Chapter 37
Thirty-Seven
Instead of teleporting straight home like Peri thought they might, Wash suggested a flight.
Flying in the starlight realm was something Peri dreamed about, and he absolutely melted when Wash took his hand and spread his wings, completely ignoring his reservations about flying around other people as he joined Peri in the sky.
It showed him just how much Wash loved him that he was willing to put aside his insecurities to make sure Peri was happy.
“I love you,” Peri murmured, leaning into Wash’s side.
“I love you too,” Wash replied, pressing a kiss to Peri’s temple.
It was such a sweet gesture, and Peri felt tears prick his eyes for the hundredth time tonight.
He didn’t used to cry this much, but then again, he’d never been so happy that he’d been moved to tears either. Wash just brought it out in him.
“Want to go higher?”
His mate’s voice drew Peri back to reality, frowning for a moment. They’d stuck to the tops of buildings and treetops because Peri’s wings couldn’t handle much higher. The winds higher up would knock him around. His wings were too fragile to cope.
“Oh… I can’t fly any higher.”
Wash snorted, taking him by surprise as he scooped him up and took off, streaking through the sky fast enough to make him squeal. He stopped his ascent before the air got too cold, his wings flapping lazily like it wasn’t any effort at all to hold them both aloft this high in the air.
“Oh wow…” Peri looked around, stunned at the endless stretch of stars in all directions.
Far off in the horizon, he could see the glittering castle silhouetted by stars so bright, it took his breath away.
Wash did a slow turn, giving Peri the full experience, and when they faced the castle again, he showed his appreciation with a kiss.
It started off light, just a gentle press of their lips, but like any time Peri had all of Wash’s attention, he got greedy and started demanding more.
He wriggled in Wash’s arms, shifting from the princess carry to his favorite position with his legs wrapped around Wash’s hips and Wash’s hands on his behind.
Wash never faltered, keeping them in the air while also melting Peri’s mind in the hottest kiss he’d ever experienced.
Tingles spread along his skin as Wash teased him with gentle butt squeezes, and when Peri began rocking his hips, he encouraged him with a satisfied hum.
Gasping, Peri jerked his mouth away to moan, the throbbing between his legs getting harder to ignore. “Wash…” he whined, tugging helplessly at his clothes. He wanted Wash to teleport them. He wanted a bed, his boyfriend naked, and lube. In that order.
A wicked, demonic grin spread across Wash’s face, making Peri’s heart skip and a little spurt of precum spill into his briefs. His mate was too sexy for words. “What’s wrong, baby? Do you need me to take care of you?”
Breath hiccuping in his chest, Peri stared at his boyfriend agog. Was he going to–
Shifting their positions again, Wash wrapped his arms around Peri’s thighs, lifting him enough that his erection was right in Wash’s face. When he started mouthing at the tented material, Peri moaned long and loud, hands clutching Wash’s horns automatically to steady himself.
“W-Wash… What…What are you doing?” he panted.
“Unbutton your pants,” was Wash’s growling reply. “Let me taste you.”
Peri practically choked on his own tongue, racing to clumsily open his pants and slide them and his briefs down enough to give Wash room to work. Cooler night air brushed over his naked skin for only a second before Wash swallowed him down, making Peri cry out in surprise.
He didn’t rush, nor did he take things slow. He just pulled with a steady rhythmic suction until Peri was trembling and clinging desperately to Wash’s horns to keep him upright. His body buzzed with pleasure, his eyes seeing only endless galaxies and falling stars as Wash continued to suck him.
“W-Wash… I’m gonna– Ungh, Wash!”
His mate did something wicked, opening his mouth enough to draw Peri’s balls in as well, and the stars exploded, a silent scream in Peri’s throat as Wash kept sucking, drawing out the aftershocks until Peri was a whimpering, pleading mess.
There was no way Peri could reciprocate.
Not only was he not strong enough to hold Wash up midair, but he was also too delirious.
He felt a little like the first time he’d gotten high with his cousins, his mind swimming with happy sparkles that made him want to giggle.
He barely felt Wash fixing his clothes, and when they landed and Wash set him on his feet, Peri’s knees wobbled, and he was sure he wouldn’t be able to stand properly without help.
Thankfully, Wash had him covered, a low chuckle in his throat as he wrapped an arm around Peri’s waist. He led them through the portal back to their realm and teleported the second they were on the other side.
Peri flopped on the bed face first when they popped up in his bedroom, moaning a little when Wash carefully reached underneath him to unbutton his shirt.
“More?” he asked, a little pleadingly. He always wanted more when it came to Wash.
“Oh, baby, I’m nowhere near done with you yet.”
A few hours later, sated and relaxed on top of Wash’s chest, Peri broached the subject they’d touched on at the restaurant.
“Can you tell me about the demon mating ritual thing? What happens?”
Wash seemed a little reluctant when he explained, “It’s supposed to be a weekend long ceremony.
The first day is an acknowledgement ceremony, where the two families come together and acknowledge the union.
The second day is the ceremony itself. It’s long, from what I’ve heard, and has to be broken up with several meals because it takes all day.
The last day is supposed to be about bringing the families together.
