Promise

Pestilence is copyrighted to Sallie Drazzi

~*~*~*~*~

“Welcome to Makai.”

And that wasn’t the only welcome Pestilence received either.

He wasn’t sure which hit first, it seemed to rush up on him all at once. First there was the pervading darkness. Granted it was very early morning, just after sunrise, but it still seemed… darker. The greens were deeper, the browns were richer, the sky a lower to gray shade of blue, as if the whole of Makai was shadowed by something.

The scents were of rich earth, a thick musk that seemed close if not entirely animal, a humidity and heat even in this a winter month. There were also the sounds of near and distant animals and insects, birds cried angry sounds. It all made for a very lively wilderness.

And a somewhat familiar one.

Pestilence couldn’t place it, but this all seemed familiar somehow. That distinct scent of swampland, those particular noises of those animals native to this world. It didn’t make any sense why this seemed familiar, he’d never been here before. He dismissed it, shaking his head.

Another thing that Pestilence noted was a deeper reaction within himself. It was something like a resonation, or a support, one that lifted his entire Being. What he created existed in this world. This was not a medically advanced world, it didn’t make him feel quite so worthless as those worlds who had discovered penicillin.

Jenii had stepped down through the fallen stones of what looked like a ruined temple. Pestilence turned and blinked his eye at the huge pillars behind him, nearly the only thing still standing intact. They had just come through that “gateway”, and yet all he could see now was wilderness beyond. Magic was of course not unknown to him, being a Force, so it didn’t bother him too much.

“Such an important gateway, isn’t it?”

Jenii grunted, “Indeed, the only stable gate for physical travel to the other worlds. You have keys and such for that sort of travel, however in our backwards realm it is quite important.”

Pestilence tripped over several things trying to follow Jenii down through the ruins, “This looks like it was once a… grand temple.”

“As old as I am, its ruin was even before my time. Azure priests, it is said, used to hold here, however they were nearly wiped out when the war began. They all sought refuge in the north. We are at the very south of the youkai territories.”

Pestilence tripped a few more times after stumbling out onto the level ground beyond the ruins, “It is a large territory?”

“Very large. It is a day’s ride by equine just to Saitennin, and that’s by the road and not the more broken ground. Saitennin is less than halfway to the northern mountains.

“Is a long way then to where we are going?”

“You are concerned in some manner?” Jenii peered over his shoulder at Pestilence.

“Well with your leg… and a long walk.”

Jenii smiled, reaching back and taking Pesti’s hand, “Do not worry yourself so, we are not walking.”

Jenii led Pestilence over to one side of the ruins. There, nestled into the shade here and there, were huge clumps of white-gray feathers. One of them, the nearest one, shuffled and moved, revealing a huge beak and sharp black eyes that focused right on them.

“This is how the Koorime get to their distant island home for food, by riding these. They are not the warrior hawks my people used, they are aisailtarn, Koorime riding birds, a much more… social breed. They are not dangerous.”

“Is this one of what you crossbred Nexus to?”

Jenii shook his head, “No, that would be the war hawks, these birds are not usually found beyond Koorime. They are kept here by Lady Jun for her son’s convenience.”

The Shadow demon secured the pack he’d brought to the bird’s saddle, checking the tack to be sure everything was secure. Then he leapt up onto the bird’s back as easily as he mounted Nexus, offering a hand down to Pesti. Pestilence barely used the offering to mount up in front of Jenii, settling back against him.

His eye slid shut for a moment, the bliss of fitting back against his lover was just that good. It felt so right being there against Jenii, on the back of an oversized bird in an alien world or not, it was still perfectly right.

“Don’t be afraid, I’ve got a good hold of you, just sit still. Should only take half a day by air if the winds are calm, then we can have a short while before market closes.”

The huge bird spread its wings, lifting them off the ground with tremendous force. Pestilence opened his eye slightly, watching the ground fall away beneath them. The deep hues of green spread out below, patched to the west by areas lacking trees, some of them appearing a more sickly green.

Jenii noticed the way Pestilence was gazing, “That is the swamp, where the karrak and doku plants can be found, where Shadow warriors take part of their trials.”

Pestilence nodded, he remembered Jenii telling him about that. He closed his eye again and relaxed for awhile. He pushed out the sound of the wind rushing against his ears, focusing instead on Jenii’s heartbeat, the warmth of him. Despite the humidity and oppressive heat here, it was much cooler when sailing that high. Not that Pesti minded at all, it was just more of a contrast now, the cool air and Jenii’s heat.

“Here is the brokenlands.”

Pestilence opened his eye once more, blinking a few times to adjust to the brighter day. Beyond the dark green sea of trees, there was indeed a break rushing upon them. It flowed from red to brown to dark gray, ground broken by spires and uprisings of rock, some of which were massive even from this height.

There was only the ribbon of flat road, winding between the spires and mounds of rock, cutting little valleys as it went. It certainly did not look like the road easiest to travel.

He had to wonder if anything in this world was easy. From Jenii’s stories, most lives were difficult ones. Then again, this was one variety of hell.

Pesti squeaked softly, flinching back against Jenii as a burst of fire shot up from the ground beneath them. The aisailtarn keened and rose higher. It hadn’t been nearly high enough to reach them, but Pestilence appreciated the bird’s cautiousness.

“Those happen here, not so much to the north, something about the mix in the ground that reacts to the swamp. The Dragon Palace is off to the west, set upon a ridge and surrounded by activity such as this, an ideal protection to be sure.”

“Would think so.”

“Of course, it’s in ruins now.”

There was a guilt in Jenii’s voice. Pestilence had heard that Jenii had been one of the ones instrumental to the destruction of that royal home, and the murder of most of the Dragon royal line, from which Tanji descended. Made sense that Jenii had pledged his loyalty to Tanji now, a sort of atonement for all the wrong Jenii had done to his family.

“Lots in ruins…”

“The wars have gone on a long time… we’ve destroyed a great deal, including each other. So few of us are left of a great many clans, and most so intent on destroying, very few are concentrating on rebuilding.”

Pestilence glanced back at his companion, biting his lip at the sheer amount of sadness in that tone. It wasn’t often Jenii added any tones to his voice, his speech was usually flat and emotionless, but alone with Pestilence those emotions tended to rise to the surface.

“Is not your fault,” Pesti murmured, quiet enough for Jenii to ignore it if he wanted to.

“I know…” Jenii left the response there, as if wanting to say more, but likely he couldn’t because whatever else there might have been to say was left unsaid.

The Force sighed, closing his eye and leaning back more against Jenii, just being there for his lover. It was the only thing he could think of to do, he had no comforting words to say, nothing that could magically take away Jenii’s guilt. So he just sat there, trying to be comforting by merely being there for the Shadow.

“I wonder if we’ll change.”

Pestilence was slightly startled, it had been awhile since anything had been exchanged between them. He blinked at Jenii, unsure if that statement pertained to the previous conversation.

“My people, I wonder if they’ll change. Since the wars wiped out most of us, there really isn’t any reason left to live the way we do… then again we are a stubborn race.”

The Force bit his lip, idly rubbing Jenii’s arm, tracing over some of the scars there, trying to think of what to say.

