Pause

[Grey]

Things had been so chaotic of late that he'd barely had time to breathe. For so long, he had the threat of losing Hyde hanging over his head. Now though it seemed as if death had spared the pair yet again, and it had lifted the weight from his chest. There were still doubts, of course, and thoughts that it all seemed far too good to be true, but each passing day had brought nothing but good news about the two vampires living in the other house. He'd been able, then, to let the worry go for the most part and go back to living his life as normally as possible.

He and Dragon had been together, officially, for a year. It all seemed like such a distant memory with all that had happened in between; so much couldn't have possibly fit in the span of a single year, it had to have taken longer. But the calendar didn't lie, and the wolf was very aware of the date. He hadn't planned much; with everything going on, he just hadn't had time to do anything huge. That didn't mean he didn't want to celebrate the day, though. Dragon was still asleep, but the lycan had been up since the middle of the day trying to get everything in order. He wanted the night to be special, so he had spent a good portion of his waking hours in the kitchen. Everything from scratch, nothing out of a box, and all things that he knew his lover liked best. By the time he was finished, darkness had fallen and the lycan was just lighting the candles on the table, despite the fact that Dragon wouldn't be able to see them.

[Dragon]

Being blind through so much choas had been more than confusing for him, but through the hell and stress both he and Grey had gone through he hadnt let it get to him. They had all gone through so much, and every minute of their waking lives had been taken up with worry. Only a week or so ago they had managed to finally settle once more, death having spared the ones they loved, leaving their life with some semblence of peace. Dragon had still thought, each moment that he was alone and in silence, that it was all too good to be true and was just the silence before the storm, but the longer he spent happilly with his lover, the more his mind lead him to believe that everything was infact good and nothing could go wrong.

The days had gone by, and finally lead to the one day that he and Grey had spoke about a few times before. It had been agreed that presents where not needed, but Dragon had still looked forward to their one year mark. At that moment though their schedules where still a little out of sink with eachother, they had managed to find a routine where they still had time together during the week. Grey worked, and Dragon slept through the daylight hours, but what Dragon didnt know what that his lover had spent most of the afternoon downstairs preparing food for them both. The smell nor the sounds woke him, as when settled he was a deep sleeper, but finally the pull of the sun set drew him from his sleep, and with a small groan he rolled himself onto his back, prying his eyes open to the blackness he'd gotten used to. The first thing he registered as he woke was the strong smell of cooking, and with a smile he closed his eyes, relaxing a little into the mattress. [i]Been busy?[/b] he asked through their link, a hint of amusement in his voice.

[Grey]

The wolf could feel it as his lover woke, and a smile spread slowly on his features. Only a few moments later, he heard Dragon's voice in his head, and he let out a silent laugh. Just a little. It's almost done. Come down when you're ready, he responded, his inner voice giving away some of his amusement. It had been a long time since he'd spent so much time and effort in a kitchen, but the brunette didn't mind in the slightest. The kinds of things he made at the diner couldn't compare, and he almost missed being able to experiment and do things his own way. For Dragon, he could do that, and so while he should have been exhausted from the work, he was looking forward to watching his lover enjoy the meal.

With everything he'd made, though, they'd be stuck with leftovers for a week. Maybe he had gotten a little carried away, but it was all worth it. He'd even made the vampire a chocolate cake, now that his physical health wasn't an option; he'd just had to be very very careful not to touch any of its ingredients or get the chocolate into any other food. That wasn't something he wanted to go through all over again. Knowing Dragon would be down soon, the lycan stepped back to survey his handiwork and make sure that everything was present and accounted for.

