Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ Unwilling Sleep ❯ A Consummation Devoutly to be Wished ( Chapter 9 )

Warnings, summaries, disclaimers, etc., can all be found in the Prologue to this story.

Extra warning: this chapter contains explicitly sexual content. If you don't want to read such a thing, I advise you to give this a miss.

Unwilling Sleep, Part Nine: A Consummation Devoutly to be Wished

Leon finished his second beer, finished his magazine, looked at the clock. Almost ten. He still wasn't all that tired, but there wasn't really anything else to do but sleep. He couldn't decide whether he was looking forward to lying in a bed next to D, or dreading it. But it seemed to be the only thing going, since he hadn't thought to get a second magazine and he didn't really feel like going out again for another one.

Resigned to his fate, he wandered into the bathroom. Jesus, was there a single detail D hadn't caught? Toothpaste and toothbrushes. Towels. There was even a shower curtain and a bathmat. The guy was unbelievable, and sometimes, in a good way. Leon brushed his teeth, and realized that he didn't have anything to sleep in -- didn't even have a change of clothes for tomorrow, so he'd have to take a few hours out of his day just to go get his stuff from Phil's. He'd like to be able to smell at least semi-fresh, since he'd be the one who had to live with it the most, and that was going to mean sleeping in his underwear. With D. That was bad. Unless maybe it was good. No, it was bad. Especially since D was asleep and it wasn't like Leon could wake him up and explain. It would just be a little surprise for the morning. Besides, what would he explain, what could he say? "Don't get the wrong idea?" He'd been the one to kiss D first, after all.

Leon leaned forward until his head pressed against the bathroom mirror, the cool edge of the sink pressing uncomfortably into his thighs. Damn. He was going to have to decide what he wanted, and soon. And he was going to have to find some way of letting D know. And of finding out if D wanted the same things. This was why his relationships never lasted, because he was total, utter shit at doing all of that stuff.

In a new city, a new apartment, night fallen outside, with only his reflection and a sleeping man for company, it was hard to run away from his own thoughts. They were all he had for entertainment at the moment. And, stuck with his thoughts, stuck with his memories, stuck with the memory of that kiss, Leon thought he just might already know what he wanted.

"It's not like you're really gay," he muttered to his reflection. "He wasn't even a human before." Which was…not an improvement. It was probably better to lust after your own gender than after another species. Was there even a term for that? Non-homo-sapiens-sexual? Hell. "Anyway," Leon continued on valiantly, "whatever it is, it's just him. This one guy. Not…lots of guys. You can't be the first person this has happened to." And it wasn't like he'd just fallen for any guy. D was -- all right, D was gorgeous. As pretty as any woman, prettier than most, although Leon was really going to miss having a nice set of tits to play with on his partner. That had always been his favorite feature on the fantasy babes of posters, centerfolds, and videos.

But that was all they'd ever been: fantasy women. No real woman he'd ever met had looked like that. Hell, even the fantasy women probably hadn't really looked like that, thanks to the miracles of airbrushing and computers. Not to mention tons of makeup and plastic surgery. D might be a guy, with a guy's chest, but he was real, and beautiful in a way that nobody else was, man or woman. Or spirit. Even his father and grandfather had lacked something D had. It was true Leon had been pretty hazy with pain during the only time he'd seen them all together, but even then it had been obvious to him that D was different from his ancestors, had something special that let Leon connect to him, made Leon want to understand him. He didn't know what that something was, but he didn't suppose he had to. It was enough to know it was there, for now.

The way he'd arched up into Leon's touch, moaning quietly, as if he couldn't want anything more out of life than what Leon had been doing to him, had been pretty real too.

Leon thunked his head against the mirror again. Then he splashed some cold water on his face, which helped, although a cold shower would probably have helped even more. He dried his face off, and slipped into the bedroom.

Jesus, it was cold in here. No wonder: the window unit, sometime in the past hour or so, had turned on and was rattling away full-blast. Leon quickly turned the temperature up, and it stopped. D was still curled up in a ball, and by this time had rolled all the way to the other side of the bed, which at least left half free for Leon. Great. D was a mover. Leon was probably going to wake up on the floor. He watched D carefully for a few minutes and made sure he was still sound asleep. D made a soft, funny noise that sounded like he was mumbling in Chinese. It didn't look like he was having a happy dream, judging by the way his hands kept twitching, clutching at the sheets. Frowning, Leon undressed. Even though D was asleep, he was still glad of the darkness of the room; too dark to get a good look at D's face, too dark for D to see him properly if he suddenly woke up. Too dark to see him looking like a moron in his underwear with a red face.

He slid under the sheets, thinking disgusting thoughts so that he wouldn't get ideas. Then he noticed that the bed was very slightly -- hardly noticeably -- vibrating. What the hell? He pressed his hand down on the mattress and realized that the bed was trembling because D was. That was…weird. Maybe it was just because the room had been so cold. Still -- "D?" he whispered.

Now that his eyes were starting to adjust, he squinted at his companion. D's face was in shadow, but Leon could just make out its expression: tense, frightened. His lips were moving silently, as if he was talking in his sleep again, without any sound. "D?" Leon whispered again, reached out a hand to wake him -- and instantly thought better of it. The last time he'd woken D up from a nightmare, the guy had given him a shiner that had lasted a week. Right before getting kidnapped. Not a memory Leon wanted to relive. So instead, he just said, "D…D?" again, louder, and kept well to his side of the bed.

D twitched, silently moved his lips again, and then, to Leon's shock, reached out in his sleep, towards Leon, like he wanted to embrace him. The bed was queen-sized, so it wasn't like they had acres of room, and before Leon knew it, D had grabbed hold of him and was burrowing in closely, still shaking like he was in the middle of a blizzard. And Leon -- was in his fucking underwear, okay, this was getting out of hand. "Holy Jesus, D! Will you wake the fuck up?!" Not that he didn't kind of enjoy the contact, especially the way D's soft hair was brushing against his chest, but this was just damn freaky. What kind of nightmare was the guy having, anyway? He wasn't really dreaming about man-eating lizards, was he?

Then D made a snorting sound that Leon had never quite pictured D making, and woke up.

