Archive of Our Own

“Sorey.”

No one...no, nothing...stopped him as he walked as fast as he could. Likely, the hellions were all baffled that, for once, there is something uncorrupted running to them-

Ah, but he wasn’t uncorrupted anymore, was he? Not completely. And could hellions even think so clearly?

A memory of nearly drowning Lailah in water came to the forefront of his mind, unbidden, but Mikleo pushed it down. Not that he regretted it, though he should, but he had priorities right now, such as-

“Sorey!” His voice was as desperate as it was relieved when he opened another set of double doors and found himself in the throne room. And the -King? Lord? He wasn’t sure of Sorey’s title- was sitting right there…

He barely passed the doors before they slammed shut behind him.

The candles flickered and went out, the room descending into darkness.

It was only for the space of one breath, but when they suddenly came to light again, Sorey had moved so fast he was now in front of Mikleo, so close their chests touched.

“Why,” Sorey spit out, hands reaching out to grab Mikleo’s upper arms’ and shake him, “are you here?”

Mikleo didn’t answer immediately. Instead he reached out and carefully framed Sorey’s face in his hands.

He still looked like Sorey. Mikleo didn’t know how much time had passed, and had worried Sorey would have become unrecognizable, but the former Shepherd before him had barely changed. True, his hands felt strangely elongated, his skin...not paler but duller somehow and there was the unmistakable feeling of darkness around him.

“Silly Sorey,” Mikleo said with a tired sigh, a hand going from Sorey’s face to squeeze his shoulder, “I came to see you, obviously.”

Something flickered in Sorey’s eyes too fast for Mikleo to make out, and for a moment Sorey leaned forward-

Only he then shoved Mikleo roughly at the closed doors and rapidly walked away until he was standing next to the throne, his back to Mikleo.

“You’ve seen me,” Sorey talked as if every syllable is being choked out of him, “Now leave.”

Mikleo flinched. To think that there would be a Sorey that wouldn’t want him around...it was worse than his own corruption…

Mikleo tried to ignore that stray, selfish thought. It must be my malevolence speaking. Instead he focused on the present situation, taking a few steps towards Sorey’s figure.

“Because, Sorey, I-”

“Maybe it isn’t noticeable enough,” Sorey said, and something about his acid tone stopped not only Mikleo’s words, but also his movement, “but I’m corrupted. The hellions you must have passed on the way here...they stay away from me out of fear. The malevolence drenching this place is mine.”

Mikleo frowned. Sorey had always been a fan of theatrics, which used to translate to a love of purple proses. Now it seemed that penchant was making him act out. “Of course I know that.”

“Then why do you seek me out? I may look like your friend, but I’m not him anymore. Have you come here thinking you can still save me?” Sorey let out a burst of bitter laughter. “It’s too late for that. I’ve seen too much of the world to go back to being as naive as I once was. Go. This is your final warning. The way I am now, I have no restraints; I do what I want to who I want.”

Maybe the words were meant to be threatening, but Mikleo felt nervous for an entirely different reason.

He could point out he had noticed how everything Sorey killed, and everyone he punished was evil to some extent. And yet…

And yet he hadn’t come here thinking he could save Sorey. He had known that was long lost since the very start of it, when Lailah’s fire hadn’t purified him.

Oh Mikleo, he will consume you.

“They...warned me of that. And they didn’t need to, I knew already. But,” Mikleo looked at the ground, intertwining his hands, grip tight. “I wanted to be with you, to the bitter end. If that means death...then so be it.” I can’t live without you.

The room was still, as if the very air held its breath waiting for what may come.

“...you must think the time that elapsed shows your resolve, don’t you?” Sorey said eventually, tonelessly. “But the truth is that I find it shows how unsure you are, that you needed three months to convince yourself that you wanted this.”

“It’s been three months?!” It sent Mikleo’s head reeling. True, it had felt like an eternity, but he had hoped much less than three months had gone by…

“You didn’t know how long it’s been?” In his incredulity, Sorey finally turned to face him again. He then chuckled dryly. “Despite your words, it seems that my defection was meaningless enough you don’t even-”

“Don’t say such a stupid thing,” Mikleo snapped back, “I didn’t keep track of time because I couldn’t! I...until a week ago I wasn’t able to see the day changing into night, and of course they wouldn’t tell me how long-”

“They?”

Mikleo groaned. “It’s all your fault. You were saying such ridiculous things you confused my train of thought. The reason it took me three months to get to you again is because I’ve been locked away.”

To prove it before Sorey could accuse him of lying, Mikleo pulled up his long, tattered sleeves and lifted his hands up so that Sorey could see the remains of the shackles that had been concealed before.

Again with inhuman speed, Sorey was upon him, this time grabbing at his wrists, his face contorted in fury. A small part of Mikleo delighted in it, parched for any show of caring from him.

Sorey’s hands had distorted and become nearly clawlike, and he made short work of the manacles with them without harming Mikleo. Even so, Sorey pulled the wrists to him to examine them more.

“My wrists are fine,” Mikleo assured him, feeling guilty now that he could see Sorey’s condition worsening due to him. “These were very loose, and were only used to stop me from using my powers to escape…” Although he said it to appease Sorey, Mikleo’s face twisted at the memory.

They had tried to keep us apart. “In the end, my corruption gave me enough power to escape.”

“Who…” Something in Mikleo’s face must have given it away, because Sorey’s eyes widened in disbelief, “Lailah and the others?”

Mikleo sighed and looked down. “They meant well, at least,” he murmured. “They promised they just wanted to look out for me, and would only keep me secreted away until they could ‘make me see sense’. They weren’t lying, or else they’d have been corrupted.”

“Good intentions or not, they had no right,” Sorey ground out through gritted teeth, eyes flashing dangerously.

“Oh, I agree,” Mikleo retorted, finding that his tone mirrored Sorey’s, “It’s why I have no qualms about what I had to do. They should have listened and not tried to keep me away from you.” If they had, they wouldn’t have gotten hurt…

Surprisingly, rather than fueling Sorey’s ire, Mikleo’s words had the opposite effect. Sorey’s face cleared and, more than that, opened up, as if the innocent Sorey of old had come back.

“All this time...you really hadn’t abandoned me?” He asked softly, expression finally unguarded.

Mikleo huffed but smiled a little. “Never. Not even for a-”

He didn’t get to finish, because Sorey lunged forward and captured Mikleo’s lips in his.

