[Rainbowfox Ari]

Aaron immediately moved over to grab both of Strages' wrists. He was stronger than he looked when he had to be. Holding them there, he looked into his lover's eyes, and leaned forward to kiss him. He knew he was scared - Aaron had been too, the first time his heart started beating wildly and erratic. But he would NOT let Strages kill himself over it.

"Love... calm down. I know it hurts... Just relax. It will go away soon."

He didn't let go of his wrists, not letting him scratch himself up any more than he already had. But he did move the wrists aside so that he could press one ear to Jes' chest to listen to his heartbeat. Calming now, as was his.

"See? It's going away. Relax... relax. It's scary. I know. I'm sorry I didn't warn you, but I never know when things like that are going to happen... Just calm down. Relax. Can I let go of your wrists now? Last thing I want to do is leave a bruise..."

[ToxicShadow]

Had it been anyone else here with him now, Strages would have forced himself free, violently, if need be. He would have continued without a thought to his health, until he'd need direct medical attention from blood loss. Hands binding him and giving him no choice but to stop, blood dripped from his clawed hands and down his chest as well. A rusty smell to most others, it held a sweet scent to his nose. How sick was it to be enthralled by your own blood? Disturbing or not, it was inevitable that he was.

Ears pressed firmly against his head the whole time, he allowed himself to freely be kissed and held from getting at himself more, but a connection of the eyes wasn't something he permitted. Better said that he didn't want it to be. For when he did return the other's gaze, his eyes were glazed over, needles of mental instability showing their heads. In control and not. Body had programed itself over the ages; expelled what was bad and consumed the illegal life fluid. Motions were based on those two factors about him.

Complications.The question of his control tossed up into the air, he had to swallow saliva pooling into his mouth because of his addiction substance.
It seemed that things reversed in who took support from who, since he was soon burying his face into the other's neck, hiding his face. Temptation to bite swept in, held it at bay instead.
"Bruises fail to bother me." No care was held for rather or not his flesh got bruised. When you sat there and could tear your flesh to pieces, why would their to be any reason to think he cared about something so insignificant?
That statement given, it was safe as any other time to let go. It was hard to cuddle into someone without the use of your arms and, by the looks of things, that was what he was doing now.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Aaron let go of Strages' wrists, and curled his arms around him, hugging him, holding him. He kissed him, ran his fingers through his hair, and curled his arms even tighter around him. His heart was going crazy again, was what it was. And he knew now that Strages could feel it.

"My heart's acting up - and you're experiencing it... I'm sorry love, I really, really am... I wish there was something I could do to take that pain from you."

Gently, slowly, he stood up, Strages still in his arms, and looked around for a bed on stage. Most all bedroom scenes in plays had at least one bed in them. Maybe there was one around. However, it was dark here, and Aaron dare not move in any one direction, lest he bump into something.

"It's times like these that I wish I controlled the stage lighting..."

[ToxicShadow]

Again with pointless apologizing. Strages didn't need an apology. He never had, nor would he ever. He'd made a point of expressing it before. Aaron wasn't in control of what his own body did to him- to them. No reason for sorries then that was the case. Besides, though his unstable part of his mentality wasn't taking to it too well, he was kind of glad he felt the burden too, in a way. Now there was an idea of what his lover had always been going through.
The feelings he felt most toward his spastic heart weren't exactly the pain, it was a grand annoyance. It was just irritating. Part of his mind was telling him to get rid of the annoyance, like he had with all other things that had pestered him. Yet that was something he really couldn't do. Disregarding all other rules, but couldn't this time. He took out his own heart, and he wouldn't be the only one left dead. Nor did he have the wish to end his life.

Standing up when they did, Strages eventually slipped his finger one at a time into his mouth, licking off his own blood and enjoying it thoroughly. Why waste it now that it was exposed? Having even such a small dose at that helped to tame the urge he contained. [Secretly, this had been one of the several reasons why he wanted his wrists free.]

He knew where the light switch was; there were actually a good few of them. Even in the darkness and on a stage he didn't realize had been redesigned, he began to step forward, making Aaron then step back to match his steps. If they were going to continue holding onto each other, the younger male would just have to trust that Strages would guide him safely as they waded through the darkness.

A time or two, they'd gotten close to bumping into something, which left the actor grumbling under his breath. Stupid people having to adjust things while he wasn't around. The wall with the switches he'd chosen wasn't very many steps away.

