“Eh?”

Was that? Did I just hear -I blinked, then shifted my head to Nevin. “Nevin!” I exclaimed happily, practically bouncing off the floor and pressing myself against him. “Am happy! You home early!” I gave him a tight squeeze, he lingered then after a few seconds he finally wrapped his arms back around me, he pressed his head firmly on top of mine “It worked!”

“What worked, honey?”

I nuzzled my face into his chest and breathed in deeply. His scent always calmed me down. When was the last time I saw him? He didn’t return till after I fell asleep last night and was gone again when I had woken up… It had been like that the last two days maybe. “I pray.” I pulled away from him and used a red stained finger to point to the altar. “You is god...sort kinding...right? Get stronger with pray.”

“I - wait. Honey, why do you have red in your hair?” His voice started off confused, and that only got worse as he stared at me. At the red lock of hair.

I grinned as I took a step back, showing him my outfit. “Gods need shrine maiden. People to look after place to look after them. Eteri will be.” I grabbed the strand of hair, it had dried. I pulled it taut so I could get a better look at it. Ah! “We match!” I cried out happily. It was a very similar colour to his. “Am wanting to help. Wanting you to knowing you are enough.” I grinned, excited. Waiting for his response. Wait… my grin slowly faded. What was that look he was giving me. “N-no like?”

“I - Eteri. You didn’t have to. You were great the way you were.” He reached out and ran his fingers through my hair, slowly pulling the red lock separate from the rest, studying it. He frowned, then looked down at my hands. “I - alright. Love. What did you do? I heard you. And - why is your hair damaged here?” He seemed scattered, like he was trying to pull his thoughts together as he shook his head.

“Wanted to. Not mind. Damaged?” I asked going cross-eyed to try and stare at the strand. “Is fine. Use dye from clothes store…” I shook the strand out of his fingers with a shake of my head. He groaned.

“Love, clothing dye and hair dye are not the same thing.” He rubbed his face. “We- we can deal with that in a second, though I - it does look good on you. Now, how on earth, what on earth, did you do, that I could hear you? I was - not exactly close by.”

“Oh, you mean the pray.” I scrunched up my face. Feeling a little frustrated, I had just told him this… “Eteri said!” I gestured to the small setup. “Not have proper uh….word for small hole to put holy things in… that word.”

“Alcove?”

I nodded. “Not have proper alcove but made this. Look.” I pulled his hand downward so he would fall to his knees with me. Now he was somewhat level with it. I pressed a finger to the incense holder. “This. Meant rising to uh...sky. So carry pray on smoke in wind.” I pointed to the vial of his blood and the locket. “This is you. Blood and soul, Eteri know Crimson flowing mean blood. So then…” I clapped twice. “In Akashima. Clap twice then send pray, then clap again. Pray for Nevin, because prays make gods stronger, yes?” I spoke in broken and hurried sentences, it was really difficult trying to articulate what I meant to him, what these actions meant.

“Do...do understand?” I asked.

He took a deep breath, and slowly let it out, sighing as he stared at it. He reached over and traced his finger along the small medallion that his soul was in - and for a moment I thought he would take it back - and then he returned his hand to his lap, and turned to look at me.

“You made a private little shrine to me, and prayed before it using objects that have intensely personal connections to me.” His voice was soft, and he shook his head before leaning over and kissing me gently on the lips. Then he sat back, and stared at the shrine. “Well. It worked, at least enough for me to hear your prayer. I - I know you didn’t lie, Eteri. I’ve just been… I’ve been keeping a problem in my head, and it’s been… not good.” One hand came up and rubbed his face, then slid back through his hair.


He had heard me? “Y-you hear? A-ahh... “ I felt my cheeks redden and I quickly covered them with my hands. Prayers… “I always ah thought maybe you’d feel it but not hear it...that’s...that’s embarrassing and personal and…”

I furrowed my brows, quietening down as he tried to explain his issues...I knew he had a few problems but maybe they were more serious than I thought. “Nevin…” I shuffled forward and took his hand, lowering it and squeezing it tightly between my own. “Eteri know you not talk about it...and that ok… but wanting you to know…” I took a deep breath and sighed. “Wanting you to know Eteri will help. In own way. Supporting you.”

He laced his fingers with my own, and let out a deep sigh. “Honey, you were the cause of the problem. Well, you weren’t, but at the same time you were.” He shifted to sitting down, letting go of my hand so he didn’t pull me with him. “I - you remember, that you told me you had a limited life span?” His eyes were closed now, and his voice strained.

My ears fell flat against my head. I was… the problem. I drew my hands away, that hurt. That comment really… really hurt. “Ah…” I slumped my shoulders. “I uh-” I paused, trying to figure out what to say to that…. What could one say to that? Knowing that someone you loved so unconditionally...someone you always wanted to be around and see smile...knowing that… that you… you were the reason why they weren’t smiling. “Eteri can...go for a few days?” I offered. Maybe me staying here all the time was a bother.

“NO!” His hand shot out, and grabbed mine. “NO! Honey - honey no. I’m sorry, that came out wrong - I...” He squeezed my hand so tight it almost hurt. “I- honey. I’m sorry. I’m - I’ve been afraid. For you.”