Despite the action, the kiss was chaste, and soft; their lips barely touching.

This isn’t enough, was the first thought in Mikleo’s head when he was able to think again.

Worry for Sorey, longing for him, and desire he’d kept at bay from before their journey outside of Elysia...a kiss or two would not abate all of it before his doom, but it would be small consolation prize to take to the grave.

Before, he would never have risked it: clear as Sorey’s reciprocating feelings might have been at times...Mikleo would never have wanted to jeopardize their relationship by accidentally taking it a step too far.

But now...if he had no future anyway, there was nothing to lose.

His hands reached out to grip Sorey’s shirt tightly as he tilted his face sideways and moved closer to mash their lips together.

It seemed to have been the right thing to do, because with a sound that turned from startled to something reminiscent of a pleased purr, Sorey’s hands found purchase in his hip bone and he moved them both. Mikleo felt his back hit the closed doorway, and still Sorey moved his body until Mikleo found himself completely crushed between him and door. To end the final space between them, he removed his hands clutching at Sorey’s front and moved them to his back.

But doing so wasn’t sufficient for Sorey, not anymore. Mikleo felt teeth lightly bite down on his bottom lip and opened his mouth in surprise. Sorey used the chance to snake his tongue inside.

Mikleo shuddered as the kiss became devoid of anything chaste or innocent to it. He wasn’t even sure if this was good kissing or not, as he’d never practiced before. Regardless, all that mattered was who was kissing him back so ardently, and skilled or not, their bruising lips and tongues were doing wonders to him.

He felt Sorey’s hands grab his hips with almost bruising force even as a leg forced his own apart. Mikleo allowed it and was rewarded with the feel of Sorey’s upper thigh rubbing against his groin. He couldn’t help moving his lower body into the friction, or the small moan that escaped his lips...

However, Sorey abruptly stopped and stepped back. Mikleo, dazed from the sudden end of his pleasure, scowled; he was quickly getting tired of Sorey’ s new tendency of swiftly changing positions-

-Was it really new? Or was it simply that he had known Sorey so well before he always anticipated his actions, and now he no longer knew him?

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt the doors he was leaning against begin to open. Mikleo straightened himself and glanced behind him in confusion.

“Go,” Sorey said, and when Mikleo looked at him again, Sorey no longer tried to appear threatening.

“I...I want much more than just a kiss,” he continued, sounding completely miserable. “And the way I am right now, I can’t hold off my own desires for long. So please, leave before I go too far.”

Mikleo sighed and lightly punched Sorey’s shoulder. “I came here because I can’t live without you.” He felt his cheeks redden at having to admit it. But after three months of utter remorse of all the things left unsaid, he wouldn’t let embarrassment get in the way. “I don’t know if malevolence is affecting your hearing, but I’ve already said I came here prepared for anything. If you want to consume me, I’m ready to die.”

Sorey groaned. “This is why I never risked doing anything before, you’re too innocent-”

Mikleo bristled. “I’m the innocent one? If I recall correctly, I wasn’t the one who found that wall carving in some ruins and thought it depicted wrestling.”

“I was thirteen!”

“So was I, but I knew what it meant.”

“Well, despite my kissing you just now, you haven’t been able to grasp what I obviously want to do!”

“...Oh.” It...seemed pretty obvious now that Mikleo actually stopped to think about it. He’d been bracing himself for death for so long it never occurred to him Sorey wouldn’t want to kill him.

“Exactly. Now please leave before my last shreds of self-control break and I take you against this wall.”

“...So you don’t crave Seraph flesh? For eating?”

“No. I don’t know if I’m not corrupted enough, or not for enough time yet, but so far I’ve managed to subsist on some blood I got from the last fight. And I’ve only needed it weekly. And even if I did, I’d have to have had to turn into a complete monster before I ate you.”

So he wouldn’t be killed. And he could be with Sorey and…

“So I can just give you my blood once a week to sustain you…”

“What?” Sorey looked incredulous. “No, you aren’t staying another minute. Did you miss what I said about the door?”

“I didn’t,” Mikleo snapped. “And I certainly wouldn’t want my first time against a door…”

Sorey repeated his words with a strange look on his face before dramatically hiding it in his hands and groaning.

“W-What?” Mikleo said, wishing he could stop the stuttering, or the flush he could feel rising again. “You thought I had-”

“Of course not. I’ve been closely watching you for years. I’d known if you’d done any of that. But just...you can’t say things like that out loud to me. It just makes me crave being your first even more. I want to have you all to myself.”

Pitying Sorey, and delighting in his selfishness, Mikleo took a step forward and pried Sorey’s hands away from his face so he could look at Mikleo.

“And I want you to be my first, my only and my last,” he said softly. “Just not against the door first. Don’t you have a-”

Sorey interrupted him by kissing him forcefully. Mikleo was momentarily surprised and annoyed at being cut short, but decided it was worth it if it meant he had Sorey in his arms again, and melted into it.

This time, rather than push Mikleo against the doors, Sorey circled his back and pressed Mikleo flush against him.

Much better, Mikleo thought, grabbing hold of Sorey’s hair as he sucked on his bottom lip.

He felt Sorey’s hands caress his back, then go down and latch onto either side of his waist. Then, with more strength than Mikleo remembered him having, Sorey lifted him up effortlessly.

Surprised but with an inkling of what Sorey wanted, Mikleo took his dangling legs and hooked them around Sorey’s waist.

“Good,” Sorey breathed and shifted so that he had a better hold on Mikleo’s legs. With this position, Sorey’s mouth was now aligned with Mikleo’s neck.

Mikleo barely had time to rue the loss of Sorey’s lips, or question Sorey’s plan, because Sorey began moving at the same time as he latched onto Mikleo’s collarbone, sucking and kissing in turn.

His sensitive skin being so abused should not feel so good, yet Mikleo found himself grabbing fistfuls of Sorey’s hair as he bit his lips to muffle the embarrassing sounds that threatened to escape.

“Are you planning to take me all the way to your room like this?” he demanded, trying to distract himself.

“Too far,” Sorey murmured into his neck in between bites. “I can’t wait that long.”

“Then where-”

“Here.”

With that, Mikleo was let go, and with a surprised but not pained yelp, he fell onto something cushioned.

