Sex God Saga

Sex God Saga 3

Royally Fucked

FRIDAY:

Checking into work like nothing had happened after stumbling into the Mysterium felt weirdly heavy, like returning from a much longer vacation. But the lattes weren't going to brew themselves. Theo hung back and let his coworkers interact with the crowd, while he volunteered for grunt work.

`Ground Up' received a third of its customers from the nearby Harpersfield college. Keith had promised to check in after classes and it was embarrassing how much Theo looked forward to that. He craved the prettyboy's familiarity more than Tank's or Mako's bodies. Not that he was going to get either.

Theo had enough of a break to piss and little else. He fixed his plain, blond mop with his still wet fingers after washing up.

Motion off to his side.

He swung around, seeing nobody. He'd have seen anyone sneaking up in the mirror. But the wall tiles did show someone. There was a figure visible in them that the mirror wouldn't show. Little more than the eyes were in focus.

Okay, just the Watcher. But did that indicate something worth observing was about to happen?

Theo glanced around.

He `summoned', eyes unfocused, mind open. If there was an Outsider, he was going to see it.

Near the ceiling, a crack in the paint wobbled like hot air. Just a wall crack wisp.

"You like living in cracked things, huh?" Theo mumbled. "How about a tear?"

He pulled a receipt from his yellow apron and ripped it, then held it up to the ceiling. "If you hop in there, I can probably get you a little snack. Not sure what you like but..."

The wisp willingly slipped into the receipt. Theo pulled a pen from his pocket, put the receipt up to the wall and drew a lock, willing it to be an Atlas Glyph meaning `stay put'.

He wasn't sure if he could safely fold the paper now so he stored it carefully.

His first binding.

###

Theo's notes:

Getting an Outsider's attention is done through Beacons - symbols that speaks to a particular creature, like saying a poem at a crossroads, or grinding bones at midnight. In Ephemera, distance doesn't work the same way so you can attract the same Outsider anywhere on earth with the correct Beacon.

Getting an Outsider to do your bidding is done through Venture and Vantage aka "carrot and stick".

Venture is a supply of power and offerings, or the promise thereof. Either side can walk away from such a pact.

Vantage is a demonstration of superior strength or an imprisoning binding.

"Do NOT try to use Vantage on a god, they will beat your skinny ass." -Keith

Apparently Melisandre binds wisps for Keith via Vantage (just telling them to stay put and serve and they do because she's powerful). For lowly wisps that suffices.

###

With an unnamed wisp friend in his pocket, Theo made his way to the back where stock waited to be portioned into individually sold packages.

He drizzled ground coffee into the torn paper but the wisp was unimpressed. Same with a drop of milk. Trying more liquids was inadvisable with a paper Vessel. What did something living in a wall crack near the ceiling like?

It didn't take long for Theo to find a dead spider. Maybe that was a bad sign regarding Ground Up's hygiene but he wasn't going to volunteer for a deep cleaning ahead of schedule.

"Hm, delicious," Theo whispered as the insect corpse dissolved into the receipt. Venture pact strengthened. "Ha, carrot and stick, more like creepy and ick, am I right, little buddy?"

Motion again.

Theo turned around and was face to face with a lean guy whose features were blurry and shifting. His face seemed especially featureless, aside from the intense, staring eyes. He wore a mockery of a Ground Up uniform, like a quickly tailored costume.

He smelled of fresh brew, so intensely it overpowered the already coffee-heavy scent of the stock room.

Theo pulled out his phone and told it to call Keith.

With jittering motions, the blurry guy came closer. He made sloshing sounds as he walked.

Theo backed off, bumping into a shelf. "You're... a coffee demon? Or a caffeine withdrawal demon? Something like that?"

Caffeinejunky guy turned liquid and splashed himself all over Theo. For a second, the liquid was scorching, then it was just wetly warm. It crept all over Theo's body.

His own hands pulled him around and made him grab the shelf. There was pressure on his asshole.

"Theo?" the phone said.

