so_far_fallen | For withallofmyself

Aria had woken early and left Basil slumbering in his bed. He planned to make him up a tea tray and some breakfast to take up, it was something they often did for one another if they didn't have to be anywhere urgently in the mornings.

As he padded downstairs to the hall Aria noticed an envelope had been put through their letterbox so he went to collect it. He didn't recognise the swirling handwriting the address was written in, and it was very rarely that they received letters from anyone who wasn't Lord Henry, but he gave a shrug and took the letter to put it on the side of the tray with Basil's toast, deciding it couldn't be anything more sinister than a commission from a fan of Basil's art or perhaps a cheque for outstanding payment for a piece.

Once the breakfast was ready Aria took it up and put it on the stand beside the bed, then leaned down to press the softest of kisses to Basil's cheek.
"Good morning."

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"Oh yes, that sounds lovely. Perhaps we could have our supper there? For a treat?" Aria suggests. It's another way of making sure Dorian is in the house for as little time as possible.

Dorian looks increasingly disgusted.

"I think I'll see myself along, thank you. I'm not so stupid as to see that I'm not wanted in this little dollhouse you've set up for yourself, Basil."

Aria scowls.

"That's hardly fair, Mr. Gray. You can see for yourself we simply haven't the room. What would you suggest we do?"

He puts his teacup down and sighs.

"If you'd given a little notice before your visit Basil could have told you so himself."

"He's never minded my spontaneous visits, have you Basil? You used to delight in my company and not want for anything else in this world." Dorian says, with the tone of a child who has discovered a toy they once abandoned has been picked up by another, and is suddenly covetous.

Aria prickles and feels himself becoming uncharacteristically venomous.

"Yes, well, I think 'used to' is the key phrase there. That was rather a long time ago, wasn't it? Things are quite different now."

"How dare you." Dorian says, sharply. "What are you, anyway? Some little nothing from a gutter? Basil has allowed you to believe yourself above your place. He'd do anything for a pretty face, including forget all sense."

"Dorian, stop, please..." Basil says, putting a shaking hand on Aria's arm.

"I find you a very rude man, Mr. Gray, and I may have come from nothing but I have more decency, kindness, and manners than your high and wealthy upbringing have managed to afford you, and that's certain."

Aria stands.

"Basil, I think Mr. Gray should leave."

Dorian glares venomously at Aria.

"Yes, perhaps I had better. Basil, will you see me out? Or do you intend to sit there while your little shrew wife orders me out?" He spits.

Basil gets up and gently indicates that Aria should sit.

"I'll see you to the door, Dorian." He says, hoarsely.

They leave the sitting room together, but a moment later there is a harsh cry from the front hall which could only be Basil's voice.

Aria watches them go, glaring after Dorian but biting his tongue. If looks could kill Dorian would be flat on the floor.

He sits in the sitting room, steaming and trying to stop his trembling hands from shaking so much in his anger, but the moment he hears Basil's cry he jumps to his feet and rushes to see what has happened.

Dorian is already down the path, but Basil is standing in the doorway, sporting a bleeding, bruised lip, tears in his eyes.

"I-I'm alright." He says, in a very small voice. "He tried to...to k-kiss...m-me..."

Aria immediately embraces his lover and strokes his hair over and over, trying to comfort him.

"Foul little beast," he spits, "He's horrid, Basil. Absolutely horrid. Are you alright?"

He lets go of Basil just long enough to go to the door and shout after Dorian. "Don't you ever dare come back you vile man!"

"Hush, hush, leave it..." Basil says, miserably. He buries his face in Aria's shoulder and trembles.

"I told him not to speak of you like that, that you were a man and the man I loved no less and he told me I would never do better than him and then he..." He swallowed thickly, touching his wounded lip. "He bit me when I pushed him."

"Feral little rat," Aria growls. Basil has likely never seen him so cross before. His tone becomes something much softer when he next speaks. "Come, sit down. The tea is still hot. Calm yourself, my love."

Basil cannot seem to sit, however, and he paces unhappily up and down by the fireplace, a cigarette burning away in between his fingers. He'd lit it to soothe his nerves but he keeps forgetting about it.

"Please don't worry yourself so, Basil," Aria implores him. "You've done nothing wrong."

"I hadn't thought him so spiteful." Basil says, hoarsely. "What if he..." His lips tremble and he looks away from Aria.

"If he what?" Aria asks. He goes to Basil and kisses his lips softly, taking his face between his hands. "What can he do? Nothing."

"He could t-tell someone we're here...he could s-start the most dreadful rumors." He says, beginning to cry in frightened earnest.

"Not without risking rumours about himself being spilled," he says. He strokes Basil's hair to calm him. "Mr. Gray is far from spotless himself. If there are rumours we will survive them, we have survived so much else already."

Basil looks down at his little lover, pressing a trembling kiss to Aria's forehead.

"You are so much stronger, braver than your old Basil..." He admits, embarrassed.

"That's not true. Don't you remember how I was when I first came to you? Frightened of my own shadow... And you reassured me, looked after me, and gave me such strength, Mr. Hallward. "

He nods, slowly, taking Aria's hands in his own.

"You have bloomed into such a wonderful young man. Strong and sweet and beautiful. I love you so, dearest Aria."

"I couldn't have done that without you. You've done so much for me, given me so much."

He squeezes his hands and smiles.

"You are my strength and I am yours. "