Stolen Pleasures: version 2 - 7. Chapter 7

Sitka blinked as his vision came back into focus. He was in the den, on his back, staring at the lute he had discarded a few evenings previously, when he’d discovered that playing for Jahke was an activity quickly bested by playing with Jahke, and music wasn’t quite so interesting as the young man’s demanding screams. His mate’s presence wasn’t immediately obvious, and Sitka tried to remember exactly how he’d got home. Then he felt the familiar but strange pressure of someone else in his head, and the less familiar sensation of his skin healing too fast.

“Hey Zai.”

“Evening...”

“Ha! Ahh! That tickles.”

“Good, that means it’s working.” Zai sat up, grinning broadly, and Sitka felt his friend probe his ribs with careful fingers. He winced, but it was more like pressing on a recent bruise than the sharp pain of being stabbed. “You scared us all for a bit there bud.”

“Sorry.”

“Ain’t me you should apologize too. Hey, whoa-” Zai laid a firm hand over his chest. “You’re still gonna be stiff and sore. And anyway, I wouldn’t want to interrupt them just yet.” Zai pressed a finger over his lips and cocked his head to one side. Sitka frowned, then turned his attention to the voices he could here coming from the kitchen and foyer.

“Damn stupid idiot! He’s lucky not to be dead!” Kiorl sounded incredibly pissed off, but Sitka figured there had to be a tiny mote of compassion in there somewhere, especially if the major demon had rescued him and brought them home.

“Don’t talk about him like that.” He’d been expecting Tobias’s voice, because their chef was well known for standing up to Kiorl’s temper, but Sitka blanched as he heard Jahke’s hard tone. “He saved me.”

Kiorl’s claws struck a sharp and painful noise from the stone.

“You wouldn’t have needed saving if he’d just done as I told him.” Kiorl’s snarl made Sitka shiver all the way down his spine, and he wasn’t even there. “Young demons are not supposed to try and recruit humans!”

Jahke appeared in the doorway a moment later, holding a large bowl of steaming hot water and a wash cloth, and Sitka wondered how on earth the boy was managing to walk into the room so calmly with Kiorl’s visibly irritated presence following him. He laid the bowl down on a convenient end table, but before Sitka could smile at the boy he loved, Jahke whirled round to face the panther.

“Is there something you want to say to me, Kiorl?” he demanded.

Kiorl snarled, ears pressing flat back either side of his blue streaked mohawk.

“Do you know what’ll happen to you if he’s not strong enough to keep you?” Kiorl’s fangs flashed as he spoke, every line of his stance tense and angry. “You’ll die!”

Jahke turned back to look at him, and Sitka found himself holding his breath as the boy smiled.

“He looks plenty strong to me.” Jahke perched on the edge of the couch, took up the washcloth, and Sitka hissed as the hot, wet cloth was pressed against an open, shallow graze on his shoulder. Zai had only healed the wound which threatened to kill him, and Sitka hadn’t really been aware of his other lesser injuries until now. “Thank you Zai.”

“You’re welcome.”

Kiorl’s temper snapped with the audible gnashing of his teeth.

“One fight, which you didn’t even fucking win I might add, and if it wasn’t for the Prince’s crows and Zai’s tongue, you’d be dead! What’s going to happen the next time you take him out, Sitka?”

Sitka couldn’t hold the fierce blue gaze of this major demon, and wished Kiorl had chosen to harangue him somewhere else, after he was able to stand upright again, and preferably where his mate wasn’t. Sitka didn’t want the boy to be the subject of Kiorl’s wrath, but Jahke lent forward, kissed him, and turned to face the panther.

“Don’t talk to him like that. I am grateful you came to help us, but you don’t have to threaten him!”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Kiorl’s tail thrashed, giving motion to his anger and making Sitka flinch. “He’s not like Zai. He’s a minor demon, old compared to you, a fucking child compared to me! He can’t just up and keep you because he wants to. Power has to be earned.” Kiorl fixed him with a deadly glare. “And you haven’t.”

“He will!”

“What?” Kiorl’s tone was acerbic, but Jahke stood to face him, suddenly looking impossibly delicate and pale against the major demon.

