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Arvain sighed and stretched as he stood from the desk he’d been working at for the past few hours. He wasn’t thrilled about the amount of reading and research he’d fallen into lately; it was absolutely not his forte. As he moved to leave, though, movement outside the window caught his eye. Curious who else was out at such a late hour, he moved to look, and then frowned.
What was Vhedalis doing out in the middle of the night, alone?
He hurried out, quietly keeping a distance from the investigator as he followed. At the very least, Arvain reasoned, if Vhedalis got himself into trouble (as was usual for him), Arvain could jump in to help out. It was highly unusual to see the man out and about without either his massive drake or hulking bodyguard; in fact, Arvain thought with another frown, he had never seen it in all the time he’d known the man. He didn’t want to be suspicious of Vhedalis, really - it was the man’s right to keep his history to himself, even if Vhedalis’s outright refusal to discuss it regardless of context made certain things difficult sometimes - but something about tonight felt… off.
Arvain watched as Vhedalis stopped in front of the Church of Sarenrae, hauling one of the doors open and slipping inside. Darting forward to catch it before it closed, he quietly followed.
Deshival sighed inwardly as he looked around the chapel. He didn’t know why Valmore had wanted to meet here, of all places; even if Valmore were the religious type, he and Sarenrae would absolutely not see eye to eye. He quietly padded towards the altar at the back of the room, glancing around to make certain no acolytes had decided to stick around after sundown for some reason; but it seemed he was alone. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought.
He didn’t have long to wait, however, as Valmore suddenly appeared behind the altar with a flourish. The vampire favored him with a smirk and held his arms out; Deshival obediently approached and embraced him.
“Hello, Val,” he said quietly.
“My dearest pet,” Valmore crooned, stepping back to take Deshival’s chin in one hand. “How are we tonight?”
“...Fine. I don’t think I was followed.”
Valmore glanced towards the doors of the church, his gaze lasting long enough Deshival almost turned to see what he was looking at - but the hand at his chin held him in place, and soon Valmore’s attention returned with a smooth smile.
“Very good, pet.” He pushed Deshival down to sit on the edge of the altar. “Now, I believe a status report is in order.”
Deshival tried not to inhale too sharply, exhaling quietly through his nose before beginning. “I… do not have much news to discuss. As I said before, I am… trying to gain the trust of the knights. This takes time.”
“Yes, yes, your resurrection after Aros left you magicless and you fear discovery. I remember.” Valmore glanced over Deshival’s head for a moment, before pinning him with a look. “You recall your orders?”
“...You ordered me to kill the knights who came to defend Aros. As I failed during my attack on the city, you expect that I complete this task now.” Deshival paused. “I do… understand my orders. I don’t understand the frequency of our, ah, check-ins.”
Valmore smirked. “Perhaps I just like an excuse to visit my favorite pet.”
“You don’t do favorites,” Deshival commented dryly.
“Don’t be so sure,” Valmore murmured, tilting Deshival’s chin up for a kiss. Pulling back, he hummed thoughtfully. “Have you considered poison?”
Deshival blinked. “Poison? I - How would I even acquire the appropriate materials? Most would be incredibly suspicious for me to seek out, and it’s difficult enough to slip out alone like this to meet with you. Then there is the question of the delivery method.”
“Food? Drink?” Valmore shrugged. “You’re my strategist.”
“They would have to trust me enough to let me near their food and drink,” Deshival said wryly. “I would still need time, Val. You must be patient with me.”
“Oh, I can be very patient,” Valmore growled with a smirk. “With the right incentive, of course.”
Before Deshival could ask what he meant, Valmore pushed him down on the altar. One hand went to cup one of his breasts through his corset, while the other slid beneath the thin fabric of Deshival’s underwear and pulled. Deshival sighed in understanding as the sound of cloth ripping echoed through the empty chapel.
“I do so appreciate this little skirt of yours,” Valmore murmured, flipping the fabric up as he bent to kiss Deshival. “It’s simply so convenient.”
Deshival moaned into his mouth as Valmore’s fingers pressed into him, finding his weak points with practiced ease. Valmore leaned back, smirking as Deshival squirmed and panted beneath him.
“Ahh, already wet for me. Such a devoted slut you are.”
Deshival keened as he came around Valmore’s fingers, clutching at the altar. Valmore withdrew his hand then, shoving his fingers into Deshival’s mouth as his free hand went to unlacing his pants; Deshival obediently suckled them clean. Valmore briefly pushed his hand further in, fingertips caressing the seal he’d placed on Deshival’s tongue so many years ago - and then he withdrew, using both hands to flip Deshival over on the altar. One went to his hair, pushing his head down against the stone, while the other lined up Valmore’s cock.
