Golden Crow

The newest release of magic cat, episode 4! 🥳 Thanks for stopping by, as magic cat has been preparing this trick for a long time!

"What do you mean we don't have a mirror?" Dio gently guides the chin of who told him there's no mirror, so he can see his reflection in their eyes. "I see a perfectly functional one right here."

The Zana Bayne FW15 ‘Portrait Harness’

Then he felt the coolness of leather against his cheek. His eyes falling shut at the feeling and leaning into the touch a little bit before he caught himself. He could still feel the heat of his hands from beneath the cloth, but all he wished was to feel those lithe fingers against his skin without the bloody barrier. Meeting his eyes only them did he realize that the soft glow was not from the setting sun behind his back but from Dio himself.

He heard the words.

I like them.

They echoed somewhere at the back of his mind, but his attention had already been stolen by the golden lines glowing beneath the dark fabric of Dionisus' shirt, peeking through the open collar. He tried to drink up this rare occasion of seeing the blonde like this...vulnerable. Open. It wasn't often that it happened. And despite the demonic look of his eyes they softened the more they watched the man.

He felt the fingers outline his jaw and neck causing a slight shiver to run down his spine. The feeling was divine and made him wonder what it would be like to feel it more often. Too soon the warmth of Dio's body was gone. Stepping away from his proximity had the vampire instinctively reach out. Fingers curling around the other's wrist to turn him back towards him. He was tired. Tired of pretending that having this man in his life meant nothing more than just having a great friend. Tired of trying to persuade himself that it is better to stay alone than to hurt another person. Most of all, tired of denying what had become impossible to ignore.

He loved him.

Still, his hands refrained from touching the vampire as the kiss continued, they found their place holding the edge of the kitchen counter on the sides of the shorter man's body and let it continue while Dio acclimated himself to the soft touch and care that he wasn't used to having in his life, not like this at least.

He still pressed his lips one last time to Cornelius' before the vampire's voice brought him back to reality and their location, ceasing the touch with his slightly rougher folds, and his own stretched into that devilish and secretive smile in response to the almost timid voice and question posed to him after the commentary about his lips being soft.

"Couldn't help yourself and have a taste, could you?" The quip was his very own way of dismissing whatever worry the brunet could be harboring in his head. "You're fine." Nothing changed, not for Dio at least, they could continue in their eternal relationship limbo even as their bodies got together and he was fine with that.

Then he felt the coolness of leather against his cheek. His eyes falling shut at the feeling and leaning into the touch a little bit before he caught himself. He could still feel the heat of his hands from beneath the cloth, but all he wished was to feel those lithe fingers against his skin without the bloody barrier. Meeting his eyes only them did he realize that the soft glow was not from the setting sun behind his back but from Dio himself.

He heard the words.

I like them.

They echoed somewhere at the back of his mind, but his attention had already been stolen by the golden lines glowing beneath the dark fabric of Dionisus' shirt, peeking through the open collar. He tried to drink up this rare occasion of seeing the blonde like this...vulnerable. Open. It wasn't often that it happened. And despite the demonic look of his eyes they softened the more they watched the man.

He felt the fingers outline his jaw and neck causing a slight shiver to run down his spine. The feeling was divine and made him wonder what it would be like to feel it more often. Too soon the warmth of Dio's body was gone. Stepping away from his proximity had the vampire instinctively reach out. Fingers curling around the other's wrist to turn him back towards him. He was tired. Tired of pretending that having this man in his life meant nothing more than just having a great friend. Tired of trying to persuade himself that it is better to stay alone than to hurt another person. Most of all, tired of denying what had become impossible to ignore.

He loved him.

Cornelius was so self-conscious of his eyes without the charm to conceal their color, the blond shouldn't have asked for that, but he was curious about the memories of his ancestor that he accessed, because it was always an experience in motion when he dived into those memories and, for the most part, he never truly had a clear sight of it. And when he added to that the night when he crashed at his place, it only added to his many questions about it, of how it worked, if it was some spell or object that kept it up, or just mere concentration like his own patterns.

The trail of thoughts halted at the feeling of his shirt's collar being pulled and his body moved down in compliance with the force to prevent the fabric from being damaged, and to that, his lips met another pair with a soft 'humph' escaping his throat as he realized what just happened.

Time itself stopped in his perception and he had to take a split-second decision, to remain in the touch of caring lips or pull back.

