What'dya Think?

Ignicio laid out on the Chosen Regents large bed, holding a book in the air as he read, humming softly under his breath.

He had been waiting for Dick to return from wherever he was for a little while now.

After the not entirely unexpected bombshell Giacinto had dropped on him during the day, he wanted some comfort. And Dick was the one he had come to. But he wasn't there.

Usually the Incubus would have gone out and looked for the younger vampire but this evening he didn't feel like doing so. So he had taken up a book and taken refuge on the man's bed.

His dark hair, cut much shorter, to his shoulders, splayed out on the large plush pillow around him.

He had wanted a change. And that change included the cutting of his long hair and a change in dress from the old pirate gear. He now sported slightly torn and worn light-wash jeans with a great number of chains hanging from his hip and a silver dogtag necklace around his neck. His chest was bare, as were his feet. A pair of black converse lay neatly at the bottom of the bed on the floor.

Words spilled from his lips in a quiet tune as he idly read.

"And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now"

It had been a fairly boring evening; he got up, showered, went out to 'eat', cleaned Ballroom, and finally went to clean Snow's stable - leaving him drenched to the bone and his boots caked in mud.

With a sigh, he placed his hand on the door knob to open the entrance to his room, then paused. From the other side of the door, he heard very soft singing. Too soft to make out the lyrics, or who the singer was. Though, he felt like he could take a good guess at who it was.

With another sigh, he opened the door gently. "Why are you in my-" He blinked, looking at the almost unrecognisable male lounging on his bed. Baby-blue eyes ripped themselves from the toned torso to look up into the wine eyes.

"Um.. You'r... different." He flushed a little at how rude that could of sounded. "Not that I mind, it looks very nice, still atrac- Um, 'you' looking." He stopped himself from blabbleing to collect himself. He tugged on the tips of his own fair hair. "You cut your hair."

Inside, he mourned a little. In all truth, he loved that stupidly long hair. Richard eyed the dark locks splayed out on his pillow. At least it was still sort of long.

At the half-question, his singing stopped and he laid the book down next to him, eyes rising to meet his lover's blue ones.

A small smirk curled his lips at the abrupt comment and he nodded a little, fingers fitting together and resting on his toned stomach.

"I needed a change after what happened earlier." It was mostly a physical change, but there were some mental repercussions, as well. He wasn't the same man he was last night. Last night he had been: Ignicio, mate of Giacinto, Elder of Cacciatori Di Sangue. Now he was Just Ignicio, Elder of Cacciatori Di Sangue. No toehr fancy titles and nothing binding him to another.

He extricated one hand from the other and petted the bed besides him silently, beckoning Dick to join him.

Richard cocked his head to the side in confusion, ignoring the smirk the had appeared on Ignicio's lips.

"After what happened?"

He he pulled his blond brows together a little. Was it serious? Well, he guessed it was, considering the new look he was sporting. That, or it could of been a good change that had caused his new fashion. Whatever the reason, he padded over to the bed as Ignicio beckoned him to it, pulling up a wooden chair to sit beside the Spanish vampire. He did not want to get his bed as sodden as he was right now.

"You are okay, right?"

He gave a half-shrug. "Something not entirely unexpected," was his reply, his fingers brushing over his now-bare left hand. Along with the closure of their mating, came the closure of their marriage. And thus, the silver band he had worn since they were wed hundreds of years ago was missing.

He missed the familiar weight of the cool metal. He missed the meaning behind the cool metal weight, too.

Wine eyes, that had been staring ahead blankly, turned to Dick as he pulled up a chair. "Yeah, I'll be fine," he muttered quietly.

His arms opened in invitation to the Englishman "C'mere."

Richard blinked, then noticed out of the corner of his eye tanned hands stroked the indent of where the silver band would of been... Ah.

"At least you will be fine." He hoped. What one person said could be the complete opposite on the inside.

He bit his lip, a little unsure on what to say to the other vampire. Did he want consoling, or just forget about it? He fidgeted in his seat, flickering his eyes down to his hands, then back up to Ignicio's open arms.

He hesitated for a second. He really did not want to get his bed even the tiniest bit sodden. But, the arms did look inviting, and at least he would feel like he his doing something, rather then nothing. With another sigh, he slipped out of his boots and crawled into Ignicio's arms to lye on top of him.

"You better help me change the sheets if they get soaked."

He nodded unenthusiastically.

