by Tee, Marian
"Um—-"
"Then again," Nia says reasonably, "I really don't see you as the type to lie about something like that, so I guess it's true? You've never seen your divine benefactor...even if you've obviously enjoyed lots of beneficial hanky-panky—-"
"Nia!"
But my friend only grins. "Is the truth too painful to hear? But seriously, you were unbelievable that night, dude! You just couldn't shut up about your god—-"
I was not aware that I was a favorite topic of yours.
Mortified to the bones, I'm unable to help myself as I protest, "You're not!"
Nia blinks at me. "I'm not what?"
Shit.
"Correct," I say lamely. "You're not correct." And now I'm feeling even a thousand times lamer, with the way the god's chest is rumbling with laughter against my back.
Nia, however, is shaking her head at me like she's just caught me with my hand in the cookie jar. "Why don't you just admit it?" she asks reasonably.
"There's nothing to admit—-"
"There so is, dude. Remember how you also couldn't stop yakking about your god's sexual prowess?"
"Nia!!! Shut up!!!"
"My god is different," Nia mimics. "He's very, very nice, and he kisses nice, too!"
For the record, I also think you are very, very nice, and your kisses are equally nice.
I so badly wish I could snarl at the god, but since I can't, I decide to test a certain theory by pushing my elbow back hard—-
And said theory proves correct when I hear the god release a slight grunt as my elbow makes contact with his invisible body.
"You also said, and I quote—-'he does everything nice', and the best part was when you said—-"
Now, this I have to hear.
Nia's words, combined with the god's comment, make me panic, and I glare at my roommate right away, saying, "If you say one more word, I swear I'll find a way to make you spend time with me at the library—-"
Nia's eyes widen.
"Every day of the week!"
Spoilsport.
Nia makes a face. "Spoilsport."
"I mean it," I threaten. "Not another word." And just to make my point, I turn my back on Nia...which then turns out to be a huge mistake as I find myself squeezed right up against the god's naked body, and my lips pressed directly against his.
Chapter Sixteen
A kiss.
The thought makes my body stiffen and freeze even as my senses spiral out of control.
Even when I can't see this god's lips, it can't be anything other than a kiss, can it?
And his lips—-
They're soft and firm, his jaw hard and strong, and his breath deliciously hot and ticklish against my skin.
It really is a kiss, between this god and me, and it's at that moment when the shock finally wears off—-
Sweet Greek heavens, I'm kissing him!
I wrench my mouth off and try pushing him away, but his fingers are already curling around my waist and tightening—-
Shit.
The bed dips as the god hauls me close, and now there's not even a fraction of space between our bodies. Every muscular inch of him is in contact with my trembling figure, and oh, the way it's making me feel almost has me bawling like a stupid crybaby—-
Because it's beautiful, dammit.
Too, too beautiful for a girl and a god who knew each other for mere days—-
So, so beautiful that you know right away it's just the beginning—-
Even that stolen kiss, and now this feeling of closeness that my softness has molded against his strength—-
It's a precious, magical kind of beautiful that I would've loved to cherish.
But how can I when this god found it so easy to leave me, and—-shit, shit, shit, this can't be happening, but it already is—-
The sudden wetness of my cheeks is proof of it, and feeling his invisible fingers wipe them away only makes the hollow space in my chest twist into life like a gnawing monster of emptiness.
I hurt you.
Humiliation fills me at the heaviness I sense from his voice, and god or no god, I find myself mentally snarling, You disappeared on me without a word. How else did you think that would make me feel?
A harsh sound fills my mind, like the god expelling his breath with what feels like remorse.
Nothing. I thought you'd feel nothing.
He's honest, at least. It doesn't make him any less of a divinely stupid god, but yeah, he's honest at least, and I've always been able to count on him for that.
I thought I was doing you a favor. Because you said it yourself.
You never wanted to have anything to do with the divine—-
My fist strikes his invisible chest. I know what I said! And I was wrong! I was wrong, and you never gave me a way to tell you that! You never told me your name. Never showed me your face, never let me hear your voice—-
I keep waiting for him to stop me from beating him, but the god remains still as a statue, and his soundless voice strained when he answers.
I didn't mean to hurt you.
If he thinks those words are going to cut it, then he's out of his divine fucking mind. Do you know how much of my pride I had to swallow just to ask Nia how to summon you? Do you know how it made me feel to say out loud that the god who's kissed and touched me hasn't even trusted me—-
The sound of Nia standing up interrupts me, and I struggle to keep myself from making a sound as I hear my roommate moving around before finally leaving the room. The door shuts behind her, and the moment it does, the god suddenly lifts me up, and I find myself lying atop him, my face pressed against his chest.
I'm sorry.
Gods don't do apologies. It's just another Post-3rd fact we humans have learned to live with, and yet...
This god of mine just did, and tears start rushing down my cheeks.
I'm sorry.
His lips brush the top of my head in an achingly tender gesture, and the monster inside of me that feeds on emptiness starts to thrash. It doesn't want to be filled, but that's exactly what's happening. With every apology the god utters, the hollowness inside of me shrinks—-
I'm so sorry, moraki mou.