Lights flicked on, illuminating the stage to a fair degree. The lighting was dimmed, for some reason. Their acts often held a more darker or enigmatic atmosphere then other performances. Taking in the stage for the first time since its set change, the Lucain was shocked to see that the two were standing in the middle of...a...hospice setting? A bed was set up nearby and there were various medical props all about the place. He'd have to talk to Karkaine later, if he remembered to ask about this.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Aaron was feeling a tidbit weak, so he made for the bed, and curled up on it, after kissing Strages gently. He didn't fall asleep, but he did actually look like he belonged there right now. He'd gone pretty ashen. Grabbing one of the pillows, he curled up into it.

"This is nice..." he murmured, looking around. "What play is this for?"

Strages would be feeling what Aaron was right now - but to a lesser extent since Aaron had now put up a shield. He was cold, then hot. Sick? Perhaps. Not as high a fever as what had cost him his memory, though.

"Did your boss put all this up? Or...?"

[ToxicShadow]

Strages watched as Aaron retreated with his glazed over eyes- insanity, fear, blood lust, worry. The plentiful emotions had fought for dominance until they meshed all into one. The normally vibrant shade of his blue eyes slipped away, appearing almost like clear crystal, unrealistic seeming. He wanted to fix things, but was at a loss as to how.

"I'm...not sure..." He admitted to answer the first question brought up.

Despite what pain and unusual off balanced feeling his heart was giving him, he did decently at staying on his feet. After all, Aaron was holding back now, Strages not knowing it. He took something from among the props, a stethoscope. He slipped the proper pieces into his ears and rubbed his thumb across the sound sensitive plate. The muffled scratching sound reached his ears and it determined that it was fully operational, more then a prop. He should have expected as much; they didn't do things the cheap way here.

Returning to his beloved's side, he knelt down with a smile, despite what he was feeling. Just by quick observation, he knew right away that Aaron was going downhill again. Hopefully not too far. Never. Nothing ever worked out. He resented that fact, but had to live with this.

"I wasn't here, so he or the others must have done it during my absence. I'm curious as to why."
Was it for a play, or had one of them just thought ahead and predicted what this member of their team would do? Whatever the reason happened to be, it appeared as a good thing they did.

"Don't appear too well." he stated, slipping a hand against the other's forehead to check his temperature. Ignoring his own problems, ignoring his own... "Mind if I have a listen?"

[Rainbowfox Ari]

He did have a slight fever, but it wasn't anything too terrible. At the question, Aaron nodded, and smiled at his lover, nuzzling him. He loved it when Strages played doctor with him.

"Listen away." he said quietly, wriggling onto his back.

He sat up for a moment, and pulled his shirt off over his head, after removing the scarf and mittens as well. Sure, it was a little chilly, but nothing he couldn't handle. After he'd removed his articles of clothing, he sighed, and lie back down, face upward, so Strages could both have access to his heart, and get an eyeful of his chest. Aaron was NOT - by any means - bad looking. As a matter of fact, he was quite the tasty piece of eye-candy.

"Take your time? You know I like it when you doctor me."

[ToxicShadow]

And still a smirk, playful in nature, came to his face. "Be a good little patient, my love." He said, kissing Aaron on the cheek tenderly as an idea found its way into his head. He stood back up declaring, "Just a moment, and the doctor will be with you." What the? With a flick of his tails, he quickly disappeared behind the curtains dividing the stage from the backstage. If his assumptions were correct...Ah ha! He was right...

When Strages just poked his head in, just moments later, he claimed to seem more like a nurse, wearing fake specticals which he adjusted with a hand while speaking, "The doctor will see you now." And back in his head went, proceeding to shove the curtains aside to step fully back onto the stage. He'd stripped away his own layers, loosing his own coat and replacing it for a generic white doctor's lab coat. His chest was bare, having ditched the shirt, and a had simply a tie around his neck, as well as the stethoscope he'd taken with him. Clipped right onto the coat was a fake I.D. with his name typed and signed out 'Regalis Strages'. Whoever made the fake I.D.s did an excellent job of making them appear real, picture even. On the back, red words printed the words 'Royal Bloodbath' however. [And, yes, he'd ditched the nurse prop of glasses.]

