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Aether was in trouble.
He was from the second he laid eyes on the newly summoned water ghoul rising from the puddle on the summoning room floor. The others had left, after explaining why he had been summoned, leaving Aether to deal with the new ghoul.
Aether was lost in the long, flowing white-blonde hair, the iridescent scales, the gentle fins and flare of his tail into blue as vivid as his eyes. Blue that met his own violet with an intensity that he had never imagined. Dewdrop, as he declared his name to be, was exquisite. Dewdrop, as a name, might sound gentle, but every inch of him radiated power and yet, he was so beautifully delicate. Aether imagined him in his element, how magnificent he must be, a sight to draw anyone in, a siren, a trap, a lure, working even now. Aether was snared. Headed for his fate.
Aether snapped out of his thoughts and walked over to hand the ghoul a blanket to dry off with and gently handed it over to place across Dewdrop’s shoulders. Dew took it and rolled it around himself, shivering despite the warmth in the room and Aether resisted the urge to tuck the smaller ghoul into him to warm him up.
“I’m Aether” he says shakily.
“Is that so?” Dewdrop asks back, never breaking eye contact with Aether. Blue and violet locked into each other.
“I’m in the band, so you’ll be with us. I’m supposed to get you settled in. Once you’re ready, I can take you to your room.” Aether continues, not letting the challenge rattle him too much.
“Or your room?” Dewdrop shoots back, looking up at Aether from under impossibly long, white eyelashes. Suddenly playing the coquette. Blue eyes flashing with something resembling want, desire, intense.
“Oh, um, I suppose until you get settled.. if that’s what you want… um..” Aether stumbles, caught off guard by Dew’s straightforward nature.
Dewdrop nods, “Let’s go then..” and waits for Aether to lead the way.
“Alright.” Aether starts down the hall, turning back to make sure the water ghoul is following, still wrapped in his blanket, tail curling up from behind, swaying gently.
As they walk, Aether wonders how this happened, how this new ghoul seemed to instantly bond to him and demand his presence, when they had barely exchanged names. But he felt it. There was something calling him to this ghoul. Something Aether had never felt before. A fire, burning in his chest, a sensation that hadn’t left his body from the minute Dewdrop made his appearance.
As Aether walked, Dewdrop followed, considering his broad shoulders, tall frame, filling out the black shirt, and pants, thinking about his eyes, violet and deep as the black lake in the pit, Quintessence ghoul, he thought, as he trailed behind, taking in the stone hallway of the Abbey and wondering why he was called here. Why him? A water ghoul. And then he couldn’t think of a single reason to want to leave now that he was following Aether, and he briefly thought that maybe he’d follow him anywhere. Wherever he went, Dew wanted to go too.
As the hallway led into the ghoul wing, Aether started to point out the kitchen and the common room, noting that Dew’s eyes took in everything carefully but always returned to look up at Aether. He nodded at each, clutching his blanket closer with another shiver.
“You’re cold. We need to get you dry and find you some clothes” Aether says, putting his arm around Dew’s shoulders, noting that Dew leaned into his side, feeding from his warmth. He guides the smaller ghoul further down the hall towards his chambers, but pointing out the room that would be Dewdrop’s, the one across the hall. “That will be your room when you’re ready.”
Dew looks across the hall, eyes wide, and impossibly blue, and somehow looks smaller, clutching his blanket tighter. “For now, come on in and let’s get you warmed up.” Aether opens the door and stands back to allow Dewdrop to enter.
He steps in to Aether’s room, taking in the warm fire crackling softly in the fireplace, embers glowing below the softly crackling logs, the books piled on the desk, and the rich dark blue bedding on the gigantic bed against the far wall. His gaze lingers on the bed, then glances up at Aether to find him frozen, watching Dew take everything in.
Aether suddenly snaps out of it and goes to the closet looking for anything that might fit Dewdrop, who was obviously smaller than him. He rummages, finding a pair of sweats and a soft band tee that he had long since relegated to sleep in, that would be way too big for Dewdrop’s smaller form, but it was all he had to offer the ghoul. He turns to offer them to Dewdrop and finds the ghoul gone from the spot on the floor.