Mikleo looked around him; he had been deposited in the throne. It was heavily adorned, so large Mikleo thought nearly two of him could fit side by side on it, and although it looking old and worn, it was still comfortable. Despite the situation, the archeologist in him couldn’t help but trace the carvings in the armrest, awed at the detail and care put into it to make it last so long.

“I started being jealous of ruins when I was twelve.”

“What?” Mikleo blinked, and turned to Sorey, who was standing in front of him, looking at the hand tracing the throne with a possessive glint in his eyes.

“At first I just wanted you to look at me with the same joy and interest. To have your face light up the same way. But after some time I started wishing you would touch me like that too.”

Mikleo swallowed and licked his lips. He leaned forward and reached out, one hand grabbing Sorey by the ridiculous high collar of the black clothing he wore, and the other grabbing his waist, both pulling him near, forcing Sorey to place one knee on the throne and bend down.

“You were blind if you thought ruins made me happier than you ever did,” Mikleo said, and paused to enjoy the way Sorey swallowed. “If anything, you should have done like me, and thought them pitiful.”

“Pitiful?”

“Yes, because you would always stop being interested in them after a while, and began searching for new ones. But you never got tired of me.”

“And never will,” Sorey growled out, and threw his whole weight forward, kissing Mikleo hungrily. Mikleo met him with equal desperation. Their current positions -him sitting down and Sorey leaning over him- weren’t so good for getting close, so Mikleo tried standing up, but Sorey’s hands quickly pushed his shoulders down.

“Sorey…” Mikleo began, breaking up the kiss, but then felt a heated touch on his chest and glanced down. Somehow, Sorey had ripped up the two layers of shirt he’d been wearing, exposing his front.

“Hey!”

“I’ll give you new ones,” Sorey promised dismissively, kissing his jaw, and then his ear, and then his neck. “I’ll give you better ones.”

“A-At least make this fair. Remove yours too.”

Sorey obliged with a small smile, making short work of his cape and shirt before leaning towards Mikleo again, but going down, kissing Mikleo’s collarbone as one hand caressed his stomach.

Mikleo sighed at being unable to put his lips anywhere of Sorey’s like this, but used the chance to trace and feel the muscle’s on Sorey’s upper back.

And then Sorey was moving back a little, and Mikleo could see where his other hand had been: removing Mikleo’s belt.

Sorey glanced at it before unceremoniously dropping it on the floor and sighing.

“This...isn’t how I dreamed this would go,” he said ruefully, now kissing and biting just over Mikleo’s belly button as a hand grabbed the edge of Mikleo’s trousers and another went under him, lifting Mikleo’s bottom from the throne.

“I dreamed of doing this slowly. Of shedding your layers one by one and lovingly exploring every inch of you. But right now I need you too much to do this with the care and devotion you deserve.” With that, he completely removed not only Mikleo’s trousers but also his underwear and shoes in one fluid motion.

Mikleo shivered, and not because of his fully exposed body. How did one respond to that? “I don’t want adoration. I want you, in whatever way you want. I...don’t plan on leaving your side ever again, so we’ll have plenty of time to do whatever and as much as we want until we’re both satiated.”

Sorey said nothing, fully removing himself from the throne, making Mikleo for the first time realize how much heat had been coming from Sorey; he was like a furnace.

Mikleo leaned forward to look at what Sorey was doing; he had gotten to his knees in front of him.

The thought of him, sitting on that throne, with the all-powerful corrupted former shepherd on his knees in front of him had Mikleo’s insides twisting with thrill.

And then Sorey grabbed one foot and kissed his toes tenderly. Mikleo jerked involuntarily, but despite how gentle it felt, Sorey’s touch was a vice grip that didn’t budge.

Sorey paused, then shifted so he could kiss Mikleo’s ankle.

Mikleo jerked again, this time grabbing hold of Sorey’s head with his hands and yanking at his hair.

“S-Sorey, that’s enough, come back up here.”

“Hm, soon. I like it down here...” Sorey said with amusement, biting just above the ankle.

“You just said you wouldn’t take it slow!”

“I did, but then I saw your perfect slender legs and couldn’t help myself.” Even as he kissed one leg, his other hand caressed the other, unattended, one.

Embarrassed and sensitive about the attention, Mikleo yanked harder at Sorey’s hair, trying to pull him up by sheer force.

It must have hurt a little, because Sorey finally stopped his slow ascent on Mikleo’s legs and looked at him with mild annoyance, swatting his hands away.

“Enough of that, stay still.”

“Make me,” Mikleo challenged.

Sorey’s eyes turned dangerous. “Have you forgotten what I’ve become? Do you really want to risk it?”

Mikleo snorted. “You can act like an evil overlord all you want, from what I’ve seen you’re still Sorey. So go on, do your worst.”

Rather than seem bothered that Mikleo was looking down on the danger he posed, Sorey actually broke into a genuine, relieved smile, which sent a pang to Mikleo’s heart. He would have said something, but Sorey’s smile quickly turned mischievous.

“If you insist…”

He pushed Mikleo’s back so he was leaning against the throne again, grabbed Mikleo’s hands and placed them on the armrests then gave him a look…

Something flashed behind his eyes and Mikleo suddenly felt strange in a familiar way he couldn’t quite place. Sorey smiled cryptically at him and grabbed his leg again.

Frowning, Mikleo moved his arms-

Or tried to. He found that no matter how hard he tried, his arms wouldn’t budge. He tried moving his torso; it refused to obey him either. Finally, he recalled where he had felt the sensation before.

“You petrified me?!” He said in utter disbelief.

“Hm, yeah. You wouldn’t be still and told me to make you do it so…”

“You can petrify people now?”

“Among other things.”

“Like?” He should be horrified, yet all he felt was curiosity.

Sorey smiled up at him and turned to look at the hand caressing Mikleo’s leg. He removed all but one finger, placing on the inside of his leg, and then moving it slowly up his upper high…

“Ah.”

He would have jolted out of the throne if he hadn’t been petrified to it. Instead Mikleo sat there, shivering between confusion, surprise and pleasure.

“That was...electricity?”

“Yeah. Did you like it?”

It was obvious he had. “N-No,” Mikleo said petulantly, turning his face away; the only movement he was allowed.

He heard Sorey chuckle. “I think you did. Your body did, at least.”

The last sentence sounded meaningful. Mikleo turned to look back at him, and followed Sorey’s gaze to-

Mikleo could feel his whole body flushing in humiliation; his cock was half hard.