He stared at Leon's chest for a moment, and Leon could feel his face turning red, as D fumbled across his bare skin, apparently disoriented and looking for some kind of purchase. His eyes were wide and unfocused. "D, wake up," Leon repeated, his voice lower. "You were dreaming."

"Ah-hh," D whispered, and looked up to see Leon's face. "G-grandfather?"

Leon stiffened, and his hand flew to clasp one of D's shoulders. "Grandfather?" he repeated with a frown. "You were dreaming about your grandfather?"

"He tried to take me," D said, still looking out of it. "Tried to take me away. But I understood in time."

Leon's heart stopped, and then started again, twice as fast. "He -- what?" Then he looked wildly around the room, as if expecting D's grandfather to leap out of the shadows. If it was anybody else, he would just have written it off as a nightmare, but with a family like D's… "You mean -- was it just a dream, or could he really -- ? Was he here?"

Looking more awake now, D propped himself up on his elbow, and Leon's hand slid to rest on his arm. "Not…here in this room," he said. "He didn't have to be. He appeared to me as Q-chan. I dreamed that I was a child again. I reached out to catch Q-chan, but right before I did, I remembered…if I had touched him, of my own free will, my grandfather would have had power over me, power to take me away."

Leon's hand tightened on D's arm, and it occurred to him that this was their bed, and Uncle Phil was a couple hours' drive away, hopefully stewing about that very fact. So he brought D in closer, hooking his arm around his waist, and D subsided gratefully against him, settling his head in the nook between Leon's chin and the pillow. "Take you where?" Leon asked.

"To the higher gods," D said bleakly. "He does not approve of my becoming human. He was hoping to -- change that. With or without my consent."

Leon's breath caught in his throat. "What? So, so he would have just snatched you, and made you a -- a spirit-whatever-thing again, and I would have just come in here and you'd have been gone? And I'd never have known what the fuck happened?" Jesus Christ. He'd never gotten along with Q-chan, and D's grandfather had just flat creeped him out in that damn cloak -- he'd been smiling when his own son had been killed, for fuck's sake, smiling that fake little D-smile. But Leon had never hated him. Not until this very moment.

"That was his intention," D murmured against his throat, still sounding upset, but not as much as he had before. "But please be calm, Leon. It didn't work, and I do not think he will try again. Although -- I will take precautions. Put up protections around our home. I can still do that, some of it. Not just for me, but for you as well."

"Protections?" Leon asked warily. "What, like…you're gonna light candles in a circle and chant or something, or do you mean burglar alarms, or what?"

"Closer to the candles," D said, "but not quite." He shivered a little. "As I said…the trick did not work. You are stuck with me still, Detective."

Leon clamped his arm around D and held him even closer. Damn straight he was. But Jesus -- he was willing to bet it had been a closer thing than even D was letting on. More than that, had D been tempted? This past week hadn't exactly been a picnic for him. Had he wanted to go back? What exactly was it that had kept him here, now that he knew more about what being human was like?

"I would have found a way, even if it had worked," D said suddenly, fiercely. His lips were moving against Leon's skin, and it felt almost like a series of tiny kisses. Leon shivered. "Grandfather's trick, I mean…I left once, I -- I could have tried it again. I would have found a way back. I would not have left you to -- wonder."

"Good," Leon whispered, his lips moving against the silk of D's hair. He let his hand rub slowly up and down D's back. D's new pajamas weren't as satiny-soft as the ones he'd borrowed from Eileen, but the cotton was thin, and Leon could feel the heat of his skin better beneath it. But it still didn't feel like…enough. He paused, and let his hand drop down to rub slowly, stroke gently, at the small of D's back, where he'd touched him before.

D's breath hitched, his body, stiffened, and he shuddered. He didn't speak again. Instead, one hand slowly slid up to rest on Leon's shoulder while the other remained pinned in a rather awkward position against Leon's chest. Judging from the way his fingers fluttered hesitantly, it had finally occurred to him that Leon was sporting a lot more bare skin than usual. But he wasn't moving away.

Leon wasn't sure what he was doing. This hadn't been planned. But some good things weren't. He hoped this was one of them. He spoke quietly, murmuring into D's hair, rubbing his back, "You think you can go back to sleep now?"

A faint shudder ran through D's body. "Not…right now, no," D whispered, his voice sounding a little choked.

"You haven't been sleeping," Leon said, wondering why his lips were wandering across D's forehead as he spoke, down to his temple, not exactly kissing, but never pulling away from the soft skin and hair. D's breaths were coming warm and rapid against his throat. "Or eating. You look sick, D. What's wrong?"

"I can't stop thinking," D managed, somewhat breathlessly. "It's so different. It's all so different, it feels so strange, this -- everything, and this body -- Leon." He finished on a soft gasp. "Leon."

Because, thin as the pajama top was, it still wasn't letting Leon's hands get close enough. So they'd slid beneath it, and now Leon was tracing his fingertips over the impossibly smooth skin of D's back, feeling goosebumps rise in their wake. He spread his hands wide, let one thumb rub against D's side, follow the beginnings of a rib. "What's different about it?" He told himself this wasn't weird. There wasn't anything strange about feeling around under D's nightclothes, or holding him close in bed, or kissing his hair. D had had a nightmare. Leon had almost lost D again, maybe for good this time. It was comfort, that was all it had to be, for both of them. And the fact that he was getting hard as a rock in his underwear was something he was just going to have to ignore for now, because he actually kinda wanted an answer to his question.

"It's -- dying," D croaked, and his hips twitched and moved, not much, but just enough to let Leon feel the stirrings of another man's erection against him. It might have freaked him out, if D's words hadn't already done such a good job at that.

"Dying?" he echoed, his voice sounding very loud and alarmed in the stillness of the room. The beginnings of arousal vanished at once, replaced with cold horror. D had looked so tired lately -- was it just that he hadn't been getting enough sleep, or was it something worse, was he really sick? Had something gone wrong when he'd become a human? "What do you mean, dying?"

"I mean…oh," D said, sounding as if something had just occurred to him. "No. Forgive me, Leon. I do not mean that I am in danger of imminent death. No."

