Double Trouble in Paradise | cw

Good. Romeo agreed. Eden smiled softly at him, though he didnt know what they could do now. So Romeo’s suggestion was good. And yet Eden frowned. “I havent made anything in ages.” He scoffed. If there was one thing to note down about Eden was that he was very particular with his skills. And quite often hated if he had been slacking on keeping those skills in tune. Which had happened to creating art. But he agreed, nonetheless, because it was a great opportunity to spend their time.
Romeo moved to sit in the chair and Eden wheeled him, off to the art room that they had been introduced to during the tour. “As long as it’s not painting, then I’m not picky.” Was all that he had to say about that. He could obsess about painting quite a bit once he started. And the last thing he wanted was to agitate the lycan and keep him up all night because a shade wasnt exactly the one he had thought of in his own head.

Clay sounded like a good choice. The possibilities of what to make could be truly endless. Romeo question made a slight scoff leave his mouth. “If you gave me a piece of trash and told me it was a gift, I’d put that somewhere.” He assured him. But he shrugged. “Dont call it ugly like it’s a negative though. Ugly art can be very charming.” He argued. He thought that ugly art had personaility and a uniqueness to it. As much as someone wanted to create the perfect something, the imperfections were almost something you could only make once before completely removing them.
It was nice that the table could be adjusted but Eden noticed the patients smile too. He looked at the cutout they each had, reaching over to grab and squeeze in his hands. “No. Maybe once or twice. It’s not like my cold hands will be aiding me.” He said, chuckling a little as it maybe was a bit of a task to take on. A patient however slipped by with a small self heating bag that was put on the table. People seemed very attentive and considerate. Eden thanked her before putting the bag between his palms to warm up his hands.

“Yeah but brute force wont make a good figure.” He chucked. He had a fair bit of knowledge even if it wasnt something he usually spent his time on doing. He did take pride in calling hinself a man of art. Romeo told a rather endearing story and Eden chuckled softly. “I hope it’s still there then if we visit your mother. I’d love to see it.” He said, not seeing why Romeo should be embarassed but then again, being a kid had been way different for Eden than Romeo. There wasnt a lot that he felt embarassed about doing as a child. “I once made something out of some sticks and some clay from the ground. It was a summer day and the clay was warmed up by the sun. Of course it wasnt a texture like this, way thinner. It was a little stckman with skin of clay. But before he could dry in the sun, the clouds came out and rained him down.” He said, though back then he hadnt been sad that it happened. His hands were warm enough to squeeze and warm the clay. But he had to take breaks to reheat his hands; a little tedious but he was up for the challenge now. “I realized how I was fascinated by bodies. Their shapes and textures.”

“It probably was in the beginning.” He shrugged. But Romeo’s confession made him chuckle softly before he leaned in closer and Eden did too so he could whisper in his ear. He looked at the lycan with his eyes slightly narrowed as to say not fair! as he hadnt expected to be whispered such delightful things.
His figure was barely taking any shape yet that wasnt just the shape his fingers made when he squeezed the clay. He didnt even know what he wanted to do. He glanced at Romeo’s creation, seeing how it was turning into something. The question was something he shrugged at. “I wouldnt mind.” He said, though he hadnt gotten the best of impressions about the lycan’s family so far. The mother being kinder today hadnt undone the picture in his head of seeing her smack Romeo and it probably never would go away.

They could go but Romeo was definitely right about them waiting till after the marriage. No doubt that otherwise would his family find a way to take him back and keep him, Eden was sure of it. The grandfather seemed so adamant that Romeo belonged more with his family than anyone else. The conversation moved on and Eden smiled softly at the confession. “I would love to see it. I imagine it to be beautiful at the least.” He hummed, as he slowly began to shape his clay now that he had kneaded so much warmth into it that his hands were sucking it out again. He decided to shape an animal of some sort but there was a few steps for it to really take form. “Where would you want that to be then? Italy?” He asked, because he was curious. They could practically go anywhere.

Romeo shook his head and Eden hummed softly. He let the lycan ponder in peace before he seemed to think of something. It made Eden chuckle softly. “Did I?” He asked. He couldnt remember that. But if Romeo did, then he obviously had. He could follow why Romeo would want to see his hometown, but the addition did make Eden scoff lightly. “If we’re lucky then there’ll be something.” He said because he had lived quite far out. His parents had traveled near and far to do their business. “You make him sound so sweet.” He chuckled, though he didnt get as twisted as he was during his childhood. It all came later.
“Okay. We’ll go to our hometowns as the first thing.” He said with a smile, slowly forming the clay to actually take the shape of an aninal. The pointy ears stood out right away and he opted for a more slender body. “Are cats scared of you as a lycan?” He asked now that the question popped in mind while he was working on the shape.

A stereotype? Eden frowned lightly, looking at the cat figure he was making before sighing. “I know that you’re not a dog. But you cant tell me that there arent traits that you share with animals, way more than a vampyre would.” He said, though it did make him ponder what vampyres would be like then. Probably like snakes or some cold reptile who drank blood, if he had to be honest.
Romeo spoke of cats and not wanting them as pets, Eden not being able to relate at all. The vampyre adored cats, finding them to be the best pets there could be; though he wouldnt have the time for them. The notion of not wanting a pet at all made Eden scoff. “So we wont be like the typical couples who gets a dog and call it our child?” He pouted lightly before he chuckled.

