11. Commitment?
When he left, my brain went into hyperdrive, worrying I wouldn’t see him again. Would it be another four months before the demon made an appearance in my life? Of course, I busied myself with work and other hobbies and even made some progress on the painting I’d been slowly working on for months. It was a strange landscape I didn’t recognize, but the image came to me clear as day.
Three days later, when the overthinking started, I felt it: that familiar tension in the air announcing his return. He popped in as I was searching for something to watch to distract myself from work. He’d clearly made a detour, because he stood in front of me, a frown on his face, holding bags full of groceries.
“What is this?” I placed the remote control on the couch beside me.
“This is me making sure you have proper food in your home,” he fussed. “Do you know how difficult it was to make those tacos? You shop like a child.”
“Well, damn. Welcome back.” I stood. “You could appear with a friendly greeting, you know.”
“I could, but then that wouldn’t be me, now would it?” He winked. “You want to help me with these?”
I tossed his response back in his face. “I’m sure you remember where everything is.”
And that’s how it went. He stayed away for no longer than a week at a time. Then, Metice would show up fussing about something. We’d have our witty banter, and he would reward me by cooking enough food to last while he was away. It was nice, pretending like we were a normal couple. We talked about everything, learning more and more about each other.
We didn’t have actual dates, but we had activities. I had him doing everything from painting to watching movies and playing card games.
“What are you painting?” He pointed to the painting sitting in the corner of my living room, still half-finished.
“I’m not really sure,” I answered. “It’s a landscape that’s been in my head, and I’m just trying to get it out.”
“You’re really talented.”
“Years of school and working helps.” I grabbed a glass of wine from the table. “I’ve been creating since I was a child. Made my name doing independent works and showing in galleries before I started working with corporate clients. I don’t take for granted the life I’ve been able to lead because of my art. Not many can do that.”
“That’s very impressive.” He grabbed my hand and pulled it to his lips. “What wonders you do with these hands?”
“Tell me about your life.” I sat next to him on the couch and sipped a glass of wine on his fifth visit. “You already know so much about me, Metice. I want to know more about you. I know it’s limited, but tell me what you can.”
“What would you like to know?” He glanced at the movie we’d been mostly ignoring.
“Where are you originally from?”
“I’m from the Bane.” He used the true name of his world.
“I mean, I know you are now, but where did you originally come from before you became a demon?”
“I’ve always been a demon, Rayna.” He looked me in the eye.
“Oh?” His answer shocked me. “I’d always assumed there were no demons born, only made, like a punishment.”
“Human lore. Yes, it’s true, some demons are made. They live a life somewhere else, and then by forces I cannot explain to you, they are recruited to our world,” he spoke and pulled my feet into his hands. I realized it was a coping mechanism for him. Whenever the conversations got too deep, Metice would rub my feet. I had no complaints about it. “But that’s not true of every demon. We are born, some living their entire lives in the Bane.”
“How was it for you? Growing up there?” I leaned forward. “What was your family like?”
“If you want me to paint you a pretty picture of my upbringing, I can’t.” He focused on his task and kneaded the arch of my foot. The pressure felt so good, my eyes rolled back into my head. “I grew up alone mostly and had no family. But I was strong, one of the few to be born in the world for a millennium. They thought it was no longer possible for a while. Something happened, and suddenly, there were no more natural births. Demons found new ways to make life, like taking it from other worlds.”
“Shouldn’t they have treated you better than everyone else?” I asked. “Weren’t you like the golden boy?”
“Why would you think that?”
“You were born there,” I reasoned. “I’d think that would make you special when people were trying to do that. Is that why everyone is after you now?”
“That’s not how it works. Born or not, I wasn’t from a prominent family. I knew from a young age that if I wanted a good life, I would have to work my way up,” he answered. “It strengthened me. Am I more resilient? Yes. But if anything, more people resent me for it than not. In my world, I’m a minority. Things have shifted. More are being born again. It takes the edge off.”