"Keith! I'm g-getting possessed. It's a-"

Caffeinejunky entered him. Something inside Theo pulsed and gave way, as if smoothing over his insides, and his ass accepted the demon dick, although not without struggle.

"-It's a big one. P-pretty big."

"Fuck, I'll send someone. You're at work, right? Can you try to get out the back?"

"Will try."

Keith ended the call. Theo fought for control of his body. Caffeinejunky didn't fully pin him down, but he did pick up speed at the rear. Theo was getting tossed ahead with every thrust. His own dick was quickly hardening.

The backdoor was just ten steps away.

The demonic tipsiness kicked in. It made the sex dangerously fun. Theo had to fight himself as much as Caffeinejunky's grip to keep going.

The liquid on him wasn't just coffee. It dissolved his uniform. Every seam started fraying.

The door to the main shop opened and a female coworker came in.

Caffeinejunky pressed Theo into the wall, not fucking any less hard. Theo pressed his own hand over his mouth as an unseen blanket fell over him.

###

Theo's notes:

Baseliners can be kept from seeing places and things affected by the Mysterium by covering them with an illusion - a Veil. This concept is called the Veneer of Normalcy and is a basic ability of practically any Outsider.

###

The female coffee shop worker grabbed a restock of cookies, while Theo was getting fucked so hard he'd have sunk to his knees if Caffeinejunky hadn't forced him to stay upright.

She left and the Veil dissolved. But so did Theo's pants. With the seams unraveling, the blond was soon in his briefs, surrounded by tatters. His erection slipped from the edge of the underwear, bobbing in the rhythm of his assault, its cockhead rubbing on the apron.

He had to fight his way to the backdoor, step by step.

Why was he shaking so much? Was Caffeinejunky fucking coffee into him?

His underwear dropped away as Theo stumbled down the five steps at the back of Ground Up, into the dirty alley where plastic bags rose between containers.

The soft parts of his sneakers were dissolving, as were the socks within them. The shirt was turning to ribbons, leaving him with only the stained apron.

Theo crawled onto a bag full of empty paper cups, out of sight of the main road, underneath a graffiti of a naked, big-breasted woman with a rose between her open legs.

He flopped on his belly and spread his legs. It was great sex, on a mechanical level and he couldn't stop it anyway.

Jittery as if on his fifth expresso and tipsy as if on his second bottle of vodka, Theo let the possession happen. Unable to find purchase with his jittering hands, he let his dick rub on the rough fabric.

Would it keep going forever? Did demons never cum? He was too out of it to tell how much time passed.

"There you are," said a man.

Theo twisted around, eyes unfocused.

A bald, black man in a leather coat – Godrick. With him was a white woman in casual utility clothes, her dark hair cut short. She held a crossbow aimed at Theo's hole.

The blond closed his legs, quivering as Caffeinejunky shifted inside him. "I... uh..."

"Rapid response team has located Theo," said a third voice from down the alley where Theo couldn't see. Also female.

"Let's do this," Godrick said and slammed his fists together. "Rosamund, if you'd please."

Godrick pulled Theo up by the shoulders. The apron dropped away, leaving the blond man naked. He wasn't erect anymore, but stood bowlegged.

Godrick pulled his hand back, spikes growing from his knuckles as if he wore a brass knuckle made of daggers.

He drove the spikes into Theo's abs. There was no pain.

"As the greatest demon hunter in Concordia, I command you to leave this flesh vessel."

Godrick swiped his clawed hand aside and ripped the sloshing, blurry guy out of Theo's body. He pummeled the demon with bare fists. The spikes had detached and turned into barbed wire, wrapping around Caffeinejunky.

The woman was tapping her crossbow – one of three silver nails in the frame. "Sparrow One, you're up. Rick, duck."

Godrick threw himself aside.

A crossbow bolt hit the demon like a cannonball. It briefly disintegrated, seemingly only held tougher by the living wire encircling it.

Godrick went back to throwing punches. He smiled madly.

"Theo?" the armed woman said. "Make us a Vessel."

