Manchild

Author's Note:

Hi Guys! I must apologise for making you wait this long for the next chapter. I'm a very busy gal and don't have much time to write these days. I have been working on it a little bit here and there (when I wasn't dead tired from work) but I didn't want to post something substandard or rushed so I had to take this long to finish the chapter properly and make sure it was actually worth posting. Connor deserves to only have quality stories written about him so that's what I've been doing. I'm very happy with the end result and hope you are too!

By the way, this is a very LONG chapter so you better have half an hour to spare! This is the one you've all been waiting for so without further ado, read on people...

Rina

***


To refresh your memory of what happened in the last part:

“So, are we going to this motel or what?” Connor prompts impatiently.

“You don’t care that the rooms probably have roaches in them the size of small dogs?”

“Hey, I grew up on a hell dimension, living with things that crawl down your throat and drink every drop of water in your body. Compared to Sluks, a few measly cockroaches are nothing.” Connor finishes cheekily with, “Or would you rather walk all the way back to your house?”

“No, no,” Sebastian hurriedly replies, imagining how long he’d have to wait before he could get Connor naked. “The motel will be fine. If you don’t care I won’t.”

“I really don’t.” The teenager shrugs, willing to go anywhere in the world Sebastian suggests provided there’s pantsless action involved. “Which way are we headed?”

Sebastian bows, indicating the way with a courteous sweep of his hand. “After you, m’dear.”


***


Part Three.


As the two past and potential lovers head down the street in the direction of the motel Sebastian passed earlier, an electronic beeping starts coming from the depths of the older male’s tailored leather coat. Connor glances at Sebastian, recognising the beeping as the theme from Knight Rider, one of the coolest shows he’s seen in his late-night television marathons.

“Shit,” Sebastian mutters, stopping and digging in his pocket, not welcoming the interruption to this fabulous night which is about to get even more fabulous when he and Connor get a room and get naked. Talking to anyone, no matter who it is, isn’t something he wants to do right now and when he looks at the phone he doesn’t recognise the number which only increases his sense of annoyance. But at the same time, he’s loath to ignore the call just in case it’s something important, like his heavily pregnant younger sister having been rushed to hospital early.

“Sorry, babe,” he says apologetically to Connor. “I better get this.”

Connor respectfully turns away, surveying up and down the street for anything amiss, as is his habit, while Sebastian presses the “TALK” button, shoves his glossy curls aside and holds the silver device to his ear.

“Seb here.” Connor senses an awkward pause and when he peeks discreetly at Sebastian, notices a slight look of guilt spreading across the taller man’s face.

“Hi, Pete. Uh...Listen, I’m not going to be able to make it tonight.”

Connor can hear a faint male voice issuing from Sebastian’s phone and the voice sounds a little pissed. On the receiving end of the verbal chastising, the dark-haired man chews on his lip uncomfortably.

“Yeah, I know, I know. I’m sorry. I should have called but...” Here he glances at Connor. “Something came up.”

Using his super-listening skills, Connor zeros in on the voice and hears the Pete guy demanding to know what exactly came up: something or somebody? Sebastian sighs, running one hand through his springy black mane.

“Okay, somebody. Look, it’s nothing personal. I just...I ran into an old flame tonight, okay?”

Hearing that, Connor snaps out of his snooping, tilting his head inquisitively at Sebastian. Nobody has ever called him a flame before. That kinda means boyfriend, right? As if confirming his theory, the twenty six-year old turns and looks straight at Connor, his emerald gaze level and open.

“Yes, I still have feelings for him.” Sebastian pauses. “Pretty big ones, actually.”

At that declaration, Connor blinks in surprise, his heart skipping a few beats.

“So, yeah. I don’t think you and me are ever gonna happen, Pete. Sorry.” Staring absently at a girl whizzing by on a purple scooter, Sebastian listens to the response from the other guy and then laughs, his sombre mood lightening instantly.

“The bartender? I don’t show and you hook up with the bartender already? I’m almost insulted.” He chuckles some more. “Well, no hard feelings, man. Have a great night.” He glances at Connor and winks playfully. “I know *I* will.”

The mischievous comment makes Connor’s cheeks colour slightly. His pulse is still irregular as the second male says goodbye and hangs up.

“Sorry about that, cookie,” Sebastian apologises. “I’ll turn this damn thing off so nobody else can call me.” He hits another button and the small screen on the front of the phone goes blank, then he slips it back into his pocket.

“Was he mad?” Connor ventures, timidly looking at the other man. “I could hear him and he sounded mad.”

“Oh, don’t you worry your pretty little head about him,” Sebastian breezes. “Like I said before: he’ll get over it.”

“But I don’t want to cause any trouble between you,” Connor stresses, fully understanding that he’s the sole reason Sebastian ditched the guy. “What’s he gonna say next time you see him?”

“I don’t give a fuck what he says,” Sebastian tosses back. “I hardly even know the dude, Connor. We’re not friends. We never slept together. And I’m never seeing him again.”

“You’re not?” The eighteen year old questions hopefully.

“No, sweet pea. I’m not.” Sebastian’s voice gentles and he slips an errant auburn lock back behind Connor’s ear, gazing down into those luminous blue orbs that all-too-clearly express emotion. “You’re the only one I want to see now. The only one. Just you. Okay?”

Feeling foolish for his concerns, Connor nods, letting Sebastian smooth back his hair even though there are people visible on this street, walking along and going past in cars. But Connor hardly even registers that they are there; so caught up with this compelling, intense...thing...that’s developing between he and the other attractive male. It’s hypnotic. When Sebastian focuses on him this way – as if there’s nothing or nobody else around them – the city and its inhabitants just fade away and the younger boy finds it hard to notice anything apart from the crystalline clarity of Sebastian’s jewel-green gaze and the almost startling black pinpoints of his pupils, concentrated intently on Connor’s face, as if searching into his mind and reading the thoughts hidden there. It’s like being gazed upon by a supreme being, a god – humbling and awe-inspiring at the same time and if he looks too long Connor could drown in the splendour of those magical eyes.