“Don’t feel bad,” Sorey assured him with amusement. “I’ve been like that for a while now.”

That was gratifying to hear, but it was difficult not feeling mortified when he was this exposed, so Mikleo tried to complain, but Sorey simply ignored him and continued speaking.

“Don’t worry, I’ll divide the voltage between my fingers from now on.”

“From now on?!”

Instead of answering, Sorey began nibbling at his inner thigh while his hand went back to caressing Mikleo’s other leg, only this time the fingers let out small jolts of electricity. The combination sent heat and shivers up his legs and through his body, pooling at his groin. His restrained movements maddened him, he needed to grab something.

“S-Sorey, at least...ah...let me do something for...you-”

“Hush. You don’t need to do anything at all. Just enjoy.”

“How can I fully enjoy this when I can’t even touch you?”

“If you touch me I’m going to lose it, and I need to last a little longer.”

“Why?”

Sorey didn’t answer, his mouth finally reaching the end of Mikleo’s thigh. He looked squarely at Mikleo’s eyes, shifted and focused on...

Mikleo blinked. Surely Sorey wasn’t planning on…?

He was. Without any hesitation, Sorey grabbed the base of Mikleo’s cock with one hand and went down on it, swallowing almost all of it in one go.

Mikleo keened, vision blurring momentarily.

With a wet sound, Sorey pried his mouth from Mikleo’s now completely hard cock but not his hand at the base of it, and looked at Mikleo with half lidded eyes, before leaning down again…

This time, he parted his lips but only lightly touched the tip with his tongue.

Mikleo quickly found out not all of him was petrified, as he involuntarily thrust his cock into Sorey’s mouth, who opened up and swallowed it again without complaint.

Mikleo made a strangled sound, losing any train of thought as he felt Sorey’s tongue and hand on him. Thankfully, Sorey didn't have a rhythm, and kept alternating between sucking, licking and pumping too fast for pleasure to fully build.

He’s a complete novice at this, Mikleo thought, and it warmed him inside to think he was also Sorey’s first.

Still, even with no technique, pleasure was settling too much and his cock throbbed desperately. He wouldn’t last too long.

“Sorey,” he panted. “Please release me. I’m close.”

Sorey removed his mouth completely, and Mikleo had to restrain himself to not thrust towards him again despite his own insistence.

“Good,” Sorey said, licking away a trail of saliva that connected his mouth to Mikleo’s cock. Mikleo momentarily closed his eyes, the sight alone was pushing him closer to the edge.

“Not good,” Mikleo ground out, trying to think of something to offer Sorey. “You said you wanted me touch you like I do the things we discover, right? Did you know one of the reasons I always refrained from touching you was precisely so I wouldn’t accidently do that?”

Sorey, pumping his cock as he nibbled at the sensitive inside of his thigh just next to it, fumbled momentarily.

Hopeful, Mikleo continued. “I always wanted to place my hands on you, to feel your muscles moving and your blood pumping and just...feel all of you. You were always so much more fascinating than anything and anyone else. So please.”

Sorey groaned, and the vibration of it around Mikleo’s shaft sent a jolt through his body, better than any actual electricity.

“Mikleo you don’t even have to touch me to make me lose it. I’m sorry but no. I want to see you come undone, and I want to still have a shred of sanity about me when you do, so I can fully appreciate the sight.”

Fine, if sweet talking wouldn’t work, Mikleo had one more card left.

“Sorey if you don’t release me right now and come up here so I can have you, I will lower my own body temperature until I feel like ice.”

“Hm, I’ve always liked ice cream. And popsicles. It might be fun to see you melt in my mouth in a more literal sense…”

Mikleo groaned in despair and Sorey laughed.

“Alright, alright,” he said placatingly, finally removing himself from Mikleo’s cock, leaving him both relieved and annoyed at the same time. “I’m too far gone to try that out today. There you go.”

Mikleo felt the petrification leave him, and his hands quickly shot out to grab Sorey, who had stood up again.

“One moment,” Sorey promised, and removed his last clothing articles so that he too was completely bare. His cock was as hard as Mikleo’s.

Mikleo reached out tentatively to touch it, but Sorey intercepted the touch and placed the hand on his chest instead.

“Anywhere but there, please,” Sorey murmured, and then moved forward. Only this time, rather than simply lean over Mikleo, he placed his legs on either side of him, straddling him.

Mikleo hummed, pleased, and took no time exploring Sorey. His hands roamed his back, nails lightly grazing him in a way that made Sorey arch in his arms, and his mouth could now reach Sorey’s chest. He tasted Sorey’s skin until he felt his nipple graze his cheek. He glanced at it. Would it feel good if he...well, there was only one way to find out.

Hesitant, Mikleo licked the nub.

Sorey shivered in his arms. Encouraged, Mikleo enveloped it in his lips and sucked.

Sorey gasped, his legs tightened around him and his hand pulled at Mikleo’s head hard. Mikleo continued sucking and licking for a few more seconds as Sorey moaned and rocked in his arms. And then the motion had their cocks touching and Mikleo gasped in pleasure, accidently grazing Sorey’s nipple with his teeth.

“Mikleo,” Sorey hissed, going so rigid his grip on Mikleo’s hair forced his head back.

Sorey swore, panting. “I could come just with this, since it's you.”

“Why don’t you?” Mikleo asked, looking down at their painfully straining cocks. If he moved a little he could grab both with hand...

“I need something more today.”

“Tell me, I’m almost gone too.”

Sorey lightly pushed him to lean back and lifted himself slightly, moving forward and…

Mikleo choked when Sorey once again grabbed his cock, and then nearly lost all coherence when he saw Sorey align it with his ass.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Mikleo said desperately, worry clearing his mind. “I’ve never done this before, maybe you should...err...take the lead?”

“I haven't done this either. Besides, I can see how tired you are, and I’m scared I’ll lose control of my strength and hurt you, so this is best for now.”

“Those reasons are stupid but…” Mikleo licked his lips. The thought of Sorey riding him was too enticing for him to voice any complaint, except, “either way, even I know your saliva isn’t enough.”

“It’s fine, my body can handle more now.”

“But you’ll still feel some pain, won’t you? I don’t want you to feel any pain at all!”

“I do.”

“...What?”

“I want to feel this. I want to still be feeling it in the morning, so that when I wake up I have physical proof this and you aren’t simply figments of my desperate imagination.”

