Kol/ Have we met before?/Doki

[DokiDoki]

Doki always liked the snow, but he didn't like being cold and he certainly didn't like the idea of dieing to element exposure. This left him with a big problem, with little to nothing to his name he was not exactly prepared for life on the cold winter streets. As a wanted Ex-slave he didn't have the option of trying to get a job either.
Driven by both need and the constant nagging of East Doki had broken into an opulent looking clothing boutique and took everything he could.

He was rather surprised the thieft had gone so smoothly he figured it had a lot to do with getting really lucky be he didn't dwell on it.

It being his fist seal it was an impressive haul for his non existent standards and it had left him with with a small relieved smile.
Along with all the money and few small items of value Doki had taken the thickest winter coat, scarf and gloves he could find. All where much to big for him but it didn't matter, they where warm and would help him sleep through the night without the fear of not waking up again.

It had to be a very late hour of the night or a very early hour of the morning, Doki was not sure. It was dark and he was weaving his way down the many small alleys and streets that would lead to his current shelter. The smile remained on his face, just the thought of purchasing a warm filling meal when the sun rose was the best thing that had happened all month.

He didn't notice the gang of five thugs lurking until they were blocking his way.
"Hey shorty"
'SHIT'
"u...uhhh..."
Of course this had to happen, of all nights for him to be accosted by a bunch of thugs it was the night he was carrying anything of value.
'...you should...figh-'
'DON'T even, you're to weak to take on these guys, RUN!'
As usual East and West had conflicting views on how to handle the situation. He preferred Easts line of thought so without waiting further he turned down the intersecting alley and began sprinting away from the group as fast as he could.

The tallest member of the group had caught up to him before he had even gotten a block away. Doki was not prepared when a fistful of his hair was violently yanked down and backwards.
"GGhhaa!"
He fell to the ground flat on his back and stared with wide eyes terror up at his attacker.
"Kinda rude to take off like that. Makes me upset."

Doki knew he was done for before he felt the first hard kick to the side of his chest. By the fifth, he was starting to have trouble breathing. All the while he could hear the other four cackling away as they enjoyed the spectaclel.

[Kol]

It was a particularly quiet day. Winter had taken the city so completely that all the animals who might have added a few whistles or the click of their claws to the street were all huddled in whatever trees or boxes were available to call home. Likewise the people were staying home as well. Far more comfortable tucked close to their fireplaces than wandering the streets, some of which were touched with the fall of fresh white powder.

Kol moved silently over the top of the virgin snow, his steps creating no sound but distinct black marks in his wake in a shape and size which were not distinguishable as his footsteps. His movements were to jagged and discordant for perfect imprints to be left. The only sign that he had given any thought to the weather was that his suit was of a thicker and warmer weave, that and he wore a beautiful fur-lined long coat which nearly brushed the edges of his ankles. It framed his face and the edge of his neck that showed in a lustrous black which he could feel touching him just as he could feel the cool wintery air. His fingers were covered in black gloves as well, invisible now against the rest of his dark clothing.

He made a powerful and distinct figure.

Though others had pulled away from the chill, Kol was rather fond of it in a way. He wore coats and gloves as others did, but it was more habit and emulation than function. The tingling sensation of pins and needles against his skin was a small thrill that made him feel just a little more alive than he usually did.

Kol wandered aimlessly, simply enjoying the sensation and looking without any real hope for something to occupy his attention beyond it when he heard a sound from the alley beside him. Normally the sound might have been lost to him, but with the silence so thick he could not help but hear it and with nothing better to do... His smile broadened somewhat and he made his way to the alley with eager steps.

Imagine his pleasure at finding not one, but six individuals in the alley. Five of them had gathered around the sixth who was being kicked repeatedly and making soft sounds which indicated that they were being felt quite keenly. It was not an unfamiliar sight, one which he had seen in many back alleys and as always it filled him with a rush far sharper than that of the cool air around him.

Slowly he lifted his hands, peeling the gloves off with his teeth. One sharp clack of his heel against stone brought heads up to watch his long fingers revealed to the cool air. Every motion as he tucked them into the safety of his pocket so they would not be lost. "Bonjour, messieurs." His rich tone lingered on the words which they had little chance of understanding.

"Can't you see we're a little busy here?" The man who had been the primary source of the blows to the sixth man glared at him, the words echoing a little into the alleyway.