Rapidly coming to his senses, Theo felt reality crash down on him. He groped for his pen in the remains of his apron. There were enough empty, lidded coffee cups around that one was in arms reach.

While the woman fired a second shot, Theo scribbled Atlas Glyphs, which amounted to chicken scratches. But it was the meaning that mattered.

"Perfect," the woman said and smirked. "Hey demon, have you had enough yet? How about a nice, long sip?"

Caffeinejunky seemed eager to get away from the fight. He liquefied – the living wire let him – and seeped into the cup.

"Seal it," Godrick said.

"I don't have the V," Theo said.

"In that case," said the crossbow lady. "I call upon the might of Ascelin to imprison you in this vessel, demon. Sandra, got a seal?"

"Yes," came the third stranger's voice again. The woman stepped into view. Heavy set, around 40, with curly ginger hair. She slapped a sticky strip of paper on the vessel, a fancy diagram drawn along it. "That should do. Veneer held, no witnesses, no damage."

"That was a big one," Godrick said, seeming thrilled. The living wire drew up into a ball and took on the shape of a crow – Rosamund.

"Yes," the ginger woman confirmed. "Maybe too big for Ivory Haven. With all that's going on we might need to go to the Pit soon."

She glanced at Theo as if he was just noticing him. "Oh. You're Theo. I'm Alessandra Nelson, or Sandra. You heard me talk to Keith yesterday. This is Dawn and you know Godrick. We're the rapid response team."

"Right..." Theo tried to cover himself with the largest chuck of what was left of his apron.

"I'd offer a ride," Alessandra said, "but we already have another emergency. There's more demons in Harpersfield this week than we get in a year. Something's afoot."

"That's her catchphrase," Godrick said.

"What?" Alessandra said. "I've never said `afoot' before in my life." She shook her head. "He's extra stupid after a fight, don't mind him. Can you wait here until we've sent someone? I assume you... don't want to go back to work now?"

Theo thought of the spare uniform in his locker. He could have simply returned. "I'd rather not. Who's coming to get me?"

"Shaman's are out and about with all the demons roaming. The Onyx prince offered to help out. I'll give him a call in the car. Let's wrap up."

"That's her catchphrase," Godrick said again.

"Is not."

The naked, lean man with half an apron before his crotch took a deep breath. "Okay, thanks. `Sandra, you have a..."

Theo gestured at Alessandra's shoulder. There was a tiny spider crawling onto her lapel.

"Ah," she said. "Fia, my scouting wisp. She's telling me you got two missed calls. Your phone's still in the backroom there."

"I thought wisps can't talk.

Alessandra pointed at her eyes. "I share vision with Fia. Ten eyes see more than two."

"That's her catchphr-"

"Just get in the car, Rick."

"Wasn't me this time," Godrick said while a crow chuckled.

###

The crack/tear wisp was still in the receipt. Small comforts.

Theo got his phone from the backroom and confirmed to Keith that all was well. There was no way for Theo to sneak through the actual coffee shop to the employee wardrobe and get his day clothes or his second uniform. He had to wait naked behind a container.

Obviously he jerked off. It was going to take twenty minutes for someone to arrive from the Onyx skyscraper and he was horny enough to shoot his load within seconds.

The spine-shakingly hard cumshot cleared his head enough to leave him anxious. What would he say if anyone found him? He had no way to create an illusion. His wisp could have been able to dazzle a passerby but Theo wasn't sure how to use Outsiders properly.

He lazily tugged at his dick which had gone semi-hard again when a shadow fell over him.

"Theo Travis?" said a rather amused man.

Theo shot up, both hands covering his crotch. "Y-yes, th-th-that's me? Hi."

"I'm Paris Bellerose."

Paris was young, early twenties or a sharp-jawed teen. Deep brown skin flawlessly spanned over African American features. His small dreadlock pineapple was held up by a metal band of gold, a paisley shirt mostly unbuttoned under a patterned blazer. Bracelets and a simple necklace were equally gold, as were his painted fingernails.

Theo reached out with his right hand, which was just been very obviously stroking and cupping his dick.

