Black Roses On The Road Part One

Rhion had sent Shining Moon to his gods with a few simple words and the heat of a burial fire, a strange ceremony indeed. Not so much for its contents, but for the strange swirl of emotions that Rhion's obvious pain had inspired inside the Dark One's heart.

He hadn't wanted to cause this one pain, or any of these people for that matter. He was in agony for the lives he took and yet he knew he'd do it again. He could feel the darkness bubbling beneath his surface even now, like a great beast preparing to pounce.

Yet it wasn't true, he felt pain more sharply than any creature alive. It poured from him in waves making his entire body ache with the agony of human emotions. Not just a mental pain but a physical one as well. It felt as if he was being ripped apart from the inside, burned alive by the fire that delivered Shining Moon to his gods.

Evil was consuming his soul and he could do nothing to stop it. He wasn't strong enough; the darkness inside him was a storm that slammed into him with the force of an ocean squall, he could either surrender to it or be pulled under by its fury, either way the outcome would be the same, death.

That was why he'd been so surprised when Rhion had followed him from the village. The other boy had gathered up his own supplies, filling his packs with far more than Damian would have ever dreamed of taking but these were his people, he had a right to their things.

Then Rhion had followed the Dark One silently, offering up nothing in the way of an explanation and Damian hadn't really needed one. It had just felt right for some strange unearthly reason to have Rhion along and he refused to spoil it by questioning his presence there.

They had stopped only after riding half the night; De had been traveling forward mercilessly for many hours yet Rhion had never complained, had in fact never said a single word to protest the punishing pace.

De on the other hand had slipped from his saddle a little more clumsily than Rhion had, his knees threatening for an instant to give out on him before he'd recovered. He looked toward Rhion worriedly but the other boy hadn't seemed to notice his momentary weakness, was apparently too busy with food preparations to bother with the likes of the Dark One.

When he stepped around the side of Lee's stallion he noticed instantly the feel of sharp stones against the soles of his bare feet. He tested the feeling again; frowning at the small amount of warm blood that trickled out over the bottom of his foot onto the shiny white stones making them feel wet.

He puzzled at how the small pain drew him in, seeming to bring the world around him into a much sharper focus, making it feel real and not like some dream he couldn't seem to wake from.

The insignificant pain was gone as quickly as it had come, his immortality kicking in and sealing the wound effortlessly. He grunted in disappointment before reaching out to caress the steed's ebony coat, the horse turned its massive head and bellowed at him in annoyance. "What? Is it because I took you from your master?" The large stallion bellowed again, sounding almost as if it understood his question and was affirming it.

"I'm sorry Widowmaker, but the fact is life is hard and I still need you." The beast snapped its head away looking disgusted, pulled away from De in a huff and walked over to stand beside Rhion's horse as it sipped water from the lake.

De crossed his arms and watched the animals and his new companion intently, but remained outside of Rhion's camp. He would not infringe upon the other boy's personal space. Going so far as to refuse to even retrieve his things from Widowmaker's saddle as the stubborn beast continued to ignore his silent summonings.

The horse was determined to make him look like a complete fool and he refused to give into the urge to order it back although he was pretty sure the animal would comply, satisfied it had made him ask.

After a few moments of bustling around, very efficiently starting a firepit and setting a pot on to boil, Rhion glanced over his shoulder at the boy. "If you brought bedding you might want to lay it out within the fire's warmth. It gets chilly in these parts, especially just before dawn." He hesitated, then added, "If you overlooked it, I have enough for two I think."

His thoughts might have surprised the Dark One. Look at him standing aloof with that icy expression. Just as I do, when I feel too much and don't care to give it away as a sign of weakness to some damned stranger. What a marvelous world we live in! Well, I won't embarrass him by being comforting.

"And if you don't like stew, that's too bad. I'm not up to hunting after that ride." Rhion let a little of his very real exhaustion and a somewhat false irritation creep into his voice. "Although if you plan to hover on the fringes all night I won't need to worry about your tastes, will I? You might at least want to unpack your poor animal while you stand off there brooding. Though I don't mind currying them down once the meal is cooking, I'm not one to touch other people's belongings in general."