It is with dreamy slowness that Sebastian leans down and brushes his mouth lightly across Connor’s, the smaller boy lowering his lashes at the feather-soft contact. Sebastian’s fingers spread into the fine red hair at the nape of his neck and Connor feels shivers dancing down his vertebrae. He nuzzles against Sebastian’s barely parted lips, the silkiness of them a luscious contrast to the roughness of the older male’s unshaven face. Time stands still as their breaths mingle and auras melt into each other the way their bodies want to do.

Suddenly jolted back to reality by the blare of a nearby car horn, Connor realises that he and Sebastian are standing in the middle of the sidewalk practically making out so he drags his mouth away and turns his face, making Sebastian pull back and drop his hand. Self-consciously, Connor takes a few steps in reverse and glances around to see if anyone was watching them - not because he’s ashamed of what they were doing but because he wasn’t paying attention to the rest of the world and therefore to any baddies that could have been sneaking up on them. By being so wrapped up in Sebastian and losing track of their surroundings he made them both sitting ducks and they could have been quite easily assailed by a number of undead and unpleasant beings, even out here in the open under the streetlights. Demons and vamps will jump him anywhere. Connor is well aware that simply by standing near him, Sebastian also becomes a target and thus becomes vulnerable to attack. He knows that Sebastian can fight and defend himself now but Connor still feels that it is his responsibility to ensure the second man is kept safe from harm. If anything happened to Sebastian because of him... If he got hurt... or worse... Connor would never, ever forgive himself. He cannot afford to let his guard down like this again. Not in a city full of creatures that crave human blood.

“Let’s keep moving,” he all but growls, striding off without even looking at Sebastian lest his awful fears show. Hurrying after Connor, Sebastian curses himself for getting carried away and touching the teenager in public. But Christ, he can’t help getting carried away when Connor is with him. When that gorgeous kid looks up at him like that – full of trusting hope and desperate expectation - like Sebastian is the answer to all his prayers, like he’s everything Connor’s always wanted, it’s too goddamn hard not to touch him, to kiss him. Sebastian wants to give the lonely boy all the love he’s missed out on and obviously needs. But still, he should know better. There’s a time and place for everything and that’s why they are going to the motel. Best he keeps his hands to himself until then or Connor might smack him in the eye and wreck his next photo shoot.

Sebastian catches up to the stiffly striding eighteen year old and slants a glance his way, gauging his mood. Connor doesn’t look at him. He’s got his hands in his jeans pockets, his aggressive body language screaming Back the Fuck Off.

“I’m sorry,” Sebastian says quietly. “I shouldn’t have done that. I should have waited until...” He trails off, not sure if Connor is even going to let him get close again.

Connor is silent for a bit and then he sighs, his posture relaxing, his tense shoulders slumping. “No, it’s not you, Seb.”

At the use of his nickname – permitted only to his nearest and dearest - Sebastian gets a little thrill.

“I put us in danger,” Connor declares, shaking his head in disgust. “I’m normally watching what’s going on around me. And for a moment, I wasn’t. I got distracted.”

“By me,” Sebastian supplies with a grimace.

Despite his self-castigation, Connor manages a small smile. “Not that it wasn’t a nice distraction. But I know what kinds of things live in this place and you don’t want to turn your back on them.” His tone grows bitter and jaded. “Otherwise you end up dead.”

“Sorry,” Sebastian mutters again, knowing the kid is correct.

Connor sighs once more. “Not your fault. I’m the one who’s the demon magnet.” He shoots Sebastian a blackly humorous look. “Still want to date me?”

Sebastian grins widely. “Shit yeah.”

The eighteen year old allows himself to grin back. “So, you like Knight Rider, huh?”

Thus ensues a discussion about 80’s TV shows, something to talk about while they trek towards their much-anticipated destination. They are in the middle of debating which are their favourite characters out of the He-man cartoon series when Connor halts suddenly, veering down a side street with a very clear purpose in mind.

“Lord, what now?” Sebastian cusses in exasperation, following the boy and expecting to discover something gross and oozing down there that needs to be exterminated. Instead, Connor heads towards a large metal box with a glass front sitting on the pavement. It’s a vending machine full of tasty treats and Connor stands in front of it, gazing wistfully at what’s inside like a kid into a toy store window.

“Chocolate,” he murmurs in a low purr that sounds as though it ought to belong in the bedroom. He is about to punch through the glass to get what he wants when Sebastian speedily grabs his arm.

“Hey, hey. You don’t have to do that, eager beaver. I got coins.” Sebastian fishes some out of his wallet and hands them to Connor, quipping, “You put these in the slot and press the buttons. That’s how normal people do it.”

“But that’s no fun,” Connor counters and proceeds to get some sustenance the old-fashioned way. There’s a chinking sound as the coins fall into the collection bucket and then a mechanical whirring as he selects a candy bar made from dark chocolate with a creamy peppermint filling. Connor watches hungrily as the foil wrapped package drops to the opening and he snatches it up, shoving in more money and choosing another snack, this one full of peanuts and caramel. When the second bar appears in the collection bin, Connor grabs it, immediately ripping it open and taking a big bite as though he hasn’t eaten for days. Sebastian witnesses a look of pure ecstasy cross Connor’s face and the boy closes his eyes for a moment as he chews, looking as if he’s enjoying something much more than mere food. As if just realising his manners, he holds the half-eaten bar out to Sebastian and offers, “Wanna bite?”

“No, thanks. I’m a model. I have to watch my weight,” Sebastian jokes. “Besides, I think you need it more than I do. Have you even had dinner tonight?”

