A Monster's Love

by Randy Tiergan

  “Calm down, babe,” Liam said. “You don’t have to shout. Yup.” He nodded. “Surprise.” He grinned and reached his mouth over to kiss me.

  I looked at him, completely touched as fuck. I reached over to kiss him back. “But how did you—?” I suddenly remembered. “Nat…”

  “Finally.” Liam laughed. “I can’t believe it, babe. You got a house.” He began to admire the village view in front of him. “In such a beautiful place like this. And you never tell me about it!”

  I scratched the back of my head and smiled. “It was my grandma’s, babe.”

  “Yeah, yeah, but she gave it to you, right?” Liam turned to look back at me. “So, are you going to bring me in or do I have to check it out myself?”

  “Fine, fine.” I laughed, still happy that I was here. “Let’s go. But first, I gotta buy some stuff at the night market to pray, okay?”

  “Sure, sure,” Liam said, and we got out of the car.

  The nostalgia never failed to hit me whenever I was back for the festival. The smell of the river, together with the beautiful sight of the lanterns hung all over the village, they reminded me of the happy times with my grandma. Some might say it would be painful to hold onto these memories, and many times, they were the reasons why my parents didn’t want to come back, but I cherished them. They made me happy. Nothing else mattered. I couldn’t wait to tell grandma—no. Show, now that he was here with me—my boyfriend.

  Like the village, the market had lanterns all over the place. It was crowded and lively too. Everyone was here to buy fruits and traditional cakes for the River God’s offering. I bought some too as well as joss sticks.

  “You okay, babe?” I asked, my arm around his shoulders. “Can get used to the smell and stuff?”

  “Don’t underestimate me, babe,” he said. “I’ve dealt with worse.”

  I laughed. He must be talking about the cleanliness. “Come, babe. I show you how my grandma’s god—I mean, my god, looks like,” I said and pulled him across the market.

  I brought him to the village center where the large stone statue of a magnificent dragon was. The dragon had wings and it sat on a huge rock, looking in the direction of the river. The dragon was the River God.

  The place was extremely crowded. It was even livelier than the market. Everyone was giving their prayers and offerings to the River God. While we were waiting for our turn, Liam asked me a funny question.

  “Hey, can I ask you something?” Liam said. “No offense, babe, but what happens to the food after this? Would it magically go away?”

  “Actually, those who are poor can have them,” I told Liam. “They can even bring the food home as long as they can finish and do not waste. But it has to be after the praying hours. The River God has to feast on them first. Once the god is full, his people can eat.”

  “Oh.” Liam raised an eyebrow. “It’s a he?” He pretended to look for a dick.

  I laughed and smacked his butt.

  It was finally our turn. Liam prayed together with me. He liked the experience and said he wanted to come back every year to do this together with me from now on. That was really sweet of him. After we were done, I brought him to my house, passing by the neighboring houses by the river. Even here, it was beautiful and lively. Lanterns and candle lights were almost everywhere. People from the cities and towns had returned home to visit their families. Some of them still recognized me and greeted me as we walked by them.

  We reached my place’s front door. Like every house’s front, the porch was decorated with lanterns and candles. It must be my neighbors again. They had always done it for me every year. I had to make sure I give my thanks to them later when they get back. After I got into the house and lit up the living room with candle lights, I turned around to check on Liam. Suddenly, he was missing. Liam was gone.

  I rushed outside to find him. I looked left and right. He was nowhere to be seen. Where was he? I went back inside to check. I checked every room and corner. Nope. He wasn’t here. I scratched my head. Where the fuck did he go? Could it be… something happened to him? But he was just right here a minute ago! I went back out to look for him.

  Nope. He was still nowhere to be found. Fuck. I took out my phone to try to call him. Right before I pressed the dial button, he called me.

  I picked it up. “Where are you, babe?!”

  I could hear him chuckle over the phone. “Look in front.”