Kol's eyes lit. "Oh yes, I see. And I think I will join you oui?" He did not wait for them to give him permission. He simply moved. The one closest to him hardly had a chance to breathe before Kol was shoving him into the wall of the alley, fingers laced around his throat so that the man could not breathe. The man gasped and struggled, fingers grasping at Kol's hand and with that same smile Kol lifted his other hand to break one of the fingers clawing at his pale skin.

"Don't just stand there!" The leader pushed one of the other men closest to him. The high-pitched whining, grinding noise seemed to galvanize them and the man shoved grabbed Kol's arm.

It was not the wisest decision of his life. He saw a flash of green, almost glowing eyes before the first man hit the ground, gasping and clutching his finger. Before Kol's arms were wrapping around his body and teeth sinking into his neck to taste the rich and slightly dirty flavor of his blood. The viciousness of the act made the other's hesitate, particularly since the the man who Kol bit simply made a garbled sound and slowly stopped moving in the black-clothed man's arms.

He had bitten to quickly, and hit a vein which was close to the surface and now pumping life directly into his mouth. Kol swallowed the crimson flavor eagerly, only sparing the briefest consideration that it was a shame that this one would not be feeling anything after this. Ever. Still, for this moment Kol enjoyed him. The taste of dirt and sweat. The taste of rubies hidden just beneath it savory and sweet. Blood poured past his lips where he could not take it fast enough until he had taken his fill of it and let the man fall from his embrace to the ground.

Kol's venom kept him from moving to even try to stem the crimson flow that was spilling his life away onto the street. Kol breathed out a puff of white into the winter air and smiled at them in welcome. There were only five now. One with a broken finger still holding it and looking at Kol as if he were a demon made flesh, and one on the ground huddled over his own body. Fat white flakes began to shift lazily from the sky and Kol licked the last of the sang from his now-reddened lips.

"Come mon ami's." One of his hands lifted to is mouth, his body swaying as if to a melody that only he could hear.

"I will entertain you."

[DokiDoki]

Doki knew how to take a beating. Being a slave all his life taught him how to take physical assalts and the best way to minimize damage. Though, that did not mean it hurt any less then any other time. He huddled in on himself and was carful to cover his head as best he could but as the kicks kept coming Doki could do nothing but wait until the thugs bored of his suffering. Silently his sobbed as he tucked into himself.

Things were starting to get a little blurry, he was starting to loose focus and it was not until he heard one of the thugs scream out that he noticed the kicking had stopped and that he was temporarily forgotten.

East was by Dokis side, he knew she was crouching down behind him and protectively wrapping an arm around him.
'Oh D....' For a moment he almost felt comforted by her concerned tone,
'why didn't you run faster!!' until she harshly berated him with a slap to the arm.
He was starting to register his surroundings again and cracked open his tear logged eyes for the first time.

Lieing on the ground and tucked into a tight ball there was not much for Doki to see. Only legs, shadow and...he stared at the body on the ground trying to figure out what the man was doing. He wasn't moving but Doki could make out the thick red liquid piling onto the cold floor from a nasty looking wound on his neck. He thought for a moment the man might be dead but he looked to be breathing. Whoever had distracted the thugs must have done it but Doki could not rationalize why.

'you sure are lucky this crazy guy showed up, I think he took a chuck out of that guys neck he-'
He slowly attempted to sit up and get a better view of what was happening.

"Come mon ami's."
'...oh...'
'HANDSOME, WHOOOOO WHOOO CUTIE ALERT!'
"I will entertain you."

He didn't want to overthink Easts rambling, he ignored her with only a small glance up at his tall savors face and refused to agree or disagree with her statement.

"The hell are you!?"

It was one of the thugs, probably the leader Doki thought, and as if his yell startled all of them into motion the group of four sprang forward to attack the black clad man.
'OHMYDGAWD- four against one no fair, '

Doki was no longer looking at the action infront of him and was considering running. He slowly got to his feet while the group was distracted. His plan involved quitly sneaking off but as he had grown accustomed to east chose a different option.
'HELP THE HANDSOME MAN!'

He felt East shove him towards the group, the rough action had him staggering forward to keep from falling. He would have been able to keep his feet under himself had he not tripped on the overly large coat he was wearing.

In only a few seconds after standing Doki was tripping forward and was on a crash coarse for landing/running directly into his savior.

[Kol]

Kol was admittedly less used to playing to a crowd than he was at focusing his attentions on a singular individual, but he liked a challenge, and this was certainly a challenge. He shifted his fingers, beckoning the other men to join him, thinking of how the taste of their blood would mingle on his palette.

"The hell are you!?" The man yelled at him and Kol tilted his head curiously at him.