What was he supposed to say to that? It wasn't that he expected anything at all from Rhion, how could he after slaughtering members of his family. It was just---just what? That he was feeling a little lonely? He'd been lonely before, most of his life in fact so why did Rhion's curt comments salt his emotional wounds so expertly? Make him feel---whatever the hell he felt, tired, annoyed, angry, confused, alone and maybe even a little hurt.

He wasn't sure exactly what had inspired him to walk across the clearing, unbuckle the entire saddle and shove it carelessly from Widowmaker's back as if he had no regards for its content and admittedly at that moment he didn't, he was like a child throwing a somewhat silent fit and he couldn't even bring himself to feel ashamed.

De watched as the saddle and traveling pack landed just shy of Rhion's feet, making a satisfying thump as it came to its final resting spot. "All done," De announced flatly. "If the beast needs anything else he can see to it himself."

Damian had at the very least expected Rhion to become angry, what he got was enough to make his blood boil. "Seventeen, eh? More like seven at this point. Well, have it your way; I'm used to doing everything anyway."

How dare he act as though he were just dealing with some brat of a prince who was having an off day? He felt the darkness rise in his veins spilling out into every corner of his soul. "But you've had a rougher few days than me, all in all, I suppose you deserve a little leeway. "

And what was with that softer tone 'you've had a rougher few days than me' what was that supposed to mean? That he couldn't handle it? He was the Dark One! The Dark Messiah! He could handle any fucking thing this pitiful world had to offer him and damned if he wouldn't find some perverted pleasure in all of it.

"This self sufficient nature of yours surprises me considering your soft heritage." He stared at Rhion challengingly, just daring him to respond. He hadn't missed the swell of darkness in his own cold words.

De shrugged lightly, as if bored. "Just what I've seen of your brother, Antonio, and his offspring Shining Moon. They visited the Leviathan plantation you know? Some months back." He waited but Rhion didn't respond, he had in fact turned away from him under the guise of finishing his self-allotted tasks.

But the Dark One could tell he was still listening. It was something about his breathing pattern that gave the other boy away. " I spent several days with Shining Moon; he talked a hell of a lot. He was pretty though--- so his rambling didn't bother me quite so much." This had been tossed out carelessly, somehow belittling the boy he spoke of. "I'd wanted him then." No, that was a lie. He'd wanted his life, not his body but in the end that had been all he'd been able to take from the youth. "But he was a good boy, you know the type don't you Rhion?" The evil sarcastic edge had surprised even De. His voice had suddenly taken on a new quality, foreign and icy, a shade deeper than his normal tone and a whole lot more sultry. It sounded so much unlike the real him.

The taunting cruelness grew, echoed outward like a devastating melody of hatred. "I always get what I want Rhion." He was suddenly the Devil treating a wayward priest to a history lesson of a darker sort. "It's one of those ghastly facts in life. Don't be fooled, your gods care nothing for you, your pitiful brethren or for Shining Moon." De smiled then; laughing softly he continued, "They watched as I took him and not a one of them sought to protect your little white-blooded heathen!" He raised an eyebrow when Rhion stopped suddenly, his body going rigid, his breathing seeming to cease altogether. "He was nothing to them, a dreamer, a story teller, a pretty body they set forth for my slaughter." All this was said with pure unadulterated hatred, but it wasn't hatred for Shining Moon that drove those hateful words outward, it was hatred for himself that fueled this new fire.

"He screamed more prettily than I ever expected, you know?" De's words slipped out like dark silk this time, perverted to his own ears, a sick and twisted tease aimed right at Rhion's heart.

"Nice try." Rhion's words were unbelievably calm. This non-reaction made the Dark One feel somewhat sick to his stomach suddenly. Anyone else would have exploded; hurt him, maybe even killed him.

Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! He deserved death! He had earned it, hadn't he? Didn't this bastard see it? Couldn't he understand this simple uncomplicated fact? Why wouldn't he see, why wouldn't he end it for De? He had the right, De had damn near asked him to do it. What more did he want, an open invitation and a blade placed in his hand?

Gods above he hadn't meant to, he really hadn't. They had torn his life from him, ripped his soul apart and cast him into hell to suffer a thousand unimaginable deaths and still he hadn't really wanted to kill all those people.

His mind was already recklessly turning over all the things he'd like to have said, would have given his right arm to utter aloud. 'I'm so very sorry Rhion, for the things I've done---the things I've said! I didn't mean to try and hurt you--- I just don't know what to do, how to live, how to exist like this. It's like this darkness owns my soul and I'm its slave, I can't make it go away and I'm in constant agony.'

De tore his eyes away from Rhion, suddenly afraid of what he'd let the other boy see reflected there. He had to force himself to walk away and not run. "Going for a walk." He'd announced this for reasons he couldn't quite fathom, his voice had sounded reasonable, no longer cold, no longer anything really, just the perfect reflection of nothing.

De had walked along the edge of the lake for at least a good four miles. Had more than enough time to seriously considered the idea of cutting his losses and just moving along on foot.

Damn the gods anyway, who did those bastards think they were? So they created the universe, big fucking deal they'd FUCKED IT UP, this place sucked, creation was a blasted joke and surely the winged freaks knew it? What did they expect? Did they think he'd give them some sort of medal for what they'd done to him? That he'd jump through all their hoops like a good little trained monkey.

Damn him, he should have at least grabbed his sword. Hadn't even been thinking far enough ahead to consider the fact that he'd be roaming about the woods of some foreign land weaponless and barefoot.

He sighed deeply as the trees opened up onto some sort of rocky beach. A strange sight considering the better portion of the marble sized rocks were covered in only about six inches of crystal clear water.

This place was like an island in the middle of a forest, it was self-contained within a wall of ghostly white stone that seemed to glow eerily in the moonlight. It seemed this was the place where the lake finally came to an end, or perhaps it was the beginning.

Either way, it seemed like a nice enough place to hang out for a while. Think some stuff over, without having to take heed of who was around him. He really hadn't had much of a chance to do that. It had all been one long blur of blood-laden chaos, a nightmare he wasn't sure he'd ever fully recover from. It was hard to believe less than a day had past since he'd risen from the dead, his hunger for blood over powering everything else in his brain.

He sighed almost sadly as he entered the edge of the water; it was chilly but not really uncomfortable, came about ankle high and made the bottom of his leathers wet, but it was just as it appeared, very shallow clear to the rock face on his right.

He went there, stood for couple of seconds just admiring the view. It was about an eighty-foot climb, fairly high, about even with the tops of the trees in fact. It would provide, if nothing else a spectacular view.

He tested the solidness of the stone before taking a firm hold of one of the rough surface stones, there were plenty of footholds and it was an easy free handed climb, well at least for him. It was one of the few things he'd enjoyed as a child and he'd even been naturally good at.

He had often gone climbing with Mystic on the marble cliffs of Shenandoah, just to get away from the rigid and harsh training of any given day. His teacher had seemed to enjoy getting out from behind those imprisoning walls just as much as Damian himself did, so it was an excusing they indulged in often.

There was a large open ledge on the crest of the cliff, almost big enough to build a house upon if one had so wished, it was also unnaturally smooth in its texture, curving like a horseshoe around the lake's end. De could walk the entire perimeter, without so much as a break in his stride.

This was the boarder between the civilized world of counsels and the demonic creatures of a lawlessness land. Many called this place the forgotten lands because no one cared to remember where they were, better to forget than risk the curiosity of the young, because no living creature that did not belong had ever entered these lands and lived to tell about it.