  I looked around to see what he meant by in front. And then I found him. He was in front of my place, right across the river, standing on the porch of the house on the opposite side. How the fuck did he get there so fast? And he was shirtless, his pants and torso drenched. Did he just swim over? How did his phone even survived?

  And then they came. Not just one or two or three, but tons of river lanterns drifted in the river from the right to the left, illuminating the clear water between us in autumn orange. It was dreamy and gorgeous, easily beyond what these words could mean. It had never happened before. It was my first time seeing it.

  We hadn’t put down our phones yet.

  As the lanterns drifted slowly from one side to another, carried by the calm current of the water, Liam spoke. “Babe, I love you,” he started. “I know this may seem silly, or too fast, but...” he shook his head. “I’m not going to care. I’ve seen you get beat up for me. I’ve seen you almost die.” He took a deep breath as he recalled it. He sniffled. “Everyday people die, babe, and I began to fear that one day, it can be any of us. Those nights we’d been through, it could be us. If the clown was real, if that woman didn’t miss her shot, we could have… You could have...” he shook his head again. His eyes filled with tears as he thought about it. “Babe. I don’t care if we have just dated for a few weeks but we have known each other for five years. We’re together for more than five freaking years. We laughed together, cried together, got mad at each other, quarrel, argue, fight, for so many times. We know each other, so damn well too. Babe, I… There was one thing that I was very sure of. You’ve waited for me for five years and... five years is not a short time. And you said… You said I was worth the wait. And you… you put me above everything else, even your life. You were so sure of me…”

  The river was full of lanterns by now.

  “Babe…”

  And then the river lanterns moved, spreading out and closing in, each lantern at their own distinct direction like magic. They transformed into words.

  Will you marry me?

  “Will you be my River God?”

  I lost words. I blanked. I didn’t know what to say. But I knew, actions speak louder than words. I dropped my phone, stripped my shirt off and dived into the river straightaway. I swam across. As I did, I noticed there were fine strings attached to all the river lanterns underwater. That was how he pulled the trick.

  I didn’t have to come up to breathe. I could reach the other side in one full breath. I swam, fast and smooth, because I was so familiar with these waters. I was like a dragon. In another second, I reached and pulled myself up easily.

  Liam was still standing in the same place, waiting for me. He was breathing anxiously.

  I walked closer to him, nose-to-nose, and glowered at him furiously. How could he do this? How could he?! I should be the one who—

  He stepped back and kneeled on one knee. In his pocket, he took out a ring. A silver ring with fine drawing of the River God in gold, and blue background as the river. He had known everything from the start. He had known where my village was, how did my god looked like, and what I’d always valued most. He...

  “Will you marry me?” he asked me one more time.

  My anger vanished. All I saw was my future in front of me. I didn’t have to think about anything else. Because what else was there to think about? I nodded. “Yes, babe.”

  He smiled, so wide that I was sure his cheek would hurt. He grabbed my hand and hurriedly inserted the ring on my ring finger. He took out another ring from his pocket and put it on his too. I hugged him
straight. I couldn’t wait any longer. I squeezed him tightly and kissed him. Just when we were about to get started, just when I was about to let the monster in me take over, I was startled.

  “Woohoo!” Everyone around us shouted, walking out from wherever they were hiding around the house. They weren’t just anyone. They were Nathalie, Max, Theo, Samuel, and Olivia.

  “Guys?” I couldn’t believe it.

  “Congratulations, Lithium!” they shouted, loud and proud before they cheered again. “Woohoo!”

  The neighborhood cheered and clapped for us too. I suddenly felt so happy and blessed. They must have planned all this together, even the owner of this house we were standing on. I ignored all of them and continued to kiss my Liam.

  When we were done, we got back over to my place. Just when I was about to worry who would clear the lanterns in the river, Liam said he’d paid a few uncles from the village to make sure everything was taken care of properly. He surely had planned everything thoroughly.