He knew he'd be fine. In a couple days or two. At the moment he felt like the world was coming to an end. Dramatic, yes, but he had been with Giacinto for five hundred years. You couldn't have a relationship last that long without feeling something when it ended.

A small smile settled on his face when the man laid on top of him, his arms curling around him, one hand resting at the curve of his waist and the other on the back of his neck. The tips of his fingers slid through the boys soft, blond hair in a gentle caress.

"Mhmm," he hummed quietly, pressing his lips against the crown of the boys head.

Richard rested his damp head on Ignicio's shoulder and relaxed into his embrace. His eyelids dropped a little as he felt fingertips run through the hair that nap of his neck. With his body pressed against the tanned body, he could hear and feel the vibrations as Ignico hummed. His eyelids slid completely shut for the second as he felt lips press against the crown of his head.

He placed a hand on Ignicio's chest, and began to trace it in random patterns. Unconsciously, he began to follow the scars that littered Ignicio's body. The fingertip tracing the scar slowed considerably down when a scar felt rougher, and purposefully avoided the one the was near Ignicio's heart.

He stopped tracing the skin to rub away a water drop that was gathering on the tip of his nose, before he resumed to trace them.

The little hum of agreement soon evolved into humming a tune again.

His eyes slid shut and he shivered slightly at the light touches to his scars. As much as people touching his scars aroused him, he didn't really feel up to sex at the moment.

And so he laid there, arms still around his lover, unresponsive except the few light shivers, throaty moans and a slowly hardening member. If he were in any other mood, he'd already be pulling Dick's clothes off now.

His tongue ran over his lower lip and he pulled Dick closer slightly, fingers sliding up into his hair and tangling with the golden locks.

"And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now"

He sang quietly to his lover, fingers of the hand on the Englishman's waist running in light circles over his wet clothing.

His finger tip stopped as soon as he realised the effect it was happening on the... Elder? He was a little unsure of what Ignicio's position would be right now. Instead of following the scars, he rested his palm on the tanned chest.

He waited a few seconds, expecting the usual reaction that his unknowingly actions provoked. He blinked in surprise when the reaction he was expecting did not happen. Rather, the taller vampire just lay their. Richard was momentarily unsure if this was good or bad - then scolded himself. Of course it was not a good thing.

Baby-blue eyes flickered up as he was pulled closer, and then back down. He molded himself more comfortably into Ignicio. Listening to Ignicio as he sung, he kept quiet, feeling the light vibrations under his palm.

"You he a lovely voice." He mumbled after Ignicio finished singing.

"Thank you," he murmured quietly.

His hands slid to the younger vampires hips and pulled him upwards gently until Dick was lying on his chest, face to face with him.

"And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's meant to be broken
I just want you to know who I am"

His eyes never wavered as they stared into Dicks, looking for any reaction to the meaningful lyrics.

And at this moment in time, the lyrics were how he felt. People wouldn't understand why he felt a glimmer of happiness when Giacinto ended their mating. They'd probably be disgusted. He was himself to some extent. Why would he be happy that his mate of five hundred years left him?

...Because it meant he and Dick could have a relationship without Dick feeling guilty about going behind Giacinto's back.

His head lifted from the pillows and he kissed his lover softly, hands running up his back with a feather-light touch.

Giacinto and Ignicio were not an item any more. They were their own people with their own lives. They could do whatever they wanted with their new found freedom.

And Ignicio wanted to love Dick.

Richard let himself be moved once more out of his new comfortable position, so that his baby-blue eyes were looking straight into familiar wine eyes.

He listened again as Ignicio repeated the verse, not breaking the eye contact. He pinked a little, realising that Ignicio was singing to him. He replayed the lyrics through his head- Oh. He lifted a hand to gently caress Ignicio's cheek, the stubble a soft on his knuckles.

He did not fight the kiss, as he so often done. Rather, he kissed just as softly back - cupping Ignicio's face with both of his hands.

In a way, he felt slightly selfish feeling a little happy that they were not officially together anymore. He still felt upset for them, don't get him wrong, just not for their relationship, which was obviously slowly not being what it once was.

He pulled away only a tiny bit, so that the tips of their noses were just touching.

A soft smile curved his lips when the younger vampire pulled back.

This was the reason he had come here of all the places he could go to for comfort. Dick hadn't pushed him away like most others would. He hadn't given him a disgusted look and cursed his very name.

He lifted a hand to push golden locks away from his lovers face gently, calloused thumb running over his lower lip as his eyes gazed up at him tenderly. It was a look that he rarely gave anyone that wasn't Giacinto.