“Dewdrop?” Aether asks? Looking around his room and spots Dew balled up in the furs on his bed. A flash of white hair splayed across the dark bedding the only indicator that the ghoul had settled right in.
Aether goes over to the bed, and sits gently on the side, putting a hand on the lump on the bed. “Hey, are you ok?”
The edge of the blanket moves and Dewdrop’s face emerges as he clutches the blanket to himself, shivering harder, despite the warm room. “’s cold…” he chatters.
Aether responds immediately, without thinking and reaches for the ghoul “Hey, it’s ok. I’ve got you - let’s get you warm” he says, pulling Dew and the blanket and a few furs into his arms, and into the nest of blankets on the bed, dragging a fur over the small ghoul to temper the chill that seemed to have settled in his bones. They settle into an embrace, Dew wrapped in Aether’s arms, and buried in blankets and furs, the chill finally starting to abate. “Feels good. Thank you.” Aether’s natural heat and the warmth of the fire slowly sinking in to Dew’s skin.
Dew’s shivering slows, then stops as his breathing levels out, sinking into sleep from exhaustion from the day’s events. Aether cradles the ghoul, petting down his hair and back, as he sleeps, a soft purr emanating from his chest as he gazes down on this magnificent creature that is in his bed. This was not the way he expected this day to go, but he wasn’t complaining at all. The soft sound and the warmth of the blankets and their combined breathing calls Aether to doze off, curled around Dewdrop.
Hours later, Aether awakens, feeling the best he has in a while, warm and comfortable under a heavy fur…. a fur that is sprawled on top of him, with long silky white hair fanned out across his shoulder and down the bed. Aether’s eyes fly open, vivid lavender, deepening to a dark purple as he realizes that Dewdrop is asleep laying on top of him, legs wedged between the other’s and tails twined. His arms still wrapped around the smaller ghoul.
He gently lets go of his grip and quietly says “Dewdrop?”
The ghoul laying on his chest stirs and cracks an eye open, blue glowing vivid as it opens wider and Aether’s breath skips for a moment, caught in the intensity of the color, “Hey there, you fell asleep.” He says, instinctively reaching a hand out to splay over Dew’s back, before he realized he had done it.
The smaller ghoul tilts his head, both eyes opening and trills softly, his tail tightening around Aether’s before loosening again. “Hello again, Aether. How long have I been asleep?” he asks, still processing.
“A few hours. I’m sure you’re still exhausted. A summoning really takes a lot out of you.” Aether added.
Dew hums, agreeing with Aether’s assessment. He makes no move to get off Aether, but stretches like a cat, reaching out and arching his back, then crossing his arms on Aether’s chest, to continue to gaze at him.
“So what now?” Blue locks into violet eyes again, as Dewdrop takes in Aether, considering the larger ghoul up close.
“Um, I suppose you might want a shower, or food? Then I can show you around?” Aether fumbles.
“Or… you could tell me more about you. We could start there. Why are you here, what do you do for the ministry?” Dew was suddenly extremely interested in learning more about this ghoul he felt so drawn to, so comfortable with immediately. He was also a bit turned on, having woken up to the larger ghoul wrapped around him protectively.
“Ah, well, I was summoned, like you, not that long ago, actually. I’m a healer for the ministry when needed, but like you will soon, I play guitar in the band. Not lead, but rhythm, its a lot of fun and I think you’ll enjoy it. You play bass, right?”.
“Yes, although never like this - it was different in the pit. It’s strange being here he gestures at the room in general, after so long in the water.” He pauses, considering Aether’s room, the soft furs, warm fire, and of course, Aether.
“Quintessence?” he asks, tilting his head looking deeper into Aether’s lavender eyes, already certain, as Aether nods.
“Cast out from the heavens to the ground,” Dewdrop murmurs. Aether’s eyes widen, at the words - recognizing them immediately.
“You’ve heard our music?” he asks.
“Of course - we hear things down there, you know. It’s very good actually. Especially that one, it’s really beautiful” Dew says.