“Did you work your way up, or find another way?” I took another sip of wine. “It didn’t seem like you were living a life of poverty. Your home is carved into the side of a mountain. On Earth, that means you have money and power.”
“Damn near to the top until I stopped.” He nodded.
“Stopped?” I asked. “Why did you stop?”
“I realized I didn’t want to be at the top. You get to a certain point, and you recognize how little it all matters. Success doesn’t mean what you think it does.” He sighed. “One day, I woke up and it hit me, I had spent centuries trying to prove myself to demons who didn’t give a damn about me. They only cared about what I could do for them, and I realized I no longer wanted to do that job. Damn the status it gave me.”
“And you still can’t tell me what that job is?”
“No, I can’t.”
“One day, you will.” I pulled my foot from his hand. “I’m your soulmate. You can’t keep the secret forever.”
“Sure,” he hesitated. “About that.”
“What?” I reached for the bottle of wine to refill my cup, but he grabbed my arm and pulled my attention back to him.
He cleared his throat before speaking. “I may be closer to finding a solution to dissolve the bond between us.”
“Oh?” I tensed and tightened my grip on the glass so much, I feared it may break.
“Is something wrong?” He looked at my hand.
“I didn’t think you were still looking.” I turned from him and focused on the muted screen depicting a group of wolves in battle.
“I told you I would.” He reached for his own glass. “I know it took a lot longer than I thought, but I keep my word. Problem is, I don’t have as many allies as I once did.”
“Right.” I honestly hadn’t thought of separating our bond in weeks. It didn’t feel necessary. Despite his lack of humanity, Metice had become one of my favorite people, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to end that. If our bond broke, what reason would he have for coming back? “How do we fix it?”
“I’m not sure yet. I have a lead on someone who might know, but-” He paused.
“But what?” That damn tinge of hope raised in my gut. Maybe he would say he didn’t want to do it.
“It will be dangerous.” Metice’s words crushed that budding hope like an ant beneath a boot. “From my research, the process is difficult and painful.”
“Painful? Is that for you or me?” I asked. Call me selfish, but I figured a centuries old demon had a higher pain tolerance than I ever would.
“Both of us.” He sipped his drink. “If it were just me, I would have done it already, but I wanted to give you a heads up so you know what to expect.”
“Do you still want to do it?” I asked. “Knowing that it will be painful and dangerous?”
“It’s the safest thing for you,” he answered.
“But the spell worked. They can’t find me,” I rebutted.
“They know about you. They know if they find you and hurt you, it will hurt me. That is motivation enough for them to keep trying.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “The unknowing downfall of becoming top in the business. Once you reach it, no one will let you go.”
“Hmm.” There I was, sitting next to a being I’d just found out had never been anything but a demon. My head spun with thoughts and budding emotions. Was the idea of his humanity that important to me? Did I want to sever our bond? Was I willing to deal with any demonic downfall if we didn’t? And what the hell had he been through to make the other demons want to hurt him so badly? Maybe he wasn’t innocent just because I wanted him to be.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “You look like your mind is somewhere else.”
“Yeah, sorry. You’ve given me a lot to think about,” I admitted.
“I understand. I should go.” He stood. “There are things I need to take care of. You take your time to think. I’ll be back, okay?”
“Okay.” I nodded, and he vanished.
He was gone for a week. Seven days of thinking about what he said. Seven days of worrying that the demons who hated him had finally gotten to him. Could I deal with that worry for the rest of my life? That’s what it would be if I chose to remain bonded to him, constant concern that he’d been hurt or that they’d finally found a way to get to me.
When I hit day seven, I realized I’d need to get food or I’d starve. Metice had taken the role of grocery delivery man, and I stood in front of an empty refrigerator with my stomach growling. I’d just stepped inside my home after a quick trip to the grocery store when I felt the familiar tension of his return.
“Rayna.” Metice appeared in the kitchen behind me.
The petty part of my brain wanted to ignore him, but then I smelled it: the sweet scent of apricots. I turned to find the demon standing in my home holding the little blue pet I’d convinced him to care for.