"I am my-self." Perhaps the man meant more specifically, but Kol did not have a chance to offer more information on himself. Not with all of them suddenly moving toward him. Including the young man who had been huddled on the ground. The younger man effectively launched himself at Kol who obligingly caught him.

Long arms wrapped around the young man, pulling him into the crush of strong muscles and soft fur, the sudden collision swayed Kol, and he would have kept his balance if not for the man to his side suddenly adding his weight to the mix also. The man shoved Kol, and down Kol went. His arms offered some protection to the younger man's body as they hit the ground, and Kol flashed his teeth in a broad grin. "So eager!" His tone was deeply approving, but quickly followed by a small exhalation of air as one of the attackers kicked Kol in the side.

This seemed to be their preferred method of attack, but Kol did not respond to the sudden flush of pain through his ribs as the young man had. His green eyes fluttered for a moment, fingers shifting over the body of the young man below him and almost delicately lowering him to the ground. Another kick had Kol bowing over the body that he was now shielding. "Mon dieu."

The soft words were the only warning before Kol stopped the next kick by grabbing the incoming foot with lightning quick reflexes. "Pardon moi mon ami. A moment oui?" His voice was a little breathless, his mind white around the edges with the film of painful pleasure as he shoved himself toward the man who had kicked him.

Surprised the man screamed and Kol made a loud grinding noise that was distinctly disharmonious. The scream protracted when Kol allowed acid to eat over his hands and burn holes in the man's clothing and even into the flesh beneath. The result had a distinct scent somewhat between burning flesh and an acidic tang.

All of it was music to Kol's ears.

[DokiDoki]

Doki was expecting to topple to the hard ground or at least on top of a body. He most certainly was not expecting to be caught.
The feeling of strong arms wrapping themselves around his body sent his brain into momentary shut down. Everything was quite, he couldn't hear the people around him, he couldn't hear east all he could process was the sound of his own heart beating furiously.

He could consider that his elevated heart rate was in part due to the high entincity of the situation; but he also knew putting the cause to that entirely was a bold face lie.

The feeling of the strangers tight hold around him was solid and comforting and Doki could just barely remember the only other time he had felt such a way. He couldn't move even if he wanted to and he definitely didn't want to.

Doki was starting to regain his senses as the long arms loosened their hold. He was on the ground again when he could finally move. Someone was screaming, he thought it was probably one of the thugs.
Everything was happening rather quickly and Doki both observed and acted without thought.
The stranger was incapacitating one of the thugs, a second was coming up behind him wielding some sort of short metal tube, the third was winding back for a kick, the fourth was reaching forward with both hands and from what Doki could deduce it was to grab him and pull him away.

East was yelling and being all together unhelpful. West only muttered a word which Doki repeated without question. Just as the fourth thug grabbed him and made to pull him away Doki shut his eyes and screamed.

"DON'T!"

He was lucky the low lights illuminating the alleyway were enough to cast decent shadows. Using his trap ability he caught four shadows and stilled their owners completely. Whatever four he caught would be unable to move an would need to struggle to break free. Doki could already feel the four pulling and as they struggled he had to focus on keeping them snared. He felt himself fatiguing quickly. There was no way he could keep it up for very long, at the rate he could feel his energy depleting they would break free in less then 10 seconds.

Though four people where stilled and one was not Doki did not take into consideration WHO he had snared. He was only focused on keeping four out of the five others around him still.
He wasn't sure if he had accidentally caught the stranger in the trap instead of the four thugs.

[Kol]

The man Kol's fingers were slowly sinking into pulled away, digging furrows in the shape of those delicate digits into his own flesh and hardly caring so long as he got away from those sharp white teeth and those bold glowing eyes that seemed to promise more. More that he did not want to know. The man crab-crawled away and Kol would have caught him again easily with his legs so grievously injured but the man behind him struck him hard with a metal pipe. The strike was meant for Kol's head but Kol's movement meant that it hit him on the shoulder instead and he turned slowly toward the source of the sudden burst of pain with interest that had spelled out many a man's death.

"DON'T!"

However he moved no further than that. Something was holding him resolutely in place. Something firm. Kol struggled against the unseen grasp, muscles tensing and shifting beneath his fine suit but the hold did not give way. In his chest his heart pounded with anticipation sharp and tense, green eyes flickering for some sight of who held him so securely in place. He was not the only one so held he noticed.

Others were stilled, seemingly held by their own shadows. All but the one closest to Kol. The one that had struck him with the pipe he had picked up from the ground. There was a moment's hesitation where the man expected Kol to attack him, but when Kol remained where he was the man did not hesitate further.