Emotions rush in, and the inner monster gasps its last dying breath. I no longer feel empty, my chest no longer hollow, and it terrifies me. Countless thoughts start swarming my mind as my fears grow. There are so many things I want to say. So many questions I want to ask. But in the end, all I can say is just one thing.
Please don't do this if you're going to leave me again—-
I won't.
I can't bear you making a fool of me for the second time—-
Never again, moraki mou.
Stop calling me that. I'm not your baby—-
But you are that. You have always been that in my eyes,
and I only left because I thought it would be better for you.
It wasn't!
I know that now, moraki mou. I'm sorry.
Damn right you should be.
I truly thought I was doing the right thing.
After what your parents have suffered,
I didn't think you'd ever want to share your life with a god again.
You were different, damn you.
I strike his chest repeatedly, but he makes no move to stop me, and it's this gentleness of him that threatens to break me.
He really is like no other god, and it's this difference of him that I find so frighteningly irresistible. I've only known him for days. Mere days, for heaven's sake, and yet already he's made me cry and feel a thousand other things I never thought I'd ever feel for the divine.
Moraki mou...
Shame and pleasure wars inside of me as I feel my toes curl at the way he keeps calling me his little baby. I can live with secretly cherishing these little endearments, but with our bodies plastered against each other, I also know it's impossible for the god not to feel my response to his words.
And I hate it, dammit.
He already has too much leverage as it is, and—-
Does your wound still hurt?
The question catches me off guard. I've actually forgotten about the whole stabbing incident, but now that he's mentioned it, another memory resurfaces, and I feel the god's arms around me tighten when a shiver slithers down my spine.
What is it?
Fear makes me speak between clenched teeth. "I suddenly remember the nightmare I had a while ago. It's why...it's why I accidentally ended up summoning you."
A sound penetrates my mind, one that's heavy with regret.
You will never have such a problem again, moraki mou.
I will teach you other ways to call me,
and you need not worry about the debt that comes with such a summon—-
I find myself shaking my head, realizing the god has gotten it all wrong. "I'm not worried about that, and while I'll definitely welcome having another way to summon you...that isn't what's bothering me either. It's something else—-" Red eyes suddenly flash in my mind, and I instinctively recoil.
What's wrong?
The god's voice is taut with tension.
"The person who stabbed me in the club—-" I'm about to tell the god that it's the same man in my nightmares, but I forget about this when he cuts me off to say—-
I'm sorry I failed to protect you yet again.
I hesitate for a moment. Now's probably as good a time as any to tell him about Nia's suspicions and ask for his help. But because I also know that this would effectively spoil this really nice moment between us—-
I hope you've learned your lesson then, I hear myself say lightly. If you want to keep me safe, then you must never leave—-
Shit.
The door suddenly opens, and I hear the god chuckle as I quickly roll off him in a panic.
Nia turns to me with a guilty look. "Did I wake you?"
I rub my eyes groggily even though I feel silly for playacting. "No, no..." I abruptly cut my words short and barely manage to keep myself from yelping as I feel the god's hands slip under my school-issued nightgown to cover my breasts.
Nia frowns. "You okay?"
I manage to fake a yawn even as I quickly pull the covers all the way up to my neck. "I'm...fine." The last word comes out a little shaky with the god suddenly squeezing my breasts. Hard.
Nia looks at me oddly. "You're sure?"
"Stop worrying." It's a struggle to keep my voice even as the god starts rubbing my nipples between his fingers. "I'm really fine." And oh sweet Greek heavens, he's now tweaking my nipples, and it's all I can do not to writhe and moan.
"Just let me know if you need anything." Nia reaches for her eye mask. "Night, dude."
"Night."
I barely finish speaking when the god flips me around, and then his mouth is there—-
Aaaah.
My eyes squeezes shut as he begins to suck on my nipple, and a thought starts echoing repeatedly in my mind.
It's so good. So, so good. It's so good.
The pleasure builds, and it's all I can do not to buckle and moan.
It's so good. So, so good. It's so good.
I know I can't make a sound. I mustn’t. My roommate is just a few feet away, and I don't want her thinking I'm so horny I can't help but pleasure myself even with another person around. But oh sweet Greek heavens, how do I control myself when the way he's sucking on my nipple is so, so good—-
I need to...
I must...
My lips part, but before a cry comes out, I feel his free hand moving up, and his finger slips inside my mouth.
Aaaaah.
I find myself clutching his hand as I start sucking on his finger, and a moment later I feel his mouth switch to my other breast, his teeth scraping against the distended bud—-
It's so good. So, so good. It's so good.
Pleasure inside of me starts to sizzle, and just as I start sucking harder on his finger, his mouth leaves my breast to travel upward, and heat licks my sensitive flesh as his mouth latches on to the side of my neck.
Aaaaaaah.