“If he doesn’t have the power now, then he will. Demons live forever, right?”

Sitka groaned, knowing without the sudden tensing of Zai next to him what Kiorl was going to say.

“But you won’t.”

“Kiorl...” Zai’s tone was half warning, half resigned to the fact that their major was going to have his opinion out loud even if no one else wanted to hear it.

“Demons live forever, but you’re human. You’ll die. His power is going to be no use to you when you’re nothing but ash!”

To Sitka’s shock, Jahke did not collapse onto the couch next to him, but clenched a tiny, angry fist at his side.

“Do you have anything actually useful to say Kiorl?”

The panther hissed at him.

“Then kindly fuck off so I can look after my mate.” Jahke sneered.

Sitka fully expected the big demon to lash out at the boy, just as he had once done to Tobias when their chef had been new and human, but he didn’t. Kiorl snarled, flicked his tail, and turned on his heel.

“Don’t say I didn’t fucking warn them.” He snapped as he stalked away, and Sitka wondered exactly who he was talking to. A moment later, it didn’t matter, because whatever inner strength had been keeping Jahke upright ran out, and he fell into a quivering heap where he stood.

“Beautiful? Nnghh!” Sitka reached for the boy, but was forced to lay back instead, because Zai had been correct, and various bits of him still hurt uncomfortably. Jahke came quickly to his side, and Sitka wrapped the boy up in one arm, pulling him close. “You’re far braver than I ever gave you credit for. Thank you.”

Jahke squeezed his hand, looking like he might pass out any moment, and Sitka wondered how the boy had kept his composure for so long. Sitka had been the subject of Kiorl’s temper before, and it wasn’t an experience he was keen on repeating this century.

“Is he always so…?”

“Angry?” Zai finished with a smile. “Usually, yes. Kiorl’s job is to be a haughty, powerful son of bitch to pretty much everyone. He does sit at the left hand of the Prince after all.” Zai either saw or felt Jahke’s confusion, because his smile was tired. “Kiorl is the third most powerful demon in all of Hell. He is not an enemy anyone can afford to make.”

“Oh….” Sitka had the feeling if it had not been for Jahke’s already naturally pale complexion, he would have been able to see all the blood drain from the boy at Zai’s words. “Oh shit.”

“Babe?”

“I just argued with the third most powerful demon in Hell! He hates me!”

To Sitka’s surprise, Zai laughed.

“Oh pretty one, Kiorl doesn’t care enough about you to hate you. He cares about Sitka, though his reasons aren’t what you might call noble.” Zai stood, dragging a hand through his sleek hair. “It’ll look bad, and Nassau would be mad at him, if he let one of the demons of his house get killed – especially over something, no offence, so petty. Plus, Kiorl likes the status quo: no drama. Sitka dying would be a bigger drama than your recruitment. On balance, you’re the better option.” Zai paused, and Sitka knew he was listening to instructions intended for his mind only. “Well, gotta go boys. Try not to worry about Kiorl. He’ll come around in time.”

For a while after Zai departed, Jahke simply sat and used the wash cloth to remove ash and grit from Sitka’s many smaller wounds. Only once the boy was sat distractedly drawing swirly patterns on his abdomen did Sitka stop him with a gentle hand around his wrist.

“Jahke?”

“I’m sorry. I got you in trouble.”

Sitka frowned.

“You’re not the one who needs to apologise.” Sitka remembered the boy’s dislike of his atonements and frowned. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Jahke? I’m sorry I’m not as strong as you thought I was. Kiorl’s right-” Sitka hated that nothing the panther had said was actually false. “-compared to him I’m not powerful, not at all. And I can’t defend you. Obviously.”

“Sitka?”

The horned demon turned to look at the pale boy he’d brought home and fallen in love with. Jahke took his jaw and kissed him hard enough to leave him breathless.

“Do shut up.”

*

Jahke glanced up from his prone position on the bed at the rather unusual sound of someone knocking on the door. In all the time he’d spent in Hell, which he was having trouble keeping track of without a physical calender, he’d never known anyone to knock. Usually the door would just swing open, regardless of what he and Sitka were doing.

