Welcome to Gaia! ::

As the door clicked shut Rares' gaze flicked over to her briefly, his fingers hooked around the collar of the jacket to pull it off himself. If she wanted to be here he wasn't going to stop her, though even though his guard was up again he still found he didn't want to stop her. The Vardo felt less empty now that she was in it, but he was still confused and angry.

He looked away as he slid the jacket from his body, letting it fall to the floor with a heavy thump. His white shirt was saturated with blood. Pale pink spots where it wasn't just solid red, there was no white left. The wounds on his neck looked pretty deep but they didn't seem to be bleeding anymore. When she'd asked if he was hunting he laughed a little darkly and began to unbutton his shirt. "No, not exactly." He'd been the one hunted.

Every now and again it happened. A client talked because their request had affected someone particularly nasty and, instead of just being content to take it out on the one ordering the job, they came for Rares. Whatever. More worm food. Sometimes dinner for him that he didn't have to hunt for. Either way it usually didnt end well for them. He finally managed to unbutton his shirt and peeled it off his body, dropping it on top of the jacket, then the undershirt.

Rares stepped for the Hookah, pulling the silver pipe and taking a deep drag. Smoke flowed steadily out of his nostrils as he once again turned his gaze to Vadoma. "Why are you here?" He asked bluntly, like he already knew the answer. It was the wrong answer but he didn't understand why she'd come back. Did she want more sex? He took another pull and winced a little, the wound stinging with the movement of his neck muscles.

Rares slipped the silver pipe between his lips again, watching her with uncertainty. "I don't think you'll like what I have to tell you if I elaborate." He replaced the hose in the clip on the side of the basin and approached her. He knew she was right, he needed to clean his wounds. But her next string of words stung him, he stopped before he'd made it all the way to her. He felt... guilty? That was new.

But it was when she said she'd missed him that the floor really opened up beneath his feet. Missed him? No one missed him. Ever. He felt that pain, like when she'd left, it blossomed in his chest like a hellish flower. He'd missed her too. But how did he say it? What did he have to even offer her really? Misery. This life wasn't worth sharing with anyone, but especially not her. He didn't want this for her.

Rares diverted his gaze, a sense of almost sadness reflecting in his eyes. "I don't know why you want to be here, Vadoma... there's nothing good here." He didn't know how to make her see. He couldn't tell her that he'd missed her, or how empty he'd felt since she'd left, he didn't want to encourage her to stay while at the same time he also didn't want her to leave again. He nodded as she offered to help and led her to the kitchen, opening the door on the right which led into a large tiled area.

It looked like a sauna almost with a large, black, claw-footed tub to the left set in front of smoked windows. To the right was what appeared to be a waterfall style shower. Plants crawled from all corners creating a lush, almost tropical, environment. Another door led to the right but was locked. He slid his hand along the wall and golden lanterns lit up the space, casting a beautiful glow into the room. "There are some towels in the wall over there. Just press on the panel." He pointed a sharp claw near the locked door where a hidden cabinet had been built into the tile. He ran the shower water, reaching out an arm to check the temperature so he didn't scald his wound.

Every muscle in his body hurt. That ******** b*****d had been huge. His jaw tightened, gritting his teeth as he undid his belt and removed his pants. Tossing them out of the bathroom. He let the hot water run on his unwounded side, trying to loosen up. Vadoma being here coupled with just having gotten into a hell of a fight was... a lot for one night. His eyes opened slowly, the glow nestled deep in them soft. He was happy to see her though.

He hadn't answered her. His gaze had gone hard instead. What was he going to tell her? How much could she possibly be willing to overlook? And why? The hand on his cheek made him stiffen for only a moment before he relaxed, his own twitching, as though he was about to cover her hand with his own when she'd let it slip away.

"You'd be the only one." He sighed, exhausted. He couldn't see what she saw. Being the first person in his life to see anything worth returning to. Even that was beyond his understanding. But he wanted it so badly. He realized he wanted someone to see something worthwhile in him. He just denied it until her. She had a way of slicing through every layer of armor he threw up. Something in her energy, her voice. He wanted to love her.

In the shower, the hot water quieted his mind, eased the tension that the early evening had wrought. At his core, he was just tired. Tired of everything. This existence. Most nights he wished he'd just died in the rain like he was meant to. End the line. End the emptiness. Now he wondered if that was really what he wanted. She'd thrown so much chaos into his world without even trying. All she'd tried to do was know him.

He was so used to having to protect himself that he'd been railroading her at every turn. Not allowing her in. But how could he tell her what his life was like? He hated saying it out loud. Cursed. Killer. Empty. Hopeless. Lost. Those were some of the words slung about the caravans at night, comforted by family and the heat of their fires. There was too much good in her to ******** up her life by being a part of it. There was such a light and at the same time a power, like fire.

