Chapter 24Nix

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Nix

N ix noticed something was different about Ivan after his talk with his brother.

It was interesting, since not much had been said—Nix and Jay had been eavesdropping shamelessly, even as Nix had been demonstrating the prehensile abilities of his tail—but nonetheless, the bitterness surrounding Ivan when it came to Alexei had tempered slightly.

With time, perhaps it would fade away entirely.

Which was all well and good, but now that the all-consuming lust from the bond forging had faded a bit, Nix could see how worn out his poor human was. The dark circles under his eyes were back, and there was a faint tremor in his hands.

Ivan would soon have a demon's strength to fall back on, thanks to their bond, but in the fragile aftermath of their souls colliding, what he needed at the moment was rest.

And Nix was all about giving Ivan what he needed .

Nix clucked his tongue as Ivan slipped an arm around his waist, returning to his side. "I'm taking you home."

"Are you?" Ivan asked mildly even as he tightened his hold, either in protest or agreement.

Alexei, in a mirror of Ivan's actions, wrapped an arm around his vampire. "Listen to your mate. You look like shit."

Ivan cocked a brow at his brother. "Time to go home, then. I wouldn't want to lose any beauty pageants." He made as if to turn Nix toward the door, then paused, a rare awkwardness to his hesitation. "But…you're staying?"

Just him asking the question was almost shocking in its vulnerability. Nix supposed that was his fault. He'd hacked down Ivan's walls, and apparently this was the result. Although, Nix wasn't sure how he felt about Ivan being vulnerable with others, even if it was his flesh and blood. All those unguarded, gooey bits were supposed to be for Nix alone.

He supposed he'd need to learn to share.

"For a time," Alexei told Ivan after a beat. He looked around at the room's destruction. "I'll tell Jace to get a cleanup crew in here."

Ivan nodded. "And make an offer on the restaurant before they put up a fuss."

Alexei hummed his agreement. "Tag can handle that easily enough."

It hit Nix that for all their sordid history, the brothers had worked with each other for a long time, prior to Alexei's disappearance. However terribly it had ended, they were falling back into it easily enough.

But Nix wanted the work to be done now. He needed to tend to his mate.

Luckily, a sight for sore eyes entered the building just then. "Oleg!" Nix cried happily. "Darling! Take us home."

"Don't call him darling," Ivan growled even as he let Nix lead him to the exit .

Nix ignored him, waving goodbye to the other couple and getting them the fuck out of there.

He sighed in pleasure as he slid across the leather seat of the town car. It was delicious to be once again in familiar surroundings, with Ivan close and grabbable.

Alas, there was no fingering, but Nix's dear husband was truly pooped, so Nix couldn't blame him.

Nix leaned across the partition. "Oleg, my love," he said, just to hear Ivan snarl in protest. "Did you know we got married today?"

"Not legally," Ivan murmured under Oleg's congratulations, his hand gripping Nix's thigh. "We'll need to rectify that."

Nix winked at Oleg before turning to Ivan. "Do I get a ring?"

He was only joking, but Ivan nodded, his eyes closing as he rested his head against the seat. "Mm. Amethysts. To match your eyes."

Nix wasn't able to hide his surprise. "You've thought about it?"

Ivan's lips twitched up at the corners. "I'm thinking about it now."

Well. Be still Nix's freaking heart.

The journey home was uneventful, and as soon as they were back in the apartment, Nix stripped them both, turning on the shower and watching it steam. He had to give a hats off to modern plumbing; that was for sure.

He pushed a disconcertingly docile Ivan into the shower and followed him in. Ivan was clearly flagging, but he also had smoke and blood and cum on various parts of his body, so a thorough soaping was necessary before bed.

Nix got to work, digging into Ivan's muscles as he soaped him up, just to hear his relieved groan. When he got down to the interesting bits, Ivan cracked an eye open. "I can't fuck you again," he protested, even as his cock twitched in interest at Nix's touch. "I'll die. "

"You won't," Nix teased. "I wouldn't let you. But don't worry, this is strictly clinical."

It was. Mostly. It was possible Nix paid slightly more attention to some parts than others, but who could blame him?

As he hastily cleaned himself under the spray, Ivan spoke from behind him. "I've always craved loyalty," he said, his voice a low, husky murmur. "Or maybe even devotion. I thought Alexei would give me some version of it, as my brother and my right hand. I pushed him too hard, hoping for it. I thought I could force it out of him."

Nix turned to face him, and Ivan's pale eyes bore into him.

"But you give it to me so easily, Nix. My demon."