He was well on his way to falling in love with this annoying, cantankerous, beautiful, charming English prince.

A few butterfly's decided to invade his stomach as a thumb brushed his lower lip. He bit it as it tingled and removed his gaze on Ignicio in embarrassment from the look the Spanish vampire was giving him. His lips mirroring the same soft smile that Ignicio wore.

He lightly caressed Ignicios cheeks, slowly turning to shyly look at him again. He was not sure why, but he laughed a little through his breath. He guessed it was because of how surreal this felt.

If anyone told him he was going to gradually fall for this flirtatious, equally annoying, but surprisingly gentle man... He would of laughed in their face, and told them how could he love the man he hates? But, of course, feelings mellowed out, and one thing leads to another, and here his is; sodding wet, gently kissing and caressing the man he was now falling for.

He leaned forwards in search of another soft kiss.

Oh, if anyone that knew the coven a few months ago could see this...

He remembered meeting a coven at Ignicio and Giacinto's renewal a decade ago. One of the decidedly less bright vampires in the coven had commented on Nicio and Dick being a cute couple and it being a shame that he was marrying Giacinto not Dick.

After listening to the complaints for days after the wedding, he had finally gotten so annoyed as to kill him. Seriously, why would Nicio marry Dick of all people? he hated the little shit.

He let out a throaty chuckle, burying his face in Dick's shoulder.

He knew exactly what he would say if he looked upon this scene. And that made him laugh harder.

It seemed everyone knew that he and Dick were going to be together before they did. Maybe the two of them had been in denial?

Richard pecked the lips, smile still in place.

A hand moved up the face to run it experimentally through the new shorter locks. He ran the hands all the way through, before they threaded themselves back into the dark locks. Sure, he did love the stupidly long hair that Ignicio had, but he quickly loved this new style that Ingicio had. It was easy to run his hands through and it looked good on him. Suited him.

His own smile widened as Ignico began to start laughing. But the Englishmen's own giggles did not start up again until Ignicio began to laugh harder - burying himself into Richard's shoulder, making it twitch slightly.

He honestly had no idea what they were laughing about, but laughter is contagious. And he tried to muffle or hide them behind his hand, but he found it a difficult to stop them. He bit his lip and they gradually came to an end, yet he still had a smile on his lips and the butterfly's fluttered harder.

A little unsure of what possessed him next, he gently removed Ignicio from his shoulder and kissed him - slowly and tenderly. As he pulled away, his cheeks were stained pink in embarrassment. He shyly glanced at the vampire he just kissed, before looking elsewhere.

He grinned against the boys shoulder when he felt him chuckling along.

If he knew what they were laughing at, he probably wouldn't be laughing. He'd most probably hit the Spaniard and mutter something along the lines of 'you're a horrid person.' Dick wasn't one to laugh at the irony of death.

When he was pulled away from the Englishman and felt his lips cover his own, he kissed back naturally. But, unlike what he would have usually done, he kept the kiss as it was: slow and tender and gentle.

And when the younger man pulled back, he fell back against the pillow and staring upwards in obvious shock. How many times had Dick initiated a kiss?

A soft smile curved his lips and he lifted a hand to stroke the backs of his fingers down one pink cheek. "You don't have to feel embarrassed about kissing me, love."

Richard glanced at the smiling Ignicio when he felt the knuckles brush his cheeks. He warmed a little more, feeling even more embarrassed for being embarrassed for something, according to Ignicio, he should not be embarrassed about.

He leaned into the the backs of the fingers. Then sighed and sat completely up. He felt sticky and uncomfortable in the still wet clothing. And from the looks of it, he will have to change the now damp covers.

After fidgeting for a second, he removed himself from his place on the Spanish vampire to walk towards his draws.

"I am just going to get changed out of these clothes." He had a feeling he was stating the obvious, but he just wanted to make himself clear on why he was not still in Igncio's comfortable grasp. He changed the side which his weight lent on, hesitating. "So, um, you won't mind facing the wall?"

He was a little disappointed when Dick pulled away, but he hid it well behind the light smile.

At the boys obvious statement and hesitant request, the smile shifted to a little grin. "Are you sure you want me to look away?" He was starting to feel himself again if he was spewing lewd comments.

But, not two heartbeats after he had said it, he turned on his side obediently, facing away from the Englishman and running a hand through his shorter hair. His hand lingered in the air as if wanting to run through longer strands even as the hair fell back against his shoulders and back. He wasn't quite used to having this shorter style. It had been going on six hundred years since his hair was this short.