  Nathalie and the rest had even bought food from the market, planning to cook at my house. Liam and I were excluded from the cooking, saying that there was no more room for big guys like us, so we sat at the porch, watching the remaining lanterns that had yet to be cleared in the river.

  No matter how beautiful the lanterns were, they weren’t comparable to what was beside me right now. I put my arm around Liam’s shoulders.

  “You know, babe,” I said. “Looking at you shirtless like this, I’m really so fucking hard right now. I need to get inside you,” I admitted without shame. “You’re already dead meat if they weren’t here in the first place.”

  Liam knocked my head. He was becoming like Nathalie. “Behave, okay? We have plenty of time later.”

  “Don’t have to pretend, babe.” I reached out my other hand to grab his cock. As I thought, his was as hard as mine.

  “Fuck.” Liam moaned. “No, babe!” he hissed. “Not here.”

  I laughed. “I know.” I pulled his head to kiss him on the mouth instead and enjoyed my time with my wifey-to-be. We watched as kids ran around the neighborhood, couples strolled around the village with lanterns in their hands, and families ate their dinner through their uncurtained windows. It was peaceful and blissful. As our neighbors passed by behind us, some of them wished us congratulations.

  “You know, babe,” Liam suddenly said. “I’ve thought about it. I’m not going to care what you’re going to say. I’ll still take up martial arts. I’m not going to let you always save me, babe. I’m not going to always put you in danger and have you come for me each and every time. I’m going to learn how to protect myself. I’m going to learn how to protect you.”

  I smiled. I could understand why he insisted on that. Perhaps it would be a good thing for Liam to learn how to defend himself. At least he would stand a good chance against the bad people. I nodded and kissed him on the cheek. “If you’re joining, babe, I’ll join too.”

  He smiled. “Really?”

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “Lithium!” Olivia came out of the house, skipping. The way she called us, it was almost like singing. “Dinner’s ready!” She twirled once happily, like a little girl.

  “Oli!” We laughed not only because of her silliness and happiness, but because she was finally fine! Liam’s proposal must have finally recovered her from her traumatization.

  When dinner was ready, we ate happily in the living room—the living room and the dining room were the same room; it was a small house—squeezing ourselves around a small table that could only fit four. They cooked plenty, ranging from different kinds of meat such as chicken, fish, beef, and mutton, to different kinds of vegetables and starches. I wasn’t sure if we could even finish them all. Of course, they’d brought our favorite drink, Somersby, and other stronger drinks that I’d never heard of, planning to get drunk and have a slumber party at my place tonight. I didn’t mind, of course. I was just concerned that the floor might be too dirty for them as I didn’t have enough mattress. When I brought that up, they said they each had bought their own portable mattress. They won. But this was it. This was my true home.

  Just when everything was perfect, something had to ruin it. No, it wasn’t something. It was someone.

  “Liam!” a voice shouted from the unclosed—left wide open for the cooling fresh air—front door.

  It was Joanna.

  My blood boiled in an instant. What the fuck was she doing here?! Before I could stand up and charge at her, Liam held my hand.

  “Let me this time,” Liam said and stood up. “Call the cops, Sam.”

  Samuel took out his phone and did as he was told.

  I didn’t plan to let Liam go alone. She almost killed Liam last time, so I wasn’t going to let him leave my side especially with her around. I followed him out.

  It was only when we got outside that I was able to see Joanna’s face clearly. She looked like a panda. She probably didn’t sleep well.

  “What do you want?” Liam asked.

  “Something to show you,” Joanna said and passed him her phone, still cocky despite the condition she was in.

  I leaned over to see what was on the phone. It was a video clip of me and Liam. Although it was dark, it was clear what we were doing. I was sucking Liam’s dick—the blowjob I gave him outside his house after dinner.

  Before I could wonder how she was able to get that, Liam passed her the phone back. “So?”

  “I’m going to send this to your parents,” Joanna threatened. “And they’re going to know. Unless you both testify that it wasn’t me that night!”