“You changed,” he offered quietly.

“Yes I did… took an amazing and beautiful thing though, and I’m not sharing you with my entire Clan.”

Pestilence giggled, turning as much as he dared to nuzzle against Jenii’s chest, “Silly Shadow.”

“Your silly Shadow. Would you like to try a few more exciting moves?”

That large amethyst eye grew larger, thick blonde hair bouncing as he shook his head adamantly. He was clumsy enough on foot, on the back of a foreign beast was entirely different.

Jenii chuckled, “I didn’t think so. There, you can see the city on the horizon.”

The Immortal took a minute before he wanted to uncurl himself from against Jenii, squinting out across the broken landscape. It was still a small, barely perceptual form on the skyline.

“Nothing as grand as you’ve seen, nothing even as grand at the cities in the human world, but it is grand for other reasons.”

“Its lasted through the wars?”

“It has lasted because it is neutral ground, the only truly neutral ground in the youkai territories. It began as a simple venture, a trading post where everyone was welcome. Now it has grown into this city, self-governing, with its own laws. It is mostly an overgrown market, but one where anyone, of any Clan, may come and walk freely.”

“Even Shadow?”

Jenii grunted, hand tightening on the rein of the aisailtarn.

“Oh,” Pesti remembered, “You… your army.”

“Saitennin has been free as long as it has been here, it was not part of my strategy that it should be taken by anyone. However Augustine differed with me on that matter, he took my best units and attacked anyway, while I remained in Koorime.”

“Then you’re not to blame.”

Jenii nuzzled a little into the blonde hair just above Pesti’s ear, “Do you think that means people won’t fear me? There may be none left to fight, but for this generation the war will never be truly over… it might never be truly over unless something changes drastically.”

“Still… shouldn’t fear you,” the Force pouted stubbornly.

“When I go into the market, the customers will clear and leave the street, the vendors will abandon their wares. For most Shadow this is not so, they will deal with them reluctantly, but everyone knows who I am, they will run and hide.”

Pestilence thought about that for a long moment, trying to think of something to say. Finally the question overrode anything comforting he might have been attempting, “If they leave, how do you buy anything?”

“I take what I need, leave what I think is the value, I do not steal.”

Pesti smiled, “Of course you don’t.” His Shadow was a good, honest man, and he deserved another nuzzle for that.

“Hn,” it was a small, but appreciative noise, as if that simple little motion meant a great deal to him.

Pestilence felt Jenii’s arm tighten, just a subtle motion, but they were so in tune with each other it just came naturally. He glanced down along that arm, watching as Jenii tugged the rein, causing the riding bird to slant more than slightly.

“Hang on, I need both hands.”

The slender Force pressed closer against Jenii, strong legs tightening around the huge avian. Cool air rushed up when Jenii moved his arm from around Pesti’s middle.

The bird lowered one wing further, slanting them more, sweeping into a graceful turn. Pestilence watched as the ground slowly rose up in front of them, moving along beneath them at a slower pace. The city wasn’t far off now, even little moving figures were discernable.

“There, that’s a good place,” Jenii urged the aisailtarn up again, coming to a graceful stop in mid-air, gradually lowering itself down.

Jenii dismounted as smoothly as he’d mounted, scratching the bird’s shoulder as a reward as it twittered and folded its wings. Then he reached up to Pestilence, grabbing him around the waist and pulling him down.

Pesti giggled, squirming as he was trapped tightly against Jenii’s chest, “Can get down on my own.”

“And you can get down this way,” Jenii smiled up at him.

Pestilence couldn’t stop himself from smiling, hands tracing over that smile. “You look so different now… that smile.”

“Different for better or worse?”

“Better… I love your smile, love to know you’re happy.”

“Want me to put you down?”

“Not really,” the Force giggled softly, “but… should do what came here to do.”

“There’s time, it’s only just afternoon. Prefer late evening, less people to scare away and disturb then.”

“All demons aren’t noc… turnal like you?”

Jenii shook his head a little before tilting it into Pesti’s touch, “It just tends to follow certain bloodlines, mostly Shadow. Makes sense, powers driven by shadows, better for such in the darkness.”

“Hmm… true,” Pestilence gazed into Jenii’s dark red eyes.

True those eyes were red, but not the same as Tanji’s. Tanji’s eyes were bright red, pure red, the sort of red that didn’t need any other description it was so basically red. No, these eyes were darker, more like the red of the last parts of the sunset, where the blood red was melding into the dark of the horizon.

They were deep-set too, Jenii’s brow overshadowing them even when he wasn’t scowling, as if keeping them from the light. Pesti could see the fire there, however, despite the shadows, the sparks and lights of passion. Those lights were like Jenii’s smile, rarely seen by others, and they always made Pesti so very happy.

“What are you thinking?” Jenii asked softly, deep and rough voice like a velvet purr.

“Your eyes… I love your eyes.”

The demon nuzzled the tip of his nose against Pesti’s, “And I love your eye… so large and full of expression, bright and cheerful… can see your smiles in your eye, don’t have to look anywhere else, can see your happiness there, see everything you’re trying to tell me.”

Pestilence blushed just slightly, he’d hit Jenii’s flattery button.

“Charming Shadow,” Pesti laid a finger over Jenii’s mouth, silencing him in the usual way. “Aren’t your arms tired?”

“The burden of love is but a feather’s touch in my arms, holding you is a blessing.”

Pestilence blushed a little more, reaffirming his pressure on Jenii’s lips, “Shhh… Jenii.”

Jenii raised his eyebrows in his usual “Yes?” manner, sliding one hand down to Pesti’s rear to give it a friendly squeeze.

Pesti squeaked softly, shifting in Jenii’s hold to try and get away from that, “Jenii…” he drew out with a pouty tone.

“I’ve missed you, my beautiful… a mere seven days apart and it was too much for me to bear.”

“My only… comfort was that it was me instead of you that was in the First Realm, where it was two weeks instead of just one,” the Force kissed Jenii’s forehead tenderly, choking back that surge of emotion at just remembering those two horrible weeks alone, punishment for having convinced Death to perform a soul modification on Jenii to make him eternal.

“I would rather it have been me to carry that burden.”

Pesti smiled, nuzzling and kissing a few more times, always tender, completely loving, “I know… you’re sweet like that. But that gives no reason to grab my ass.”

“No, your ass gives me reason to grab your ass,” Jenii grinned.

“You’re im… possible,” Pestilence smiled more, wrapping his arms tightly around Jenii’s shoulders, nuzzling against his neck and staying there. “Think missed ass more than missed me.”

“Never… love my beautiful Pestilence, missed all of this, every part… but add up every part and it cannot compare to the mourning caused by lacking your entirety here against me.”

Pesti sighed, somewhat embarrassed, mostly content, “There you go again. Bring me all the way here to be charming and flattering?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll go back to one syllable words and grunts and glares now.”

The slender Force took Jenii’s face in his hands, dark skin contrasting with those pale, scarred cheeks, pouting at his companion, “No.”

Jenii gazed up at him for a long moment, then a wash of visible relaxation moved through him, forcing every muscle to release slightly. Then he smiled, eyes sliding closed in contentment. “I love you,” he sighed.