[Dragon]

The smell of good food and his lovers words where more than enough to drag im out of the bed. Though he didnt get any nutrional support from mortal food, he still loved to eat it, and ever since being last mortal he'd gotten a taste for any kinds of sweet food. Smiling softly to himself he sat up and swung his legs from the bed, standing fluidly. Finding his way around the house didnt bother him anymore, and quietly he made his way to the shower and quickly rinsed and washed his hair, taking only a few more minutes after than to dry himself and make his way back to the bedroom. Grey had conveniently laid his clothes in piles so that Dragon knew what he was pulling out, and it wasnt long before he was donned in a pair of black socks and a pair of dark grey slacks. He felt no need to clothe his upper half, the summer heat travelled easily through the house, and he doubted it would cool off much.

Only when he was satisfied that he didnt looke at all stupid or that he was dripping water anywhere from his hair did he moved out of the room and towards the stairs. Only one hand slidout beside him, fingertips gently gliding along the walls and wood to identify exactly where he was. It was this fingertip touch which helped him down the stairs, as with every day, and towards the kitchen, where the smell of the different foods flooded him, drawing a groan from his lips. "I can tell just by the smell that we arent going to be able to move later for full stomachs..." he spoke softly, glancing in the direction of the kitchen, though he couldnt be exactly sure of where his lover was.

[Grey]

It was only a matter of minutes before the wolf heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs, announcing his lover's arrival. "Well I hope it's all to your liking," he responded aloud, giving Dragon a target to follow. "In the kitchen," he added, just in case the other man hadn't been able to pinpoint his exact location just from that. Meeting his lover at the doorway, the lycan pulled the vampire into a tight embrace. It was a special day, after all, and while they had agreed that no gifts were necessary, the wolf still wanted to show his appreciation. Pressing a soft but chaste kiss to Dragon's lips, the wolf let him go and settled for taking his hand instead. He didn't want to get too carried away with himself before they'd even had the chance to sample the food he'd spent most of the day making.

"There's enough here to feed a small country, so you might be right about not being able to move later. Happy anniversary, lover," he said with a grin as he ushered the vampire to the table. Grey felt a slight twinge that his lover wasn't able to see everything that was there, but Dragon never pitied himself and so neither should he. They got by just fine, and that was all that mattered.

[Dragon]

"Your cooking is always to my liking..." he replied a little more loudly, smiling at his lovers direction. He loved the way that Grey made small hints to help him out, it was something that no one else thought of, and though he could do most things or himself now he'd gotten used to living without his sight, it was still nice to have a hand, and Dragon appreciated it greatly. Following his lovers voice the vampire moved down the corridor, one hand stil gently running along the wall to his right. It didnt take him long to find the kitchen, but before he could step into it Grey caught him in an embrace, and with a small chuckle he leant into the brief kiss, the smile on his face widening. He loved moment like this, when everyone was at peice and they didnt have anything to worry about.

"Good job we've got a large fridge then..." he replied with a soft laugh, shaking his head. "And to you too, i cant believe its only been a year, it feels like a lifetime..." he joked softly, following Grey's tugging towards the table. It was moment like this where he wished he could truly get the nutritional value of the food he was going to eat, but he was glad at least that it would do him no harm and that he could taste it, and enjoy it with the other male.

((At a BBQ tonight but should be on later on ))

[Grey]

The wolf chuckled softly as Dragon's words mirrored what he had been thinking not long before. "Usually when people say that, it's a bad thing," he responded, the smile on his face evident in his voice. He knew exactly what the other man meant, though. They had been through so much in the span of a single year that it felt as though many had passed. Not all of it had been pretty, but they had made it to their first important milestone, so the wolf wasn't complaining too much. Pulling out a chair for the vampire, Grey helped his lover into it, then pointed out each dish and where it sat on the table. "The only thing you'll need to avoid are the candles right in the middle of everything. All the rest is fair game," he added as he circled around to sit at his own chair across from Dragon.

He didn't want to treat his lover as if he was incapable by serving the food for him; as long as the other knew what was where, he was perfectly capable of doing it himself. "Oh and there's a glass of wine to the right of your plate," the wolf said almost as an afterthought. Had Dragon still been mortal, he wouldn't have taken the risk given the fact that the other man had once become addicted, but as a vampire, there was no harm in opening a bottle. He had one of champagne as well, but thought that might be best to go with dessert.