It wasn't until Leon relaxed that he'd realized how keyed-up D's words had made him. Jesus Christ! First almost kidnapped, and then 'dying'? What was D going to tell him next that would strain his heart? That he'd been a go-go dancer in Vegas? "I oughta smack you. Quit trying to scare me," he snapped. "What do you mean?"

"Just that…I don't know if I can explain," D said, his voice strained. Leon, less panicked now, began stroking him again, marveling at his skin's complete softness, the smoothness, the warmth. And yet, for all that he was so warm, D kept shivering every time Leon moved his hand. "It's undoubtedly something you don't -- notice -- yourself. I. I can feel it dying. Aging. I can feel my own…mortality…before…" He swallowed hard, and pressed his face harder into the crook of Leon's neck. When he spoke again, his voice was muffled. "Before, my body was only an extension of my being -- my 'soul,' for lack of a better term. It was not a cage, not a trap. It feels like a trap now. I am trapped inside something that is going to grow old, sicken, die, and I cannot get out." He shuddered convulsively. "And I could have -- when my grandfather came -- but I didn't. I wouldn't change what I have done. But it is so hard sometimes, Leon. How do you stand it?"

Not the time for a dirty joke, Leon told himself, even if he was desperate to lighten the mood. "I don't know," he said instead. "Most people don't think about stuff like that, D, unless they're really sick or old or something." What else could he say? He couldn't tell D how to be human. It wasn't like there was a manual for it. "I mean, I guess most of us don't have anything else to compare our bodies to, like you do," he said. "Just -- give it a while. You'll get used to it, I bet. Then you won't notice it anymore, or at least -- not as much…" Was that the best comfort he had? Christ, he really was shit at reassuring people.

To his relief, D admitted then, "It has become easier. The first day was the worst -- I could not stop thinking about it for one moment, even when I was looking for you. I am glad I had that…distraction, then. Now it is only at night that it consumes me. When everything is still and dark and there is nothing to distract me anymore, and I cannot stop feeling it, can't stop thinking about it -- please, I do not want to talk about it anymore. I don't want to think anymore. Just…" Leon ran the tip of his finger up and down the slight dip in D's lower back, and D let out a long, shaky breath. "Oh…just…"

"Mm," Leon said non-committally, not sure how else to respond. Well, he guessed if he didn't have any words, there was no use pretending he did, or trying to bluff his way through a conversation D didn't even want to have.

"Leon," D whispered against his neck.

"What?" Leon asked, alerted by…something…in D's tone.

A pause; then D whispered, even more quietly than before, sounding almost ashamed, "Nothing. Never mind." So Leon just kept on doing what he was doing, letting himself relax into the mattress, letting himself love every tiny sensation of having another body so close to him in bed. D's body was warm and slender against him, resting trustingly in his arms. Without letting himself think too much about what he was doing, Leon let one hand slide from D's back, over his side, to down between them, stroking lightly over his belly, dipping one finger into the navel. D arched into the touch and gasped softly, his body beginning to shake like a leaf again. He loosened his grip on Leon's shoulders, and next thing Leon knew, two cool, delicate hands were gently, tentatively tracing up and down his bare arms, his shoulder, reaching around to touch his shoulder blades. "Oh," D whispered, sounding dazed, "warm."

"Mm," Leon said again, trying not to tremble himself at the way D was touching him. He bent his head and licked softly at the shell of D's ear, eliciting a tiny cry, causing D's nails to dig into the unprotected skin of his back. Thank God he'd trimmed them, or Leon would be bleeding right now -- as it was, the tiny sting felt almost good. D's lips brushed against his chin, his jaw, unmistakably kissing him this time, tiny feathery touches that lit a fire in his belly, little whispers against his skin that seemed to beg for more. And then D's hands slid away from him, away from his skin, to wriggle in between their bodies and begin fumbling at the buttons of his pajama top. Leon felt his own breath starting to quicken in his chest, and took a slow, deep gulp of air, not commenting on D's actions, just bending back down to press a slow kiss beneath D's ear, opening his mouth and letting the tip of his tongue trace tiny circles on the flesh, while D panted and made little noises and tried even more frantically to get his top open. Then his hands darted back up to seize Leon's shoulders, and Leon felt the cotton top fall open, knew that if he looked down he would see soft, snowy skin. So he pulled away from D's neck and looked. Oh, God. Oh, God. Suddenly he wanted more light in the room.

D's breath was coming in fast, terrified-sounding gulps. He scooted his hips in closer to Leon's, so close that they were finally rubbing together, and moaned softly at the contact. "Oh, oh," he managed, head falling back to loll on the pillow, eyes drifting shut, hands fluttering over Leon's shoulders indecisively. "Oh, it's -- I just, I only thought, if you want, if you want to, you can -- "

Leon rolled D over on his back and loomed over him, getting as good a look as he could, for once glad that there were streetlights shining through the blinds. There still wasn't enough light, but no way was he getting out of bed long enough to turn on the overhead. He'd have to make do with his imagination. Was that pale skin really as pale as it looked, or was it only offset by the shadows? Those little nipples, would they be dark, or rosy, or some softer color in the light? He let his hand skate over one of them, watched it pebble under his palm, watched D arch his back again and heard him make a tiny, whimpering sound -- the same sound he'd made when Leon had kissed him before, and D had gone so limp in his arms, and Leon had known that he could have done anything he wanted to him --

He wrapped his arms fiercely around D's waist, lifted him up so that the delicate torso was arched beneath him, and bent and began to kiss his way down from the sternum, wondering if D would like this. Having his own nipples played with didn't do much for Leon, but D had liked the touch, so maybe he'd like more. Plus, it was what Leon always did with women, and if he didn't have that to fall back on, he'd be kind of at a loss. He opened his mouth wide over the left one -- God, it was weird, having everything be so flat -- and breathed on it, darted his tongue out to lick at it, pressing the tiny tip between his tongue and the top row of his teeth and gently working it back and forth.

One of D's hands suddenly left Leon's shoulders, and Leon heard a faint thump. He glanced up to see that D had clapped his palm over his mouth to muffle the tiny cries he was making, and his eyes were closed, and even in the low light Leon could see the flush creeping up his chest his throat, into his cheeks. He let go of the nipple and blew softly on it. "D?" he whispered.