Pestilence’s smile brightened as he released a small, happy squeak, burrowing back against Jenii’s neck, “And I love you… my Shadow.”

“All yours, my beautiful.”

“And I’m yours,” Pesti nuzzled.

“Mine, all mine,” Jenii squeezed him tighter.

They stood like that for a long while, just holding one another. Finally, however, Pestilence felt a small tremor in Jenii’s left arm, and a moment later found himself being encouraged to find his feet beneath him. Jenii steadied him to keep him from falling, for now, and stepped away to tie the aisailtarn to the nearest large tree.

Pestilence stumbled over, peering up at this large tree. There were a few others around, but they were much smaller, this one was huge – not tall, just extremely big around.

“It is a Makai oak. Tanji often enjoys sleeping in them, the thick branches are perfect for staying in for long amounts of time.”

“We camping up there then?” Pesti giggled, teasing.

“Well if you really want to,” Jenii teased right back, smirking. “We should go to the market now, find something to eat… unless you’d rather wait around and kill the next thing that comes along?”

Pesti shook his head, molding himself to Jenii’s side, “Came to go to the market, should go.”

“Hn,” Jenii grunted an affirmative noise. He patted the aisailtarn’s head, “Watch the camp, we’ll return shortly.”

The large bird chirped and tucked its feet beneath it as it settled to the ground Jenii put his arm around Pestilence and led him toward the city walls. They followed the length of it, walking in silence, movements and voices above them.

Pesti looked up at a particularly loud and unfriendly muttering, “They are warriors?”

“Hn, if you wish to call them that. Saitennin has its own guard, a small army. Those “warriors”… they would never survive the training to join even the Dragon Clan army, let alone the Shadow. They are spoilt men who walk the walls and streets for a few hours, then go home and sit in comfortable chairs and sleep in proper beds, they know nothing of a true warrior’s life.”

“They don’t sound happy.”

“They are making jokes about the Shadow, and about you. And if I hear those sort of words uttered about you while we are within the city-“

Pestilence tugged on Jenii’s arm to silence that growling, angry tone. “Please no killing… had enough times getting War out of strange prisons, don’t need to learn a new sort of prison with you.”

“Hn, of course, that would make this trip difficult.”

“Just a little. And already enough time away from you.”

“Indeed.”

They came around the corner, the sun at their backs creating long shadows that stretched out towards the road that ran south from the city gate. There were a few people moving along that road, entering and leaving the city, some alone, most in small groups.

“Try not to look at anyone directly, someone could take offense to it,” Jenii advised quietly as they slipped through the shadow of the wall and into the city.

“Right,” Pestilence moved closer against Jenii’s side.

“If we get separated go back to the camp.”

Pestilence looked up and down the sparsely populated road, how could they get separated? Then Jenii turned onto a smaller side road, and once the buildings gave way, a bustling market opened up in front of them.

Jenii’s dusky red eyes scanned the various paths, head lifting slightly as he scented the air, prowling off in the direction he deemed proper.

The Force noticed a definite parting of the crowd around them, whispers rippling from booth to booth on either side of them. Vendors scampered off, abandoning their wares, customers quickly deciding it would be better to shop elsewhere, just as Jenii had said. With the people, most of the noise dissipated as well, settling an eerie hush over this section of the market.

Jenii paused, eyes scanning around, giving the last few stragglers time to rush off. Then he prowled up and down the street, peering at the various wares. Pestilence would pause at one, inspecting things foreign to him, then scamper and trip and stumble to catch up to his lover. When Jenii would pause, Pesti would drift off at something else interesting that caught his eye.

The Shadow prowled up against his back during one of those times of being captivated by something. The large demon grunted, surveying the booth of various cloths and materials.

Pestilence was rubbing some of the fabric between his fingers, admiring it. Like Jenii’s tattered and worn clothes, all the fabrics here were light and natural, nothing synthetic or bulky. Some of them were even naturally iridescent, most at this booth brightly coloured with natural dyes.

Jenii reached and drew out a bolt of purple fabric, smiling at Pesti's happy gasp. “Would you like this one?”

Pesti blinked his purple eye at the cloth, then at Jenii, his hands moving over the material, “Can I?”

“Hn, of course you can,” Jenii regarded the material, then reached into the pouch on his belt and withdrew a few silver discs, setting them down on the booth. “Should be enough, although it has been awhile since I went shopping for cloth, I might not be up on current prices.”

Pestilence giggled softly, watching how the muscles of Jenii’s arm tensed and bunched as the demon lifted the fabric bolt up onto his shoulder. He obediently followed his Shadow back down along the booths as Jenii inspected those that sold food.

“Hnn,” Jenii grunted thoughtfully, picking up some fruit and setting them aside, “You should like these,” he wrapped them in a cloth, bundled, easy for Pesti to carry. “And here… ah yes, good meat,” he wrapped that up and tucked it under his arm, depositing a few coins for those. “Anything else we need for tonight?”

“Not that I can think of.”

“Let’s allow these people to get back to business then,” Jenii turned and strode purposefully back up the street.

Pestilence glanced back, people re-emerging from where they were hiding at the far end of the avenue. He stumbled, caught himself before he dropped the fruit, and scampered to catch up to Jenii as he made way back out of the city.

“Tomorrow I will have to come here alone, to search for something. You can handle yourself at the camp, I have no doubt.”

“Why can’t I come with?”

Jenii smirked, “You cannot see what I am going to be looking for.”

Pestilence pouted a little, “Don’t keep secrets from each other.”

“This isn’t a secret, it’s a surprise. You will know at the proper time.”

“When’s the proper time?”

“Pestilence,” Jenii scolded with a smirk, turning back along the outer wall of the city.

The Force paused there, bathed in the light of the lamps along the city streets. Except for a vague movement, Jenii had vanished into the darkness, the night here was so very dark.

“Pestilence?” Jenii stopped and glanced back, retracing his steps. “Ah, you cannot see in the darkness, of course. Here, hang onto my arm.”

Pesti wrapped his arm around Jenii’s, pressing tightly against his side. He stumbled even more in the dark, but Jenii’s strong bulk kept him on his feet despite the every-other-second tripping.

“This is why extremely bright days are hard on my eyes, I have adjusted to moving mostly during the night.”

“Right,” the Force murmured.

“When I leave you tomorrow you will have to keep the fire going until I return, which shouldn’t be much after sunset, and I will even try to make it before. If anything should attack you, I believe you can handle yourself.”

“Think something will attack me?”

“Other youkai, unlikely, but perhaps a wild animal, drawn by the scent of food or the fire, such is frequent.”

“I hear something… ahead.”

“That’s the aisailtarn,” Jenii’s hands clasped Pesti’s shoulders, gently urging him down. “You sit here, don’t move.”

“Where are you going?” the Force swallowed down that odd little streak of fear.

“Just over there, gather some wood for a fire, get it going so you can see and we can keep warm, all right?” Jenii had lowered his tone, down to that soothing and comforting velvet Pestilence loved.

Pestilence stayed still and quiet, listening to the sounds of Jenii’s movement, tracking where he was. He didn’t dare move, he’d barely managed walking to the camp in this pitch blackness while leaning up against Jenii. He didn’t even attempt to move his hands, still holding to that fruit, after all it could throw him off balance or something.

