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[clottedcream]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, CremeConsul. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 536.05.022.03 *** CremeConsul has joined 536.05.022.03 <CremeConsul> Greetings! You have reached Clotted Cream Cookie. I'm afraid that I am away at the moment, but if you are in need of private counsel, please leave a message for me and I will respond as quickly as I am able.

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[clottedcream]

[Oh, it is Sparkling. His heart flutters in his chest and his lips curl up at the edges. It feels like it's been both no time at all and so long since he's seen Sparkling's face. He wants to sit up and see it again.]

No, no. I've been awake for a while, I was just dozing.

[Clotted Cream moves to sit up, but he's still quite sore, and he winces sharply as the movement pulls on aching muscles. Oh, he's going to need help for this.]

The pillow, please. If you don't mind.

[If he has it behind his back, he can sit up with no problem.]

[charmpagne]

Hm...? O-oh, yes! Of course, let me...

[Sparkling quickly moves to grab for the pillow already laying on the couch nearby, carefully situating it behind Clotted Cream's back for him. He'll even take a moment to fluff it up a little bit for him, making sure it's secure so it won't slip off.]

There. Does that feel alright?

[clottedcream]

[In order to get the pillow behind him, that means Clotted Cream has to sit up a bit on his own. It's painful, but he manages to hold position until Sparkling gets the pillow securely behind him, gritting his teeth against the sharp ache of pulling injured muscles.

As soon as he's able to let go, he does, lowering back against the pillow with a shaky exhale.]

Much... much better, thank you.

[Oh, he's so sore. But it will pass. As he speaks again, he keeps his voice low, so Pure Vanilla doesn't wake up.]

If you don't mind, could you please get me a glass of--

[And then he spots it. Around Sparkling, on the table. A vase full of... yellow roses.]

... did you... get those for me?

[of course he did CC, who else would he have got them for]

[charmpagne]

[It's difficult, watching Clotted Cream struggle. He can see the way he strains, the pain flashing in his expression when he tries doing something as simple as sitting up. It's heartbreaking, especially knowing that it happened so quickly, and that Sparkling was completely unaware of it, going about his chores as if nothing was happening...

All he can do now is help him in the aftermath, and that hurts more than anything. It makes Sparkling feel helpless, wishing there was more he could do than just-

He blinks hard, pulled from his thoughts when he notices that Clotted Cream is no longer looking at him, but behind him. It prompts the Vampire to look as well, bringing a clawed hand to his chest.]

O-oh. Yes. I thought...I mean. They're..."Get Well Soon" flowers. I thought you could use something to brighten the room, if you're going to be here for a while.

[clottedcream]

[... oh, Sparkling. He's kept flowers before, but receiving them had meant very little. Nothing like this. This is so... personal, attached to the person that he loves, and that makes them far more special than any bouquets he'd received from various fans.]

They're beautiful, Sparkling. Just like your hair.

[He smiles, lifting a hand up, open-palmed in invitation.]

Thank you. They are already brightening the room. Or maybe that's you...?

[Weak as his voice is, he's still trying to flirt. At least it means he's not in bad shape.]

[charmpagne]

[The original intent had been to drop the flowers off and leave, because he knows good and well that if he becomes tempted to stay, he'll just...stay forever. Clotted Cream needs to rest, not be forced to talk and keep company with someone when he's so obviously still severely injured. But...the moment the invitation is given, coupled with what Clotted Cream says?

Sparkling folds. He buckles, because he isn't invincible, and he never truly wanted to leave in the first place.

Already down on one knee, he's quick to close the gap and move closer to the couch, up to where he can be right in front of Clotted Cream so he doesn't have to reach as far. From here, Sparkling will settle into his palm, tilting his head against it as he reaches out to take his other hand in his own.]

O-oh come now... [His voice trembles as it leaves him, brows upturned.] With these bags under my eyes? I must look like a crypt keeper.

[His breath catches, despite breathing no longer being a necessity.]

[clottedcream]

[As Sparkling's head settles into his hand, Clotted Cream flexes his fingers, letting the tips of them rub against the Vampire's scalp. His other hand is offered freely - not quite as sore on that side, where the injury is not - and laces their fingers together, as best he can with the webbing between his own.]

Hardly. I find you quite attractive.

[He smiles, rubbing his thumb against Sparkling's cheek. It's a strange response, considering that Sparkling doesn't have to breathe, but it's charming in its own right. He's getting emotional...

Clotted Cream is, too, though. He feels a lump form in his throat, and it's hard to swallow down, but he tries.]

