Kirin had never done anything so shameful in his life and wished the earth would swallow him before he had to look Valerien in the eye again.
Until recently, it had never even crossed his mind that he would want to do such things with a man. As a boy, he had had a devil of a time escaping the greedy, lecherous hands of his master's guests and even other male slaves. Every time a man's lustful gaze met his, he shuddered in fear and disgust.
Except when that gaze came from Valerien. He couldn't even tell what was worse right now – that he had practically forced himself onto the demon or that the bastard seemed to like it.
However, the worst thing was that he wanted to do it again.
Mortified by his own imagination and the way his body started reacting to it again, he rolled off Valerien and braced himself for the mockery in those green eyes.
To his relief, they remained closed.
For once, Valerien didn't look like an otherworldly being. A twig was stuck in the tangled hair, a streak of dirt ran across his left cheek, and his lips were swollen from Kirin's kisses. The bite mark burned bright on the smooth skin of his neck.
His annoying perfection was gone, leaving just a vulnerable young man. Guilt overwhelmed Kirin even more.
"I am … sorry. I didn't mean to … uh," he began helplessly.
The full lips curved into the familiar demon grin, shattering the image of innocent beauty.
"Do you have to marry me now to make an honest man out of me?" Valerien deadpanned.
Too exhausted to rise to the provocation, Kirin asked curiously, "Can men marry men where you come from?"
Valerien's whole body started shaking with rising laughter. The sound bubbled up and echoed across the clearing, so careless and charming that Kirin found himself smiling despite his irritation.
He stretched out his hand to pluck the twig from the demon's hair when a sudden gust burst through the waterfall and pushed him back onto the grass. Cold spray swept across the clearing, rattled the trees and then vanished as abruptly as it had come.
"What was that?" Kirin asked, shaking from the sudden cold that had cut through him.
"Rhian's last stand," Valerien said, looking completely unperturbed as he got up.
"But he is dead."
"I told you before - a Fae's body eventually dissolves into the elements it was made of. Ice and north winds in his case," Valerien said and extended his hand.
Kirin took it and let himself be pulled to his feet, then squinted at the waterfall, trying to make out the hidden cave behind it.
"So there is just a block of ice left in there?"
"And some more useful things," Valerien said with a thoughtful smile, then headed towards the water.
"Where are you going?" Kirin asked, following him nervously.
"To remove the evidence. It is better for us if no one knows he is dead yet."
All questions died on Kirin's lips when Valerien threw off his clothes. Every muscle, every inch of skin from the broad back, narrow hips, to the firm, round bottom above the long legs was as flawless.
Kirin frowned.
"Your back was all cut up just days ago, yet there is not even a scar now. Why did you let me tend to your wounds if you can heal so easily?" he asked reproachfully.
"If you hadn't taken those stone shards out, the flesh would have healed over them. That would have been pretty painful," Valerien explained and elegantly slid into the water.
Kirin watched him swim away towards the waterfall, torn by a myriad of conflicting emotions. In the end, he just sighed, then discarded his boots and uncomfortably stained trousers, but left the long tunic on. The ugly mark on his shoulder was something he hated for anyone to see.
Stepping carefully over the slippery stones in the shallow end, he dived into the deep and let the cool water wash away the sweat, tears, and shame.
After a while, the clink of metal on stone made him look up. Valerien had returned from the cave and thrown a bundle onto a rock. Then he turned on his back and let himself float on the surface, face turned up to the bright afternoon sun.
Kirin could not help himself as his eyes wandered from the smooth, hairless chest to more interesting places that looked quite impressive even in the cold water. To distract himself, he gestured at the bundle and asked, "What is that?"
"You've slain the mighty Lord of Yaris, so these are your spoils of victory."
The remark sounded like light-hearted teasing, but Kirin recognised it for what it was and pulled himself together.
He answered carefully, "He was too injured by iron and heat. He ended his own life."
Valerien's eyes drilled into his as if trying to look into his soul, yet Kirin held his gaze without flinching. It was the truth, after all.
"One of the stones inside is still glowing with heat, but I don't remember hitting it with fire," Valerien mused.
"It was certainly your magic," Kirin replied, truthfully enough.
Valerien regarded him thoughtfully for a while longer, then just said, "What a miserable ending for a knight who wanted to go out in a blaze of glory."