“Sorey…” Mikleo said, feeling a lump in his throat. And then he noticed Sorey beginning to move and panic overtook him again. “Wait! Let me just…”

“Hurry up, then.”

It was exasperating, but Mikleo ignored the comment, focusing instead on his powers. He had always been keen on manipulating water properties, but usually it was so he could apply it to recipes…

Viscous, but as slippery as possible, he thought, willing a substance to appear on his hand. When one did, he hoped he’d done it right and carefully prodded until he inserted a finger inside Sorey.

Sorey froze completely.

“Does it hurt? Is it too cold?” Mikleo asked, already removing the finger, thinking this was a terrible idea after all, and he really should have been the one being-

Sorey grabbed his wrist before he could fully remove the finger and shoved the hand back inside.

“It’s cold, that’s all. Now hurry up.”

It was hard to really scowl when Sorey was complaining to have Mikleo inside him faster. Still, Mikleo refused to do it hastily; Sorey could claim he was fine with his own pain all he wanted, Mikleo wasn’t.

Mikleo inserted another slick finger and tried thinking of the mechanics of it as he began scissoring, because Sorey astride him, whining in impatience for his cock was doing damage to his focus.

He’d only read about this, so if there was a better way to loosen him up, Mikleo didn’t know, so he tried to make it up by being thorough.

Sorey didn’t appreciate the thought. “Is this torturous pace payback for petrifying you earlier?”

Of course not, but Mikleo looked at him mischievously and said, “Maybe.”

Sorey scowled. “I’m going to count to ten and if you aren’t done by then, I’m riding you petrified.”

Next time I’m blindfolding you so you can’t do it, Mikleo silently swore but reluctantly obliged and removed his hand, but not before slicking his own cock too.

Sorey watched his retreating hand with actual relief.

“I hope that was your only issue, because I can’t take this anymore.”

With that, Sorey slowly sank down on his cock.

Mikleo saw stars. He thought he had said something, and maybe so had Sorey, but his senses had been momentarily funneled into nothing but the sensation of his throbbing cock enveloped tightly inside Sorey.

It felt nothing like being inside him as a seraph and his shepherd, even if that had also been intimate. That had felt soothing and incorporeal, this burned him and grounded him in his flesh.

The haze cleared, though his whole body screamed for him to move. Mikleo blinked and realized he had surged forward and latched onto Sorey’s chest. He extricated himself and looked at Sorey.

“Are you okay?” He asked softly, hands gently caressing Sorey’s hips and thighs.

Sorey had his eyes shut tightly, but he nodded. “I’ve never felt better,” he rasped out. “Let me just…”

He shifted, clearly trying to change into a better position, and Mikleo tried to help him with his hands. They fumbled, both clearly too far gone to think straight and too new at this. Finally, they had Sorey’s legs circling Mikleo’s back, and his hands found purchase on his shoulders, while Mikleo’s own held just beneath his ass, to help him move.

They bumped foreheads, and Mikleo saw how blown and clouded Sorey’s pupils were. His must be in a similar state.

Sorey put a stray lock damp with sweat behind Mikleo’s ear before gripping his shoulder again. They looked at each other and with a silent nod of understanding, Sorey lifted himself a little then went down again.

Mikleo muffled the sound he made with Sorey’s mouth. Sorey’s hands grabbed his shoulders with almost painful intensity and began moving. Mikleo wanted to be still, to let Sorey do this at his pace, but halfway through he snapped and began thrusting up. Sorey made a sound like a choked sob around his lips and tightened.

Mikleo again lost sight of everything. He closed his eyes and focused on the almost overwhelming sensations; Sorey’s scent, the feel of him in his arms, their bruising, desperate kiss and Sorey squeezing tightly around his cock.

He didn't think he would last long. Heat and tension were increasing in his already straining cock, making it feel like it was throbbing desperately.

Mikleo wanted to come together with Sorey, or at least near him. Blindly, he moved a hand between their bodies and searched-

Sorey made a sound that seemed like an attempt at his name when Mikleo’s hand found his neglected cock.

He wasn’t sure what was the best way to touch him, and even if he had, Mikleo didn’t have enough concentration left. He simply closed his hand around it and pumped from tip to base.

“Mikleo, MikleoMikeloMikleo,” Sorey chanted desperately, breaking the kiss to bury his face in Mikleo’s shoulder.

Mikleo’s throat was suddenly dry. “Sorey, I…” he rasped out, but was interrupted when he felt Sorey shudder around him, his insides squeezing around Mikleo so tightly he saw stars again and the pressure that had been building inside him finally released.

He leaned into Sorey, regaining his breath and thought processes, enjoying the sensation of Sorey still in his arms as he came down from his climax.

He glanced down at his hand; it was dirty. Pleased he wasn’t the only to have found relief, Mikleo brought the hand to his face, wondering how Sorey would taste.

“No, don’t,” Sorey said, stilling his hand then kissing the top if his head with what sounded like a content sigh. “Not unless you want another round.”

“I…” he didn’t mind, really. He wanted as much of Sorey as he could have. But Mikleo felt his body was weakening, as if it had turned to liquid, and days of tired, desperate searching for Sorey crashed into him.

It must have been obvious on his face, or Sorey could tell how much energy someone had left, because he began leaving butterfly kisses on the top of Mikleo’s head and murmuring soothingly.

“Rest. Go on, sleep. I’ll take care of everything.”

It didn’t seem fair, but his vision was already blurring, so Mikleo grabbed Sorey one last time.

“You won’t...leave me, will you?”

Sorey snorted. “I don’t even want you out of my sight ever again. I’m not letting you go, much less leaving you. Even if I have to chain you to me.”

“Good.” Satisfied, Mikleo closed his eyes and let darkness take him.

*

Mikleo regained conscious slowly, to the feel of comfortable sheets underneath him and a hand carding through his hair softly.

For a moment he lingered between sleep and wakefulness, and then memory came crashing into him.

Mikleo snapped his eyes open and sat up in a panic.

He looked at his surroundings; he was lying on a king sized, four poster bed, in an unfamiliar but large regal looking bedroom.

More importantly, Sorey was sitting right next to him.

Relief flooding him, Mikleo lay down again.

Sorey chuckled and resumed lovingly brushing through his hair. “I had the same reaction when I woke up,” he said, looking at Mikleo tenderly. The room was well lit, and Mikleo could finally see Sorey properly. He really was paler than usual, but his features didn’t feel as strangely elongated as before, and his skin not as ashen. Had it been a trick of the dim light, or was Mikleo allowed to think that his presence had reverted Sorey’s change a little?