D let go of his mouth and curled his hand into a fist so he could strike the pillow. "Oh. Oh, I can't think," he moaned, opening his eyes, and apparently not seeing much. "I can't think when you touch me, Leon."

"Get out of those pants," Leon rasped, before he could think about what he was saying, and began to tug helplessly, almost angrily, at the waistband of D's pajama bottoms. D gave another high-pitched whimper and cooperated, taking over from Leon and shimmying out of the pants as quickly as he could, then getting rid of his top, while Leon yanked off his own briefs. Some part of his brain was rattling away at him, telling him that getting naked was a long way from just making out, and that he still wasn't sure how he felt about this whole gay thing, but he couldn't really give it his full attention right now. His full attention was busy noticing that D had cupped his face in his hands and started placing tiny, needful kisses against the corners of his mouth. "Oh please," D whispered, "would you -- "

Right, right, they hadn't done that yet tonight, and that was just a fucking crime. Leon pushed D flat down on his back, and moved so that he was almost covering him like a blanket, almost touching their bare skins together, but wanting to hold off, knowing he wouldn't be able to bear having everything at once, and that D likely couldn't either. So he braced himself on his elbows, kept their hips apart, and bent and kissed those open, panting lips, not holding anything back this time, taking all that he wanted just because he could, now. D would give it all to him, would want to give him even more. He wasn't kissing D so much as he was fucking his mouth, plunging his tongue inside and tasting everything, finding the places in D's mouth -- the roof was a good one -- that made him shiver, made him moan. He pulled back for air, taking in a deep, gasping lungful, but D didn't let him get away for long; he hissed, lunged after Leon, pulled him back down and opened his mouth and teased Leon's tongue back inside with his own.

Yes. Yes, this was what he'd needed for all those months and hadn't been able to find -- this was what they'd needed --

This time it was D who pulled away, his head falling back to the pillow with a thump, his breath coming in pants and whimpers and soft exhalations of "Oh." Leon remembered the Ohs of the kitchen-kiss, and the look on D's face, and decided it was very similar to the look on D's face right now. Only now he looked wilder, abandoned, as if he couldn't think about anything in the world other than what Leon was doing to him, and nobody had ever responded to Leon exactly like that before. Maybe that was because Leon had never wanted quite so much to make somebody else feel good as he did with D, tonight. Show him. Show him that a human body wasn't all bad, that it could feel better sensations than hunger or age, show him that Leon was worth sticking around for. Show him all that, make him forget that damn nightmare and his damn granddad, make him forget everything.

The only problem was Leon had never slept with another guy in his life, and while he wanted, more than anything, to make D feel good, he didn't have a clue what to do next. Kisses and touches had been working so far, but what came next? He'd heard stories about what gay guys did in bed, of course, and he'd been pretty adventurous with one of his girlfriends, but this was different. This was D. He didn't know if he was ready to go for any of that stuff yet, and to be honest, D looked a little too far gone for anything fancy. Well, maybe it didn't have to be fancy. Leon bent down and kissed D again while he tried to think, which was getting harder and harder. It wasn't the only thing. D moaned into the kiss, a low, needing sound that instantly made Leon think thoughts about doing fancy things, in spite of his own reservations. Gay guys fucked each other, he knew that much. What would that be like, would D let him do that, to be inside D, in a hot, tight place --

His frenzied imaginings were cut short when D's nails raked down his back again, his moans turning into soft, unintelligible pleas. He might have been speaking in Chinese. Leon wouldn't know. All he knew for certain was that D looked to be completely out of his mind, totally gone on the sensations of touch and taste, and Leon could recognize that look on his face, even if it was strange to see such an expression on D. It was the kind of look you got when you couldn't stand it anymore, and you just had to have something, because it was all too much. "You okay?" he panted.

D closed his eyes again, his pale throat working madly as he swallowed. Unable to resist, now that he didn't have to, Leon bent to that throat and began sucking a hickey to life. That lily-white neck had been begging for it for as long as he could remember…D moaned again. "It's…good," he said, his voice thready, barely audible. "It's so good."

"God, yes," Leon whispered, licking gently at the spot he'd bruised.

"I didn't know. Didn't know you felt like this, until…and I can't stand it…it's too much…" D writhed under him, hands scrabbling and clutching at him. "How…how can it all feel so good, and yet, I can't b-bear it? It aches -- it hurts -- "

"Hurts in a good way?" Leon asked, skimming his hand down D's side, daring to stroke one slender thigh. D's legs parted at his touch as if Leon had flipped some kind of switch, and D's eyes went wide with shock, as if he hadn't quite meant to do that. Leon's cock ached between his legs. He was pretty sure he knew what D meant, about hurting. And he wanted to know something. "Did you get hard last night? When we were lying there?"

D turned his head away with a gasp, staring off into the shadows of the room. He started to shake again.

"I did," Leon whispered, not really believing that he was saying something like this to another man, to D. He'd never been all that comfortable with sexy talk even when he was with women, but now all he could think was, This stuff is driving him crazy. And Leon wanted that. A lot. "I did," he continued. "I wanted to do this, D. Do exactly what we're doing now." He spread his palm wide, began kneading D's thigh. D's hips arched and a strangled moan emerged from his throat. "I was touching you, I could smell you, I got so hot I couldn't stand it. And then today in the kitchen -- did you want it then, too?" He bent to kiss his way across D's shoulder. "I thought about it when I was leaving -- what would have happened if I'd stayed -- if we could've gone for it right there on the floor -- "

"Leon!" The word burst from D in a hoarse, whispered scream. "Please! Please!"

The desperation in that voice, normally so calm, normally so cool, almost had Leon spending himself right there. "You need to come," he whispered.

"Oh," D moaned, tossing his head back and forth on the pillow, as if even the murmured possibility was too much for him to bear. "Oh…oh…"

He really couldn't make this last much longer. There was foreplay, and then there was cruel and unusual punishment. Leon took a deep breath, reached down between their bodies, fumbled until he had D in his hand, hot, and hard as an iron bar. D's hips arched severely into his touch, a desperate, high-pitched whine coming from the back of his throat. There wouldn't be any more coherent words out of his mouth until he was finished, Leon was pretty sure of that. And he was so ready he was leaking, which was good, because Leon's palm felt too dry and they didn't have any -- damn. Damn, damn, and damn!