Paris shook it anyway, a bit too long even, while giving Theo a blatant once-over.

"If this is your work attire I should come here often," Paris said. He was barely taller than Theo and had a similarly twinky physique, but he felt towering with his honest grin and self-assured presence.

His voice was slightly effeminate, raspy but just a bit higher in a way he could have easily played over but didn't.

Theo chuckled, a bit more at ease. The Onyx guy was pretty likely gay. Or rich enough to be eccentric.

"One sec, my stuff."

The blond had to turn around to pick up his phone and the wisp. It was unavoidable that he flashed his hole at Paris.

But Paris had not looked away, in fact he made it obvious he'd been staring.

Paris put his hand on the small of Theo's back and pushed him along. A black limousine was parked to obscure vision into the alley and force people to walk around.

Paris opened the door and kept his hand on Theo's back as the blond got inside. Paris glanced at the Ground Up building.

"Forgot anything?"

Theo hummed. "My clothes, I guess. Oh, my wallet, too. Maybe if you ask for Kevin-"

"Just say where it is."

Paris' perfectly self-assured voice made Theo's dick pulse to life.

"My locker is the leftmost. Combination is 567."

"Do you want a coffee?"

"I..." Theo could still smell the demon. "Tea please, but you don't have to-"

Paris closed the door and Theo watched through tinted windows as the black man entered the coffee shop. He returned barely a minute later with two cups, a bag of bagels and Theo's clothes.

Paris got in and the limousine drove off while Theo got dressed. No underwear or shoes but at least he had a gray shirt and jeans now.

The rich man's gold-painted nails rapped on his cup while Theo sipped his own tea. "Nervous?"

Theo chuckled. "Getting better."

"In this town we Stygians don't have that much contact with the shamans, although me more than most. What did they tell you about us?"

"Just a rundown by a muse called Horkos."

###

Theo's notes:

Stygians - Immortal creatures of passion and creativity (and partying).

They consume V like Outsiders to slow or stop their aging. New Stygians can be created but the process can be messy. Souls get mixed up and shit. So the white colonizers feasting on black slaves accidentally created new Stygians. After slavery, shamans helped the black Stygians ascend ("lots of murder, good riddance" -Keith), so almost no white Stygians are left.

They can `mesmerize' to dazzle without the help of an Outsider.

They can see the Noosphere of thoughts, emotions and drives. (It's supposed to be spelled Noösphere but no one does.) Not mindreading, just vague "wish-reading".

###

"Is that what you were doing?" Theo asked. "You looked into the Noosphere and saw I wanted my clothes from inside?"

Paris shrugged. "I might have. Not that they were your primary desire."

Theo lacked the wit to respond.

"I'm stashing you at the Onyx," Paris said. "I know you just got demon-raped and it's rude of me to use my Noo-sight like this but... how would you feel about casual sex at some point?"

"If I say no, would you be able to tell that's a lie?"

Paris laughed. "Desires are really complex. You can want me but want to not want me and so on. I'm sorry, I won't ask again."

"I would. I m-mean, I was going to say yes."

"So I'd have consent? I top."

"I... Sure."

"Cool. Just human sex, no Stygian shenanigans, no mesmerizing. Don't worry."

"Right."

Paris crossed his legs and looked out the window, looking elegant and expensive. Then his light smile fell.

"Maybe I should tell you," he started. "I'm easily old enough to be your grandfather. Since you're Knowing you'd hear it from someone eventually."

"Uh, I figured you'd be, like, a thousand years old anyway."

Paris laughed harder than before. "Few Stygians made it that far. I'm the youngest of the Onyx Skies coven. Or second youngest - uncle Bart is a bit complicated. I was created by a black veteran of World War 2, who... eventually couldn't handle what he had seen. The good parts of him live within me. The Bellerose family adopted me straight after."

Theo perked up. "I'm adopted, too. I... don't have much of a relationship with my parents, though."

Paris gave a polite chuckle. He stared to say something but apparently thought better of it.

The driver entered the Onyx parking garage and let them get out at an elevator before driving off.

