( @kaledvoul continued from here )
The moments that Stephen became like this were sometimes rare, but what would be better said was that it was rare that Stephen felt secure enough to act upon these impulses, that they were more than colleagues with too much in common and hands that trembled and could barely write. So when the Sorcerer Supreme dragged him by the collar and wrapped his arms around Vlad’s neck, forcing the Dracul to make up for the height difference between them, smothering their lips together, it’s with a pleased and possessive growl that the vampire reciprocates, strong arms enveloping the younger immortal by his waist as Stephen molded satisfyingly close to his body. A kind of fulfillment came from the embrasure, the deep kiss he purred into while Stephen yielded beautifully, doing so without the reservations and cumbersome burdens that usually dragged him down and made it impossible to want this without some guilt or worry puckering his brow.
As Stephen drew apart, a hand stroked through his loosened locks, barely tied back enough as it was. Pressing a tender kiss to his forehead and cheek, tucking Stephen beneath his chin to hold him impossibly close, they swayed a bit.
“I love you, iubit meu. Make up an excuse for me to hold you, or else I will.”
It had taken a hell of a lot of convincing - something perhaps to the tune of either convincing or even to the point of re-programming - for him to get to the point where he would reach out when he felt he needed... or even wanted comfort. Vlad had made no bones about his willingness if not welcome for it, though even knowing that hadn’t been enough to get Stephen over the hurdle into actually acting on it for some time. It had taken one too many near misses, one too many things unsaid, before he finally started to reach across the abyss he drove between himself and everyone else. Sometimes it was just casual touching - something he’d grown out of the habit of after too many instances of catching a tendon on one of his own pins or plates and flinching back - and sometimes it was like today, when all he wanted was to have his world stop spinning for a moment, tethered in the gravity of a strong set of arms and lips he could land safely on.
It was all disgusting and sappy and so so worth it. “How about the very real excuse that I would feel better if you did?” he said through a smile, primarily to allay any concerns that more afoot was wrong than a simple desire. “I can come up with something more colorful if that’s not enough, though.”