The tinge of regret in his voice made Kirin ask, "Is that how you want to go? In a blaze of glory?"
The demon grinned. "Of course not. I never wanted to be a hero. I plan to die at a really ancient age, sitting in my favourite vineyard with a goblet of wine in one hand and soft lips like yours around my…"
Embarrassed, Kirin leaned on his shoulders and pushed him under the water before he could finish the sentence. Completely relaxed, the demon just let himself float back up, a serene smile on his face.
"At least find more fun ways to interrupt me," he said, letting his fingers brush against Kirin's mouth.
The bard was sure that his own heart was louder than the rushing of the waterfall when he leaned in for a kiss. Valerien pulled him into his arms, then abruptly turned them both around so Kirin found himself sinking into the deep.
When he surfaced again, he heard joyful laughter and saw Valerien swim away.
"Childish," he muttered, but then smiled and gave chase.
He grabbed the demon by the ankle, pulled him under and kicked away before Valerien could catch him. The demon shot back up with a grin and lunged after him. Kirin dodged, splashed him full in the face and tried to get out of reach, but strong arms closed around him and lifted him briefly before dropping him with a spectacular splash.
Kirin surfaced to take revenge, then saw that Valerien had already fled ashore.
"I almost drowned once today. That should be enough for anyone. I surrender," the demon said breathlessly.
Kirin let himself fall next to him into the grass with a sound of triumph.
His companion gave him an almost affectionate smile and said, "You are a strong swimmer."
"There is little else to do in the summer on Ynys Mon."
Valerien turned on his side and brushed Kirin's wet hair back from his forehead. That simple touch made Kirin's body burn again, and he instinctively pressed his legs together.
"Do all humans swim in their tunics?" Valerien teased.
"Are all demons as shameless as you?"
"I don't know. I never met a demon."
"Fae then."
"Well, we aren't exactly known for modesty."
"Consider me surprised," Kirin muttered.
"Uh-huh. Is it the mark on your shoulder or that not-so-little bird between your legs that you are trying to hide?" Valerien asked with a grin.
Kirin felt heat rush into his face. "Can't you be quiet, just for once?"
The demon, of course, opened his mouth to speak again. In a childish impulse, Kirin put a finger on his lips. They opened even further under his touch, and a teasing tongue swirled around his fingertip. It made his whole body arch up in desire. His arm went around Valerien's neck, instinctively pulling him closer.
The demon obliged and leaned in. He kissed the hollow beneath Kirin's ear, then gently nibbled his throat and purred, "Ask me."
"Wh... what?" Kirin asked breathlessly
"I promised not to touch you until you asked me to. So, ask me."
Kirin kissed him instead. Valerien didn't pull away, but just remained still, his mouth closed.
The bard looked into the amused wildcat eyes. He felt like he would die if he stopped now, but he was not going to beg. The throbbing against his thigh clearly told him that Valerien was not in a better state either. He rubbed against it and said, "I release you from that promise."
Valerien raised an eyebrow, but then chuckled and gave in. He met Kirin's lips with equal passion, then sucked on his tongue before he coaxed it into a play that made the bard's head spin and his heart race.
Hot flesh pressed deliciously against Kirin's own, twitching for release. Yet when it shifted lower, he tensed in old fear and turned his head away.
To his surprise, Valerien stopped and gently nuzzled his neck.
"What is it?" he asked.
There was no anger or impatience in the voice, so Kirin managed to say, "Will it hurt?"
The demon was silent for a moment, then admitted, "I don't know. It's not like I've ever done this with a human before."
That admission calmed Kirin more than any expression of certainty. He mustered all his courage and asked, "Can you just show me … that thing you mentioned before and then I'll try it on you?"
"What kind of bard are you that you can't even say the words?" Valerien teased.
Kirin hugged him closer and whispered the words into his ear. The demon laughed, then moved down and playfully bit his inner thigh.
"Like this?" he teased.
Kirin buried his hands in the long hair and gently pulled Valerien's head to the right place. Soft lips brushed across his hips and abdomen instead, and Kirin wondered if the bastard meant to torture him until he finally begged. He let out a frustrated cry and tugged at the wet strands.
He heard a breathless laugh, and then all thoughts fled from his head when Valerien's warm mouth finally closed around him, leaving just sheer ecstasy behind.