I'm sorry that we have to delay our dinner. But I will make sure that it more than makes up for having to wait.

[charmpagne]

Oh, CC...you have nothing to apologize for, okay? It was...

[He swallows, his mouth working for a moment as he tries to find the words. He doesn't want to say it was an accident, because it wasn't. It was...]

...it wasn't your fault.

[That's said with a conviction it perhaps doesn't deserve, given the fact Sparkling wasn't actually there when it happened. All the while he's leaning as close as he dares without potentially hurting him or putting undue strain on his injuries, his throat flexing as he swallows again.]

It can wait...forever, if it has to. I'm just...so glad you're alright.

[Sparkling breathes out those words, his gaze fixed not on Clotted Cream's face, but on the careful bandaging around his shoulder and chest.]

I was afraid I was going to lose you.

[clottedcream]

[Clotted Cream isn't sure of Sparkling's dating history, but he's aware that something had happened, even if just vaguely. No details, but hints here and there. If he had loved and lost...

God, what horrible timing.]

... I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.

[Clotted Cream's thumb continues to stroke Sparkling's cheek. He knows that if a monster dies here, they come back. Death isn't permanent. But that doesn't mean anything to the person that's experienced trauma related to it. Even if it wasn't his fault, he hates that he's done this to Sparkling. Hates the woman that did this to him, even though he doesn't want to hate anyone. They're humans, they're just trying to survive...]

The group was attacking Pure Vanilla. [His voice is soft, distant, as he glances over to the sleeping Minotaur.] I sang, to try to make them go away... and it worked, for all but one. I don't know how she wasn't affected - strong willpower, maybe. But when she came at me, I...

[He pauses, closing his eyes, his thumb stilling.]

I couldn't move in time. And even if I could, Pure Vanilla may have been in the path. There was nothing I could do to stop it.

[charmpagne]

[Sparkling listens, giving Clotted Cream his full attention as he explains what exactly happened to him yesterday. Given his initial gasped words, he could extrapolate most of it...but hearing it in full puts the rest of the pieces into place. Knowing that he'd gotten injured protecting Pure Vanilla only hurts his heart more.

He could have lost either of them...or both. Just like that.

Yet...he can't begrudge Clotted Cream for his choice, knowing he would have done the exact same thing if their positions had been reversed.]

...you made the right decision. Albeit a reckless one.

[His hand squeezes Clotted Cream's gently.]

It would be unfair of me to expect you to have done any differently.

[clottedcream]

... I don't know that I could have done any differently.

[It comes with a weak laugh, Clotted Cream's eyes focused on his lap. In the small gaps between sleep, he's thought about it a lot. What he could have done differently, whether he had time to move or not, if Pure Vanilla had even been in the line of fire like he believes he was. In the moment, things were either a blur or so, so vivid, but nothing can change what came to pass.]

Out of water, I'm not a fast monster. I have venom in my claws, but that requires getting close enough to do damage. I wasn't expecting her to leap at us the way she did... it left me with no time to react otherwise.

[His thumb rubs the side of Sparkling's hand.]

But I survived, and Pure Vanilla came out unscathed. That is what's most important. Even so, I... These people are only trying to survive, as well. I can understand that. I want to help them, but they're too hurt to realize that it's genuine. I can't hate them for what they do, knowing that, but the anger that I felt at that woman for attacking us... It's terrifying.

[charmpagne]

[Oh, Clotted Cream...]

It's...very complicated. I've gone from fearing humans when I first woke up here, to having a camraderie with them, to fearing them all over again. Yet at our core, none of us are really all that different. We have no more right to live than they do.

[He finally tears his gaze away from Clotted Cream's wounds, looking up into his eyes. Like this, with Sparkling on his knees, they're at eye level.]

Please don't feel bad for being angry. You have every right to, for the way she attacked you both. Even if it came from a place of hurt and confusion, it doesn't change the fact she chose to combat violence with violence.

[Yet...he says this, knowing full well that if he saw this woman on the street, knowing she was the person who aggressed his family?

He can't promise he would treat her kindly, or with mercy. And that...that may very welll be the feeling Clotted Cream fears. He knows it all too well.]

[clottedcream]

[It's exactly what Clotted Cream fears. There's a part of him, deep down, that wishes this woman dead, wants to feel the life leaving her body as he holds her under the water. It's a cruelty that he knows he's capable of - it reared its ugly head in the backrooms, with the woman he'd killed. It's rearing its head now, just at the thought of seeing this woman again.