This was the place the demon tribes of Belyle called home, and it was also the place where the worst of the worst were exiled to when there was no other course of action that could be taken, the gods themselves holding them in like convicts in a wall-less prison.

A high demon king lived there with all his godly possessions, he went by the name of Mish-shy, an almost soft sounding name that really didn't reflect the creature it represented at all. It really meant Pain-Seeker once translated into the modern language. He was rumored to be quite the sadist and merciless fiend who enjoyed the shedding of blood just a little too much.

From here atop this rock De could look on forever or at least to the other side of this valley where a mass of clearly visible mountains filled up the horizon. It was a beautiful site, a very natural one in a world that shouldn't be allowed to masquerade as such.

He sank down, wrapped his arms around his knees and dropped his head back to stare at the canvas of stars that graced the crystal clear night sky. Impressed by the view he laid back, tucked his hands behind his head and began to wonder idly which star their people had originally come from, it was long since dead of course but Lee had once told him its light still graced the sky.

He'd never asked which one, strangely now, in all this chaos he'd have liked to have known, if only to be able to say to Rhion 'that's where we come from' and then see if Rhion would point out his star.

He might have thought twice about sleeping in this place if he'd known it was an earthly watchtower of the gods and that one of them now looked down upon him as he slept, that this particular god had left his heavenly throne only to materialize on that cliff side, his eyes racking over De's partially dressed form with all the hunger of a teenage godling.

With his blood red almost black locks spilling around his black leather clad shoulders, he had kneeled beside a sleeping Damian, smiled almost wickedly as he laid the greatest of all vampire blessings on his sister's charge, with one taste, he'd opened up all of his vampirc gifts.

Lady Leviathan, his dear and blood thirsty sister would be so angry with him when she found out, she had already chosen another to gift with these powers, one who was large and powerful, a fine lover, a fine a puppet on a string.

Crimson Fang rose then, a deceptively frail looking boy with skin that was much too pale and hair much too dark. The striking contrast of the two made him as beautiful and unearthly as one might imagine. But the slight glint of fang glimpsed though richly colored blood stained lips gave this creature a dusting of something truly dangerous and yet somehow this darkness, this depravity only made him look more exotic.

De was woken from a heavy slumber by massive amounts of cursing. For an instant he was tempted to ignore it entirely but then he heard a sharp guttural growl from the other man as the water below him sloshed almost disgustedly. "Damian! Goddammit! Are you up there boy? Are you all right?" It sounded as though he might have been yelling for quite some time, he sounded uncharacteristically worried and De found himself responding as if by instinct.

"Yes, I'm up here damnit! Was having a nice nap too until you came barging in here yelling loud enough to wake the fucking dead you blasted barbarian." He was truly awake now, still strangely groggy but actually he felt better than he had before.

"Yes, but am I yelling loud enough to wake up your brain? You didn't say you were walking to the next planet! And without your gear, as well, and half the world mad to gut you. You're cracked!"

"So what the fuck is wrong with YOU! Are you cracked? Do you even remember who I am? It's the middle of the night and you're out here screaming at me like a lunatic." De paused about half disgusted. "Why aren't you asleep or PACKING?"

"Penance? This is about penance? God, you really are bent. They were right about me, don't you get that? I'm a fucking killer. A cold-blooded devil! God I can't believe your that blind---" De paused, actually feeling a little sorry for the other boy. "You seemed smarter to me than that, Rhion."

"Oh, you're a mean one all right. And it's not completely about penance, maybe. But to hell with it, I'm not standing here screaming up at a rock all night. I'm going back to camp; you're welcome to come if you like. And even if you don't like, you should at least come get your gear."

What did he mean not completely about penance? What else could it be about? An idea suddenly formed in De's brain so he asked his original question after he'd turned over to lie on his stomach so that he could stare down at Rhion.

"What do you mean not completely about penance?" He heard the tease lacing his question and he couldn't help the smile that curled his lip up just a bit. "You got a crush on me Rhion?"

