so_far_fallen | For makesudothings

For makesudothings

Aria was exhausted - he had a full shelter and had even given up his own bedroom to guests. He was currently catching any sleep he could on the sofa in the small room he'd turned into his office to do his accounts in. He'd been cooking and cleaning and supporting those staying with him since he'd taken in his first few people almost a year ago, but since then his little charity had grown and he'd even bought another property. He recieved donations from those who could afford to give, those who knew of people who had been left with nothing due to the Priest laws.

It was late when Aria was heading back from the town, he'd gone to buy food for his guests. The air was chilly and he was tired and a little down hearted. He decided to stop for a while to catch his breath, settling himself under a tree he closed his eyes a moment and rested his aching limbs.

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"Do you not have servants to help with that sort of thing? I come back to find you worked to the bone, still... no change, I see."

Dressed in his trademark darks and patented leather jacket, Damon leant across from his former lover, smiling a little across the darkening lawn. His eyes softened a little.

"Aria."

Aria opened his eyes. It took him a moment to register that he wasn't dreaming, but when this fact finally clicked into place he was suddenly wide awake.

He froze, unsure what to think, what to feel...

He was shocked mostly, and yes he was a little frightened, but his heart also fluttered in a way that he couldn't deny felt nice. Despite everything he couldn't helping being pleased to see him, it was only now that he truly realised exactly how much he'd missed him.

He didn't move, just stared for a long time, eyes wide with surprise. Eventually he spoke, his voice trembling, hesitant to believe what he was seeing.
"...D..Damon?..."

"Hello, pet." His voice is smooth, undeterred and betrays nothing. But he doesn't approach. Letting him become used to this, that he was here.

Aria wasn't sure how to react - the old nickname Damon used to call him sent the memories of those wonderful times they spent together flooding back. But Aria couldn't completely banish a little suspicion, a little uncertainty.
...Damon was not human.

Aria stood slowly, supporting himself with the tree behind him.
"You came back?"

"Did you not wish to see me?" he enquired softly, knowingly. His dark eyes watchfully slid over his face.

Aria looked anxious.
"I've been thinking about you recently... I just never expected to... to see you again."

He sighed. "A lot has changed since you left."

"As I have gathered." He smiled. "I have some.. business to settle here and that is why I have returned. I shall be discrete, my love. You won't be ostracised by association."

"No," Aria said immediately. "We need to talk. We have a lot to discuss, I can't go on living this way without any answers, without any closure. It's tortured me since you left and I can stand it no longer."

Aria gathered his shopping and took a step closer to Damon. "Whatever business it is you have here I'd appreciate it if you could make some time for me in your schedule."

Damon remained still, though he wanted to approach him once more, inclining his head slightly. "Very well. Sunset, I shall visit you if it is conveniant."

"Yes, that will be fine. I'm living in the house we lived in together - it's now a shelter. Mariana will show you in, she'll no doubt be pleased to see you."

Aria bowed his head politely to Damon. "Sunset then."

"I shall see you, then." Damon half-desires to send a servant or two after Aria to aid him.

But it is not his place anymore.. and he loves that he is like this now. What he has always wanted and seen of him. Independance and strength.

*

"Master Aria!" Marriana is excited as he returns, taking more bags than she has strength to hold in her delight. "Welcome back!"

She seems buzzing with excitement and yes - he need not tell her that her former, dear Master has returned. "I did not give away confidence! Have you..."

Her voice does trail a little, in case it is not welcome news.

"Master Damon.. did you meet him?"

"I did," Aria nodded, relieving her of two of the bags with a fond smile. "He's coming here at sunset to speak with me. Have you talked with him already?"

Aria took the bags into the kitchen as he spoke and began to unload food and put it away.

"Yes.. is that - oh!" Tripping a little on her own feet, she concentrated on walking first, eyes large and nervous. "Is that alright? I hear he is coming here?"

"Well... I suppose it's alright, I just wish I'd known." Aria sighed, "A little warning would have been nice."

He couldn't bring himself to be irritated with Mariana though, she always did try her best and he adored her. "And yes, he's coming here, I thought it best."

"Suppose... oh. Master Aria.. did you not want to see him?"

That was... something she had feared, so she hadn't even told him Damon would be here.

*

Damon meanwhile was at one of the houses he often took out for visits. Some things had changed and some had not in the City. He had no intention of staying long and assumed... now he was here, Aria merely wanted to lay ghosts to rest.

Dreams.. could just be memories he chased. His feelings now could well be of hatred. And he was prepared for that. Even expecting it.

"No, I want to see him, I just wish you'd told me he was coming to the city if you knew. The shock of seeing him near gave me a heart attack..."

Aria sighed. "But no matter, it's alright."

Aria still wasn't completely sure what he felt about Damon - he knew that he was constantly on his mind, and he knew that he wanted to ask him some questions, also to apologise for some things he'd said and done that he was worried had hurt the other man. But after that? ... he didn't know....

Damon arrived to the shelter in the same stealth he intended to leave by.

Instantly mauled by Marriana who was chopping salad for the meal, he patted her back softly, scenting her briefly as he smiled at the tears in her eyes.

She was a good girl... kind. Innocent. He had wondered if leaving her with his memory - all of them - had been wise.

"Where is your Master?" he enquired, declining her offer to dine.

Aria was in his study/bedroom - he was sitting on the sofa with his blankets pulled around him and his feet up, carefully going through lists of donations and expenses.

