Chapter 28
Sugar
They’d opened the sails, had a quick meal, and were about to don battle gear when Sugar finally found Snake: face down on their bedroom floor, profusely apologizing to Frances.
“Are you ready to change into protective attire? Until we know what’s out there, we should take every precaution.”
“I’m despondent, my love. Just leave me in my misery.”
“If you need me, I’ll be getting undressed.” Sugar smiled as he closed the dressing room door behind him. Taking his time, he stripped bare and checked his reflection. He looked like a new person. Happy. Confident.
Powerful.
Snake knocked. “Sugar? Are you dressed yet?”
“No. I’m naked.” Snake’s whimper was loud enough to penetrate the door and caress Sugar’s ear. “Standing here bare-assed. Thanking myself for installing battery-powered lights.”
“I’m so thirsty. Please let me in.”
“So you can suck blood out of my nads?” His erection grew. “I suppose you’ll want to kiss me, too.” He tried his best to sound bored.
“Please!” Snake’s fingernails scraped against the door. “Su-gar!”
He found a gorgeous demon standing there with black eyes and bloodless lips. Snake was shirtless, ebony hair disheveled, with an obvious erection straining against brown suede. To Sugar, he looked more vulnerable than fierce.
“Why do you make me beg?” Snake asked, voice ragged.
“Because I love when you’re needy for me.”
Snake removed his pants and nudged Sugar backward until his butt pressed against a chest of drawers. He picked Sugar up by the waist and sat him on top. “I smelled your blood through the door. It made me high.”
“You’re sure it wasn’t the rum?”
“No, it’s you. It’s always you,” Snake murmured. “And you were right. I want to kiss you... everywhere.”
Snake kept his fangs sheathed unless overwhelmed by thirst or lust, and Sugar could see them now, the tips slender as needles, but strong enough to pierce bone. “Take my blood before you turn to dust.”
“You need a few drops, too. I see how dark your eyes are, lover.” Snake’s voice turned to opium and went straight to Sugar’s head. “Let me give you what you crave.” He picked out a knife from their collection. Narrow, with a honed silver blade, the mere sight of it made Sugar salivate. “Ready?”
Snake nicked Sugar’s bottom lip with a fang. Blood dripped down his chin, but he resisted the urge to lick at the gash. Trembling with hunger, Sugar slid the blade through the center of Snake’s bottom lip.
“Kiss me, my sweet Sugar.”
Their wounds met with a pleasurable sting, blood mingling, reinforcing the bond that had almost been severed. Snake licked the drops from Sugar’s chin and growled.
“I adore you.” Snake moved his mouth to Sugar’s neck, causing the veins there to pulsate. “Your scent intoxicates.”
Sugar enjoyed the delicate sting of Snake’s fangs. “Don’t stop.” He held him tight against his neck. A vampire’s fangs secreted a hormone that caused climax. The deeper the bite, the stronger the orgasm. “Yes, lover,” Sugar moaned through his climax.
Snake lapped up every drop of semen. “I need this just as much as your blood.” He pointed to his chest. “Your turn.”
Sugar made a tiny cut above Snake’s areola and drank his blood while sucking his nipple until cum spattered against his chin. He pushed some inside his mouth, savoring the mingled flavors: rust and sex, wine and decadence.
Giddy and high on Snake’s fluids, he fell into a fit of giggles. “I feel like a real vampire when I do that.”
“No one else can make me come while sucking my blood. Only you, my love.”
“Let me do it again.”
“Too much will give you a headache.” He stroked Sugar’s cheek. “I’m a fiend for getting you addicted all those years ago, but I wanted you to need me, Sugar.”
“I knew what would happen if I drank vampire blood, but I wanted you to feel needed, so you’d stay. The blame is as much mine.”
“We’ve always failed at communicating.” Snake tangled his fingers in Sugar’s hair. “I should wean you off.”
“Don’t you dare. I’ve never felt as close to you as I do right now.”
“You’re my angel, and I’m your demon. We fit together like a lock and key.”
“I love you so much it hurts.”
“Should I take you away? Somewhere safe where we can fuck all night? Just the two of us for the rest of time?”
Sugar stared into Snake’s eyes. “You would do that for me?”
“For you, I would walk through fire.”
Sugar wiped a drop of blood from Snake’s chin. “I couldn’t leave, and neither could you. I love them all too much.”
Snake grinned. “Even Horatio?”
“Even Horatio.” Sugar cackled. “Especially his cock.”
“I guess what I said in my sleep was true. I do love him. Like a brother. Except we fuck.” Snake laughed. “That came out wrong.”
“What you mean is a friend with benefits.” Sugar toweled them both dry. “Everything makes sense now. I almost don’t know how to act. Being happy is sort of terrifying, isn’t it?”
“Let’s hope we get used to it.”
They dressed in the pirate version of armor: snug black leather from top to bottom. Sugar strapped a dagger to one thigh and a holster to the other. “Hand me the Glock, will you?”
“Don’t get me wrong. You’re devastatingly sexy while packing heat, but are you sure you need to bring a gun?” Snake asked.
“There could be any manner of beast out there. I might even bring the Dragunov instead of my guitar.”
Snake shook his head. “The guitar is faster and more lethal than an assault rifle. And it looks cooler, according to Horatio.”
Sugar kissed Snake. “The bromance you two have going on is adorable.”
“‘Bromance.’ I’m rather keen on that term. It rolls off the tongue.”
Sugar peered into the mirror and applied eyeliner. “Later, I’d like to see Horatio’s dick rolling off your tongue.” He slung the strap of his rifle over one shoulder. “Let’s go find Six and Stiles a dragon.”