An orb of fire soon coalesced around Jenii’s hand, pushed down into a gathering of sticks and branches. The fire crackled and sprang to life, leaving Jenii to return to Pestilence across the now lighted area.

“Now,” Jenii took Pesti’s hand and led him closer to the fire, “come over here.”

Pesti smiled and followed, nestling where Jenii indicated, between the roots of the huge oak. The Shadow then drug over the pack he’d brought, drawing out a thick blanket.

“My Shadow even needs to keep warm in hell?”

Jenii smirked, “Yes, I do. It grows cold in winter and spring when the sun sets, not so much a problem in the summer and fall months. The temperature is already beginning to drop.”

“I can’t tell,” Pestilence smiled sheepishly, selecting a fruit and peering at it, looking for a weak spot in that tough rind.

“Here, the top,” Jenii pushed his finger in there, tugging the rind loose.

“Romantic dinner by… firelight?” the Force settled back against the tree and set about discovering the insides of this fruit.

“Hn, I suppose so,” Jenii draped the blanket over his shoulders and nestled beside Pesti, tearing at the meat that was his dinner.

“Is this how you lived here?”

“This? No. Well perhaps some in my younger days, but warriors are mostly provided for. Even the lowest warrior is given a shelter and a pallet to sleep on, when not on the move of course. Sometimes, during long campaigns, we would all have to sleep like this, but mostly we had makeshift buildings we could construct, tents if you will.”

Pestilence nodded, “I see.”

Pesti glanced up at Jenii’s hot breath against his cheek, giggling breathlessly as Jenii’s tongue licked at the corner of his mouth.

“Fruit is juicy… little messy,” he excused himself.

“I don’t have a problem with that… hmm… Pestilence with a touch of fruit.”

The Force giggled again, “Eat your meat, you bad General.”

“It’s all eaten my beautiful Pestilence… rarr I’ve missed you saying that,” Jenii grabbed Pesti’s hip with a strong hand and pulled him closer.

Pesti quickly nibbled away the last of the fruit, going to lick his fingers, but he was intercepted by a certain bad General. A faint blush tainted his cheeks as he wriggled a little against Jenii. His large purple eye watched as Jenii took each finger into his mouth, licking it clean and giving it a long suck for good measure.

“Shouldn’t… do that… probably,” the slender Force took deep breaths to calm himself.

“Why not?” Jenii abandoned the fingers, drawing Pestilence into the blanket with him, right up against his body. “Hmm… so warm.”

Pestilence smiled and nuzzled there against Jenii’s chest, “You’re tired, should sleep.”

“Hnn, how do you know I’m tired?”

“Everything, way you talk now, way you move, those little lines at corners of eyes. Week of emo… tional dis… tress left you tired, need sleep.”

“Hn, perhaps. And you?”

“I’ll recharge, right here, this is perfect here,” Pesti sighed dreamily.

“And if a predator attacks in the night?”

“Think between the two of us, we can manage.”

“Very well,” Jenii wrapped his arms and the blanket securely around Pesti, nestling back against the oak more comfortably. “Love you, my beautiful one.”

“Love you, my Shadow,” Pesti nuzzled lazily, then closed his eye and slipped into his recharging state as Jenii’s breathing deepened to his sleeping pace.

~*~*~*~

His large amethyst eye was scanning the surroundings before he even realized he’d pulled himself from his resting. The sounds were distant, the south wall of the city, where the gate was. It was morning, the city was likely to be more active in the early hours, Pesti reasoned to himself.

He moved slowly, stretching his arms first before curling them back against Jenii’s chest, then his legs, managing to do both without waking Jenii.

The Shadow demon looked so peaceful in sleep. This wasn’t the eyes closed and yet still aware resting state, such as Pesti had and Jenii usually us, but this was pure sleep. Jenii only required true sleep when he was exhausted, which worried Pestilence somewhat when Jenii was that bad, and yet… he looked so at peace.

Pestilence could see beneath the scars, he always had, seemingly when no one else could or wanted to. There were a few lines of age, but they only added to that handsome and intelligent look Jenii had about himself. Those angles sloped gracefully, as if chiseled with care by a loving sculptor, and framed by those silky cascades of black.

Well, not at the moment. At the moment Jenii had his hair tied back. But given a moment and a sneaky sliding of Pesti’s hand, there the hair came down around his face.

Pesti giggled softly to himself, arranging Jenii’s hair until it was just right, then sitting back and gazing at that. He had the most sexy lover in all creation, he was sure of it. Just the way that neck sloped into those broad and strong shoulders, the muscles pouring down to those smooth planes of chest, the ripples of perfectly toned abdominal muscles…

The Force bit his lip, shifting in attempt to ease a sudden and demanding pressure from beneath his jeans. It had been over two weeks since he’d been pressed that closely against his lover, since he’d felt that heated length filling him up, hitting all the right places.

Pestilence whimpered a soft little noise of distress. He’d waited over two weeks to feel that, he couldn’t wait anymore.

A dark hand slipped beneath the blanket, gliding over Jenii’s pants and rubbing at his crotch. Jenii murmured, groggy, attempting to drag himself from sleep as his body responded to Pesti’s touch much more swiftly, eagerly.

Pesti rubbed until that length was firm beneath the fabric, pausing only long enough to slide his hand into Jenii’s pants, continuing the attention skin to skin. His heart was already tripping, breath coming in excited little gasps. Jenii shifted beneath that touch, bending one leg up, lifting his hips slightly into the attention, body acting mostly on its own will as he continued to fight off sleep.

The Force’s other hand undid his jeans, pushing them down enough so he could wriggle out of them – it wasn’t fair to wake Jenii and then expect him to deal with cumbersome chores like clothing after all.

That hand slid over his own length without much thought, wrenching a moan from his chest. He scooted closer, breathing hot against Jenii’s neck and ear and jaw. The sight of him stroking himself in time with Jenii’s length was right before Jenii’s eyes when he finally managed to open them.

Pesti almost smiled at that entranced gaze of Jenii’s, losing it to a wave of pleasure. Following that moan he attempted to find enough breath to speak.

“You… want this?” he asked softly.

“Gods, you know I do,” Jenii shook off the last remnants of sleep.

The demon grabbed his slender lover by the waist, dragging him atop him as he thudded all the way onto his back. Pestilence snatched up Jenii’s hand in both of his and brought it up to his mouth, rocking his body so his rear caressed that hot arousal trapped beneath him. He drew Jenii’s fingers past his full lips, curling his tongue around them, affording them the same attention Jenii had the night before when cleaning Pesti’s fingers of fruit.

Jenii moaned at the sight of that and the pressure on his aching sex, refusing to let his eyes close even with all that pleasure rippling through his body. He was nearly going mad with need by the time Pesti released his slickened fingers.

Pestilence leaned forward, holding onto Jenii’s shoulders. He uttered a heated cry as one of Jenii’s fingers pierced into him, lifting his ass to force Jenii deeper. The movement drug their lengths against one another, causing them both to moan together.

“Jenii… please....”