“Come in Tobias.” Sitka called from the little desk, half of which was piled high with the books Jahke was currently reading, and laid down the handful of little bone chits he’d been sorting through.

“How’d you know it was him?”

Tobias smiled in the open doorway, and answered before Sitka could.

“Because I’m the only one who would check you weren’t naked before barging in.” He raised an eyebrow at Jahke, and the young man readjusted the back panel of his loin cloth with one hand. “I have the list for you, Sitka. There’s still time, right?”

“Sure. I'll be back by Halvas. Summas festival isn’t until Tanda. Four days prep will be enough?” Sitka took the paper Tobias proffered and looked it over. “Good gods, Zai’s handwriting is getting worse. The office must be pissed at him if he’s filling in forms like this.”

“Umm… actually, I wrote it.” Tobias shuffled his feet, and Jahke wondered when the last time he’d actually been nervous was. “You can read it OK?”

“No problems.”

Jahke’s curiosity got the better of him, and he abandoned his book, rolling from the bed and going to glance at the paper over his lover’s shoulder. Sitka presented him with a lengthy list of food stuffs, in enough quantity for a banquet. Tobias’s letters were well formed, but shaky, and not all the spellings were correct, but the whole thing was totally legible.

“You wrote this?”

“Yes. Mostly I just copied the word-shapes out of the books.” Tobias looked suddenly guilty. “Thank you, you’re a good teacher.”

“Happy to be of service.” Jahke spared a glance for his ever growing collection of books, wishing there was something useful he could do with them too. “So, what’s all the food for?”

“Summas.” Sitka smiled broadly. “High Fire festival, highlight of the year babe. We eat, we have guests over, it’s really hot and no one wears any clothes.”

“You are joking?”

“Nh-uh.” Sitka shook his head, but only a little. Jahke had stood too close to him before when his lover had gestured expansively, and being thwacked in the abdomen by a large curled horn was not as pleasant as it sounded. “High Fire festival is exactly as it sounds: the mountains burn brighter and taller, the fire vents all let off steam, it’s really warm, and no one has to go to work.”

“It’s the equivalent of their summer I guess,” Tobias explained. “Like how everyone used to rest after the harvest once the hay was in. They act even more like a bunch of lazy teenagers than they do now,” he jabbed the piece of paper Sitka was still holding. “And they all want feeding.”

Sitka grinned, looking up at Tobias with an eager expression. Jahke had never seen him appear so young before.

“Yes please.”

Tobias rolled his eyes.

“Did you invite anyone this year?”

Sitka didn’t answer, but turned to look at Jahke, and the young man reassessed his idea of Sitka looking young and almost innocent, because now his dark eyes shone and the hand which ran up Jahke’s thigh to rest on his hip was anything but virtuous. Jahke smiled, knowing he was blushing obviously at his lover’s unspoken suggestion.

“Good gods, could you two please not picture each other naked quite so vividly?” Tobias took a step back, his hands waving to dispel Sitka’s lust. “Oh I didn’t need to see that either! You’re incorrigible.”

“Thank you.”

“Shindae did, invite someone I mean, Kiorl too.” Tobias turned to Jahke, and the boy made sure to give the chef his full attention when he spoke. “Try not to freak out.” He turned even as Jahke nodded, muttering to himself as he left. “And I’d better not catch that damn elemental naked in the pantry again...”

Jahke stifled a giggle, and swung his leg over Sitka’s lap, all thoughts of returning to his reading forgotten.

“So, what happens at this festival of yours, apart from eating?”

Sitka raised an eyebrow at him, and Jahke was divested of his clothes in a few efficient movements.

“Is that right?”

“Mmmm… is that OK, Beautiful?”

“Yes.” Jahke kissed him hard, relishing the texture of Sitka’s soft lips and sharp teeth. As the demon began to lick down his neck, Jahke smiled, cradling the back of the demon’s head in both hands. “I was thinking that it might be nice to do something for Kiorl…”

*

“Are you sure about this?”