“Now, pet,” Valmore said, his voice echoing through the chapel. Had he been speaking so loudly before? “When you cum for your beloved master, you should remember to thank him.”
There was a mumbled, “You can’t be serious,” from the altar.
“With all the time you spend with those knights, I simply want to be sure we’re all clear on who you belong to,” Valmore growled. “Be a good boy for me, hmm?”
Before Deshival could consider Valmore’s choice of phrasing, the vampire was already shoving into him; the way Valmore immediately set a brutal pace was expected, but the hand reaching between his legs was not. He inhaled sharply as Valmore circled his clit, never letting up his pace, and whimpered as he was immediately pushed to the edge.
“Won’t you cum for me, darling?” Valmore murmured, chuckling as Deshival immediately came with a strangled cry. His fingers didn’t pause. “Now what do you say?”
“Th-thank you,” Deshival mumbled.
“What was that?” Valmore feigned confusion. “I couldn’t quite hear you.”
Deshival whimpered. The hand in his hair tightened, prompting him to cry out, “Thank you, V-Val.”
“You’re very welcome, pet,” Valmore crooned.
His fingers pulled Deshival over the edge again almost immediately, and Deshival obediently slurred out another “Thank you,” as Valmore continued to torture his clit and fuck him through his orgasm.
This continued, with Valmore pulling him over the edge over and over until Deshival could barely form the words Valmore wanted to hear. Eventually, he gave up, moaning helplessly as Valmore continued to toy with him on the altar.
Above him, Valmore was watching their guest, smirking viciously as he locked eyes with Arvain. He stared the man down with a grin, reveling in Arvain’s expression as he was forced to watch from the shadows as Valmore fucked his former husband on the altar to his goddess, until finally Valmore thrust deep into Deshival and came with a satisfied groan. He held Deshival there on the altar for a few moments longer, eyeing Arvain with one last smirk, before withdrawing.
Deshival slowly pulled himself up off the altar, leaning against it for support as he stood on shaky legs. Valmore looked him up and down with a pleased smirk as he tucked himself back into his pants.
“Well then. Until next time, pet.”
He vanished, and after a beat Deshival waved a hand through the air where he’d been standing. Confirming that Valmore had indeed teleported away, he was silent for a long moment.
With a sigh, Deshival let out a loud, “Fuck,” before sliding down to his knees next to the altar. Arvain, who had been contemplating how to leave without alerting Deshival to his presence, startled and turned his attention back to the other man.
“Poison, he says,” Deshival grumbled. “Fuck. Anyone could deliver poison. How am I supposed to - you can’t just quietly defend against poison, I don’t think the seal would let me warn them. What do I do now.”
He sighed loudly, and Arvain watched as he put his head in his hands.
“This was an awful idea, what am I doing… if any of them find out about this they’ll never believe anything I say, but I don’t… I don’t know what else to do.” He sighed, then mumbled, “I don’t even know what I can say. I should’ve gotten someone else in on this when he first found me.”
There was a long silence then, and Arvain wondered if Deshival was done talking to himself. If Deshival went to leave, he could just wait for a little while and leave himself-
“I wonder, if I’d told Arvain, if he’d have helped me.”
Arvain, currently listening from the shadows, froze.
“In Aros, he tried… but then again, after everything, I doubt…” Another pause, and a sigh. “I don’t know why I’m even considering this now. It’s too late.”
Deshival sighed again and pushed himself up off the floor, using the altar to steady himself. Footsteps echoed behind him - he whirled around, and froze.
“Deshival.”
“Arvain,” he said, voice cracking slightly. “You - How long have you…?”
“I followed you in,” Arvain said quietly, walking towards him.
“Then, you were here for…” Embarrassment mixed with realization on Deshival’s face. “He saw you, didn’t he? That’s why he was unusually possessive tonight.”
“...Yeah.” Arvain stopped as he reached the altar. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”
“Yes,” Deshival blurted out. He winced as Arvain’s eyebrows raised. “I - You heard, ah, a lot of things, which helps. He’s bound my tongue, I can’t tell you anything you don’t know already about what he’s doing, but…”
“But?” Arvain prompted, when Deshival hesitated.
“I can tell you I don’t intend to follow his orders,” Deshival said urgently. “I - I realize you have no reason to believe me, but when I was brought back after Aros… It wasn’t by him, or anyone related to him, and I had no intention of going back. I’m not even sure how he found out, or figured out who I was, but - I - You have to understand, there wasn’t anything I could do.”
Arvain eyed him, one eyebrow raised skeptically.
Deshival sighed. “I don’t mean - Look, how do you think a man like that, with the kind of power he has, would react to being told no, I won’t work for you anymore? Killing me on the spot would be a mercy. You know what I’ve done, he could simply expose me and then where would I be? I don’t have anyone on my side anymore - Vhedalis might, but not me.”