He turned his head, realizing she was just standing there, taking in her surroundings. How long had he been spacing out? "Bring them here..." His voice was calm, his gaze relaxed as much as he was able given the sting of the wounds as he let the water start to run through them. The clear water ran red for a time, swirling away into the drain. He hadn't even hesitated about undressing fully in front of her. She'd seen him naked before, and he wasn't shy to begin with, so he thought nothing of it. Along with the lanterns were small flickering lights, like fake fireflies, shimmering among the plantlife. He truly had made this place a sanctuary. An escape.

Rares watched as she moved towards him, the wound was healing fast enough, the water thoroughly cleaning it out as he forced himself to allow it to run through. It hurt like hell but he could take it. He watched her face, the face that had continued to show up in his dreams. He'd dreamed of her almost every night.

When she was close enough he took the towels from her and set them on the edge of the tub. Then he grabbed her wrist, pulling her under the water with him. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in the crook of her neck and closing his eyes. "I thought you would be like all the others. I didn't expect you to come back." There was a fear in his voice, faint but present. "I missed you..."

He continued to hold Vadoma close to his chest, his lips finding the side of her neck, then her temple, before finally he cupped her cheek in one hand and kissed her soft lips. The fire in his body ignited again beneath the heat of the water and the heat between them. He'd missed her. He'd said it. It terrified him but he wanted her so badly. Maybe it made him selfish. So be it.

His free hand moved to the small of her back, the kiss deepening. He knew he'd pulled her in with her clothes on, he'd dry them for her later. Right now all he wanted was to hold her close, to kiss her, to feel her body against his. The emptiness of the days they'd been apart was gone. Like it hadn't been steadily eating him alive.

He pulled away for a moment, brushing the wet hair from her face and kissed her forehead. Then her cheek and her neck again. Falling to her collar bone before he moved back up and found her lips once more, the hand on her cheek sliding to the back of her neck. Her scent filling the air. He'd missed the way she smelled. It brought comfort with it. Like nothing else ever had.

Rares closed his eyes as he felt her lips press against his temple, instinctively holding her closer. Sighing at the sensation of her fingers running through his hair. I'm here now. The words were like a balm to the wound in his chest, opening his eyes slowly to watch the room fill with steam, the golden of the lanterns and the small flickering firefly lights throwing everything into a low, warm glow.

Whatever thread had been woven between them that night felt just as strong now as it did when she was in his bed. The passion igniting inside him again, he wanted to do more, right here, but he was still healing. In her arms the pain was a dull memory, he could almost step outside it, the feeling she stirred in him brought with it a sense of ease.

He smiled as he looked at her, more of a cocky smirk, and began to unweave the fabric from her hair, slipping it out and tossing it over onto the lip of the tub. He slid his claws through those long, beautiful locks and tilted her face up to him, his lips meeting hers once more. He felt such a connection to her, one that seemed to slice through all the years of pain and darkness. All the rage and the sadness.

He wanted to spend his unlife with her. Could he though? Did he even deserve to? And was it safe... for her? She had to know what he was, he couldn't let her just chain herself to someone like him. She might understand or see him as something more or different but the Kumpania never would. Maybe he'd show her... tomorrow night. Not tonight. Tonight he just wanted to spend with her. There was time for the harsh light of reality to show her what he was soon enough.

The male could have probably stood there forever just holding her but he really needed to finish sealing up his wounds. It was too nice a moment to just let go of however, he felt every nerve in his body screaming against it. Rares broke the kiss, pressing his lips to the arch of her cheekbone, her jaw and then the curve of her throat. The urge to do everything that wasn't in his best interest was strong, but he had to stop himself.

With a resigned sigh he leaned back slightly and smirked at her in her wet clothes, his expression calm and present. He stepped away from the shower for a moment, pressing on another panel in the wall which popped open to reveal a kit. "Can you help me with this?" If he could just get the wound to close it would heal faster, the cuts had been deeper than he'd thought, which explained the trouble in getting them to heal. Then maybe an actual shower would be nice.

Rares presented the kit to her which had a needle and stitch in it. He sat on the edge of the tub, grabbing one of the towels to dry his neck and shoulder off, wincing as he did. The bruises on his arms and torso were mostly hidden by fur but he still knew they were there. He wouldn't have been surprised if he'd broken a rib. But the bones had mended fairly quickly.

There must have been something on whatever he had been cut with that slowed his regeneration down. The thought was strange. Some powders could do that. An herb. The Kat who'd come after him had meant business. He probably tortured people if he knew how to tip his blade in something that could delay the healing process this much. He also probably expected Rares to be mortal. Must have been quite a shock when the mortal broke every bone in his face with his bare hands.

His gaze drifted to Vadoma for a moment and then to the bathroom door. Even if he did want to spend his unlife with her what kind of life was he offering? He had enemies. He shouldn't have told her he'd missed her, but it had been burning a hole in him not to. "Vadoma, do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?" The question came out as a sigh, his gaze half-lidded, as if lost to some memory. He was lost to many. So many bad memories.