He was so engrossed in his task that he didn't hear Damon arrive and was oblivious that they were in the same building.

"Master Aria!" Marriana knocked on his door, a quick rap, before entering. "Sir! M-Master Damon! Here!"

Aria started at the noise, then quickly put his accounting away and folded the blanket on the end of the sofa.
"Let him in," he called, sitting up.

"Good Evening," Damon's voice was soft, unintrusive. He stands with his hands tucked into his jacket and as Marriana bows and shuts the door, his eyes follow her briefly before meeting Aria's again.

"You can sit down if you like," Aria said. It felt odd to be the host rather than the guest in the home he and Damon shared for so long, a strange role reversal...

Facing Damon in this house was bringing back a flood of memories for him. They'd even made love on this very sofa...

His mind was running along those lines as he walked in.. every place, every small niche had something of theirs, a memory. Damon nodded and sat down, elegant and smooth as always.

His eyes glanced away to the flowing veils and curtains overlooking the harbour from the balcony as he murmured, "I'm glad you returned to live here."

Rather than... well.

Aria sighed. "I finally saw Narim for what he truly was and I left. My life is my own now."

He smiled, softly. "You taught me how to do that."

"You give yourself too little credit even now, I see." Damon glanced back towards him, his expression amused. "I merely guided.. it was within yourself all along, pet."

Aria twitched a little at the nickname, not sure how it made him feel.

"... Why did you lie to me, Damon?"

His tone was calm, he just wanted to get this over with.

"...You know why." Deep down, he knew the answer to it. His own judgement and fear... he had not meant to lie for so long, but he didn't feel there were a choice.

"No, Damon, I don't. If you'd explained it to me, if you'd made me see... The way I found out was awful. And I don't know how you could wake up with me morning after morning knowing that every moment we were together I believed you were something that you weren't. I could never do that to someone I loved as much as you claimed to love me."

"...Have I been called here for interrogation, indeed." He chuckles softly. "My, my..."

He stands up, shaking his head at the mere way he questions him. He doesn't need to explain himself. He never had, to anyone.. why is he different.

"I know that even if I started to explain, you would judge. Even you - innocent and open as you were, would. And honestly? It was easier not to. Now, I shall take my leave..."

Aria stood up.
"No you won't, I'm not finished," his tone wasn't angry, but it was certainly firm.

"I still have some things to say."

"Really." He smirked slowly, waving a hand to indicate the floor was his. "Please."

"I didn't know that Narim had brainwashed me, I didn't know about the lies he'd told, I didn't know the way he played me. What happened that day when it all came out, the things I said and the way I acted towards you was only because I didn't know any better, I didn't really mean any of it. I don't hate you, Damon. I've found out the truth of what really happened since then, and I'm sorry for the way I treated you. "

Aria took a deep breath, looking away from Damon as he spoke next, his voice still firm. "The truth is that you were really the best thing that ever happened to me and I miss you."

"...You have extremely low standards. I have always thought this."

First that Fool.. and now..

He didn't anticipate this. Aria still loving him.. dreams were one thing, but...

"I have missed you, also. And worried for you. Your safety. Checking in was.. something I wanted to do out of duty at first.. and then.." he smiled as his gaze lowered. "Because I wished thus."

"You're not off the hook yet," Aria warned. "If you're coming back into my life it must be with the promise that from now on you will be completely and entirely honest with me at all times, do you understand? I won't be played anymore, my heart can't take it, one more lie or betrayal and it will shatter beyond repair."

Damon just gave him a blank look. How assuming... did he give the impression he had returned to his life at all? Not that he hadn't considered it, however --

Aria had assumed - why else would Damon have approached him? And if he had loved him as much as he made him believe then such a passion wouldn't have just disappeared.

Unless....

"...Unless there's someone else in your life..."

He felt suddenly very foolish for his assumption that Damon had come back to him.

"Now you really.." he smiled as he approached him at last, like he wanted to, hand lifting to touch his face. And it's warm, and.. everything he had imagined Aria's real touch to be. "- are being rediculous."

There was no one. Damon tipped his forehead to Aria's slightly, soft affection. "Mm. Only you.. since I left."

His other hand lifted, both to frame his face, "no more lies. If you can... be sure it's what you want. If it is me."

Aria looked at him, "Do you honestly think I would have stayed in this city for any other reason than the hope that you'd one day return?"

Damon smiled softly, "I may be exceptionally intelligent, pet.. but hope is something I avoid."

"Then... you'll stay? You'll have me back despite how vile I was to you?"

"Yes, if you want me." He nods quietly. "And you were not.. no more apologies for that when I did lie to you first.. it's forgotten and I did deserve it."

Aria sighed. "I wish this hadn't taken so long. It seems silly..."

He took a step closer to Damon but didn't embrace him just yet, still just the tiniest bit wary.

He tilted his head slightly, but ventured nothing more. Smiling faintly towards him. So strong now.

Aria wanted to cry.
He didn't, but he wanted to.

"... Damon...? ... Put your arms around me? Like you used to?"

The stern facade was melting quickly and the old Aria was becoming quickly more recognisable.

He moved forwards a little more when bidden, arms lifting slowly to envelop him into a warm, tight embrace. His nose barely glancing into his hair as he brushed his lips to his forehead soothingly. Giving him what he wanted... impression of more, whatever he asked...

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For makesudothings

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