  Liam snorted and folded his arms across his bare chest. “You think I’ll be scared? Send it if you want. You’ve done enough damage, Jo. Time to pay back some.”

  “Oh yeah?” Joanna challenged. “You think I dare not?” Her thumb moved.

  I snatched the phone from her. Without a second thought, I smashed it onto the ground and stomped it. Three fucking times. The screen went black and shattered beyond shattered.

  “You—!”

  My friends in the house clapped.

  “Careful now,” Liam said. “Or it won’t just be the phone. I won’t stop him this time.”

  Joanna grunted as she stomped her foot. She turned and stormed off.

  I picked up the broken phone from the ground and threw it into the bin outside the house. My friends cheered as we got back in and sat back at the table. They picked up their Somersby bottles for a round of toast. We cheered and drank.

  “Can I have one more for my babe here, guys?!” Liam shouted.

  “Of course! Woohoo!” They cheered loudly again as we hit our bottles together.

  We drank happily and resumed our dinner.

  * * *

  Sleep had never been so comfortable with the man I loved in my arms. Usually, I would wake up easily without an alarm or someone’s call, but ever since Liam had permanently moved in to sleep with me, waking up seemed to be so hard. I just wanted to be in bed with him, all day and all night. Since then, he’d become my personal alarm clock, waking me up every schooling day so that I wouldn’t be late to school.

  But today, he woke me up in a different way. I woke up feeling something scratching my morning wood. I opened my eyes and turned my head to the side, wanting to see the beautiful face of my love first thing in the morning. But he wasn’t there.

  He was gone.

  A spasm shivered down my spine. I moaned. Fuck. He was underneath me, hiding in the blanket and sucking my cock. I pulled the blanket up to see him. Yup. I was right. He was there taking my cock, whole and down his throat for breakfast. Fuck. I moaned again when his tongue dug into my cock’s eye.

  He stopped when he saw me noticing him. He came up. “Good morning, babe.” He kissed me on the mouth, his hand grabbing my cock now. He began stroking it.

  I moaned. “What are you doing, babe?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” He grinned, stroking my cock faster.

  That was enough!
I rolled him over so that I was on top of him. “Someone’s butt’s itchy early in the morning, huh?”

  “Babe,” Liam called then, looking at me in the eyes. He squinted his eyes so sexily that I had to stop what I was about to do to listen to him.

  “Yes?” I reached my mouth down to kiss him on the mouth once.

  He kissed me back. “Can I try topping you, babe?”

  “What?”

  “You’re always inside me,” Liam said, almost like a complaint. “This time, I wanna be inside you.”

  I chuckled. “You sure?”

  Liam nodded seductively. He was so cute like that. How could I say no?

  “Then you gotta try to take me down and shove your cock into me yourself,” I challenged.

  “Oh yeah?” Liam began immediately. He pushed me down onto the side, rolling me over and got on top of me. He flipped me around roughly like how I usually did to him. My chest and cock were pressed against the bed and my butthole was exposed to him. Totally vulnerable. He had learned well.

  Liam grinned in triumph. He took the lube he had already readied on the bed, lubricated his fingers and began stuffing his fingers into me.

  I had let him win me on purpose, of course. He didn’t have to know. “Gentle, okay, babe?” I said.

  “What’s gentle?” Liam said. “You’re mine, babe.” He shoved his cock into me.

  For the first time, I felt Liam’s cock inside me, filling me with an intense burst of pleasure at every thrust he gave. He fucked me as rough as I fucked him, ramming inside me hard like he wanted to pay back everything I’d put him through. That was exactly what I did when I was fucking him. I made him feel whatever I felt over the years. My despair. My anger. But now, it was his turn. I let him break me just like how he had let me break him. And I didn’t want him to stop. For, I belonged to him and he belonged to me. No one else.

  * * *

  A month had passed. Life had resumed in a way unlike before, and I’d never been happier in my life. Every day seemed like an adventure to look forward to with Liam. It wasn’t only us, though. All my friends were the same.