Eden just listened rather than looked to argue. He wasnt too sure that he had said something that wasnt upsetting the lycan, but from the way Romeo spoke, it was as if he had had to memorize those words and say them just like that. “I didnt think my question through.” He said, drawing in a deep breath. “I’m sorry.” He apologized. “- I dont see you as an animal at all. But my words were insensitive.” It was odd how easily the lycan could make him apologize as someone who never apologized to other people, but then again, he would apologize a thousand times over saying nothing and let the lycan hurt. He reached over to touch Romeo’s arm, though his fingers were probably warm from the heating bag.
“No, I dont really want a pet.” He assured him. Eden was old. And not once had he ever thought that getting a pet was something he needed. He knew what he needed. “I like what you’re making.” He said, looking at the antlers. Even for someone with little strength in his hands, Romeo had seemed to work around it, Eden at least thought so.

“Well even if you had been able to squeeze and pull with a little more strength, it might not have turned out how you wanted it regardless.” He said, knowing that the lycan felt weaker and therefore unable to craft. But Eden wanred to remind him that it was rather normal that sometimes it just wasnt how it was imagined to be. It was a hard learned skill to translate images from the mind to a product in hand. Eden knew it all too well. “I think it’s pretty.”
The compliment on the cat figure made Eden smile a little. It meant a lot to hear Romeo like his work. The guy’s offer made Eden hum, looking at his own figure. He accepted it, wondering what options there would be.

Eden didnt want much else than to dip the cats head in a white and made runny trails down the body. It was quite an elegant piece, though Eden wasnt a full fletched professional. Once it was done and it was made sure that Romeo would be notified of them being done, they could move on. It actually seemed like a really good place to be once it was just them going around. At least Eden felt more sure that he was leaving Romeo in capable hands and somewhere that wasnt just breeding misery.
When it was time for dinner, Eden did notice Romeo’s reluctance. Or rather disgust. It did made Eden worry quite a lot. It wasnt exactly a normal reaction from a mortal. But he also then remembered that this was why Romeo had to be here. Romeo declined the offer but Eden subtly signaled for her to not just wander off. “Babe, I get that it seems scary with all the smells and textures, but you need this. There is no tube at this point.” He reminded him, moving down on his knee, grabbing Romeo’s hand softly. “If you really really dont want to, then we can go back to the room. But I think it would be good for you to at least sit in there and get a feel of the atmosphere. You are my husband to be. I need you to get strong enough to stand with me as we say our vows” He said, softly kissing Romeo’s hand, hoping that he could remind him of the good that would come of it.

Eden wasnt looking to pressure him too much so when it was clear that Romeo didnt want to, Eden maybe felt a little at a loss. Luckily it seemed that the nurse knew where to pick up and her offer didnt sound too bad. Romeo at least agreed to it and it made Eden feel relieved. They were left to go find a spot and Eden squeezed his hand at the apology. “Stop.” He muttered, moving a hand up to cup the lycan’s face. “Anything here is on your terms. And it’s good that you speak up.” He said, kissing the lycan’s hand before letting go to get up. They moved on out into the garden and the spot that Romeo pointed out was rather nice.
The food arrived with a vial and Eden took it to look at. He couldnt remember having had as much blood that wasnt from some expensive selection or a live donor. And yet he would live off of it if that was what it would take to get more time with the lycan. “My grandmother had a locket when I was a young kid in the village.” He said, figuring that he could focus on his story so Romeo could have some peace to eat. He looked out on the garden. “When it wasnt winter, it was quite blooming and pretty, wildflowers of all kinds all over.” He said, just to lay the setting. “I wanted to climb trees and hang around in the crowns so the sun wouldnt burn me. One day I was given the locket. It was quite nice. A family heirloom like the rings.” He explained, before he scoffed. “I didnt really think of it’s value. One day I wanted to mark my favorite tree. I took it off and bound it around a branch. Because now it would be my tree. I marked it.” He chuckled, before he shook his head. “Truth be told, I knew a lot about the trees when I was in them. But once I got on the ground, they all looked the same. I never found the locket again.”

It was actually quite interesting how Eden mostly told Romeo stories of when he was younger. Had it been anyone else then it might have been a story of something he had done with work or something that didnt really mean much. He would never ever bring up a childhood story, or remotely paint a picture of how he had grown to be the man he was. With Romeo it felt natural to just talk about. The more he could tell the lycan, the merrier. He hummed softly at the question and sighed. “Punishments back then were physical. I was never told that what I did was wrong but I sure felt it.” He said. Luckily as a vampyre it would never show. “I tried for long to find it, but I never did. I found the tree but the locket had been ripped off, which I could tell from the lines in the bark. A bird probably snatched it.” He shrugged. “I was a troublemaker, I barely thought of it.” He scoffed. But it did sting when his grandmother died because he had nothing to remember her by. But saying that would make the story even sadder, so he kept that part out.

“Yeah, we’ll do that.” He smiled, finding it rather comforting. It at least meant that there would be things to give their children, if they ever had time for those. They were planning a lot of things for their future now, but they also werent in a rush. The confession surprised him a little. He looked at the hand on his thigh, not minding. “I think you know more about me than anyone else who has ever known me by now.” He admitted and so far he had only told a few stories. There were much more to come and he did want to tell Romeo all about it when the time was right. He placed a hand over the lycan’s. “Can I kiss you?” He asked, leaning in as he looked at him. Sure, the area they sat in was kind of closed off and yet there was also a full view from some windows of the common area. But if they were going to out themselves, then they might as well really show it.