Nix pushed back his wet hair, frowning at Ivan. "Because it is easy to be devoted to you. Fuck everything and everyone in your past that made you think otherwise. You just needed the right person." He cocked a hip when Ivan didn't look convinced. " I'm the right person, in case you didn't get that."

"I'm lucky," Ivan said softly, his tone in stark contrast to the intensity of his gaze. "The way you…care for me. Losing it, even for a moment, was the most painful thing that's ever happened to me."

It was maybe the most straightforward declaration Ivan had ever made, outside of the heat of bonding sex, but Nix was at heart a little shit, so he couldn't help pressing, "Because you love me?"

Ivan didn't even flinch. "Because I love you."

Well, damn. He must really have been exhausted.

Nix kissed him, soft and slow and sweet in a way Ivan was usually too hungry and desperate to allow. "Good," he murmured as he pulled away, nipping at Ivan's lower lip. "You fucking better."

He led Ivan out of the shower, drying them both off quickly and tucking Ivan naked into bed before following right behind him. He drew Ivan to him after settling in, and Ivan placed his head on Nix's chest, sighing as Nix stroked his hair .

Nix loved Ivan's strength. His fire and his ice. But there was a certain sweetness to moments like these, when Ivan was soft and pliant, allowing such a tender touch.

"I'll keep caring for you, Vanya," Nix told him, barely above a whisper. "For longer than you can even fathom."

He'd thought Ivan might have already been asleep, but he was mistaken. "Because you love me?"

Nix grinned. "Because I love you."

A ghost of a smile graced Ivan's lips, and then in a surprising burst of energy, he rolled them over, pulling Nix on top of him, delicious bare skin against delicious bare skin. He pressed Nix's head down to his shoulder. "Come, demon. Sleep."

And the draining force of the bond forming must really have gone both ways, because Nix did.

The next week was a flurry of activity as aspects of the business were rearranged, different responsibilities handed over to new, loyal men.

Alexei and Jay had stayed for longer than either Nix or Ivan had expected, but they'd eventually flown back to Colorado five days after the bloody meeting.

At their goodbye, Alexei had looked Ivan in the eye, both brothers tense and expectant. "We spend Christmas with our den," he'd said.

Ivan's lips had twisted into a bitter shape. "Noted."

"But there's always New Year's. Sascha would be pleased."

Ivan hadn't exactly smiled, but it had turned out Nix did get to see some manly clapping on the back. It had seemed like more a competition of strength than a sign of brotherly love, but he supposed it was all about baby steps.

What Nix hadn't gotten to see much of was Chaos or Cooper around, but he hadn't really expected Chaos to participate beyond the initial bloodshed. According to Ivan, Cooper was still completing any work requested of him, so they knew the two of them were both alive and hopefully well.

Nix would give Chaos a few more weeks before he hunted him down. If it went much longer than that without word from his friend, he'd put up a fuss.

But for now it was Friday, and Ivan had been holed up in his office for far too fucking long. Nix flounced down the hallway, stopping to gab for a minute with Tara (he'd convinced Ivan it was a truly insane move to have his secretary on an entirely different floor) before barging his way into Ivan's office.

Jace and Tag were there, sitting across from Ivan's desk, but they didn't so much as twitch when Nix plopped himself sideways into Ivan's lap.

They'd gotten used to the sight in the past week.

Ivan for his part just wrapped an arm around Nix's waist and shifted him slightly to the side so he could still see his laptop. "And who do we have managing the last three nightclubs?"

"Well, Sascha has the one you gave him…," Jace said.

"Give him the other two, if he wants them. He can handle them remotely well enough. Just tell him to run it by you if he needs more help than we've given him."

"Sure, boss."

"Anything else?" Ivan asked his lieutenants.

Nix shut Ivan's laptop firmly before they could answer. "I'm afraid that's it, boss," he drawled.

Ivan arched a brow at him. "Tiring already of your interior decorating?"

Nix had been rearranging and redecorating Ivan's apartment so it wasn't so starkly depressing. It would do until Nix decided exactly what kind of human dwelling he wished to spend the majority of his time in. And Ivan had given him free rein because he was, underneath his stubborn bossiness, a very smart man.

"I've just had a ten-foot-tall nude portrait of myself commissioned," Nix told him, batting his lashes. "You don't mind, do you?"

Ivan smirked at him. "You can hang it in here," he said, calling Nix's bluff. "Give me something to look at while you're off spending my money."

"Or you can come home now and have the real thing," Nix countered.