Snake put his hands up. “No dragons. I don’t care how cute you all pout at me. A captain has to draw the line somewhere.” His kiss melted Sugar from the inside out. “I’m going to check on Seven. Don’t go outside without me.”
“I’m not a porcelain doll! I can take care of myself.”
Snake tapped the Glock’s handle. “Darling, I need you to take care of me.”
He found Horatio and Gunner sitting in the kitchen—battle-ready—drinking beer and sharing tongue kisses. He wondered if either understood the extent of their crush.
Gunner’s eyes locked on Sugar’s rifle. “Is that a Dragunov?”
“Straight from Russia. Of course, it wasn’t pink when I acquired it, and I’ve made modifications, so it doesn’t require gas for fuel.”
Gunner pointed to Sugar’s thigh holster. “And a Glock?”
“I’m impressed. You know your weapons,” Sugar said.
“My dad collected antique guns. Taught me everything about them, especially gun safety. He was hardcore about that.”
Horatio covered his crotch. “Speaking of, you have the safety on those, right?”
“Don’t worry, Slayer. I won’t shoot your dick off by accident. Like your guitars, my guns become an extension of me.”
“It’s true,” Stiles said. “I once saw Sugar do a forward flip off a roof and, while upside down in midair, shoot a ferocious beastie straight between the eyes before landing perfectly square on those high-heeled boots of his.”
Sugar nodded. “And then I went home and made pie.”
“What kind?” Horatio asked.
Sugar pulled a tube of gloss from his holster and freshened his lips before answering. “Cherry.” Horatio and Gunner looked like they might come in their pants. “Let’s round up Snake and go poke around outside.”
“Or we could poke around inside,” Snake said from behind Horatio. He adjusted his red guitar. “You coming out, Stiles?”
“Oh, honey, I came out years ago.” Stiles made a kissy face at Snake.
“Come on, boys.” Sugar led the way. After the ship’s dim interior light, the outside world was blinding, but once his eyes adjusted to the sunshine, he gasped. “I’ve never seen such a gorgeous place.” He admired the view while they made their way to Frances’ stern.
“I swear, you guys, I’ve been to Scotland and it looks like this,” Horatio said. “All the stones, the hills, and—holy shit, was that a dragon?”
Gunner dug his fingers into Sugar’s arm. “Where?”
“Sweetheart, they’re more afraid of you than you are of them,” Sugar said.
“Yeah,” Horatio huffed, “people say that about bears, and bears will chew your ass up.”
Snake stared up at the sky. “I’m trying to think of an animal that’s similar to dragons.” He snapped his fingers. “Cows. Dragons are similar to cows.”
“Dude. I don’t know what your cows do, but back home, they don’t fly.” Horatio shoved Snake and laughed.
“I’m telling you, they’re like cows, gentle and—” Snake stared in stunned silence.
On a human, Frances’ wound would have been a mortal one.
Gaping and spewing interior bits, the extensive damage cut clear to the ship’s guts, the gash now four feet wide instead of two.
Sugar doubted even Seven could make Frances whole again.
Heartbroken for Snake, he put his arms around him and lied.
“We’ll fix her, lover. She’ll be good as new. ”
“Yeah, we’ll all work together,” Gunner said.
“Too bad we can’t take her back to Earth. My brother Antonio is a genius with auto body,” Horatio said. “He would totally pimp her out, too. Maybe paint flames on the sides.”
Snake rested his head on top of Sugar’s. “Frances does deserve something pretty. She saved our asses. Besides that, she brought us to a safe location.”
“We don’t know that yet,” Sugar said.
“Think about it. Baddies are usually on us the second we disembark. All we’ve seen are a few dragons.” Snake smirked at Horatio. “Which are like cows.”
Seven’s voice echoed from inside the engine room. “Snake, I can see you through the gap. We should at least patch that up before fuck knows what gets in here.”
Snake looked torn. Sugar kissed his cheek. “You stay here and help Seven. I’ll take the south and west. Horatio and Gunner, you take north and east. We’ll meet back here in twenty minutes.”
· · ·
Sugar headed west first, so distracted by the view that he almost walked face-first into a rock formation. The hills and mountains were green velvet cut with crystal blue streams. He drank from one with cupped hands, and it rivaled the finest bottled brand he’d ever tasted.
Another dragon soared overhead, wings rustling like taffeta. The sound calmed Sugar’s frazzled nerves. Knowing the shy giants were out in abundance was a good sign that vicious beasts were scarce, and he regretted telling the boys he’d be back so soon.
Moving further into a wooded area, he found a tree with low branches and couldn’t resist climbing upward until he found a smooth limb to sit on. Perching there brought back memories of himself at a young age—naughty memories that made his dick twitch.
He’d been sitting in a similar tree, cock in hand, when a falsetto voice rang out from above.
Looking up, he’d seen a boy his age with waist-length hair and a lip ring.
That boy turned out to be Suki, who shared Sugar’s fondness for jacking off in treetops.
Suki moved to his branch and pestered him for a kiss.
After a quick make out session and a tandem wank, a lifelong friendship was born.
Sitting on a tree limb in a place he’d only seen before in dreams, Sugar was at peace.
Snake loved him, Suki was part of the crew, and the earthy fragrance of tree bark still gave him a hard-on.
Sugar contemplated a quick wank until something in the distance caught his eye.
Parting the leaves, he used his phone camera to zoom in closer.
What he saw next chilled him to the core.