“Piko!” I screamed, holding my hands out. The damn thing went crazy.
He jumped from Metice’s arms, shot across the kitchen, knocked over every chair, and darted down the hall towards the stairs. Metice ran after him, and I prayed he wouldn’t completely destroy my home.
“Piko!” I ran after the two and flinched every time I heard something smash to the floor. “Please stop! It’s okay, boy.”
When I caught up to them, Metice had Piko blocked into the corner of my bedroom. The ugly little table that I hated so much was smashed on the floor. The shattered pieces looked far more beautiful than when they were whole.
“Is he okay?” I asked, standing behind Metice.
“He’s fine. Just shocked by the transition.” He lowered his voice. “Come on, buddy, calm down.”
Piko whimpered, and then his enormous eyes locked onto me. That silly little face grinned, and he bolted across the room, through Metice’s legs, and jumped into my arms. The impact knocked me backward and into the armchair next to my desk as he licked my face and chirped.
“I think he recognizes me.” I laughed, then pushed Piko back. “Okay, I like you and all, but no licking my face. I don’t get down like that.”
Piko nuzzled his face into my neck.
“He’s missed you. I didn’t think he would after all this time.” Metice sat on the edge of the bed and watched me reconnect with my pet.
“Why did you bring him here?”
“Since I started coming to spend time with you, I think he can smell you on me. He started acting depressed, pooping everywhere. I figured I’d give this a shot.”
“I’m glad you brought him.” I paused. “Wait, will this get you in trouble? Are there rules against this sort of thing?”
“There are, but I’m not new to bending rules.”
“That is a line said often before shit hits the fan.” I shook my head. “You’ve just jinxed us.”
It took an hour to get Piko to calm down, but it wasn’t until after he was fed that he fell asleep. His little snoring called out from the hallway floor where he passed out.
“Do you want more?” Metice asked as I finished my last bite of pasta. “There is still some in the pot.”
“No, thank you.” I leaned back and rubbed my belly with a large smile spread across my face. “That was more than enough.”
“Good.” He nodded. “Glad to see you put some real food in your home.”
“I had to.” I pointed to the fridge. “My meal services stopped unexpectantly, and I had nothing else to eat. Did you expect me to starve until you came back?”
“Meal services?” He stood from the kitchen table and removed my plate from in front of me. “Is that what I am to you?”
“Maybe,” I winked. “Maybe a little more than that.”
After watching his ass in the tight black pants he wore, I cleared the thoughts from my mind. I was supposed to be upset with him for being missing in action for so long. A pair of firm cheeks couldn’t be enough to distract me from my disappointment. Instead of watching him, I grabbed my open soda and headed for the couch. Shortly after, he joined me.
“Did you think about things?” Metice asked as he sat next to me. We’d avoided the talk since he got there, but time was up.
“How could I not?” I put the remote down, having found nothing even remotely interesting to watch. Because what the hell could compete with what we needed to discuss? “I had a week to do nothing but think about things.”
“And what did you decide?”
I took a sip from my drink and wished I’d chosen something stronger.
“Metice…” I turned to him, prepared to tell him how it would be a terrible idea to be together. Despite the way I felt when I was around him, I knew a long-distance relationship with a demon from another world was a bad idea. And the way I’d worried about him the last week wasn’t healthy. It consumed every moment of my life, and I couldn’t put myself through that.
Before I could get any of that out, he interrupted me with three words that made all that seem so unimportant.
“I want you.” Those dark eyes locked onto mine, and his words erased everything else in the world.
“Metice, this is a bad idea.” I clung to reason.
“Is it?” He pulled me into his lap and pressed his lips to my neck.
“That’s not fair.” I feigned resistance, putting my hand against his chest. “We need to talk about this.”
“What is there to talk about?” His fingers made quick work of the little gold buttons on my top before he peeled the shirt away.
“You said there might be a way to break the bond between us.” How the hell was I supposed to hold this conversation with him when he was so determined to distract me?