Paris' fingerprint got them up to floor 21, leading directly into the golden prince's apartment, which took about a quarter of the whole floor. It was a clean and luxurious place, naturally.

The ambiance was something like bright gothic - white bookshelves shaped like cathedral walls, ivory-colored sofas like straight out of a vampire castle, chandeliers and sconces sparkling in the sun flooded room. Modern furniture had been well-chosen to avoid clashing with the theme.

Paris pulled Theo's shirt off with an inquisitive look. Theo took over and undressed while Paris pulled the blond's pants off.

Theo was naked in the atrium. Paris made no move to undress, only stepping back to look on with a smirk.

"Lovely."

A cat dashed into the room. Evenly gray and fluffy. Then it dashed off.

"Midnight," Paris said. "Shy with strangers. Are you? I like a shy twink."

"I can be confident," Theo said and faced Paris with his crotch uncovered.

The Stygian pulled Theo into a greedy kiss and pushed him along, through the living room, hands mostly on Theo's ass.

They stumbled into the bedroom. Large, sun flooded, bright with faux-gothic frames and corners.

Paris practically threw Theo onto the bed and slipped out of his own shirt. His physique was the boyish kind that made Theo briefly think of Keith before focusing on the man before him.

Paris walked over to a closet and pulled the doors aside. It was nothing but BDSM gear. Theo barely recognized the purpose of half the tools.

"Mind a little restraining?" Paris asked.

"Yes please," Theo said.

The Stygian finally lost his pants. Smooth, slim legs as dark as the rest of him. He was already erect in his boxers. A big dick – not a monster but a little above average in girth and well above average in length.

Paris picked a few collars from a hook of many more and brought them over with some other restraints. He tried them on Theo, who felt himself get hard, looking up at the black man.

Paris found a collar that fit, closed it and clicked a leash on.

He stepped back, leash in hand. He pulled his golden hairband off, letting the short dreadlocks fall with a ruffle.

"Kneel, bitch."

"Yes sir."

Theo dropped off the bed and put his hands on Paris' underwear.

"May I, sir?"

"You may, bitch."

Theo pulled the boxers off to be rewarded with the sight of a beautiful cock.

Paris pulled him in by the leash while aiming the erection and slid into Theo's mouth.

The Stygian whimpered, trembled and grabbed Theo's jaw. "Fuuuuck!" The leash fell.

Paris stepped back, tense. "Fuck... I... I thought I came. I didn't?"

The men made eye contact, both equally confused.

Paris put his dick back into Theo's mouth and squirmed. His breath turned into a drawn out whisper-scream until he was out of air.

Again, the top pulled out. He stepped away, looking at Theo with... Surprise? Fear? Anger?

"How are you..."

"I'm sorry?" Theo tried. "I don't know wh-"

Paris rushed in and facefucked like his life depended on it. He pushed in hard, every thrust going half an inch deeper than Theo's spit-lube made comfortable.

The blond retched and tried to push away.

Paris made uncontrolled cries between sobbing inhales. "Oh my fuuu- shitgod fuuunnggn!"

The Stygian walked, facefuck-pushing Theo ahead of him, an iron grip on the blond's hair.

They made it to a nightstand when Theo was about to run out of breath. His teeth were lightly scraping the rod and he thought about biting down in earnest when something inside him pulsed up his esophagus. His mouth and throat shifted to be more accommodating, his tongue stretched as if it were its natural resting position. He had a hard time uncovering his teeth behind his lips. The rest of his body fought as his vision began to fade.

While Paris fiddled with a drawer, Theo managed to pull away, sobbing and choking against the bedsheets.

"On the bed," Paris said, sounding weirdly panicked.

Something like demonic tipsiness overcame Theo briefly. But it wasn't the generic `floating' sensation, it was a focused on. His world got constrained to Paris until he was on the bed, on his back, like he'd moved on autopilot.

He'd been mesmerized. But Paris had promised not to-

The black man lubed his dick with trembling hands while crawling onto the bed, between Theo's legs. He worked as if a hostage was dying every second he spent not fucking Theo.