Metal met bone with a sharp crack and Kol heard a dim ringing in the back of his skull. His vision blurred and he tasted blood in his mouth that he knew was his own. For a moment he was to stunned by the blow to inform the man that hitting him in the head was a poor choice. Hard strikes to the skull offered little pain, they merely dulled the senses. Nor did he have to. the man was more than happy to follow his strike to Kol's head with a sharp kick to Kol's sternum.

Kol's vision sharpened back into focus and there was the pain. The bloom of heat and the exhalation of breath from his body which could not move with the force given it. The man pulled back and readied his next attack, only to pause a little at the broad grin on Kol's face. The half-lidded pleasure. Even with blood trickling down from a cut on the side of his temple, trailing from his lip where he had bitten himself... he was smiling.

The man cursed and swung the pipe, only for Kol's bonds to give way allowing him to catch it mid-swing before it could strike him in the head again. Gently he tisked. "Allow me mon ami." His voice was thick with blood and more, his body rolling forward and his hand curling just beneath the unfortunate man's diaphragm. The man gasped a pained noise and Kol pushed harder, jerking the arm holding the pipe forward even as he did so that his hand ground into the man's soft tissue. "It hurts oui? I will show you such pain..."

The words were said almost kindly even as his green eyes lifted to the others who were just now beginning to break free of their own bonds as well. The man behind the young one he had briefly embraced hesitated now to do as he had done, looking at Kol. Watching as Kol twisted the wrist holding the pipe until the other man's shoulder popped with a dry sound.

"Who are you?"

Kol smiled with a flash of white, white teeth. "I am Kol, Kol Demontry."

If Kol's mere presence and actions in the fight had given these men pause in fighting him, the sound of his name seemed to take it out of them entirely. The man Kol was holding moaned. "Please don't kill me. Please." The man begged and Kol's eyes flickered toward him.

"Why would I?" The words hardly seemed to be a comfort but all of the men looked at their leader and those that were still standing of their own volition backed away slowly.

"I didn't sign up for this. I'm out Robby." The first one broke and ran and was quickly followed by his fellows until only the leader and the one in Kol's hands remained. And the young one who had been in the midst of them before.

"Demontry is just a myth." The leader grabbed for the young man, seeming to try to believe his own words even as Kol made a deep grating noise that shook his shoulders.

"I am quite real. Am I not?" This last question was spoken to the man he held, his fingers twisting the arm further and further the wrong way until the man screamed that he was real. The sound of the cry made Kol sigh softly.

"Please let me go." The man asked, sounding entirely defeated and Kol dropped him without a further care. Walking past him as if he had ceased to exist. Green eyes shifted from one form to the other and back again. He smiled to them both and spread his arms in welcome.

"Venez. Come to me mon ami."

Spoiler:

[DokiDoki]

Spoiler:

Doki was getting weaker, his breaths coming is ragged gasps as he struggled to keep the four individuals in place.
When he finally could hold on no longer he released his hold with along exhaled grunt.

Not releasing the snares himself but having them broken by others had Dokis head swimming. The recoil of the force had him laying immobile and almost lifeless; shuttering gasps for air the only indication he was still alive.

"I am Kol, Kol Demontry."

Everything sounded like he was hearing it while underwater but the name stuck. He had never heard it before but he knew it had come from his tall dark savior.

He could hear someone else talking but the other voices did not cut through the air with the same presence as Kols and Doki could not find the concentration to comprehend them. As far as his mind was concerned it was only Kol speaking with some muffled indecipherable sounds following along with his own thoughts.

"Why would I?"
'why would you what?'

Doki felt hands on him, grabbing him and lifting him none to gently. He was to tired to do much but wiggle and tense his muscles.

"I am quite real. Am I not?"
'I think so, unless this is all a dream set on due to hypothermia...'

Things were starting to gain clarity. Doki slowly blinked his eyes open and looked at his captors face. It was blurry and everything looked dark around the edges of his vision but he could tell it was the thugs face he was staring at.

"Venez. Come to me mon ami."
'..what...?'

Robby hesitated, clutching Doki roughly between himself and Kol as a unintentional shield.

"Get away from me." The now companion less leaders words where frantic and resolute as he took a step back with Doki still trapped is his tight hold. In discomfort he let out a small sound of protest, he was regaining his focus and was starting to wiggle with more vigor.

'....Dee...DOKI!' East was shouting in an instant he wondered how long she must have been screaming for his attention
'Just-'
'STAB HIM'
'N-!'