[Dragon]

Dragon didnt protest as his lover lead him to the place he was to sit, and with a small smile Dragon placed himself into the seat offered and relaxed somewhat, looking to the direction of his lover, though he couldnt be sure of the exact location. "Dont worry, heat is one thing i dont have a problem with sensing..." he replied with a small smile, settling into the position he had. Grey's food smelled wonderful, and he wasnt about to refuse any part of it at all. He'd always loved his lovers food, Grey was an excellent cook, and Dragon enjoyed his food.

At the mention of alchohol the vampire glanced in the direction of the Lycan, a frown upon his face. He couldnt help but be a litttle apprehensive over the whole thing, but alchohol was a lot more difficult to get addicted to the substance than anything else. He'd been addicted before though, so it wasnt that far fetched, and so cautiousl he picked up the glass and brought it to his lips. He found after a sip that the taste wasnt as appealing as it had been, and so with a smile he place it down and set upon his food.

[Grey]

"Good. I wouldn't want you to catch fire during dinner," the wolf teased as he began to fill his own plate. He'd been taste testing along the way, so he wasn't as hungry as he might have been otherwise, but that didn't stop him from wanting to enjoy the finished products as well. Besides, it wasn't like there wasn't enough food. They could have given half of it to the vampires in the larger house and still had plenty left over. Grey had entertained the thought of inviting the other pair and the boy to join them, but in the end he had decided that this was an occasion he wanted to keep between himself and Dragon. Now that things had settled, there would be plenty more chances to have dinner as a whole group.

"How is it?" he asked after a few minutes of eating in silence. He had caught his lover's look as he'd taken a sip of wine, and Grey really couldn't blame him for not wanting to take too much of it. Maybe it didn't taste quite the same to vampires anyways; it wasn't like he'd ever been one to know just how different things were for them. Wolves weren't that far removed from humans, save on the night of the full moon, so he really had no idea. "If I mention dessert now, you won't give up on the rest of the food, will you?" he said with a laugh, bringing his fork to his lips. The brunette was hesitant to mention the chocolate cake for fear that the vampire might skip straight to that.

[Dragon]

"Catching fire would not be a good thing, i agree with that..." he replied with a small smile, picking up his knife and fork so that he could eat. Eating was a little more difficult without the use of his eyes, but over the past few months he'd slowly gotten used to finding his way around his plate. It didnt take him long to find what food he needed, and after a few mouthfuls he lifted his unseeing gaze to try and seek Grey out. "Its fantastic as always..." he replied to his lovers question, savouring the flavours that Grey had presented him with. He did appreciate good food, always had.

At his lovers next question Dragon paused, tilting his head in quiet contemplation. "Oh now i dont know about that. You've mentioned the cake now, and nothing can beat home made cake. I can smell the chocolate from here. Also, given your allergy to the stuff, i'm guessing that a lot of love and care went into the preperation..." chuckling Dragon returned to eating his food, swallowing another mouthful before speaking again. "I'll eat everything here as best i can, then start on the cake..."

[Grey]

"I'd say equal amounts of both. I was almost tempted to get myself a full haz-mat suit just to make it in," the wolf said with a laugh. Maybe that would have been going a bit overboard, but at least he would have been fully protected. Nothing had happened, though, and he had been exceptionally careful, so his words were nothing more than a joke. "I'll just have to remember to quarantine and burn anything the chocolate came in contact with, just in case." He knew he'd have to be cautious even around Dragon too once he'd had a taste of the dessert. It had only taken a small trace of chocolate to nearly kill him the last time; if there was any left on his lover's lips when he kissed him, and he anticipated there would be a bit of that as the night progressed, then it could have the same effect.