But he can't act on it. He mustn't act on it. Sparkling got it in one: humans deserve to live just as much as they do.

Clotted Cream opens his eyes, looking into the mismatched red and pink of the Vampire's, and lets out a shaky breath.]

She deserves to live. I don't want to kill her. But if she comes after us - any of us - again, I will not hesitate.

[The look in his eyes is firm, resolved. This is not a kind environment that they're in right now. Kindness won't always be returned. He has to try, still, but when it doesn't work...

But then he shakes his head, pulling his hand away from Sparkling's head to press against his face.]

No. I'm-- sorry. You came here to gift me with flowers, not hear... all of this.

[charmpagne]

No...no, shhh. It's alright.

[He doesn't stop Clotted Cream from taking his hand away, instead just continuing to hold his other, letting his thumb brush along the back of his knuckles. Every so often, he feels his finger catch on one of those membranes, so he has to be careful not to let his claws get too close.]

I always want to talk to you, whether it's good or bad. Thank you for telling me this.

[Sparkling wouldn't have forced it out of Clotted Cream, if he hadn't wanted to tell him...but that wouldn't have stopped him from wanting to know what happened, even still.]

But if you'd rather talk about something else, that's fine too. There's, ah...there is actually...something else, I wanted to give you. I was going to wait for our dinner, but in light of everything...I think I would rather you have it sooner rather than later.

[clottedcream]

Admittedly, it was a bit like a kettle boiling over...

[It's a sheepish admission, but one that's not really needed, he knows. Sparkling is just fine with hearing what happened, and Clotted Cream is processing. He will feel better in due time.

The mention of something else makes his expression change from pensive melancholy to curious surprise. The Mer's eyebrows lift, and he briefly glances back to the flowers. Another gift? Flowers would have been plenty, but he finds his stomach doing flip-flops regardless.]

Something else...?

[You have his complete attention, Sparkling.]

[charmpagne]

[Sparkling nods a little, and...well. Now it's his turn to suddenly look sheepish, like maybe he's said something he shouldn't. This really is probably the least romantic time for something like this, but with how badly yesterday spooked him...he keeps getting caught up by this sense of foreboding, like he needs to give this to him right now or else he may never get the chance to, etc etc. He hopes this doesn't continue being a theme, but for the time being...

He reaches back, carefully rummaging in the inner pocket of his work vest for a moment.]

It's, well...

[...should he say it was from Pure Vanilla? Would that ruin the purpose of the gift? He's honestly not sure, but...he can't back out now. He already has his fingers closed around it, along with Clotted Cream's curiosity.

So, he carefully pulls it free and presses a pendant softly into the palm of Clotted Cream's hand, trying to will the blood to stop roaring so loudly between his ears, suddenly.

God, it's like he was just baked yesterday.]

This is for you.

[clottedcream]

[When Sparkling had mentioned something else, Clotted Cream had anticipated something small. He wasn't sure what, exactly, but something that could have been picked up just as easily as the flowers, something inexpensive.

Well. Size-wise, he'd been correct. But it's anything but small in all other meanings of the word.]

I... Sparkling...

[It's a soft whisper, surprised, a bit choked with emotion. There the pendant sits, glimmering in his hand on the low light, clearly not just an inexpensive trinket. No, this is worthy of being in his collection, this isn't just some throwaway costume jewelry. It's small, but it's big.]

It's... it's beautiful. Thank you. I...

[For once, the consul is at a loss for words.]

[charmpagne]

[Sparkling knows how much things like this mean to Merfolk. It isn't just a gift from a partner, it's something far greater than that. And when Clotted Cream picks it up and looks at the pendant like it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, Sparkling realizes that the timing never would have mattered, in the end. Now is the best time, simply because he gave it to him.

He'll have to thank Pure Vanilla for this, later.

Sparkling leans a bit closer, watching the way the light reflects off the various gems and jewels encrusted across the design. Clotted Cream's silence says more than he knows, truly.]

I figured you needed something to add to your collection, now that I've taken a part of it. Though...I think it would look just as beautiful on you, as well. It's yours to choose what you do with it.

[clottedcream]

[There's a soft laugh at that, watery and a little broken. Clotted Cream has been through so much in the past day, and now, it's his turn for the dam to spill over. Tears collect in the corners of his eyes, spilling down over his cheeks as they grow too heavy to stay, and he sucks in a quick breath.

This gift from Sparkling is so much more than just a gift. He can't possibly keep it hidden beneath the sea, where no one else can see it.]

