[C] Cheer Up

Ray's purrs only became louder at the smell of warm blood filled the kitchen.

"Tastes really good when you get use to it."

He muttered as he cuddled up against the man, despite his lips being up against Dario's neck and his fangs clicking into place, he didn't bite the man, he never would.

Dario was important to him, he didn't want to risk hurting him.

"Yeah?"

A grin curled his lips. "Maybe I'll like it so much, I'll be eating them every evening with you, huh?"

He doubted it would actually happen, but there was a possibility.

They'd see how it played out.

His fingers stroked through the Vampire's hair, messing it up idly.

Rayner chuckled softly and shook his head as he hugged the man firmly.

"I don't think that is healthy for a human, you might get sick."

Any illness in the blood did effect him at all, but it might serious sicken Dario if he wasn't careful.

"Besides, craving people's blood, isn't much fun."

Dario gave a little shrug. "Maybe."

There was a chance he'd get sick; though usually blood was screened over and over to make sure it was good to use; no nasty hidden problems.

"Guess I should let you have it all then, huh?"

Dario raised a hand to gently stroke the Vampire's hair out of his face.

"More for me."

Rayner gave a smile as Dario stroked his hair from his face, he was glad that he could actually do that now, his hair was slowly growing out.

"It's finally getting longer."

He muttered as his own hand reached up and stroked through the dark locks.

"I want it to reach my shoulders again."

"I don't think it'll take too long. Your hair's growing quite quick."

His fingers caressed the Vampire's hair gently.

"Maybe soon it'll be half way down your back," he chuckled softly with a little grin.

He tugged playfully on a lock of Ray's hair.

"Grows faster when it's healthy, that's why-"

Ray just let that sentence trail off, he didn't want to talk about why Cy did what he did, he didn't want to think about it.

"I'd like having long hair again, I've always hated having it sort."

Having it cropped like before had been horrible.

Dario didn't even acknowledge the pause in the man's speaking.

Doing so would probably upset him and he didn't want that.

Dario grinned as he tickled the tip of Ray's nose with a lock of hair. It was a bit of a childish thing to do, but that was why he did it.

It was something funny for them to laugh at.

Rayner gave a soft laugh as his nose was tickled by hair. The vampire tried to blow the hair out of Dario's fingers before squirming away from it as he sneezed softly.

He looked up at the man with a soft grin, his hand reaching up to flicking Dario's nose in return before stroking his cheek and jaw.

"Dario..."

He murmured, chewing on his lip a little, feeling better and having the smell of blood around him was sparking his urges a little.

"Can I kiss you again?"

Dario huffed softly with a grin when his nose was flicked. He stuck his tongue out a little, childishly.

He leaned into the stroking of his cheek and jaw with a soft smile.

"Any time you want," he murmured softly.

Ray was allowed to kiss him any time he wanted.

Cy had kissed him, but never as gently as Dario had.

His tongue trailed over his own lower lip as he looked up at the taller man, leaning up and kissing him again.

It was a soft, slow kiss, quite and innocent one in comparison to what Dario would be use to.

He had missed this type of physical contact.

Dario didn't hesitate to return the soft kiss.

His lips moved just as gently and carefully as Ray's.

This sort of kiss was indeed very different from what he was used to, but it was no less enjoyable.

He liked the gentle teasing of Ray's lips against his own.

Rayner's body pressed up against Dario's as his arms wrapped around the man's neck.

He kissed him for a long while before slowly pulling away and leaning his head down on the man's shoulder.

"I like being close to you."

He admitted softly, the longer he lived here the less timid he became.

"I like being close to you, too," he replied just as softly.

Being close to Ray was different than being close to Hayden or Kajika or even Silt.

Ray was quiet and gentle. His touches were soft and hesitant, though they'd come a far way from the time where he wouldn't touch anyone at all.

Dario laid another gentle kiss to the man's forehead.

Rayner was going more comfortable here each day.

No one told him off when he did something wrong, it seemed as though he couldn't really do anything bad.

He wore which ever clothes he wanted each day, he went out and came home when he felt like it, he could go anywhere he wanted.

He ate what ever he wanted, went on the computer and did as he pleased, talked to who ever he wanted and he had even stopped shaving himself meticulously each day.

Despite all of this Dario, nor anyone else had ever raised a hand at him, he hadn't been touched sexually or forced to do anything.

Slowly the signs of abuse were fading from his body and he actually found himself being happy and wanting to be close to others instead of cowering in the corner.

This was what Dario and Hayden had tried so hard to achieve over the past few months.

They wanted Ray to become his own person again, instead of the shadow of a person that had been created after so much abuse. Slowly they had begun to see that spark come back into his eyes.

And now Dario believed that he was much better. Perhaps not totally healed, but definitely on that path.

It was incredible to see Ray like this after so long.

With the ability to be his own person and no longer being controlled a lot of his frustration had faded away and the anger had faded as well.

He still struggled out in public a little but he hadn't had a panic attack in a week and when he did have one he recovered from it much easier.

He had a hard time sleeping some nights but having Jika around was helping a lot, he didn't feel as bad waking the pup to have a cuddle as he did waking up Dario or Hayden and the pup always kept and eye on him, making sure he was never lonely.

Dario ran his fingers through Ray's hair, pushing it all back out of his face.

He grinned as he held the hair back in place.

"I think you'd look good with the slicked back gangster look," he teased, ruffling the Vampire's hair so it fell back to frame his face.

Ray chuckled as his hair was held back and he looked up at Dario.

"You think so?"

He replied with a small grin, shaking his head a little as his hair was ruffled, the dark locks falling back into place.

"We could puff up your curls, like a poodle."

He replied, fluffing the man's hair with a soft laugh.

Dario gave a little snort.

"Fluff these curls up and I'll have an afro."

His lips twisted in a little grin. "Afro doesn't look good on me." If he let his hair dry without brushing it, it formed a frizzy mess of an afro.

"I think our hair looks good just the way it is. No gangster or afro styles for us."

"Agreed."

He replied with a soft smile, Ray would happily let his hair grow out without styling it at all.

He wasn't really worried about how he looked, he had more of his mind than vanity.

When the microwave beeped the Vampire glanced over at it with a purr, the smell of blood was making him hungry.

He ruffled the Vampire's hair with a little grin.

"Might have to braid yours back like Jika's if it gets too long, though," he chuckled.

He jerked his chin towards the microwave. "Go get your blood. I'm gonna take a cookie to Jika. Do you want us to sit in the study or should we head into the livingroom?"

Ray gave a little nod and padded toward the microwave, carefully taking the bag out before getting his mug, he had a large, special one that Hayden had gotten him, just for his blood, it saved any of them getting a surprise if it hadn't been washed properly.

"Living room sounds good, I'm done writing for the day."

He replied, he didn't want to slip back into his mood at the moment, the next few pages could wait for another day.

Jika was still curled up under the desk, snoring softly as he sprawled out on his back.

Dario nodded as he opened the cookie tin and pulled a couple out. He stuck one in his own mouth as he pressed the lid back on the tin and made his way out to the study.

"Jika." He gave two short whistles.

"Bikkit." Jika knew that word very well.

He held out the cookie for the snoozing pup.

Jika's eyes slid open at the whistles but jumped up and padded over at the offer of a biscuit, he couldn't get enough to Hayden's baking.

The pup gave an excited yap as he sat at Dario's feet, licking at his fingers as he held the treat before licking at the surface of the treat with a rumbled purr.

Rayner poured his blood into his special mug before heading to the living room, placing himself comfortably on the couch.