“Yes, I did say that.” His lips made a trail past my collarbone and to my breast.
“I-” If I had thoughts in my head, they disappeared when his tongue flicked against my nipple, shortly followed by his teeth teasing the sensitive flesh. “Metice, please.”
“Okay.” He pulled back, lifted me from his lap, and sat me on the couch next to him. “Let’s talk.”
“I still don’t think it’s smart for us to pursue this. I mean, this is nice. Your visits, the food, the talking. It’s all nice, but how long can we realistically keep this up? How far can a relationship go when you’re not from my world and I’m not from yours?”
“A lot of heavy questions.” He nodded. “Is this how you do your dates? All the questions of the future laid out in one swift blow?”
“Come on, that’s not fair.” I pulled my shirt back on. “You left me for a week. Of course, I came up with a laundry list of things to discuss.”
“True.” He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and sighed. “I’ve had the same questions while away from you. In that time, I came up with very few viable answers as to how we make this work. All I know is that I want to try. Don’t you?”
“Yes, but…”
“But what?”
“They already have me on the psych watch list as it is.” I chuckled, but there was nothing funny about it. “I don’t know if I want to put myself through this.”
“If this is too much for you, I will leave, Rayna.” Metice turned to me, the soft light from the television illuminating half his face. “I’m not that selfish, at least not with you. I won’t hurt you like that.”
“The smart thing for me to do right now would be to tell you to go, sever the bond and go our separate ways.” I chewed on my lip.
“But…” He waited for me to finish the thought.
“There’s this thing about knowing the smart thing to do and then actually doing it.” I sighed. “The smart thing doesn’t always feel like the right thing.”
“Isn’t it funny how that works?” The grin spread across his face before he shifted his weight and pulled me back into his arms. “Let’s be foolish together, Rayna.”
My name on his lips was all I needed to convince myself. Call me dumb, but that was enough. His deep voice wrapped around the letters of my name and pulled me into submission. And just like that, his hands returned to my body, slipping beneath my bra to tease my nipple.
He grabbed my arm and guided me to stand in front of him before he leaned back on the couch to look at me.
“Strip for me, Rayna,” he directed me.
A soft shiver ran across my flesh. There weren’t many men who could direct me sexually, but something about Metice made me want to give in. With his eyes watching me intensely, I slowly removed the layers of fabric that hid my flesh. My top, my bra, and the leggings all hit the floor, leaving me standing in front of him in just my panties.
“Let me see that pretty pussy.” He turned me around and smacked my ass. “Bend over and grab your ankles.”
I bent over and wrapped my hands around my ankles, looking through my spread legs. I could see the hungry grin on his face.
He slid my panties to the side and slowly slipped two fingers into me before his tongue found my clit.
“Hold that ass open.” He pulled my hands back to grip my ass, and his tongue moved from my pussy to my asshole.
“Oh God!” I cried out, and that got me a slap on the ass. “Fuck, sorry,” I laughed.
“You’ll learn,” he growled before he bit my cheek.
Bent over, I could see his dick growing, strangled by the fabric of his pants.
“I want to see you,” I moaned. “Take your dick out.”
He slipped his hand into his pants and slowly revealed his full length, then I watched as he stroked himself with long, deliberate passes up and down his shaft. I reached back and tried to help, but he slapped my hand away.
“Don’t touch. Just watch,” he said as he continued stroking himself and devouring me, drinking my juices as I came.
Before the orgasm ended, he stood and slipped his dick inside me, holding me in place as he expanded against my tightness. I pushed back on him, urging him to fuck me. He complied, grabbing my forearms and controlling my motions. He had me on my toes as he pounded into me, one hand gripping both arms behind my back, the other smacking either side of my ass.
“Oh, she’s ready for me,” he growled and flipped me around until I was on the couch, bent over, where he continued to fuck me from behind until I came and collapsed on my stomach.
I could hear his admiration, soft moans as he rubbed my ass while I rested. I wanted him. All I could think about was tasting his dick. I turned on him and pushed him back on the couch, dropping my eyes to his dick dripping with my orgasm.