“Are you okay? How long was I out? ”

“I haven’t felt so good in a long time. And thirteen hours and fourteen minutes.”

“That’s...precise.”

“I watched the time in between watching you.”

“But you said you slept too, right?”

“I don’t normally have to sleep, these days. I was out for an hour, which is already more than usual. Watching you heals me more than sleep. And besides,” Sorey’s face closed off a little, mouth pursing. “I needed to see if you wouldn’t have an adverse reaction to the atmosphere.”

“Why?”

“Can’t you feel it?”

Mikleo concentrated.

“It’s...there’s a larger concentration of your malevolence here.”

“Quite. Doesn’t it bother you?”

“No? It feels...comfortable. Safe.”

He received no answer to that, so Mikleo asked another question. “Is this your room?”

“Yes.”

“...You chose the king’s own room as your own? Your new powers really did go over your head.”

Sorey snorted. “Believe it or not, this was the most serviceable room. Maybe because this is way up on a tower, so looters, hellions and such hardly ventured this far.”

Mikleo sat up again and looked down, touching the clearly expensive sheets.

“This castle was abandoned for almost two hundred years, surely these sheets-”

“Were you aware I attacked a merchant fleet two months ago?” Sorey’s voice was strange now.

Mikleo nodded; it had helped him track down Sorey. “Wasn’t the owner accused of animal abuse and slavery?”

“That one, yes. I sank the ships, but not before taking two ships’ worth of wares.”

So he was lying on stolen merchandise, and likely wearing it too. Mikleo shrugged, not really caring about what happened to some unknown merchant or his workers.

He examined his clothing; light blue satin.

“Don’t worry, I cleaned you before putting that on,” Sorey assured him.

“You cleaned, clothed and carried me all by yourself?”

“Of course.” Sorey moved so that he was behind Mikleo, pulling his back to his chest and wrapping his arms around him. “That Mikleo was for my eyes and touch only.”

Mikleo hummed at the possessiveness and rested his head on Sorey’s shoulder. He felt Sorey hesitate before kissing his hair.

“You don’t...mind how I acquired these possessions, or that I admit to wanting you to myself in such a way?”

“I don’t. Does it bother you that I don’t?” Mikleo turned his head slightly to look at Sorey, who shook his head.

“Not...exactly. That is, what bothers me is that this must be because of your own corruption, and it’s my fault you’re like this now…”

Mikleo huffed. “Idiot. You didn’t ask me to become this way.”

Sorey laughed lightly. “I understand. Even so, some part of me still balks because I know that isn’t the healthiest route for you. But at the same time, I like seeing you care for nothing else, and accept these feelings easily. I thought that even if we ever met again, we wouldn’t be like...before. Yet here you are, treating me as usual, as if nothing had changed.”

Mikleo reached for one of the arms enveloping him and held Sorey’s hand.

“Things have changed,” Mikleo admitted. “But so far, none of the core things that made you my Sorey. And...you’re not the only one with malevolence now. I’ve changed too.”

“...Maybe the only reason you can accept me as I am now is because of that malevolence.”

“Debatable. This grew in me because I couldn’t be beside you. Either way...does my change bother you?”

“So far you’ve barely changed. And from the little I’ve seen...I like that you attacked people for keeping us apart, and how open you are now.”

“And I, how desperate you are for me. And if our feelings are born out of the malevolence or simply amplified by them...whichever it is, we still fit each other, and right now that’s all that matters to me.”

Sorey’s hand squeezed his tightly. “Yes,” he agreed, paused, then continued. “But it would be useful to know the source of these feelings. If they’re born from the malevolence or not.”

“Hm? Why?”

“I’ve...been thinking about malevolence a lot since it took over me. And I tried reading more about it but...have you noticed how little about the mechanics of it are known?”

Mikleo thought back to what he had ever read about malevolence. It had been little, and indeed only that it existed, and what might cause it. “Meaning?”

“Maybe I’m only saying this because of my state but...isn't there something wrong about the world? During the water trial we fought a hellion that had been a good man, with the good intention of making the ultimate sword to fight evil, yet still become corrupted despite his intentions. Then we had a serial killer that was uncorrupted simply because he believed in the goodness of his evil murders.”

“And Rose’s crew were, with one exception, fine too, because they believed in the righteousness of their assassinations. And you became corrupted not through some great act of evil, but because you began despairing in people,” Mikleo added.

“Precisely. People like me become corrupted for being angry at the cruelty of the world, yet many cruel people don’t even become corrupted at all? I’ve attacked people but they had all been bad, yet I become corrupted when some murderer of innocents will not simply because I am aware of my darkness and they are not.

“And is it really the right thing to do, to simply remove malevolence? By doing that, aren’t we tinkering with a person’s very personality by removing their feelings towards something?”

“You’re saying...the workings of malevolence aren't so cut and dry, and maybe in certain situations it’s not bad to feel so darkly. And… purifying it completely might too be the wrong path?”

“I’m saying maybe there is another way out of this. Of course letting malevolence take you so far that you become a monster isn’t right but...there’s night and day, darkness and light. Trying to eradicate malevolence without trying to understand it might not be the best answer either. Maybe there’s a way to accept it and tone it down so it doesn't consume too much. So that it’s simply a new way to feel and see the world. People change constantly, not all the change has to be good, and maybe seeing negatively can also be used for goodness.”

Sorey ducked and scratched his head sheepishly. “Ah, I’ve rambled a bit.”

How long was he ruminating on this on his own, without anyone to debate it with? It hurt Mikleo to imagine. He kissed Sorey’s cheek.

“It didn’t sound like nonsense to me. I’ll study it with you. Especially since…”

“Yes?”

“I don’t need to consume other seraph’s in my current state, but you already need it. But at the same time, the more blood you consume, the worse you’ll become. I don’t want you turning into a beast.”

“Neither do I, not when I have you beside me again. In fact, I think your presence has purified my corruption a little.”

Mikleo snorted in disbelief despite having wondered the same thing earlier, but Sorey looked completely serious.

“I mean it. Thinking you had left me, and that I would never see you again speeded up my deterioration at an alarming rate. The malevolence has receded a lot since you came.”