“This IS my dinner,” Connor replies, biting off another chunk. Making a muffled groan of bliss, he savours the sweet delicacy before swallowing. “Back on Qor’toth, we survived on whatever meat I killed and this weird fruit that tasted like turnips. I didn’t even know candy existed. But now I can’t get enough of it.”

“Careful, cherub,” Sebastian laughingly suggests as the youth polishes off the first candy bar and enthusiastically begins on the second. “You might make yourself sick.”

“No I won’t,” Connor mumbles around a mouthful. “I never get sick. Never even had a cold.” He makes an adorable quizzical, musing face. “I don’t even think I can.”

“Coughing, sweating, aches and mucus...You’re not missing anything,” Sebastian drolly advises. “Trust me.”

His hunger satisfied, at least for food, Connor licks each of his long fingers clean of melted chocolate using his little pink tongue – the sight almost giving Sebastian another hard-on - and then they start walking again, a little faster, knowing that the motel isn’t far away now.

“Sebastian, can I ask you a personal question?” Connor broaches shortly after.

“Absolutely, darlin’,” the taller man assents, keeping an eye out for the red door he saw earlier. “The more personal the better.”

Connor focuses intently on his dark-haired partner. “When did you know you were gay?”

Not bothered by the query about his private life, Sebastian answers truthfully, “I’ve always known. Since I was like, five or six. I knew even back when I didn’t know the name for it. I was always aware that I was different from other boys. I used to play with toy soldiers, but instead of pretending to be at war, I’d make them kiss each other.” He chuckles. “You should have seen my bedroom walls when I was fourteen: totally covered in posters of long-haired guys in rock bands and actors that I thought were hot. I had the biggest crush on Bret Michaels from Poison. I had this poster of him right near my bed and every night I would kiss it...” He stops and grins sheepishly at Connor.

“I’m sounding like such a dork, aren’t I?”

Connor shakes his head and smiles in amusement, trying to imagine Sebastian as a hormonal teenager.

“Anyway, I never had to come out of the closet because I was never in it,” the older male concludes. “Some guys don’t realise until they’re married with a few kids. Or else they do know but they try to hide it. But me...I never had to tell anybody that I was gay because everyone around me already knew. I guess I was lucky that way.”

“And nobody cared?”

“Well, not anyone that mattered to me. I got beat up a couple of times in high school because of it but you know, that’s life,” the twenty six-year old finishes with a shrug. “There’s always someone that doesn’t like you.”

Feeling a surge of fury, Connor wishes he could have been there at Sebastian’s school when that happened. If he’d seen anybody lay a hand on his gentle green-eyed friend, Connor would have punched the fuckers into the asphalt until there was nothing left but a bloody smear.

“You look ready to murder someone,” Sebastian teases, giving Connor a nudge. “Don’t worry about it, hon. It was a long time ago.”

“I know but...It’s wrong,” Connor replies in quiet anger. “Sometimes, I don’t know why I bother to save people. They suck.”

“Not all of them,” Sebastian decrees, looking directly at Connor. The boy meets his gaze, his noticeable rage slowly subsiding under the warm caress of Sebastian’s eyes.

“I guess not,” Connor answers softly, glancing away in shyness. “Some of you are actually worth the effort.”

If Sebastian wasn’t already in love with the boy, he would have fallen head over heels right then and there for being handed such a tremendous compliment. “When we get a room,” he promises Connor impassionedly, “I am so kissing the hell out of that sweet mouth of yours.”

Connor cannot stop himself from getting ridiculously excited by that vow and he quickly lowers his face, shielding his tell-tale reaction with his long hair, his heart thumping rapidly like he’s just run on foot from one end of Los Angeles to the other. With some perplexity, he wonders why Sebastian affects him so much. In the past, he was always attracted to older women. Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that he’s attracted to Sebastian. He may not be a woman but he’s definitely older. Must be the wisdom and confidence of a few more years of life experience that Connor finds so appealing. People in their late twenties or thirties have been through shit; they know who they are and they are more comfortable with themselves. Sebastian in particular is a very poised individual, brimming with self-assurance, a healthy sense of humour, and a love of all things sensual and fun. He’s got loads of good advice and knowledge to share with anyone who needs it plus a sympathetic ear and kind heart. When he says things, he means them and he knows what he’s talking about. He’s not posturing or pretending to be something he’s not just to please other people. What you see with Sebastian is what you get. He is who he is and he obviously loves his life.

He obviously loves flirting too and that is probably what rattles Connor so much. Sebastian is the most overtly teasing and enticing person Connor has ever met and when all that flirtatiousness is aimed straight at him undiluted, it’s pretty darn difficult not to be affected. He may not show it outwardly but Connor is just as keen to get to this motel and do all those X-rated things that Sebastian asked him to. Twice. He’s so hyped-up about that he can hardly stand it and it takes a lot of discipline on his part not to overtake Sebastian and break into a jog to get there first.

Thankfully for both of them, Sebastian soon spies that scarlet door with the chipped paint a short distance ahead in the street. It’s a bit hard to miss with the bright aqua neon sign right next to it in the window, proclaiming anonymity assured. The entrance to the motel is sandwiched amongst two other stores, one of them appropriately selling adult wares like DVDs and vibrators, the other a tattoo and piercing parlour. As he heads right up to the tarnished doorknob that’s been touched by God knows how many other unwashed hands, Sebastian is hit by the sleaziness of this whole situation and he feels a dirty sense of shame that jars with his normally unabashed character. There are people further along the street, milling outside bars and nightclubs, talking and laughing, not close enough to recognise him yet Sebastian still hunches into his coat as if afraid of being seen here, doing this. Paying cash for a cheap motel bed to fuck in is not only sordid and seedy but he thinks Connor really deserves to be taken somewhere better. It’s like picking a rare, precious orchid out of a rainforest and then plonking it in a brown bottle of stale beer with cigarette butts floating in it. Faced with the idea of somehow corrupting Connor’s innocent nature by taking him inside this place, Sebastian changes his mind about doing it but when he turns and sees the object of his niggling conscience, his decision starts to falter. Unlike him, Connor doesn’t look as though he’s having second thoughts at all. Indeed, the eighteen year old appears curious and eager to see what’s behind the mysterious door and so Sebastian relents and places his hand on the brass knob.