There was a slight pause before Rhion answered, and De was pleased to see a somewhat startled look on the other boy's face before it was replaced by irritation. "I thought you said I looked smart, getting a crush on the evil one seems fairly stupid to me."

"Maybe you're not as smart as I originally thought. " De stood up, watched Rhion carefully for a few minutes before he stepped off the cliff in what probably looked like a simple and very graceful step and it was for him, in fact he landed in a graceful crouch almost kneeling at Rhion's feet. The movement had been nearly silent and had barely disturbed that water under his feet.

He rose slowly, smiling almost predatorily at Rhion as he moved closer, only inches away from the other boy now. "Do you want me Rhion?" the tone of his voice couldn't have been mistaken for anything but teasing.

Rhion glared at him for a moment. He really was quite fetching, even as tired as he looked. His eyes were beautiful, simmering honey. His somewhat tattered clothing----damn they really had been on the road for quite awhile----only managed to make the body it barely covered more entrancing.

Then to his astonishment the other boy grunted and turned his back, heading determinedly down the path. "Want you? Why should I borrow trouble? You're a selfish little shit who cares for nothing but his own concerns. I have no intention of wanting you, now or ever!"

It was a shock. It shocked him, he couldn't deny it. Mainly because he knew the other boy was lying. For some strange reason, he could scent the desire on him. Intensely sweet, almost desperate. And the bastard was running away from it? WHY was he lying?

At least Rhion turned around this time, stared at him. "You little---what? You arrogant little bastard! Because I don't want YOU I'm a eunuch? That's rich! That's something! Proves I've got brains more than anything!"

He wanted to just say it. "Look, Rhion. I want you. I know it now, sorry I ran away from you. You want me. Dammit, let's just have each other! Share a little comfort. There's too much pain for the both of us."

"You know what, why don't you take your pathetic guilt and your twisted excuses for following me and go the fuck home Rhion? You're just some little boy who wants to touch something twisted and different, be a part of something 'bad' and all you can do when I offer you a taste is run away like a scared child. Yeah, you should go home to whatever pathetic life you left behind, get yourself some white counsel bitch who'll love you, have a couple of kids and maybe learn how to farm."

Rhion stared at him mutely. He thought he tracked hurt in the other boy's expression, was obscurely glad. And somehow hurt himself at the same time. But it was obvious that Rhion had lost all intentions of leaving. He was breathing heavily, his eyes were beginning to burn with outrage.

"And I'm NOT a eunuch!" he added in a voice as cold as winter itself, as he leaped with a blinding speed, fast enough to grab the Dark One and slam him into the ground. His fingers tangled in De's dark hair as he forced an intrusive kiss, biting intentionally and drawing blood.

For an instant De froze, tensed against the strength of the one who was trying to lay claim to his body. Rhion's mouth was covering his like steel, hateful and uncaring, utterly cold.

Rhion was a lot stronger than he looked, it almost frightened De, but only because it reminded him of nights not so long ago when he was at the mercy of another. One who had been capable of far worse than Rhion could ever dream of.

He didn't enjoy pain. He deserved it. Those were two intensely different things, and somehow he always felt better afterwards, like he'd made amends with himself or with the ones he'd hurt.

He supposed there wasn't enough pain in the universe to cleanse him of his sins now---all those lives he'd taken all those people he'd hurt and Shining Moon, what about him? That had hurt Rhion; hurt him far worse than the other boy could have ever admit to aloud.

De concentrated on the feeling of Rhion's body against his own, forcing him down, overpowering him, owning him. He almost laughed out loud when he noticed the feel of the water beneath his shoulders---yeah this is how it should be, as dark and as ugly as possible because he deserved it, he had earned it damnit!

He wasn't even sure when his hands had come up, when he'd started trying to shove Rhion off of him. He was weak for some reason and couldn't have accomplished it if he'd wanted to, which he didn't, not really. This was just another one of those games he'd learned growing up, had realized early on that men in particular seemed to enjoy a good struggle. It must have been the domination aspect of sex?

