To say they'd fallen out of the honeymoon phase of their relationship was an understatement. They had spent the first few weeks after their engagement in bliss, high on their newly-confessed love, and excited for their upcoming nuptials. The dark haired Milliner had taken more time off from work than he'd done the past two centuries, spending much of his time happily wrapped around Rain.
It had been absolute and utter bliss.
To get to have Rainier with him night in and night out, to wake up from sleep with the red-head in his arms, and to get to steal kisses at any hour, was something new for the Milliner. Until their engagement, he'd had to find excuses and reasons to see the Koenig, to assign him jobs, and steal a night or two in unattached passion before parting ways. They'd danced to that song for decades, neither one daring to confront the feelings that had taken root in their unbeating hearts. No, it was only lately that they'd even managed to confess their love, and by accident -- the fight that had broken Ricco's heart had also been the catalyst to bring their feelings to the forefront.
Like everything they did, their love sprouted out of mess--but despite the chaos, the intense feelings, the hurt they'd caused one another, they made up, came together, and were all the stronger for it.
It was just their way.
The two were so opposite that they were like flint and steel, and when they came together, there was nothing but sparks. They could fight and argue and rage like a firestorm among the dry fields of summer; but that fire could also burn the embers of passion, and they could find themselves lost in their growing want and need for each other.
So it was no surprise when the two of them didn't see eye to eye. Planning the wedding, and rearranging their lives, came with some new difficulties. Living together, so closely, was a huge change for them both -- and Ricco had found his patience tested time and again. On top of work, and handling the Milliner affairs, Rain and he were trying to plan a wedding....
And even for the undead, that was no easy task.
But as the weeks continued, Ricco couldn't help but begin to notice strange habits. For being cut off from the Koenigs, Ricco found Rain on his phone at various hours, both night and day. The conversations were never long, but sometimes Rain would slip out, or head out shortly after. Perhaps, if Ricco had been of clear mind, he wouldn't have thought much of the comings and goings; or he might have had the foresight to talk to Rain about it. But unbeknownst to either Ricco or Rain, the Elder wasn't entirely in his right mind.
Augustus' gift to the family upon his return had been to do away with their painful bite, and like many in the family, Ricco had taken gross advantage of it on Rain. The two of them bit and drank from one another regularly, with little thought and great pleasure. It was intimate, it was something the dark haired vampire would never dare allow another to do to him-- but it was something special and he enjoyed it. To drink his vitae, and to give it in turn, was something that happened almost nightly. The problem, of course, was two fold...
The first issue was that they were Bloodbound to one another, which only heightened their pleasure and love, turning it almost into an obsession. This, of course, was something Ricco had figured out late one night-- and though it initially caused him some alarm about his feelings, and Rainier's, he tried to remind himself that they had confessed their feelings before Augustus had awoke.
Hadn't they?
The second issue was that for Ricco, since he started drinking from Rain on the regular, he began ingesting ashe that flowed through his lover's system. It was a secondhand source, but it was enough to cause Ricco to slip into some brilliant highs, as well as some devastating lows. Some nights he was so out of his mind he hardly knew where he was; and found himself experiencing feelings and thoughts he was certain he'd never experienced before. Part of Ricco blamed it on Augustus' reawakened status and bond with the great God of Vampires. Surely, it was nothing to concern Rain with, and other vampires were likely suffering the same residual effect.
Both unwittingly Bloodbound and struggling with new thoughts, new memories, new feelings, on top of work, and an entire change of his life with the permanent presence of Rain, the Elder wasn't quite at his best.
It was why, late one morning, he'd made the call. To see where Rain was going, to see who he was meeting, to see why that blasted phone rang . Why shouldn't he do a little investigation? Wouldn't Rain want to know where he went if he just up and disappeared? Wouldn’t Rain do the same? Of course he would! Or at least, that’s how Ricco had felt at the time. To make things even worse, deep down Ricco always worried that Rain would leave and not come back... just like he'd done before. When he’d called, begged, pleaded, and sent wraiths to find him – all for naught. No matter how he'd changed his penthouse around, no matter how he tried to bury that night, that fight was still seared in the Milliner's mind. He wasn't a man who let things go, and he held grudges long after he should. While he did not blame Rain for what happened, while he did not hold a grudge against him personally--he never quite trusted when he waltzed out of his arms, and out that door.
He didn’t trust that door. Or was it that he still didn’t quite trust Rain?
So Riccor had thrown himself into his work as well as the wedding, and waited for information to come in. When it did, he was unhappy about the outcome. Word was he was seeing some vampire–and not just some business contact or family member, but someone who had history with him…
Try as he might, Ricco couldn't just let it go. No. The information aggravated him more than anything. Why would he spend so much time with someone else? What did the other have to offer that Ricco didn’t? And why did he insist on being with someone so close to the wedding!? Hadn’t this happened before? He was certain there was heartache, could draw up the memory of being jilted; of an ex with a pretty face, and pretty lips, running off with some broad shouldered, scarred up, idiot. The feelings were real. The memory was in his head, and he could even remember the heartache, the pain, the humiliation. Was this all happening again? The Milliner couldn’t possibly know the memory he held onto was not his own and was simply remnants from the ashe he’d ingested.
