“You’ve been fucking with my head!” He screamed, raising a furious gaze to him. “You’ve been making me think I like it here! You’ve been spying on me all this time!”
He remained infuriatingly calm. “Yes, I was watching you. I have always watched you. But I did not affect your thoughts.”
“Liar!” He shrieked, advancing on him. “That’s why I’ve been losing my damn mind! That’s why I like it here! It’s all you!” He slammed hard hands into his chest and, to his surprise, Leviathan stumbled back a step, though he made no move to defend himself.
And then a slow smile spread across the other man’s face. He took a step forward and Cullen flinched, though he didn’t move his own feet.
“You admit you like it here?” He breathed, a bright excitement filling his eyes.
His teeth snapped together. “No. I didn’t say that.”
“You did.” He stepped closer and Cullen slammed his hands into his chest again. Leviathan was unbothered this time, forcing him backwards until he hit the window again.
“Don’t–” He broke off with a muffled sound as Leviathan cupped his face and kissed him hard. “No–” He gasped, shoving at him, trying to twist his face away. “Don’t touch me–”
Leviathan’s hand came up, cupping his jaw and forcing it up sothat their eyes met. “We are far past ‘Don’t touch me.’” He whispered. “I have kept this secret long enough. Don’t act like a child because you were finally informed.” He kissed him again and Cullen felt his stupid body starting to react again. He whipped his head to the side and Leviathan let him go this time, though he didn’t move away.
“You son of a bitch.” Cullen breathed, the rage and the fear sobering him from whatever strange drug was running through his veins. “I knew you were doing something to me.”
“Stupid brat.” He scoffed quietly, drawing his shirt up over his stomach. Cullen flinched at the touch but Leviathan ignored that too, drawing his shirt off over his head, leaving him entirely naked while he remained half clothed. “I have not done anything to your mind. I haven’t needed to.” He sneered and the tears immediately came again, spilling over until Cullen finally leaned forward and rested his head against Leviathan’s strong chest.
He hadn’t needed to. Everything Cullen had been feeling wasn’t the result of some weird influence in his mind. No, it was much worse than that.
Cullen simply liked it here.
Liked the attention.
Loved the sex.
It was all him. And that was so muchworse.
Neither of them moved and the seconds passed, turned into minutes. Cullen found he didn’t want to move, didn’t want Leviathan to see the tears. Not that he would care. Even the hand that came up to touch the back of his head was a damn lie. Just another manipulative trick to make him search for the affection, to make him even more comfortable here…
“If I had,” Leviathan murmured, running his fingers through his hair. “If I hadchosen that route…do you think I would make it so difficult?” Cullen blinked slowly, tilting his face up a few inches, causing more tears to run down his cheeks, though he had calmed some. Leviathan continued.
“I could have simply taken you. There would have been no need for the pain. For the force. I could have dived into your head and made you do it with a smile on your face.” Another gentle brush through his hair. “But that was not what I wanted. That was not how I wanted you to come here.” His hand moved down, cupping the back of his neck. Something tightened in Cullen’s chest. “I told you I would not force myself into you. That includes your mind.” He squeezed and Cullen gasped, a shiver running down his spine.
“And,” he murmured, bringing his lips to his ear. “I hardly needed to be inside your head to see the dullness in your eyes. To see that little tinge of disappointment every time you had sex with him. Every time he didn’t scratch that itch. I knew what it meant. And there was not a chance in hell I was going to allow anyone else to teach you what you really needed.” His hands slid down his sides, spreading that fire and bringing that darkness to the forefront of his mind again. Cullen cursed its existence, but he did not move away. “You deserved more, Cullen.” He whispered, kissing the spot under his ear. “And I’ve given it to you.”
His hands curled into tight fists at Leviathan’s sides. Leviathan’s hands came back up, cupping his face gently and tipping his head back until their eyes met again. “I have never cared about another person like that.” He whispered. “Demon, angel or human. I have never cared whether they found pleasure in any type of way. Only you.” His lips brushed his and his thumbs ran under his eyes, swiping away the last of the tears. “What would it take to convinceyou that you are different?”
“I don’t know.” He breathed, shaking his head. “I-I don’t know…”
A gentle kiss to his temple. “You’ll see in time.” His lips brushed down his throat and Cullen realized for the first time that he smelled like those sparkly drinks.
“You’re drunk, Leviathan.” His voice was barely more than a whisper.
“Just a bit.” He whispered back, the tip of his tongue flicking against his ear. “I will show you how you should be treated, Cullen.”
“You…” His eyes rolled back in his head a bit as Leviathan sucked at his pulse point. “You don’t mean any of this.” The tears had dried now, his body forgetting its grief in favor of that damn dark shadow.
The words had worked; Leviathan pulled back and grabbed a handful of his hair, pulling his head back. “I mean every. Fucking. Word.” His eyes gleamed with rage and desire and his skin burned at the touch.
Cullen hesitated, trying to convince himself it was stupid for a few precious moments before he decided to throw himself into the fire.
“Prove it.”
Surprise flickered in Leviathan’s eyes. “How?”