He stayed.

Dio tilted his head a little to the side to prevent his nose from smooching against Cornelius' and remained there, pressing his soft lips to the older man's and letting him have a taste for as long as it took to satiate whatever needs erupted in him to bring such actions out. He massaged the vampire's with soft care and gentleness, even let him feel some of how hot his body ran as a consequence of the amount of energy that was stored in it ─ no wonder Dio kept it all hidden, the patterns on his body were equally hot to the touch.

What shook him to the core however was the request. Not many people wanted to see, or knew that the azure eyes were not his own. Then again… Dionisus had seen them once before. Back then, he hadn't questioned them at all. At the time he did not even question it. The silence of the room was broken by the bubbling moka when it had run out of water, and still Cornel did not move just...watched the man in front of him. The coffee will be burnt but he had a feeling this was much more important. Something was shifting between them. For the better or for worse, he didn't know.

At the words, saying this appearance wasn't as charming, the taller man stood up and walked to him, quietly letting the lines on his own body come out and, unlike that night in his apartment, glow under the ambient light of the room. In a way, it was his way to meet the vampire midway in that delicate moment, so both of their flaws could be seen.

One of his hands was brought up after a moment of hesitation to gently cradle Cornelius' mirroring cheek on his leather covered palm and guide his face up so the blond could see it better. "I thought it was my imagination, but they truly are like fiery garnets." Dionisus commented after gazing into it for a few seconds in complete silence. "I like them."

Catching himself too close, the taller man lowered his hand to the side of Cornelius neck, letting his fingertips linger for a brief moment on his jawline and side of the neck where he still had a slow, but possible to be felt pulse, then the tips of his still wet hairs, and finally, pulled back.

"If I get a stronger security system, Dio, I will be joining the thieves trying to get in." he admitted pouring the coffee beans into the grinder and slowly turning the handle. Call him old school but in his opinion coffee always tasted best fresh ground and brewed. He was at a point where he didn't need to even weigh the amount. "Do not tell me that, one, Leo didn't already mention my .... affection for technology and, two, I am quite sure you have figured it out by yourself already." Sighing he prepared the moka pot and set it on the smallest burner.

The vampire could try as hard as he wanted to, but the concept always escaped him. Even his best friend was surprised that he didn't download some virus of some sort on his phone of all places. Turning to lean against the kitchen counter ruining Dio's look at his behind but offering much better one instead. The sweatpants left precious little to the imagination anyway.

"To be honest, I don't really know why I came." He confessed with a sincerity that was rare to see in his lips, not that the blond was one for lying, however, he minced his words most of the time, chose each with such care that he kept most intentions hidden behind them. "It just felt... right."

"Take a picture, Dionisus. I was told it lasts longer."Grinning, he continued toward the bedroom to remedy his current state of undress. The Templar's presence hardly surprised him anymore. Leoric's strategy had worked without either of them realizing it. Despite still understanding frustratingly little about the man, they had grown close over the past months. Besides, thanks to Dio, Cornel had found a remarkably skilled tailor in the States.

Leaning back through the doorway to look back at the other man while he looked for the specific piece of clothing. "Broke in again, didn't you?" The accusation carried no real bite, his voice lighter than before. His mood lifted even further by the other's presence. Not to add he felt much more relaxed after he let his body soak in the tub. "I fear that giving you the key would ruin the fun for you. Still...if you want it there is one spare in the hallway."

In all fairness, he didn't need to take a photo, his brain and body were more than enough to render the moment as perfect as it just happened right then and there for him if he ever felt like going through the experience again, but it was fun to tease that he'd take a photo of Cornelius like that.

"And what makes you think I don't have a copy of the keys already?" Dionisus joked and even giggled to himself as a pout formed on his lips about the vampire disappearing down the hall and into his room. "You, really, should get a stronger home security system though." It was fun for him to come in and out whenever he felt like without disturbing the place, but the simple lock and key without any more security truly had him worried about Cornelius' safety, after all despite him being a vampire, there were ways to harm him and both sides of the war they were part of could find those out with ease.

The pout only intensified after the man came back in sweatpants and he shook his head. "I think I prefer the towel better." Now that was just teasing, but upon listening the offer for coffee he leaned his head further into his hand and considered an idea for a moment before answering. "Sure. Coffee sounds good."