“You sure you want to do this?” he asks Connor, giving the kid one last chance to back out.

“Yeah,” Connor says impatiently, as if wondering why Sebastian is taking so long to open the damn door. “Are you?”

“Yeah, yeah. Of course I am,” the dark-haired man rapidly reassures Connor before he gets the wrong impression. It’s not that Sebastian suddenly finds Connor unattractive. Christ, no. It’s just, for the first time this evening Sebastian is actually feeling nervous and it’s all got to do with what’s going to happen once they cross that threshold. He doesn’t usually get the jitters before sex but here he is about to do it with the boy of his dreams – the one beautiful boy he’s never been able to forget and has so dearly longed for - and he doesn’t want anything to go wrong, not a single damn thing. Trying to conquer his nerves, the older male takes a fortifying breath, utters “Here we go,” and then turns the doorhandle, entering into the unknown with Connor right behind him.

There are dark grey carpeted stairs leading upwards with a gleaming stainless steel hand rail. Surrounding Sebastian and Connor are walls painted in the same red as the door, only much less worn; in actual fact, they could have been painted yesterday. Stylish dimmed down-lights provide subtle, subdued illumination along the steep ascent. The two males climb the stairs, Sebastian first, and once at the top they find a modern reception desk with a flat-screen computer sitting on top of it. It is unmanned and they look around, seeing nothing but some striking spiky-leaved plants in tall black pots on the floor and framed paintings of geishas and Japanese symbols hanging on the walls. Soft music wafts out from hidden speakers and Sebastian thinks that the place is much less gaudy and tacky than he expected. It could be the foyer in a top-class hotel. A hallway runs off to their left and a row of doors can be seen down there but no people. Impatient for some service, Sebastian coughs pointedly and a friendly male voice comes out from under the desk.

“Just a second! I dropped my pen. Ah, here it is.”

A bald head pops up with a cheery smile and soft brown eyes light upon Sebastian from behind wire-rimmed spectacles.

“Sorry about that. How can I help you tonight, sir?”

Sebastian can’t answer; he’s too busy gaping in outright horror at the person speaking to him. Well, it’s not so much a person as a thing.

A demon.

It is wearing human clothing – collared shirt, paisley vest and tan pants – but it’s all pink and hairless. The skin of its face sits in fleshy rolls and its ears are large and floppy. Almost hidden by folds of skin are its small round eyes. The nose is pug and the chin not double, but triple. It’s not stinky or hideously frightening like the one that attacked them back in the alley but the motel clerk is nonetheless alarming to Sebastian who has only seen one other demon in his life and that was before when he almost got his throat slit by it.

“Sir?” The clerk prompts politely when Sebastian doesn’t reply.

Using his elbow, Connor tries to poke his uncommunicative friend out of his stupor but all that’s running through Sebastian’s mind is, “DEMON! EVIL! RED ALERT! RED ALERT!”

Getting no response from the tall, curly-haired man in the coat standing there like some kind of mute mannequin, the demon focuses on the shorter male next to him. It adjusts the glasses perched on its upturned nose, squinting at Connor closely.

“And what can I do for...Oh my goodness!” Fear shows in the creature’s eyes as it recognises the boy slayer from Qor’toth. “It’s you! The Destroyer!”

“Aw, not again,” Connor mutters long-sufferingly.

“Please don’t kill me!” The demon hurriedly holds both chubby hands up, dropping the pen again in panicked haste, his ears flattening like a cringing dog. “Please. I’ve got a wife and five spawn who need me!”

“It’s okay,” Connor says, showing his own hands and the absence of weapons in them. “I’m not going to kill you.”

“You’re not?” Sebastian questions incredulously, speaking for the first time since he’s walked in here.

Babbling with terror, the demon continues, “I-I’ve never hurt a human in all the years I’ve been on this dimension! I swear. I’m just trying to make a living and take care of my family like anyone else. I beg you, spare my life!”

“Get it,” Sebastian urges, as if he’s talking about a large cockroach. “Get it, Connor!”

“Be quiet,” Connor scolds with a warning glance at Sebastian. “You’re scaring him.”

“I’M scaring it?” Sebastian repeats in disbelief but another threatening look from Connor shuts him up and he quickly steps backwards, letting the kid handle this situation.

“I’m not going to touch you,” Connor reiterates calmly and slowly, trying to console this poor cowering creature who is all but blubbering in fright. “We just want a room. Okay?”

“A...a room?” The demon’s voice is quivering as he repeats Connor’s request.

“Yes. A room. With a bed. That’s it.”

Lowering his trembling hands, the clerk peers first at the notorious offspring of vampires and then his companion, the well-groomed male in the fine attire, who seems edgy and anxious, obviously a newbie to the world of demons. Then with different eyes he looks at Connor again; a young, feminine-featured boy accompanying an older, worldlier man – neither of whom appears in need of any sleep - and finally the clerk understands what’s going on. This kind of situation he sees every night of the week and if he wasn’t so busy fearing for his life he would have spotted it earlier.

“Ah. I see. Silly me.” The demon smiles in shaky relief, his floppy ears lifting back up to a more relaxed position. “Well, if it’s a room you’re after, you’ve come to the right place. I have dozens of them. It’s very quiet tonight.”

Extending his hand to Sebastian, Connor prods, “Money?”

Before Sebastian can fetch his wallet, not that he’s willing to, the clerk kindly waves away the offer. “No, no. It’s on the house. Consider it an apology for my hasty misunderstanding. Now, which room would be suitable?” He reaches under his desk and brings out a large ring of shiny silver keys, flipping through them and rattling off names, back to business again now that he knows his head is not going to be cleanly dislodged from his shoulders.