A glare feel on his face, cheeks glowing a little more at Ignicio's slightly lewd comment. He continued to glare at the man until he turned to face the wall, preparing to snap the comment back if he didn't.

As soon as Ignicio rolled over, Richard relaxed and turned to his draws, opening it. He quickly peeled off the wet clothing, throwing them into the wash basket, then threw on a simple black t-shirt and jeans that were a little too big. Comfort clothing - which he only wore in the privacy of his room.

He tugged on the t-shirt. He knew that it was not the most flattering bit of clothing he owned, and suddenly he felt a bit self conscious about that. He paused in these thoughts, then stomped them down. He never chose his clothing because of Ignicio before, so why should he now? Especially when he is in his own room.

Huffing at himself, he closed draws and padded back over to Ignicio. He crawled back onto the man and snuggled into the chest - feeling warmer and more comfortable then he did before.

Nicio's arm came around the younger vampire when he laid against his chest again and he rolled onto his back, tucking Dick's head under his lightly stubbled chin.

"I miss just laying quietly with a lover." It hadn't happened in a long time. He missed his last lover before Giacinto and Dick, as well.

But he didn't dwell on that.

One hand ran up and down the Englishman's back, from the small of his back to shoulder blades and back again in a slow rhythm.

The other hand rested on the back of his head, thumb rubbing over the damp strands.

Richard hummed in agreement, though he was not sure why. Ignicio was technically the only lover he had. The hum may of been more of an aggrement on how nice this felt, rather then their normal fighting (that was often onesided) or... Other things.

He burried himself futher into Ignicio, relaxing into the rhythmtic hand. One of own hand slide around the taller vampire waist, while the other was trapped between their chests.

It was not an uncomfortable silence they were now settled. Richard's mind wondered to the start of their conversation and the reason why Ignicio was here in the first place. Biting his lip, he thoughts went to the other half of, the now gone, marriege. He debated in his head on whether he should ask or not. After his mental discussion, he internally gulped and asked.

"Do you know how Giacinto is holding up, or feel about this?"

He gave a half-shrug.

"Terribly, probably. As soon as I gave her back the ring she bolted for Catania. Probably for one of her bars." His eyes flitted open and he gazed up at the ceiling, thought turning from the peaceful companionship Dick and he had and to his mat- ex-mate.

"She'll drink herself into a stupor tonight. Possibly kill a few people. And then when she's calmed down she'll make her way back here in a day or two."

His tongue ran over his lower lip. "And then she'll search. She'll scour the earth for any eligible mate: vampire, human, elf, demon - anything. She'll find someone that can benefit us as a coven. Someone that has a large army at their disposal or someone that can procure blood bags without the trouble we have."

His lip twitched. "She'll probably go for an elf or a fairy. A quiet, placid person she can easily control. And someone who's blood will be strong enough to help her sickness." Giacinto had finally told him about the Blood Poisoning. And the blood Sharifa gave her that was still sitting on the desk in their - her - room.

That was a point. He needed to find himself a room.

Richard hummed in the correct places as he listened to what Ignicio thought Giacinto would do, and how she was putting up with what had happened. He was a little unsure of what to say. Sure, a few pretty words may sound nice and supportive, but they won't help anybody. He sighed, eyebrows drawn together, worried for the female Elder.

"Someone she has dominance over, not too surprising there." He commented, to show that he was listening.

There was another small stretch of silence from the smaller vampire, who began to create small circles on Ignicio's waist with the tips of his fingers - almost unconsciously. His thoughts still dwelling on the Elders. Another curious question aroused, which he took just as much time contemplating on whether to ask it or not.

"Will you still be sleeping in your room, or will you both sleep in separate ones?"

Ignicio smiled a little when Dick didn't throw petty words at him. He'd probably feel worse if people started petting and coddling and giving him kind words.

He dropped a kiss on the crown of his head in thanks for not comforting him; as odd as that sounded.

"She'll need it. Especially if she mates someone of another species. Other species are unpredictable. She'll need all the dominance she can to control them if something goes awry." He'd never forget the time that he had unwittingly cornered a fairy and it had attacked him. Giacinto had been right there, beating it back with all her power. It was a scary experience.

A slow purr rumbled in his chest and throat at the brush of fingertips against his skin.

He gave a half shrug and replied, voice half-distorted with the purr. "She's kicked me out. I gotta find a room in this wing to take up residence."