Jahke looked at his lover in the bathroom mirror, spat in the sink and rinsed out the little stiff bristled brush he’d cleaned his teeth with in a cup. Sitka re-settled the broad belt of his loin cloth across his hips with a small frown.

“You don’t want me to?” Jahke asked in return.

“What? No. Of course I want you to.” Sitka came to stand behind him and Jahke leant back against his broad, dark chest with a smile. “I want you to do whatever makes you happy, Jahke. And you’ll impress everyone, no doubt about that...”

“But?” Jahke took Sitka’s hand and made the demon hug him tightly.

“I only want you to do it if you really want to. We’re not beholden to him, no one’s going to make you do anything if you just wanted to go and watch instead.”

Jahke turned in the circle of his mate’s arms, wrapped his hands around the back of his neck and kissed him until Sitka had to step back or risk losing his balance.

“You should know by now that I don’t just like to watch Sitka.” Jahke wriggled against the demon he loved, using his nakedness to best advantage. “And Kiorl’s sexy when he’s not being angry. I want to, and we do sort of owe him for saving you.”

“I’m gonna lie, that’s a rather good image, beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Jahke took Sitka’s hand and placed on against the back of his neck in a very deliberate fashion. “I don’t want to screw up or get scared. I belong here after all.” He stared at his lover. “Please Sitka?”

He’d never actually asked for Sitka to use his gift before, but as the demon smiled, Jahke felt the soft slide of compulsion down his spine as his inhibitions melted away. He purred, pressing himself against his lover, suddenly distracted by the shape of Sitka’s cock through his clothes.

“And I thought you wanted to show Kiorl a good time?” Sitka asked him with a smirk. “Turn around Beautiful.”

Jahke did as he was bid, there wasn’t any reason not to, and yelped in surprise and pleasure as Sitka parted his cheeks and slid a well lubricated finger into his hole.

“Other people might not be so worried, but I want you to enjoy yourself.” Sitka half growled in his ear, his voice like a very appreciative landslide. “And your arse is such a thing of beauty after all.” Jahke panted as he was prepared, suddenly feeling the need to steady himself against the stone sink, and yelped with surprise as Sitka finished with a quick slap of his behind.

“Will I do?” Jahke smiled.

“Oh yeah...” Sitka brushed a hand over his chest and the hard length of his pink erection, and Jahke moaned against him as a little more power slid through the contact. “Go on with you, I’ll be right behind.”

“Thanks babe!”

The thought of what he was about to do distracted him from Sitka’s proud smile, and Jahke didn’t look back as he left the bathroom. If there had been a part of Jahke’s mind able to observe him without his inhibitions, he would have marvelled at how unashamedly he skipped down the grand staircase without a single item of clothing and a hard on for all to see. Sitka had told him that Summas went on for days, and the demons and the guests had laughed, and joked, and eaten their fill of Tobias’s excellent cooking, rested and bathed, and eaten again. Now there were voices from the den, the soft notes of someone playing pipes, and Jahke turned in that direction.

There was a high backed wing chair with ornately carved feet which was Kiorl’s favourite, and which Shindae referred to half-jokingly as ‘the throne’, and that was where Kiorl was sat, conversing with his guest, a slender fox-shaped person even shorter than Jahke.

“I do find them all a little dull, if we’re being honest.” The fox said.

“You’re wanting to move houses?” Kiorl asked him, a slight frown marring his features. His tail twitched, and an ear swivelled in Jahke’s direction before the panther turned to look at him. “My, my… what’s brought this on?”

Jahke bit his lip, and smiled. The pleats of Kiorl’s heavy kilt did little to disguise his burgeoning erection, and Jahke didn’t much care who watched as he stepped forward, holding Kiorl’s gaze.

“I came to celebrate Summas,” he replied simply, “and to say thank you.”

The tip of Kiorl’s tail flicked back and forth, and the big demon smiled broadly.

“And how do you intend to show your gratitude?”

Jahke didn’t bother answering him, because he was standing between Kiorl’s knees, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do. The demons he lived with were so different from each other, and Jahke had been dying to know what Kiorl looked like under his clothes. On his knees, he smiled up at the panther, wrapping a hand around the weighty length of his cock, and had the delight of hearing Kiorl purr as he wrapped his lips around it.