“You could have me,” Arvain said quietly, “if you really aren’t working for him anymore.”
“I’m not,” Deshival said desperately, taking a step forward; he reached for Arvain, before seemingly realizing what he was doing and aborting the motion halfway, hand withdrawing to his chest. “I… I’m trying to make him think I am, so that he doesn’t… do anything. But I have no interest whatsoever in carrying out those orders. Please, believe me.”
Arvain studied Deshival’s face; open desperation and pleading were all he could see. He sighed.
“I want to believe you,” he said. “I do.”
“...It sounds like there’s a ‘but’ there,” Deshival said quietly.
“Yeah, kinda.” Arvain smiled faintly. “How’s this. We’ll work together - I’ll keep an eye on you, to, y’kno, make sure you’re telling the truth, and in the meantime we can figure out what to do about this. I won’t tell anyone just yet, Alastair probably won’t care if I just bring you along for my duties, considering your skillset.”
Deshival let out a shaky breath. “That… that sounds workable, yes. Thank you.”
“Of course.” Arvain blinked as he remembered something Deshival had said earlier. “Just… wondering, though. You said something about Valmore being, uh, unusually possessive, because of me? Why?”
Deshival stared at him. “What do you mean why?”
“I mean, you made it sound kind of personal, I was just wondering.”
“I - of course it’s personal,” Deshival said, bewildered. “It’s you.”
“What - you’re not actually explaining anything,” Arvain frowned. “I get it, I’m… I’m your ex, I guess, but if you two have been together for so long-”
“We’re not together,” Deshival snapped, flushing as Arvain’s eyebrows raised. “I- We’ve been involved, you could say, yes, but it was never - there were never any sort of romantic feelings involved. On either side.”
“Wait, then why does he care?”
“It’s… a kind of ownership thing?” Deshival waved a hand in the air vaguely. “Before my, ah, death, it was… I was his. In every way except that. He knew I’d never, ah… you know.”
Arvain folded his arms and looked at him. “Don’t know if I do, actually.”
Deshival sighed, looking away. “I - It’s just - I was clear with him that he would never have my heart. Which I don’t think he minded, except… he knew where it was. Is.”
Arvain took a step closer, murmuring “And where is that?”
Looking up at Arvain, Deshival swallowed. “It, um. I.”
“Who has your heart, Deshival?” Arvain asked softly, hand reaching up to brush a lock of hair behind his ear.
“You, of course,” Deshival whispered hoarsely. “It’s always been you. No one else.”
Arvain leaned in then to press their lips together; Deshival surged against him, hands reaching out to grasp at his shirt as they kissed. When Arvain finally pulled back for air, Deshival stood on his toes to chase after him - Arvain suddenly realized Deshival’s heels must have come off at some point during his little tryst with Valmore. An idea came to him.
Gently, he nudged Deshival backwards, maneuvering him until Arvain had him pressed against the altar. He leaned in again to kiss Deshival, who eagerly pressed back against him, before lifting Deshival back onto the altar where Valmore had had him. Deshival moved to press his legs together, looking somewhat embarrassed and a little ashamed, but Arvain stood in the way.
“Let me see you,” he said, and Deshival bit his lip as he spread his legs and slowly pulled up his skirt for Arvain.
He could see where Valmore’s seed had begun leaking from Deshival, trickling onto his legs. Wordlessly, Arvain pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began to gently wipe at Deshival’s thighs.
“What are you - ah,” Deshival cut off with a soft noise as Arvain moved to his cunt.
“I’m preparing you for me,” Arvain said simply.
Deshival inhaled sharply. “You… you want to…?”
Arvain paused. “Unless you don’t.”
“No, I do!” Deshival rushed to reassure him. “I just - you saw - after Valmore-”
Satisfied, Arvain set the handkerchief aside. “Turn over for me, Dess.”
Wide-eyed at the use of his old nickname, Deshival obeyed. Arvain embraced him from behind; Deshival wasn’t sure when Arvain had undone his pants, but he could feel Arvain’s erection against his thigh and shuddered with anticipation at the heat of it.
Pressing a kiss to Deshival’s shoulder, however, Arvain did not immediately move to enter him. Instead, he bent Deshival forward over the altar, standing between his legs. Deshival could feel Arvain’s cock ghosting against his folds - he whimpered and tried to wriggle closer, making Arvain chuckle.
“Patience, Dess,” he murmured. “I’m not going to fuck you yet.”
“Then what…?” Deshival cut off with a moan as Arvain’s hand drifted down to find his clit.
“First,” Arvain said, his fingers circling, “I’m going to make you cum.”