He couldn't stop himself from doing as west had suggested.

"Get out of--." The thug was in the middle of taken a step back when one extra skeletal appendage escaped from the top of Dokis large coat, knife in hand and stabbed down with excessive force straight into the nook of the mans neck.

Blood was quick to splatter all over his face and the front of his coat as he commanded the extra appendage to pull back with a few complicated hand gestures hidden by his long coat sleeves.

The arms clutching him were immediately removed as the thug fumbled in his step and brought both hands up to his gushing wound in an reflex response to cover the wound.

The thug fell back into a wiggling heap slowly draining of life and Doki stumbled backward in Kols direction. Three arms flailing, one still holding the now blood drenched knife, as he attempted to gain some footing.

[Kol]

It was... beyond words.

Hands formed of bone rose up like ghastly wings around the young man, pale ivory in the darkness spilling crimson in a rain of sang. It seemed as though those droplets hung in the air. Rubies and garnets shimmering in the dim light, only to fall. To splatter on flesh and cloth and stone. The scent of it was suddenly thick in the air. Kol's lips parted and he drank in that scent so deeply that he could hardly breathe. He could smell the death in it. The to-quick spill, the wetness which was to much to survive. This much blood spoke of dead things, a corpse falling to the stone gasping for life that its fingers curled into but could not hold. Life was running away in rivulets, wasted in the earth.

The young man stumbled toward him and Kol took no heed of the arms that hovered about. Bone, flesh, and blood. He took the young back into his embrace, drawing him even as he lost his balance; close. Long pale fingers spilled like water over the young man's face. Pressing into the still warm blood. Spreading it and cleansing it.

"Beautiful." The word was breathless, his pupils blown like black moons, green glowing with inhuman brightness. There was no movement of monsters in the backs of his eyes. The monster was him, and he was the monster always. He was alive. Without thought or warning he bent to the young man, pressing his lips to one sweet soft cheek and kissing the blood there away.

It was a perfect moment.

He embraced the scent of death and longed for it with the whole of his being. "Permettez-moi de vous le goût, s'il vous plaît." The words were spoken so smoothly that they might have been only one or two rather than the whole sentence that they were. He sighed close to the young man's cheek, every breath heady. "Let me clean this from you, s'il vous plaît."

Spoiler:

[DokiDoki]

Doki was in a state of shock even as his vision was eclipsed by the man before him. Eyes wide and fear clearly written in them;though the man was not the cause. He was looking up at Kol but not focused on him. Lost in his own thoughts Doki trembled as the image of what he had just done replayed itself over and over.

He was slipping further and further away from everything, mind shutting down to escape the terror and overwhelming guilt soaking him through. He could hear West chuckling, cackling, laughing away louder and louder the ringing was a like grating glass in his ears.
He hated this, really, hadn't meant it to happen again, West was getting closer, approaching, Doki could feel it, like his body would no longer be his to control.

Then a single feeling, soft lips against his blood slick cheek. He had never felt anything like it, so new and startling the feeling snapped him back to reality; and in that single moment the laughing was cut from existence, Doki could see again, he was himself again.

"Permettez-moi de vous le goût, s'il vous plaît."

"w-w-wha...p-per-permit?"

Kols arms around him, the man face brushing against his, it was nice, very nice. The man was radiating with something that Doki felt was the definition of comfort. Something he didn't want to step away from even though he had no idea what it was.

"Let me clean this from you, s'il vous plaît."

He felt the tears beginning to surface with no possible way to stop them. They bubbled up and fell profusely as he attempted to hiccup out more words between sobs
"Yes-I-I-I'm sorry...I'm sorryI'msorrysorrysorry-s-sorry"

Reaching forward Doki grabbed fist fulls of Kols jacket to bring himself closer as he cried in the taller mans arms. Nudging his face closer to Kols he bumped his cheek against the others and muttered a few more apologies when he found the breath to do so.
He didn't really know what Kol had said or meant, but for the time being Doki didn't care what Kol did so long as it meant staying in the embrace for a few moments longer.

[Kol]

If he had thought that he had somehow found perfection, he had been wrong. This was perfection. The young man pulled himself closer, as close as they could be with clothes between them. Lifting his face like an offering with salty tears streaming down over the blood there. Kol needed no further invitation than that. They yes was merely flavoring.

His lips tasted sang and tears, sweeping across green skin to clean away what had been left there. The tears made it easier to clean away the young man's tears, and their wetness made the passage of Kol's tongue flickering across the more stubborn stains almost unnoticeable. "Merci." He whispered the word into the young man's messy hair. Over and over as he ensured that nothing remained on his face. "Merci."