N-no, it's. Help me put it on? Please?

[He'd put it on himself, but that involves lifting both arms up and back, and he knows that's a no-go with his wound as it is. But he wants to wear this. He wants to proudly display this, so that everyone knows.

After all, Sparkling had worn his pendant for so long.]

[charmpagne]

[Oh. Sparkling's ears lay back just a little when he realizes that he's made Clotted Cream cry. Or, more specifically, he's the straw that broke the camel's back here, as it were. He knows that these tears are happy tears, yet all the same he feels compelled to close the gap between them so he can kiss a few of them away before using his hand to wipe the rest of what he can't quite reach.]

It would be my pleasure.

[He's so, so thankful to have hands again. It means that he's able to retrieve the pendant with east, carefully turning it around and gauging a good place to pin it on Clotted Cream's lapel, about where he expects a medal of honor or something might be placed if he had one. Something regal and important...

Once it's in place, he leans back to admire his work. The pendant glitters brilliantly on his chest, and it makes Sparkling's own swell with pride.]

There. It looks absolutely wonderful on you.

[clottedcream]

[It's been a long day. A long several days. Aside from the elation of the night of the party, the days before it had been filled with preparation and running errands, and the days after it have been... well. As they've been. You can imagine the kind of stress he is under. Honestly, the dam breaking has been a long time coming, even well before this week. Events piled on top of events, piled on top of more events...

Clotted Cream sits still as Sparkling leans forward to clear his tears with lips and fingers, and for just a moment, he leans his weight into those touches. Just slightly, not enough to prohibit movement. He's still again as Sparkling situates the pendant, somehow finding the exact right placement on the shirt that he's only half-wearing, on his shoulders but unbuttoned. It's... perfect.]

... thank you.

[He lifts his good hand, gently touching it, running his fingertips over the inlaid gemstones. It really is beautiful. Where did he get this...?

Not that it matters. Clotted Cream turns his head to look back up at the Vampire, a warm smile on his lips.]

You certainly did return the gesture, didn't you?

[charmpagne]

I told you I would, didn't I?

[His voice is as soft as it is fond as he says that, looking on at his boyfriend with nothing but adoration...admiration. Clotted Cream truly is as handsome as he is charming, even when he's still laid up injured as he is currently. That's enough to bring some of that levity back, even if Sparkling's heart still feels heavy, knowing that he'd been hurt so badly.]

Now we both have something from each other to treasure.

[clottedcream]

You did.

[He just hadn't expected it so soon, honestly. It's only been a couple of days. That's part of the charm, the overwhelm - that Sparkling is so happy, so invested in this that he'd act so quickly... It makes Clotted Cream's heart soar. This is everything he dreamed it could be. Everything he'd hoped it would be.

He extends both of his hands, reaching for Sparkling's, to tug him up and in for a soft and gentle kiss.]

I will think of you every time I look down at my heart.

lets out a dying sound at this tag

[charmpagne]

[Well, when you think your boyfriend is DYING, sometimes you act impulsively. Sometimes you speedrun shit that you planned on saving for a more special occasion. Sometimes you are traumatized and you never know when the next day is going to be your last, haha October 14th approaches-

Yet, even still. The way Clotted Cream reaches for him and pulls him in for a kiss shows Sparkling that he's made the right decision. In this place, you can't worry about things being too fast or too slow, not unless the both of you have come to an agreement on one or the other beforehand. Sparkling made sure to ask Clotted Cream about this initially for this very reason. He didn't want to overwhelm him, or scare him away...

They kiss, and he smiles through it, letting their foreheads rest together afterwards.]

And I will do my best to be worthy of such an honor. Being a good boyfriend means more than just giving good kisses, after all. Which reminds me...you wanted me to bring you something, before?

OUGH CRITICAL HIT

[clottedcream]

[God, but it feels nice. The closeness, both physical and emotional, hits such a sweet spot in Clotted Cream's heart, one that he never realized he'd been missing until just now. In most part due to his father's agenda for him, he's just... never really become all that close with anyone else. The Consul is well-known for his silver tongue and his political prowess, but no one truly knows who he is beneath that mask. Sometimes, he even fools himself.

But right now, with Sparkling's forehead against his own? He couldn't fool himself for the world.]

You would be just fine even if all you did was spend time with me. But I will look forward to all of the opportunities to melt to your charms regardless.

[Oh, right. He had asked for something before. What was-- ah. Yes.]

Water, please. If you don't mind.