Still sensitive from Valmore’s assault on his weak points, it didn’t take long for Deshival to climax with a cry. Arvain’s movements didn’t stop, however.
“Is… is that not all?” Deshival mumbled, already feeling a little dizzy.
“Well, no,” Arvain admitted, his free hand holding Deshival up. “I’m going to make you cum once for every time you thanked that asshole, and maybe a few more times. And then I’ll fuck you.”
Deshival whimpered as he came again, instinctively trying in vain to grind against Arvain’s cock beneath him. Arvain just hummed and held him in place, pressing another kiss to his shoulder as he continued to torture Deshival’s clit.
After the first few, Deshival began to beg.
“Please, Arvain, I can’t,” he cried out as another orgasm washed over him.
“You can,” Arvain said.
“It’s too much!”
“You can do it.” Arvain pressed a kiss to his hair. “If you did it for him, you can do it for me.”
Deshival came again with a strangled cry, and Arvain smiled.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it? Only about… five more to go. Or maybe it was seven.”
Deshival whined.
By the time Arvain was satisfied, Deshival was limp in his grasp; dripping wet, he whined as Arvain withdrew his hand.
“It’s alright, sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere,” he soothed. He gently pressed his cock into Deshival’s waiting hole, groaning at how obscenely wet it was. “There we go - alright, darling?”
Deshival whimpered softly, wriggling his way further down Arvain’s cock in lieu of a proper answer. However, Arvain paused.
“Actually, I think I’d rather… hold on, sweetheart.” He ignored Deshival’s mewls of frustration as he pulled out. “Turn over for me? There we go. Hello, dearest.”
He smiled softly down at Deshival, admiring the way Deshival’s eyelids fluttered as he pressed back in. He started a slow, steady pace.
“Just wanted to see you,” Arvain murmured. “It’s been a long time.”
Deshival grasped at his shoulders, and Arvain let himself be pulled down for a kiss; he smiled as Deshival held him close while Arvain thrust into him.
“More,” Deshival mumbled, and he moaned as Arvain obliged.
“Better?”
“No,” Deshival mumbled. “Want… you to wreck me.”
Arvain snorted. “Haven’t I already?”
“No,” Deshival insisted muleshly.
“Well, if you insist.”
Arvain shifted to grip Deshival by the hips, pulling him closer as he began to slam into him. Deshival dug his nails into Arvain’s shoulders as he wailed.
“Think you can cum for me one last time, baby?” Arvain panted. Deshival whimpered. “Just one more. Just the one, sweetheart-”
He cut off with a strangled cry as Deshival came on his cock with a sob, groaning as Deshival’s walls clenched around him. He gave a few more thrusts before climaxing himself with a shout, burying himself deep as he came and collapsing onto Deshival.
They laid together for a while, the chapel silent but for their panting. Eventually, Arvain propped himself up on one arm to look at Deshival.
“So,” he drawled. “Between the two of us, who would you say-”
“Would you shut up about Valmore already,” Deshival croaked. “I don’t want to think about him when I’m with you.”
Arvain grinned. “So I win, then.”
“You always win,” Deshival grumbled. “It’s not even a competition. Lay back down, would you? I… I don’t want you to leave just yet.”
“Wasn’t planning on it.” He laid back on top of Deshival as bid. “Isn’t this a little uncomfortable for you, though?”
“N- well,” Deshival paused. “Admittedly a little. But one can hardly expect the comforts of a bed when having sex on an altar of all things.”
“We could move to a bed.”
“Mm. In a bit, perhaps.”
They both fell quiet for a while, until finally Deshival broke the silence.
“Arvain?”
“Hmm?”
“Sarenrae isn’t going to be upset with us for having sex on one of her altars, is she? It’s not as though she particularly likes me anyways, but I’d hate to get you in trouble with your goddess…”
Arvain was silent for a moment.
“Arvain…?”
“I… have no idea.”
Another stretch of silence.
“Perhaps we should leave now,” Deshival suggested.
“Yeah,” Arvain said as he stood. He re-tied his pants, then helped Deshival back onto his feet.
Deshival wobbled in place for a moment, clinging to Arvain’s arm. “I… you may have to carry me.”
At Arvain’s smug expression, he grumbled, “Shut up. I’ll direct you to my home, it’s not fair from here. You may, ah, stay, if you like.”
As Arvain hefted him up into his arms, he casually asked, “Is that an invitation for round two?”
Deshival snorted. “You’re really trying to make me unable to walk tomorrow, aren’t you.”
“That wasn’t a no. Besides, we have catching up to do.”
Shaking his head, Deshival stifled a laugh. “Take me home, Sunshine. We’ll see from there.”