“Shhh,” Jenii shushed him gently, easing in a second finger, “Not ready yet.”

“Yes I… ah… I am… ahnnn please…”

Pestilence rocked himself backward to prove his point, demanding the deepest penetration those two fingers could offer.

“Just to be sure,” Jenii nuzzled and kissed Pesti’s forehead, pushing in a third finger.

Pesti shuddered, thudding his forehead down against Jenii’s chest, a small explosion nearby kicking up some rocks and dirt.

Jenii smirked, “Hn, really are needy, aren’t you?”

“Missed you… so much… missed this,” Pestilence’s reply dissolved into another moan, punctuated by another slip of control, another minor explosion. “Don’t… want to come… without you… inside me… please.”

“And I can’t resist that,” Jenii grunted as he withdrew his fingers, gathering the shivering Pesti against his chest.

Pestilence laid there and listened to Jenii’s heartbeat for as long as he could stand before the heat and overwhelming desire made him wriggle, seeking any friction whatsoever. Jenii’s strong hands pushed at Pesti’s shoulders, making him sit up more in his lap, dragging those strong legs around him.

The Shadow arched, nudging the head of his sex at Pesti’s stretched and waiting entrance, a glance telling Pesti to be still. The dark-skinned Force took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to stop seeking that filling pleasure, gripping tightly at Jenii’s shoulders.

Those strong hands at his hips slowly pushed him down, sending a shudder up his spine at the barest inch of penetration. Pesti let his head fall back, arching his back as he gradually slid down Jenii’s hard length, inch by inch being filled with that intense heat.

He felt Jenii’s hands sliding up along his stomach, under his shirt to grip and massage at his chest. Those hands were guiding his movements, urging him back up, sliding up to grip his shoulders and encourage him back down, all resistances melting away, taking Jenii to the hilt this time.

Pesti gasped, another small explosion mirroring that sound. He was so close to coming, far too close, far too soon. He never wanted it to end, and certainly not this quickly.

“Deep breaths,” Jenii encouraged, holding him still there.

“I can’t…”

“Yes you can,” Jenii purred in that velvet tone.

Pestilence rolled his head until it rested against his shoulder, slouching a little in an attempt to relax, taking deep breaths as his Shadow had commanded.

“That’s better,” the Shadow was forcing his eyes to stay open, lusty gaze wandering over every inch of Pesti’s body.

“Mmhmm,” the slender Force hummed, raising himself up.

There was a profound, but momentary emptiness, every part of his Being crying out for that completion to return. He sank back down along that hard length, gripping Jenii’s shoulders hard as he repeated the motion again and again, faster with every stroke.

Jenii gripped his hips again, aiding Pestilence’s movement and meeting them with his own thrusts, adding strength as Pesti added speed.

“Aahh… Jenii…” Pestilence moaned, arching his hips to find that particularly good spot Jenii had hit, “Ah! There!”

The fire demon shivered, thrilling at Pesti’s exclamations, those rolling moans punctuated by breathless gasps. He hit that spot repeatedly, seeking more of those delicious noises.

Pesti arched his back hard, head falling back again, mouth open. Every thrust was marked with a loud, desperate cry and a minor explosion not far off. He just couldn’t keep control, Jenii was so huge inside of him, feeling like he was about to split him open in the best of ways, drive him completely mad from all the ecstasy coursing through him.

Jenii could have merely drug his nails along Pesti’s back at this moment and it would be over, but he avoided all those sensitive regions, avoided anything rough that might push Pestilence over the edge. He wanted this to go on a little longer.

The strung out Force attempted to form those cries into Jenii’s name, never quite managing. The thrusts were jarring his entire body now, all of it dissolving into pure animalistic lust. Jenii seemed to be having the same problem, all his attempts at speech melding into lustful growls and grunts.

“Ah! Ah ah ah aaahhh!” Pesti again attempted words, failing miserably and not really caring at the moment.

Jenii was so hot, hitting so high up into him, burning him up. He tightened down around the invasion, fingernails breaking the skin of Jenii’s shoulders. All the short cries merged into one long, desperate cry.

The darkness behind his eyelid was shorn with a flash of white, his body shuddering hard into orgasm as the ground around them shuddered and blew. Jenii’s burning heat flooded into his body with the demon’s release.

The aisailtarn keened and fluttered up into the air in a panic, the tether keeping it from going very far, but neither of them really cared.

Pestilence collapsed forward, panting hard, fighting waves of dizziness at that large power expenditure. Thankfully Jenii’s arms wrapped around him, slightly shaky though they were. Gradually Pesti got himself to move, massaging the gouge of scar tissue in Jenii’s right thigh, easing some of the tenseness and pain away.

Jenii purred softly, rousing himself to caress over Pesti, massaging away the tenseness.

“Missed me that much, did you?”

“Mmhmm,” Pesti smiled coyly.

“Perhaps we should separate from one another more often.”

Before the words were even out of his mouth, Pestilence was clinging to him tightly, “No,” he shook his head adamantly, “No.”

Jenii smiled, that true and real smile, easing all of Pesti’s fears with just that simple expression, “I agree.”

The Shadow glanced around to find where the blanket had been pushed aside. He gathered it again, wrapping it back around Pestilence as he gathered the little Force into a more comfortable position against his chest. Pesti nuzzled and murmured content little noises, small hands rubbing up and down Jenii’s arms.

“Not going to the market?”

“It can wait awhile,” Jenii nestled his face in Pesti’s hair, taking deep breaths of that calming scent. “Too early for nocturnal demons to be awake.”

“Hmm… I don’t mind,” Pestilence sighed happily, settling to listen to Jenii’s heartbeat.

It had to have been hours later that Jenii nudged Pesti to get up, although Pestilence had been too content to really keep track of the time. The sun was evidence though, glaring there near the apex of a cloudless sky, baking the landscape it had left to the night’s chill.

Jenii dressed and gathered more branches and wood, restarting the fire that had died in the early morning hours. Then he stood there, scenting the air.

“There will be a storm later tonight.”

Pestilence looked up at the sky, unable to see a cloud anywhere in that expanse. “How do you know?”

“It’s on the wind, I can smell it. I’ll make every effort to return immediately should the storm hit before sunset, I’d rather you weren’t out here alone in a Makai thunderstorm.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“What in Makai isn’t dangerous?”

The bronze-skinned Force smiled at Jenii, “Me?”

Jenii strode up to him, smirking, wrapping his arms around him, “You captured me, contained me, changed my world, and you speak of yourself as not dangerous, hn.”

Pestilence stretched, standing on the tips of his toes to bind back Jenii’s hair, “Best hurry then.”

“Hn, yes,” Jenii bowed his head to assist, then to kiss Pestilence, deep and loving. “I shall return soon.”

Jenii turned away, picking up his sword from where it lay and thudding it onto his shoulder, then strode off toward the city. Pestilence watched him until he vanished from sight, then glanced around. He gathered a little more wood, never wandering very far from the camp, but just a little more to be certain it didn’t die out. Then he sat there and tended to it, glancing around at the landscape, sometimes watching that point where Jenii had vanished.