“You want to taste me, don’t you?” He grabbed my face and rubbed his thumb across my lips. “Tell me you want my dick in your mouth, Rayna.”
“Yes.” I licked my lips and lowered myself until I was eye to eye with the tip. “I want to suck that beautiful dick.”
“Open that pretty mouth,” he said, and I did.
He rubbed the tip of his dick against my lips, and my mouth watered.
“Stick your tongue out,” he said, and again, I did as he wanted.
Metice rubbed the thick head across my tongue, and it vibrated against my lips. That was it. I couldn’t hold back. I pulled him into my mouth, sucking and running my tongue in spirals as I did.
“Fuck!” he called out and wrapped his hands in my hair, softly tugging the two-day old braid out. “Mmm, suck it!”
I continued until I felt him tense. “I’m about to come,” he announced, and I slowed.
This wasn’t over. I needed him to last longer. Slowly, I pulled him from my mouth and climbed onto his lap. I rocked my hips, rubbing my pussy lips up and down his shaft until the tension left his body. Then, I lifted my hips and slid him inside of me, pausing just as he was buried to the hilt.
We kissed, and he massaged my back as my hands ran the length of his horns. Though I couldn’t explain why, his horns turned me on. The more I stroked them, the wetter I became. Though I didn’t move, my walls pulsated around him, and he revved in response.
He pulled me back just enough to put my titty in his mouth.
“You like that, huh?” I asked as he teased my nipple with his teeth.
“What can I say?” He smiled around my nipple. “I’m a breast man, and your tits are so beautiful.”
When he switched to the other side, I started bouncing my ass on his dick. His hands gripped my hips and aided my efforts as his hips lifted beneath me. We stayed like that, tit in mouth, dick riding, until we both came.
Metice then carried me upstairs while still inside me, and I won’t lie, I was afraid he would drop my big ass, but he didn’t. He easily took the stairs, opened my bedroom, and laid me on the bed. By the time my back hit the mattress, he was ready to go again.
This time was different, sweeter. Metice nuzzled his face into my hair and neck as his weight pressed down on me. He slowly slipped in and out of me, letting me savor every inch of him. The kisses were deeper, the touches more intentional.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” he whispered in my ear as he continued. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”
And I came, over and over again.
When he finished, I lay there exhausted, catching my breath. Buck naked, he stood, covered me with the sheet, and headed for the bathroom. I lay there in disconnected bliss as he drew me a bath, popping his head out only once for instructions on how to put the back pillow in the tub. I heard him curse at least four times while trying to get the suction cups to take.
When the bath was full. He returned to me, picked me up from the bed, and took me to the tub. He didn’t join me. He let me soak and sat next to me, quietly washing my body. Then—I almost lost it when he did this—he detangled and twisted my hair! I couldn’t believe it. This man, no, this demon, was gently combing my hair and putting in near-perfect two-strand twists while I soaked in a lavender-scented tub. It was too good to be true, but I didn’t fight it.
Just as the water chilled, he helped me from the tub, dried my body off, and wrapped me in a towel to carry me back to the bed. I’d never had such care, and after the sex we had, the aggression, it felt nice to know he was capable of being so gentle with me.
He turned me into my bed and, when he was sure I was comfortable, headed to take a shower. By the time he returned, I was already drifting off to sleep. The heat of his body, the soft purr of his breath, was all I needed. A moment later, head on his chest and his hand on my ass, I passed out.
When I woke, he was gone, but breakfast was on the table: a bowl of fruit, scrambled eggs, and toast. I made myself a cup of coffee and checked my phone. I had one missed call from my mother and a message in the group chat talking about getting together.
“Yeah, I’ll fall for that again,” I muttered and put the phone down.
I felt the surge, that feeling of tension that announced a visitor from another world.
“Couldn’t stay away, huh?” I turned around, and the cup crashed against the floor, sending hot coffee everywhere.
It wasn’t Metice.