7. 7

7

Luc

A fter being exiled from his own office and getting the Tana damage control underway, Luc decided to clock off early. There was only so much he was able to coordinate while walking around with his head still metaphorically inside Oren’s pants. He retired to his room, getting some chores he had been putting off done to take his mind off it.

Walking to his closet with a handful of freshly cleaned clothes in his arms, he flicked the door open with his tail and paused on the threshold.

He’d had Oren pass him his leather trousers that morning, so hadn’t seen inside, but it looked like Oren had made himself more than at home in Luc’s room. The once black-and-leather closet now contained more pastels and patterns than it had ever seen. Oren had claimed he’d only needed half the space, but he’d grown bolder and spread the pinks and the light blues until Luc’s clothes were squished to the side. Not that he had many of them.

He found himself smiling at the sight of their wardrobes next to one another. They couldn’t have been more different, couldn’t have looked more mismatched, and yet, it looked like they fit somehow. Like the blacks and the soft pastels completed each other, accentuated each other.

The contrast of it was beautiful to Luc, just like the contrast of their skin touching was beautiful. Luc’s dark red and Oren’s pale softness. Flushed from Luc’s breath on it. Bruised from Luc’s lips kissing, teeth biting, and hands squeezing.

His mind didn’t stop there. It assaulted him with images of Oren in his lap, in his arms. Beneath him. Pinned to a wall. Held up so he could be eaten out. Wrapped in his leathery wings. Oren being his.

Luc shook himself free of those thoughts and closed the closet door. He couldn’t spiral when there were still so many hours in the day he had to fill until he could deliver on his promise and devour the little human.

He had to find a way to be productive or he’d just zone out, brain foggy with lust.

“NOT THE HORNS!” The loud boom reverberated down the hallways into Luc’s room, spurring him into immediate action.

Not another blasted fight between demons. Not when Oren was alone with them in a cramped room. Not when Luc was so far from him and he could get seriously hurt if they went as hard as they usually did. They were getting so rowdy Luc was starting to believe Oren was right and they needed a vacation.

With his long strides making the ground shake, he rushed out of his room and down the hallway to the right. More screeching echoed through empty space, but what made Luc freeze in his tracks was the very annoyed, very human voice he heard responding to the screech.

“Oh, settle down, it’s just an exfoliating stone.”

He charged toward the door that led to one of their shower rooms and threw it open. The first step nearly had him slipping on the thick, bubbly foam that was escaping multiple shower stalls on the far-left wall and creeping toward the exit, as if it too was trying to escape whatever the fuck was going on.

“I still don’t want you touching my horns.” Luc recognized Kassel’s voice from farther into the steamy room, but only barely. It had more emotion in it than Luc had heard from him in centuries.

“How am I supposed to shine them if I don’t touch them?” Oren asked, and Luc recoiled, fighting his way through fog and bubbles until he reached the center of the shower room.

The sight before him was not something he had expected to see… ever.

Oren sat in the middle of the room on a chair that seemed to be raised in the air on some sort of stone platform just a little wider than the chair itself. Luc had zero idea where the platform had come from or if the minx had had it built just for this purpose.

He looked like a little king of a very strange kingdom consisting of gigantic shower stalls coming directly out of the brimstone to the right, and three massive sinks to the left. Luc had no idea if they had running water since nobody had used the room in eons, the demons preferring to use the lava pits and natural hot springs. Around him sprawled fifteen of Luc’s strongest, meanest demons, sheet masks on their scaly faces, their horns wrapped in small towels, cucumber slices over their eyes.

Jek was lounging with a towel wrapped around his head and a matching one around the end of his tailed body, paying no attention to anything. Especially Kassel, who was sitting to his left and between Oren’s spread knees. He had his head thrown back as Oren ran a silicone-y-looking brush over his scalp, arguing with him about exfoliating the dead cells on his horns.

Luc was going to hang Jek by his entrails. Useless demon.

Kassel was practically sitting in Oren’s lap when he had given explicit orders for distance. There was too much skin on show and too much contact between them. He could feel steam rising from him in wispy trails as he got more worked up staring at the picture they made. Luc knew what it felt like to have Oren close. He’d held him in his arms in the dark, felt him squirm next to him, felt him flushed and hard and wanting. He wanted to claim him. Imprint on him.

He wanted to be the only thing Oren remembered when he inevitably left Hell.

“What the fuck is going on?” Luc shouted, but the cacophony of voices and the steam in the air drowned out his question before it could build the power it usually had to strike fear into the masses.

“Spa day,” a voice to his left said, and he whipped around to see Zorun wrapped in a fluffy robe that barely fit him. It had the back entirely ripped out to accommodate his massive wings, which were slicked back with a green substance.

Luc pointed at them. “The fuck is that?”

“Oren said it’s a nourishing skin mask,” Zorun drawled, looking down at the ragged ends and points of his wings, which always dragged on the floor. He shrugged. “Feels pretty nice.”

“What the fuck?” Luc asked again.