“The French Boudoir, the Persian Palace, the Roman Room?” He stops and looks excitedly at Connor. “I know. Honeymoon Heaven.”

“We’re not, uh, married,” Connor says hesitantly, glancing at Sebastian who has nothing helpful to say at the moment.

The clerk chuckles knowingly. “Of course not. But it will seem fitting. You haven’t been together for a long time, am I right?”

Mystified and impressed, Connor frowns and replies, “How did you know?”

“It’s my job to know these things.” The clerk smiles secretively. “It’s also my job to adhere to the highest standards of confidentiality so nobody will ever know you’ve been here, okay?” This he says directly to Sebastian, sensing the twenty six-year old’s apprehension.

“Honeymoon Heaven is my most romantic room,” he continues proudly, concentrating back on Connor who appears to be the one making all the decisions. “It has a heart shaped bed with rose petals on it and comes with complimentary champagne and chocolates. How does that sound? Would you like that one?”

“Okay,” Connor agrees easily, already won over with the offer of a free room. He likes free stuff.

“Excellent.” The delighted rumple-skinned clerk comes out from behind the desk, beginning to trot down the hallway in shiny shoes, his ears flapping. “If you’ll both follow me.”

Connor starts to but Sebastian grabs his sleeve, whispering in uneasiness, “What are you doing? It’s a demon!”

“I can see that.” Connor shoots Sebastian a patient look. “Now, c’mon,” he encourages eagerly, taking the older man by the wrist and dragging him down the corridor. “We get chocolates!”

“No...I don’t want to,” Sebastian protests, resisting Connor’s tugging like a child who’s afraid of getting into the dentist’s chair.

“Hey, coming to this motel? Your idea,” Connor reminds him.

“Yeah, that was before I knew it was run by demons!” Sebastian hisses, trying to keep his voice down. “And hello? They hate your guts, Connor!”

“He doesn’t want to hurt me,” the auburn-haired boy states. “I can tell when they want to hurt me. And he doesn’t. He’s harmless.”

“How do you know? How can you trust that...thing?” Sebastian jerks his thumb at the creature’s back. “What if he calls all his demony buddies when we’re in the room and they attack us while we’re naked and defenceless with rose petals all over us?”

Connor lifts an amused eyebrow. “Who’s the demon expert here? How many have you seen in your whole life?”

“Um...Two.” The taller man squirms at the confronting question. “And...he’s one of them.”

“Exactly.” Connor’s tone is mildly chastising. “If you knew anything about demons, you’d know that this species is peaceful and non-violent. They don’t even eat meat. They’re vegetarians.”

Sebastian scrunches his face up in surprise. “Really?”

“Not all demons are bad,” the younger male says persuasively. “Just like humans are not all good. Once, I couldn’t tell the difference. But now I can.”

Connor’s confidence starts to rub off on Sebastian and he spares a glance at the odd bespectacled individual scurrying up the corridor ahead of them, muttering to himself and sorting through the keys for the right one. Sebastian is beginning to think of the demon not as an “it” but “he”, the way Connor does, like he’s a person and not a creature. He may be one of the freakiest things Sebastian has ever seen but he grudgingly admits that the clerk DOES seem pretty harmless. There are no fangs or claws or even pointy horns. He’s squashy and pudgy, kind of like a big roly-poly Shar-Pei puppy. Only with a chronic case of alopecia. Apart from the strangeness of his features and lack of any hair, he is dressed and mannered rather like a mild English librarian. Perhaps Sebastian should trust Connor’s judgement. If the kid thought they were in any danger the demon would be bleeding on the floor already.

Sealing the deal, Connor leans in and murmurs, “Besides, if you don’t come with me, Sebastian, you don’t get laid.”

“Damn you,” the green-eyed male sighs, giving in and letting Connor lead him up the hallway to a white door where the clerk is putting a key into the lock. The lure of raunchy teenage sex is beginning to outweigh any misgivings Sebastian has about their choice of motels and his misgivings fade even more when the door is opened and the clerk ushers them in. Connor enters first, looking around wide-eyed with wonder at what’s inside. Nervously stepping around the demon, Sebastian passes though the entranceway and he too gazes about with more than a small measure of astonishment. The first thing that strikes him is how huge the room is. The second? Heart shaped bed - not as cheesy as it sounds. It’s big and soft with inviting plush pillows sitting against the bed head, which is also a heart shape and crafted from elaborate scrolls of white-washed iron. The filigree metalwork is interwoven with glossy leaves of ivy and tiny fairy lights that cast a magical glow on the damask-rose hue of the wall behind. The sheets and duvet cover are gleaming white satin and sprinkled over them are the promised rose petals, many different colours and freshly picked, going by the fragrance that sweetens the air.

Shimmering curtains hung from the ceiling fall softly around the sides of the bed, just brushing the carpet which is luxuriously thick and green, like grass. Glorious tropical flowers spill out of hanging baskets placed around the room, the curling tendrils almost reaching down to the floor, and Sebastian’s jaw drops when he spots real, live butterflies flitting between the blooms, their wings iridescent and dazzling. One of them sails past a marble statue of a nude goddess in the corner and it’s only then that Sebastian realises she’s standing in a raised pond surrounded by waterlilies with goldfish swimming around her ankles. Water streams from an urn the statue is holding, pouring back into the pond with a soothing trickling sound. Two blue-green dragonflies sit serenely on a lily pad, almost unnoticeable except for the gossamer sheen of their wings. Just like Connor, Sebastian is looking everywhere at once, finding it difficult to take all these myriad breathtaking details in. His roving eye is drawn upwards to a magnificent three-tired chandelier dangling from the roof, comprised from glittering teardrops of crystal which reflect the radiance of candle-shaped globes burning on each branch. Billows of organza are draped over the dark blue ceiling like clouds and more fairy lights twinkle underneath the sheer fabric, reminiscent of fireflies in the night, or stars, the entire space creating the sense of stepping into an enchanted wonderland or mystical paradise. It really is heaven.