"Alright, let's see what's going on inside of you." Mimicked the words in which some doctors would speak when addressing their patients, only his professional expression twisted differently because of how, while he was serious, he was [hopefully] making this more entertaining. Despite any oncoming illness and having to check up on him, at least by doing this, they could still have fun.

The prongs of the steth back in his ears, he slid the other end, after warming it by rubbing it over with his thumb, against his lover's chest, around the heart so he could listen to it first. He pressed it there with care, leaning over Aaron.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

When Strages came back out onto the stage in that doctor's getup, Aaron's eyes went wide. He relaxed back, though, and a smile peeked through. It made him very happy to have Strages here - when he wasn't feeling well. It was almost like medicine itself. Even if medication of a different ilk than usually prescribed. He couldn't help the tradition 'loooooove doctor' line running through his mind, but he didn't let it come out of his mouth. Instead, he let Strages do as he pleased, manhandling him as much as he wanted.
His eyes rose to meet Jes', and he sighed. The stethoscope was still a tidbit cold, but he liked it that way. Without a doubt, though, this had to be the most fantastic experience he'd ever had with Strages... that he could remember, mind. His heart was beating double-time. Th-thump..th-thump..th-thump..th-thump..thth.....th-thump..th-thump.....th....thth....th-thump. It was racing. Skipping beats. Completely and totally running into itself. Not just because of the speed. As Strages leaned closer, the heart sped up, slamming against his ribs in a very visible manner. Pulsating just under the fourth rib, Strages could see his heart pushing against the skin of his chest. For some reason, he'd been rearranged, physically, to more resemble a Juridian. Which meant that his lungs were BEHIND his heart, not in front of it. Which just made the beat ever the more visible. And fragile. Anything directly slamming into that area would likely stop his heart from beating.

[ToxicShadow]

Without a doubt, this idea seemed to go over well, in very certain areas. He smiled to himself briefly. Which was followed by the sudden widening of his eyes, then their narrowing and his brow furrowing. He pulled the steth back, observing as the heart beat directly against his lover's ribs. No, he wasn't shocked as one might be because of the untraditional arrangement of the organs. Too many other unusual concepts existed to find any of the unordinary things surprising.

"Maybe I shouldn't be your doctor..." It wasn't saying that maybe they weren't supposed to be together, heavens no, it was just maybe this wasn't such a good idea as he had thought. And just a moment ago, it was seen otherwise. How quickly things could turn against you. His ears flicked twice before staying in the fixed posistion pinned against his skull. "I only seem to make it worse..." Aaron's heart sped up even more, placing more strain upon it and his body, which was never a good thing. Win and loose- quite the frustrating concept for anyone.
In the tenderness he wished to display, but feared to, the best action he could conjure just then was something simplistic: running a hand through the other's hair. He was always over thinking things, not falling too short of blowing things out of proportion before they needed to be, and this was the price for it. He was weary. He'd started creating a protective block from the love and concern he held, even to the extent of blockading himself. One of the things they'd have to work around. It was difficult to play the cheerful lover when everything else was bogging down your mind.

Out of sheer curiosity, the actor took to listening to his own heart. He was specifically looking for something. He found and also didn't find this something, whatever it was that he'd been looking for. The beats of their hearts...His had become more rapid, but it wasn't like that of his mate. Then, he was also questioning, only making it into a blunt statement. "You're holding it back." Blunt, but soft spoken. Strages had taken to sitting down on the bed, his back parallel to the side of the 'patient' and twisted to face him. "When you worry me like this, I fear of somehow making it worse."

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Aaron heard Strages speak, and it was as if everything else went out of his mind. There was no way in hell that Jes was responsible for any of his health problems. He knew that, Strages probably knew that too. So saying that he was making it worse was something that didn't need to be said, because it simply wasn't true. Aaron shook his head, and gripped his lover's hand.

"My condition isn't your fault, Jes. I promise you that. You here... it actually makes it a lot easier to DEAL with what's happening to me."

He brought Strages' hand to his lips, and kissed it, before holding it to his chest.

"This? This would have stopped, if you hadn't saved me SO many times. If anyone should be apologizing here, it's me. For making YOUR life so stressful and all..."

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and sat with Strages, looking down, then over, and offering him a soft smile.

"You, love, make my life wonderful. If you weren't IN my life, I might as well be dead."