It was just something else he'd have to be exceptionally careful about, that was all. It wasn't going to stop him from getting close to Dragon later on. At least everything else he had made seemed to be to his lover's approval. It made all the time and effort he'd put in completely worth it.

[Dragon]

Dragon couldnt help but chuckle at his lovers mention of a haz mat suite, and he glanced cup in the direction of his lover, wishing that he could see him. He couldnt though, so Dragon didnt dwell on it and continued to eat, listening to what his lover had to say. "I tell you what, when i've finished food and cake i can go upstairs and brush me teeth, wash my lips and make sure i dont have any residue of chocolate on me? We really dont want a repeat of last time..." he replied softly, then took another mouthful of food. He was enoying it, and revelled in the attention that Grey seemed to enjoy giving him. They where happy, and nothing was stressing them anymore, so they could afford to be happy.

It wasnt much longer before he had finished the main part of his meal, and full he leant himself back in the chair, placing his knife and fork down on the plate. "You do spoil me you know..." he chuckled, shaking his head. He wished he'd been able to do something like this for Grey, but his cooking skills had gone down the drain along with his eyesight.

[Grey]

"That sounds like a safe enough plan," the wolf said with a soft chuckle. He really shouldn't have found it amusing, seeing as it had the potential to kill him, but they were both careful. It was better to be overly cautious than run the risk of something going wrong. He still bore the scar on his neck from the last time there had been such an accident. Neither one of them wanted that to happen again. Forcing those thoughts from his mind, certain that he had taken every precaution, the lycan continued with his meal, watching his lover carefully even as he ate his own plateful. Grey couldn't get enough of just watching Dragon, even if he was doing something as mundane as eating.

At last they both set down their utensils, plates clean of the food they'd served themselves. "And I love every moment of it," the brunette responded to his lover with a smile. Pulling himself up from his chair, Grey circled around to where his lover sat once more, leaning down to gently press a soft kiss to his lips. "Let me clean up and then we'll talk dessert," he said softly as he drew back, lifting the vampire's empty plate from the table and adding it to his own.

[Dragon]

Being blind was more than disorientating at times, and every time someone or something moved he had to really keep his sense of hearing tuned to every sound. It was the only thing that really gave him the ability to know where eveyone was. As Grey lifted himself from the table Dragon tilted his head in the direction of the noise, noting the sound of his lover taking his own plate before leaning down to kiss him. Chuckling softly Dragon leaned into the kiss, letting it linger for just a moment before pulling back, allowing Grey to continued with what he was doing.

"As much as i'd love to gorge desert, how about we leave it for a little bit. I may not be able to digest and use human food, but i know when my stomach is full. I want to enjoy the chocolate as much as i can..." he spoke, smiling, though his eyes stared blankly ahead. "If the cake was made with something else, i would love to smear it all over you..." he continued, unable to keep the devilish smirk from his face. Being naughty was something he had learned to be from Grey, and after being shown some more kinky things than he was used to he was more than eager to learn more.

[Grey]

The lycan chuckled at his lover's words, moving the empty plates over to the sink and then starting the daunting task of clearing the rest of the table. "I'll remember that for the next time. Make the cake out of something that won't kill me," he responded, packing the remaining food into containers with all the efficiency of someone who had been doing it for years. He just hoped there would be room in the refrigerator for everything. If not, he supposed he could always give some of the food away to the vampires in the other house. Fallon must get tired of microwave dinners, though with the singer up again, there might actually be cooking going on over there.

"I know it's warm, but what do you say to spending a bit of time in the hot tub once I've got all this put away?" he suggested. Knowing the two of them, if they went back upstairs now, the cake would be forgotten until the following night, and after he'd spent the effort making the thing without getting any on himself, he wanted Dragon to be able to enjoy it. "Sitting around for a while should be good for digestion." Plus there were plenty of other things the pair could get themselves into, but the wolf kept those ideas to himself.