“You like?”

The voice snaps Sebastian out of his dreamy enthralment and he turns to face the clerk who is standing there with an inquiring look on his face, eager to please his customers.

“I...uh...wow,” is all Sebastian can utter, so overwhelmed by the unexpected loveliness of this place.

“I’ll take that as a positive indication,” the clerk remarks with a smile that almost causes his small eyes to disappear behind rolls of skin. He turns to Connor who has managed to catch a butterfly in his hand and is cradling the delicate creature with an awed gentleness completely at odds with his violent, blood-thirsty reputation.

“And what about you, sir? Does it pass inspection?”

“It’s amazing,” Connor responds enthusiastically, watching in delight as the butterfly lifts off his palm and takes flight with a flutter of orange and black wings.

“Wonderful.” The beaming clerk hands Connor the key. “Just drop it off at the desk when you leave. If there’s anything else I can do for you, let me know. There’s a phone by the bed and I’m happy to cater for any special requests.”

“Okay. Thank you,” Connor adds, sincerely appreciative of the generous gesture. He bets the clerk doesn’t give this room to just anybody. It’s spectacular.

“Oh, one last thing.” The roly-poly demon pauses at the doorway and grimaces slightly, as if he doesn’t want to have to ask this. “Please don’t eat the fish.”

Connor lifts his eyebrows. “People do that?”

“More than you’d think,” the clerk returns with a sigh. “I don’t put them there as snacks but certain individuals find them irresistible, unfortunately.”

“Well, I don’t like sushi,” Connor announces, wrinkling his nose. “So, don’t worry. They’ll still be here.”

“I’d appreciate that.” The motel owner smiles good-naturedly. “Enjoy your night. Both of you.” He directs the last part to a still-nervous Sebastian and then exits, closing the door after him, leaving the two males alone.

Like a bloodhound, Connor immediately sniffs out the promised chocolates, locating them on a gilded table beside the bed, next to the phone and bottle of champagne, which he ignores completely, dropping the key and tearing off the lid of the box to reveal rows of glossy brown treats nestled in gold foil wrappers. He pops one into his mouth, bites it in two and grins with glee when the pink jelly of a Turkish Delight oozes onto his tongue. With the unique perfumed flavour, it’s like eating a chocolate-covered rose. He swallows and picks another, making short work of that one too.

“Mmm. These are good. This place is awesome,” Connor declares as he licks his lips, looking around at the room some more. “Isn’t it awesome?”

“It sure is,” Sebastian has to agree, glancing up at the splendid chandelier, every polished piece of crystal catching and refracting the light, making it sparkle like diamonds and bouncing intricate patterns onto the walls. A bright blue butterfly lands on the chandelier as Sebastian watches and he slowly shakes his head in amazement. He’s stayed in hotels all over the world before but has never been a room that comes complete with its own ecosystem.

A room like this should get one in the frame of mind for romance as it was intended but in spite of all its charm and prettiness Sebastian can’t help eyeing off the door, as if expecting it to be forcefully opened by unwanted intruders any moment now. He feels somewhat like a hapless insect in a Venus flytrap, lured there by the saccharine scent and if he’s not careful the jaws are going to snap shut on him.

“Give me that key,” he impulsively tells Connor who passes it over with a curious expression, watching as Sebastian goes to the door and makes sure it’s locked properly. Three times.

“What are you afraid of?”

Connor’s inquisitive question makes Sebastian spin around. “What am I afraid of?” He gives a short bark of humourless laughter. “Gee, I dunno. Maybe getting killed? C’mon, Connor. I saw how that demon was looking at me back in the alley. He was gonna carve me up like a Sunday roast and eat me for dinner.”

“That demon is dead. And the one out there at the front desk is a vegetarian. I already told you that.”

“Yeah? What about his friends? I bet they don’t all live off tofu and fucking rice cakes!”

Sebastian’s smart-ass comeback is meant to cover up how scared he is but Connor can see it and he softens towards the other man.

“I know this is all new and scary for you but you don’t have to worry, okay? I’ve been hunting and tracking demons ever since I could walk. I know them. And he’s a good one. He’s not going to double cross us.” Connor goes up to Sebastian, laying a comforting hand on his forearm, looking up at him with clear, understanding blue eyes.

“You just have to trust me, Seb.”

“Well, I guess I don’t have any other choice,” Sebastian grudgingly grants. “But what if another one – a not so good one - saw us coming in here? What if we were followed? Rumplestiltskin out there won’t be able to stop them from busting our door down and trying to slaughter us like pigs.”

“We weren’t followed,” Connor emphasizes. “Super-senses, remember?”

“But...”

“Hey.” The eighteen year old interrupts Sebastian’s objection, lifting his elegant fingers and touching the taller male’s whiskery cheek, his voice protective. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I swear. You’re safe here with me.”

Sighing, Sebastian leans into Connor’s softly caressing hand. “I’m being a huge drama queen about this, aren’t I?”

Smiling, Connor replies, “A little. But it’s okay. You’re only human.”

“Christ.” The twenty six-year old snorts. “I find out you’re half demon, one of them tries to kill me and another one gives us a free honeymoon suite. This night is even more fucked up than last time.”

“I don’t know about that,” Connor says, gazing down the entire length of Sebastian’s lean body and back again. “If you ask me, it’s not fucked up enough.”

Hearing Connor swear again does instantaneous things to Sebastian’s private parts and he gulps as something hungry and dark rises in the younger one’s eyes, his intentions quite clear. When they did this a year ago, Sebastian had to guide him through the whole event because Connor was so inexperienced. Sebastian had to do everything, had to tell him where and how to do certain things, practically leading him by the hand like some...well...virgin. Not tonight, though. Tonight Connor wants to be in charge.