Now and again the aisailtarn would keen and flap its wings, sometimes even taking off a short distance to the end of the tether. Pestilence would bring his scythe from hiding, taking the instincts of the animal to be a warning sign of a predator. Most of the time the bird’s ruckus was enough to scare the animals off, especially the smaller ones, but there were a few Pestilence had to take a swing at.

Pestilence glanced up from tending the fire this time at a distant clap of thunder. He stood up, catching himself from falling as he stumbled. He looked out past the city to the west, blinking at dark thunderclouds approaching fast.

The Force glanced at his campfire, then at how low the sun was on the eastern horizon. Jenii would have heard that thunder, he would be on his way back, there was nothing to worry about. Pesti easily created a large dome shield over the fire to protect it from the rain that was on its way.

The riding bird keened suddenly, making Pesti jump and tumble to the ground when he tried to turn too fast. He hauled himself back up and dusted off his jeans, glancing up at the aisailtarn fiercely battling its tether.

“A little jumpy because of the storm? Or something else?” he asked the oversized bird.

Not more than a split second later he received an answer, and not from the aisailtarn. It was nothing more than a quiet clacking noise, a step, a strange vibration of breath, but even from those sounds Pestilence could tell it was big.

The Personification very slowly extended his arm a little, bringing his scythe forth from its other-plane resting place. That was too much movement for his opponent, and the beast roared and lunged.

Pestilence whirled around, overstepping badly and sending him spinning off, which was a good thing because if he’d stopped with just turning around the creature would have run him down. Instead it ran past, six legs giving it deadly speed and huge bulk affording it extreme momentum.

The beady eyes turned on Pesti as the creature skittered around, massive scythe-like mandibles clacking together. This thing had every intention of eating him. Pesti stumbled out of the way again, swinging his scythe as the creature passed, thrown around by the weight of his own weapon but using that to move to his advantage, rolling further away.

The scythe had glanced off as if it had hit metal. Granted the scythe was sharp enough to cut nearly everything, but with some fiercely tough surfaces – as this appeared to be – it took a precise hit of angle and strength. Pesti didn’t have that kind of time to experiment in finding that precise combination, he had to find another weak point.

That hard surface seemed to cover everywhere, as if this thing was some sort of overgrown beetle. The legs were protected, those mandibles looked deadly, and even the eyes would be impossible to get to.

Pesti had a thought. On the creature’s next pass he rolled down low, bringing the scythe up over him as the animal passed over. The beast screeched a most horrible noise, spilling green fluid along the ground as it stumbled and lurched to a stop, turning back for yet another pass. Pestilence repeated the maneuver, getting in another solid hit that caused more green substance to strewn the ground.

The animal crashed and tumbled a little this time, panting hard, breaths sounding full of fluid. Pestilence walked carefully over to it, scythe at the ready, just in case. Before he even got over there, however, the light fled from the creature’s eyes and it fell still, dead.

Pestilence jumped and squeaked at a near clap of thunder, exhaling in relief and glancing at the aisailtarn, “I’m sorry, was me being jumpy that time.”

The bird twittered, nestling itself under the large oak tree as rain came pelting down. Pesti vanished his scythe away, drenched to the skin in that moment before he darted his way under the shield he had over the fire. The aisailtarn chirped at him.

“Right, I know, should’ve moved faster,” he sighed, picking at his soaked clothing, nearly pushed over by a stiff breeze. The fire flickered and dared to go out the wind was so powerful.

“Pestilence!” Jenii’s voice carried over the wind, the large demon shouldering through the downpour with his arm shielding his eyes. He glanced up at that downpour suddenly ceasing.

“It’s a shield… now you’re here I can bring it all the way to the ground,” Pesti nodded, doing that, shutting out the wind entirely.

“You’re soaked,” Jenii strode up to him.

“Left the shield, got attacked. Don’t worry, am not hurt,” he tried to dissuade that worried look that immediately presented itself. “I killed it, is just over there,” he pointed.

Jenii peered out through the growing darkness and violent rain, “An ipitak, impressive. When the storm ends the meat will make for good trading at the market.”

“You’re all wet too,” Pesti pouted at him, picking at his clothes.

“Hn, should both get out of them,” Jenii said as he was peeling Pestilence’s shirt off that slender frame. “Blanket and pack made it in under the shield, good.”

“Left out the… um… bird.”

“He’ll survive, could use a bath anyway.”

Pestilence shivered slightly as Jenii stripped off his jeans, more from the pleasure of Jenii’s touch than actual chill. And then watching Jenii slowly remove his own clothes, oh that made him shiver so much more.

He tried to head off that train of thinking by glancing out past the shield, watching the storm. “It really is… violent.”

“This? This is just a little spring rainstorm.”

Jenii wrapped the blanket around Pestilence and himself, settling down between the roots of the tree. Pesti hummed a content noise and curled up there, nestled between Jenii’s legs, hands wandering leisurely over the ripples of muscle.

“Such a strong Shadow I have,” Pesti murmured, nuzzling against Jenii's chest.

“Hn,” Jenii grunted, nosing through Pesti’s hair, tightening his hold around his slender lover.

“These muscles…” the Force breathed, that shiver returning.

“Didn’t you explode enough of this site this morning?” the fire demon teased.

“Hmmm,” Pestilence took a long look around, smiling coyly, “No,” he drawled out, kneeling up and fusing his mouth to Jenii’s.

Jenii growled softly into the kiss, holding Pestilence’s slender form right up against his body. Their tongues curled around one another in a sensuous dance of heat and wet muscle that said so much more than the act itself. They wanted one another, needed one another. Pesti could read so much from his Shadow in just that simple act, all that desire and adoration and lust.

The demon leaned forward, encouraging Pestilence to lay back. The Immortal obeyed, making sure his legs were on either side of Jenii, rocking his hips upward as if putting himself on display.

And he was doing just that, showing off to his lover, tempting him, trying to enflame him. Pesti was again – as usual – very needy. It helped to employ as many tricks as possible against Jenii since the demon tended to lag behind in the area of excitability. Pestilence could see from this angle that Jenii wasn’t the least bit physically aroused yet, while in contrast, Pesti was already displaying a very ready erection.

Jenii’s large, calloused hand came down over that heated length, giving just the smallest squeeze. He grunted, an amused sound, “You put an old man to shame.”

“Good thing you’re not… ah… an old man,” Pesti bit his lip, forcing himself to hold still.

“This is going to be a continual problem between us,” Jenii murmured, the amusement fading swiftly to remorse.

Pestilence attempted to say something, a comfort, or an argument, but he wasn’t given the chance. Liquid fire shot through his veins as Jenii’s finger penetrated him without warning and rubbed that one particular spot. The Force promptly forgot completely what Jenii had said, the pleasure building upon itself rapidly as Jenii continued to manipulate that spot.

“Aaahh! Jenii!!”

Pestilence arched hard, back clear up off the blanketed ground as hot fluids jetted from his length, smattering across his belly in a pattern of white over chocolate brown. The shield above them flickered a moment, letting in a wave of rain, dousing them both with a sheen of moisture before Pesti gathered himself and put the shield back up.

“Hnnn… beautiful,” Jenii veritably purred, bowing his head to lick up that expenditure of fluid from Pesti’s skin.

