Chapter Twenty-Four

Peni

“I want to squish your face in.” Peni grabbed hold of the demon’s face in both hands and squeezed with his fingers. It was akin to trying to squish a rock, but Peni was making a point. “I want to pound you, and squeeze you, and make your face all red. You… you…”

“My love, please. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“You don’t know?” Peni wasn’t sure he believed that. After hearing Silas’s words and knowing what Asmodeus did, his brain was disjointed, and he just yelled the first thing that fell out of his mouth. “How can you not know? Demons know everything.”

“Clearly not everything.” Oh, look. Merihem’s demon thought it would be funny to laugh. “I don’t understand what’s upsetting you. But if a mosquito bit you, I will hunt it down and annihilate it. If a blade of grass manages to tickle your ankle…”

“I’ve got socks on. Stop making fun of me.”

Snuggle time. Snuggle time.

“It’s not snuggle time, you silly goat.” Peni patted his demon’s face sharply. “As for you, pay attention.”

“You have my absolute attention, my love.”

“There you go again, spouting more nonsense. Listen. I’m a man, right? I have the same equipment as you?” Peni thrust his hips against Merihem’s chest and then winced, because that was like pounding a rock as well.

“You have delightful bits.” The hands on Peni’s butt gave a little squeeze, but Peni couldn’t get distracted when his brain had already splintered.

“You’re making fun of me again. Do you remember…” Looking around, Peni saw Silas and Dakata were watching them. What the heck? They’ll all know soon enough anyway if they don’t know already. The tree probably told them. “When we did the mouth thing, a week ago. Do you remember that?”

“That first time you shared your body with me was one of the greatest memories of my very long existence.”

“Good, then you’ll remember that we both did the glug, glug, glug thing.” Peni mimed a cock in his hand near his mouth while swallowing. “And I said about having a shower before we went to the demon realm, and you said no. Do you remember that?”

“Yes.” Merihem’s demon nodded, apparently getting with the program.

“And then I spent time with Asmodeus while you were doing your killing job.”

Merihem’s demon eyes flashed. “Did Asmodeus say or do anything to you?”

“He darn well did. He breathed on me!” Peni’s voice rose as Dakata and Silas burst out laughing. Even the tree was waving around as if it was having fun, too.

“He breathed on you,” Merihem repeated slowly, clearly doing his best not to join in the merriment, or so it seemed because Peni could feel he was holding back.

“You do not get to laugh at me.” Peni tapped his demon’s cheeks. “You do not get to laugh at this .”

“I’m sorry.” Merihem’s demon swallowed hard, probably so he could hold the chuckles in. “So Asmodeus breathed on you. Did he sit too close? Did that frighten you? Could you smell the curry he had for lunch? I’m not sure… why are you bringing this up now?”

“You really don’t know.” Peni shook his head, ignoring his goat, who was sending him pictures of traipsing through the meadows in springtime with cute little kids in tow.

“I know something’s distressing you, but I can’t fix it if I don’t know what it is.”

“Well, you wanted to laugh. So laugh at this. I’m pregnant. Me. Pregnant.” Once the words were out of his mouth, they took on a reality of their own. “I don’t have lady bits. I’m fairly sure I don’t have a womb. I’ve never even had a dick inside anything but my mouth. I’ve never done anything intimate with anyone except swallow for you, which I thought was perfectly normal and safe behavior, and clearly, it is unless you’re mated to a demon.

“Because my demon wouldn’t let me shower, I went to the demon realm smelling of sex and then a random Demon King, who I’ve only met the once blows right on my face, and now I’m carrying your baby, mate. A baby. A bay-be . That tree right there even told Silas it was true.” He pointed at the giant oak, before resting his hands back on Merihem’s face, and looking him straight in the eyes. “What do you have to say about that?”

There was no mistaking the wonder and affection in those fiery eyes. “You… I’m without words. You’ve given me the greatest honor. To know you’re carrying our child…”

“Wait. Wait. Mister.” Peni wasn’t ready to give up his freakout just yet. “Are you sure it’s even yours? It was your king who breathed on me. And what type of baby would we have, anyway? Am I going to be carrying a little red demon goat? Or a baby with horns? Because if that’s the case, then how in the demon realm is that baby meant to come out without ripping me apart?”

“The king has simply enhanced an act we did in love and has blessed us with something I never believed possible. It is our child. Yours and mine. Does it really matter what form it takes on arrival?”

“Well, when you put it like that…” damn demon with his puppy dog eyes. “It’s not that I’m not happy about it, but you have to admit it’s a tremendous shock to the system. Wandering along the river one minute, complaining about a grumbly tummy to a friend, and then the next minute, bam! The congratulations start flying around.”

“It’s going to be all right.” The hand that rested on Peni’s face was hard, and yet so gentle. “The gift was not given to us as a means to tear us apart. Magic made this happen. Magic will assist the birth. Magic and the love we have for each other.”

“I’ll remind you of that when I’m the one yelling, I can’t see my feet .” Peni gave in then and snuggled into Merihem’s neck. It seemed like the right thing to do. “Are you sure you’re happy about it?”

“You have no idea, my precious love. I’m deliriously happy about it.”

“Hey.” Dakata came up, slapping Merihem on the back. “Congratulations, old man. I didn’t think you had it in you. Come on into the house. Silas has got lunch for us. Might be a good idea to pull out a couple of wines or something to celebrate.”

“No wine for me,” Peni murmured. Merihem’s demon’s neck was so comfortable, and now his panic fit was over Peni was tired and hungry. “I’m pregnant.”