“Mmmmmm…. Well then.” Kiorl’s voice was remarkably steady considering his position, and Jahke felt he ought to change that if possible. “Ahhh! Sitka… so nice of you- mmmm... to join us.”

Jahke couldn’t look up to see his mate’s smile, but he heard it in his voice when he spoke.

“Enjoying yourself, Kiorl?”

“Very much. Nnngh! I see why you kept him.”

“You compelled him?” Shindae’s voice held a note of concern, and Jahke found it touching that the lava demon cared for him, but it was not nearly so interesting as the hard muscle filling his mouth.

“Only because he asked me to. This is all his idea. Oh, hey Zai. You joining us?” There was pause, during which Jahke groaned happily as Kiorl’s hand closed around the back of his head, grabbing his hair. “Don’t hurt him Zai.”

“I won’t. Well hey there pretty one.” Zai’s voice was like silk, his fur velvet as he stroked down Jahke’s spine. “Aren’t you the most accommodating house guest….”

“Zai, too much talking.” Kiorl told him between gasped and jagged breaths.

Jahke wanted to say something boastful about how quickly Kiorl had gone from being controlled and reposed to sounding breathless and tense, but he’d always been taught not to talk with his mouth full, and when he felt Zai settle behind him, he was suddenly much too distracted to organise his thoughts into any type of coherence. Sitka had been right to prepare him, because Zai thrust into him without warning, and Jahke screamed despite himself. The demon held his hips with sharp tipped fingers, and Jahke balanced between the needlepoints of pain and the deep, hot, pleasure which was being stoked within him. Kiorl used the grip on his hair to tilt his face, and Jahke watched the panther’s slit pupils widen in delight as he sucked him. Then Kiorl was gasping, growling, and Jahke moaned as he swallowed.

“You are very talented.” Kiorl withdrew, rearranging his clothes with one hand, stroking Jahke’s hair with the other. “And you look very good with something in your mouth.”

“Ahhh… ha… thank you.” Jahke had expected the panther to stand, but was surprised when Kiorl leant down and kissed him. His kissed like he spoke, self-assured and full of power, and Jahke moaned openly against him. When he reached out to steady himself, he found his forearm held in the icy chill grip of the guest Shindae had brought to the house.

“May I join you?” the elemental asked him, his voice shedding clouds of misty cold as he spoke.

Jahke couldn’t help but smile, even though Sitka’s compulsion had worn off long before.

“Yes please.”

*

It was both with intense relief and a strange sense of loss when Sitka finally scooped him up in his strong arms and carried him up the stairs. Someone had already prepared the bathpool, and Jahke sank gratefully into the sweet scented steaming water, collapsing bonelessly against his lover.

“Did you have fun, Beautiful?”

“Oh yes. So much.” Jahke reached up and found one of Sitka’s twisted horns, anchoring himself to his mate, sighing as Sitka kissed the join between neck and shoulder gentlu. “Am I still beautiful to you, even after all of that?”

“Jahke,” Sitka's tone was as serious as he’d ever heard it, “if anything you are more beautiful. You were very popular. Icean was particularly taken with you.”

Jahke thought of Shindae’s pale blue friend and managed to blush.

“He was delicious. Like ice cream on a really hot day.” When Sitka didn’t respond, Jahke laughed softly. “We’ll find a recipe, I’m sure Tobias will make it brilliantly, just as he does everything else.”

“So you wouldn’t trade me?” Sitka asked, stroking his chest under the water. “Now that you’ve tasted more exotic and powerful demons?”

In the act of turning around, Jahke managed to dunk them both under the water, and so he clung to Sitka with his fingers weaving through the demon’s mane of damp ringlets, and kissed him as hard as he could with lips softly bruised from so much sex.

“Do I look like I want to be anywhere else right now?”

“No.”

Jahke smiled.

“I love you Sitka. Now take me to bed.”

“Yes, Beautiful. I’m s-”

“And stop apologizing.”