Pesti took a long moment to collect enough breath to speak, “Not fair…” he barely managed to pant.

“Now you’re all… relaxed,” Jenii pushed two fingers into Pestilence, sliding them in deeply, easily.

The Immortal felt his head thump back to the ground, as if he were distant, not really in control of his lead-weighted body. He peripherally felt Jenii’s ministrations of tongue and lips moving downward, over the slope of his entirely smooth belly.

A scream of lightning-quick pleasure tore through him, jolting him back to his senses. Jenii was curling his tongue around the tender flesh of Pestilence’s flaccid sex, so very sensitive just after orgasm, drawing it into his mouth. He couldn’t help but moan and arch up into that, trying to calm himself enough to find Jenii’s rhythm, sex quickly firming up again within that heat.

“Ahh Jenii… so good…” he panted, lost between the penetration of those fingers and the steady, firm sucking on his length, wanting to move two different directions at the same time.

The desperate need for orgasm didn’t rush up on him quite so quickly this time, though. The pleasure was building more slowly, gradually, giving him time to enjoy the moment. The ground beneath him was muddied and soft, from the explosion and the rain that had snuck through that break in the shield. It was quite the interesting sensation, and not at all unpleasant.

Jenii broke off the attentions, sliding himself up along Pestilence’s strung out body, hard length of heat rubbing here and there on Pesti’s skin as he moved. He kissed him, this kiss containing more lust than the previous one, almost drowning out the love and affection.

Pestilence worked his little hands over Jenii’s chest and shoulders, paying back some of that pleasure he’d received. He arched up, moving his sex against Jenii’s, strangling a moan from the both of them. The slender Force attempted to bring his leg up and over Jenii’s hip, but the demon caught it, pushing it outward as he caressed the thigh, giving the strong muscle a squeeze.

“No, not like that,” Jenii mused, as if to himself.

He pushed Pesti’s leg further away, gripping his hip with his other hand and encouraging him over onto his front. Pestilence obeyed without question or hesitation, taking it from the back? Pestilence was more than eager. He braced himself up on his knees, arms folded on the ground as he peered over his shoulder coyly, ass raised and on display, tempting his Shadow again.

“Yes I know, that’s very sexy,” Jenii growled lustfully, both hands gripping that tempting ass and kneading the flesh.

Pestilence blushed a little, but smiled. Yes, that was the reaction he’d been looking for, exactly what he’d been saying without saying anything at all. Jenii was so good about reading his body language, only fair, since Pesti could read his. The demon’s body language at the moment said he was barely holding back from driving himself hard into that sexy little ass.

The bronze-skinned Force didn’t want holding back though, so just a little more encouragement was needed. He closed his eye, arching his back a little and raising his rear just a little bit more up into Jenii’s hands. Then he moaned, softly, but a long and needy sound.

Jenii growled again, gripping harder, nails digging into that smooth flesh. Oh yes, he was encouraged.

Pesti really moaned this time, louder, hands gripping at the muddy ground beneath him as white-fire raced through his nerves. He could feel Jenii pressing his hot length against his entrance, but didn’t push in, instead rubbing upwards, teasing. That just wasn’t fair.

He pushed back, desperately trying to get Jenii to stop that teasing. Pesti groaned when he heard Jenii chuckle softly, that wasn’t going to work, Jenii was enjoying teasing him. Nothing he could do about it now, would have to wait and get him back another time. For now he just had to wait until Jenii had had his fun.

Strong and calloused fingers played up Pestilence’s back, making him shudder. His heavy erection suspended there beneath him jerked, tugged by the strings of that pleasure. Jenii was purposefully manipulating all the best points, lighting up all of Pesti’s most sensitive nerves.

“Come on, beautiful, make more noise,” Jenii purred.

So that was what he was after. Well Pestilence was an obedient lover, and the pleasure tearing through him made him want to scream anyway, so he allowed himself his voice.

Jenii’s purrs were nearly lost to the moans and cries and the sound of rain beyond the shield, “That’s it… gods that is so sexy.”

Pestilence had to try, moving himself backwards again, needing to feel Jenii inside him right now, noises fueled more by begging now than merely pleasure. He tried to form words to aid that pleading, but they just couldn’t survive the miasma of everything else.

It didn’t matter, Jenii could read the physical language just as well. He stilled Pestilence’s hips with his strong hands, nudging with that tight heat just slightly. Then he pushed viciously forward, skidding his lover slightly in the mud from the sheer force of it.

Pestilence yelled, a very small fraction painful, but that didn’t matter at all when Jenii began thrusting, the insignificant pain melting away to nothing. He vaguely felt the rain smattering down upon his back, adding to the sensations, but wasn’t coherent enough at this point to realize he’d lost the shield. The ground grew muddier beneath him, cushioning him as Jenii drove into him with all his strength.

Pesti wanted it to last longer, wanting that searing pleasure to linger, but it just couldn’t with that sort of force driving it. Far too quickly the need built to wild intensity, and then shattered in a strong orgasm that tore the ground up for meters around them.

The Force took a moment to enjoy that heat within him, contrasted sharply with the cool waves of rain pouring down his back. It didn’t register right away that this meant the shield was down, he was just enjoying it.

After a long moment of both of them staying there, Jenii wrapped his arms around Pestilence and brought him up against his chest, the both of them kneeling there in the mud as the rain pelted down on them. He nuzzled into Pesti’s soaked hair, using the rain and his hands to wipe mud from his lover.

Pesti shivered from echoes of pleasure, blinking his eye open to total darkness. Somewhere between the rain and the explosions they’d lost the fire.

“Sorry…” he murmured.

“For what?” Jenii husked.

“The fire… went out,” Pesti closed his eye, it was useless anyway.

“Hn, small price to pay,” Jenii encouraged Pestilence up onto his feet, holding him as the rain continued to wash them clean. “Dry enough against the tree to survive until the rain stops.”

Pesti trusted Jenii to lead him over there, curling up against him on a fairly dry and clean surface that was probably a large tree root. He’d see well enough in the morning, right now his energy level and the absolute comfort of being snuggled up against his lover was telling him to rest.

Morning broke barely lighter than the night and held that way throughout the morning, the rain continuing a steady downpour.

Jenii grunted and nudged Pestilence somewhere in that void of gray morning. Pesti blinked and stumbled to his feet, stumbling again, glancing around the ruined camp area for his clothes. Luckily they were still on that rock, untouched by all the explosions, but unluckily they weren’t capable of drying sitting out in the rain. He sighed and gathered them, laying them out on the tree root where they could possibly dry.

He glanced at Jenii slipping into his soaked clothes, not giving much care about their state of wetness. “It’s early.”

“Nhnn, perhaps I can find something different this early, other vendors who come earlier,” Jenii attempted to tie his hair back, a task that proved impossible being that wet.

Pestilence perched himself on another tree root, watching as Jenii prowled over to that dead bug-like creature, making quick work of extracting the meat. The demon readied to leave quickly, not wanting to waste any time.

“Anything that comes near will come for the body and not you, you should be safe if you don’t interfere.”

Pesti nodded, winding his arms around Jenii’s neck and kissing him sweetly. “Hurry home,” he giggled softly.

