HIS HESITATION WAS NOT THE RESULT of being unable to enter her home (for she had not yet revoked his right to enter, though he wasn’t certain why) but rather being unwilling to enter without (another) explicit invitation. he had disappeared from her life so many times, only to come back moons later, all without any explanation for his actions--he knew her, and he knew that her patience was not endless. he could only wonder when he would finally reach the end of it.
YET SHE GREETED HIM WITH FAMILIARITY and a tension he hadn’t known he’d been carrying dropped from his shoulders. for a moment he was still (the unearthly, inhuman still of the dead) before he smiled at her, though he didn’t dare show his teeth; he’d yet to master the art of being able to smile without flashing his fangs, and he lived too far in denial to be comfortable with showing them.
“ah...forgive me, lady onyx. it’s just been a while since i have been here. i wanted to make sure that your invitation still stood firm.” his words fell in a SOFT MURMUR, akin to the gentle caress of a warm summer night, though they were edged with a gentleness that he allowed for her and her alone.