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Ari patrols most nights. He frequently whistles as he does so. He's on friendly terms with many of the people of the town, though some of them think he's a dangerous weirdo. (They're not wrong, but it's not very polite to say it outright like that.)
Vampires still come to Sunnydale. Because it's Sunnydale, and because vampires are idiots. The ones who live here already, though, have picked up a habit of either visiting the kosher butcher's or the bite shop, or moving to LA. Or having their heads ripped off by an excessively cheerful blonde half-Kal'shekk witch.
Speaking of the kosher butcher's, he pops his head into that alleyway. Maybe he'll see Mr. Ray, that nice vampire chap who comes by for some fresh cow's blood every Thursday. (Ari acts cheerfully oblivious to the fact that every vampire he knows is blind terrified of him. Some of them are alright when he keeps them from eating people; being unrepentantly amoral doesn't have to mean you're not a nice person.)
He is so pretty and so nice and Mark had no idea of the extent to which he would be unable to cope with this. He ceases to move or breathe.
Ari is not known for his sensitivity, but he can recognize the difference between a lover and a statue. He pulls away and looks at Mark in confusion. "Mark, are you alright? I know I'm a good kisser, but I don't usually induce paralysis."
"Sorry," he murmurs dizzily. "Sorry... I don't - I didn't know it would be so nice."
"...Yeah, that's why I do it. It's nice. Do you want to keep doing it? I can treat the statue act as an endearing quirk if you're enjoying yourself."
"Does it not... feel like falling down a bottomless pit, to most people? A very nice bottomless pit, but still... oh what the hell, maybe I'll get used to it," he says, and this time he kisses Ari. For implicitly never having done this before, he seems to have picked up the basics pretty fast. And he doesn't freeze up as soon as they make contact this time.
After a bit more kissing, he pulls back. "So, bottomless pit: still there? Becoming more bottomful? Getting worse? Communication seems good here."
"Still there," he murmurs. "Still bottomless. I am getting used to it, a little. It's a pleasant sort of bottomless pit."
"Well, pleasant bottomless pits sound tautologically pleasant. Just- tell me if it stops being so pleasant, okay? Or at least freeze in place again."
Kissing resumes. Ari is not going any further than this when bottomless pits are involved until explicitly told to do so or a downright excessive amount of time has passed.
Oh hell, now he's crying. Fuck. What's the secret? How do people deal with this? Do they just not feel this way at all when they touch each other? What is it like instead?
He tries to ignore his silent shivering tears, but Ari can probably detect them. They are not subtle.
"Okay, I know I didn't specify crying as an escape clause, but I'm exercising my discretion here. Would you like a hug, or would that be counterproductive?"
Yes of course he wants a hug. Yes of course it would be counterproductive. Why is it so hard to breathe. Why is Mark such a failure at positive interaction of any kind. He thought he was doing so well.
"...yeah, I'll take a hug," he manages.
Ari hugs him. He is a good hugger in addition to his other talents. He rubs Mark's back and makes vague soothing noises.
Mark cries on him rather pathetically. Lots of stifled sobbing and tiny sniffly sounds and tears all over everything.
Ari is used to people crying on him. He's approachable that way. He can keep backrubbing and sshing and generally soothing for quite some time.
"...Thanks. Sorry. I didn't... mean for that to happen."
"Man, don't apologize for freaking out. You can try to tell me why it happened if you want, we can try again if you think it's over with, you can tell me to get out of your misery-hole and leave you to rot. I probably wouldn't though, leaving people to be depressed while I could be there bugging them is against my religion."
"I suspect it happened because this is the first time in my life someone has touched me for nice reasons."
Ari squeezes Mark a bit. "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard. I'm not going to stop hugging you for at least a week."
Ari nudges Mark's head with his own. "In case you're wondering, yes, this is the quickest I've gone from giving someone death threats to promising to shower them with rainbows. It's a hotly contested record, but you've just blown past every other participant."
"You should be. My hugs are in high demand, and you've just been given a voucher for a lifetime supply. I might make you a medal too. And a sonnet. And more birds. Maybe I'll get you some flowers. I mentioned burying you in nice things, right?"