The action had only given De a small opening, a split second to respond and he did. Using Rhion's monetary distraction he struck out almost blindly, he didn't really care what he hit, the point was just to piss the other boy off even more than he already was.

De really hadn't thought he'd be capable of hurting Rhion, had expected on some level to be stopped, he'd always been stopped before, but not this time, obviously he'd gotten in a decent punch because the other boy was no longer on top of him. Was sitting on his ass in the water just a foot away and damn did he look pissed! With one quick swipe of his hand Rhion had confirmed his lip was bleeding

He stared at De. His eyes were almost wondering. "You little bastard. So that's how you want it? I suppose that's the only way you know how to take it." His eyes turned utterly empty then, and he rose to his feet slowly. "Or give it. Like you did to my nephew. Did you really think I could miss what you did to him?"

He stared back. Felt sneering words raise in his throat. Only because Rhion's eyes were almost frightening him, and he hated being frightened, feeling helpless! How could this human frighten him? "I told you what I did to him, you idiot. You blew it off!"

"Oh, no. I absorbed every word." Rhion was almost purring, but his eyes were still empty. And then he moved, lightning fast again, pulling De up hard. Not into an embrace though, just grabbing him by his hair and yanking him brutally upright. "And I forgave you for it. Because I'm a "good boy", because I come from a wimpy family I suppose? Yes, we're wimpy compared to you bastards, if you want to call it that. You're not the only one who visited another's house. I've seen your training, you stupid little fuck. And at the time I wondered how anyone could be treated that way. It made me physically sick. I'm serious, I had to go and puke my guts up! Because of how sorry I felt for you. I don't feel sorry now."

For some reason he felt a sad kind of satisfaction well up in his chest, filling his soul like bittersweet poison. The aching inside him was like nothing he'd never known before; it was squeezing his heart mercilessly, a feeling he'd just as soon leave behind in the breathing world if Rhion decided to end him on this night.

He was surprised when he found himself actually offering up a prayer to this effect, he was on his knees after all, there was no better place for prayers right? But whom was he praying to? The gods of evil and chaos, they'd never grant him death, if only because he was useful to them. Perhaps, to the white god? Yeah right, like he'd grant one such as De a mercy of this magnitude.

He heard himself laughing? Actually giggling with delight might have been more accurate. It was that kind of hysterical glee that really didn't mean shit, but damned if it hadn't been a long day.

So there he was sitting at Rhion's feet, wet and cold and utterly alone like some discarded pup waiting to be put down, facing what he hoped would be death for his second and final time. "It was a sight wasn't it?" De was referring to his training and he thought that Rhion understood that. "Sorry to hear it made you sick, you must have a weak stomach or something." There, at least now the thought of Rhion seeing all that shit didn't seem quite as personal anymore. "They were very enlightening lessons in fact." Without further explanation De provided Rhion with an example of these lessons by reaching forward and using a leverage based move to jerk Rhion's feet out from under him, bringing the other boy down onto his back into the water.

He flipped backwards onto his feet, the move was relatively slow, he was too tired for any major acrobatics and he didn't figure there was much use for them anyway. Either way this game would end the same way, Rhion was just too angry for it to go any other way.

De could have taken him down then, but he waited till Rhion was in a better position to turn whatever maneuver De chose against him, he didn't wanta win this. Just make sure that this boy had no reason to feel 'guilty' when he actually offed De. He seemed to have a problem with that particular emotion.

So De used his skills to trade a few blows with Rhion, a little surprised when the boy had landed a punch De hadn't let him, followed by another to his jaw that had been truly amazing. His only real fault was the fact he was using defensive based movement rather than frontal attack.

De raised the bar, careful not to make any direct or extremely damaging hits in the kill zones. It was almost difficult to avoid 'killing' as a goal, that's what he'd been taught after all.

