover to snack on.
Meanwhile Seraphlaser was still conflicted as to what Exorspace had said. How could he forget? Will he forget? Certainly not. But eternity seemed...long... He had thought about this before. His immortality was both a gift and a curse, but now he wanted to do nothing more than give it up and instead live the rest of his life with Exorspace. What more could life offer him? Surely he won't find another love that would be as strong and comforting as this one. And even if he did, the chances of it being truly immortal was next to none and Seraphlaser did not want to mourn the loss of 2 mortals. Preparing for 1 was already taxing enough.
But of course, there is no spell that can grant him mortality...There will come a time where he will hold his lover tight as he takes his final breath, maybe conscious, maybe not. Either way, he didn't want to think about this right now. Not when he was here, in the present, where a delicious treat cooked by his lover was waiting for him. He would be a damned fool to pass it up!
"Caught up in your own thoughts again, angel?" - Exorspace asked behind him, fully breaking him out of his thoughts. Suddenly Seraphlaser felt 2 arms snake around his chest as his Rose's head plopped down on his shoulder, his upper red horns almost clanking with the helmet. When had Exorspace changed position to stand behind him? Seraphlaser was almost certain the speed his beloved moved with was supernatural.
"Hm.. It's... just thoughts." - He said, holding the arms around his chest. They moved slowly, from his chest to his neck and then to his visor, clawed fingers undoing the helmet in seconds and getting it off the angel's head, making him practically blind.
Seraphlaser held his hands the entire way, longing to just hold him close. But there would be a time for that.
Exorspace placed the helmet on the counter next to the 2 plates and went back to Seraphlaser's side. He held the angel's hand, guided it to the plate, to the slice of bread. Seraphlaser grabbed it and took a bite, reveling in the flavour. The Christmas bread was fresh, warm, littered with small chocolate chips in the inside, adding even more to the taste. It was apparent his face was enough proof of the delicacy, as Exorspace smiled even more.
"How do you manage to turn simple bread into this?!" - Seraphlaser asked, bewildered, as he took another bite. Exorspace had let up, now having both his hands support his head, as their elbows were placed on the counter.
"Now you see, this isn't just simple bread. Its Christmas bread! Stollen!" - He said, bringing out a stark German accent in the last word. Seraphlaser was almost taken aback.
"Aren't you going to try a bite? After all you cooked it, would be a shame to not eat." - He questioned, almost finished up with the slice of bread. Exorspace's smile faltered.
"Oh angel, how many times must I tell you? I cannot eat solids. They are just too taxing for me. And even if I could, there would be no difference in taste between me eating a rotten strawberry or a freshly baked Christmas bread."
"Just 1 bite, love. Those soups and porridges you constantly eat are clearly not gonna help you gain on some weight. Weight that you really need-"
"Why must every conversation about food devolve into my eating habits? I have found out what best works for me in my specific circumstance. I am fine the way I am-"
"Clearly you are not. You are constantly tired and irritated-"
"Yes, maybe because I have an unknown illness that is slowly taking away my mobility and ability to live a normal life!"- Exorspace said, fast and with a louder tone. He was standing on edge, his eye locked with Seraphlaser's. That escalated fast...
The angel couldn't see the stare the vampire was giving him, but he could most certainly feel it. He looked away, remorseful, his stomach suddenly churning.
Exorspace also calmed down, looking down at the counter instead. An uncomfortable silence settled between them. He took a long breath and released it, walking away from the kitchen, his bat wings low.
"I am gonna go put more coal in the fireplace. Enjoy your meal." - He said and in a flash he was gone. Seraphlaser stared at his dish, being able to see nothing but blurry colors. He couldn't make out a thing.
But he didn't feel hungry anymore. A feeling had set in his stomach, making him reject any thought of food right now. He sighed, feeling around with his hand on the counter until he touched his helmet. He grabbed it and put it back on, blinking a few times as the blurry colors turned into the kitchen.
He looked down at the plate in front of him, an apple and some grapes still standing there. He then looked at the empty plate that Exorspace had presumably got for himself.
What had he said wrong? Why had he gotten Exorspace so riled up when he was simply caring for him? The angel kept replaying the conversation time and time again, checking if he had maybe worded something wrong.
But no, all Seraphlaser wanted to say was that he was tired of watching the vampire ruin himself. Be it with bad eating habits or his nightly errands. By the pace he was going, he would definitely not make it to the 50s...
Sfoths... Exorspace with gray horns would surely be a sight. Seraphlaser suddenly looked up when he heard footsteps, along with the intense crackling of fire.
He turned around and saw Exorspace holding a small shovel as he dropped around 3 pieces of coal into the fireplace. Then he put the shovel down next to the bricks and rubbed his hands clean of any black bits from the coal that he may have gotten on himself.
He sat on the couch nearby and grabbed a book from the nearby table, laying back on the sofa to read, knees up.