In his ire, he'd taken Rain's phone and found texts full of salacious intent, which sparked another fight. A larger fight. A fight that was ugly and brutal and spiraled well out of Ricco’s intent. All he’d wanted was reassurance, but instead he’d spit out accusations laced in defensiveness; all he’d wanted was to know that Rain had no doubts, had no regrets for what he’d signed up with, given their relationship’s recent turmoil, but instead, all he’d done was drive him out that door. And while he didn’t remember clearly what was said, he absolutely did remember Rain leaving, walking out, just like he had before.
He said he’d be back.
He said he’d return.
Promises, promises, Ricco waited by that door until daylight forced his body to sleep. When he awoke, Rain hadn’t yet returned–but he’d reminded himself that it was their wedding night. They had decided not to see one another before hand, lest risk bad luck… And though Ricco wanted nothing more than to call Rain, to apologize, to tell him he loved him, to smooth things out before their big night…. He would have a lifetime to apologize.
There was nothing they couldn’t get through.
Fights were bound to happen, but he had eternity to make it up to him.
—-
The wedding itself was meant to be a grand affair. Riccardo Milliner was an Elder, after all, and he was the head of a major family. He’d never thought to walk down the aisle, never thought to find someone to spend his eternity with. Hell, most of the family had been taking bets on whether or not Ricco would actually go through with it when the invitations went out; and the other half were curious about this stranger that was now going to be on his arm.
Ricco had no intention of getting married again, and he had every desire to get to show off Rainier to not just the Milliners, but the Clan itself. A wedding was an opportunity to make connections, to elevate ones position, and for many of them, to get laid. For the Milliners, there hadn’t been a wedding in some time, much less the Head of the Family – so it was nothing short of an epic affair.
Ricco spared no expense, after all – and while perhaps it was not as lavish as what the family Giovanni could afford, there was no doubt it was meant to be a glamorous affair. The wedding would begin at midnight, and the reception would go well on into the night. This was an entirely vampiric affair – the Milliner mortals in the family had been told that their wedding was to be private, and only a certain few would be invited. Those who were invited were dubbed to have a hot ticket, indeed….
Dressed to the nines, in a custom made dark Italian suit, Ricco had made sure he looked as good as he could manage. He wanted to ensure Rain had no doubt, that when his lover looked upon him, he’d see a vampire who wanted to give him the world. While he still wanted to apologize, while he still wanted to make amends for their fight, he didn’t want it to stain their night. This was their time… And gods, he wanted this. He’d loved him, ached for him, yearned for him for so long that standing here, declaring his devotion for the family, and in turn the Clan, to see… It was not something Ricco took or planned lightly.
Rain changed his world, and he wanted to share the rest of his unlife with him. To have and to hold, through plague and unrest, beyond Final Death…
So he stood at that dark altar, and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
How long Ricco stood there, waiting for Rainier to arrive and take his place with him,, he didn’t know. His anxiety turned into increduality, which then turned into denial, which then turned into humiliation, which finally transformed itself into anger and hurt unlike anything Riccardo Milliner had ever come to feel. He was a proud vampire, to be sure, and to be publicly jilted by his lover, to lose face in front of so many vampires…. Gods, Final Death would have been more a blessing than this.
The hunt for Rain began at that wedding, all for naught. Ricco sent out his raven wraith to circle Hemlock, looking for any sign of the Koenig. He tried calling, which went unanswered. He reached out to his contacts, pulled every string in the book he could find, and eventually stormed back to his penthouse alone.
As far as he could tell, Rain had simply disappeared.
There wasn’t a trace to be found, and gods knew Ricco looked. He threatened, bribed, coerced, and dominated others for information but all for naught. In the end, he was left humiliated, defeated, and alone.
Where was he?
Had he driven him off? Had something happened to him? Day and night, his feelings continued to warp. Some nights he was certain that something had gone wrong, that there was no way his Geliebte would just leave him on their wedding. Other nights, he was certain Rain had left of his own accord, his promises hollow. Perhaps he’d run off with that ex of his; perhaps he’d simply gotten gold feet; or perhaps he saw Ricco for who he was, and had a change of heart. Perhaps their love had been nothing but smoke and mirrors all along. He’d been impulsive in asking him to marry him so soon after confessing his love…
But he’d meant it. Every word of it. It was supposed to be their night, their time to shine. His moon, his stars, his everything… Where had he gone? His heart was filled with anger, fear, confusion, and pain… but what could be done? Ricco went out every night, searching, hoping to find some trail, some clue as to what might have happened. The days and nights dragged on, leaving nothing but pain and anger in their wake.
How many times did he have to sit in his penthouse and wait? How many times did he have to experience this utter despair? Before, their fight had been but a private matter. Now? He was all but ruined, humiliated in front of them all. It would be nothing if he could but find Rain, get him to return... and yet... once again, it felt like an impossibility.
Some in the family told him to move on. Some in the family told him to keep searching. Others in the family seemed to encourage him to step down for a time, to let someone else carry the burden of work while he focused on Rain. Ricco gave no reply. He tried to work, tried to pretend their penthouse wasn’t just an empty shell. It felt like a repeat of their last fight, and Ricco was beginning to believe that avoidance was just what Rain did….
His promises were hollow.
He’d promised to marry him, he’d promised never to walk out that door again in a fight, he’d promised to come back, to return....and in one fell swoop, he’d broken them all. The question that ate Ricco every moment of every hour was whether or not it was done by choice. The way things were going, he'd never know.