The moment a dick pressed on his hole, Theo felt his body's interior stir and open up.

Paris' entire length slid in. For the top it was easy, but the magical opening only made sure Theo wasn't getting ripped apart.

Paris didn't find a rhythm. He fucked by spasming and groping Theo, constantly pushing the bottom back until they banged up against the headboard.

"Pa-paris, please. I d-don't know what's happ-"

Paris held still, straightened and took a deep breath, his eyes closed. Another deep breath.

Had he cum? Was it over?

Theo's world shrank. There was only Paris and his wishes and Theo existed to serve. He knew he'd been mesmerized, but he couldn't care.

It wasn't Theo's feelings being twisted, only his attention, but it was as severe as falling madly in love. There was nothing but Paris.

Theo let handcuffs click shut. Each wrist got cuffed to the corresponding ankle. Paris held the white man's legs at his chest and fucked with more of a rhythm. He looked totally out of it, as if he had been drugged.

But he was also beautiful.

And he was all that mattered.

###

Theo was on the carpet. Face down, ass up. Still cuffed, still collared. Still getting fucked. The Stygian hadn't kept up the charm for long, but the bottom had slipped into a cozy fog of servitude and passivity, his hazy mind still dominated by the top's all-consuming presence.

Someone entered and tore Paris away.

The haze faded, leaving Theo sobering up and feeling how sore he was all over. His ass felt comparatively fine.

The sun was going down.

"How- how did you...?" Paris said to someone, sounding weak and confused.

"Midnight fetched me," a woman said. "What happened here?"

Theo's vision cleared. A woman in a silk dress. Long cornrows. Some jewelry.

"I... Fuck, I don't know." Paris had his hands in his hair, looking shocked. "Theo. Fuck, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. You just... you feel so good."

"Get him out of those cuffs, Paris, god's sake. I'll get Caius."

"No! I mean... I guess we should, yeah."

"Midnight?" the woman said. "Can you make sure things stay on rails? Thank you."

Paris opened the cuffs and took the collar off. Theo wanted to protest. Losing the collar made him feel weirdly naked.

The abused bottom dropped onto the bed and wrapped himself into the sheets. Paris stood there, naked and awkward.

Midnight, the gray cat, hopped into Theo's lap. The room felt more cozy right away, the sheets softer, the air more refreshing but also warmer.

"You're a magic cat, huh?" Theo said. "Paris' familiar?"

"Sprite of the hearth," Midnight said in an androgynous voice. "In service of the Bellerose lineage. Pay me in pets."

Theo chuckled. "I can do that."

Paris sat down at the edge of the bed and tossed a water bottle at Theo, not coming too close, which was kind of him.

"I'm sorry," the Stygian said. "Something's wrong. You cannot image... your ass feels like nothing in the world. I wasn't in control. But... I'm sorry."

Theo only sighed.

Things had turned bad minutes into the fuck but after the prince's mesmerization had let up it had fun - brutal but relaxing.

After another minute of sitting awkwardly next to each other, Theo spread the arm not petting Midnight. "I guess, as long as you're not fucking me, we're cool. Cuddles?"

###

The loveseat in Paris' living room was wide enough to let Theo and Paris sit down with enough space for Midnight to spread out between them and collect double pets.

The woman named Leylani had returned with Caius Bellerose in tow.

As the Stygian prince had explained, Leylani was the manager of the Onyx and various other businesses. Her official title was `steward' when interacting with Ephemera.

Caius was the `king' of the Onyx Skies coven, Damien's biological father and Paris' adoptive father. He wore a cyan blue suit and tie over a white shirt. His cyan jacket had a metal rose broche at the chest.

Theo could see the similarity to Damien, in his large build and the extravagance of style. The man's temples were gray, his face slightly weathered. He'd been born in 1859 – into slavery.

"So if I got this right," Caius said, "You have some... inherent ability, Theo. Perhaps the usual dazzle and charm of an Outsiders, but focused into sexual energy in this case. If not inherent, you'd be possessed. Your order might be able to test that."

