Cullen felt the blood leave his face. "You're going to hurt people."
"Don’t concern yourself with such things." Leviathan murmured, drawing him closer, his arm wrapping around his waist again. There was another twitch in his gut as their bodies shifted together. Fuck. Why was his body reacting like that to all these stupid light touches? Just because of the warmth of another body against it? It wasn't like he hadn't gone a few weeks without sex before; there was no reason to be acting up about all this physical contact now. "Don't ask, and I won't tell, Cull. Just keep enjoying yourself." He winced, but let Leviathan spin him in another slow circle. Several long minutes passed by in silence.
"See? It's not so bad here, is it?" Leviathan murmured once Cullen had started to relax again. "It doesn't have to be sad and scary. You make it that way, Cullen."
"I think a fear of being raped or tortured by someone like you is pretty rational." The words were ugly, but they weretrue. He couldn't stop thinking about it, couldn't stop the nightmares that came to him at night. He just wanted to sleep peacefully beside Walker again.
Leviathan tensed, but kept dancing. "I told you I won't hurt you." He said, almost too quietly for Cullen to hear. "I want you to be happy here. I know you're not as dark as me, I know you won't enjoy violence like I do. But I won't put you through any of that stuff, Cullen. You don't have to be scared. Not of me. Not here."
He said nothing, his cheeks flushing as he dropped his gaze from Leviathan’s, looking at his shoulder instead. There was another long silence while they continued to dance, while demons moved out of their way and Leviathan brushed gentle fingers along his lower back. Again and again until Cullen was fighting shivers…
"You can go to bed, if you want.” Cullen gave him a weak nod, his eyes focused on his own hand while he fought off the trembling that threatened to take over. “If I take you back to your room, can I trust you not to pull another stupid stunt while I'm gone?" Leviathan asked quietly.
Cullen shrugged, feigning indifference. "You sealed the windows closed. I couldn't chuck myself out of them if I wanted to." Which he didn't. He wasn't suicidal, not really. Or he didn't think he was. He'd just…had a snap. But he didn't think he wanted to die for real. He actually felt pretty grateful Leviathan had pulled him back. He couldn't even try to go back to Walker if he was dead, and Walker would have been just as upset as Leviathan if he found out about the attempt.
Leviathan sighed. "There are plenty of other ways, but since you already think I took all your choices away from you, I really don't feel like taking everything sharp and locking you away in a padded cell. You're not a child and I'd prefer notto treat you like one."
Cullen rolled his eyes. "You don't have to. I'm not gonna do anything and you'd stop me if I did. I just had a little meltdown. I'm fine." He glanced up, meeting Leviathan’s too-human eyes. Why he was donning them now, at this demonic party, Cullen couldn’t guess. "So, can I go to sleep now?"
Leviathan glared as he released his waist, but kept their hands together as he began pulling him through the crowd again. Cullen felt a hand brush his back and tensed, but the pressure only lasted a second and then they were in the hallway that led back to his room. He stared down at the fingers Leviathan had wrapped around his as he pulled him along. They were warm and strong and reminded him a bit of Walker’s fingers. They felt almost exactly the same, except Walker had never gripped him quite so tightly. Without meaning to, he gave them a slight squeeze back. He felt Leviathan’s arm stiffen, but neither of them said anything as they made their way back to his bedroom. They stopped outside of it, Leviathan letting go of his hand and turning to face him.
"Did you have at least a little fun?"
Cullen hesitated, confused about why his face was heating up again. "Yes." He said slowly. He crossed his arms over his chest, feeling awkward. He never would have thought he would feel more awkward around Leviathan than scared. How had something like that happened so quickly?
"Well…good." Leviathan cleared his throat. "Stay away from the throne room for the rest of the night. You won't like what you see if you show up there again." Cullen winced, but still the fear did not return. "I'll see you at breakfast." He started to turn away.
"Hey." Cullen called, shocking both of them. Leviathan’s eyes went wide, his lips pressing tightly together. "Can…can the servants make…anything?"
"Within reason." Leviathan said, his eyes narrowing. "What do you want?"
"Crepes." He said after a moment. "I want…Crepes for breakfast." They were his favorite, though he'd seldom had them, since Walker hated them so much.
Leviathan turned back to him with a slow smile. "Crepes? Sure. Fine. We can have crepes for breakfast."
After a moment, Cullen offered him a small smile of thanks before letting it drop away. Leviathan’s eyes went wide again as he turned back to Cullen, taking a small step closer.
He reached forward slowly, making Cullen tense, but he found himself holding still as Leviathan brushed his fingers against his cheek, his eyes searching his face. Cullen felt his face warm and wanted to punch himself.Move.He hissed at himself.Push him away. What the hell are you doing?!
Leviathan leaned in slowly and Cullen tensed, his eyes going wide.Move.He turned his face at the last second, making Leviathan’s lips brush his cheek instead of his lips. He lingered there for a few seconds, seeming unbothered by the rejection, and then pulled away with a small smile. "Have a good night, pet."
Cullen watched him walk back down the hall with wide eyes, guilt and horror tearing through him.
15
The throne room went dead silent the moment he stepped into it, all their faces turning to him with identical terrified looks.
“Why,” he asked quietly, straightening his shoulders as he gazed around the room. “Did you all stop?”
There was a long moment of silence, all of them exchanging nervous glances, though nobody moved a muscle.
Leviathan chuckled, his eyes falling on a blond woman, an old demon he’d known for three hundred years. He’d heard the brush of her long, bony fingers against Cullen’s back, but had decided to say nothing. Do nothing. Not this time. He’d been in too good of a mood at the moment, had not wanted to break what little connection had finally been made with Cullen to deal out a punishment. And even now, when he saw the flash of nervous guilt in her eyes, he turned away, walking back up to his throne.
The moment he sat down, he flicked his fingers and apart of the wall on the other side of the room vanished, leaving nothing but the entrance to a wide staircase that led down into a deep tunnel. A tunnel that emptied out just before the labyrinth on the outskirts of his dimension. Miles and miles away. Space most of these creatures could pass in mere moments.
“My servants have supplied a lovely group of prizes for your benefit today, my friends. Follow the tunnel and enjoy your hunt.”
A last minute change of plans, but he wanted these people out of his home now. And he knew Cullen and his damn rebellious steak. The last thing he needed was for him to walk into the room and see guts strewn about and pools of blood everywhere. That would only hurt whatever this little progress was that he’d made.