That had Mikleo’s features twisting. Bad enough that his former comrades had kept him away from Sorey, but to think it had been harming him as well…

Sorey saw the look in his eyes and smiled. “I like that you get so angry for my sake. I shouldn’t.”

Mikleo tried to disperse unpleasant thoughts and focus on being with Sorey there and then. Not out of any sense of guilt, but out of a desire to not ruin the moment.

“Well, I’m glad you aren’t in any danger of turning into a beast. In fact…” Mikleo blinked, realizing something he should have before. “Oh, maybe my giving you blood won’t increase your corruption, actually.”

“Why not?”

“If it’s freely given, and it will be, there will be nothing evil in you taking it, so it shouldn't corrupt you more.”

“...Oh.”

“Do you...want my blood?”

“Are you asking if I’m currently hungry or if there’s any part of you I don’t want?”

Mikleo flushed. “Both.”

“No, I’m not hungry, and yes I want every inch of you.” He leaned down and bit down at Mikleo’s neck, hard but not enough to break skin. Mikleo shivered but didn’t complain.

“Okay, so we’ve settled how to feed you. And, if we make any headway in studying malevolence, if we find a way to revert it even if not fully...we could try to fix Edna’s brother.”

Sorey’s hold tightened. “Why do you care so much about that?”

Mikleo rolled his eyes and smacked him on the side of the head. “I’m fine if you’re possessive, but being jealous of anyone is just complete idiocy.”

Sorey didn’t deny the accusation. “She helped keep us apart and you want to help her?”

“I want to spend the rest of your short life-”

“Not that short, anymore. You won’t get rid of me so quickly now. I might even last as much as you.”

Mikleo’s lips twitched. That was a decade old weight dropped out of his mind. “It’s starting to become very hard to see your corruption as a negative thing.”

Sorey laughed lightly, and Mikleo continued. “A decade or eternity, I want to spend the rest of my and your lifespan with you, and preferably untroubled. If we help her brother, he and Edna would be on our side, meaning less people who might be willing to bother us.”

Sorey laughed. “With that logic, I might as well take up the role of cleansing the world of malevolence again, for our future peace.”

“You don’t have to go that far.” It had been too much pressure for Sorey before, Mikleo didn’t want him to repeat his suffering.

Sorey must have read his mind, because he said, “It would be different, this time. I wouldn’t become disenchanted by the task, or bitter about those I’m sacrificing myself to save, because this time I’d be doing it for us.”

“If it's for that reason alone, I’ll let you do it, and help you, of course. But I will never again allow you to take up a taxing role for other people. I’ll never again watch from the sidelines as you burden and sacrifice yourself for others. You’re not the only possessive one here.”

The back he’d been leaning on was suddenly gone, and Mikleo found himself being pushed to lie down on the mattress. Sorey then stood over him, arms pinning Mikleo’s own to the bed, despite him not offering any resistance.

“Sorey?”

Instead of answering, Sorey leaned down and kissed him, hard. Mikleo’s body responded before his mind could catch up, arms and legs going up and wrapping themselves around Sorey, trying to push him down to increase contact.

“Mikleo,” Sorey said fervently, sounding as if he was begging.  “Mikleo, I know you’re tired so...I promise I won’t do anything but kiss, okay?”

“That’s not okay at all. I want you inside me, too.” It felt less embarrassing to say that now, after what Sorey had easily done, and the last three months were still too raw on his mind for Mikleo to have completely healed from that. Maybe later he’d go back to being fine with needing less from Sorey, but not yet.

Sorey visibly swallowed and tried to move away, but Mikleo gripped him tightly.

“Mikleo...you just woke up from a thirteen hour rest.”

“Says the man that wanted to ride me without thought for his own pain.”

“That was different. For one thing, that was me, for another, I wasn’t tired like you are!”

“I have healing powers, my fatigue was mostly emotional. And the best thing for that, right now, is you.” Sorey still seemed conflicted, so Mikleo decided to remove a leg from over Sorey and place it between his legs instead, foot lightly fondling his groin. “Or is it that you don’t want me like that?”

Sorey made a strangled sound at the back of his throat and answered by once again kissing him.

“Do you really think I don’t want you every way possible?” Sorey asked and, to Mikleo’s disbelief, began opening his shirt buttons one by one carefully with his teeth, then kissing every new exposed patch of skin red before moving on.

Perhaps Sorey had meant what he said before and, with the edge of his desperation abated, he really was planning to be more tender now.

“Maybe I’m not sure,” Mikleo replied, and tried to stifle a giggle when Sorey focused on a ticklish spot.

Sorey gave him a look, then flipped him over.

Mikleo made an indignant noise as Sorey removed his shirt. “You didn’t need to turn me around to take that off.”

“No, but I needed it for this,” Sorey said from behind him, and began kissing his back. Mikleo squirmed; not seeing what Sorey was doing somehow made it worse, even if he could hide his expression like this.

“Are you really-”

“Going to love every inch of you I can get my hands on? Yes.”

Mikleo tried turning, but a knee on his leg and hands on his wrists kept him pinned in place.

“Do I need to petrify you again?”

Rather than answer, Mikleo concentrated...

“Hey!” He heard Sorey yelp indignantly from behind him and his body was freed. Smiling triumphantly, he turned around to face Sorey.

“What?” He asked innocently, not minding that his back was still coated with a thin layer of ice. “I thought you said you liked popsicles…”

“Yes, but not when I’m trying to commit the feel of your skin to memory.”

“Let’s compromise: you do what I want first and after I’ll let you have your way with me.”

Sorey’s eyes flashed. “You shouldn’t word it like that.”

“It was on purpose. Well?”

Sorey chuckled, leaning into him again. “Well, I win either way so of course I’ll accept your terms.”

With that, he kissed Mikleo again, and his hands didn’t remain idle; untying the knot of Mikleo’s trousers and pulling them and his own down without breaking the kiss.

It was a good thing, Mikleo mused, sucking on Sorey’s bottom lip, that he was a seraph and Sorey no longer fully human; neither of them had to break the kiss for air as quickly as humans would have.

A hand grasped his already hardening cock and gave it a few quick pumps which had Mikleo moaning and blindly thrusting into where he might make some contact with Sorey.

And then he felt Sorey’s legs between his own, spreading them apart before his hands grabbing under them. Mikleo helped by hooking them at Sorey’s back, grateful that so much time fighting had made him flexible.