If Rhion had ever picked up on a harsher fighting style De figured they'd be pretty evenly matched in a real spar, hell they were almost evenly matched now. De was reminded of this little fact, as he was taken down hard, almost by instinct he'd used his foot to kick out. It landed in Rhion's stomach, and De managed to get to his feet only a second too late as Rhion had landed yet another punch, this one hard enough to make De's head spin.

He went down onto his knees, his vision nearly failing him but he really hadn't had time to think about it as the other boy landed a punch to his kidneys from the back. It wasn't the kidney shot that sent pain radiating in waves through out his back, it was something else and that something else was enough to actually cause him to yelp aloud. Strangely enough De thought that might have been the first time he'd ever demonstrated such weakness in the face of others.

He wondered idly if Rhion would kill him now? But that didn't happen, he had been grabbed instead and he had reacted, fought back by lashing out but his wrist was snatched, twisted harshly and for a split second De foolishly wondered if Rhion was going to break his wrist.

No more pressure was applied, but none was released either. He felt Rhion's other arm go around his throat hard, tightening into a merciless choke-hold. "This is it," De thought, almost calmly. His training made it an almost physical effort for him to go limp, not fight back anymore even though he could think of several ways to break the hold despite Rhion's strength and fury.

The grip on his throat had loosened. Enough to where he could drag in air, realize he wasn't going to pass out after all, though he was infernally, strangely weak. Aching in every muscle, throat raw and sore. A curiously vulnerable feeling.

The grip on his wrist had vanished, though the wrist itself still hurt damnably. It took an actual mental effort to realize Rhion's arm was now wrapped firmly around his waist, holding him up actually. What---?

Rhion licked the place where his breath had been, then nuzzled into it as the arm around De's waist tightened, holding him firmly. But more as if guarding him than imprisoning him.

The feeling of Rhion's wet, hot mouth on his throat struck him like a hammer blow. More savage than any of the boy's battle strikes, but far from pain of any kind. What the----hell----

The arm that had jerked him into a choke hold had relaxed totally, and Rhion's fingers were now slipping through his hair as the fucker continued chewing his throat in a way that made him want to arch and moan, all pain forgotten.

De panicked. More than anything, at his body's unholy response to Rhion 's touch. He felt as if a maddened beast had suddenly stretched inside him, not raving but purring in surprised gratification.

He realized that for some strange reason he'd raised his uninjured hand, wrapped his fingers around Rhion's forearm almost gently and damned if he wasn't pressing his body back against Rhion's. His breathing slightly harsh and ragged but he supposed that could have been mistaken for injury, at least he hoped it was.

He just wasn't damnit! It was impossible! He always had control of these little games, he never felt anything he didn't chose to feel but yet he was, in the middle of a whirlwind of electrifying and desirable sensations that made his gut tighten as if he were facing down the black devil himself.

If he'd been standing at the moment, instead of on his knees caught in Rhion's powerful supportive grip he might have actually stomped in frustration. Then again his knees might very well have melted underneath him and then he'd have looked like some silly child.

Gawd! What was this bastard doing to him? He could hear Rhion's heart; like a low thrum in the back of his mind, in a place that strangely enough radiated only acceptance and desire for its melody, like something forgotten, stolen before memory existed.

With a sort of jolt he realized he could also smell the sweet elixir of the blood as it flowed through Rhion's veins. Its spicy scent and natural warmth pulled desire from the young vampire in waves.

He sighed heavily, his eyes nearly rolling back in his head, as he was overwhelmed with information and emotion. It all seemed to tangle up in a big ball and tug mercilessly at his being. Shattering his soul into a thousand tiny pieces of liquid being, of pure existence.

"What are you doing to me, why are you touching me like this?" He meant it on such a deep level that Rhion couldn't have possibly understood. He didn't even know why he'd asked those questions, especially in that small, breathless voice that made him sound like the boy he truly was. It should have been inconceivable to share that desire, that need, that weakness with Rhion so openly, but he'd done it and now there was nothing he could do to take it back.