“We came by to help him empty the storage room like you ordered. It’s still a disaster, FYI. When he called it a day, he said we deserved a reward for working hard. Sent me to grab him things from the living world,” Zorun said.

“And you just went ? Without checking in with me?” Luc asked.

“Of course not.” Zorun snorted, looking offended. “I’m your second-in-command. I only follow your orders.”

“Good,” Luc said, placated for a split second before he looked down at the robe and skin mask again. “Then how…?”

“Jek follows my orders, though,” Zorun said with a sly smile, “so he went.”

Luc pinched the bridge of his nose with his claws and sighed. Motherfucking smart-ass. “Why do I put up with this?”

“He’s making himself some friends, boss,” he said. “Kassel even let him file and polish his claws. They’re purple now to match his skin.”

“Have I lost my mind?” Luc asked nobody in particular, willing his brain to comprehend the scene in front of him.

Before he could though, a happy voice called out to him, drowning everything else out in a flash.

“Luc! There you are.” Luc looked over to see Oren waving at him with a pink brush. “We’re doing face masks!”

Luc walked over, moving with intent as the floor was slippery, barely visible, and covered in jars and bags and boxes of things. He came to a stop next to Oren’s chair and stared down into his eyes, barely able to resist the cute smile Oren trained on him.

“They’re lavender scented and help you feel relaxed and calm.” Oren wiggled a little purple pot in his face. “You should try some.”

“It doesn’t feel entirely unpleasant,” Kassel said flatly, almost squirming uncomfortably when Oren put his hands back on his face, spreading the face mask along the bony ridges and around the multitude of eyes.

Oren’s fingers looked gentle, caring, and Kassel was obviously enjoying it way too much. Even though he looked like he’d rather be a chew toy for the nearest hellbeast. He must have been hiding it. The bastard.

More steam began to rise from Luc, something evil lurching inside, something possessive and ugly. The hours he’d spent failing to have the little human underneath him all day caught up to him in a rush. The promise he’d made Oren rang in his ears, and he wanted to deliver on it right away.

He would have him. Because Oren was his .

“EVERYONE OUT!” Luc bellowed, and this time his voice echoed around the steam-filled room like a siren.

His demons all jumped up, covered in various human paraphernalia that went skittering and flying in all directions. Jek bolted upright and finally noticed Luc. He went wide-eyed, looking over at Kassel and Oren and wincing. He curled into a ball, wrapping his tail around him.

“Boss… Jek—” Kassel started, but Luc glared at him, sharp wing tips scraping against the floor threateningly.

“Out,” Luc hissed through his teeth.

Kassel lumbered off without anything further and many followed hot on his tail, fearing Luc’s wrath, the scents of fruit and summer trailing after them. Jek was last, long tail coiling behind him as he tried to sneak and slither past Luc unnoticed. Luc’s hand shot out, catching his tail and yanking him back.

Jek eeped !

“I gave you ONE JOB!” Luc growled into his face, steam escaping his nose and mouth and forming clouds between them. Jek’s eyes widened as he wrapped his arms around the soft spot where his entrails would be. “Fail again and I’ll chop off your tail and make sure it never regenerates. Got it?”

Jek nodded fervently, globs of hair mask splashing everywhere.

“Good,” Luc grunted, then shoved Jek away. “Now get lost.”

He took a couple of deep breaths as he watched Jek wind out of the room, trying to settle the storm inside him once everyone was gone. He’d had no idea it would feel like this. Caring for someone.

Jealousy, possessiveness, lust… those feelings he knew well. He was the ruler of Hell, after all. It came with the title. But being this bent out of shape because of one tiny, bowtie-wearing human was beyond his wildest imagination.

Yet there he was. Seething with jealousy, not just because somebody else was near the person Luc wanted, but because Oren had chosen to spend time with others and not him. Sure, there was something of a reason for it, but logic had no place in Luc’s frazzled mind at that moment.

Balance needed to be restored. And the balance, according to him, was Oren being focused solely on Luc.

“Luc…” Oren called, his voice very similar to how it sounded first thing in the morning; breathy and soft.

He had been suspiciously silent while Luc evacuated the room, but looking at him now, Luc found him shuffling his feet, squeezing the tub of face mask in his hands so tightly his knuckles turned white. His emerald eyes were focused intently on Luc, housing fire but masking it with innocent bats of his lashes and lip bites.

He knew exactly what he was doing to Luc.

“I’m sorry,” Oren said. “I really didn’t meant to upset you or anyone else. They worked really hard and looked like they hadn’t washed the grime off them in ages, and I figured why not make it into a fun time?”

“I’m not upset,” Luc bit out through his teeth.

Oren tilted his head, his eyes roving over every inch of Luc, slower than could ever be considered casual or appropriate.

“You look upset,” he murmured, and Luc growled. “You sound upset too.”

“Not. Upset,” Luc rumbled.

Oren hopped down from the platform and slipped closer, bridging the distance on light feet. He put his hands on Luc’s shoulders and gave him a gentle squeeze, massaging a little with his fingertips. Luc felt the touch right in his pants.