The scent of blood lingered in the air. Where it clung to the young man's hair and clothes. Where it had sunk into the stone and earth. Long fingers captured every tear until they fell no longer. His tongue was heavy with the salty taste of them. "You have done no-thing wrong mon Sel." He kissed the young man's cheek again, now clean and only slightly damp. Kol embraced Sel tightly for a moment and then pulled away just far enough to look into yellow eyes. "Come with me."

He took a small step backwards, still close, drawing the young man with him rather than actually moving away. "You can bathe oui?"

[DokiDoki]

Doki felt himself calming down. It was a strange feeling having a stranger, in the simplest of terms, lick and kiss his face of the warm red liquid and salty tears. All that remained were trails of quickly cooling saliva. In any other circumstance he might have found it unsettling and gross but in this moment it was reassuring. It was relaxing him into comfort and in no time at all his tears were spent and he could breath regularly again.

He didn't understand what Kol had whispered, he was finding the man kept using words he had never heard before but it didn't matter. What he had understood was enough.
For the first time in a long while Doki felt okay, safe even, and the guilt of what had just transpired had dissipated completely.

"Come with me.You can bathe oui?"
'EEEHHHHHHHH!!! SAY YES!!'

The moment that Doki couldn't categorize or name had passed but it was enough to take his mind so fully off of his own that East screeching reintroduction actually startled him. It was not how Doki wanted to remember her perpetual aggravating presence and he couldn't stop from reflexively flinching away from the sound.
The distraction extended the moment of silence to a point Doki considered was probably to long to be normal.
"..Oh...well..."
East was screaming at him to accept, kept yammering away. He could barely consider what he should actually do and before giving up on thinking about it and just accepting.
"o-okay..if...if....y-y-you ar-are sur-re?"

Doki enjoyed the proximity of the taller man and moved along to where he was being led with no resistance.

"..thank you...Kol..."

For all Doki knew he was being lead to his grave but it didn't matter. He could barley consider it a bad thing if meant walking there with Kol and he wasn't even sure why.

[Kol]

"o-okay..if...if....y-y-you ar-are sur-re?" It was such a tentative acceptance of his invitation, but he did not mind. All that mattered was that Sel had said yes. He kept the young man close to him, his long arm easily around Sel's smaller form. Neatly he stepped over the body of the one that he had killed, paying it no more mind than he might have a pothole or a bag of garbage laying in the street.

"I am certain." His smile widened as he looked down at the other man fondly. "Mon home is yours mon Sel."

Even now Kol moved silently, but the proof of his existence was in the scent of spices, clean, and blood which hovered around him. The weight of his arm around the young man at his side, and in the bodies that lay in their wake. It was some small distance to the place that he called home. He lived in a massive building, so he led Sel to the elevator at the base of it, pushing the button for the highest floor and waiting as the doors closed. Soft music played around them in the comfortable silence, the motion of the elevator going on for some time until it came to a slightly rocking stop and the doors opened once more to a short hallway with only one exit.

Kol led the way to it, opening the door which had not been locked and freeing Sel from his grasp so that he could close it and take off his heavy fur-lined jacket. Kol's apartment was massive, with hard wood floors that were cool underfoot. The closet he hung his coat in was just inside the doorway, and he removed his shoes as well as the suit jacket that lay under his coat. He offered silently to take Sel's things as well.

"Make your-self at home oui?" He smiled warmly at the young man, and spent a few moments righting things in their places in his closet.

Beyond the hallway entrance Kol's apartment spilled open into a single massive room. To the left just before the hallway ended was another door which led to a small unused guest room which was accurately appointed but obviously had not been used beyond keeping it cleaned and aired in a very long tome. To the right was a kitchen with an island centered in it. The counters were cleaned leaving very little out. Just a fine set of knives, fresh fruit, an expensive french press, and a glass tea set which was tucked into a corner.

The living room took up slightly more of the space than did the area that had been designated  for dining by the massive white rug that lay under the white couches which faced not a television which Kol did not seem to own but the windows that lined every wall from ceiling to floor. The dining room held a dark heavy wooden table and enough chairs to seat eight people that matched it. Just beyond the kitchen to the furthest right and set against the wall was a slightly curved staircase which led upstairs where there was only one door partially open and which was Kol's bedroom and master bathroom.