“Sorey, here,” Mikleo said, hand ready as he tried to conjure the substance he’d used before.

“There’s no need to waste your powers on that,” Sorey interrupted, then momentarily moved over Mikleo to grab at something that seemed to be behind him, on the headboard. He moved back in position holding a half full vial.

Mikleo realized what it was and bristled. “Who did you use that with?”

Sorey laughed. “Who’s being stupidly jealous now?” he asked, grinning widely in delight. “This was for me, alone, while thinking of you.”

Oh. He...really should have figured that one out considering what Sorey had already told him. Flushing, Mikleo avoided Sorey’s amused gaze. “W-Well, get on with it then.”

“This might feel a little strange, please bear with it.”

With that, Mikleo felt a slick finger press against his entrance then enter. He tensed and Sorey stilled his movements. After a moment, Mikleo managed to relax again but flinched when another finger was added.

“Do you want to stop? It’s fine if you change your mind.”

Mikleo, clutching him as he willed his body to relax against Sorey’s fingers, shook his head. He believed him; Sorey might be slightly disappointed but wouldn’t really be mad about it, however…

“I want this.”

Sorey nodded and tried to distract him with butterfly kisses and whispered sweet nothings as he moved his fingers, scissoring and prodding inside Mikeo.

And then he hit something that had Mikleo arching and vision whitening.

Sorey looked pleased with himself, and quickened the pace of his fingers, hitting the same place again. Mikleo choked and knew he was holding onto Sorey with bruising strength.

“Sorey…! That’s enough, just move on!”

“Not yet.” Was there a breathy quality to Sorey’s words? Mikleo couldn’t concentrate enough to figure out. Instead, he cursed.

“You didn’t need as much as this!”

“I was used to playing with myself and I wanted some pain. You’re another matter altogether.”

He would need to later ask Sorey to elaborate on what ‘playing with himself’ had entailed. Preferably with a live demonstration.

One of Sorey’s hand went to grasp his own cock, coating it with the slippery substance before aligning it with Mikleo.

Sorey looked at him then and, seeing the silent consent in Mikleo’s eyes, moved in a little.

It was much thicker than a few fingers, but the knowledge and feeling of Sorey inside him were too good and far outweighed any discomfort at the new sensation.

Sorey whispered some comforting words in his ear and caressed his hair as he entered torturously slowly.

“I’m not made of glass,” Mikleo pointed out, already getting used to the sensation, but not enjoying it any less.

“I know. But when something is too precious to you, you treat it carefully even when you know it won’t break easily.”

Mikleo felt like he’d have melted right there and then if the now familiar feeling of desire hadn’t been settling back on his stomach, demanding attention.

Finally, he was fully inside. Sorey was still for a moment, watching Mikleo for signs he could continue or should stop.

“Mikleo...I’m sorry but I’ve been rather selfish.”

“With?”

“I’m...pretty sure this would be easier for you if you were turned the other way, with your stomach to the bed. But I...really wanted to see your face.”

“...It’s fine. I wanted to face you too, and be able to hold you, so I wouldn’t have accepted that at all. Well, not yet at least.”

Sorey licked his lips, eyes blown with lust. “I’m...going to move now,” he said, and this time Mikleo didn’t miss how ragged he sounded. Focusing on him, Mikleo realized he had beads of sweat rolling down his face, and he was panting slightly.

It couldn’t be the physical effort involved so...his desire for Mikleo had to be the cause. Mikleo felt a momentary surge of pride at it.

But Sorey pulled back until only the tip was left then thrust fully inside again, and Mikleo lost the ability to think.

He was blinded, crying out something incoherent and holding on to Sorey for dear life.

Sorey set a slow, almost languid pace, and began paying attention to Mikleo’s cock with a hand, pumping it in time with his thrusts.

The slower pace still felt as good as their first, frantic time. His frame shook with desire, but in a warm, comfortable way. He found himself between needing to reach release but hoping it would never end.

He told Sorey as much, who made a sound like a sob and buried his face on the crook of Mikleo’s head momentarily before going back to kissing Mikleo in between whispered words.

“You don’t know how long I dreamed of this.” “You don’t know how much I just wanted to hold you. “Oh, you have no idea how good you feel.”

The rest was either Mikleo’s name, repeated fervently like a prayer and incoherent mumblings.

And then Mikleo felt his desire turn sharp and too much.

“Sorey. Sorey I’m about to-”

“Good. Go on, come for me, Mikleo.”

He did, toes curling as his mouth opened but he couldn’t muster any sound and he felt release overwhelm him and his vision whiten.

As if from far away, he thought he heard Sorey cry out and follow him.

What was left of Mikleo’s brain regretted not seeing how Sorey had looked, but the warmth of his own climax was to good for him to leave and besides, there would be other times.

Slowly, he regained his senses. And what he’d told Sorey earlier had been true; his fatigue had been emotional. He felt more refreshed now than he had before.

He felt Sorey let go of his legs, which fell to the bed with no strength to lift themselves, and then collapse on top of him.

As kids, Mikleo had lost track of the number of times he had to push Sorey from over him, complaining about his weight. Right now however...he shifted so Sorey could be more comfortable and carded a hand through Sorey’s mussed and slightly damp hair. The weight and heat of his skin only reminded Mikleo of how real all of it was.

Sorey remained as if dead for another minute and Mikleo was beginning to think he’d fallen asleep when he spoke.

“I’m get us cleaned up in a minute,” he promised.

“Hm, it doesn’t have to be in a minute.” His abdomen was sticky, along with Sorey’s, and no doubt so were his insides but...Mikleo didn’t feel filthy, somehow.

Sorey said nothing nor moved for a few seconds, then abruptly sat up on his elbows and stared at Mikleo with an unfathomable look.

“Mikleo,” he said thickly, swallowing. “You probably already know...no, you must know already but I don't think I’ve ever said it out loud. I love you. I always have, long before I even understood what love was. And the moment I stop loving you, is the moment any last shred of me is gone.”

Mikleo could hear his heartbeat thundering in his ear, and he reached out trembling hands to pull Sorey’s face closer.

Sometimes he had known. Other times he had questioned how much, or if enough when compared to his own feelings. Hearing it meant everything.

“Me too, I’ve always loved you so much, and still do,” He murmured kissing Sorey. “See? We match even in this. I’ve loved you for as long as I remember, and this won’t change. We were meant to be, and we will stay together, malevolence or no.”