But he was too uncomfortable to read. Not when Seraphlaser was staring at him like that. His gut was telling him to go and talk with him, but his mind was hard bent on not doing so. Why should he apologize for his outburst when the angel caused it in the first place? How many times have they had this conversation? It was bearable for the first 2-3 times but it gets tiring. Why does he care so much anyway?
It's not like a conversation can magically solve his condition. No, it doesn't work like that. Exorspace didn't want to cause himself more pain than he is already suffering from on the daily basis and eating solids was a sure way of doing that. Isn't it enough he needs to drink painkillers every single day to just function and not be overwhelmed by the pain of his own flesh basically destroying itself, deteriorating. He didn't need a reminder of that every second.
He realized his breathing was out of check, faster than it should be. He calmed himself down yet again, quelling the anger he felt for now. Now was not time to overthink. Not when Seraphlaser watched his every move, probably silently judging him.
Speaking of him, he had went from the kitchen over to him, sitting at the far end on the couch, his wings stiff.
Exorspace sighed and put the book down, instead leaving it to stay at his lap. Seraphlaser was looking away, trying to think of anything to break the silence, which was way too loud for his own sanity. He couldn't hear the crackling of the fire.
Exorspave was also looking away. What could he say? Sorry? He wasn't apologizing. He was bitter like that.
Seraphlaser sighed and looked back at Exorspace.
"I...am sorry. I did not mean to offend you...I just. I just want the best for you."
Exorspace was still looking away, but he was looking remorseful. He knew Seraphlaser was looking at him. The hold on the book strengthened. It's not like he wanted to be angry at him. Quite the opposite, the guilt was eating him alive in the current moment. However he wanted to make it clear that sometimes Seraphlaser just needed to listen to him and shut the hell up.
"...Rose please look at me. Talk with me." - He pleaded. He wanted nothing more than to reach out for him and place his hand on his shoulder, but he knew better than that. He didn't want to irritate him further.
"I accept your apology..." - He said and then turned to stare directly at Seraphlaser -" I shouldn't have yelled. I'm sorry. But my point still stands."
Seraphlaser wanted to argue, but he knew if he did , Exorspace may as well just lock himself up somewhere, insisting on staying there until he feels as if he won't explode.
The angel felt like he was walking on thin ice. It wasn't often that they argued. Most of their arguments were short-lived and they would find themselves laughing about it after a couple of days. After all, Valleystaff often referred to them as "the old married couple", which Seraphlaser found quite endearing.
But this topic was really painful for Exorspace it seemed. His own health. Seraphlaser understood to some extent. Who wouldn't be mad when their own body was sabotaging itself.
But Seraphlaser was only trying to help. As an immortal being, he had always been interested in how normal inphernals function. How a mortal's body works. He himself did not need food or sleep, yet he still indulged in his lover's delicacy, still slept. He found it interesting. So he asked Exorspace to find him medical books to read. The next day Seraphlaser was supplied with countless tomes on anatomy, body function, horn growth, diseases and their cures. He suspected the vampire had most likely stolen them from somewhere, but who was he to judge.
So he started reading. He did not know how it felt to be hungry or thirsty, yet he still learned about the effects starvation and dehydration caused on an inphernal. He couldn't really grasp how one could feel tired and he read about sleep deprivation. He also read about the horns, how they grow, how to safely trim them, diseases or illnesses concerning them... and he internally smiled when he read that the tips of the horns turn a certain color when love occurs. He is observant, he had noticed the small yellow gradient that had crept onto Exorspace's tips on his upper horns.
And as he learned more and more, he became concerned. He came to the conclusion that his lover was...well... unhealthy, to say the least. Of course the fact he was a vampire probably altered some of the information he had learnt, seeing as normal inphernals slept at night, meanwhile Exorspace was quite lethargic at day. Not to mention his diet consisting of blood.
But overall, vampire or not, Exorspace was far off what someone would consider healthy. So Seraphlaser had tried fixing that to the best of his extent. Suggesting him consume light fruits that still had some nutrient to them, while mashing the more taxing fruits rich on protein into porridges. Sleep wasn't really a problem since the rot already made him tired, so he naturally slept a bit more than needed, which wasn't in any way unwelcomed.
And he had yielded results, Exorspace wasn't as bad as he was before. Not to mention his mood had also improved significantly ever since Seraphlaser first met him, but that may as well just be because of their relationship. But he was still far from healthy. After all, he could still feel his ribs when they slept together in bed. His collarbone was so pronounced he could trace along it blind.
"Listen, angel. I don't want this... conversation to always turn into an argument. It has happened countless times before and it will surely happen again. But I'm tired. I'm tired of being reminded about this. You think I'm doing this on purpose? I was strong and healthy back then! Back before this...mess occurred! Has it not crossed your mind that simply taking care of myself hurts me now-"
"Then let me do it for you."
Exorspace stared at him, then laughed at his face, cackled ugly, until he started coughing. He cleared his throat, swatting away the hands Seraphlaser had extended to grab him and steady him.