“Well, we finally have a room.” He looks expectantly at Sebastian. “What are we gonna do now?”

“I...” Normally the seductive one, Sebastian flounders at Connor’s taunting query. He isn’t sure if he can do anything knowing that a demon, albeit a harmless one, is lurking just down the corridor. Too much shit has happened tonight and he’s still shaken up over it.

“Have you forgotten what you said to me before...what you wanted done to you?” Connor’s tone is loaded with wicked provocativeness. “How about we just do that?”

Sebastian finds all his concerns about demons disappearing when Connor gives him a quick shove in the chest with an open palm, sending him flying into the heart-shaped bed. Flat on his back, Sebastian gasps for air, all the breath knocked out him, but he doesn’t have time to react before Connor jumps onto him, taking his mouth and kissing him demandingly, the boy’s mouth sweet with chocolate and the essence of roses. Thousands of Sebastian’s nerve endings crackle into instant life when Connor mauls him like he did earlier in the alley, grabbing and squeezing any part of Sebastian he can reach – shoulders, arms, chest, waist – the demonic strength in Connor’s small hands sure to leave a few bruises behind in the morning. Every bit of desire they felt before comes flooding back twofold and Sebastian gives a low, stifled moan as Connor sucks suggestively on his tongue, the kid’s lengthy auburn locks falling around the sides of his face and blocking out the rest of the world. Sebastian buries his fingers into the richness of that hair, loving the silken, warm texture of it and the feel of Connor’s body against his. The long-limbed teenager is light on top of him, weighing not much more than a girl of his age would, his jutting hipbone digging in almost painfully, but Sebastian relishes the thinness and angularity of Connor’s figure as it perfectly compliments his own more solid build.

Shifting slightly, Connor moves over so that Sebastian’s lower half is more available and he runs one hand along the older man’s flat stomach, down to the waist of his pants, popping the button there. Going out of his mind already, Sebastian dizzily tips his head back onto the mattress and Connor seizes the tanned arch of his neck, nipping at the skin with tiny teeth and mouthing the prominent bump of Sebastian’s Adam’s apple, the deep rumbling of a groan vibrating under Connor’s lips. He may not be a vampire but Connor can clearly hear the pounding of Sebastian’s heart, can hear the rush of blood through the arteries in the first man’s throat. It’s the same way he senses other creatures in the pitch black of night – by listening for the sounds of their bodies and by detecting their scents. Sebastian’s own personal scent is much stronger now; saltier and muskier, coloured by sexual craving and Connor breathes it in, almost getting high on it because he knows all that need is just for him. To have somebody wanting him that much...it’s like a drug. Not that he’s ever tried drugs, or wants to, but he imagines that this is what it feels like; giddy, invigorating and thoroughly addictive, making him bolder than he would normally be.

Wasting no more time, Connor swiftly opens the other man’s black trousers. He discovers the elastic waist of boxer trunks and slides his hand under it, past a patch of coarse curls, finding the swollen male flesh he’s after, wrapping his fingers tightly around that heavy thickness, heated blood thrumming through the veins there as well. At the highly intimate touch, Sebastian curses under his breath and feels his hips involuntarily lifting off the bed as Connor starts to tug on him, sliding the fine skin of his shaft over the hard tissue underneath, the exquisite friction nearly too much to take in his heightened state of excitement. Unable to help himself, Sebastian lifts his head and looks down to watch Connor stroking him, the sight making him even crazier with lust. The blue-eyed boy has got the longest, slenderest fingers Sebastian has ever seen. They’re like artist’s hands but the only creative thing Connor does with them is to paint the ground with demon blood. Those hands are capable of snapping bones and crushing vital organs but as he touches Sebastian he’s firm yet careful, as if aware of his own power. Getting jerked off by the teenage vampire slayer is something Sebastian has dreamt about on many occasions but this is no dream. This is gloriously real and he groans, visibly shuddering at the erotic shocks caused by Connor’s thumb rubbing over the weeping head of his masculinity.

Intrigued by Sebastian’s lubricating liquid, Connor raises his hand and brings it up to his nose, smelling the faint aroma, before slowly licking the clear substance off the pad of his thumb, surprised by the tangy sweetness of it.

Witnessing Connor tasting what is essentially the closest thing to his cum, Sebastian’s dick gives a lively twitch and he murmurs, “Oh, that is so fucking hot.”

Wanting to make things even hotter, Connor flips Sebastian over to lay stomach-down on the mattress. At the vulnerable position he suddenly finds himself in, Sebastian's breath catches in his throat but he stays there with the side of his face pressed into the bedspread, letting Connor do whatever he wants. Kneeling beside the other man, Connor peels the long leather coat off him to reveal Sebastian’s back and the white shirt pulling across his muscular shoulders. There is something dark under that shirt and, puzzled at the shadow, Connor lifts the light material up to see what it is. There on the tanned flesh on Sebastian’s lower lumbar region, between two indents either side of his spine is a tattoo; some kind of decorative word, black and exotically curving in style.

“That’s new,” Connor comments in admiration, tracing the design with a fingertip.

“Huh?” His brain fuzzy with need, it takes a few moments for Sebastian to realise what Connor’s talking about. “Oh, the tattoo. Yeah, I got it done six months ago.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Arabic. Stands for strength and beauty.” Sebastian looks up at Connor with passion-filled eyes. “I was thinking of you when I got it.”