There’s magic involved, but I’ve never been to one myself so I can’t tell you exactly how. I never asked.”
Lifting himself high enough to look Wash in the eye, he tipped his head curiously. “You keep saying ‘supposed to be’. Do you not want a ceremony?”
He considered that maybe that kind of attention would make Wash uncomfortable. He’d had to be coaxed into joining the company retreat and that was technically work related. Spending three days surrounded by family making nice might be a little much for his grumpy demon.
Something like pain flickered across Wash’s face, making Peri scramble up to his knees so he could cup Wash’s face. He had to be careful not to kneel on Wash’s wings, but his mate didn’t make any pained sounds, steadying him with his hands on Peri’s hips.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look like that?”
For a second, Wash’s expression shuttered. He didn’t want to talk about it. But before Peri could feel hurt about that, Wash sighed, his face a mix of resignation and old pain.
“You’re going to find out anyway, so there’s no point in hiding it from you. I don’t think we’ll get a ceremony like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because that ceremony is supposed to be planned and hosted by the demon’s family. Mine won’t do that. They wouldn’t even think to offer. To do that, they’d have to actually care.”
Peri’s heart ached just from the little furrow between Wash’s eyebrows, the way he couldn’t seem to look Peri in the eye anymore. This, he got the feeling, was the bigger issue. The thing keeping Wash from connecting properly with the people who loved him.
“You don’t think they care?” he whispered, swallowing hard around the lump already forming in his throat.
He couldn’t imagine his family not caring about him.
His parents weren’t mated, they were friends who’d wanted a baby, but they still put all their love into raising him, even when they eventually found their own mates and started new families.
They always made sure he felt like he belonged.
It broke his heart that Wash might not have received the same thing.
“I know they don’t. They’d never intended to have me. Our dad had a premonition that said they’d have a powerful son. They didn't plan for or want me.”
Peri frowned at that. Wash wasn’t weak, so he didn’t understand what he meant by that. They could have meant him.
Wash continued explaining, glaring at the wall. “Once Elijah’s powers came in, they forgot I existed. All their attention went into training him to control his magic and keeping him from going down the wrong path.”
“Wrong path?” Peri queried, confused. Elijah was a gentle soul, a total sweetheart. He doubted that had developed in adulthood. People that kind were usually born that way.
Nodding, Wash told him, “Most telepaths are lured in by criminal society. That seems to be the only place where they’re treated well, since criminals love having a telepath to change the narrative or mess with people’s memories so they don’t get caught.
They were keeping him safe by training him so young. ”
He got the feeling that part didn’t bother him so much. Wash loved his brother. If his parents were working to protect him, he wouldn’t complain about that. Which meant in order for him to be that angry, they had to have ignored him completely for it to still hurt him.
He almost didn't want to ask, but he felt the words leave his mouth anyway. “They forgot about you?”
Locking eyes with Peri, Wash said the worst thing he could have ever imagined. “They never saw me in the first place.”
Tears burned his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.
He wasn’t going to make Wash feel bad for telling him the truth.
He scrubbed his eyes, sucking in a shaking breath, and when he looked down at his boyfriend again, he felt determination fill his chest. Wash spent so long protecting everyone else.
No one had been there to protect him. Well, Peri wasn’t going to allow that to continue.
He’d protect Wash’s heart. And he’d get help to do it too.
A flicker of a smile crossed Wash’s face, his warm hands running up and down Peri’s legs. “You look like you’re about to go to war, baby. You don’t have to. I don’t care anymore. I’ve got you, and I’m working things out with Elijah. I don’t need anything else.”
Peri stuck out his lip. “That’s not enough! You deserve more!”
The pain faded, and Wash’s smile grew, especially when several more soul blooms popped up, covering him all the way up to his shoulder.
He did look happy, especially when he drew Peri down for a kiss, that contented hum in his chest as he sipped at his lips, teasing and distracting him.
Peri allowed it because he could tell Wash wanted to be done with the conversation, and he didn’t want to push, but he definitely wasn’t going to let this go.
He had people to back him up. He’d call in reinforcements and find a way to get Wash everything he dreamed of.
He was going to make sure his mate felt wanted and loved.
Before they could get too carried away, Peri sat up with a gasp, wanting to put his first plan into motion before Wash distracted him completely.
“Will you move in with me?”
He hated Wash’s apartment. It was lifeless with no colors and no decorations.
It wasn’t the right environment for his mate’s happiness to grow.
He was ready to argue the point, list off every reason he could think of to get Wash to agree, including saving costs on toiletries, but to his surprise, Wash agreed without argument.
“Sure. I wasn’t planning on letting you out of my sight anyway. But do you want to stay here or find a house? The stained glass could be permanent in a house.”
Peri shook his head, though the idea had merit. He wanted a house eventually. Unfortunately, on a temp’s pay, he couldn’t afford it. And he didn’t want Wash to think he was using him for his money.
“Here for now. I like it here. Maybe we can move you in this weekend? You can teleport so I don’t feel bad asking you to stay the night until then,” he grinned.
Chuckling, Wash nodded in agreement. “That works. Now get your mouth back down here.”