"Damned if I know why I'm doing this, I really wanted to kill you five minutes ago." This had been whispered into his throat, a confused declaration that had been admitted in the heat of this moment.

"You should have killed me." De whispered this loud enough for Rhion to hear, a simple statement of fact but it seemed to anger the boy who was wrapped around him on some mental level. The information had actually touched De's mind, nothing outwardly could have confirmed it because Rhion hadn't said a word out loud.

Instead he had gripped De harder, pulled him back firmly, a little painfully against his chest and wrenched his head somewhat forcefully to the side. It was a move a seasoned vampire might use but the teeth that dug unto De's throat weren't sharp, not like vampire teeth anyway but the bite brought with it a kind of strange twisted pain that bordered on pleasure.

De yelped despite himself, gave a small token struggle that was quickly quenched by Rhion's body, as it became steel and sensuality, hard and powerful broadening suggestively on painful but not quite crossing that line in its intensity.

Rhion was demanding on some subconscious level that De surrender his will, allow him control of this single moment. It would have been impossible for the Dark One to refuse, because to his shock he realized he wanted this too.

The biting softened to wet nuzzling that nonetheless carried a subtle threat, the bare hint of teeth behind the maddening lips. Rhion was the one growling now, and De couldn't believe how much it excited him. He wasn't in control, didn't know what was going to happen really. Shouldn't that cause him to panic, fight, try to get away?

Yes! It was all right after all. He couldn't have anticipated that he would react to Rhion's touch this way; but after all, it was just bodies. Their bodies found each other---pleasing. He could handle that. Especially since it seemed to be a mutual thing.

For a moment they were actually on the same page; hell reading the same word actually. Lust so pure that all thoughts were stripped away. Could barely remember this person's name, but the scorching incredible hardness pressing against him was somehow familiar, desperately welcome. Too many clothes, dammit! He slipped his hands between them, groping for fastenings even as he roughly caressed the erection that strained toward him.

Wanted it. Wanted him, pure sweet fire, the only creature existing who could banish the black ice inside him. Give him life, make him whole. His body shook with a need he could barely comprehend because no words were left in his mind to explain how he knew it.

He couldn't remember his own name either. It didn't seem to matter in the least. He purred aloud in the arms that mastered him. Seemed to almost swirl out of his own remaining clothing, the next thing he knew he was writhing beneath his possessor. Pushed down on his back into the shallow water, which was no longer cold. Hell, it steamed beneath them, a warm and fragrant bath, ignited by the fire between them.

Dimly, he realized his hair was floating on the surface of the pool like dark seaweed, as the blazing creature he furiously clutched gave in to his demands. That One had been whispering for a few moments now, nonsense words in a nonsense language. Something about not meaning to hurt him?

A smile curled his mouth, almost a holy rapture. Someone shivering against him, cursing softly, hopelessly. And then fingers were probing him, opening him. God, Rhion, even when you're aroused to the point of rape you are still so fucking careful!!

With a muffled gasp, his companion yanked him up, out of the steaming water into his lap. He made a soft, pleased sound as he felt the throbbing stiffness working its way into him in short, almost brutal thrusts.

The other boy's cock bludgeoned against his pleasure spot, and every thought in his head dissolved. He was gasping, straining, flying. Hell, maybe he was begging, and if he was so what, it was worth it.

Even in savagery---and this was lust and nothing else, couldn't be anything more than that---even ravaging him, this one was different. Sweet purging fire, honey violence. Even in trying to hurt he pleased. So much so, that before he really had a chance to process his reactions fully he was wrapped around the other boy, fighting to be just a little closer.

In all the darkened madness and heat he really hadn't noticed when Rhion had stripped off his own clothes, but he whimpered a little in gratitude for it, because damn! That smooth strongly-muscled body felt almost obscenely good against his own bared flesh.

So incredibly good, in fact, that he was coming hard after only a few more rough strokes, clinging to the other boy like a weakened child as sheer pleasure overwhelmed him. His mouth falling open to gasp for air as if he really were drowning.