"I don't want to hurt you," he said desperately into D's ear. "Today -- did you get anything? Any lotion, or lube, or -- ?"

He'd taken hold of D, but hadn't moved his hand. D stared up at him blankly and made an "Uh?" sound. Leon gave up, and let go of D, whose abandoned expression quickly changed to one of horror. Then Leon pressed his palm to D's mouth, and those same eyes widened again, this time in comprehension. Then they fluttered shut as D clasped Leon's hand to his mouth, opened his lips, and covered Leon's palm with hot, swift laps of his tongue, looking for all the world as if he was feasting on a slab of chocolate cake. Then he let go, and Leon's hand shot back down between them, and held, and stroked -- firmly, once, twice, just the way he liked it himself when he was close --

D made no sound at all this time, but his lips opened on a silent cry, and then he leaned forward and hid his face in Leon's shoulder as he shuddered. His shaft jerked in Leon's hand -- weird to feel the familiar motion without the sensations to go along with it -- his hips thrust wildly, and then there was a flood of warm sticky stuff between them. It seemed to go on and on, D silently trembling and thrashing in Leon's grip, and all Leon could think was that, Jesus Christ, D had been waiting over a week for this.

Being human was bad enough; being a twentysomething guy had its own set of problems on top of that. And if D wasn't used to dealing with a human man's desires…God. Talk about a crash course, Leon thought, as D finally quieted and stopped shaking in his arms. Leon looked at the nightstand and, to his relief, saw a box of tissues. D might not have thought to pick up any lube, but at least they had something they needed handy.

He tilted D's head back gently, thinking maybe he should kiss him, or something, and saw that D's eyelashes were fluttering suspiciously. Oh shit. Was the bastard going to sleep?"D?" he asked.

"Oh," D whispered, "remarkable." His eyes slowly opened and he smiled the sweetest, most exhausted smile Leon had ever seen. "Thank you. I feel…" his eyes closed for a moment, then he twitched and blinked them open again while Leon stared at him. "I'm sorry…you need…"

Aw, dammit. "It's all right," Leon muttered, while his own erection screamed and cursed at him. But what the hell was he supposed to do, rub himself off on a guy who was half-conscious? Instead, he reached over, grabbed some tissues, and wiped them both as clean as he could. "You're tired. Maybe now you'll sleep better."

D looked sleepily distressed. "But…don't you…? I want to…"

"I'm okay," Leon lied, and managed to smile at D to show that there were no hard feelings. He even petted his hair. "It's okay. Just go to sleep. It's fine."

"But," D protested again, and then he was out like a light.

Leon spent a few seconds being furious at D, at his own cock, and at the universe in general. Then, after he'd taken some deep breaths, thought about cold things like icebergs, and counted to forty, he calmed down a little and took a good look at his companion. Lover? Whatever. He'd call D his lover when he got some loving back. As things stood, D slept like a dead thing, so deep under that he didn't twitch even when Leon rolled over to the side. But for the first time his face looked peaceful: his features were relaxed, and there was even the faintest hint of a smile on his pretty lips. Leon couldn't help feeling a pang of pride at that.

Well, judging by tonight, he didn't think D would be averse to more sex in the future. Hopefully the very near future. Leon wouldn't have to wait too long. Surely not. D wouldn't do that to him. Right? His teasing in every other fucking thing wouldn't extend to this. Right?

"I want to," D had murmured up at him, with a lazy, sated look in his eyes.

Leon squeezed his eyes shut and thought a few very choice curse words that he'd long ago begun reserving exclusively for D. They made him feel a little less frustrated.

But not much.

Warm.

That was his first thought. It was so warm here. And so comfortable. He was wrapped up nicely in the bedsheets, and sprawled all over somebody else, two factors which undoubtedly contributed to the warmth. And, for the first time in what seemed like eons, he felt…rested. Almost peaceful. As if he'd finally gotten something he'd really needed.

D woke up, slowly, and rather enjoyed it.

He began with a stretch that started in the tips of his toes, and traveled all the way up his body, until he was arching and purring against the other person in the bed. Leon. Oh yes. Oh goodness, yes. His body had not forgotten that, with its delicious little aches that didn't really hurt, with the memory of pleasure and satisfaction humming happily through his blood. Another thing he had needed, maybe even more than sleep. He finally blinked his eyes open.

Hmm. He appeared to have covered Leon almost completely with his own body. One of his legs was thrown over both of Leon's, and one of his arms was slung equally haphazardly across Leon's chest. The hand attached to the arm was resting against Leon's chin. And somehow, D had managed to push them both to the left side of the bed. One of Leon's arms was dangling over the edge. Judging by his faint snores, he didn't seem to be overly bothered by any of this.

Nevertheless, D was chagrined. Leon had been very good to him last night -- had indulged him with kisses and touches to the point of madness, and then had finally let him rest. He felt a thrill run up his spine at the memory as he carefully pulled himself away, trying hard not to jostle Leon. And how had he repaid him? By falling asleep. This was not, strictly speaking, his fault. He had tried to stay awake. But his body, finally exasperated with him beyond bearing, had protested -- and Leon had even petted him and told him it was all right --

D frowned a little as he rose from the bed and slipped out of the bedroom, into the bathroom as quietly as possible, glad that the apartment was not chilly, since he had not stopped to put on his pajamas again. He had every intention of returning to bed and repaying the favor Leon had done last night. If Leon wanted him to, that was. He frowned and bit his lip as he closed the bathroom door behind him. It did not seem…impossible…that perhaps Leon had only been doing him a favor. Helping him to sleep. Taking pity on his pathetic inability to control himself. But it had not been his fault! Leon had been touching him, under his top, holding him much closer than propriety would normally prescribe. And Leon had spoken, too, of his own arousal, had kissed him as hungrily as D could have wished. He'd tasted like toothpaste.

D closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, trying to remember the events of the evening before. It was all remarkably blurred. In hindsight, he had not quite been in his right mind. How different that had been from any of the other times he had bedded human men. Last night he had not been able to keep a cool head, or anything remotely resembling one. He'd tried, though. He'd tried so hard to think, to reciprocate, knowing that he should be touching Leon back, giving as he was being gifted. Wanting to touch Leon back, very much. But instead he'd become a creature of pure selfishness, unable to think at all, able only to hold on for the ride while his body leapt well ahead of his brain and decided that it was just fine to let Leon do whatever he wanted, and the only touching he'd managed had been whatever desperate clutching was required to keep Leon as near to him as possible.

Well, he felt far better this morning, and once he had washed his face and made use of the facilities, he would be more than ready to --

He caught a look at his face in the mirror then, and had to swallow down a shocked gasp.

Then he stood directly in front of the sink, his feet beginning to feel the chill of the tiled floor, and squinted at his reflection. He looked dreadful, and happy, which was a very strange combination. Especially for him. His hair was a mess. His lips were swollen and even redder than usual. And as for his neck and shoulders, he looked very much as if he'd been in a brawl with a toothless vampire, covered in mouth-shaped bruises as he was. It was very fortunate that all his shirts had high collars. He pressed a finger to one of the tender spots, and winced a little. Then he turned on the water.

A few minutes later, he crept back into the bedroom. He smiled a little to see that Leon had rolled over in his absence, and was occupying the warm spot he'd left behind, still snoring away. Well, his Detective had slept long enough. It was nearly -- D checked the small alarm clock he'd bought and put on the nightstand -- eight-thirty in the morning. No doubt Leon usually slept the day away on Saturdays, or whenever his day off was during a particular week, but D hoped he would not mind being awakened early just this once.

The sheet had slid down to Leon's hips. D licked his lips as he climbed back onto the bed. Goodness, but what a delightful view. D had noticed that long before he'd become human, of course, but his noticing seemed to have become a little more…immediately appreciative. Certainly more impelled towards action. Where should he begin? It all looked wonderful: much like the Godiva mail-order catalogue, in fact. He should probably start with something that wouldn't cause Leon to jerk awake and reflexively knock him off the bed. That would be just like him. He was so twitchy. So defensive.

D smiled softly, reached out, and stroked a lock of hair out of Leon's face as he settled down beside him in the bed. A tendril of tenderness snaked around his heart and then all the way through him, less violent than desire, but not less warm. Leon snorted softly, but then calmed as D continued to stroke his hair. D had always liked Leon's hair, though why he insisted on keeping it in that bizarre mullet remained a mystery to him. Leon should let it grow out all around his face. That would be splendid. So much more to play with.

And speaking of playing…

Now that he knew gentle touches would not upset Leon, D leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his temple. And then to his cheek. Leon sighed, but did not wake. That was all right. A slow waking could be most pleasant, as he had just discovered. He slid in closer to Leon under the covers, moved his thigh forward and -- ah. Leon was already ready. Very ready, judging from the way, even sleeping, he pressed his hips forward into the contact with a faint, huffed groan. Good. Very good. D could feel his face stretching into a most unaccustomed expression: a smile. Not the small, polite smile he often wore, or the smirk that infuriated Leon so beautifully, but a genuine smile, fueled by pure delight. He wondered what it looked like. He wished Leon would wake up so he could see it.

But he didn't to wake Leon up just for that. Instead he slowly slid one leg over Leon's hip, feeling another rush of joy at the warm skin under his leg. That had been another delightful surprise, last night: the press of bare skin, and how wonderful it was, how hot and exquisite. He hadn't been able to get his pajamas off fast enough and had, in the only coherent part of his brain, been very glad that Leon had only a pair of underpants to remove. Now he gloried in it again, hooking his leg around Leon's waist and slowly, carefully, turning them both until Leon had rolled over and D was sitting atop him, straddling his hips and feeling Leon's warm hardness pressing against his thigh. His heart was pounding quite fast. That was interesting. This was all interesting. For the first time, his human body had shown it was capable of surprising him in a pleasant way. D let his fingertips trail through Leon's hair again, down his face, his throat, across his shoulder, down the broad chest. Then he leaned forward and kissed Leon's forehead, his cheek, his chin, across his face. Of course, Leon was stirring into wakefulness now, twitching beneath him and starting to make interrogative noises that did not sound displeased.

D felt a sleepy, questing hand grope and clutch at his hip, followed by a long "Hmmmm" noise. Leon's eyes were blinking open. "D?" he muttered as D busied himself with lapping at Leon's throat like a cat. "Mmm…"

"I am pleased it was my name you called," D said, pausing to give a sharpish nip at the base of Leon's throat.

"Ow. R'what?" Leon asked, and D could almost see him coming awake by degrees.

"Or I would have clawed your eyes out," D said sweetly, and finally brushed his lips, very lightly, over Leon's.

"Huh?" Leon groaned.

"Nothing, my dear Detective," D said, and undulated his body gently against Leon's, enjoying the larger bulk beneath him. Leon's body twitched, stiffened, and Leon groaned as he began to wake up in earnest. This was more like it, D thought. Centuries of practice with humans would finally come into good use. He knew tricks and techniques Leon had never dreamed of, D was sure of that much. Certainly he had a large enough store of information to keep Leon suitably entertained for quite some time. That might be…enough, to start. Leon had spoken no words of love. But perhaps if D could keep him happy in this way, that would be enough for now; surely, surely if he saw D could give him more pleasure than any stupid centerfold, Leon would --

Well, there were no guarantees. D would simply do the best he could. And it was refreshing to finally have the upper hand once more, to feel that, after a night of satisfactory sleep, he could think clearly again. Leon had had his turn last night. It was D's turn now, and he fully intended to make use of it.

"D," Leon groaned again, and his arms rose, wrapped around D, dragged him down like lead weights until he was crushed against Leon's chest. Then Leon was kissing him, sleepily, sloppily, but with considerable enthusiasm. Since this was very much to D's way of thinking, he permitted it, although Leon's tight embrace made it slightly difficult to breathe. Then Leon released him. "You sleep well?" he asked, and gave him a lopsided smile.

D's heart flipped over in his chest at the sight of that smile. Then he bent down and kissed Leon again, quick and hard, because he couldn't not kiss him, cupping his face in both hands. "Yes," he murmured against Leon's lips when he'd finished. "Very well. Thank you."

"No problem," Leon said, sounding a little woozy. "Wow. Good morning."