Every part of Kol's home was immaculately clean and exuded a subtle sense that Kol had a great deal of money to do with as he pleased which perhaps his coat and suit had indicated beforehand. Everything in Kol's home had a place, and nothing was where it did not belong.

[DokiDoki]

Doki was not so much paying attention to where he was going so much as the feeling of the warm body next to him and the arm draped around him. So, by the time they where is a very expensive very extravagant apartment Doki was entirely unprepared.

Everything was perfect, clean and it left him in a stasis of awe. He didn't even hear what kol had said, had heard him speak , but was not listening. He wondered how this had happened, starting to realize he was actually in a strangers opulent house and was being to really question why he had come here.

'This is a mistake.'

'This is amazing!'

Doki had not seen East or West since the incident in the alley. It was the longest amount of time he had spent awake without their presence that he could currently recall and their sudden reappearance started him. He flinched back slightly from East as she brushed by him and watcher her pass to the far side of the room where She wasted no time in pressing her face up against the glass to coo about the view. West, as always, Doki knew was somewhere behind him and he could hear murmured statements regarding disapproval and other actions Doki would prefer not to think about.

'Dee you have to come look at this! I don't think I've ever seen anything from so high before!'

He really wanted to run over and do exactly as East was doing but took only one step before stifling the urge.

This was a nice house, not his house, belonging to a very, as Doki considered it, interesting and dashing stranger who saved his life. He may now be living on the street but he knew what he was suppose to do to be moderately polite. He removed grime encrusted boots and began de-layering himself. First the gloves, second the Crimson scarf wrapped numerous times around his neck, third the to large, blood stained coat,and last the more fitting dirtied but blood free wool cape.

The shed outer layers left him feeling exposed and a lot smaller in kols presence but he certainly didn't want to walk around with them on. They were dirty and the last thing Doki wanted to do was stain any of the immaculate furniture.

"...umm...uhh...t-tha-thank y-you..."

He managed to pry is gaze away from the living quarters to look up at the taller man. Though as a force of habit he did not make direct eye contact. He was overwhelmed by everything happening, surprised at his own actions, and considering weather he regretted them or would regret them. He wanted to leave and he wanted to stay but he still couldn't place or name why he felt such a way. In an attempt to try and sort out his own restless mind and in a sudden bought of curiosity he started with what he thought could be a simple question.
"...y-you didn't have to...h-he-hel-h--....assist...me..."
He hadn't realized he was so nervous and paused for a moment to try and control his voice.
"w-why? di-i-i-d you?"

[Kol]

Kol looked at the bloodstained things of Sel's which he had gathered up and shook his head minutely. They simply would not do. Nimbly he checked the pockets for anything that could not be washed before shoving absolutely everything into the wash. Casually he eyed the remainder of Sel's clothing and decided that the wash could wait until they were joined by the clothes that Sel still wore. That way he would not have to do more than one load.

It was in fact, not very easy for Kol to understand the other man when he spoke. The way he repeated some of the sounds made it hard for Kol to know where one word began or ended. After all his years speaking it English had become much easier for him, but he was by no means perfect at it.

Smoothly he moved forward, reaching out to grasp Sel's jaw gently with his fingers, his whole body leaning toward the younger man. "One word at a time mon Sel. I am not so good with words some-times oui?" His smile widened for a moment. "You ask why though? I did what I did because I wanted to. I touch you because I want to, I bring you here because I want to. Just as you came because you desired to come."

His voice became more gentle at the end, and he let his fingers slide up the curve of the young man's cheek. "Now come with me mon Sel, and we will clean the sang from your hands and your hair yes?" He exerted gentle pressure just behind Sel's jaw, leading him with that oh-so-gentle touch.

[DokiDoki]

The contact against his cheek had Doki flinch back involuntarily. It wasn't that he disliked his face being touched but he was not use to such a contact being gentle. With most of his wits about him it came as a shock and just for the briefest of moments he actually considered he was about to be hit.

Once he was able to internally rationalize that kol was not about to slap him. He stifled the flinch and didn't move any further at the touch against his jaw.

It was a strange feeling , the long pale fingers cool and soothing against his skin. Not like anything he had felt before and the longer the touch lingered the more he found himself wanting to lean into it. Though he did not succumb to the temptation, he remained as still as possible, silently hoping kols hand would remain there forever.

He followed silently and obediently, driven by a pure irrational emotion to not lose the cold brush of fingers against he warming skin. He really didn't know why he kept feeling this way around the taller man. This desire to be in kols company was starting to almost frustrate him, he couldn't place why this man was having such an effect or why he didn't care.

