Three Flowers, Three Words

Coilean hummed as he strolled down the halls towards his room.

In the short while since he had been back in the land of the living, he had worked hard to regain the wasted muscle.

He wasn't back to how he used to be quite yet, but he was definitely showing signs of regain his muscle. They weren't as impressive as previously, but with some time they would be.

His frame was adorned with loose jeans and a loose green shirt; his hair tied in a high ponytail

His tongue ran over his lower lip as he opened the door, three red roses in his hand.

Avira was standing on the veranda, staring out over the landscape. He would have gone to the roof, but he was pretty sure Ignicio was up there with someone and we all know how that ends.

Caterva was lounging beside him on the cool stone, occasionally licking his paw and then rubbing it over one ear. Ignis was likely with Shanti, wherever she was. She had gotten much more independent in the manor lately, which was good.

Avira sighed, bored, his long hair plaited down his back. His amethyst eyes couldn’t have looked more listless. It was just one of those days where he almost wished a hunter would pop in just so he could knock him around.

"Evening," he called as he padded towards the vampire.

The Lycan stopped when he was behind Avira, offering the three flowers to him with a small smile.

"How're you this evening?"

Avira blinked himself out of his bored reverie, standing up straight.

When he turned around to look at Coilean, the werewolf was standing there, holding out three roses. Unsure how to take the sudden gesture, Avira took the flowers.

He raised them to his nose, smelling them with a tiny smile. He did really love roses… He was silly that way. Cliché.

“Alright.” he murmured. “Bored.”

"It's been pretty slow since the full moon," he agreed, eyes flickering upwards.

It had been two days since the full moon and the Lycan had been very sparse. They had been licking each others wounds and sleeping it off.

His lips curled into a smile in response to Avira's.

Avira hummed his agreement.

He would pretend not to know what the three roses meant, just because. He still wasn’t sure where he stood with Coilean… It was all so confusing.

He brushed a lock of silver hair behind his ear.

“Are you feeling better?” he murmured.

He nodded softly.

"Aye. Thanks."

His eyes flickered down to Avira's amethyst eyes and he gave a little smile. "I didn't do much fighting. It was Aodh that got the brunt of the attacks. Alek broke two legs and Moe the other two."

His brother had really crapped out this month.

His hand rose towards Avira's face. He hesitated for a moment before brushing the man's hair out of his face gently.

Avira closed his eyes, relishing the warm touch of Coilean’s fingers. He had sincerely missed his light touches.

“I am glad you remain unhurt.” Avira murmured softly.

He would hate to see Coilean injured, even if it was a normal werewolf occurrence. His hand rose and tucked a lock of hair behind Coilean’s ear, away from his eyes.

He grinned widely.

"I don't get hurt easily. No need to worry, a ghrá mo chroí."

The man paused after he spoke. The pet name had been a slip of the tongue.

He had been careful not to call Avira anything but his name recently, trying not to scare him off by being too familiar with him.

Avira paused, his eyes flickering up to Coilean again. He said nothing about the nickname, but it was obvious that it had caught his attention.

“I know you do not.” he said calmly after a moment. “But these are people as strong as you, perhaps stronger in some cases. I tend to worry.”

Which was admitting a lot. At least admitting that to some degree he cared about Coilean. He had been trying to deny that lately. It was apparently no longer working.

"I tend not to pick fights I know I can't win."

Alek was the only exception to that general rule. He was constantly trying to pick a fight with Alek, just to see if the older man would fight back. His father was far too docile to be a Lycan.

He didn't know what to think of Avira not mentioning the slip. He had noticed it, that was obvious, but he hadn't commented. Did he not mind, or didn't he have the words to say about it?

His thumb brushed over the man's cheek. "I know when I'm beat."

Avira quirked a fine eyebrow.

“Was that a slip at me,” he murmured. “Or are you simply fascinated with my skin?”

It could be either. He did have very soft, pale skin. And Coilean did like touching him, he always had.

But in truth, Avira wasn’t sure which he would rather. Coilean wanting to start up their romance again or just liking touching him. It was a confusing dilemma. On the one hand he most certainly wanted to see if they could work things out, on the other, was that a good idea?

His lips curled into a small smile, head tilting to the side slightly.

"Which one would you rather it be?"

His thumb brushed the younger man's cheek again softly.

Avira shrugged.

“Whichever one you deem the truth.” he murmured. “No matter what it may bring.”

He gave Coilean a piercing stare.

He was being serious. It had been months since his return, and Coilean had met Shanti… There was very little standing between them but their own awkwardness any longer. Maybe it was time to give things another try.

His other hand lifted to the vampire's other cheek. His hands cupped the man's face, thumbs brushing against his cheeks.

His head bowed and his lips feathered against Avira's in a soft kiss, silver eyes not breaking from the vampires.

Would he run? Would he kiss back?

Avira was torn. What did he do. What on earth did he do now…?

The answer came in an utterly irritating rush of ‘I told you so’. Listen to your heart, his mother had always said. Do what it tells you. If it says not to kill this bounty, don’t do it. If it tells you not to give in, then don’t. Right now it said… Well it said what it always said.

Avira let his eyes flutter shut, resting one hand on Coilean’s chest. He leaned up slightly, pressing gently back into the kiss. Light, tempting, a little uncertain, but a response.

His eyes slid shut and his lips curling upwards slightly as he put a little more feeling into the kiss.

Avira hadn't run off with his tail between his legs.

His tongue traced the seam of the vampires lips before he pulled back. "Perhaps I should have bought twelve roses instead of three."

"Tá mo chroí istigh ionat, a ghrá mo chroí."

Avira just smiled lightly. He toyed with the rose stems in his hand idly.

“Je t’aime, Coilean.” he murmured softly. “I have never been able to deny that.”

Even when he had run, he hadn’t been able to pass off his feelings as admiration or a crush. He loved Coilean, he knew that more than ever now. He just didn’t know how stable he could be in a relationship.

His tongue lapped out over the vampire's cheek.

It felt good to hear Avira say it. It warmed his entire body.

"I love you," he purred softly, hooded silver eyes meeting Avira's.

Avira felt Caterva nudge his knee, and he knew his cat well enough to hold down the flowers. Caterva took them in his mouth and padded back into the bedroom, likely to lay them on his bed.

Avira wrapped his arms around Coilean, purring softly. He liked holding his wolf, he had missed it. Leaning up, he nuzzled Coilean’s cheek gently.

“I love you as well…” he murmured.

He slanted his lips over Avira's again when the vampire wrapped his arms around him.

His hands slid across the man's face, tips of his fingers sliding into his hair.

I've missed this, he thought as his tongue traced his lower lip again. So much.

Avira parted his lips willingly, humming with contentment.

Now he was no longer bored… Not to mention, he was being kissed senseless by the man he loved more than anything. As far as he was concerned, the world was now perfect.

At least until the next storm started brewing.

He purred his approval into the man's mouth as his tongue began exploring languidly.

His fingers slid further into his lover's silver hair.

Yes, he had definitely missed this.

Avira pulled back from the kiss, dropping another soft one on Coilean’s lips, then nuzzling him affectionately. His tongue swiped over Coilean’s cheek.

“Mmm… Coilean…” he breathed. “Mon amor…”

"Avira, my love, my treasure."

He nuzzled against Avira, hands sliding from his face and skimming down his sides.

His arms wrapped around the vampire, pulling him closer. "I've missed you."