You’re beautiful. Aether thought, barely breathing for fear of dislodging the ghoul settled on top of him. Opting for a safer option, Aether says “When you’re ready to get up, I found some clothes for you until you get your uniforms, and maybe we can get some food.”
As if on cue, Dew’s stomach rumbles, as if awakened by Aether’s words. He huffs out a sigh and rolls his eyes, cursing the interruption. He was enjoying this quiet time with the larger ghoul. He felt so comfortable already, he didn’t want to break the spell cast upon them, but pushes up and off of Aether to sit up. As he does, the blanket falls away and Aether gets a good look at his torso, long and lean, toned muscle pulling across a flat stomach, and….. silver bars through his nipples, which almost makes Aether lose it right there. He didn’t notice those last night, but why would he with all the summoning, and water and blankets.
His lavender eyes blown wide, darkening further with lust as he takes in the view before him, as Dew finger combs through his tousled hair, preening and oblivious to the visual meal he’s making for Aether. He turns slightly and the blanket falls further and Aether’s gaze goes further down to the lines leading from his hips to his groin, and oh… more of the white hair in a soft trail down his lower abdomen, disappearing under the precariously situated blanket, and Aether realizes he’s hard.
Blushing profusely, turning a pale shade of lavender, he coughs as he adjusts himself to a sitting position trying to hide his hardness. Dew’s head whips around to study Aether and a glint appears in his eye as he smiles, a fang catching on his lip as he does. The scent of arousal heavy in the air, his and Aether’s mingling, just like he allowed himself a moment to imagine them doing later. His mind made up, the water ghoul shocked Aether with what came next.
“I’m hungry” he says, agreeing and shifting to level his deep blue gaze directly at Aether, reaching towards his shirt and gently grasping it in his claws.
Aether stammers “well, food… kitchen…. options…” as Dew pulls him closer.
Before he can make more of a fool of himself, Dew closes the distance between them and suddenly the small ghoul is kissing him and he’s close to exploding from how intense the feeling is. His head is spinning from the turn of events and how he’s now in bed with a gorgeous naked ghoul who is kissing him. Oh, and then he realizes he’s just sitting there, fully clothed, stunned, and snaps out of it, pulling back.
“Dew..” ….Aether falters, “Dew, we should….” he falters, trying to remove Dew’s hands.
“Aether” Dew kisses him again, deeply this time, putting his hand behind Aether’s head to pull him in, and Aether whines as Dew says his name, and suddenly he has a lap full of water ghoul, Dew straddling his hips perfectly as they kiss, the position giving him a slight height advantage.
Aether is a literal demon, but he’s older and knows that he was instructed to care for this ghoul and he shouldn’t be doing this, at least not now, not like this, and yet, all common sense seemed to vaporize like the steam that arrived with Dewdrop. He was consumed with thoughts of Dewdrop and wanted him so badly. He was being drawn to Dew with a cosmic force.
He groans, giving in to the very naked - he realizes a second later - ghoul in his lap. Wrapping his arms around the smaller ghoul and pulling him tighter towards him, as Dew grinds down, on Aether’s cock which is straining against his pants that he fell asleep in.
He tries again, “we shouldn’t…”
“Why not?” Blue eyes return to his. “I want you.”
Dew means it - he’s never wanted anything more than he wants Aether right now. He’s pulled to the ghoul by a pull he can’t resist.
“Because you just got here, we just met, I’m supposed to be showing you around” Aether sputters.
“You are. You are showing me around your room. Your bed. I like it. I like you.” Dew states, like it’s obvious.
His siren nature is overwhelming to Aether, who is completely drawn in, ensnared by the beauty and seductiveness of Dewdrop.
“I’m 600 years old, Aether, I know what I want, and I want you. I wanted you the minute I saw you.”
Dew lowers his head again and nips at Aether’s lip before gripping on his shirt and pulling it up, and off, as Aether shakily lifts his arms, allowing it.
Dew runs his claws through Aether’s chest hair, gently as Aether softly raises his hands to Dew’s torso, running them up towards his pecs, and the silver bars that caught his eye earlier. As his thumbs reach Dewdrop’s nipples, he arches his back and tosses his head back with a hiss as the pressure ghosts across the sensitive buds.