“Afraid?” Why was he afraid. I felt fine, better than I had in a long time actually. I even told him that, so it’s not like he wasn’t aware. “why? “

“Be-because…” He struggled, I could see it. “Because I’m selfish.” He finally said, his shoulders slumping down. “I’ve been leaving the store, trying to look for ways to… Eteri. I love you. More than I thought I could love anyone. And I - I don’t want to lose you in ten years.”

I stared at him. Confused. Is that what he meant by limited life… I thought he meant that I was limiting myself by being around him. To me, that was normal. To die at such an age… was normal, I had expected it my entire life. It wasn’t something I was worried about or dismayed about… so it never occured to me that maybe someone else would not like that. “Nevin. If could live as long as you. Eteri would.” I smiled. “But Eteri not a god like you.” I shuffled in close and loosely wrapped my arms around his shoulders. “Is not the selfish to want stay with someone. Think...think that nice.” I pressed my face into his neck. “Sometimes think Eteri selfish… because enjoy you so much.”

Nevin curled his arms around me, and pulled me into his lap, his arms holding me tight. “If that’s the case, then, we can be selfish together because I enjoy you a lot too. But - But. I’m sorry. I hurt you, because I didn’t tell you what was going on. We’ve always ended up facing things together, and I was hurting us both by not talking about what was wrong.” He sighed, and his warm breath rushed across my ears. That tickled. “I’ve been looking into ways to extend your life. So far, the best idea I’ve had has been to give you more of my life force. I have plenty of it to spare - the reason-”

“NO!” I spatl body bristling. “Not yours.” I growled and mumbled. “Not care if others, but NOT yours. That is YOURS!” I growled. He paused, and slowly drew back, staring at me with curiously blank eyes. Then they darkened, and he shifted, holding me tighter.

“It is mine. And so are you.” He growled. “I have more than enough to spare. But that was just my first thought. My second thought - well. I can harvest it from other sources.” There was a low, dark edge to his voice.

I didn’t mind the dark edge his tone took. It actually...surprisingly calmed me down. “If that what you want. Then do.” I said. “Promise support you. No matter what. Eteri not care if what Nevin does is good or bad.” I pointed to myself. “Eteri considered bad by many. So no matter.”

He let out a low, rolling chuckle that was ever so slightly malicious. He turned his head and kissed me, hard. “If you say things like that, we’ll end up bad together, Pet.”

I melted into that kiss of his, wrigglng in his lap, he knew what that did to me… it was torture - I had things… I had to do I couldn’t just fall to his charms right here. I mean… I would… but...luckily he broke away, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. I pressed a hand to my chest, there was a heat that was practically purring with his words. A strange resonance. “Bad is just ..ah...what word for how see things? Per...per...perception?”

“Perspective, my dear. And I suppose you're right. One man’s God is another man’s devil. And if it means keeping you with me, I'll happily be a devil.” His fingers dug into me, nails scraping my skin where it showed through the shrine Maiden attire. “That is, if you wish to stay. Which it seems you do. I thought myself selfish, because I hadn't asked you if you felt living longer than you should was a bad thing, or a good one.”

“N-nevin…” I wriggled again, shifting in his lap. His touches...dammit.. They made it hard to focus, and judging by the small grin he had, I felt like he knew that. He knew what he was doing to me and how easily I had been worked up lately. It was almost unfair. I pressed myself against him in response and he gave what I could only describe as a satisfied growl. <”I would live forever with you, my God.”> I purred in my native tongue. Two could play at that game.

He studied me for a moment, then leaned forward and kissed me, hard, almost desperately. When he pulled away, his eyes were - burning a dark red. He seemed to see the glow reflecting in my eyes, because he blinked and the light faded.

“Well then, my sweet honey.” I felt a thread pick my skin, teasing me. “We will have to look into a way of keeping you with me for that long.” He seemed - thoughtful? I wriggled in his lap. This only urged him to push the needle in deeper. OK, no - that was not fair. I gave a low moan and pressed my head into the crook of his neck.

“That really gets you off doesn’t it, pet?”

I mumbled in response. He wrapped an arm around my waist, fingers digging deep into the skin of my stomach. His hot breath against my ear. “Well then… I think you need to appease your god.” And with those words, he pushed me to the floor, pinning me down.

It wasn’t long before he was bucking into me, hard- ravenous. Like he craved me as much as I him. His teeth were deep in the flesh of my neck and his tendrils hand coiled their way around my body and neck, further restricting my movement. With every thrust he’d mutter words. Sweet, sensual dominating words. ‘You’re mine,’ ‘This is mine.’ ‘I own you,’ ‘Scream for me,’ ‘Buck like the whore you are,’ and with every command I obeyed

How could I not? God….how could I not…

I groaned and screamed as he pressed hard up against me, I felt my body flare up before I reached orgasm, and not long after - he had too. Lately - he had taken a liking to ‘filling me up’ as he put it. He’d feed me these pills after that were meant to stop any accidents. He released me from his grip and offered me a wry, dark grin.

“If for nothing else, I want to keep you around forever just for this.” Then he leaned down and kissed me hungrily, as I clenched around him.

I broke free before I felt the need to mount him again. “Y-you know Eteri said would.” I pushed him away...it took a hell of a lot of effort to do that. “Eteri think…” I paused. “Eteri used to not care, if Nevin went with other women. Why care? Sex just for procreate, at least at first.” My tail flicked behind me and I felt a low rumble inside my chest, almost possessive. “No. Nevin mine now.”