Ivan ducked his head, running his nose along Nix's jaw as his hand trailed over his hip. "Why wait until we're home?" he murmured.

Nix shivered, ready to disappear his clothes right there and then. He hoped Ivan tugged at his tail again when he fucked him—the underside of the base was deliciously sensitive, and Ivan's rough handling in the restaurant had been a delightful revelation.

A throat cleared.

Ivan's face was an icy mask in an instant as he looked around Nix to his lieutenants. "Is there a fucking problem?" he asked, low and dangerous.

"No problem," Jace answered quickly. He and Tag were frozen in place in their seats. "We just thought maybe you'd want…privacy?"

"Be nice," Nix told Ivan under his breath when it looked like Ivan might bite Jace's head off at the mere implication that his lieutenants were reluctant to watch him fuck his husband right in front of them.

But really, they should be so lucky.

"Out," Ivan barked instead. " Now . I'm done with you."

The two scurried off but not before giving deferential nods to Ivan and Nix. So polite, these boys.

Nix swung his leg around so he was straddling Ivan, toying with the buttons on his shirt. "I thought we weren't relying on fear anymore."

"A little fear never hurt anyone." Ivan slid his hands under Nix's blouse to caress his lower back. "I need to keep them in line. The way they look at you sometimes…"

"How do they look at me?"

"Like they wouldn't mind a ten-foot nude portrait of you hanging in my office."

Nix laughed. "Darling, you married an incubus. I'm a desirable commodity. Get used to it." He ground down in Ivan's lap, practically purring when Ivan began hardening against him. "Or maybe stop manhandling me in front of them, and they won't get naughty ideas."

Ivan raised his hips to meet him. "You're the one who jumped in my lap."

"And what are you going to do about it?"

Ivan captured his mouth in answer, kissing him hungrily. His hands were suddenly everywhere at once, stroking Nix's back, his hips, twisting the barbells in his nipples. "I want to fuck you over my desk," Ivan rasped, licking and biting his way down Nix's throat.

"Oleg's waiting for us," Nix told him even as he tilted his head back to give him better access.

"Let him wait," Ivan murmured against his skin.

It was a tempting fucking thought. Still…

"No, no, no." Nix gathered his strength of will and escaped Ivan's grasp, rising from his lap. "Because once your balls are drained, you're going to look longingly at your laptop and start working again." He held out his hand. "We're going home."

Ivan took his hand and stood, making no attempt to hide the bulge in his slacks. "I have an office at home. There's a desk there too."

Nix shook his head, grabbing Ivan's laptop and shoving it in his bag. "We're not setting foot in there tonight. I've always wanted to take a bubble bath—your presence is required for the experience."

Ivan cocked his head as he watched Nix furiously gather his belongings. "I've been working too much, haven't I?"

Nix fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes. You have."

"Aha. There will probably be another week or so of this, and it'll ease up as the others take on more responsibility." Ivan rubbed a hand over his face, as if dreading the next seven days. "I'm learning to rely on other people. Are you proud?"

His question had been sarcastic, but Nix answered sincerely anyway, "Immensely."

Ivan sighed heavily, slipping into his coat. "We need to tell Tara she can go."

"I already did," Nix told him with a grin. At the door to the office, he stopped Ivan with a hand on his chest. "Vanya." He grabbed Ivan's face, staring into his eyes and speaking firmly. "I am very, very proud of you."

Ivan blinked at him. "The things you say."

And Nix would keep saying them. The wounds Ivan had been given growing up ran deep and would take time and care to heal. Their soul bond had filled many of the fissures, and their physical connection was unlike anything else in this world, but sometimes Ivan needed the words, even if he didn't realize it.

And sometimes Nix needed to give them to him.

From the very first moment the summoning smoke had cleared, Ivan had seen Nix for who he was. Wanted him for who he was. No illusions, no tricks. And while Nix had never thought he could be satisfied belonging to one human for all eternity…well, that was before, wasn't it? Before Ivan. Nix may have dealt in desire, but he'd had no experience with connection. He hadn't realized what he'd been missing, but now he knew.

No one else would need and want him the way Ivan needed and wanted him. No one else would feed Nix's urge to care and cajole and tease and torment the way Ivan did.

Nix didn't know what the fuck had brought him and Ivan together. He didn't know if it was blind luck or fate or the whim of unknown gods.

But whatever it was, they belonged to each other now, body and soul and heart.

"Come, darling." He grabbed Ivan's hand again. "I want to hear the things you say when you're fucking me over the rim of the tub."