It was not until they reach thier destination that Doki spoke again.

"Uh.. S-s-s-sorry--" he shut his mouth with and audible clacking of teeth. Kol had just explained how the stuttering wasn't easy for him to understand, and now the pressure of wanting it to stop was making it worse. He dropped his voice to a whisper and spoke slower in an attempt to manage his speech.

"I....can't....stop it. It-it is- d-diff--hard....for me, talking, it...is...hard sometimes . Sorry"

Maybe it was odd to be whispering so softly, but really it was the only thing Doki could do to try and manage speaking with some clarity at the moment. He chanced a quick glance up to kols face to try and read his expression, still avoiding direct eye contact.

"What....does--You....say .....w-words...i...don't...understand.....What....does.....weeeiiii ....mean?"

He was genuinely curious, in all his time around the wealthy and foreign dignitaries he had heard many different languages but whatever Kol had spoken he was not all all familiar with. Asking was also Dokis way of trying to stay calm, and not feel so awkward about the entire situation.

[Kol]

Kol led his companion up the stairs to the second floor. Sel seemed loathe to remove himself from Kol's grasp, and since Kol took no small pleasure in the warmth of Sel's flesh beneath his fingertips he let them linger. It was a pleasure that they both could share.

The door to Kol's bedroom stood open, and Kol did not pause as he led his companion through it. Here the light was dimmer, thick curtains obscuring the window on the far wall and casting long shadows that Kol did not bother to illuminate over the massive bed that dominated Kol's bedroom. The bed was easily large enough to hold three men Kol's side in comfort with room to spare, thick black wooden posts holding up crimson sheets and black covers all neatly in place as though Kol had not slept there this morning. There was a closet immediately to the left, the door closed, and a dresser of the same dark heavy wood as the bed to the right. On either side of the bed was a nightstand that matched just as well, as if they had all come together.

Once they passed through into the bathroom, there Kol turned on the light. His bathroom like all of the rest of the house was immaculately clean. All of the things that one might need for hygiene were present and set perfectly in place though all of Kol's hand soaps were notably unscented and his toothpaste was an odd white container that was supplied directly from the dentist and had no lasting flavor. Here he paused, the young man's words drawing his attention as he turned on the water so that it could begin to heat.

"You have done no-thing wrong mon Sel. Words are not easy for me either." The admission rolled off of his tongue easily. He did not like the fact that sometimes he forgot the words that he wanted in the language that everyone spoke, but he certainly did not feel any same in his lack of ability. "We must only continue to try you and I yes? To speak slowly and clearly so that our words are clear."

It was impossible to resist touching that green cheek, fingers flaking away crimson and tracing features with a fondness that made dark creatures stir and writhe in his luminous green eyes. "Oui." He said the word distinctly so that the young man could hear it properly. "Means yes. It is from my native tongue."

His smile became a flash of white teeth. "Some-times I forget and I speak it, as you might stumble in your words when they do not come fast enough to the lips yes? I simply tell you that it is not so easy for me to know those words so that if I ask you to say them again you will know why." Long pale fingers slid over the edge of Sel's bottom lip. "Now mon Sel shall we get you in-to the shower?"

[DokiDoki]

Doki listened to every word with diligent attentive silence. He didn't dare move his gaze from its location hovering around Kols chin. The words calming him every so slightly, something about the way he spoke made him feel comfortable, almost safe, he liked it.
'You should leave'
'No way, you should stay.'

They kept talking, but the longer Kols touch lingered and the more he spoke the more East and Wests bickering faded to a mumble. Doki ignored them completely, attention focused on Kol.
"Now mon Sel shall we get you in-to the shower?"
"...."
 He did need to get clean, and only now began to realize that he had been lead into a immaculate bathroom. Days on the street and his most recent brush with copious amounts of blood where more than good reasons for taking a hot shower. He was grateful for the generosity and thoughtfulness of his host.
"Oui"
The word was mimicked on an impulse in response to the question. Half wanting to try saying it again and half in an attempt to commit the knew knowledge to memory. The attempt to imitate the accent coming off clumsy and over pronounced, he liked it better the way Kol said it, but considered it not a half bad attempt.
Doki was not used to such attentive kindness from others and still was uncertain why Kol would show it to him but was grateful none the less. He deciding accepting the hospitality could be no hurt even if his heart was racing strangely and his skin kept getting a little hot. For now he could live with the mystery of his own strange feelings.
A small smile curved onto his lips involuntarily. Regardless of what happened he felt for the fist time in a long time everything would be alright.


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