"I hope it will be a very good morning," D purred, shifting his body to the side, letting one hand slide down Leon's chest, across his belly, over one of his thighs. Leon gasped, and lifted his hips a little, groaning in disappointment when D did no more than trace his fingertips over the flesh of an inner thigh. The skin was surprisingly soft, and delightfully warm. D hummed a little. "Do you want it to be a good morning, Detective?"

"Fucking tease," Leon gasped.

D bent and gave him such a soft, swift kiss that even he couldn't deny what a tease it was. "You have a saying, Leon," he said. "Turnabout is fair play." He moved his hand up so that it was just barely nudging against the warm sacs of Leon's testicles, causing Leon to groan again, more loudly. "But I promise you will enjoy it."

"I'm enjoying, I'm enjoying," Leon protested, craning his neck, trying to get another, more satisfactory kiss. But D turned his head aside coyly. "Aw, c'mon, D -- !"

"You have no patience," D tsked.

"Me? What about you, last night?" Leon's sulky look suddenly vanished, replaced by a grin that was one part lust and two parts schadenfreude. "What was that you told me about yourself, that one time at Christmas? You're fast, but your endurance isn't -- something. Sounds about right, though."

D scowled at him, annoyed that Leon should choose to throw his weakness in his face in such a way. He really had no tact, sometimes. Perhaps D should leave him to fend for himself this morning, after all? But no, that was not an option. He had been wanting to touch Leon nearly as much as he had been wanting to be touched by him, and was not willing to sacrifice that merely so he could indulge in a fit of pique. There were better ways to punish Leon, and D would enjoy them far more. He felt another smile spreading over his face, this time one of pure devilry. At the sight of it, Leon's own smile disappeared.

As well it should have. Leon had evidently forgotten the other events of that Christmas: most specifically, the way D had been able to bend him to his will with scarcely an effort. It would be very good to give him a reminder of that.

"What a long…memory you have, my dear Detective," he cooed, and let his hand slip upwards again, let his fingers finally curl around -- mmm. A shudder ran through Leon, and D bent to taste his neck again, enjoying the rasp of stubble against his tongue and cheek. It felt nice, although he thought he would generally prefer Leon clean-shaven, all things considered. Then he forgot about it as he moved his mouth down to Leon's shoulder, and then down to his chest. "I'm sure your endurance far outstrips my own, of course." He flicked his thumb against the tip of Leon's cock and Leon's hips jerked into his grasp. "Or perhaps it doesn't? Hm." D lapped gently at one small brown nipple. "So eager." He flicked his thumb again.

"D," Leon whispered, his voice catching and choking in his throat. "Remember -- we still don't have any -- "

Oh yes. That little interruption had made D think he was certainly going to lose his mind, last night. Was Leon suffering anything like D's own torment? D hoped so. "You can get some later," he said, gave the other nipple a gentle bite, and then moved to lick his way down Leon's stomach. "I'm not going to need it, I assure you."

"You -- " Leon's breath cut off in a shocked-sounding gasp. "Are you gonna -- oh, God. Oh my God."

D glanced quickly up at him, taking a self-indulgent lick at Leon's navel before asking, "Do you object?"

"No." Leon's right hand left off grabbing the bedsheet and went up to rest in D's hair, not quite tugging or pushing. "Jesus, no…"

"Good," D whispered, and brushed the tip of his tongue right beneath Leon's navel, where he knew human men's skin was often very tender and sensitive. Leon arched under him, his hand tightening in D's hair, his head falling back on the pillow as he moaned. The morning light, coming through the window blinds, fell across him in shadows and stripes, making his hair and skin appear golden. It was an…inspiring sight. D realized, with some discomfort, that he was beginning to ache between his own legs, that the need of last night was beginning to fuzz over his mind again, distracting him, making his skin go all hot. But that was ridiculous; Leon had satisfied him only a few hours ago, and for his body to be demanding more now was just greedy and selfish. He would not pay attention to it. It was Leon's turn, he told himself firmly, but he felt strangely disinclined to continue his teasing. No…it was…perhaps he did not have to tease Leon anymore, he thought with something like desperation, as he left off Leon's stomach and bent to kiss the insides of his thighs. He could -- he could leave a mark here, as Leon had done on his throat. The thought was dreadfully exciting. D, to his horror, heard one of those little whimpering noises -- he hadn't been able to stop making them last night, though he'd tried -- escape through his nose as he opened his mouth and began to lick and suck.

"Oh, D," Leon gasped above him. "Oh, Jesus. Oh, D. Please -- please, D -- "

D had no power to resist that. How could he? Would he ever? It was the sound of Leon, who needed him -- perhaps in future he would be able to stop himself, to keep from giving in, but not now, he did not have to resist right now. With a sigh, he took Leon into his mouth, the ache between his own legs growing perversely worse the harder he tried to concentrate. And it grew even worse at the first taste, the first touch of that warm flesh on his tongue, the first shout Leon gave, the first desperate arch of hips. D knew then that this was not going to take long, which was both disappointing and a supreme relief. It was too much, just like last night, too wonderful to bear. But while he could, he feasted, licking and tasting Leon like a candied treat on a stick, fluttering his tongue here, pressing soft kisses there, all while Leon twisted and moaned beneath him. Then he finally gave in to what they both wanted and swallowed Leon whole, relaxing his throat, taking him as deeply in as he could, while at the same time putting all his weight forward and pressing Leon down to the bed.

Leon yelled, then moaned, "Oh, oh shit -- D, I'm gonna, I'm gonna -- "

Yes. Yes. D swallowed, milking Leon as slowly, as sweetly as he could manage.