“I swear it,” Jenii smirked, nuzzling and lingering a moment before turning and striding off into the rain.

The Force smiled, searching around for where he put that last fruit he’d saved for breakfast. The rest of the morning was uneventful, passing slowly to Pestilence, left there alone with really nothing to do except poke his clothes for dryness.

Near or just after midday the rain abruptly ceased, the clouds clearing off. Under the heat of the merciless sun, the muddy ground dried swiftly, the air returning to its intense heat and humidity. Pesti wriggled into his now dry clothes, stumbling around the campsite and gathering the drying bits of wood from the fire, in case Jenii should want to make another one when he returned. Obviously he expected to be back before nightfall or he wouldn’t have left without making one, so Pesti didn’t worry about it.

In the middle of his gathering, Pestilence noticed some smaller animals were gathering around the carcass of that bug-like creature he’d killed. He left it alone as Jenii had suggested, no sense going after them if they had no interest in him. The carcass was easy food, they’d have to fight to get the meat off Pesti’s bones, so there was no point in attacking him – but he kept a watch on them just in case.

The aisailtarn chirped and fluffed, preening it’s now dry self. Pesti smiled at it, glancing up at his own fluffy hair.

“Yes, I see… quite the mess. Hopefully Jenii find what he’s looking for and we won’t be here much longer though, right? Let you get back to your friends and lazing in that nice shaded area, hmm?”

The slender Force giggled softly at the bird’s continued antics, preening and fluffing in irritation. Feathers didn’t settle well drying in his humidity, about as well as Pesti’s out of control hair. He attempted to tame it with his fingers, but it just wouldn’t behave. His clothes were also two days over-worn, not a pleasant feeling. And while that shower after the sex in the mud had been nice, it just couldn’t compete with a real shower and soap.

“Really hope he finds what he’s looking for,” Pesti sighed, giving up on his unruly mass of blonde, sitting down beside his gathering of sticks and poking it idly. “Should have brought my English book to study.”

Pestilence contented himself with arranging that wood into something resembling a burnable pile, and then to watching the animals picking at that carcass. It wasn’t a pleasant sight, but it let him see some different sorts of creatures from this world.

Then, near sunset, the animals scattered and raced off for seemingly no reason. The Force stood up slowly, catching himself from stumbling, looking all around for sign of another predator that could have scared them off.

He smiled, sighting Jenii returning from the city. Dangerous and frightening predator indeed.

Jenii surveyed the somewhat reconstructed campsite, smirking and pulling Pestilence close against his body, greeting him with nothing more but a deep and loving kiss. Pesti melted against him, having missed his lover for even those few hours.

“Anything happen?” Jenii asked softly, resting his forehead against Pesti’s.

“Nothing, dull all day. Any luck?”

“Nnhnn,” Jenii smiled, a pure and true smile that touched Pestilence right to his core. The demon took both of Pesti’s hands in his, bowing his head to kiss them. “Hmm,” he made a thoughtful noise, stretching his hand toward the pile of wood and lighting it.

Pestilence smiled, making a silent note that Jenii was attempting to set a romantic atmosphere, being charming like this, starting that fire. He pressed his forehead back to Jenii’s, nuzzling nose to nose. “I love you, my Shadow.”

“My beautiful Pestilence,” Jenii sighed, a content noise. “I am so very lucky to have found you. I never want to lose you.”

“You never will,” Pesti promised, squeezing Jenii’s hands in his, “Never.”

“I will do everything to make sure of that, my beautiful mate, keep you forever, protect you, cherish you. Everything of me belongs to you.”

Pestilence shivered with nothing less than sheer joy, overwhelmed by love, “And everything of me is yours.”

Jenii slipped one hand away from Pesti’s, sliding into his pocket to retrieve something, a small band of dark metal. He slipped it onto Pestilence’s ring finger, left hand, returning those dusky red eyes to Pesti’s amethyst one.

“I love you, forever. I promise my soul to you, here and now and into the rest of eternity.”

Pestilence glanced down at the ring sitting on his finger, a breath catching in his throat. It was a simple enough band, gleaming at first silver, then black, then a few other colours danced before fading. A ring. Jenii had brought him here to buy him a ring. And that ring was being given to him with this promise. Either one alone would have been joyful enough, but together, it just hit him so hard tears were streaming down his face.

“Oh Jenii… I…”

“Love me forever, in return?” Jenii asked softly, as if he didn’t know the answer.

“Yes… oh of course, yes!” Pestilence half laughed and half sobbed, throwing his arms around Jenii’s shoulders and clinging so tightly he lifted himself up off the ground

Jenii’s strong arms wound around his middle, holding him there, squeezing that slender body against his own, nuzzling into his hair and whispering, “It is a promise then.”

“Yes, I promise,” Pesti gasped for a clear breath, sealing his lips to Jenii’s and kissing, pushing full love and adoration into the kiss. He could feel the same returned from Jenii, worship, pure love and affection.

It was perfect.

Jenii swept Pesti up into his arms, carrying him to a smooth bit of ground and laying him down gently, continuing the kiss there. Their bodies pressed together, moving against one another, caressing first through the clothing and then eventually without it as the garments were cast aside.

Pestilence swore Jenii’s hands were everywhere at once, and yet moving so slowly, deliberately touching everywhere, taking their time to elicit pleasure from every single nerve. There was no goal of arousal or matching states of neediness, there was even no conscious need, there was only the two of them moving together, touching and kissing and worshipping one another.

It was slow and it was perfect. Jenii had never made love to Pestilence before, but here he was, managing it perfectly.

The slender Force wrapped his arms and legs around his demon lover, accepting him into his body, loving that feeling of completion. Jenii didn’t move beyond that for a very long time, just staying there, fused to his Immortal lover, the two of them locked together as if one being.

Jenii’s hand sought out Pestilence’s as he began to slowly thrust, a smoldering desire forcing him to move past just enjoying that completion of being buried inside his mate. Pesti interlaced his fingers with Jenii’s, head falling to the side to gaze at that ring resting on his finger there, Jenii’s fingers to either side of it, squeezing his hand. Their other hands followed suit.

Jenii brought his forehead down against Pesti’s as he continued that slow and deep rhythm, nosing at Pesti’s face, kissing and licking now and again. Pestilence hummed content noises, returning those small affections.

Pleasure built upon pleasure until they were both shivering, gasping quiet noises with every gentle movement. Every motion and noise matched, every breath between them the same. Pestilence even swore he could hear Jenii’s pulse matching his.

There was nothing else in the world except them, nothing else was needed. It was only the two of them, and it was perfect just like that.

Jenii arched his back and hit deep inside his Pestilence, moaning the exact moment Pesti moaned, shudders playing up and down their spines as if they were the same body. Pestilence tightened his legs around his demon lover and arched his back mirroring Jenii. Their eyes slid shut, moans increasing to a mingling orgasmic cry as they came together.

Gradually they relaxed down from that high pleasure, but neither of them moved. Their breathing came down together, heartbeats paced to one another and slowing. They ignored the massively exploded campsite, the scattered fire and the frightened aisailtarn. They ignored the world.

All they needed was each other, the two of them bonded together by love –

And a promise.





~*~*~*~*~

Index