[ToxicShadow]

"Not all quite in that level of severity." He made the correction. "Either saying we are to blame, and we'd be lying through our teeth."

His head went back as he moved into thinking something over. "Hard to believe how things have changed..." The words passed by after a short moment of silence. His eyes slid down to look at Aaron from the side, without turning his head. "I saved you the first time only because I didn't want your blood to go to waste by dying. It would have been like wasting the greatest treasure in the world, the delicious little snack that was your blood." A bit of a smile pulled at his lips. "And now- I'd kill anyone to bring harm to you, without a second thought. Do everything in my power, for you. Fallen so madly in love with you, when I never believed I'd love anyone. Ironic."
Okay so the first part was a little gruesome to think; saying you'd take someone's life in a way to admit your love. But that was the reality here, with Strages. It wasn't such a far off subject with him.

Strages slipped off the bed then, coming to stand in front of Aaron. He leaned close, supporting his weight with his hands against the bed on either side of his love's lap. A kiss was planted on the other's lips, before he moved lower to kiss his chest, the same area where the heart beat beat against it from the inside.
"I'm a bad doctor," he breathed in a whisper, still just inches from the others bare flesh, "Because it acts up, when I get too close like this. Makes things a little more complicated."

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Aaron laughed quietly, and murred in pleasure as Strages kissed him all over. Gods, he could stay like this forever. Forever... it was a long time, but it was something that Aaron wanted to be. Forever with the one he loved. So... wonderful to think about. He fell silent, aside from the purring noise, baring his chest for Strages to do as he liked with. Hearing that Jes thought of himself as a bad doctor, and the reason why, he spoke up again.

"To the contrary, my love. When you are near me, my heart gets the exercise it needs. Beating faster."

He gave a small smile, then couldn't contain his passion for the one before him any more. He reached up, hooked his arms around Strages' midsection, and pulled, bringing the older Lucain down on top of him. Speaking of hearts, his was beating much, much faster. And had evened out, so the beat was a normal one. Well, as normal as 145 beats per minute could be.

"Don't you ever, ever leave me, Strages. I'd die. I'd flat-out die if you left me. But I think you know that by now."

[ToxicShadow]

It didn't take much force at all for Strages to end up hovering over his lover on his hands and knees. He gave a smile, and his tails betrayed him, displaying his own pleasure at their rapid pace.

A sighing huff was expelled from his lips. "Never would think it." He assured sincerely. He didn't have to be told, he knew. He needed Aaron too, that was clear. Then and now. A lot of the past was irrelevant now. It wasn't possible for him to exist either, if he was forced into being alone again. There was only one person that made everything bearable. Only one person to knock some common sense into him and give him any reasoning to do anything. Only one person he loved this way.

"Always so anxious." he said, warmly amused. "It's alright. I am too." Again, lowering his head and giving feathery kisses against the other's flesh, this time around the tender neck.

"Screw tradition..." A mumble. If Aaron was paying attention, his mate's heart sped up some noticeable beats as he pulled away to look at him in the face. Strages' eyes burned with emotion, but not the insanity. It was enveloped and in drowned in his passion, his love, displayed like an open book only for his eyes.
And then came the inevitable question.
"Will you marry me?"

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Aaron was struck speechless. His mouth hung open for a few moments before he remembered to close it. Then, he squealed in glee, and threw his arms around Strages' neck, hugging him, and kissing him over and over and over again. Tears ran down his cheeks. Tears of happiness, for once, and not sadness. This was the best day in his life, and he was bound and determined to make Strages understand this.

"Yes! Yes yes yes, oh gods yes. YES!"

After the outburst, he fell silent, curled into his lover - now fianc?©, and trembling as the sheer joy of it all overwhelmed him. He was almost paralyzed with it. And that was alright. Because he was with the man he was going to spend forever with, and everything was right with the world. For once, there was no pain, no dread of things, no depression. It was almost like watching Aaron's face burst into sunshine. The dullness in his eyes was gone, and the manner in which he held himself - even though he was curled against Strages - was much more happy, and a lot less sad or lethargic. He had energy again. He was the sun burst forth from the clouds of centuries. Yes, he was new-born again, and he had Jes to thank for it. Not just for the proposal - but for everything. For making him whole again. For making him realize that life was worth living. Gratitude and love shone in his eyes, and Aaron knew that Jes could see it.