"What? What can you possibly do? You aren't a God, Seraphlaser. You are just speaking nonsense now. You can't fix this. Health doesn't work like that, hell, the real world doesn't work like that! You can't just snap your fingers and make everything rainbows and roses! Maybe you could have at some point, but this logic doesn't apply here."
"...What about Valleystaff? She supplies you with those painkillers you always drink so she knows the extent of your illness. Surely there is a way she can heal it." - He questioned. Exorspace just laughed at his face.
"Don't you think we haven't tried already? You think I want this?! She has wasted her powers countless time on this stupid condition! I've had to carry her to bed once because of magic exhaustion! She has tried her best. She can't cure it, she can only slow it down."
"...slow it down from what?"
"Hell to Sfoths if I knew! I don't know how the rot works. All I know is that it feeds off me. That's enough knowledge. Now can we please stop talking about this?!" -He stood on the end of the sofa, his bat wings pressed against the soft leather. The book he was holding was still sitting on his lap.
"Sorry..." - Seraphlaser apologized for the 2nd time this day. Sfoths, it wasn't going good. He wanted to go back to when they were dancing, when the mood was sweet and romantic. How had things taken such a turn in such small time, he did not know.
He didn't know what to say, Exorspace was still staring daggers at him and the silence was setting in again. The Sfoth-damned silence. He looked away, still at a loss of words.
Exorspace released a breath he didn't realize he was holding and laid back down again, still tense. He had yelled at him again. Of course he had. Being short-tempered really didn't work out in relationships...
"...so...I take it you liked the bread?" - He asked, not wanting to allow for the silence to contonue. He tried to keep his voice low. Why was he so angry?
"Yes... just like everything else you cook. You are a gifted chef." - Seraphlaser answered, looking at him again. Exorspace had went back to his original posture again, legs on the sofa and knees up.
"What book are you reading?" - he pointed towards the book the vampire was holding, not really being able to see the title.
"Adventure genre. It's called "Name of the wind". Quite a brilliant book!" - Exorspace answered, dragging his clawed thumb across the cover. He looked back at Seraphlaser and then pointed with his eye to the place near him and Seraphlaser took the hint. He moved a little, going from the edge of the sofa to sit next to Exorspace, his wings still stiff from anxiety.
When he was comfortably sat he felt a warmth pressed on him and when he looked down, he saw his Rose laying down on his chest. Seraphlaser wrapped both his arms around him on instinct, glad he didn't need to initiate the action himself. Maybe he wasn't as angry at him. He hoped so.
"Sfoths you are cold..." - Exorspace said, breaking apart from the hug. Seraphlaser just stood there, surprised at the sudden lack of warmth until the vampire grabbed him by the arm and pushed him up from the sofa, leading him to sit on the rug in front of the fireplace.
"Sit. Warm yourself up." - Exorspace ordered with a tone that left room for no arguments. Under his watchful gaze Seraphlaser obliged, bringing him down with him by grabbing and pulling his arm.
After the both of them sat down, Seraphlaser reached for his lover's hands and grasped them in his. Exorspace raised his eye and all Seraphlaser could say was "Your hands are cold". It was a palpable lie and they both knew it. The vampire even shivered a little at how cold the hands that held his were. This was an obvious attempt of the angel to just have him close and he just let him.
Both of them stared at the fire, watching as the flames crackled, dying, then growing up again in a nimble dance. The warmth they emitted was enough to put them both in a drowsy state, seeing as they were pretty close to the fireplace. Seraphlaser wrapped his wing around Exorspace, who leaned on his shoulder, making sure his horns didn't nudge his lover. They continued staring at the fire, the uncomfortable silence transforming into a comforting one. However they were both still not done with this conversation and it was obvious it wouldn't be over for a long time, but for now maybe they could just ignore it in favour of normalcy.
Eventually they fell into sleep's grasp. Surprisingly, Exorspace was the first one to drop, becoming dead weight to Seraphlaser, who was also half-asleep, stirring a little when his lover's head rolled a little down on his chest. He wrapped both his hands around him and moved a little back to the couch to place his back on it, seeing as he didn't want to have sore muscles from sleeping on the floor. His wings folded around them both as a second blanket as his head fell in between his lover's red horns, careful of the cross in between them and he fell asleep on top of him.
Later Valleystaff would invite herself inside the manor and come across the sleeping lovers. She would quietly leave the bag of plants and herbs that acted as the vampire's painkillers and would sit in front of the fireplace to warm herself up from the outside freezing temperatures, careful to not wake them up. And later when Exorspace eventually arose from slumber, he would deny this ever happening, while she would only laugh about it. They would move over to the kitchen to quietly talk and catch up on each other's lives, leaving Seraphlaser to sleep, but not before the vampire moved him to the couch and draped a fluffy blanket over him. How he lifted him up so easily was beyond Valleystaff, but seeing as she was friends with a vampire and an angel in love, everything was possible...