“I find that a nice, relaxing little skin cleanse does wonders for me when I’m upset,” Oren said, letting go and reaching past Luc into one of the countless boxes around his feet.

He uncapped one of the jars and scooped a huge amount of the contents into his palm.

“Still not upset, hon,” Luc said.

Oren tsked. “Sure. Never said you were, but lean back anyway. Trust me. This stuff will have you super relaxed.”

They maneuvered closer to the platform again, and this time it was Luc lounging back between Oren’s legs, a sick sense of satisfaction making him hard.

Oren reached over Luc’s head and ran his smooth palm over one of Luc’s cheeks. The product he left behind felt cool on his skin and smelled of something fresh and floral. Oren spread it around and over his nose, forehead, and cheeks, letting some of it drip down his neck.

The feeling of his fingers on Luc’s overheated skin was almost too much. They were gentle, teasing, fluttering, and he never wanted them to stop touching. He wanted them to reach lower. Wanted them back in spots they’d touched that morning, to run over the ridges of his pecs and abs. To dip beneath his waistband and find him hard and aching. He wanted them to wrap around his hard cock still coated in that fresh-smelling stuff.

He arched his neck just a little and bit his lip to stop a groan from escaping at the vivid imagery in his head.

“What’s that smell?” Luc asked through gritted teeth, desperate to distract himself but knowing he had failed the moment he tried.

“Lavender and rosemary,” Oren said. “It’s really good for relaxation and letting your brain kinda… float.”

Oh, Luc’s brain was floating all right. It had floated so far away it was steadily climbing into Oren’s pants.

“Nice,” Luc said and cracked his eyes open to see Oren beaming at him.

“Told you you’d like it. Your demons were grumbling too, but they ended up loving it. Honestly, you all should just listen to me. I know about this stuff.”

Luc snorted. He’d been doing nothing but listening to the little minx since he’d arrived in Hell.

“Now, close your eyes,” Oren instructed, leaning down to grab more things that had been left scattered around, coming back up with a weird-looking silicone brush. “I’m gonna get you all nice and relaxed.”

Luc sincerely doubted that.

Nothing about having Oren’s breath on his skin was relaxing. His hands on Luc felt electrifying, and his voice just made Luc imagine what it would sound like all breathy, moaning, screaming.

Oren’s hands left him once more before coming back only seconds later, one hand cradling Luc’s horn and the other running something rough over it. Luc’s stomach lurched. His dick stiffened in his pants, and his claws speared into his thighs. He tried to bite his lip to stop it, but the groan escaped anyway, so loud Luc’s back arched off Oren’s knees.

His eyes snapped open, and he looked up at Oren, whose lips split into a smile as his face flushed with color.

“Oh…” he breathed, palms still cradling Luc’s horn, but now completely still.

All the heat and desire from that morning came rushing back, and they were right where they’d started. Hungry for each other. Desperate. The air around them was opaque with mist, colored red by the small pools of lava bubbling around them.

It was hot, scorching, and Luc felt beads of sweat forming on his skin as they held each other’s gazes, suspended in time together.

“Oren, hon…” Luc said, but Oren’s fingers tightened on his horn again, small teeth biting into his full lip mischievously.

“You liked that?” Oren whispered, running his hand over the horn lightly. Luc squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, hips moving of their own accord, his cock pressing against his leather pants painfully.

“Sensitive,” Luc said, and Oren cupped one horn with both of his palms, running them up and down.

“You didn’t mention this when we talked about your body this morning.” Oren tsked.

“Surprise?”

Oren released the horn, only to walk around Luc and throw his leg over him to straddle his lap.

“Oren…” Luc gripped his hips to keep him steady, brushing his hard cock against Oren’s bulge.

“I missed out on so much when I was alive,” Oren said, wiggling around to settle on Luc’s lap. He reached up and gripped Luc’s horns with both hands. “Nobody wanted to indulge me—too afraid I’d break.”

“Can’t say I didn’t think the same thing, hon,” Luc said, but his clawed hands were already tightening on Oren’s hips, pulling him down to grind against his hard cock.

“Does that mean you’ll stop?” Oren pouted.

“Sadly, self-control is not one of the devil’s strong suits,” Luc said, slipping a finger under the waistband of Oren’s jeans and teasing the seam of his ass.

“Good.” Oren reached between them, trying to cup Luc’s cock. His small hand barely covered the head, but Luc burned with it. “I want you to give me all the things nobody wanted to.”

“Things?”

“Your cock, tail, horns, the chains you have, the gags, all of it,” he said, releasing Luc’s cock and cupping his head.

Luc stared into his eyes, trying to find a single hint of doubt. He didn’t find one. Oren was burning up in his lap, eyes dark and staring right into Luc’s, reflecting the yellow shine like a mirror.

He was rolling his hips ever so slightly, driving Luc insane with it.

“Luc… I want you to fuck me.”