Leon's hand tightened brutally hard in his hair. "Oh -- oh my GOD!" Both the brief, bright pain and the hoarse exclamation went straight to D's own groin; he swallowed around Leon hungrily, ruthlessly, and got what he demanded when Leon arched up, straining against D's weight, and came in a warm, salty flood, gasping "D" over and over. D swallowed it all, wondering desperately what he was supposed to do now, since Leon's release hadn't done anything about his own sense of urgency, except make it worse. He kept his eyes closed to better concentrate on the sensations, the taste and smell, the softening flesh in his mouth. Knowing that male flesh was sensitive right after climax -- and having first-hand experience of that now -- he released Leon with some reluctance, sliding his mouth away, unable to keep from placing a tiny kiss on the tip, which elicited a shudder. Delicious. His own words came back to haunt him: Once you've tasted love from human flesh, you're forever hooked…

Hooked on Leon, he thought, laying his head against Leon's still-quivering thigh. Oh. It was not really a surprise, was it? And he was still so hard himself, worse than before, and he --

"D," Leon groaned, and moved his hand from D's head to clasp his shoulder, tug at him. D looked up at him, seeing him through a fog of need, and something in his face made Leon mutter "God," and tug at him again. D rose up on his elbows, leaned over Leon's body, hungry for something -- two large, warm hands closed around his buttocks, pulled him down flush against hot skin while Leon's mouth latched on to his throat and sucked. D's hips jerked, and he cried out, coming at once, wholly absorbed in each pulse, thrusting helplessly against Leon's belly, unable to think of anything but how good it all was, that mouth at his neck, all that skin, the blessed friction, the sensation of, of melting against Leon --

He slumped against Leon when it was over, and was so glad when two strong arms encircled him that he could not speak for several long moments. "Looks like," Leon rasped, "neither of us wins in the endurance stakes." D was amazed to hear himself chuckle breathlessly. Then he raised his head so he could look into Leon's face and absorb what he saw there: satiety, pleasure, relaxation, and -- yes -- affection, warm and real. Oh. For a moment, D thought his heart might burst. But then, it was already beating very rapidly anyway.

Leon touched his chin, raised his face, poised him for a kiss. But he had the most interesting, tentative expression on his face. D blinked as Leon bent forward, stopped, tried again, hesitated again. Then Leon bit his lip. "Gonna have to find out what it tastes like sooner or later," he muttered, screwed his eyes shut, and pressed his lips firmly to D's as if determined to get through the kiss no matter what. D shook with laughter again and opened his mouth, coaxing Leon's tongue inside, letting him know that 'it' didn't taste very bad at all, especially since D had swallowed it. It wasn't exactly hot cocoa, of course, but it was something he had wanted, and it had tasted good to him. Leon made soft noises, first surprised, and then appreciative, as he appeared to forget about tasting anything and devoted himself instead to kissing D as thoroughly as possible. Bliss. D let his eyes fall shut. How wonderful, to discover that Leon was a talented kisser. These things could be taught, of course, but it was convenient not to have to do everything.

They parted after a few long moments and looked at each other. "Not too bad," Leon said, his cheeks turning a little red. Ah. The good Detective was no doubt finally processing the fact that he'd just had his first mutually sexual experience with another man. Thank goodness it had been mutually satisfactory, as well. D was suddenly struck with inspiration.

"It tastes better or worse," he said, "depending on what you eat."

Leon raised his eyebrows and looked interested. "Yeah?" he said. "I've heard that. Uh…what makes it taste…bad?"

"Beer," D said promptly.

Leon's face fell. "For real?"

"Oh, yes," D lied. He had no idea if it was true, of course, but anything that could get his Detective to stop that filthy habit…he had finally succeeded with cigarettes. Given time, perhaps he could also conquer Mount Budweiser.

"Uh -- so what makes it taste good?"

"Salad," D decided. "Vegetables. Lots of greens. It's amazing what a healthy diet can do for you, Detective." At Leon's profoundly skeptical look, he realized he might have pushed his luck a little too far, and added, "Would I lie to you?"

"I think you'd say anything to get me to stop drinking beer," Leon said, and grinned. "Good luck." D pouted, but before he could think of a reply, Leon's stomach made a loud, grumbling sound. To D's surprise, his own echoed it. What a rude noise it was. Well…he was hungry, now that he thought about it. He'd bought bread yesterday. Cinnamon toast would be lovely. And there were the teabags -- an inferior substitution, to be sure, but he had no teapot yet.

"Breakfast?" Leon suggested hopefully, echoing his own thoughts.

"Quite," D agreed. "And then -- we have much to do today." His voice sank a little at the prospect of it. What he really wanted to do, he rather thought, was stay in bed with Leon and not leave the apartment; in the past few hours, he had already learned enough about this body to realize that, once it had satisfied one kind of hunger, it would have another. And that second hunger would be all the worse for knowing how easily, how pleasantly it could be sated.

"I guess we do," Leon said, reaching for the tissues and wiping them clean. That part of the business was not very pleasant, D had to admit. As he rose to his knees, preparatory to getting off the bed, Leon caught at his elbow. D looked down at him in surprise. "That was, uh," Leon said, his face turning red again, "that was really good."

D felt his insides glow with pleasure. He smiled tenderly down at Leon and touched his face. "I am glad you liked it."

"You liked it too, right?" Leon asked. D raised an eyebrow. He could not possibly be imagining that anxious tone underneath the question -- how adorable. "I mean, I never, with another guy -- but I was okay, right?"

D bent, impulsively, and kissed his Detective again. "Yes, Leon," he murmured, glad that he could be entirely truthful. "You were wonderful."

The next thing he knew, he was flat on his back, being kissed again, so hard his head spun. "Don't get dressed," Leon rasped when he finally lifted his head. "For breakfast. Stuff can wait until tomorrow."

A long, slow shudder ran down D's spine and he moaned softly. That earned him another kiss before he could collect himself. "I will put on my pajamas," he murmured, not wanting particularly to cook naked, "and you may borrow my bathrobe."

"Sounds like a plan," Leon said. "What's for eats?"

I'd like to be, please, D thought, but didn't say. Instead he rose, and reached for his pajamas, which had been thrown into a crumpled heap at the foot of the bed. "Follow me, my dear Detective," he said with a little smile at Leon, "and find out."

Comments and criticism welcome.

Author's Note, 3/10/04: I know I have been updating this series every Wednesday, which I've been able to accomplish chiefly by always keeping a few chapters ahead of the game. However, this is the last chapter I have actually completed, although the next one is partially done. RL is also getting incredibly hectic. I will write and update as regularly as I can, but I can't promise to stick as rigorously to the Wednesday schedule anymore. :-( Sorry, but I know you understand how it is. I'll just do my best. Don't worry -- the story will be finished!