"Are you with the order yet?" Paris asked.

"Not officially," Theo said. "I've met Cristiano and he gave me the address."

"I'll bring it up with them," Caius said. "I'm tempted to blame Paris for how this ability... manifested, but I think it explains why demons are so interested in your..."

"Ass," Leylani said. She stood behind Caius, typing on her phone. "You're adopted, right? Do you know who your birthparents were?"

"I don't," Theo said. "But I should have some documentation. It's all a mess at the Sliming Panda right now, though."

"Permission to investigate you, hon?" Leylani said.

"Uh, sure, ma'am."

Caius nodded without looking at his `steward'. "I think, until we know more you should abstain from sex."

Theo only gave a solemn nod but Paris stirred. "How long's that going to take?"

Caius let his shoulders sag. He took off his cyan suit jacket and folded it over the chaise lounge's backrest. "Fine, I can't order a young conjurer to stay chaste. But have a safety net. Midnight is exhausted now, I'm not sure he could do anymore talking."

The cat didn't react, which was its own kind of confirmation.

The metal rose broche glinted. Little flecks of light traced the suit jacket around it. Caius picked the broche off the fabric like it hadn't been attached at all.

"Dia, my familiar," the Onyx king explained.

The rose turned in Caius' palm, pointing its blossoms at Theo.

"Would you mind getting up," Caius said.

Theo complied. "Sure, sir."

"And... turn around."

The patriarch moved Dia up and down but the rose seemed fixated on Theo's ass.

Theo dug into his back pockets. The tattered receipt. He summoned and saw the wisp still present. "I bound this one today."

"Ah," Caius said. "That's who Dia was sensing. Well, I guess you boys gave it a good show. Do you intend to keep it?"

Theo shrugged. "I don't intend anything, really, sir. I don't have a supply of V, let alone a storage."

"Your order should let you get on with that, too," Paris said and got up. He ruffled Theo's hair. "Hm, can I get you a haircut?"

"I... sure? From you?"

Paris chuckled. "No, I mean a professional one. Do you cut it yourself?"

"No."

Paris shrugged. "I just figured cause it's not exactly..." Leylani cleared her throat without looking away from her phone. "Sorry," Paris said, grinning. "Spoiled Bellerose brat over here. I'll make you an appointment."

Caius was the last to rise. He slipped back into his jacket. "Theo, if you're staying, one of you sleeps on the sofa."

"Yes, sir," Theo said.

"It's not you I don't trust," Caius said, eyes on his younger son.

"Wow," Paris said with mock offense, one hand of gold painted nails at his chest.

The blond shaman and Stygian prince were left alone. Midnight snored cutely.

"He's right, though," Paris said. "I would fuck you to pieces if you stay. Not that I want you gone but... You don't know how good you feel. I don't have the words."

Theo sighed. "I'll go, I'll go. But if this whole... thing blows over and my ass isn't magic anymore, can we repeat this? I liked some of it."

Paris smile said everything. "Yeah. Give me your phone, I'll put my number in."

"Oh, I have a couple messages from Keith. Your dad talked to him. Uh, can I call him `your dad'?"

"Technically. I call him Caius."

"And he wants to meet me tomorrow. But I have work."

Paris chuckled without a care in the world. "You were really going to go back there with how it's been?"

"I already have a no-show, and I bailed today."

"Take a vacation starting tomorrow."

"With no notice?"

Paris shrugged.

"I'll go now, I guess. Bye Paris. Bye Midnight."

"Hey, when do you get up tomorrow?"

"I'll text you on the way home, okay? I gotta call Keith."

"Sure. Bye. The car's going to be waiting at the bottom of the elevator."

"Oh. Thanks."

###

Theo's mattress had made the journey from his old apartment, now taking up a lot of floor space in his Smiling Panda accommodation.

He dropped to his knees in front of it between towers of boxes, tissue ready, and edged for all but five minutes before he exploded at the thought of Paris having his way with him for eternity.

He practically crawled onto his naked mattress with just enough awareness to set his alarm and text Paris one last time before sleep claimed him.