It almost feels like he's branding me, with how hot and tender my skin suddenly feels under his mouth, and although there's this vague fear that this god is doing something as juvenile as leaving a hickey on my neck—-
There's just too much fire, too much pleasure consuming me from within that I can no longer think. All I can do is feel.
All I can do is savor.
It's so good. So, so good. It's so good.
The hard length of his finger inside of my mouth. The muscled strength of his body as it presses against mine. The hunger in his lips as he sucks on my neck—-aaaah. It's as if that part of my body suddenly catches fire, his lips scorching my skin to the point that the primal act feeds my desires, and I find myself finally starting to cum in his embrace.
Chapter Seventeen
Not going to class. Divine stuff to take care of. See you later.
Nia would probably appreciate a longer explanation, but it's all I have time to scribble down for a magnet-taped note to the refrigerator before my invisible god whisks me out of the room, and I find myself following him out of Dark Rose House.
It's just minutes after dawn, and there's still only a shimmer of sunlight in a sky that blushes softly in pastel shades. The air is quiet and cold, and because I still only have my nightgown under my coat, I start to worry if I might end up transforming into an icicle, no magic required. I'm about to bury my hands inside its pockets when the god pulls me close, and I'm surprised and secretly tickled pink. His invisible warmth envelopes me, and I snuggle closer with a little sigh.
Better?
I only trust myself to nod, fearing that if I speak I'll end up betraying myself when my voice turns all breathless and giddy. Although a part of me is still cynically convinced that this...this thing I have with my god will only lead to heartbreak, it's not like I have any choice. He's already gotten under my skin, and I'm no masochist. I've already had a taste of how it is to be without him, and it's an experience I'd rather not repeat.
Just a little farther, moraki mou.
A shroud of mist blocks my view of what kind of farther the god is talking about, and apprehension skitters down my spine when I realize we're heading to the southwest edge of the school. This part of Rosethorne isn't just strictly off-limits. It's also supposedly haunted, and I find myself gulping when I realize the god intends for us to walk straight through the thick, eerie-looking fog. A mist is never just a mist in the Post-3rd world, but just as I consider asking the god if we could perhaps take another path, it's also the same time he asks—-
Afraid, little bird?
I'm almost thankful for the teasing note in the god's soundless voice. It's just the distraction I need to make my fear wane as my hackles rise, and up goes my chin as I say without hesitation, "Of course...not!"
I end up shrieking the last word as the god suddenly yanks me past the shroud of mist, and just as I'm about to freak out and start yelling at him—-
Oh!
A startled laugh escapes me when butterflies with luminous flapping wings of varying colors catch my eye. My surroundings are as enchanting as they're familiar - a sky that's more pink than blue, a moon that shyly peeks from behind lavender-colored clouds, and trees that tower like crooked guardians watching over its mortal charges.
I turn to the god (or at least where I assume he's standing), exclaiming, "I can't believe we're actually here, and I'm not dreaming!"
This place is ours alone, and you can visit it anytime you like from now on.
The mist knows who to allow in and who to keep away.
The sheer beauty of the place makes me tug my hand free of the god's hold so I can better explore my surroundings. Butterflies flock closer as soon as I take my first step, and it eventually dawns on me that they're only willing to come close because I'm no longer next to my god.
"Am I right in thinking that the butterflies sense your presence?"
Yes.<
br />
The god suddenly materializes into a beast next to me, and I nearly jump back. "You startled me!"
The beast grins at me, and the look is so terrifying it's almost cuter than cute, and I can't help but laugh and throw my arms around its neck.
You appear remarkably affectionate right now, moraki mou.
"Only because you're in this form," I say with a grin. "It's just like cuddling a pet."
I wonder if you will still think the same when I make love to you in this form.
My arms loosen in an instant, and the beast releases a rumbling sound that's almost like a laugh.
I take a wary step back and eye its massive form with trepidation. "You're joking, right?"
Am I?
"That isn't funny—-" My voice breaks off, and I find myself scowling as a thought crosses my mind.
What is it, moraki mou?
"I still don't know your name," I remind him archly, "and I need something to call you with."
You can call me anything you want.
"Shit."
The beast growls, and I laughingly remind him, "You said anything's fine."
Anything that would not make me want to bite you.
I purse my lips and pretend to seriously consider my options. "How about Beast?"
More snarling, and I bite back a smile even as I do start wondering. What is the best way to call him? I hear girls my age use words like 'babe', 'baby', and 'bae' all the time, but it just doesn't feel right to use any of those for someone like my god. Maybe, since he already often addresses me in Greek, I can do the same thing?
I'm sorry about this, moraki mou.
The apology startles me out of my thoughts, and I find myself staring straight into eyes of gold and blue that are grim and brooding. "I'm not complaining—-"
Even if you do, you have every right to do so.
The beast nudges my shoulder until I realize he's asking me to sit down, and he settles next to me soon after on the cold, hard ground.
I can only ask for your patience, little bird.
I have existed far longer than most of the gods you have read of.
My age is such that it is almost pointless to count, and in the passage of time,