“Oh, fuck, that’s so beautiful” Aether marvels, forgetting that he said that out loud as Dew comes back to face him and pulls them together into another kiss. Dew responds by grinding down again, his hard cock pushed up between them and Aether growls, shifting forward and rolling them onto the bed, Aether on top of Dew, braced on his arm, the other holding Dew’s hip. Aether’s pupils blacken, only a small ring of violet remain as he takes in Dew.
“I’m hungry now too” he rumbles, nibbling at Dew’s ear, snaking his tongue around the shell - and Dew shivers into the touch. Working his hands to the belt of Aether’s pants, undoing the belt and zipper and pushing them down until his cock springs free, large and hard. Aether hisses as the air hits him but then Dew is pushing up against him and their cocks are sliding together as they kiss and pant and paw at each other.
“Need you, Aeth, want to feel you..” Dew huffs out.
“You’re going to kill me, Dewdrop.” Aether growls. “You’re so gorgeous. I want to feel you come around my cock.”
He reaches down and grips their shafts, giving them a few strokes, before releasing them and working his way down Dew’s chest with his mouth, kissing a trail down, hands on his thighs, pushing them apart. Dew tosses his head as Aether licks a trail up his cock, and nips gently at his inner thigh, sucking a purple mark there, claiming Dew as his. Dew’s fingers lace into Aether’s hair and he tightens his grip as Aether licks again before fully taking Dew into his mouth.
Dew moans as Aether swallows him down, warm mouth and tongue doing sinful things as he tries not to lose it immediately. Back arching off the bed, hand gripped in Aether’s hair, Dew tosses his head back, closes his eyes, enjoying the feel of Aether around him. A hand reaches under to massage his balls, and the other trails lower to…… Satanas…..
Aether froze for what felt like ever - but was actually seconds, realizing that he was holding a water ghoul - a very slick water ghoul in his arms, splayed out in his bed. And Dewdrop was living up to his name in every way - he was literally dripping - for Aether.
Aether regrouped and doubled down on his ministrations to the smaller ghoul, this time trailing a finger through the cleft of his ass, and pressing on the ring of muscle around his entry, surprised as his fingertip slipped in easily and Dew gasped as Aether tortured his senses with his mouth and fingers.
“Aether!” He cried out, “Please…” he gasped, and Aether obliged, pushing farther and adding a second finger, curling them up to find the spot that would render Dew a writhing mess sooner than either of them imagined. Aether pressed down on Dew’s hip, holding him firmly in place, as he slid up and down Dew’s shaft, feeling the smaller ghoul clench down on his fingers and shift his hips, looking for more friction. As Aether bobbed his head, he worked his fingers into Dew and reveled in the slick that coated both of them, down Dew’s thighs. When he added a third finger, Dew tensed up, curling inward, thighs closing around Aether’s head as Dew came, hard and unexpectedly in Aether’s mouth, spasming and spurting out ropes of cum down Aether’s throat.
Aether swallowed it all down, tongue laving across Dew’s cock, as he slowly slid off, releasing Dew’s softening cock, before pulling Dew up to kiss him lazily, pushing some of his own spend into his mouth for him to taste. They both groan at the taste, and Dew blushes a beautiful lilac shade when Aether declares him delicious. And he’d do it again, just to see that color touch the tips of his ears and flush down his cheekbones. Blue eyes bleary from his orgasm.
Aether sits back, pulling Dew with him, back into his lap asking “Are you ok, Dew? Was that too much?”
Dew blinks up at him, like he was seeing him for the first time, “Fuck, Aether, that was amazing”, he says, panting and slightly boneless.
It was Aether’s turn to blush, lavender tinting his cheeks and bridge of his nose. “You’re amazing” he murmurs back. Moving to curl Dew into him, to cradle him but Dew stops him with a look, eyes focused again, locked on Aether through lowered lashes - his voice, quiet but clear, “I’m still hungry” lit a fire in Aether that he couldn’t have foreseen through any level of magic or scrying.