The fact that someone would care enough to get ink permanently embedded in their skin in honour of him overwhelms Connor, trebling the desire he feels for this enigmatic twenty six-year old male model. With rough, impatient motions he grabs Sebastian’s pants and boxers, yanking them down to mid-thigh and gazing thirstily at the bare, brown backside laid before him. It’s tight and toned, the skin silky-smooth, not a tan line in sight. Walking the streets of L.A., Connor has seen many ladies of the night standing on corners selling their wares in miniscule outfits, butt-cheeks showing under the high legs of their hotpants and cracks peeping out of low-rise jeans. Naturally, he has glanced at what is so blatantly on display but he’s never seen such a fine ass as this one. It’s perfection. He glides his palms up the back of Sebastian’s thighs, cupping the muscled flesh, discovering the firmness of it. He runs one finger down the alluring crevice in front of him, taking pleasure in Sebastian’s soft inhaled breath and the way the first male opens his thighs wider, wordlessly telling Connor that he’s doing exactly the right thing. There is a pause and Sebastian cranes his neck around in time to see Connor bending down, carefully spitting onto his tailbone, evidently remembering what Sebastian said to him in the alley about using it for lube. Saliva slides down the middle of his cleft and Sebastian shivers at the cool wetness, pressing his face back into the bed and halting his breathing in keyed-up anticipation.

Too turned on to feel shy about what he’s doing, Connor slips his fingers into the valley of Sebastian’s taut behind. He’s never done this before, touched anyone here, not even the last time he was with Sebastian. The older man took his hand and showed him where men have sex with each other but Connor didn’t really explore the area, like he’s going to do now. Placing a hand on Sebastian’s left buttock, Connor uses the other to spread his spit down to where it needs to go. He grazes Sebastian’s secret opening and the first male hisses through his teeth, the sensitivity of the nerves back there magnified by his exceedingly aroused condition. Connor’s fingertips circle that spot, tantalisingly going around and over the tightly closed entrance but never in and the eighteen year old watches with interest as his passive partner gets more and more frustrated, groaning and squirming beneath his tormenting touch, gripping the duvet cover with both fists.

“For Chrissakes, Connor,” Sebastian sobs in desperation. “Please!”

For someone who doesn’t know a lot about gay sex - or any kind of sex, really - Connor can’t mistake what Sebastian is asking for and proceeds to grant his wish. The older man is expecting Connor to be tentative and take it slow, easing one finger in first but the teenager, knowing Sebastian has done this many times, decides to forgo gentleness and shoves three fingers in all at once.

“Jesus God!” Sebastian yelps, firecrackers snapping and popping up his spinal cord and into his brain. Being stretched apart so abruptly and forcefully burns a little but it brings him right to the brink of orgasm and he teeters there, gasping as Connor withdraws his slippery fingers and unabashedly thrusts them in again, the younger boy fascinated with the incredible hot slickness inside Sebastian’s body. Doing this, and watching himself do it, Connor is almost at the pinnacle of climax too, his erect organ sitting flush and full on his lower abdomen, straining against his briefs.

“Give me your dick, baby,” Sebastian whispers in urgency, needing to be penetrated deeper. “All of it. Make me come hard.”

Aiming to drive him right past that point and beyond, Connor shifts and kneels between Sebastian’s parted legs, pulling the older guy’s pants down even further for easier access. Hurriedly unfastening his own jeans, Connor leans forward, spits on Sebastian’s ass again just to be safe and guides his aching maleness down to that glistening cleft. When the tip of him pushes into Sebastian’s inner warmth, Connor’s mouth drops half-open with the unbelievable intensity of the sensation and he grabs his partner’s chiselled hips with both hands, sinking his cock all the way into that enveloping tightness in one quick motion. Connor had fully intended to give Sebastian a good, thorough screwing just like he begged for but the feeling of being deep inside the other man is too much, too acute, too overpowering, especially when Sebastian clenches strongly around him, moaning, “Oh fuck, oh fuck,” over and over again. It’s like Connor’s caught in the middle of a wet dream and can’t wake up. Trying desperately to stop his impending ejaculation, he pulls out but it’s too late and he makes a face halfway between ecstasy and dismay, spilling white fluid onto the permanent black ink of Sebastian’s tattoo.

“Shit,” he growls, annoyed and disappointed with himself with lasting all of three seconds. Hastily wiping down Sebastian’s bespattered back with the corner of a sheet, he flops onto the bed and covers his face with his arm, groaning in humiliation. “I’m sorry. That was terrible.”

“Not so terrible from where I was laying.”

Lifting his arm, Connor turns to peer doubtfully at Sebastian. “What? You mean you actually...?”

“Oh, yeah. I certainly did, honey.” The brunette male rolls over to reveal a stained patch on the bedding beneath him. There is a single yellow rose petal stuck to his brown belly and he brushes it off, grinning at a stunned Connor. “Never underestimate the power of a quick fuck. That’s why they named a cocktail after it.”

Relieved that he wasn’t the only one who’d blown his wad in record time, Connor returns, “There’s a drink called that?”

“There’s naughtier. Try and order Sex on the Beach with a Cock-sucking Cowboy and two Screaming Orgasms while keeping a straight face.”

Connor stares at Sebastian, not quite sure if he’s serious but then decides the second guy must be because admittedly, Connor knows zip about cocktails, dirty or otherwise. As stated before, he doesn’t go to clubs to drink. In fact, he doesn’t drink full-stop.

“Now we got that out of the way, can we go back to my place? You know, somewhere where there AREN’T any demons?” Sebastian gazes at Connor pleadingly. “I know you’re used to them but, honestly, I’ve had enough for one night. If I see one more I think I’ll have a goddamn nervous breakdown.”

Wanting to keep his only friend in the world happy, Connor answers agreeably, “Okay. We can leave.” He reaches out and picks up the rest of the chocolates, eyeing them off eagerly. “But I’m finishing these first.”

As the kid proceeds to devour a 500 gram box of sweets all by himself, Sebastian guesses, “Being semi-supernatural, I bet you’ve never had a cavity in your life, have you?”

With an impish grin of small but flawless teeth, Connor declares, “Nope,” and throws another Turkish Delight in his mouth.


To be continued...