His eyes blazed back at Dewdrop as he grabs Dew by the hips and rearranges him across his lap, pushing him back down to the bed, as he hitches Dew’s leg up over his own hip, letting the other leg fall outward, as he runs his fingers through Dew’s slick, coating himself and giving his shaft a few slow strokes, bringing it to full hardness.
“I’ll fill you up, Dewdrop, I promise” Aether growls, wanting to feel the other ghoul clench around him more than he’s wanted anything before. He lines up with Dew’s entrance, and pushes, gently, until Dew hooks his leg around Aether’s hip and bears down, driving Aether forward and into Dew as they both groan deeply and together as Aether nearly bottoms out.
“Fuck. you’re so wet for me, Dewdrop. That’s so incredibly hot.” Aether pants, taking a minute for both of them to adjust. Dew squirms under him, suddenly very full of Aether and trying to find the most comfortable angle to take him. Aether’s dick kicks and they both make a sound. Dew’s a choked off groan, and Aether a huff as he tries not to lose it immediately in Dew. It’s just so much, so slippery, so tight, so good.
Aether, born from stars, feels like he’s seeing them, as he settles into a slow rhythm with Dew. Dew feels like he’s where he always belonged - in Aether’s arms. Nothing he encountered in hell matched this feeling - those he lured in, trapped, seduced, nothing felt like this. He felt safe in Aether’s arms, knew the larger ghoul would protect him, although he didn’t need much help, he was fierce and deadly in his own right, although you wouldn’t think it looking at his smaller frame, and delicate, beautiful visage.
They come together, bodies moving as one, rocking into the other, the pace only faltering as Aether reaches up to press his nose into Dew’s neck, scenting the ghoul, as Dew tilts his head to the side, offering his throat column to Aether. Aether sucks a dark mark into the skin at the juncture of Dew’s shoulder, gently pulling the skin with his fangs, until it breaks, and that’s when Aether loses it.
Dew’s blood, sings to Aether, serenading him with a chorus of music so sweet, he thrusts his hips in hard, skin slapping skin, until Dew is keening and clenching around him and his knot, oh Satan, his knot, pops and slams into Dew as Dew rushes headlong into another orgasm, locking them together as Aether cums, shooting rope after rope of hot cum deep into Dew. Dew’s eyes rolled fully back in his head and his jaw falls open in a silent scream as he cums, dick kicking gently across his stomach, as Aether settles above him, licking his bite clean, peppering his collarbone, neck, ears, lips with gentle kisses until Dew returns to his senses somewhat.
“Aeth…. fuck. You are something special, you know that?” Dew manages, between panting breaths as he comes down.
“I’m not.” he says back, genuinely meaning that. How could he be remotely special when there was a ghoul like Dewdrop in existence?
Dew presses up and gently, but firmly pushes Aether over, onto his back, and follows, sprawling across him much like they woke earlier, hands drawing lines down Aether’s chest, arms, sides. Memorizing lines, curves and marks. “Every inch of you is special to me” Dew says, leaning in to scent the larger ghoul and rubbing his cheek along Aether’s jaw. Aether instinctively turns his head angling his jaw up and away, not expecting Dewdrop to return his bite from earlier, they were nowhere near marking each other. His bite earlier was during a heated moment, common as a claiming mark during sex. A show of dominance, and submission.
Until Dew bit him.
Where Aether had gently nipped, Dew sunk his fangs in. The pain surprised him but it was the feeling of Dewdrop’s fangs entering his neck, marking him thoroughly, staking a claim with his bite, that left Aether reeling. Both marks would last, now that blood had been shared, and they had completely claimed the other. Aether groaned, thinking about what Mountain and the others would say, especially Ifrit, as he couldn’t even wait a day before staking a claim on the new ghoul.
The groan quickly faded as he sank in to the feeling of connection between himself and Dewdrop. He felt him in his blood, in his chest, in his element, everywhere. His magic merging with Dew's. Aether didn’t know why the universe had chosen to send Dewdrop but he was eternally grateful that it had, and he thanked the stars that Dewdrop had chosen him as a mate.